Category: Letters

letters to the editor

December Letters

December Letters

 

My mother Jean Austin passed away on 21/11/20. She had been suffering from dementia from 2013. We moved to Wenvoe around 2000 and over the years have got to know quite a few of you. I would like to thank, on her behalf, and mine, all of you who have been such good neighbours over the years. You have been great, especially recently. She was buried in Wenvoe on 14th December.

Alex Austin Woodside

 

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In the last year or so the young children of the village community have benefitted from new play facilities on several sites. The older children have nothing. In the summer, they play on the field opposite the school or on the playing fields. In winter, the fields are too muddy and instead they congregate on street corners or in the car parks of the village hall and community centre which is not entirely welcomed by some members of our community.

The Section 106 funds provide a one-off opportunity to provide the older children/teenagers with some decent all-weather facilities. What is required is a multi-use games area (MUGA) as seen in other play/games areas. This would provide for various ball games including football, netball, and basketball.

Placing it next to the playground opposite the school would create something of an eye sore and it would not be in keeping with the nature of our semi-rural community. One solution, which has a number of benefits (outlined below), could be to situate it in the corner of the school playing field. There could be a gate from Station Road preserving the security of the school site. It could be screened by hedges/trees from the houses on the opposite side of Station Road.

If this is appropriately designed it could also be used by the school as an additional facility with access via a locked gate directly from the playground i.e. it could be for school use during school hours and community use out of school hours and in the holidays. The facility could also be used by other local community groups such as Beavers, Cubs and Scouts. It would also support community fitness, health and wellbeing.

The cost of such facilities is very variable, depending on size, the playing surface (the cheapest being Tarmac) and particularly whether or not they have lighting. I would suggest that there is no lighting, partly to reduce the cost and ongoing maintenance requirement but also it will then not encourage people to congregate after dark which could be a nuisance to neighbours.

I have shared this suggestion with the School. The Headteacher feels it would benefit the community and is open to discussion with the Community Council. I have also shared this idea with some older children in the village who were very positive.

Hopefully, the project could be financed from Section 106 funds but, if it’s too expensive, then it’s possible the school may have access to funding streams for such facilities or there may be sponsorship possibilities for local companies – for instance, maybe Cemex would donate building materials for the surface?

This suggestion would provide additional facilities for the school and the village community whilst preserving the green heart of the village. The older children of the village deserve better and with this Section 106 funding, the village and the Community Council now have a real opportunity to make a real difference for the current generation of young people and future generations.

Dave Roylance, Old Port Road

 

 

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Thank you to everyone who organised or participated in the Advent windows and all the villagers who lit up their homes. The village looked great. After such a difficult year it was a real lift to everyone’s spirits.

A Happy and Healthy New Year to everyone.

Annie Bennett, Walston Rd

 

 

Thanks for Making My Travels Easy

Thanks for Making My Travels Easy

 

As someone who has spent many happy hours walking the footpaths around Wenvoe during lockdown I would like to thank the people who make my travels easy:

The walk leaders of Wenvoe Walkers who have shown so many of us the local routes around the village and made it possible for us to explore by ourselves once the social distancing rules were introduced.

Valeways and their volunteers, who have maintained the signage and stiles, and those who join in ‘Walk and Clear’ making sure the paths remain open.

Wildlife group for creating and maintaining the Orchid field and orchards.

Our local farmers and landowners who provide access to their land and even through these difficult times have smiled and waved if we pass one another.

Wenvoe Golf Club who were happy for us to wander freely across their land while the course was shut.

Thank you all for helping me and the residents of Wenvoe to explore safely.

Annie Bennett

 

 

Recycling Bag Suggestions

Recycling Bag Suggestions

After a recent very windy rubbish/recycling collection day, I have been reflecting on the small changes we could all make to help improve our great village.

