Category: Community Groups

Tylcha Fach,Tonyrefail

Tylcha Fach,Tonyrefail –

The weather was very wet on Saturday so the walk was rearranged for Sunday, when it was still overcast but dry. We parked near Tylcha Fach and took a south-westerly route towards Rhiwfelin and Rhiwfelin Fach across open farmland. We then took paths to Nant Muchudd which we followed to Pant-y Brad and Tonyrefail before heading back to Tylcha Fach.

As we set off heavy clouds hung in the sky over our heads but it was not raining. We started on quite a steep gradient and were glad to reach fields where the going became easier. We came across a pile of discarded tyres and fencing which wouldn’t have looked out of place as an art installation but definitely wrong in the countryside.

We soon travelled beside very full streams and some splendid moss. As we climbed uphill from one stream we passed a tree which had honey comb in a hollow in its trunk; bees must have made a home here in the summer. A couple of farms had old boats in their yards – obviously they are used to heavy rain in these parts! At Tre Eric cottage farm the footpath was blocked and we had to climb over a barbed wire fence to carry on and then clear a stile hidden by a holly tree before we were able to follow a disused railway line, which was a good path. A huge ring of fungi about 6ft across with the individuals several inches in diameter glowed in the dim light under trees.

At Pant y Brad we were surprised to come across a plaque which read ‘Opposite on Nov. 16th 1326 was captured King Edward II (Edward of Caernarvon) the guide of captors was Rev Rhys Hywel’. The disastrous reign of Edward II came to an unofficial and humiliating end on 16 November 1326 when Edward II, guided by a Cistercian monk, went for refreshment to Penrhys. Heading for safety Edward was intercepted at Pant y Brad – the Hollow of Treason – in Tonyrefail. He was captured by agents of his estranged wife Isabella of France who had invaded England 7 weeks earlier. He was taken to Llantrisant castle and imprisoned overnight. Later he was held in honourable captivity at Kenilworth castle in Warwickshire. A few weeks later he was forced to abdicate in favour of his 14 year old son, Edward III, whose reign began on 25 January 1327.

Walking along the road we spied a group of 19 llamas (or maybe alpacas) in a field. As we walked

over to see them they ran towards us and were very friendly – probably thought we had food. We spent a happy few minutes admiring their shenanigans.

Tref-y-Rhyg school had a colourful wall with a field and rainbow and their values ‘positivity, patience, trust, respect, equality, care, pride and honesty’ written around the picture. A stream in full flow poured into a metal bath and then cascaded into a 2nd bath. We had a laugh as one of the group stood beside it and pretended to undress for a quick dip! Passing a flock of sheep they came so close that unusually some of us patted them. Descending the road we had climbed at the beginning of our walk we arrived back at the cars and went to Arthur Llewellyn Jenkins for a welcome cup of tea.

Walk 7.1 miles 700ft Maps 166 & 151

 

 

 

December’s Cosmeston Walk

December’s Cosmeston Walk

Christmas hats adorned the walkers for December’s walk around Cosmeston. A 3 course Christmas lunch was the carrot that kept the group going for the longer walk the leader decided on! Thanks to the staff at Cosmeston for a splendid Christmas lunch, enjoyed by all. And thanks to the members of the walking group who have turned up on the first Thursday of every month in rain, sun, wind and mud: it’s been a great year of walking and talking. Join us in 2020.

 

 

Village Hall Raffle Results

 

The Village Hall Management Committee would like to thank everyone who kindly donated prizes to this raffle and to the people who support us by the buying and selling of the tickets. All money raised through the raffle contributes to the on-going insurance, maintenance and daily running costs of the Hall which is primarily for the use of the villagers.

We thank you all and wish you Good Health and a Happy and Prosperous New Year

 

December Activities Report

 

December Report

Our final speaker for this session was Helen Joy who has entertained us in the past and her talk on the Vale of Glamorgan Show proved equally entertaining.

The Vale show was set up so that farmers could meet and compete against each other in a variety of categories. The first show was held in 1772 and it is always held on a Wednesday in August as this was deemed to be the month that was the least busy for farmers. Since then the show has grown and it is now the biggest show in Glamorgan of any kind. As well as the show itself there are other events associated with the show such as a thanksgiving service the evening before the show, a lunch sponsored by the NFU and the dinner at which all the winners receive their various prizes.

Helen and a group of like minded people formed the Glamorgan Smallholders Association and this proved a popular move as over 50 people attended the first meeting. In 2017 they were given a small corner of the main marquee to promote the organisation and as this was a success the following year they occupied the whole marquee. As well as the animals, they had spinners, weavers, basket makers and Bro radio. They received a cup for the best trade stand in the show.

The Glamorgan Smallholders Association has grown into an organisation which now works in collaboration with the Welsh Government engaging with the public at all opportunities Plans are now well in progress for the next Vale Show when there will be an opportunity for us all to go along and see the variety of projects that the smallholders undertake.

Our next meeting was designed to put us all in the Christmas spirit. We welcomed back Natalie and Amanda from Hearts and Flowers who demonstrated making a centre piece for the Christmas table, various Christmas wreaths and a miniature Christmas tree complete with lights.

