Category: Miscellaneous
Various items that do not fit any particular category
Christmas Reindeer Cafe
CHRISTMAS REINDEER CAFE
The local community was treated to a really lovely afternoon on Saturday 23 November 
when Glenys and Mike invited everyone to spend time with friends and neighbours at the Christmas Reindeer Café.
Randolph’s extended family were eagerly awaiting the arrival of people from the village who had offered to give them a home. The reindeers, handcrafted by Mike, will make a lovely addition to our garden displays for the festive season. And, for those wanting something a little smaller, the snowmen complemented Mike’s display of handcrafted gifts.
Wenvoe Crafters supported the event and it was an opportunity to buy good quality Christmas cards, decorations and balloons.
The warm and welcoming atmosphere in the Church Hall was fantastic. Hot and cold drinks as well as a very tempting variety of Glenys’ delicious homemade cakes, meant that 
everyone stayed to catch up and while away a very pleasant couple of hours. With John and Lowri in the kitchen, it really was a family affair.
Raffle prizes included bottles of champagne, wine and spirits, food and sweet hampers and a
handmade Christmas cake. All thirty-six raffle prizes had been generously donated by people from the village in order to support such a worthy cause.
The £440 raised will be donated to the Wenvoe Wildlife Group in order to support the many on-going projects that we read about regularly in the monthly ‘What’s On’ update.
Glenys and Mike would like to thank all of the people who supported the Christmas Reindeer Café and made the day such a success. Their thanks also goes to their family and the people who donated the raffle prizes.
Glenys and Mike have also extended a special thank you to Joyce Hoy who worked tirelessly with the Tucker family preparing the Church Hall and making the table decorations. Perhaps most importantly, Joyce also ensured that all of Randolph’s family were looked after until they were taken to their new homes.
A very special ‘thank you’ on behalf of the 
village to Glenys, Mike and their family for hosting the Christmas Reindeer Café. You created such a lovely afternoon and the money you have helped to raise will have a lasting impact on the continued hard work of the Wildlife Group.
Dyffryn Paintings Conservation Project
DYFFRYN PAINTINGS CONSERVATION PROJECT
Dyffryn House, at Dyffryn gardens is holding a paintings conservation project from the 22nd October-end of November. Visitors will get the chance to watch specialist painting conservators in action, as they repair the 3 paintings by prolific Welsh artist Margaret Lindsay Williams (1888-1960). Williams portraits are in the Royal collection , and the National Museum, Wales. Come and discover more about her fascinating life and career, and take a look at her allegorical paintings which caused quite a stir when she painted them in the early 20th century; The Imprisoned Soul and The Devil’s Daughter.
Conservators will be in the Oak Room of Dyffryn House Monday to Thursdays from 1-4pm. They will also be running conservator talks with Q&A at 1:30pm and 3pm.
Great Expectations
Great Expectations
There is an expectation which has fallen on the youth of today; that we must fix the problems our predecessors have caused. Between the likes of Greta Thunberg, the climate activist who made headlines after her recent speech at the UN, and Emma Gonzalez, the powerhouse who helped organise March For Our Lives on behalf of gun control last year, and Autumn Peltier, the Native American teenager working on behalf of clean water protection, the world has seen its fair share of young activists.
But my issue is that why should they have to fight the battles which should be fought on their behalf? In the words of Greta Thunberg herself in her speech at the UN Climate Summit earlier this month, “I shouldn’t be up here. I should be back in school on the other side of the ocean. Yet you all come to us young people for hope. How dare you!”.
Young people are losing their childhoods trying to undo the wrongs of the past, whilst the politicians who could be aiding them are either mocking them or are watching on in astonishment. And yes. It is astonishing that at such young ages, these young women are able to change the world. But it’s not their duty to change the world. Not yet anyway. It is their duty to gain an education and to learn and be free to explore who they are. The politicians watching them with starry-eyed gazes ought to be the ones protecting them. Protecting all of us – young and old.
Emma Gonzalez, a survivor of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Florida in 2018 had to co-fund the gun-control advocacy group. Never Again MSD, had to help organise March For Our Lives and held a six-minute silence for the victims of the shooting (six minutes was the length of the shooting) before any changes at all were made. Florida Legislature finally passed a bill titled ‘Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act’ thanks to the work of Emma Gonzalez and her co-founders; but she had to be the face of a generation at just 18 years old because the politicians she should be able to rely upon refused to raise their voices.
