Category: Community Groups

March 2022 Book Choice

About Grace by Anthony Doerr

 

This is the author’s first novel.

David Winkler is 59 and is going home for the first time after 25 years. He has been a lover, a husband, a father and a hydrologist. Since he was a child he has been plagued by premonitions. In one he dreamt of a flood; dreamt that he failed to save his baby, Grace, and so left before he had to see it happen. The consequences of this decision marks the rest of David’s life, first as an exile on a Caribbean island, then as an old man, come back to Alaska to find his daughter. Throughout he is determined to photograph the ephemeral beauty of snowflakes.

We had all read All the Light We Cannot See, one of the author’s later books. We loved this and found About Grace what we can only describe as a ‘let down’ and a disappointment. We didn’t warm to David as a character, he seemed fickle and strange in his decision making.

There was some wonderful prose describing the warmth of the Caribbean and the incredible cold of Alaska. The Aurora Borealis with its ‘shivering emeralds and blues trimmed with red, jade, violets and an eerie green’ But this prose was so protracted and went on and on. Just how many ways can you describe a snowflake, we asked ourselves!

The score for this book was one of our lower ones, a 5, and we were unanimous in not recommending it as a good read.

 

 

Clytha

 

 Clytha

On a March Day in 2018 we visited Clytha and I opened my write-up of the walk with ‘snow flurries and hills dusted with white’. It was bitterly cold with icy winds which made us pull hats down to our eyebrows and on that day, we trudged through mud and flooded lanes. Four years on and a month earlier, the weather forecast was blustery with showers and heavy rain after 2pm but still relatively mild.

We travelled to the National Trust car park at Clytha Park. Our route, reverse direction to our previous visit, was described as a ‘snowdrop walk’ and we were eager to spot the gorgeous flowers which push up through the earth so early in the year and presage the advance of winter and the coming spring.

Our walk was based on a route from the National Trust website and took us on some permissive paths (allowed by a landowner) which are not shown on OS maps. We set off south, along the river Usk which was fairly full and came to a good strong footbridge, crossing a small stream, but it was tilted at about 10° – very strange. The river Usk is a designated SSSI, and a special Area of Conservation well known for salmon and trout. Otters, dippers, sand martins, kingfishers and bats live in or near this stretch of the river.

We were pleased to find our first snowdrops, a small clump on the bank of the river. Soon we found a mat of white snowdrops in the undergrowth and a spread of bright blue and pink flowers of lungwort (pulmonaria) glowing in the shade. Lungwort is named after the white splodges on some leaves which resemble diseased appearance of the lungs. It is used by herbalists to treat coughs and bronchitis and can also be used as an astringent. Nearby were tight clumps of pink flowers on bare branches of viburnum. All cheering us on a grey winter’s day, especially when we found a carpet of snowdrops under a hedge which covered about 20ft.

A long line of mole hills would suggest a good population of moles here but who knows as… ‘Mole activity is usually greatest in late winter and early spring and moles are very territorial and in many cases the mole hills seen in a garden are the activity of just one individual. ‘

Leaving the river, we followed the road to Bettws Newydd. A small village which boasts a Grade II listed, stone well ‘Erected by those who love him, to the memory of William Richard Stretton of Brynderwyn, who died 24th March 1868’. The 17th century, Black Bear Inn emanated enticing smells of bacon cooking – willpower and the threat of rain later kept us walking.

Pretty black faced sheep stood framed by the outlines of the Blorenge, Sugarloaf and Skirrid on the distant horizon, clear at the beginning of the walk but now wreathed in dark black clouds and probably heavy rain.

Coed y Bwnydd beckoned us in. It was presented to the NT by Captain Geoffrey Crawshay in memory of Sgt R.A. Owens, RAF who died aged 21 in World War II. Snowdrops carpeted the whole of the wood, breath-taking! Later in the year you can see bluebells and orchids. We climbed to a hillfort; where human involvement goes back over 2000 years and sat on a tree trunk to enjoy a well-earned lunch.

