Category: Community Groups
Tour Of the BBC Cymru Studios
WOMEN’S INSTITUTE
Tour Of the BBC Cymru Studios
Instead of an official meeting in August, we had lunch in Cardiff followed by a tour of the BBC Cymru Studios.
The tour lasted 90 minutes and seemed to fly by. It started off in the general purpose studio, where we were able to inspect the cameras and the use of green screens was explained. We then went onto the Dylan Thomas spoken word recording studios and witnessed the effects of different surfaces on the quality of the sound. Our next stop was the radio studios followed by the news studio, which is next to the newsroom. We were able to sit at the news desk and stand in front of the weather screen. We also saw how augmented reality is used to put apparently solid objects onto the screen images. Our final stop was the Betty Campbell Studio where we had the opportunity to present the news and weather using autocue in front of a green screen. Our tour guides were excellent, and we were certainly informed, educated and entertained.
On September 3rd we are looking forward to our local historian Steve Jones telling us about History of Wenvoe.
Visitors are always welcome to our meetings. Please ring 07881853032 for further details.
Carol Charlson (President)
Fan Llia & Afan Forest
Fan Llia & Afan Forest
Fan Llia
A beautiful walk on an ideal summer’s day, we were exploring Fforest Fawr and Fan Llia. Sarn Helen, the Roman road which runs from the South Wales coast to the north, followed the river Llia up the valley on an almost level track. The Afon Llia joins the Dringarth to form the Afon Mellte which passes through the Dan yr Ogof caves before plunging down the famous waterfalls around Ystradfellte.
Even at the beginning of the day, we were surrounded by amazing views of the hills. We spotted Maen Llia in the distance, a massive Bronze Age standing stone 12ft high. As we progressed, we could see the flatter lands to the north ahead.
Two people stayed on the lower track while most of us headed up the hillside. The ground was very dry considering it was a peat area and made for easy walking. We saw very little water and at higher levels even the bogs and ponds were dry with the footprints of various animals in the bottom of dried-up ponds. We wondered how the sheep and other animals were managing to survive.
We had lunch near the top of the ridge, glorying in the amazing views surrounding us. The Carmarthen fans were visible to the west and once we reached the ridge, an unusual face of the Pen y Fan range came into view. The forecast had promised a temperature under 20OC and winds of 14mph on the hilltop, a relief after the heat this summer. A breeze blew and some people put on fleeces, but it was not cold.
Birds abounded and we saw a pair of kites, ravens, larks, and other small brown birds. As we left our lunch spot a pair of corvids swooped down to see if we had left any crumbs.
We descended quickly through long grasses and dried bog to meet our friends at a bridge over the river. We walked together back to the car park next to the river. As we were in the middle of nowhere and it was someone’s birthday, a surprise picnic was produced: beer, soft drinks and even cups of tea with delicious bara brith. All nicely finished off with a paddle in the river. Delightful!
Walk 7 miles 1140ft Map OL12
Afan Forest
This is north of Pontrhydyfen. The early part of the walk saw us climbing quite steeply under a sun which beat down on our backs. This was unexpected as the temperature was supposed to be lower than recent weeks!
At the car park are three large stones which are worth inspection as they are carved with symbols of the local area – the viaduct, industry and even a mug.
At lower levels the forest is mixed woodland which can come together over trails to provide shade but higher up it is mainly fir trees and there is little shelter. We were happy whenever we had one of these tunnels of shade as a delicious cooling breeze blew through them.
We came across the single wall, ruin of Gyfylchi chapel (gyfylchi means coming together of mountain passes) – not a parish church but an important place of rest and prayer for travellers on the Cistercian Way, an ancient long-distance path. It linked the great Cistercian Abbeys and hill churches of Wales, including Tintern and Margam.
Near the top of the walk is the remains of Nant y Bar farm whose cows once supplied milk to the whole valley. It was a longhouse where people and animals shared accommodation but at opposite ends of the building. A stream through the cobbled yard flushed the ty-bach (loo).
We mostly trekked on very good tracks, with large stones or sunbaked paths – quite hard going. In open sunny areas there were buddleia bushes and lots of butterflies; tortoiseshell, red admiral and gatekeeper were identified. As lunchtime approached, we had hoped to descend to the river, but the footpath shown on the map had disappeared. We managed to find a satisfactory patch of grass in the shade and enjoyed the rest.
Someone with eagle eyes spotted a slowworm. Soon after we found several benches and picnic tables, but they were all in the sun. Nearing the river, we took a short diversion to let the dogs enjoy the water and to appreciate the cool. Then a short walk took us back to the cars where we changed our boots and went to the hospitable Bethel chapel café for refreshments.
Walk 8.75miles 1700ft Map OS165
Valeways Walks September 2026
The Health Benefits of Ice Cream
LIVING WITH CANCER STROLLERS
The Health Benefits of Ice Cream
How many activities can involve a 19 month old toddler and a 90 year old stroller…walking around the lakes at Cosmeston is one activity which benefits all ages!! Not sure about the health benefits of the ice creams enjoyed at the end of the stroll…but they were very tasty and a birthday treat courtesy of Anne.