Greta Thunberg, at aged just sixteen is a face which is so recognisable. In August 2018, aged 15 years old, Greta Thunberg started spending her school days outside of the Swedish parliament in the hopes of climate change. Soon, many joined her call to arms, with the climate strike Fridays for Future being organised soon after. Following Thunberg’s 2018 United Nations Climate Change Conference, student strikes took place worldwide each week. She took a racing yacht over the Atlantic to attend the 2019 UN Climate Action Summit in New York, to demonstrate the importance of reducing emissions. But at sixteen, although she is undoubtedly an icon, Greta Thunberg should be enjoying her time with friends – not worrying about the fact entire ecosystems are collapsing.
14 year-old Autumn Peltier is an internationally recognised advocate for clean water. An Anishinaabe-kwe and a member of Wikwemikong First Nation, she is a water protector who has addressed the UN General Assembly on the issue of water protection. Having been nominated for an International Children’s Peace Prize in 2017, 2018 and 2019, Peltier is known for her activism. But she’s fourteen. She was thirteen when she first addressed the United Nations. She deserves a childhood where the people who are in power are protecting the issues she is having to advocate for – it’s their job; it was never hers.
Yet these young women have all earned backlash for their work recently. Greta Thunberg was attacked for her looks – it says a lot when the only thing they have left to go after is your lack of a smile when you’re talking about the fact Earth may become unliveable soon.
A Republican congressman, Steve King, attacked Emma Gonzalez for wearing a Cuban flag on her jacket, stating, “this is how you look when you claim Cuban heritage yet don’t speak Spanish and ignore the fact that your ancestors fled the island when the dictatorship turned Cuba into a prison camp, after removing all weapons from its citizens; hence their right to self-defence”. The badge worn on Gonzalez’s jacket was adopted in 1902, fifty years before the communist take-over and has since been used by anti-Castro exiles as a symbol of patriotism.
These are young women. Young women who deserve the right to go about their teenage years in the way I was able to. We shouldn’t still be looking to them to lead the way, when politicians and world leaders should have been doing their jobs a long time ago.
Pressure is having three essays due in a week. Pressure is having to cram for exams each day of the week. Pressure is performing in a school show or being the one to score the winning try on the rugby field against an opposing school. Pressure should not be having the eyes on the world on you at all times and holding the weight of the world on your shoulders. It’s too much pressure for anyone – especially when there are adults in the world who are qualified and being paid to share the responsibility between them.
Although these young women are icons, they are also children. Their jobs aren’t to fix the world.
By Tirion Davies
Gap Year Expedition With Raleigh International
My Name Is Jacob Morgan
Dear Wenvoe Residents; my name is Jacob Morgan. You may know me from the Wenvoe Arms where I have worked for the past few years or seen me around the village walking the dog. I’ve lived in Wenvoe for the past fifteen years, moving here at the age of three with my parents and younger sister ready to enjoy playgroup and later start school at Wenvoe Primary. Now I’m eighteen years old and have finished compulsory education. Whilst most of my peers are starting their further education at university, I have decided to take a gap year to hopefully gain some experience in order to help me decide on what career I would like to pursue.
One thing I’ve decided to take part in during this year is a 10-week expedition in Tanzania. I’m doing this with other young people aged 17-24 from all around the world through a charity called Raleigh International. They strive to create lasting change in areas of the world less fortunate than ours. The expedition will consist of three parts, ‘Community’, ‘Environment’, and ‘Adventure’. We spend about 3 weeks on each project, the first being community in which the main aim will be to improve the safety of water, as well as sanitation and hygiene knowledge for locals in Tanzania. We will work with local schools, educating the pupils on these topics and helping to build sanitation facilities for them; overall improving the health of the community. The second project is environment. During this project the focus will be in forest management. We will work collaboratively with the local farmers and workers to develop forest management plans and raise awareness on the importance of these forests and plants, aiming to create a more sustainable and healthier environment. The final part of the expedition is adventure, which will consist of trekking through the Morogoro region or Southern Highlands of Tanzania. We will pass through small communities and see wildlife such as Lions, Zebras and Elephants along the way. After a day of hiking we will set up camp and sleep under amazing night skies unaffected by light pollution. During this section of the expedition my leadership and teamworking skills will develop and improve, which is brilliant for any workplace I could potentially end up in.
