The next NCT Nearly New Sale will be at Cowbridge Leisure Centre. Saturday 3rd March 11.00am – 12.30pm.
If you would like to sell your nearly new items (Baby / kids clothes, toys, books, baby equipment, maternity wear, prams etc) email nctnearlynewsales@live.co.uk or phone Julie 01656 662564 to pre-register.
Visit our Facebook page NCT Vale and Valleys
Cowbridge Charter Trust. We cordially invite both Members and non-members to our 8th Annual General Meeting in the Lesser Hall on the 29th February. Doors open at 7:15pm.
Programme.
Followed by free Fairtrade tea or coffee and a chance for an informal get together, become a member or just have a chat!
Come and celebrate St David’s Day at Oriel Kathy Gittins with an amazing 15% OFF all our new Spring collections. Thursday 1st, Friday 2nd & Saturday 3rd March 10 – 5.
Plus massive 75% off all remaining Winter Sale items in stock…. sarah pacini crea annette gortz indies sahara etc etc.
We look forward to seeing you….
Dewch i ddathlu Dydd Gwyl Ddewi gyda Oriel Kathy Gittins. Byddwn yn cynnig 15% i ffwrdd ar holl gasgliadau y Gwanwyn. 1af, 2ail a 3ydd o Fawrth 10 – 5.
Edrychwn ymlaen i’ch gweld….
For further information please contact Kathy Gittins Cowbridge on 01446 771 130
Arboreal: Reviewed by Nikki – Your Last Mouthful on February 24, 2012
There are some really lovely places to eat in Cowbridge but I rarely get up there so I was very pleased to be invited to review Arboreal Cafe-Kitchen-Bar. The current owners only opened after a reburb in October 2011 and I have heard quite a lot about Arboreal in that short time with reviews by fellow bloggers and articles in local magazines.
We managed to park right outside and Arboreal looked very inviting through the window with groups of people sitting inside by the bar. When we got in we could see that it was very busy but we were still greeted immediately by a friendly man behind the bar who took our name and showed us to our table.
The decor was striking. It had a clean fresh feel with white walls, pale furniture, big windows and a glass ceiling at the rear of the restaurant. The walls and the ceiling in places were cladded with reclaimed wood, washed white. The walls housed some unusual decor along the same theme including shelves made from wooden pallets and the table numbers were written on pebbles.
A chat with the owner at the end of the meal revealed that the theme was based round the name. Arboreal means ‘relating to or resembling a tree’. It is a very novel idea and worked well. Until I knew this, I thought there was a beach house theme as both seemed to fit with the decor. Either way, it was very appealing and is a nice twist on the traditional rustic theme.
We took our seats right next to the open kitchen. We were so close I was tempted to reach up and get my own dinner when they called service. It was great to be so close to the smells of the kitchen and I could literally smell some of our dishes coming but perhaps we were a little too close. The restaurant is quite small but the space has been utilised well. It felt intimate but not squashed.
The menu was quite minimal but varied with only three starters but there was also a range of sharing platters which looked really good. I went for the duck rillette, winter slaw of red cabbage, apple, beetroot and raisins with crustini and Mr. V went for mussels cooked with cider, leeks and pancetta, finished with fresh herbs and cream. Both were delicious and were our favourite dishes of the night.
I had a very generous helping of rillette and the accompanying winter slaw was just gorgeous! There were a lot of flavours on my plate as even the salad dressing added more but nothing overpowered, everything complimented each other perfectly.
Mr. V’s mussels were equally as lovely. They were beautifully cooked and the sauce was delicious with a good depth of flavour. Mr V was very pleased that they came with the accompaniments he likes; a bowl for the shells, a bowl of water to wash his hands and some bread. Both starters were a good size and a good price at £6.65 for the mussels and £5.95 for the duck rillette.
Even though the restaurant was full, we didn’t have to wait long for our mains. Staff were efficient and friendly and we could see the chef in action. For our mains, I went for the Braised Beef Chilli and Mr. V opted for the Coq Au Vin. There were some seriously good pizzas on the menu too which I will be sampling next time!
My chilli was lovely. I don’t usually choose chilli but I liked the idea of it being made with braised beef instead of mince and it was a great way of doing it. It was the perfect heat for me and topped off with lime and coriander sour cream and served with wild rice. The beef was tender and the favours worked well together.