Now we were on the final stretch. We passed Clytha castle, an C18th folly, in the care of the Landmark trust and available to rent, and the Clytha Arms. It started to rain but we voted to complete the walk rather than dash for the cars which were close by. We skirted Chapel Farm with the remains of Capel Aeddan, a chapel dedicated to St Aythean, thought to be founded in C12th. All that survives is an L-shaped wall footing but we couldn’t spot it. The stone may have been used on Chapel Farm, where a substantial C17th house with stone-mullion windows was added to a C16th stone house with upper crucks.

We went down into woods where one of us was inspired to give us a short excerpt from Hamlet! Then a short walk along Clawdd Brook and we re-joined the river Usk espying a red kite soaring above us and a buzzard being mobbed by crows.

Trees had provided colour all day. Early, yellow, hazel catkins could be spotted hanging and blowing in the breeze. Birch skeletons stood with drooping branches covered in pink/ purple buds. And most notable, large clumps of Mistletoe had been a constant companion sitting high up in many of the trees. It grows in hawthorn, poplar, and lime as well as the apple trees with which most people associate it.

A lovely walk with excellent views and dry weather until after lunch with sunny spells, how lucky we are! Walk 8.7miles, 900ft. Map OL13

 

 

Considering Today and Tomorrow

 

WENVOE FORUM

Considering Today and Tomorrow

Global gas prices have seen record increases over the last 6 months, with wholesale prices quadrupling in the last year. They are set to rise further, and with the knock-on effect to electricity production, the Ofgem energy price cap is due to increase by £693 from 1 April for around 22m UK customers. This will impact all of us to a greater or lesser extent, and Government is looking at a range of packages to help alleviate the financial situation.

A recent article sparked in me a degree of hope. Oxford scientists announced that they had smashed a previous record for generating fusion energy, hailing it as a ‘milestone’ on the path to cheaper, cleaner power and a cooler planet.

Nuclear fusion is the process that the sun uses to generate heat. By forcing together atomic nuclei, at high speed, energy can be released and used to generate electricity. Operating the power plants of the future based on fusion would produce no greenhouse gases and only very small amounts of short-lived radioactive waste. Proponents believe it could one day help address climate change by providing an abundant, safe and green source of energy.

The team at the Joint European Torus (JET) facility at Oxford generated 59 megajoules of energy for five seconds during an experiment in December, more than doubling a 1997 record according to the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA).

That is the equivalent energy needed to power 35,000 homes for the same period of time, or boil 60 kettles. The UKAEA claim the results “are the clearest demonstration worldwide of the potential for fusion energy to deliver safe and sustainable low-carbon energy”.

Great news I thought, except that the article went on to say that the practical benefits would not be realised for 20 years, at the earliest, more likely during the second half of the century.

In the slightly nearer-term, wind and solar-power generation is developing along with better insulation projects, heat pumps, hydrogen boilers, energy efficiency schemes and community energy generation, they are expensive but will eventually ease the economic problems and help to address global warming.

So, what can be done to help bridge the gaps in the meantime? Various websites offer a range of energy- (and money) saving tips that can help.

The Which website offers 10 key ways to save on energy bills, see below (with more detailed information on their website). The eco-friendly habits website (also below) offers 37 specific tips for both money-saving and energy conservation, and the

U-switch website (also below) offers a staggering 98 tips. We hope some of these will help.

  1. Review your energy bills: small savings are available
  2. Choose energy-efficient appliances
  3. Add to your insulation
  4. Consider a new boiler
  5. Replace light bulbs with low-energy options
  6. Install / make use of your central heating controls
  7. Fit draught proofing
  8. Use less hot water
  9. Find out if you could get energy efficiency grants or free cash

10.Consider the wider range of quick energy-saving tips

 

Finally, if you want to be part of the ongoing Forum discussion and help to shape any future schemes for Wenvoe, please get in touch, via gwenfo.forum @gmail.com.