Saying ‘Goodbye’ for a while.
WENVOE FORUM
Considering Tomorrow Today
Saying ‘Goodbye’ for a while.
The Forum will be taking a break from contributing to the Wenvoe What’s On for a few months. We will still be thinking about the future and what we as individuals and as a community could be doing to make an impact on the environment in the Wenvoe area. We want to be able to hand Wenvoe on to the generations to come in good shape, but it seems that writing in the WWO is not a way of having the impact needed. In all the time we have been contributing we’ve had less than a handful of responses, so we are taking a break and hoping for enlightenment. Perhaps something will blossom in the gap left and be more effective, we hope so.
We will also be thinking about what we can still do. We have always been about ideas, solutions, thinking things through, taking different views of the situation so that unintended effects are avoided or if there is a conflict between good ideas working, helping to make a choice.
This month I’d thought maybe to write about the 5 different types of drought and which type we have. Or how green roofs for your garden shed could hold moisture and cool air. Or how we could, as a community, plan to capture or slow the water that hurtles down the hill and into the drains and away when there is any rain. Water that could lower temperature while it kept the plants growing and might even generate electricity. Water which if left to itself could result in significant flooding. There is lots to say but it is better to keep the farewell short.
One thing that we, and you all, can do, is pressurise community leaders: elected representatives, decision makers, the volunteers who already work so hard to make things happen. Ask them to get together, to focus on making things better for the future, to consider all aspects of any plan or action that affects Wenvoe and make sure it’s all coordinated to maximise positive effect.
Each one of you also – please whenever there is an opportunity to have your say about what is happening – make sure you take it.
We’ll still be here and if you want to get in touch, or you have an idea for us to follow up on, get in touch via Facebook @ Gwen Fo
P.S. The hops look as though they will be ready early this year so the brew date for Taff Temptress may be early. Keep an eye for messages from Sian.
To join our Facebook group, please ‘friend up’ with the GwenFo account @ https://www.facebook.com/gwen.fo.1 and then jon the Wenvoe Forum @ https://www.facebook.com/groups/635369267864402
Some further information and updates, blog site https://wenvoeforum.wordpress.com/. Any Wenvoe community member is welcome to join the Forum meetings, via Zoom, which are normally held 19.00 on the second Thursday of each month. E-mail gwen-fo.forum@gmail.com if you wish to join
“Out of Character” – A Memoir Alison Steadman
OFF THE SHELF
“Out of Character” – A Memoir
Alison Steadman
Alison Steadman grew up in Liverpool and became a celebrated actress known for iconic roles like Beverly in Abigail’s Party and Pamela in Gavin & Stacey. We can all name a beloved, iconic character brought to life by the magnificent Alison Steadman.
She overcame early-stage giggles, pushed creative boundaries from day one, and built a successful career while balancing motherhood. Alison Steadman is a brilliant comedy star who has played many famous roles. Here, with her distinctive warmth and humour, she vividly recalls all the must-read moments of a life spent in and out of character.
We discussed the thread that wove throughout the book – how supportive Alison’s parents were throughout her career (which is unpredictable and very competitive). This was admirable in many ways and shows the importance of this but isn’t always easy from a parent’s perspective.
It was an easy read and very grounded and had warmth throughout. A great read and one well worth reading. The book club gave a score of 7/10.
Chris Munroe
“When The Cranes Fly South” by Lisa Ridzen
“When The Cranes Fly South” by Lisa Ridzen
This prize-winning book was Swedish book of the year and is sold in 35 languages around the world.
A very elderly former sawmill worker, Bo, lives alone in rural Sweden. His health is fading now, and he is trying desperately to maintain some independence. Also, he would so like to make peace with his son. But Hans is very concerned about his father’s safety and insists that Bo’s beloved dog, Sixten, must be re homed.
This is a profoundly moving yet unsentimental story spoken in Bo’s own words, often to his absent adored wife Fredrika who has Alzheimer’s Disease and is now living in a Care Home. The practical words penned by Bo’s carers after every visit provide a foil to his sometimes-rambling reminiscences and dreams. A picture of his character gradually develops as we hear of his life past and present as a man, as a friend, as a son, a father a grandfather and not least as an extremely loyal and loving dog owner.
In our group “When the Cranes Fly South” not so much divided opinion as fuelled discussion regarding such sensitive topics as dying and end of life care. All of us appreciated the soft tender simplicity of the language used. However, for some the subject matter was depressingly upsetting and hard to read.
Our scoring was between 5 and 10 out of 10.
A delicious home baked carrot cake to follow was greatly enjoyed, thank you Babs!
