Category: Miscellaneous

Various items that do not fit any particular category

October Tasks

 

RHS tips for the month.

1. Divide rhubarb crowns.

2. Cut back perennials that have died back.

3. Divide herbaceous perennials.

4. Move tender plants into a greenhouse

5. Plant out Spring cabbages.

6. Harvest apples, pears and nuts.

7. Prune climbing roses.

8. Finish collecting seeds to grow next year.

9. Keep cutting the grass and trim the hedges.

10. Still a good time to repair lawns.

The grass cutting season seems to get longer. If it's dry enough, keep cutting with the height of the blade raised. This will make the first cut in Spring a lot easier. If reseeding bare patches remember to spread an extra handful to account for what the birds will consume.

Plant wallflowers, primula, forget-me-nots and Winter flowering pansies in prepared ground or containers. Any pots not raised should be done so now or they will become water logged over Winter.

October is the best time of year to move trees and shrubs. Bare root trees and shrubs start to become available now. These are a lot cheaper to purchase and planted now will soon establish quickly. When looking at gardens you will see some where the plants are struggling for space, so be careful how many you put in as it's easy to get carried away and fill in all the gaps, leaving no room for future growth. Over the years plants do out grow their space even with careful planning and decisions have to be made. It can be quite refreshing to start over, although some plants will have memories attached to them. If you do decide to remove some plants, take cuttings and grow on. Hardwood cuttings take very well at this time of year.

Some of the larger Wyevale garden centres have been taken over by Blue Diamond group based in the Channel Islands so you will need to swap over cards when you visit one of their garden centres. The nearest one is at St Mellons.

The new Grange development has proven a difficult area for new home owners as clay is quite near the problem, organic material and garden lime put in to the soil at this time of year will break down the clay and help the soil to hold on to nutrients.

Some members of the library volunteers organised the Village show this year. Hopefully they will continue to do so because without their willingness to rise to the challenge the show would fade away. If you could help I'm sure you would be welcomed.

Leaf mould is the material to grow your bulbs in. Now is the time of year to start making it for next year. Just fill some bin bags with leaves, of which Wenvoe has plenty, add a little water if dry, make a couple of holes in the bag and leave till next year. That's all you need to do.

Happy gardening.

 

 

Early-Marriages Are Detrimental

 

Since I was little, I imagined what my future wedding would be like. The dress, the layout, the partner; all children daydream about the day they will marry their soulmate. I always wondered what they would look like, their personality, how we would meet, how old I would be and how long it would take for us to get engaged. But I realise now, my imagination of what the future would hold for me was because I get to make a choice. Unfortunately, choice isn’t granted to every girl in the world.

I’m eighteen, and currently, I don’t see myself marrying for probably another ten years. I haven’t met the person – I haven’t even come close. But 12 million girls all over the world are married before they reach eighteen. Before their life begins. 23 girls every minute; almost 1 every 2 seconds. A choice they can’t make themselves; a choice they aren’t allowed to make themselves.

Being Welsh, I know gender pay inequality is still an issue that women in the UK face, but in the big scheme of things, it’s hardly the women of the world’s biggest concern. Of course, the gender pay gap ought to close and I truly hope it does; I aim to be a part of that conversation. But the truth of the matter is, gender inequality reaches so far beyond pay in many of the countries around the world and extends to the genuine belief that women are so inferior to men on a much larger scale. In numerous countries, being born a girl immediately creates a burden on a family; to ease economic hardship, and ‘burden’ another family in place of theirs, families marry off their young daughters. Patriarchal values aid in child marriage, as there is a desire by the patriarchal society in these countries to control a women, by the way they dress, how she should behave and most importantly, who she should marry.

Child marriage seems to us like some barbaric burden placed on young girls. So many countries practice child marriage simply as it is something that has happened for generations, but it doesn’t justify the practice. In Southern Ethiopia for example, harmful practices are often linked, with child marriage leading to female genital mutilation; practices may be tradition, but they can be harmful to those involved. Many young girls who are married are expected to have children, but many get pregnant when their bodies have only just started puberty. They die because their bodies are not equipped to carrying a baby, and certainly not built for giving birth to them.

GirlsNotBrides is a global partnership of over 1000 civil society organisations which are dedicated to ending child marriage. Their theory of change involves ideas such as empowering girls and giving them opportunities to build skills and knowledge; by encouraging them to become agents of change themselves, we can  continue the chain of empowering young girls. With the Safe Space Programmes, we can successfully build girls’ self-confidence, for married girls who do not receive an education, they offer self-sufficiency and having a safe place to meet with other girls who have shared the same experiences, the feeling of isolation and vulnerability can begin to be removed. The work the global partnership does with men and boys who become husbands, or who are brothers and fathers shows the value of encouraging young girls and aiding to fulfil their potential.

