Category: Community Groups

“The Guest List ” by Lucy Foley

“The Guest List ” by Lucy Foley

Old Friends. Past grudges.

Happy families. Hidden jealousies.

Thirteen guests. One body.

The wedding cake has barely been cut when one of the guests is found dead. And as a storm unleashes its fury on the island, everyone is trapped. All have a secret. All have a motive. One guest won’t leave this wedding alive…

A dream wedding off the windswept Irish coast becomes a living nightmare for its trapped and terrified guests in this nerve jangling thriller.

For many of us it was not our usual choice of reading material and therefore presented a welcome challenge. The book was written in short paragraphs devoted to an individual character in the story. The setting was very dramatic, made more so by the description of the imminent storm. It was agreed that the subject matter and characters perhaps gave an interesting reflection on an area of British society.

We all agreed that the characters came from an unfamiliar part of society to us and did not share our values. As a result, none of us felt able to empathise with any of the characters who were described as shallow, boring, cardboard cutouts, wishy washy and dysfunctional.

However, this did not detract from the suspense of the story that left all of us unable to guess the surprise ending. Overall, the book received a score of 4 out of .10.

A Cruise On The Famous Yacht Eclipse 2

WOMEN’S INSTITUTE

June Meeting of Wenvoe W.I.

Wenvoe WI meet on 4th July for the final session before the Summer recess.

The Speaker was Viv Turan who gave a thoroughly entertaining talk about her cruise on the famous Yacht Eclipse 2 from Portugal across the Atlantic to the USA. Also several members had brought some of their own ‘antiques’ ranging from an early Art Deco vase, two plates dating c 1930’s, a Folkestone button hook, a cameo brooch, an early gas lamp glass and a piece of an 1890’s doll’s tea set, as well as a few other artefacts. Viv, an antique collector and expert, examined them and then explained the value of each piece, with members describing their history and background.

Our next formal meeting with be in the Church Hall at 7pm on Thursday 5th Sept, when Lynn Hull will speak about the work of the charity Ty Hafan. Prior to that Wenvoe WI is holding an informal coffee morning in the Church Hall on Friday 2nd Aug at 10,30am.

All ‘tasters’ and prospective members are always welcome.

Jan Young (President)

 

Bellman & Black by Diane Setterfield

OFF THE SHELF

“Bellman & Black” by Diane Setterfield

 

This month’s book was Bellman & Black a ghostly, gothic read written by Diane Setterfield.

When William Bellman was a ten-year-old child, in an act of bravado he killed a rook with his catapult. An act that he regretted, went on to forget, but was to impact on his future.

As he progressed to adulthood, William was blessed with increased good fortune, a successful career, a happy marriage with children. William began to experience a series of personal tragedies and at each funeral he attends, he sees a mysterious stranger in black, someone he thinks he should remember but can’t place.

This dark and atmospheric read was full of guilt and regret. William avoids dwelling on unpleasant memories and enters a bargain with the dark stranger whom he names Mr Black. William becomes gripped with building of a lucrative new business in the shape of an emporium selling everything needed to commemorate a loved one’s death. This connects William’s obsession with other’s death as a way of avoiding the mourning of his loved ones and evading the living of his own life.

As the author makes several references to rooks in myths and fables, William becomes increasingly unhinged and convinces himself that Mr Black was somehow related to the rook he killed years ago and that he was seeking revenge for this act.

Whether as a ghost or in the form of the grim reaper, Black eventually makes himself known to William who insists on paying Black his perceived debts. Black says that what he offered was an opportunity not a business partnership. The opportunity being thought and memory. Lost good and bad memories and the grief of his un-mourned loved ones’ deaths tortures William to his own death.

This was a beautifully written story based on memories and loss. Although many characters and events could have benefitted from further exploration and explanation from the author, most of us found it a good read. We gave the book a score of 8/10.

Valeways Walk & Clear Group


Valeways Walk & Clear Group

 

The group of volunteers meet weekly (weather permitting) to check, mark and cut back overgrowth on the Vale’s hundreds of miles of footpaths. (Wenvoe has 20 miles of paths) Broken bridges and stiles are reported back to the Vale’s footpath officers for future professional repair.

During the month of June they met in Wenvoe and checked on numerous local paths. They also managed to reopen the footpath 29 which commences on the St Lythan’s Road and proceeds westward alongside Hawthorn Cottage to emerge by The Chapel at Twyn yr Odyn.

The path, is probably not used very frequently and slowly became impassable (especially with lockdown restricting travelling) hence eventually  brambles, nettles, trees and hedging took over the whole 100meters of path. The route is now once again usable but will benefit from further work at a later date

If you are in the area walking please detour to walk this path, this will assist in keeping it passable. Hawthorn Cottage is the house on the right just before the sharp bend on the hill up to Twyn yr Odyn and St Lythans

If you discover any Vale footpath that is becoming  overgrown, broken stiles etc please report them to  the Vale of Glamorgan Council

Monmouth

Monmouth

Monmouth’s history goes back at least 2000 years to the presence of a Roman garrison. Its position at the meeting place of 3 rivers – the Trothy, Monnow and Wye, and one of the few places where the Wye could be safely crossed, allowed it to grow from a market town to the seat of legislature. Parts of the medieval town survive at Monnow bridge, the priory buildings and the castle where Henry V was born. In Agincourt Square his statue overlooks that of another famous citizen, Charles Rolls, an early pioneer of aviation and co-founder of Rolls Royce.

We were lucky to park as, we chose the day of the Monmouth Regatta for our walk. The beginning of the walk along the river was very busy with many people participating in the regatta (some from as far away as Staines) and spectators.

