Festival fun to celebrate 100 years of Cardiff suburb

A dash of sun, sprinkles of  entertainment and lashings of  community spirit are the recipe  for a great summer festival in  one Cardiff suburb this weekend.

For 100 years, Rhiwbina has  retained its distinct identity as  an experimental village within  a city and tomorrow the  centenary celebrations culminate in a special summer  festival.

It is an event that is held annually but  residents are  pulling out all the stops to make  it a day to remember because of  the special anniversary.

The first houses in picturesque  Rhiwbina, which means hill  of pines, were completed in  April 1913.

The area was designed by architects Barry Parker and Ray  Unwin as an alternative to  crowded city living and has  flourished since.

At the festival tomorrow there  will be live music on an arena  stage, a show tent inspired by  the Great British Bake Off,  children’s rides, lots of stalls  and a  dog competition.

“We have tried to organise  something for all ages to  enjoy,” explains local councillor and committee member  Eleanor Sanders.

“Over the years the summer  festival has been growing and  we aim to make the event the best ever to reflect the  special anniversary.

“The whole community has  got behind the event and it  promises to be lots of fun,  whatever the weather.”

Residents’ association chairwoman Mary Clarke, who has  lived in Rhiwbina for 55 years,  is delighted to see that the community spirit is as strong as  ever.

“Rhiwbina is a thriving place  to live and has been for the past  100 years,” she says.

“It is wonderful seeing everyone coming together to celebrate.

“The schoolchildren had been  asked to write birthday cards  for the area and they are now  on display in the library.

“The work that has gone into  them is phenomenal and they  say wonderful things like they  love living in Rhiwbina because it is so quiet, so green and  such a great place to live. It  makes me feel confident that,  in their hands, Rhiwbina will  continue to thrive through the  next 100 years.”

Events kick off at 10.30am tomorrow.

Visit Rhiwbina Garden Village on Facebook.