Child marriage, according to ‘GirlsNotBrides’ website ‘violates girls’ rights to health, education and opportunity. It exposes girls to violence throughout their lives and traps them in a cycle of poverty’. More than 650 million women, and over 150 million men have suffered child marriage, and without faster progress the global number of women married as children will reach 1.2 billion by 2050. If we help to support GirlsNotBrides, we can help end the devastating consequences of child marriage. Progress is being made, with the African Union and the South Asia Initiative to End Violence Against Children having launched initiatives to help end child marriages and support young married girls; more and more countries are developing national action plans to end child marriage, in partnership with the UN.

A campaign conducted by the Network of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian Women Organizations of Kosovo (a project under the EU-UN jurisdiction ‘Implementing Norms, Changing Minds’) have allowed for communities in Kosovo to understand the detrimental restrictions early-marriage forces upon young girls’ prospect of a safe life. A young man named Qerim completed his training on the prevention of early-marriage and has begun his door-to-door programme of beginning conversations in his neighbourhood and is encouraging them to consider the effects early-marriage has on the young women within their own community. By opening the conversation to communities where child marriage is often a tradition, we can help prevent the practice.

You may not think this is a problem we should deal with, as it is not a problem on Britain’s doorstep. But it doesn’t mean we can’t help in the matter. Supporting the UN and global partnerships like GirlsNotBrides, FreedomUnited, Amnesty International, Plan International and so many more can make even the slightest difference. By continuing the conversation and understanding how early-marriages are detrimental, you are a part of change.

Child marriage needs to stop and progress isn’t happening fast enough. Support these global partnerships and become a part of change.

By Tirion Davies

 

 

Fake Netflix emails.

 

WARNING FROM CRIMESTOPPERS

Please watch out for these fake Netflix emails.

We’ve seen an increase in reports about fake Netflix emails claiming that there’s an issue with your account, or that your account has been suspended. The email states that you need to “update” your account details in order to resolve the problem. The link in the emails leads to genuine-looking Netflix phishing websites designed to steal your username and password, as well as payment details.

Always question unsolicited requests for your personal or financial information in case it’s a scam. Never automatically click on a link in an unexpected email or text.

For more information on how to stay secure online, visit www.cyberaware.gov.uk

 

 

Christmas Craft Fair

 

The third annual Wenvoe Craft Workshop™️ Wenvoe Christmas Craft Fair is fast approaching. As usual entry is free and there will be a varied selection of beautiful hand crafted items on sale. With Christmas just around the corner, why would you want to miss out? We have some new faces and some familiar ones to tempt you with their crafts and there will, of course, be the usual raffle. This year the proceeds go, once again, to Rally for Romeo – the fundraiser for Romeo Hadley to assist with his ongoing needs. If anyone has a raffle prize they would like to donate please contact Glenys or Mike using the contact details below. The now-familiar tag team of Mike Tucker and Gwyndaf Breese will be manning tables at the entrance to the Community Centre and you can indulge with hot or cold drinks and home made cakes and savouries at the refreshment area. This is always a good community event with a lovely atmosphere and we very much hope you will join us. We would love to see you.

For information please contact Glenys or Mike Tucker on 07922109721, email pukkatucker@ gmail.com or call at 28 Grange Avenue, Wenvoe.

 

 

A Buffalo Called Wenvoe

 

On a recent trip to India, Gary Smith, the Pastor at Vale Village Church bought a buffalo and gave him the name Wenvoe! You may wonder why. Since the church was started they have partnered with the charity that Gary runs who have been working in India since 2005.

Partnering with a Gateway ministry in Rajahmundry, Andra Pradesh, Ignite, Vale Village Church, Message Wales and many other churches and individuals have paid for the construction of more than 25 churches. In addition, they developed a 300+ pupil school for Dalit children. Dalits are the lowest caste in India and used to be called “untouchables”. They are from some of the poorest villages and were it not for the Gateway School many would not have access to education. This English medium school teaches most of the same subjects as in the UK plus Hindi, the Indian national language and Telegu, the language in that part of the country. Since its inception it has produced excellent results.