For further reading / information:

https://phys.org/news/2022-02-scientists-britain-fusion-energy.html

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/price-cap-increase-ps693-april

https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/cutting-your-energy-bills/article/how-to-save-on-your-energy-bill/10-ways-to-save-on-energy-bills-aX2RS8b8llMR

https://www.ecofriendlyhabits.com/how-to-conserve-energy/

https://www.uswitch.com/energy-efficiency/free-energy-saving-tips/

In the meantime we’ll be keeping a look out for schemes available in Wales to help those finding energy price increases difficult to manage. We will put information on our Blog site https://wenvoeforum.wordpress.com/

Any Wenvoe community member is welcome to join the Forum meetings, via Zoom, held at 19.00 on the second Thursday of each month. Next meeting 10th March. E-mail gwenfo.forum@gmail.com if you wish to come along.

 

 

February Book Choices

Snap by Belinda Bauer

On a stifling summer’s day, eleven-year-old Jack and his two sisters sit in their broken-down car, waiting for their mother to come back and rescue them. ‘Jack’s in charge,’ she said. ‘I won’t be long.’

But she doesn’t come back. She never comes back. And life as the children know it is changed for ever.

Three years later, mum-to-be Catherine wakes to find a knife beside her bed, and a note that says: I could have killed you.

Meanwhile Jack is still in charge of his sisters, of supporting them all, of making sure nobody knows they’re alone in the house, and – quite suddenly – of finding out the truth about what happened to his mother.

 

But the truth can be a dangerous thing …

A taut, suspenseful new novel from award-winning thriller author Belinda Bauer in which a woman being menaced by a knife-wielding home invader is connected to a string of burglaries in a quaint bedroom community, and the brutal murder that left three children motherless three years before.

The group scored an average of 7 for this quirky and well written thriller. Overall, it was described as an easy, enjoyable read.

There were a number of threads which initially some found quite confusing but it was interesting to see how these all came together at the end. Good descriptions of characters and environments in the story although there were also a number of unrealistic situations. A number of the group would recommend it to others to read

 

 

Cold Comfort Farm

OFF THE SHELF

 

  Book Review for Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons

The plot is simplistic and was written as a comedy about rural life in the 1920s. When it was first published in 1932 it was not without its critics, but it did sell very well. Flora Poste, the main character, was orphaned at 19 when her parents were both carried off by the 1919 Spanish flu epidemic, and she was left penniless. Her only option is to throw herself on the charity of her remote Sussex relatives, the Starkadders who live in Cold Comfort Farm. This desolate and ominous place is full of miserable, brooding, and overpowering characters, where even the animals are all full of gloom. Big Business the dominant bull, reigns over a hopeless herd of Jersey cows, ridiculously named: Graceless, Pointless, Aimless, and Feckless. They do all add to some memorable, comical, and bizarre accounts, such as the references to the cow with three legs, which reminded one group member of the cleverly written Monty Python sketches. Cousin Amos preaching hellfire and damnation to the congregation of the Church of the Quivering Brethren is another such high point in the book.

As the rustic mayhem unfolds, Miss Poste, who is a modern bossy-boots, decides that it’s her mission to bring a “higher common sense” to the lives of her relatives.

There were divided opinions on the book as some felt that there were too many questions left unanswered, the ending was too simplistic and there was a condescending pitch that the Starkadders’ lives needed ‘mending’. Generally, a well-liked book and the group scored it 7 out of 10.

 

 

First Meeting of 2022 Outdoors.

Welsh Government Covid restrictions meant the Page Turners had their first meeting of 2022 outdoors. The group gathered under unbelievably blue skies and strolled towards Watchtower Bay. Whilst sitting on the wall in the winter sun, the group were invited to comment on books they had received from Secret Santa at the Christmas meeting.

Nicola thought her Christmas in Wales, by Dewi Roberts had some diverse material but wouldn’t recommend it as a Page Turners monthly read.

Diane was enjoying the intense Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles but recommended reading it in small sections.

