Category: Community Groups

A Week in December by Sebastian Faulks

 

As the Page Turners gathered for their final meeting of 2018, they received a warm welcome from their hostess and discussions were started whilst sipping mulled wine or buck’s fizz. The book on offer in December, A Week in December by Sebastian Faulks was not so warmly received by the majority of the book club members.

A Week in December is set in London, over a period of one week in December. It is a story of contemporary London and introduces many characters and themes including an examination of Islam, football in London, drugs, financial dealings and journalism. Phew!

The mince pies that were available did not sweeten the comments that were made, most of which were unfavourable. The story was considered too long, with particularly boring descriptions of the financial plotting of one of the characters, John Veals. It was felt that the book did not reflect the characters and lives of real people in the city of London. Most people wanted to finish the book, but found the ending a disappointment. The overall score was 6. After the discussion, the group got on with the real business of the evening: pulling crackers, sharing cracker jokes, eating festive food and discussions about the Archers.

Happy reading in 2019….and remember, ” the more you read, the more you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” Dr Seuss. So. off you go!

 

 

Lincoln in the Bardo

 

Lincoln in the Bardo is a 2017 experimental novel by American writer George Saunders. The bulk of the novel, which takes place over the course of one single evening, is set in the bardo: an intermediate space between life and rebirth. The book received widespread critical acclaim and won the Man Booker Prize in 2017. The widespread critical acclaim was not supplemented or supported by many members of the Wenvoe Page Turners, as the comments below show (written in a similarly “innovative” and “original” style as the novel itself!).

“Worst book I’ve ever read” Sylvia “Not a book for me” Sandra “I gave up” May “Very refreshing” Helen “Funny and amusing” Tess “Inaccessible” Lynne “Wonderfully original” Tony “I didn’t enjoy any moment of it” Jenny “I didn’t like the style of writing or the subject” Babs

A mixed review for this award winning novel which resulted in 2 scores of 9 and 4 scores of 1, with an average of 4. Everyone did agree that the cakes provided by Babs were worth a perfect 10.

 

 

Introducing Thursday Walkers

The “Thursday Walkers” are an afternoon social walking group who meet monthly. The walks are organised by Bert and usually cover some 5 miles with a cut-off point for those undertaking a shorter route. They also include a visit to a coffee shop either during or at the end of each walk.


The photograph was taken during a visit to the Parc Slip Nature Reserve Tondu and shows the group sitting on the monument to the 112 men and boys who died following an underground explosion at the coal mine on 26 August 1892. In total some 112 stones have been used to create the monument.
The mine, which commenced operating during the 1860’s, was closed in 1904, but was re-opened as an opencast mine from the 1960’s to the 1980’s.
After landscape restoration work, Parc Slip became a nature reserve in 1999 and is managed by The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales. The reserve has a number of paths for visitors to take walks which are well sign posted. There is an excellent coffee shop in the reserve and Trust volunteers’ are usually on hand to give advice etc to visitors.
Colin

 

 

Kilpeck Church

Kilpeck Church

We parked at Kilpeck church, a few miles south of Hereford, and went straight to the church. It is a 12th century building with wonderful original features. Corbels (89 of them) decorate the edge of the roof; the images cover a wide range from a bird pecking a smaller bird, Celtic knots, Sheelagh-na-gig, hound and hare, serpents and some strange creatures which are difficult to identify. Then there is the entrance door. Although there is no porch it is in an amazing state of repair. The stone prights and arch, of the doorway, are covered in carvings including dragons and the tree of life. The door itself is solid wood with huge metalwork holding the door together and bolted through the door to giant hinges. A lot of the furniture within the church is Victorian but the architecture is 12th C – 14thC. There is a minstrel’s gallery; its origin is a mystery as the staircase leading to it is Victorian but it may be Elizabethan or Jacobean. The former seems likely as that was when music in churches became more sophisticated and wooden galleries at the west end of churches became popular.