As a part of the experience I will need to fundraise money to pay for my flights, accommodation, and food whilest out there, but also a little extra to donate to the charity, so that more of a difference can be made throughout all the areas in which Raleigh International offer voluntary work. It will allow more projects such as the one I am taking part in to continue, helping to create more positive change all around the world.
I have several ideas for fundraising. Firstly, I am going to climb Pen Y Fan a total of 5 times in one day as a sponsored event. I am looking to do this around the end of November, most probably on a Saturday or Sunday so that my family can come with me (therefore the 23rd/24th/30th Nov). I am looking to organise a raffle, quiz night or race night in the Wenvoe Arms as this would not only be a great fundraiser but also a fun and enjoyable night for the village and the locals who would attend. I aim to arrange one or two in the run up to Christmas. I will have a meeting with Jenny and Digby to see which night of the week they think is best
to hold these events and further details will be posted around the village or on the Wenvoe Arms twitter page. Finally I have set up a ‘Just Giving’ page on the internet – www.justgiving.com/fundraising/jacob-morgan where any donations can be made. Any help in fundraising for Raleigh International or for my expedition in Tanzania would be greatly appreciated.
I will keep you updated on progress and plan to write an article on my return to tell you all about my adventures and experiences. If you’d like to know more or share any ideas for fundraising with me pop into the pub!
The Scarecrow Festival
The Scarecrow Festival
Saturday afternoon the 21st of September brought crowds of people to view the different “scarecrows” sited in the churchyard, and to judge between one and another was a very difficult job. The cleverness and ingenuity in putting together a “Scarecrow” with a theme really tests the imagination and the results were, without doubt, a triumph. In addition to “Scarecrows” were the other attractions. Seeing Vicar Jon in the stocks being pelted with wet sponges; he was so brave and so wet. The “Teddy Bear” parachute jumps from the top of the tower, ably assisted aloft by Jude Billingham and again Vicar Jon as ground staff was a highlight of the afternoon, and there were many Oohs and Aahs especially when they got stuck on the electricity cables, but there were many successful landings and no teddy bear came to any harm.
Once again the Social committee ladies served the coffee/teas with the most delicious homemade cakes rounding off a truly lovely afternoon when the parish came together to enjoy a moment of fellowship.
The winners in the different categories were
Best Individual (U11) – Delyth and Obi for Be Enthusiastic Refuse Plastic
Best Individual (11+) – Poppy for Shred Shearon
Best Organisation (U11) – Little Stars After School Club at Gwenfo School for Peter Pan and Wendy
Best Organisation (11+) – Goldsland Farm and 1st Sully Cubs for From Grass to Glass
Favourite Scarecrow – Wenvoe Environment Group for Flowerpot Scarecrow
Voting was so close that there were two entries that were awarded Highly Commended
1st Wenvoe Cubs for Homeless Awareness Scarecrow
Dylan and Evan for The Tin Man and Scarecrow
In total £450 was raised on the day for the Church which included the Teas and all the Raffle forms and Passports and Activities. A big thank you to all who helped to make the day such a success, and also a big thank you to all who came and contributed so generously to church funds
Wenvoe’s Part In The Battle Of Trafalgar
Wenvoe’s Part In The Battle Of Trafalgar
The Battle of Trafalgar (21 October, 1805) is probably Britain’s most famous naval victory. The main facts are well known. The Royal Navy led by Admiral Lord Nelson, aboard HMS Victory, defeated a larger combined French and Spanish fleet under the command of the French Admiral Villeneuve. In what was to prove a key event in the Napoleonic Wars, victory confirmed the naval supremacy Britain had established during the course of the 18th century. Nelson was shot by a French musketeer and died of his wounds. Villeneuve was captured, along with his ship Bucentaure and later attended Nelson’s funeral while a captive on parole in Britain.
What is less known, but of interest to us, is that Frederick Jennings Thomas, originally of Wenvoe, played a significant part in the battle. Frederick was born 19 April 1786, the younger son of Sir John Thomas, fifth baronet of Wenvoe Castle, and his wife, Mary. He entered the navy in March 1799 and by 1803, while serving on the Prince of Wales flagship of Sir Robert Calder, was present during several important naval actions. On 19 September of the same year, he was appointed Acting-Lieutenant of HMS Spartiate, an appointment that led him to the Battle of Trafalgar. During the battle the Spartiate, with Frederick playing a key role, forced the surrender of the 80 gun Spanish ship Neptuno. The Spartiate was damaged in the fierce fighting, but there were only three killed (two seamen & one boy) and twenty wounded.