Jill’s House of Windows by Barbara Newhall Follett required a huge suspension of belief…and a

belief in fairies. The author wrote the book when she was 12…what were you writing when you were 12?

A Bit of a Stretch by Chris Atkins was Helen’s selection and highly recommended this account of the British penal system.

A Lake of Dreams by Kim Edwards was a novel Jenny couldn’t get into.

May’s gift of the Year of Living Danishly by Helen Russell was hugely interesting to May, especially how the author attempted to describe why the Danish are amongst the happiest people in the world!

Lynne found Margaret Atwood’s Hag-Seed an enjoyable read based on the Tempest.

Babs book, Snap by Belinda Bauer was selected by the group as their next monthly read…so more details will follow in next month’s What’s On!!

Sandra was happy to have received The Survivors by Jane Harper, a novel set in Tasmania, which she considered a good read.

Is there a book in this list you would have liked to have received from Secret Santa? Santa certainly had a very diverse choice in his sack!

Happy reading in 2022.

 

 

A Belated Happy New Year!

 

WENVOE FORUM

Considering Today and Tomorrow

A belated Happy New Year!

Our apologies. We hadn’t realised that the New Year WO copy date was early and we missed the deadline for the January issue. However, our article on Making 2022 happier can still be read currently on the home page of our blog site. Happy reading https://wenvoeforum.wordpress.com/

For February let’s have a quick look at what the Forum has been up to recently.

Welcome Pack

The ‘Welcome to Wenvoe’ pack that has brought together information provided by many of our community organisations and services, is ready for distribution. If at any time you have new neighbours who have moved into Wenvoe from elsewhere please let us know and we’ll deliver you a printed Welcome Pack to take to them. (gwenfo.forum@gmail.com). The pack will also be available on the blog site (see above) to download. If we have missed anything out or you want to update the information, please get in touch.

From Happiness to Hoppiness

A couple of Wenvoe residents have been involved in the Cardiff Community Hop Growing Group. Members grow one or two hop plants in their gardens and then in mid-September the hops are picked and the harvest pooled to create the Taff Temptress beer brewed by Pipes Brewery in Llandaff. Contributors are entitled to some free or reduced price beer. We were thinking that it would be nice if a few more Wenvoe residents grew some hops and we were able to harvest enough for a ‘Wenvoe’ brew.

Hop rhizomes can be planted in the next couple of months and should produce a small harvest even in their first year. They are very easy to grow, and like to climb, (up to 20ft!) but need not take up a lot of ground space. Dwarf versions are also happy climbing along a fence as long as you give them a bit of encouragement to follow the route you want them to take. Current growers can provide growing advice, though all are beginners.

If you think this is a fun idea please join in. Steve and Sian Jones (gwenfo.forum@gmail.com) are willing to coordinate the link to the Cardiff community while we recruit enough growers for a Wenvoe Beer in the future – suggestions for good name anyone?

Community Energy Scheme

Forum members have met with some Vale of Glamorgan Council officers who are working on reducing carbon footprints to discuss potential community energy generation and other energy efficiency schemes. Ideas are beginning to develop and we hope to hold a meeting with wider community representation soon.

If you want to be part of the discussion and help to shape any future scheme please get in touch. (gwenfo.forum@gmail.com)

 

 

Llantrisant Walk

Llantrisant

 

Parking downhill from the Bull Ring in the centre of Llantrisant, we set off back to the top of the hill and straight down the other side, where we joined a footpath. From here we walked a wide circle around the town, in a clockwise direction.

At times we came close to the busy network of roads around the town, Talbot Green shopping centre and even the Royal Glamorgan hospital. We walked through woodland, followed a tributary of the river Ely, and then the river Ely.

It was firm underfoot for almost the whole walk with good paths, sometimes tarmacked including a disused railway. But where they weren’t solid, they were still firm as the ground was frozen which was lucky as it was muddy where ice had defrosted.

At one point we walked past a sign ‘Private Land Keep Out’ followed by ‘The owners accept no responsibility for loss or injury to persons trespassing on this land’ – we were on a legal footpath which was soon confirmed by an RCT footpath sign!

