Sherman Cymru | KEEP IT CATHAYS

Well, we’ve made it through Christmas with the only noticeable damage being tight trousers and a sizable dent in the savings. What we’ve lost in money and good looks, we’ve gained in festive good will! That and some stiflingly warm polo necks from relatives who insist the only way to attract the ‘right type’ of man involves keeping every part of our flesh covered. It really won’t be long until we have balaclavas decorated with snow flakes. Then we’ll definitely find Mr Right… right?

Now we can set our sights on New Years Eve. We’re sure that like us, you’ve experienced the anti-climax of NYE parties, club nights and fireworks. The more excitement and promise piled on the night, the more likely it is that it’ll be a disappointment. KIC believes that keeping the celebrations local has the highest success rates.

So let’s look at what Cathays is doing to count the minutes down to 2014…

Après Ski Party @ Face 11

Wish you were donning salopettes and eating cheese fondue to reign in the new year? Well, Face 11 is the place for you. They are hosting an après ski party until 3am. Plenty of time to SLOPE into a dark corner and find an nICE person to kiss at midnight. Feel free to take those puns for yourself, comedy gold like that needs to be shared around. £4 entry which includes a buffet.

New Years Lash @ Solus, Cardiff University Student Union

The last Lash of the year, and what a year it’s been! The drinks! The hours of Rihanna we’ve listened to! The pieces of our dignity lost along the way! Unfortunately you’ll have to pay more than usual for the privilege of spending the last hours of 2013/ first hours of 2014 in the Cardiff University Union. Exclusive VIP wristbands are £10, general students advance tickets are £12 and it’s £15 on the door. 10pm ’til 3am.

The Sleeping Beauties @ The Sherman Cymru

Before the debauchery begins, you can finish off 2013 with a matinee of The Sleeping Beauties at The Sherman Theatre. It’s your last chance to watch the play that the Western Mail dubbed ‘spellbinding.’ Think fairy tales with a twist. The show starts at 2pm. Tickets are priced between £12 and £25, children and under 25’s are half price.

Train 2 Ska Ville @ The Vulcan

Skank the night away at The Vulcan. Live band Too Toned, Cardiff own’s 7-piece ska/ two- tone band are playing. Open 7pm until the last man standing. Challenge accepted.

& please, whatever you do, take the time to stop for a drink at The Flora, after this tweet we feel they need an ego boost…

@KeepItCathays probably only have 1 customer. People like to go to good pubs these days

— The Flora (@theflorapub) December 27, 2013

WHAT HAVE WE MISSED?

We’d love to add more NYE jollities to the post so please let us know.. tweet us @keepitcathays or comment below!

Walk through Cathays today and you’re likely to get caught in the sea of people trudging down Woodville Road and Cathays Terrace (unless, of course, you’re staggering home at the witching hour, in which case you might be lucky enough to get the streets to yourself and avoid any snide remarks of those seemingly more virtuous.) The steady stream of Cardiff hoodies and boys in unseasonal flip flops is largely thanks to it’s popularity as home to university goers.

Cathays is fit to burst with students.

According to a Freedom of Information request made this summer 15,334 registered students were recorded with Cathays post codes in 2012/13. In the 2011 census, 16-24 year olds made up nearly two thirds of the total population.

Age Range of Adults in Cathays (2011)

And we’re not complaining! Neither are businesses, most of the time. When term is in full swing, students bring life to the pubs, restaurants and shops of Cathays. You only have to walk around to notice local business’s dependency on the young population. The Gutsy Goose offers 15% off for students, Balti King 20%, The Vulcan 10% off some drinks and The Sherman Cymru Theatre sells half price tickets for under 25’s.

But students aren’t around all year. When term ends next week, people will be scooting home to central heating and fully stocked fridges quicker than Dasher, Dancer, Prancer and Vixen. (We know there are more, Glancer? Rasher..? Anyway.)