Until 1814, Frederick served on the Spartiate and other ships in the Mediterranean, finally commanding the San Juan, flagship of Rear-Admiral Linzee at Gibraltar. The San Juan had been captured by the Royal Navy at Trafalgar following a heroic fight led by its commander, Don Cosme Churruca. During the battle, Churruca had ordered the Spanish flag to be nailed to the highest mast, as a way to tell everyone involved not to expect an easy surrender. With a decimated crew, and despite being mortally wounded as a result of having a leg torn off by a cannonball, Churruca refused to submit. Even following their Commander’s death, his officers kept their word. It was the last one alive who finally yielded, to save the ship and lives of the crew. In recognition of Churruca’s courage, the commander’s cabin on the San Juan was given a brass plate in his honour. All who entered it, including Frederick, were required to remove their hats as a mark of respect for a gallant enemy.
Frederick Jennings Thomas retired from active service in 1814 settling down to family life. He stayed in the public eye, writing on naval matters and even inventing a lifeboat with three keels, so designed to prevent capsizing. It also seems that he was the first person to propose a pier at Brighton. Having accepted the retired rank of Rear-Admiral, Frederick died near Southampton, on 19 December 1855.
Men and Mental Health
The Man by Tirion Davies
40% of men won’t talk to anyone about their mental health.
In a 2018 study by Priory, 40% of men polled stated it would take thoughts of suicide or self-harm to compel them to seek professional help. Almost a quarter of respondents stated they would feel uncomfortable speaking to their GP or a psychiatrist as they believed their concerns would be a waste of time. 77% of respondents in the study stated they have suffered with anxiety, depression and stress.
According to a 2017 article by Mind, suicide rates are higher in Wales than in the rest of the United Kingdom. In 2017, 5,821 suicides were recorded in Great Britain, of these 75% were males. Suicide represents the largest cause of death for men under the age of 50. Higher rates of suicide are also found in minority communities including gay men, war veterans, and those with low incomes. A particularly vulnerable group to death by suicide are middle-aged men from lower socio-economic backgrounds.
We live in a world filled with toxic masculinity. A world where stereotypes are still forced upon men and women. Stereotypes which can be incredibly damaging.
Earlier this year, I responded to an advert by the razor brand Gilette. The advertisement included men stopping other men from inappropriate behaviours and keeping men accountable for questionable actions. The advertisement garnered such a response online and highlighted the issue toxic masculinity faces on men within our society.
And yet, countless men took to online social media platforms to argue their disgust in the ad, claiming it tarnished all men and masculinity as bad.
But that’s part of the problem. The advertisement was made in an attempt to discuss the toxicity the ‘masculine’ stereotype can have; the fact that in order to be a ‘man’, you must not cry or be seen as ‘weak’. The advert was in an attempt to hold men accountable for sexual harassment and bullying, and to attempt to redefine ‘masculinity’. Damon Jones, Vice President for Global Communications and Advocacy at Procter & Gamble, stated in a January 2019 Forbes interview,
‘In many ways men are finding themselves at a crossroads – caught between old definitions of what masculinity means and this new era of masculinity. It’s about allowing men space to define masculinity for themselves. We don’t set the standard for what masculinity is, but we do believe we have an opportunity to promote positive, attainable, inclusive, and healthy versions of what it means to be a man’.
Toxic masculinity is an issue which many are still arguing doesn’t exist. But by forcing these outdated stereotypes on men, it causes men to follow
unhealthy habits and makes it harder for them to admit when they need help.
Mind Cymru’s Lee Cambule stated ‘I am still faced with some outdated stereotypes as a man suffering from depression; men as a source of strength, dominating positions of power, the hunter-gatherer, the idea that strong and silent is alluring/attractive, the “show no weakness” bravado of heroes in our media’. He also states that the men who are most revered in our society, like celebrities, are not always ready to admit their struggles to the public because of this ‘toxic masculinity’. Which, as a result, leaves the everyday man even more uncertain about speaking out.