Mr. V’s hearty Coq au vin was well received. The chicken was moist and the mash was smooth and light. The plate was small but the portion was a good size. It was nicely presented without being pretentious, just as a classic should be presented. Some of the mains were a touch expensive at £15.95 each but the starters and desserts were priced very well, as were the pizzas so I’d still give a green spoon for price.
Moving onto dessert….
Find out what Nikki and Mr V had for dessert, what Nikki’s last mouthful was, and what Arboreal’s overall green spoon rating, plus lots of other great foodie stuff.
In a bid to kick start some of the findings from Mary Portas’ recent report on UK High Streets, Town Centre Manager and High Street loyalty expert, Mark Barnes has come up with an innovative way to get people talking about where they live. The first ever Retweet For Towns Day will be held on March 8th 2012. The purpose of the event is to start a live debate about high streets, to share best practice amongst towns and cities and also to encourage residents to become involved in their communities.
The campaign has already gathered support from Association of Town Centre Management and TV weather forecaster Sian Lloyd. Deeply saddened by the situation facing most of our town centres Sian has already been tweeting for the cause and is urging other to join in too. Sian offered “Residents can make a real difference by supporting those who are working to preserve our high streets and this campaign offers everyone a simple way to comment and debate about their town centres”
ATCM Chief Executive, Martin Blackwell was very enthusiastic to be involved and said “This is a brilliant idea and allows the ordinary person the opportunity to show their support for their town centre. They are not dead yet!”
The ‘tweeting’ starts right now with the debate culminating with a mass day of tweeting on March 8. Mark is encouraging those with responsibility for a high street, town or city to share good news stories that other areas can introduce into their towns. Also Mark is looking for debate about the true picture in the high streets and to tell the story around town centre vibrancy that statistics do not display. But Mark believes that the real power of using social media in this way comes from talking to residents and visitors to not only get their views but also to encourage them to become active in their community and hopefully form Partnerships and Town Teams as Mary Portas and the UK Government recommend.
For more information see www.rt4towns.wordpress.com and to join in follow @loyalhelp. Mark can be contacted by email onmabarnes@btinternet.com
Information on ATCM can be found here www.atcm.org
All enquiries should be directed to Mark Barnes 01686 629505/ 07590 005692
Twitter @loyalhelp http://uk.linkedin.com/in/themarkbarnes
Saturday 25th February - A Feast of Rugby at the Bear Hotel.
All ticket sales go to Velindre Cancer Centre 2012 Captains California Bike Ride.
Join us in St Quentin’s for Live action on the Big Screen . A Game of Two Halves
Curry, Rice ,Chips & Naan Bread
Team Analysis & Clarks Pie’s
Big Raffle – including pairs of tickets for the home game Wales V Italy. Tickets on sale now £15.00 per supporter.
From – Jon Ian Shoes 18 High Street or call 01446 775226. The Bear Hotel Cowbridge reception desk - 01446 774814
More info on the Bear Hotel Whats On Page
https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/bearbackriders
Recruitment Nights Weds 22nd and 29th Feb 6.30-8pm
Call into the Fire Station at Druids Greeen or call the recruitment team on 01443 232200
Marianne Pettifor – Growing & Generating Sales for Business, On and Off-line. Spoke at the first Vale Womens Business Network meeting and was invited back in its 10th anniversary year to speak at Bar 44 - looking at how marketing has changed over the years.
Marianne heads an established dynamic bespoke marketing, sales and customer service enhancement consultancy - Frogmore Consulting - who understand how a clear and focussed marketing strategy can transform a business.
Marianne’s motivation comes from a desire to make a difference, she is highly results driven and focused on helping organizations raise their service levels and increase their sales. Her personal style is gregarious and pragmatic, attributes that are highly appropriate for client organizations motivated to succeed in the increasingly competitive market.
The holder of a prestigious award for profit source solutions and with a wealth of business experience, Marianne can develop competitive strategies for your business and motivate your team to implement them. Based in Swansea, but does business across the Vale and further afield.
Marianne’s career has evolved into key note and public speaking engagements. In this arena too, she is building a solid reputation for clear and credible insight and this is never summed up better than by her personal mantra:
We measure our success by the customers we keep!