KIC must confess, we are guilty of this crime, and also of not giving our student lodgings a second thought once we’re rolling on hoovered carpets and eating things that aren’t yellow-stickered.

“Cathays becomes a desert in the holidays”

Paul Byers, Connect Cathays.

The life we leave behind continues though. Paul Byers is a community psychologist who runs Connect Cathays, a community site striving to bring together the residents. Paul has lived in Cathays for five years and Cardiff a lot longer. Having worked for the council as a town planner and as both a bus and taxi driver, he knows the streets as well as the veins on his hands. Since retiring, Paul’s jumped head first into understanding the Cathays community – past, present and future. He believes the transient population creates a real problem. Along with the worst voting turn out for any ward in Cardiff, (17.1% at the last election ) poor quality homes and litter problems, businesses flounder out of term time.

Cathays Councillor, Sam Knight, agrees that the student population has affected the business landscape.

Some businesses close for long periods, Café Malaysia on Woodville road shuts for a month in summer. With such temperamental seasons, it seems likely, if not obvious, outlets will suffer when the majority of its population leave the area.

Is it time for a metaphor? Is it ever.

Think of students as water, and the businesses of Cathays as plants. Give them water, they’ll thrive and grow. Take away the water, the plants will struggle to survive.

Term time Trade

The Falafel Bar- closed this week.

The turn around of businesses in Cathays is quite high. Just this week, The Falafel Bar on Woodville Road posted a ‘To Let’ sign across its windows. If you have the time or curiosity, look at Crwys Road’s Street View on Google Maps. The map isn’t old but the changes of shop faces are noticeable. The Veg Rack is gone, as is Central Eating and Lorenza’s.

Of course, the economic climate of the last five years has something to do with it, but the highs and lows of trade has an impact too.

We spoke to Barry Logan, manager of Kama Lounge, an Asian restaurant in the heart of Cathays. Kama Lounge opened a couple of years ago during the summer- a difficult time to begin a business. Without many people around, they struggled to get feet through the doors.

Once students returned in September, they had a ‘re-launch.’ Now, they manage holidays with a battle plan of events including weddings and cocktail master classes. Amid a busy lunchtime service, Barry single-handedly sat customers, served food, made drinks and spoke to KIC about how businesses in the area fare. He admitted it wasn’t easy, but said he had noticed a reappearance of local people when students evacuate.

A renewed local presence is great. The fact that it’s when students disappear isn’t so much. But that’s a post for another time, we’re sure even the jazziest colour coded maps won’t keep you entertained forever.

Building Usage for Crwys Road & Woodville Road

Which moves us ever so neatly onto this one right here. It shows the number of shops (pink) and eateries (red) on Crwys and Woodville road. There’s a lot of them, and some have been around for years. This suggests that businesses have found a way of making the situation work for them.

Kevin Stoyle, W.J. Gardner.

Cathays’s oldest shop must have. W J Gardner has been selling painting and decorating supplies since 1905, it’s battled through the storms of time and emerged triumphant. In the last year and a half it’s been taken over by Rabart Decorators Merchants, and has seen a rise in profits. They’ve discovered that having so many people moving in and out of houses in the area can be a big advantage for their business.

There are ups and downs. That’s clear. Talking to businesses in the area, it seems some are worried. Others are not. Christmas is certainly not as big a concern as the three month gap that stretches over summer. Like Barry, some welcome a slower pace for the festive period. Others are trying their hardest to exploit Christmas for every deal, party and event possible.

It certainly isn’t the fault of students for wanting to go home over their holidays, and our KIC hat goes off to those brave enough to take the risk of the hot/cold business climate in the area.

Tomorrow is Small Business Saturday (7th December), which seems like the perfect time to give a last bit of trade to the independent cafés, restaurants, bars and shops in Cathays before the holidays. And remember, (sorry in advance for this, but it was too good an opportunity to miss…)

Cathays is for Christmas, not just for term time.