The expression ‘manning up’ is often used to belittle men who show they are struggling with their mental health. Young boys are told to ‘man up’ if they cry about being hurt or when they show signs of struggle at school. Lee Cambule says, ‘that expression is still often used for the wrong reasons, unfortunately. The concept that mental health can be conquered by simple acting more “like a man” is misguided. Depression, anxiety, personality disorders and schizophrenia are no more or less difficult based on whether you have a Y chromosome in your DNA’.
It’s 2019, and yet too many men are struggling with speaking up about their mental health because of this ridiculous idea that they would be deemed less of a man if they admit they are suffering. It’s 2019, and yet too many men are killing themselves because of this refusal to admit that toxic masculinity exists and that it alienates many. It is 2019, and yet the statistics on male suicides seem unlikely to change.
I’m aware that just me telling you that you’re not weak won’t miraculously change the world’s outlook on men’s mental health. But hopefully, if enough people start to say it, more and more men will realise the truth behind those words. Because you are not weak. Admitting you are struggling is incredibly hard to do. If anything, it makes you braver than anyone else to admit that you need some help in feeling yourself again.
It’s time to admit that the masculine stereotype placed on men is outdated. It’s time to admit that seeking help can make you stronger. It’s time to admit your mental health is just as important as everyone else’s.
Being a ‘man’ doesn’t mean you have to suffer in silence. You deserve the right to be happy.
If you need any help, please don’t hesitate to use any of the following links:
https://uk.movember.com/mens-health/we-need-to-talk
Priory: 0800 086 1441
Mind:https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/helplines/
0300 123 3393
Samaritans: 116 123
A Poem for For Howard Bevan
Little Hamston
For Howard Bevan
The surge of green that overruns
the kitchen garden, where it rests
between hawthorn and stone, maroons
the swimming orchard’s sharp harvest.
Green shade, where the last bee drones,
slows the chariot wings, compressed
behind the brazen honeycombs
and Time is stilled, and quiet, blessed.
Welsh slates on the long roof leaden.
Sky curves over dappled gauze.
Nest-filled creepers draw a sudden
blaze of carmine curtains closed.
Though September doors stand open
the parlour flickers, fire on brass.
Flagstones warm, tomatoes ripen
all along the window glass.
The old man sips his evening tipple,
solves another crossword clue,
resting at the oaken table
worn by generations, who
drew their days from crop and stubble,
flock and herd, from morning dew
to twilight’s fall on sty and stable,
Seasons turn and turn anew.
Little Hamston, little jewel
set aside from crowd and noise;
spirit’s strength and soul’s renewal,
all our senseless rush defies.
Good folk, self-sufficient, loyal
follow here their daily lives
In narrow acres, wed to soil,
yet comprehend God’s wider skies.
© Kay Rowe May 2008
Kay visited the late Howard Bevan at Little Hamston, a property in Dyffryn, between 1990 and 2008 and wrote this poem about September. Supplied by Pat Read.
Music Shop History Request
I am embarking on a project to document the history of music and record shops in Cardiff, Barry and Penarth and I would love to have some help from Wenvoe residents. I am hoping to publish a book which will document the hidden history of music and record shops from 1850 to the present day- the first 170 years. Very little has been published on this specific topic locally and I felt it was a subject that deserved more publicity as these shops were/are an important part of many peoples lives.
Over the last 18 months I have uncovered information on 330 (yes 330!) music and records shops in the area. I am hoping that local residents can help me fill in some of the gaps. I am appealing for help in finding out more about the shops and the people who owned/ran, worked in them as well as any reminiscences of being a customer. Any photos or other memorabilia relating to record shops would be great too.
Of course there were many high street stores such as Woolworths, Howells, Morgans, Littlewoods and specialist stores Virgin, HMV and Our Price etc. However I am particularly keen to find out more about some of the small independent shops many of whom did not just sell records and/or musical instruments but stocked bicycles, TV’s, Radios, electrical and other household items. Before 1900 it was quite common for tobacconists to stock sheet music and musical instruments. I have even uncovered a watch maker stocking musical items.
Most people can remember the first record they purchased and where – however embarrassed they now feel about it! – and these stories could also help with my research.
If you have any information you would like to share please let me know. I can be contacted at nigelrbillingham@yahoo.co.uk or 02920 594708. Thanks for your time