The church probably survived so well because of the village’s unfortunate history. The population was devastated by famine and the Black Death in the 14thC. Hence the church remained small and unknown for many centuries. When it was renovated in the 19thC the architect, Lewis Nockalls Cottingham, was sensitive to the Romanesque original design. There are windows designed by Pugin.

The area around Kilpeck had been known as Ergyng when it was a small Welsh kingdom. Later it became part of the Welsh marches and was renamed Archenfield. In 1086 a timber castle was built to establish Norman rule in the area. Although a stone castle replaced the original, little remains of Kilpeck castle sat on a mound to the west of the church.

Now we set off on our walk travelling in a generally southerly direction towards Marlas and then Bagwyllydiart. It was a lovely late autumn day and the countryside soft and rolling made a very pleasant stroll. The views were extensive but now and again mists rolled across the hills creating fascinating scenes.

At Bagwyllydiart we turned northeast, going towards Orcop Hill. This stretch of the walk was mainly on a quiet road and we could see the hill ahead of us. Two of us stopped to buy tomatoes from

a roadside stall and then waited to watch a shrew cross the road in front of us (attempts at a photo were thwarted by the speed with which it darted for cover). Suddenly we were way behind everyone else and it wasn’t until they stopped at Orcop Hill that we caught up.

At lunch we arranged ourselves over huge pieces of a tree which were beside the road and wondered whether it had come down in a storm blocking the road.

Walking through Mynde wood we found large holes which must have been made by badgers, we carefully skirted these. Emerging from the wood we could see The Mynde ahead of us.

 

The Mynde was a Royalist stronghold in the Civil War. It was home to the Pye family from the 1350s until about 1709. Walter Pye was attorney general for Charles I. His second son, Robert Pye, had different religious affiliations which decided his fate. He was beaten by a Roman Catholic neighbour with a billhook and died a few days later. The house is mediaeval with a grand Georgian facade. Apparently it has always been a private residence and is promoted as a film location. According to the Herefordshire Times ‘It has a 1,180 acre estate and parkland passing through a seven-acre lake’.

Now we turned northwest and were heading back towards Kilpeck. We passed through more beautiful rolling countryside. In a field we came across a large flock of sheep that ran from us and covered the horizon. We passed a few pretty cottages and arrived back at Kilpeck church.

Distance walked 8 miles and 750ft climb. OS Map 189

 

 

The Sugar Loaf

Sugar Loaf (the hill north of Abergavenny)

Many people who climb Sugar Loaf park halfway up, not us, in order to have a decent walk we parked at Glangrwyney. The day was sunny and warm but not too hot, ideal walking weather.

Sugar Loaf was originally called Mynnydd Pen-y-fal – ‘mountain of the head/top of the peak/summit’. Pen-y-fal is still shown on maps to the northwest of Sugar Loaf. The name Sugar Loaf was applied because it has a resemblance to a sugarloaf. Until the late 19th century refined sugar was produced and sold in the form of a sugarloaf. A tall cone with a rounded top was the end-product of a process in which dark molasses rich raw sugar was refined into white sugar.

We set off in a northerly direction to Hall farm and then climbed through Cwm Gwenffrwd along a wide track. Harebells in the verge gave an unexpected splash of late summer colour. Sheep and hens grazed and pecked in a field full of thistles and a sheepdog barked at us.

Heading east the path skirts around a rise to take us towards Llanwenarth where the NT car park is situated. We passed Y Graig on the southern slopes of Sugar Loaf. Here in the 1990s a prehistoric site was discovered containing flint tools from the Mesolithic, Neolithic and Bronze ages.

Now the gradient increased as did our views of the countryside around us – always gorgeous in this part of the country. The top of Sugar Loaf came within sight and strangely on the ground at our feet we spotted beetles rolling dung many times their size. Just as you see the dung beetle of Africa doing but on a smaller scale.

Now we started to stretch into a longer line as some people kept up their pace and the rest of us stopped regularly to take in the view (nothing to do with needing a rest).