Six years ago money was also raised to build a children’s home on the school compound. The 25 children housed there are either orphans or “semi-orphans” meaning they have lost one of their parents and the surviving parent is simply too poor to care for them. This is where the buffaloes come in! We are establishing a small herd to provide milk for the children and also possibly generate an income for the children’s home. Gary shared some information:

“When I was visiting this August I saw that there are currently 4 buffalo on the land. Rotation means that only 2 are currently providing milk. Now clearly I am not a herdsman but I tried to understand the facts and this is what I discovered. Each buffalo produces about 3 litres of milk. The children’s home needs 9 litres per day. So with only 2 currently available to milk it meant they were buying milk to meet the shortfall. A quick call home to our church and we decided to gift them one to get them over the current ‘crisis’. In order to ensure this supply remains constant we will need to find a way to provide a further buffalo. In addition they need to pay a stockman. In simple terms an additional buffalo in milk would provide the income for the whole operation. Ultimately we want to raise the funds for a total of 10 buffalo. This would feed the kids, pay the stockman, provide a small income and have capacity for buffalo not to be providing milk.

I discovered a few other things. Milk from cows is not consumed in India. That is because it curdles in the heat and also the Hindus consider it to be a sacred animal. Also because Hindus are vegetarian and Christians do not eat beef there is almost no value in buffalo meat. Meaning male calves are worthless. The most surprising discovery is just how expensive buffaloes are! Wenvoe the buffalo cost almost £1,200! This is expensive by most standards but in India it means the herd is incredibly precious to their owners”

 

If you would like to sponsor a buffalo, the cost is £1,200. Or if you would like to make a part cost donation for any amount, please make a cheque payable to Ignite and post it to 17 Rectory Close, Wenvoe, CF5 6AQ

 

 

Village Show Report

 

The Village Show was held on Saturday 8th September hosted for the first time by the Library in conjunction with the Wildlife Group. Despite the inclement weather the Show was a great success and well supported by everyone. It was a real village event opened by local celebrities Johnny Tudor and Olwen Rees and judged by Wenvoe residents.

There were good entries in many areas but notably far more in the craft category this year to include some beautiful needlework from the Wenvoe Patchwork Group and some very impressive paintings. There were some 200 entries from the Village School and several individual entries in the children’s’ categories with Victoria and Thomas Bellamy standing out as winners. The Limerick competition was as popular as ever. You might think that there was little room for wordplay with the first line: The last time I got on a bus…. However, we received a large number of entries with Gordon Jones coming first.

Due to the unusual weather conditions this summer the apples were plentiful as were the pumpkins with Isobel Davies gaining first prize for her giant specimen. There are still some runner beans and Adrienne French won first prize for hers. Phil Morrant is the man who certainly knows his onions as demonstrated by his outstanding entry in this category. Who knows what next year might bring. We may be tweaking the categories next year so look out in advance for what might be on offer. We intend to put the list on the library noticeboard in the New Year.

Great fun was had from the ‘How well do you know your village’ quiz, and the winner was Steven (Will) Williams. The cutting up of the produce was as popular as ever with the public tasting of the entries enthusiastically received. Congratulations to Gordon Jones who was the overall winner of the Show by far and earned his place on the shield. Well done to all of those who won prizes; please pick up your certificates from the Library.

Many thanks to all who participated, contributed to and entered the show and those who provided such generous raffle prizes. Thanks also to Patsie Hunt who came along at the last minute to provide excellent musical entertainment when the brass band cancelled.

Thanks to all of the volunteers who made the day possible. Also a big thank you to the previous organisers and to Ian Moody who did a lot of heavy lifting and carrying and helped us newbies through the teething process. Extra special thanks to library volunteer Janet Williams who at the last moment devised our very own commuter system, which simplified the process for us (Al’s excellent computer programme being too scary).

Next year we hope to make this an even bigger and better success and we look forward to working on the suggestions already received. If you have anything you would like us to improve on, or would like to get involved with next year’s event please contact us at wenvoelibrary@outlook.com

The date of the next Village Show is Saturday 7th September. Please put the date in your diary NOW

 

 

ARTES MUNDI 8

COMING SOON: ARTES MUNDI 8

From Renoir’s Blue Lady to global surveillance and drone warfare: the National Museum has it all.

The National Museum in Cardiff is well known for housing one of Europe's finest art collections, covering a period of 500 years and including one of Europe's best collections of Impressionist art. When the Rolling Stones played the Millennium Stadium recently, Mick Jagger announced to the crowd that he and Keith Richard had hired bikes for a trip to the museum to see Renoir’s Blue Lady. The pair apparently followed this with a pint of Brains and a trip to Caroline Street for curry and chips.