A few of us went into the Church of St Peter, its history stretches back to early Welsh Christianity with the first mention of a church, Llan Tydwg, in AD 750. It was on the border of a small Welsh kingdom of Archenfield, a stronghold of the early Celtic Church. The current church was probably rebuilt in the 11th Century after it was destroyed by the Welsh prince Gruffydd ap Llywelyn who, in 1054, led a raid up the Wye to Hereford, devastating riverside settlements. Historically the church has passed back and forth between the dioceses of Llandaff and Hereford. Now, although the church is in Monmouth (Wales), it is part of the diocese of Hereford (England) as the parishioners voted for this in 1921.

The church was full of interesting information and articles. One of my favourite nuggets was ‘customs included the payment of rent in honey; the Welsh believed that bees came from Paradise and so candles for Holy Communion were always made from beeswax.’ The old font was discovered in the rubble of chapel farm, it is possible that after leaving the church it was used to press apples or as an animal trough. There is a leper’s bench and door. A beautiful, variegated tree stands in the church yard.

It is thought that the church has been flooded 64 times in the last 95 years. In the 2020 flood (1.6metres) the pews damaged the reredos and in 2023 the pulpit was lost. The floor is regularly being replaced.

Leaving the river, we went through a tunnel under the A40 where the walls were decorated with painted mosaics created by local groups and schools; they depict the heritage of Monmouth and the Wye valley AONB. We travelled along tracks on the edge of the town until we passed the ‘the Manor on the Monnow’. We soon came to a feat of engineering, where the Monnow was channelled creating a hydroelectric scheme with a fish pass. Monmouth’s lights were water powered in 1899! In the 17th century a forge was powered at this site. At one point the river went over a lip creating an infinity pool effect.

Continuing we enjoyed fields of buttercups, welcome shade from trees along the river, and extensive views of the countryside. Climbing a steep road, we passed a small holding with a peacock and other birds, and someone spotted a few deer. Crossing a couple of fields, we stopped for lunch in a meadow covered in a red and yellow carpet of flowers and grasses. As we sat, we were excited to spot a herd of about twenty deer in the distance.

Walking again along a road, we saw the roe deer race across a field next to us before they disappeared. We passed Westwood Archery Centre where we were warned ‘ No trespassing – Violators will be shot; Survivors will be shot again’. We continued to have excellent views of the Black mountains and found some wonderful examples of trees, foxgloves and other wildflowers beside the paths. Emerging onto a road we were admiring a barn which had been weather-proofed with a new roof when the farmer told us it was for sale, if we were interested.

Near the end of the walk, we crossed the A40 and walked along the river Wye catching a few races of the regatta, as we walked, before returning to the cars. One race consisted of two mixed teams of eight rowers, the first of these any of us had seen. Someone in our group had to comment that ‘everyone seemed to be wearing old fashioned swimming costumes’.

An interesting and sunny walk was topped off with refreshments at a local garden centre

Walk 8.3m, 1100ft. Map OL14

 

Intriguing Ideas For Repurposing

WENVOE FORUM

Considering Tomorrow Today

“Intriguing Ideas For Repurposing”

 

 

A visit to the opticians this morning set me thinking. It was 2019, that I last had my eyesight checked. I do know the recommendation is that you go for a check-up every 2 years. I am sure that there were many more tests and checks carried out today than in 2019 even and reading the bottom line of the chart on the wall is a practice that has completely vanished now, to be replaced by machines that check for other health conditions detectable through your eyes. Thankfully this morning they found only slight changes in my prescription and nothing to worry about. However I did worry a little about “consuming” yet another pair of glasses. As I wear them only for reading/screen work or driving my specs tend to stay in pretty good condition. I do try to reuse frames but sometimes it is not possible and often there is a good reason to buy new ones. With several pairs in various drawers, no longer of use to me, I thought it time to do some recycling/reusing research.

As expected, avoiding using resources unnecessarily, by reusing old frames for your new prescription lenses is the best option. This of course supposes that you can manage without your glasses for a week or two while the new lenses are set in the old frame.

According to US charity “All about vision” around 1,000,000,000 people globally live with vision impairment that could be rectified by a pair of glasses that they can’t afford. Your old reading glasses are very likely to need no more than cleaning up for someone else to benefit from using them. Even lenses with complex prescriptions can be matched with patients by specialists. Opticians and charity shops often belong to schemes to reuse pairs of glasses where they are most needed, so take old ones with you when you have your check up, the optician’s recycling box starts with reuse. Any that can’t be used in this way will be broken down and their components reused or recycled appropriately.

As I was searching up popped information about what to do with your old mobile phone. Much of it was pretty standard recommendations but amongst all that there were some intriguing ideas for repurposing mobile phones. Here’s a few from the list, turn your old phone into:-

  • a security camera
  • a baby monitor
  • a web cam
  • an audio player
  • a GPS device
  • a remote control

 

and if you’ve had enough of those you can always make sure the phone is properly recycled by a reputable recycling company who will ensure reuse of the valuable, scarce components in particular.

And the Keys?

Well, with keys best of all keep them with the lock, then they will always be useful. Except of course, if lock and key are together they are not doing their security job. Inevitably you end up with keys that you have no idea what for. They are mostly metal and can join the metal scrap at the recycling centre, cut off any plastic covers first.

Keys, as symbols of abstract ideas find their way into in lots of creative artwork. How about considering a garden sculpture?

The key to being a successful minimal consumer is awareness and motivation. So here’s a suggestion how about arranging a collection in your street of the unwanted spectacles, or phones and volunteer to get them to the right recycle/reuse/repurpose project.

You will motivate others and repurpose yourself for a short while.

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To join our Facebook group, please ‘friend up’ with the Gwen Fo 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 gwenfo.forum@gmail.com if you wish to join.

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