Category: Community Groups
WENVOE CHRISTMAS CRAFT FAIR
WENVOE CHRISTMAS CRAFT FAIR
The Wenvoe Christmas Craft Fair took place on Sunday 18 November and was a rip roaring success. This was the best turn out we have had so far for any of our fairs and a good time was had by all. Thank you to all our trusty helpers who manned the refreshments, made the refreshments, sold raffle tickets, distributed fliers and posters and helped set up and clear away.
The raffle raised the grand total of £409 for the Ben MacDonald memorial fund raiser which has now been paid in. Thanks again to Kate and Jon Hadley for suggesting that the money raised go to Ben’s fund instead of going to Romeo. It was lovely to see Ben’s family on the day and we hope that they can take some comfort from knowing how much support they have in the village.
Thank you all again.
Glenys and Mike Tucker
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
October & November Events
Oct 16th. We were delighted to welcome back M&Co to give us another fashion ashow. We were shown a variety of autumn and winter outfits culminating in a selection of sparkling outfits for the festive season. A big thank you must go to our three members who modelled the clothes making the evening a success.
Oct 30th. John Sheen returned to give us another talk which was entitled “The Happiest Days” and was about growing up in the 1950’s and memories of school from that time. We were encouraged to tell of the things we liked/disliked about our own schooldays.
John brought along a few objects which we all remembered such as the exercise book covered in brown paper as a dustcover and an Oxford geometry set.
The memories of school were interspersed with poems by several authors including Gervais Phinn and Gwyn Thomas which were all very amusing and appropriate.
John went back to his own career as a schoolmaster and we heard some letters written about children’s absences from school which made us laugh.
We then heard some school reports from a variety of celebrities , including this one from Dame Judy Dench – “Would be a very good pupil if only she lived in this world”.
It was obvious from the reaction of the audience that teachers make a big impression on us and John’s talk gave us something to talk about. On a cold winter’s evening it was a pleasure to listen and be amused by such a talented orator as John.
Nov 6th Nick Craddock, from local family-run cider farm, Vale Cider, talked about how they make craft Welsh cider. He described the whole process from planting the apple trees to bottling their award-winning ciders. Vale Cider involves all the family with Nick and his son, Joseph being the business partners who do most of the work but other members helping at the busy times.
The farm is in the heart of the Vale of Glamorgan, between Bonvilston and Welsh St Donat’s and a variety of different apples are grown to provide the balance of flavours needed for the best ciders. Welsh bees in their orchards pollinate the apple trees as well as giving honey – and Nick’s pigs love to eat the rejected apples and the dry pomace after it has been pressed.
Vale Cider does not just make award-winning traditional ciders. They also make fruit ciders, mulled cider punch, apple juice and apple cider vinegar. Nick’s talk was illustrated by lots of photographs and short video clips to make it entertaining as well as interesting – and everyone got a taste of their most popular cider, “Serious Scrumpy”. Vale Cider has a website (www.valecider.co.uk) and a facebook page (facebook.com/valecider) which have more information and photos about what they do.
Nov 20th When Janet Sully came to talk about the impact of World War One on Llandaff, we were very surprised to learn that little was known or had been recorded. The war memorial showed the names of people killed in the war but Janet wanted to find out about the people left behind. Fortunately Parish magazines provided the source she needed.
We were shown some interesting pictures of Llandaff at the beginning of the twentieth century when Llandaff had a population of around 2,000. We saw a picture of the Cathedral school before moving to its present site and the High Street before it had shops. The Cathedral school sadly lost 56 of its former pupils in the war.
In 1914 a quarter of a million Belgian refugees came to Britain and 55 ended up in Llandaff. Street collections were organised to help them and some were housed by wealthy locals or in the two houses that were set aside for them. At the end of the war the refugees left without a trace.
Some existing buildings were adapted to repatriate wounded soldiers and when The Lodge became too small, St Michael’s college took over and it accommodated around 70 soldiers, mainly officers. They were visited by locals and we saw the picture of a wedding that later took place between a visitor and a soldier.
Rookwood became a military hospital looking after the more seriously wounded and was staffed by the Red Cross or VAD Glamorgan. Some Llandaff ladies gave up normal working duties to help at the hospital. Rookwood was the only building to continue as a hospital once the war ended.
Two large houses became supply depots where the women made bandages and clothes to send off to a central depot. ‘Comforts’ were made here for soldiers and schoolgirls also helped by knitting socks, hats and gloves. Local parish magazines itemised the articles that were made by the ladies and schoolgirls.