The National Museum does not just deal in old masters. Later this month the National Museum hosts its 8th biennial contemporary international arts exhibition, Artes Mundi 8. Admission is free and runs from 27th October 2018 to February 24th, 2019.

Artes Mundi was founded in 2002 by Welsh artist William Wilkins. The winner of the Artes Mundi Prize will take home £40,000; the largest art prize in the UK and one of the most significant in the world. The Independent newspaper has called it the best art prize in Great Britain, ‘totally eclipsing and outclassing the Turner Prize.’ BBC news went even further calling it ‘One of the leading contemporary art prizes in the world.’

The event has become increasingly popular. Previous exhibitions, based mainly at the National Museum and occasionally using smaller venues such as Chapter Arts Centre, have attracted well over 100,000 visitors. In contrast to the Turner Prize, which requires its nominees to be either born or working in Britain, artists from anywhere in the world can be nominated.

Artes Mundi is Latin for ‘arts of the world’ and as such, selected artists are united by an interest in global issues. The work exhibited is often political and can be controversial.  

So what can we expect to see this year? A short-list of five internationally acclaimed artists, was selected from over 450 nominations spanning 86 countries.

Bouchra Khalili is Moroccan-French. Her video work, which focuses on political minorities, was exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 2016.

Anna Boghiguian is an Armenian. She is a nomadic artist, constantly moving between different cities across the globe. Her work, which has been described as both funny and frightening, investigates subjects such as war and revolution.

Otobong Nkanga is a Nigerian artist. Her work explores changes in the environment and is part of a permanent collection at the Tate Modern.

Trevor Paglen is an American who launched an artwork into orbit 2012. Paglan’s ongoing project investigates global state surveillance and the ethics of drone warfare.

Apichatpong Weerasethakul is a Thai artist whose video and feature films have won widespread recognition, including two prizes from the Cannes Film Festival. His films cover themes such as dreams, nature and Western perceptions of Asia.

Find out more at www.artesmundi.org

 

 

Fly Tipping

I am the owner of the field alongside the footpath between the Vennwood Close tunnel and the playing field. I am working to tidy the field up but we are having trouble with fly tipping. It is very difficult for me to clear myself and costs a lot to have it removed. This time it is building rubble which has been thrown over the fence. This is a danger to animals, so we can not use the field at the moment. It is hence getting over grown and untidy. This is not abandoned land but private property.

I would be very grateful if anybody could help with information about where it is coming from. Please contact me on 07598533554

Amanda Paddoc

 

 

One-Woman Show

 

Sorting the Sock Drawer

– A one-woman show by Eirwen Malin on Thursday 27th September 2018, 7pm Wenvoe Arms Function Room.

“Medron was a good king; kind, just and surprisingly progressive. The country prospered. But there was something wrong, something wrong with Medron himself and he knew it. It all started when he noticed that the sole of his right shoe kept wearing out much more quickly than the left”

After several years of occasional visits to the GP surgery with odd and unexplained symptoms, one of the GPs referred me to a neurologist “to put my mind at rest”. After nearly 12 months of waiting, I finally got my appointment and the consultant unexpectedly, and with somewhat clumsy practice, diagnosed Parkinson’s Disease, a degenerative, incurable, neurological condition which according to him is “devastating in its later stages”. My world had been upended but the good (?) news was PD does not particularly shorten lifespan. You just have to learn to live with it, potentially for a very long time.

Sorting the Sock Drawer intertwines Medron’s mythical journey with my personal path. As protagonists of each story we gain new strengths as we face challenges and arrive at journey’s end with a changed and meaningful life. Come and join us to hear what I hope is an entertaining and uplifting tale.

I’ll look forward to a chat in the bar afterwards.

This is the first date of a new tour of the show. Previous audiences have said:-

“Funny, sad, thought-provoking."

"Beautifully crafted. I love the blend of traditional and personal story.”

“The message will stay with me… Life is different, but not necessarily worse”

Thanks to Jenny and Digby at The Wenvoe for providing the venue for free. There is no charge though there will be a voluntary donation to a Parkinson’s charity.

Numbers are restricted so please book your seat by texting Phil 07870 212437 or email philipthomas664@gmail.com.

Access to the venue is via steps – apologies to those who have restricted mobility.

Running time about 1hour 15 mins.

I hope to see you there

Eirwen

 

 

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