As we approached the final climb the path divided; it was apparent that the path to the right led to a craggy outcrop whereas a slight detour left gave an easier if slightly longer route. The first to the top stood near the path signalling directions to the rest of us.

At the top the breeze, that had kept us refreshed on the way up, suddenly became a wind which cut into us – cooling after our exertions. First impressions were of the number of families at the top; quite small children attempting to fly kites, while parents sat and looked at the 360o views of the plains to the east and the Black mountains and Brecon Beacons to the north and west. Others were enjoying picnics.

A couple of us sat down and started eating lunch immediately but most of us went to the trig point at 596 metres and then found a niche just under the summit, out of the wind to eat whilst enjoying the warmth of the sun. The Sugar Loaf is under National Trust ownership and is grazed by Welsh mountain sheep – two of these decided they would like to share our lunch but after a few minutes moved away.

We went back to the trig point for photos and to pick up our return path which was a fairly steep descent in a westerly direction.

The temperature rose as we dropped and we relished the warmth of the sun. At this lower altitude the countryside was lush and we saw trees heavy with fruit and fungi at the side of the path. We passed ‘The Old Vicarage’ which was indeed an old house; it had an upper storey with an interesting overhang at the entrance to the drive.

Soon we arrived at Llangenny where houses sit above the river Grwyne Fawr. We crossed the river and then followed it back towards Glangrwyney.

As we stepped over a stile onto a road we were impressed by the majesty of a huge sweet chestnut tree. There was enough room for all of us to stand in front of it and it had a limb which reached down to the ground – looking a little like an elephant’s trunk. Its leaves and fruit sparkled in the sunshine with the river glistening behind it.

As usual we went for refreshment to a local inn and sat in the garden under a crab apple tree laden with fruit. We were very pleasantly surprised when two plates of delicious chocolate brownies accompanied our drinks, a gift from the landlord. What a lovely gesture and much appreciated. This was a great end to an excellent walk (8.25miles with a 1900ft climb) on a beautiful late summer’s day.

The Essex Serpent

 

THE ESSEX SERPENT by Sarah Perry

This beautifully written historical fiction is set in 1893 in London and rural Essex. It was Waterstones Book of the Year 2016 and nominated for both The Women’s Prize and the Costa Book Award.

Cora is recently widowed from an unhappy and abusive marriage. Throughout her husband’s illness, she was supported by Doctor Luke Garrett, a pioneering surgeon and his wealthy friend, Doctor George Spencer, a physician.

Accompanied by her eleven year old autistic son Francis and their companion and friend Martha, Cora leaves London Society for a visit to Colchester. Whilst there she learns that after some 300 years, the mythical Essex Serpent is said to be roaming the marshes of the Blackwater Estuary once again and claiming human lives. As a keen amateur naturalist, she wonders if this could be some undiscovered species and decides to investigate. Her investigations lead her to Aldwinter, a fictional village situated on the Blackwater Estuary, where she is introduced to the Reverend William Ransome, the resident Vicar of Aldwinter, his frail wife Stella and their family.

This novel explores science vs faith and religion, social conscience, love and friendship and has received very positive public reviews. However the Page Turners were mostly of the opinion that there are many negatives which include the following:

There is too much going on but no depth to the various story-lines which are not memorable,

disjointed and at times, dreary and depressing. Even the titled story-line of the Essex Serpent fizzles out to nothing. Additionally, the majority of the characters, including Cora, are not very endearing.

On the positive side, the Page Turners concluded that the book is beautifully written and wonderfully descriptive. The author is clever and has done some very good background research, especially with regard to medical advancements during that era.

The scores ranged from 5 to 8 and produced a final average of 6.5.

 

 

​Symonds Yat

Symonds Yat

Another hot summer’s day found us parking in Whitchurch off the A40 near Symonds Yat. A short walk across the A40 by a road bridge and there was a footpath which brought us to a lane heading south. All too soon we found ourselves climbing which seemed a little odd as we were making our way to the River Wye in order to cross it via the ferry. Arriving at Ferry Inn we were disappointed to find that the ferry wasn’t working but our contingency plan was to walk along the western bank of the river.