In 1917 a big effort was made by the Government to encourage schools to save money by collecting war saving stamps. Those doing well had an extra day off. Girls at Howells School saved money by having certificates as prizes instead of the usual books. Llandaff was asked to raise £40,000 for four aeroplanes but actually managed to raise double that.
It was felt appropriate to honour those who went to fight and at first cards were produced but as numbers increased and names were added this developed into a beautifully illustrated book of honour where a cross was placed alongside the name of those who died.
When the war ended the question of a memorial was raised and this included the restoration of the bell tower and the removal of the two adjoining houses. Subsequently the site for the memorial was moved to the north end of Cathedral Green. The monument, which was erected in 1924 consists of three standing figures on three separate granite plinths and has two soldiers with a female figure in the centre. A fitting tribute to the ladies of Llandaff
VILLAGE HALL GRAND DRAW
VILLAGE HALL GRAND DRAW
Our Grand Christmas Draw is one of our most successful events and as a result it will be taking place once again this year at 7pm on Tuesday 11 December 2018 at the Hall.
Last year we gave out 45 prizes, ranging from £200, numerous cash prizes and vouchers for local stores, bottles of spirits and wine, boxes of chocolates and biscuits etc. Can we increase this number again this year? Tickets available from numerous outlets around the village.
HAVE YOU BOUGHT YOUR TICKETS YET?
Christmas Concert
“Social Prescribing”
GPs are going to be encouraged to refer people for activities including dancing, cooking and walking groups. GPs will be able to refer people to these and other, social activities, Theresa May has announced. Instead of prescribing pills and medicine, doctors will be encouraged to use “social prescribing”. In this way, Mrs May believes there will be reduced demand on the NHS and an improvement in people’s quality of life.
The good news is that there is no need to have a prescription from your GP to join the Living with Cancer Strollers. If you would like a sociable short stroll, in lovely surroundings with an amicable group of people then just turn up at the Cosmeston Information Centre on the first Thursday of every month at 10:30am. November’s walk circumnavigated the perimeter of the park and we all appreciated the Autumn leaves which were bathed in sunshine.
December’s walk will have a Christmas theme and Santa hats are an essential item of clothing, alongside the walking boots of course!! I hope you can join us.
The Lake at Cosmeston
Bright sunshine and Autumn colours greeted the strollers in October. The lake at Cosmeston was a wonderful sight as the swans and ducks made their way to the bread being distributed by generous visitors.
No hills this time as the walk went through the trees around the two lakes. New research suggests that just 10 minutes a day in the outdoors experiencing nature contributes to a more positive outlook and an improvement in a person’s well-being. We walked and talked for nearly 60 minutes and stocked up on positivity for a few days!
If you would like to join us and reap the benefits of a gentle stroll in lovely surroundings, meet us at Cosmeston information centre on the first Thursday of November at 10:30am.
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.
Podiatrist Damian Murray
President Madeleine welcomed everyone to the meeting and extended a special thank you to Pam E for producing on our behalf, such a wonderful scarecrow for the Scarecrow Festival. Pam and her husband have both been really busy lately regarding WI issues. Terry has worked hard to give the Memorial Bench in the churchyard a new lease of life, re-staining it beautifully. We are very grateful to him for doing this.
Our speaker on this occasion was podiatrist Damian Murray. We all enjoyed his very informative talk on feet and footwear. It was intriguing to discover that we have 26 bones, 33 joints, 112 ligaments and 28 muscles in each foot. We were pleased to hear some good advice concerning the many ailments it is possible to have with our feet, including chilblains, which, contrary to popular belief, are not a thing of the past.
WI business commenced with names needed for the Harvest Supper at St Francis Church Hall on October 11th and the Christmas Miscellany at Wenvoe Castle Golf Club on November 22nd. This year Wenvoe WI is hosting the Link Carol Service, which is to be held at St Mary’s Church Wenvoe, on Thursday December 13th at 7pm, followed by light refreshments in the Church Hall.
Our Christmas meal will take place on Monday 10th December at 12.30 pm at the Wenvoe Arms. Menus will be available at our November meeting and payment then would be welcome and appreciated. The speaker for our November meeting is Sheena Crossley, who will be speaking about the Gardens of Wales. There is no charge for the event and visitors can always be assured of a warm welcome.