For lunch we distributed ourselves on mossy walls, logs, and leafy mounds, looking for all the world like a group of gnomes.

The end of the walk involved a long climb from the bottom of the valley to ‘Billy Wynt’ on the hilltop of Y Graig. The squat tower is generally believed to be the remains of a 13th century windmill, but records suggest it was an auxiliary tower of the castle.

The tower was restored as a folly in 1890. Some of us climbed the spiral stairs inside the tower to emerge on the perimeter wall and all of us took in the 3600 views, including the whole of the walk we had done. As we gathered to leave a man came over to talk to us: a Freeman of the town, he was attending to animals in the adjacent field. As a Freeman he is allowed to graze animals, and has a horse, a Billy goat and 3 Nanny goats. He also has beehives which are still active as the winter weather has been so mild. He is continuing a long tradition, Llantrisant common has probably been grazed by Freemen’s animals for over a thousand years.

Returning to the town via a grassy footpath we passed in front of some tiny cottages at Heol y Graig and found ourselves surrounded by history.

Llantrisant has a notable history, today we are all aware of the Royal Mint in the town, but we were surprised by the wealth of history which is still evident as you walk around it.

The Bull Ring has shops and the ‘Model House, craft and Design Centre’ and has been updated with memorial benches for World War II and a memorial stone for the dead of World War I, but it is still dominated by the statue of Dr William Price (a fully qualified doctor and surgeon who promoted Welsh culture, proclaimed himself Archdruid of Wales and was a militant leader of the Chartist cause). Dr Price felt cremation was healthier than burial as it avoided contamination of the water supply. He attempted to cremate his baby son who died at 5 months but was stopped by a constable. A landmark court case followed in Cardiff. He defended himself brilliantly, was found not guilty and later cremated his son. This enabled the Cremation Society to further their cause and the Cremation Act was passed in 1902. He was cremated on 31 January 1893 before 20,000 people.

A Blue plaque indicated that four cottages were one of the first workhouses in Glamorgan (1784). Behind the large parish church of St Illtyd, St Gwynno and St Dyfodwg is the historic part of the town. Here are the remains of the castle which was fortified by Richard de Clare in 1246. It was damaged during the 14th century and King Edward II was imprisoned at the castle in 1326. Owain Glyndwr may have inflicted further damage. In 1767 the estate came to the 1st Marquess of Bute and the tower was dismantled. Local houses (including the police station) were built or restored with its stone and sections were transported to rebuild Cardiff Castle.

A stone commemorates the 650th anniversary of the charter to the town and the presence of Longbowmen from this area at the battle of Crecy 1346.

The Guildhall was established in 1346 and rebuilt 1773, where the Hundred Court was held, dispensing local justice, and governing the ancient borough. In 2017 it was refurbished to become a heritage and visitor centre.

Beating the Bounds is an ancient tradition, a ceremonial seven-mile walk took place in May or June to avoid spoiling the harvest, this ensured that prior to maps, knowledge of the boundary was understood. It continues every seven years and attracts over 10,000 visitors to the old town. I wonder how much of the route we walked.

Walk 7.8 miles, 750ft. Map 151.

 

 

 

Gone: A Girl, A Violin, A life Unstrung By Min Kym

.  Gone: A Girl, A Violin, A life Unstrung

By Min Kym

At 7 years old Min Kym was a prodigy, the youngest ever pupil at the Purcell School of Music. At 11 she won her first international prize. She worked with many violins, waiting for the day she would play ‘the one’. At 21 she found it: a rare 1696 Stradivarius, perfectly suited to her build and temperament. Her career soared. She recorded the Brahms concerto, and a world tour was planned. Then, in a train station café, her violin was stolen. In an instant her world collapsed. She descended into a terrifying limbo land, unable to play another note.