Imagine our delight when after walking about ½ mile down river we found that the second ferry opposite the Saracen’s Head was about to leave the shore on the other side. This is a rope or hand ferry joining Symonds Yat East and West. Ferries like this were vital, in the past, linking the communities on both sides of the river. We paid our £1.20 a head and boarded; the river was so low after the extended dry spell that a box had been placed on the boat to ease stepping down to the ferry. The ferryman sang as he took us across in memory of ‘the singing ferryman’ who died in 2011.

On reaching the other side we went through the large car park at the foot of Symonds Yat Rock. Peregrine falcons can be seen at Yat Rock from early spring. Now we were following an excellent footpath and cycle way alongside the Wye with trees providing shelter from the summer’s heat.

The brooding presence of hillforts built by Iron Age tribes, commanding wide vistas high above the Wye, reinforces the feeling that this has been border country for millennia. Tourists discovered the beauty of the Wye in the 18th century when it became fashionable to take the Wye Tour and find inspiration in the picturesque viewpoints. After a while we came to the chain bridge. Six people at a time can cross. We waited patiently each side taking turns, the second half of our group found that 5 cyclists joined us when we were halfway across and the bridge started to bounce a little alarmingly – not good for those of us who have problems with heights.

Passing a campsite we met lots of families cycling and walking in the sunshine. Delicious blackberries at the edge of the site were quickly devoured. Even

though we had crossed the river, we were on the eastern side of the river again as there is a loop here. Now we were headed north.

After about a mile we turned right up a steep hill through woodland and just before reaching King Arthur’s Cave turned left out into the full heat of the midday sun and continued upwards to a hillfort. Lunch at the top of Little Doward hillfort gave us views to the southeast with the river far below us out of sight.

Towering 724ft above the River Wye, with steep cliffs on three sides the Little Doward provided the ideal site for an Iron Age hillfort. It was improved only by the construction of a single massive rampart around the enclosure. Recent archaeological exploration has found that people here lived in circular platform houses. They worked animal bones, making items like toggles and dice, which were found during a dig in 2009. The limestone bedrock has enabled the preservation of bone here.

We descended the hill, circling to reconnect with our original path and travelling northeast. Soon we were at King Arthur’s cave. Victorian and Edwardian naturalists were fascinated by the Doward Hills. This large limestone cave held a particular draw. Excavations reveal that people have used this cave for 20,000 years. Prehistoric animal bones – of hyena, rhinoceros, bison, lion, bear, reindeer, horse and giant deer – were discovered 11 feet below the caves present floor. Large openings allowed those of us who were interested to explore the caves without ducking, some had torches and further caves appeared as we continued. Did King Arthur really come here, we wondered.

Continuing downhill via steep lanes we were soon passing through Great Doward and found our way back across the road bridge to Whitchurch.

This was a lovely walk much of it easy – especially the ferry ride – 7½ miles and 1200ft climb. A small delicatessen supplied us with cups of tea and the bar of an Indian restaurant had beer so we were all happy.

 

 

Mynydd Troed

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Mynydd Troed –

Parking at the Dragon’s Back Inn, we were about to tackle the hill we had seen when circumnavigating Llangorse Lake. We headed north around the bottom of the mountain skirting Pengenffordd. Grassed paths all the way made the going easy and coming around to the western side of the hill we started to climb – fairly steep but not too difficult. As we climbed Llangorse lake came into view to the west.

Turning a corner the wind lashed at us and the temperature dropped a few degrees – quite pleasant after the warmth of climbing. Looking into the valley below a large stretch of land stood out, a lighter green than the rest.

On reaching the trig point (609m) we stopped for a breather. The Dragons Back ridge was in view and mountains stretched far to the south. It was now an easy walk along our ridge. There had been a fire up here; the majority of the ridge was brown and it was still smoking in places. The grass path was largely undamaged but heather and winberry bushes were all gone leaving ash in their wake. At one point flames were spotted and someone stamped them out. It was clear that although the surface was charred there was still heat in the ground and burning could be hidden below. We wondered whether it was a controlled burn, the result of hot weather or arson. We also joked that the dragon of the Dragon’s Back had breathed fire over to Mynydd Troed.