I am lucky that a kind neighbour will bring my recycling bins and bags to my front door, and tuck them safely away, if I am not at home. I appreciate that some people are out at work all day and cannot take their receptacles in promptly; I also appreciate that when it is very windy these things quickly blow away once they have been emptied. After this recent windy Friday I found myself in possession of an extra blue bag and an extra orange bag – 6 days later they still hadn’t been claimed (I, for one, couldn’t afford to lose these too often – they do cost money to replace!). If they’d only had a house number written on them I would happily have returned them to their rightful home. Please folks – take 5 minutes to label your bins and bags, and there’s a chance we wouldn’t end up with so many strewn around certain streets on a regular basis.

On a similar note, perhaps I could suggest that at the same time people take another 5 minutes to look up the current recycling guidelines and refresh their memory. I came outside on that same day to see my front lawn strewn with rubbish that filled half a black bag when collected. This was clearly the contents of someone’s plastic recycling bag – but amongst this waste was black plastic (not suitable for plastic recycling) and dirty food containers (which should be rinsed out and clean before being put in recycling). Cleaning up someone else’s dirty food containers, particularly in the current climate of this health pandemic, is not how I would choose to spend part of my Friday afternoon.

 

Let’s keep our lovely little village looking it’s best!

Burdons Close

 

 

Thank You Wenvoe

Thank You Wenvoe

I would like to say ‘Thank You’ to the residents of Wenvoe for all your donations for Llandough Hospital following my GoFundMe request. Thanks to your financial contributions we were able to source a specialist Visor, masks, cases of coke, cereal bars and biscuits for the staff on the wards.

I would also like to thank the residents who spent their time making Scrub bags, mask mates and residents, including Compass Catering in Cathays, who donated food, fruit, cases of water, teabag

coffee, snacks, material and toiletries. Also Vale Visors who donated visors for Llandough Hospital. It has truly been appreciated.

National volunteer week is 1st – 7th June and it seems the appropriate time to thank our Neighbourhood Watch Group, Glenys Tucker for running a superb Wenvoe Facebook Page, Anwar and Reema and all our volunteers who have been helping the residents of Wenvoe. On behalf of everyone in Wenvoe we would like to say a massive Thank you!

Claire Harlow

 

 

Thanks For Everything

Thanks For Everything

Thank you to the What’s On team for continuing to produce editions of your excellent magazine during these strange times we are in. It is great to have something normal to remind us of more pleasant happenings. We would also like to thank Mike and Glenys Tucker for their help during this lockdown and for cheering us all up with their marvellous effort on the 75th Anniversary of VE Day. We are so lucky to have our village shop which Anwar keeps well stocked. Thank you too to Jon our vicar for keeping our church alive with online services.

We feel we are very fortunate to live in such a friendly village.

Best Wishes,

Sandra and Brian Jones

 

 

Phil Morant – Wonderful Servant Of Our Community

 

This last month an event occurred which many would have attended in order to pay their respects, but in the present lockdown circumstances, it was denied to them

I refer to the laying to rest of the ashes of Phil Morant. I have known Phil and his family since 1969 when we all came to live in Wenvoe. I knew Phil as a neighbour, a colleague in employment, a colleague on the Community Council and a trusted friend. In all circumstances Phil was kind hearted, generous and outstandingly diplomatic.

In the first 10 years of the Vale of Glamorgan CASH scheme (Community Aid Self Help) little Wenvoe received more money for local capital projects than any other town and Community Council in the Vale of Glamorgan. This was particularly due to the skilful way Phil presented applications and handled the scrutiny of the project.

Following the previous failure to formally record some of the burials in the Community cemetery, it took Phil eight years of detective work to sort everything out. All this he did without anyone being upset, in a most delicate situation.

Last month Parry Edwards justly paid tribute to Phil and now that he has been laid to rest in our lovely cemetery, I feel it is appropriate to give a wider acknowledgement to a wonderful servant of our community. He will always be remembered by so many.