This is Min’s extraordinary story of a young woman staring into the void, wondering who she was, who she had been. It is a story of isolation and dependence, of love, loss and betrayal, and the intense, almost human bond that a musician has with their instrument. Above all it’s a story of hope through a journey back to music.

This is a book that most of the group said they would not have read if it hadn’t been recommended by a musician in the group. Having said that, there was overwhelming praise for the book despite over half saying that they found it full of sadness and loss – the violin, her childhood, the lack of a paternal presence in her life – with many gaps and things unsaid in relation to Min’s family and her recovery from depression. Many felt they were left with questions after finishing the book.

There was some discussion about whether the pressures Min was put under to play and excel, her acquiescence with male domineering figures in her life might have been in some part due to her cultural background. It was agreed that the book was brilliantly written and gave a fascinating insight into the relationship between a musician and her instrument, the life of a musical prodigy and solo performer. The book may well have been written as a cathartic process for Min coming to terms with her loss.

Average score 8.

It was interesting to learn that many musicians are always self critical of their own performance and that for musicians, music always comes first.

Many thanks to our host for the toasty warm fire and cakes!

 

 

Celebrate Consciously

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WENVOE FORUM
Celebrate Consciously Today to Preserve Tomorrow

If each of us changes just one or two things to cut pollution, waste and carbon emissions during the Christmas celebrations and into the New Year, together, it adds up and makes a difference. Here, some of our members share their ideas.

Hello, I am Diane and I’ve joined the Wenvoe Forum as I feel that we can all help the cause. This Christmas I’m aiming to send Christmas cards that have the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) mark. This can be found on the back of the card and guarantees that the paper has been produced sustainably and ethically. After Christmas I will recycle my cards or pass them onto friends who will turn them into present tags or decorations for next year.

 

Gareth and Glenys Stone. We have lived in Wenvoe for almost 10 years now. We joined the Wenvoe Forum with a view to doing ‘our bit’ and working with others to build on the existing, strong community spirit. Our family have festive fun with the e-bay challenge. We set a price limit and a theme for family presents to be bought second hand on e-bay. We have a lot of fun buying the best present for £5 and in the past they have included Lego, headgear and even original works of art. As we open them together at Christmas we can also enjoy the stories and adventures of e-bay auctions won and lost, as well as the presents themselves. Reducing, reusing and recycling whilst having a fabulous time.

Hi. I am Heulwen and I shall be making my own Christmas present labels from handmade seed paper embedded with various flower seeds for recipients to plant. No waste card to deal with and I’m looking forward to a spring and summer full of flowers that will also encourage pollinators.

My name is Nicola Starke and I am the Headteacher at Gwenfo Church in Wales Primary School. My green festive tips include:

  • Donating old Christmas dressing up costumes to the school to loan to other children during our Christmas concerts.
  • Make a funny Christmas video to send friends and family instead of a card
  • Over the festive period swap your car for a lovely walk around the village to spot the advent windows
  • Shop locally and support small businesses when buying gifts and festive food.

 

I am Sian Jones and live in the village. I am a member of the Gwenfo Forum because I want our Wenvoe Village to be a cleaner safer environment in which to live. I think it would be good for us to embrace the New Year 2022 by thinking of ways to help our carbon footprint, less pollution in the village. For example think about ways to dispose of our Christmas wrappings and cards. Look at buying gift wrapping paper that can be recycled. Christmas cards being bought without glitter and buy from charities to support their cause. My goal for 2022 is for all of us to think and act now before it is too late!

 

 

 

More environmentally friendly ideas on our blog see below.

The Forum is always open to fresh suggestions, creative ideas and especially to new members and contributors.

Twitter @ForumGwenfo, Facebook: Gwen Fo @ https://www.facebook.com/gwen.fo.1/ and Wenvoe Forum @ https://www.facebook.com/groups/635369267864402

Blog site https://wenvoeforum.wordpress.com/

Any Wenvoe community member is welcome to join the Forum meetings, via Zoom, held at 19.00 on the second Thursday of each month. E-mail gwenfo.forum@gmail.com if you wish to come along.

 

 

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