At the end of the ridge we descended a zigzag path through lush grassland and picked up a road through Waun Fach before reaching the end of the hill and turning north to follow the lower reaches of the ridge. We followed a very pleasant path for over two miles that felt like an old drover’s road but that is unlikely as it is between the A479 and a small country road.

An 8 mile walk and 1700ft climb was followed by excellent tea and a special treat of homemade cakes (delicious). As we finished our drinks the heavens opened – the weather forecast was right to the minute! Map OL13

 

 

Llangorse Lake

 

 Llangorse Lake –  

Parking at the lake, we set off to circumnavigate it. We headed across fields to a solid bridge allowing us to cross a feeder stream. We spotted well constructed bird hides at the edge of a group of trees; three of the oaks here were probably planted when Queen Elizabeth I was on the throne. In the distance at least 2 dozen swans swam on the lake.

 

 

Llangorse is the largest natural lake in South Wales. It has been a feature of the landscape since the ice retreated 11,000 years ago. At that time the outflow to the Wye valley may have been blocked by ice. The lake would have been much larger causing it to spill over into the Usk valley. By the Iron Age it was only slightly larger than the lake we see today and it was important to local people for both food and ritual purposes. It is an important stopover for migrating birds.

We joined the road by the church at Llangasty with Celtic knot work on its notice board and a lovely rectory next door. The church is mostly Victorian but is built on an ancient ‘Llan’, or settlement, that was created by St Gastyn in 420AD. St Gastyn was a holy man and tutor to the Brychan family, who helped extend Christianity in southeast Wales.

Passing Newydd farm we took a road towards Cathedine. At this point we started to notice dark skies all around the surrounding hills, threatening rain. Silhouetted against the sky stood the beautiful skeleton of a tree, still standing though stripped of all foliage and signs of life.

Then we faced a steep climb. Passing Treholford light rain started to fall. As we stopped for lunch at the edge of some trees on a comfortable bank we had misty views of the lake below. Getting closer to Llangorse, we could see the lake clearly but the clouds gathering on the hilltops were getting darker by the minute. We donned waterproofs in preparation for the inevitable downpour. We walked through a field full of a white daisy type flower (oxeyes or feverfew?), the expanse of them was beautiful to behold.

To our right the bluff of a hill appeared – ‘we’ll be going up there in a couple of weeks’!

Across a couple more fields and we were passing a farm where a sheepdog was keen to let us know he was looking after them. Only one big field to cross and the sky was looking ominous ‘do you think we’ll make it back to the cars?’ Someone said ‘yes but we’ll have to get a shift on.’ So we did and the big drops started to fall as we reached the cars.


It had been the first damp walking day of the summer, a bit of a relief after the heat. 7 miles walked and 600ft climbed.

 

 

“Arcadia” by Iain Pears

 

"Arcadia" by Iain Pears is a long, complex novel which defeated several members of our group. However, three valiant women succeeded in completing the saga.

The prose is easy reading but the book contains several anachronisms which at times confused the story line. The novel is extremely convoluted with ten very clearly defined characters being followed through three separate "Worlds".

The first world setting is a frustrated Oxford academic who is responsible for writing the story. The second is the academic's imaginary parallel universe called Anteworld and the third world is a future world probably coming into being after an unstated catastrophe.

The whole book has an element of plagiarism by using themes from "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe; Alice in Wonderland; Orwell’s 1984 and an element of Chick Lit".

Although a complicated story of magic, parallel universe and impending doom the author succeeds in collating all the various strings into a satisfactory conclusion.

Owing to over half the group's non-completion of the novel we were unable to give the book a score. However, it must be said that the others found the book, although challenging, an enjoyable read.

 

 

 

 

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