Michael R Harvey

Wenvoe Community Councillor

 

 

Dog Mess In Wenvoe

Dog Mess In Wenvoe

A few months ago we bought a puppy so that we would have to get out and walk more regularly in the village. We bought disposable small bags, so as not to leave our new pets’ mess for other people to have to pick up, step in or look at. They are very cheap and readily available.

I do not know the cost to our Council to have to clean up after a minority of uncaring, selfish pet owners but am sure this money could be better spent elsewhere in our village. Recently I saw a notice in the local park stating that unless owners cleaned up after their dogs, a ban could be put in place stopping dog exercise in this area.

I must admit that I am disgusted by the amount of filth so called ‘animal lovers’ are prepared to leave in parks, on roadsides, paths and verges, It makes me feel ashamed to be associated with people, most of whom must be local and appear not to care about other people and/or their children. On several occasions I have stepped into dog mess myself. It’s disgusting!

I am sure many can complain about times they have had this unpleasant experience. I am not surprised if parents are angry and do not like dogs or their owners, when their children get covered in dog mess. There are numerous bins around the village, where bags can be left if you do not want to carry them home. The bags cost very little. I see most dog owners on walks carrying these and they share the same complaint as me.

So who are these people who don’t care about others, their children and the local environment? To that minority I say, ‘Clean up after your pet, it is wrong to leave filth around our village.’ Don’t you want anywhere left that is green and pleasant to walk your dog?’

Keep Wenvoe Clean; Bag it and Bin it!

(Name and address supplied)

 

 

The Ongoing Felling Of Trees

 

It is with great sadness I witness The Ongoing Felling Of Trees in and around our lovely village. When nature itself wields the axe there is little to do but acknowledge the circle of life and the safe removal of the fallen tree that inevitably follows is also a necessity.

However there does seem to be a big appetite to fell or seriously trim back other trees that are standing tall, strong and magnificent. There seem to be innumerable reasons justifying such activity from disease; danger; leaves blocking drains or trees allowing animals to access rooftops. Factor in so called expert opinion of Arborists and those of us who wonder at trees stand little chance of countering any such claims and the trees’ destiny is down to a simple signature on a form authorising destruction.

Hundreds of years of incredibly slow growth gone in an hour; the home to thousands of insects; animals; birds and even other plants gone in a day. Replacement with 10’ saplings is little compensation for the magnificent 200 year old 150’ tall Ash or the 150 year old Horse Chesnut.

At a time when we’re all being urged to fundamentally change our thinking away from exploiting nature to helping to heal its wounds, this ongoing determination to change the wooded skyline of Wenvoe is so sad, irrespective of what rationale you choose to apply…

 

Martin Thomas

 

 

Marine Colliery Personal Reflections

 

PERSONAL REFLECTIONS

In the March edition of the ‘Wenvoe What’s On’, the leading article talked about the crippling explosion at Marine Colliery in Ebbw Vale on 1 March 1927, killing 51 miners. This led one of our readers to reflect on her childhood growing up in the mining community of Cwm, some 3 miles from Ebbw Vale in the years following the Marine Colliery Disaster. She shares this with us here:

‘The Marine Colliery was situated in my home village of Cwm where I was born and lived until the age of 16. In such a small community and in the surrounding area, few families were left untouched by the Marine Colliery Disaster on 1 March 1927. In the valley it was always referred to as ‘The Explosion’ and through family connections with the pit and faithful entries in family Bibles, local children were made fully aware of the events of that dreadful day.

My own father worked at the Marine Colliery when he left school, but he never worked underground. However, my grandmother was left a young widow with two small girls to raise, the elder of whom was my mother. In that single day, Gran lost her husband, her father and brother. Can you imagine surviving such a loss at that time?

The Marine Colliery is long gone, and a monument has been raised in memory of the miners. The valley has largely been restored to its former beauty, but as with other disasters, scars will always remain.’

Marilyn Case.

 

 

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