Two Books This Month
OFF THE SHELF
“Full Tilt ” by Dervla Murphy
We all thoroughly enjoyed this account of the Author’s cycle ride from Ireland to India. Braving hunger, heat exhaustion, unbearable terrain and cultures largely untouched by civilisation, hers is a highly individual account of her journey in 1963. She travelled across nine countries through snow and ice in the mountains and miles of barren land in the scorching desert. The book is based on the daily diary she kept whilst riding through Yugoslavia, Persia, Afghanistan, over the Himalayas to Pakistan and India. She worked with Tibetan refugee children before returning home to Ireland.
Dervla Murphy died aged 90 in 2022 having written over 25 books. She well earned her reputation as Ireland’s most intrepid, respected and fearless travel writer. We scored this book 9/10.
“The Age of Innocence ” by Edith Wharton
This was our book club classic choice for the year. Edith Wharton (1862 -1937) was an American writer who drew upon her insider’s knowledge of upper-class New York Society to portray the lives and morals of the 1870s – ‘A Gilded Age’. It took a little while to get into the story and sort out the various families and their standing in Society. However, after that it became a bit of a page turner. It is a bitter-sweet account of desire and betrayal at a time when society dreaded scandal more than disease. It follows the life of Newland Archer as he prepares to marry the beautiful but conventional Mary Welland. His world is turned upside down when a woman with a past, Countess Olenska, returns to New York after a disastrous marriage. Archer falls deeply in love with her and is torn between duty and passion. No spoilers here, the story continues with the continuing tensions and consequences of his decision.
Edith Wharton was the first woman to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1921 for The Age of Innocence. We scored this book 8/10.
Patricia Coulthard
Record Temperatures All Around
WENVOE FORUM
Considering Tomorrow Today
Record Temperatures All Around
Through the bleary eyes of someone who isn’t sleeping well it seems to me that tomorrow is here already. Record temperatures all around the UK, a shortage of water, especially in the southeast of England and excess deaths resulting from high temperatures in May and June estimated as 2700 for England and Wales. I suspect that most of the population are now prepared to accept that the climate crisis is beginning to rear its head and roar. But there are always optimists who suggest we can change tomorrow, mitigate the worst of the predictions and learn to live differently. I am happy to join then, and some of their very sensible ideas seem enjoyable too.
As it seems that our summers are likely to have much higher temperatures than we are accustomed to, I dipped a toe in using AI and asked for a collection of methods used in different parts of the world to keep houses cool during a hot summer
“Around the world, people use a mix of ancient architectural engineering, natural microclimates, and strategic behavioural habits to keep homes cool without relying entirely on modern air conditioning.”
Was the opening sentence of the reply, and I was pleased to see that modern air conditioning was not to confuse the discussion or analysis. But cautious as I realised that the AI had picked up from questions on completely different topics what approach was likely to appeal to me.
However, the huge array of ideas seems to fall in to three broad categories:-
- Architectural and structural
- Shading and Insulation and
- Strategic airflow and evaporative habits
A little more research brought up a fourth category, suggestions for actions that would change the slightly wider environment having impact in the neighbourhood more widely, of benefit to friends and neighbours as well as yourself.
While the often-beautiful Mashrabiya and Jali Screens seen in buildings in India and throughout the Islamic world could be used to work their magic here in the UK, I’ll focus on methods that have a closer fit with our UK architecture.
So here is what I take away from what I read about the sort of action that could make a difference in Wenvoe.
There are several bits of easy-to-understand science that underlie the actions that you can take and a little understanding, coupled with getting the different bits of Physics working together rather than against each other seems to be the key. Keep in your head that you are going to be using insulation, radiation, reflection and the effects of evaporation.
You will all have experienced the difference between standing in the shade and stepping out into direct sunshine. Anything wall, floor, furniture, watering can that is in direct sunlight is going to warm up and then release that heat into the air around it. If you can rig up some shade that will help. So when the sun is shining directly through onto the floor or something else inside a window then closing the curtains will help to stop the floor warming and then releasing the heat into the room, keeping the room cooler. You might think that opening the window might help but chances are the air outside will be hotter than the air inside and might only serve to warm indoors. If the hot weather becomes, as is suggested, then shutters or awnings may be a good investment and make sure they are in place before the sun gets on them.
Mastering the art of getting a draft moving through the house is down to observation and experience. Ideally you want downstairs windows/doors on the shady side of the house open and drawing in cooler air while the upstairs ones are open to let the warm air out. If these windows are in full sun they will need to be shaded. This is where the experience comes in, it all depends on air flow through the house. In Europe where they are more accustomed to hot summers shutters that can close on the outside and windows that open without disturbing them are very effective. Shade can also be provided by awnings.
To join our Facebook group, please ‘friend up’ with the GwenFo account @ https://www.facebook.com/gwen.fo.1 and then jon the Wenvoe Forum @ https://www.facebook.com/groups/635369267864402
Some further information and updates, blog site https://wenvoeforum.wordpress.com/. Any Wenvoe community member is welcome to join the Forum meetings, via Zoom, which are normally held 19.00 on the second Thursday of each month. E-mail gwen-fo.forum@gmail.com if you wish to join