The last event of the session was the Christmas meal at The Beech Tree.

After a very successful session we can all look forward to the Spring/Summer 1920 Programme.

 

 

Miss Garnet’s Angel

 

Miss Garnet’s Angel

by Salley Vickers

The book contains two stories running in parallel, linked by the Angel Raphael. In one, Julia Garnet comes to Venice and gradually transforms from a lonely spinster, to become a sociable retired lady. The transformation is brought about by her growing love of Venice and its art, and her friendship with a variety of people, a young boy, twins, an older man and an American couple. The character of Julia was clearly written, with flashes of humour.

The second story is about the journey of Tobias and the Archangel Raphael, from the Book of Tobit, part of the Apocrypha. Some found this story intriguing, others found it intrusive.

Most felt the book evoked a deep love of Venice, and the ending showed a concern about its flood risk. The audio version was not recommended.

An enjoyable read score 7/10.

 

 

Novembers Walk

 

Across Wales, there are over 350,000 carers who provide unpaid support to a loved one who is older, seriously ill or disabled. Whether you care around the clock or for a few hours a week, in your own home or for someone elsewhere, caring can have a huge effect on our lives and plans. Looking after someone can be tough, and lonely. If you find yourself in this position and would like to join a small group for a walk, where people will listen to you and you have the opportunity to enjoy some time to yourself, then meet us at Barry Island railway station. December’s walk will be on 23rd December at 10.30am, to avoid any clashes with Boxing Day activities!

 

 

Educated by Tara Westover

 

Educated by Tara Westover

Tara was raised in a Mormon survivalist home in rural Idaho. The book is a memoir of her life within this family and how she escaped to become ‘educated’.

Tara and her family grew up preparing for the End of Days but according to the government she didn’t exist. She hadn’t been registered for a birth certificate. She had no school records because she had never set foot in a classroom, and no medical records because her father didn’t believe in hospitals.

As she grew older her father became more radical and her brother more violent. At sixteen Tara knew she had to leave home. In doing so she discovered the transformative power of education and the price she had to pay for it.

Well, this book gave rise to a long, lively and wide-ranging discussion. We talked about how this family operated, our thoughts about present and past days in the USA, and questioned if the story of the Westover family is totally credible. Our conclusion was that it is a book well worth reading and we gave it a score of 8.

 

 

Elizabeth and Her German Garden

 

Book review: ‘Elizabeth and Her German Garden’ by Elizabeth Von Arnim

This book is a delightful read which gave a glimpse into the life of a wealthy German lady in the 1800s, who gently mocks the conventions of marriage and motherhood. The chapters show her life through the seasons and depict a rural world that seems long past. Elizabeth truly lives for her garden, but her precious time outdoors is often interrupted by her three children and playing a rather reluctant host to visitors and wife to her ‘Man of Wrath’.

The fictional Elizabeth finds consolation in the beauty of nature and keeps her sanity and humour by remaining outside the conventions of society and the demands of ‘feminine duty’. Off the Shelf Book Club gave this book a score of 9 out of 10

 

 

Ogmore to Monknash

Ogmore to Monknash

We parked at Monknash and caught the No. 303 bus to Ogmore. We were to begin our walk just above the estuary of the river Ogmore and travel back along the Heritage coast to Monknash.

Walking down to the car park we looked towards Porthcawl, heavy clouds sat on the horizon but visibility was good. Turning east glimpses of the sun danced on the sea through the thick cloud cover. The forecast was rain so we were dressed in full waterproofs. After half an hour or so we were stripping off the layers as it was quite warm and there was no sign of the promised rain.

On the way down to Southern Down beach we had the first of several sightings of a large brown and black striped caterpillar – probably the fox moth. A flock of sheep looked as though they had ‘purple rinses’.

We headed on towards Dunraven Bay and as we climbed to the walled garden of Dunraven castle a group of people came in our direction – the crew of a King Arthur film (at least that is what they said they were) decked out in medieval dress complete with at least one sword and some arrows.

At Dunraven the first walled paddock was built in this sheltered spot in 1543. Under the stability of the Tudors, country houses had walled gardens to protect against wandering marauders and wild animals and allowing plants to be grown in remote areas. In a corner of the walled garden is a building which looks a bit like a castle but is in fact an ice house; every winter ice would be packed here to freeze food and store it safely. In Victorian times a heated glass house was placed in a south facing position and exotic plants from other parts of the world were grown. The walled garden is also home to the ghost of a young woman called ‘the Blue Lady’. There have been many sightings and it is said that an appearance is followed by the lingering scent of the yellow mimosa flower.

Walking to the viewing point towards the next bay, we were lucky to see the ‘magic waterfall’ – it only appears after rain!

We explored the ruins of Dunraven house which are above the garden and closer to the sea. People were living in Dunraven in Celtic times. The Romans built a fort here and in the 12thC a Knight called Arnold Le Botelier (or Butler) arrived and built a castle. A marriage led to the Vaughan family taking over the estate and they built a manor house in the 16thC. The Wyndhams bought Dunraven in 1642 and built a huge, ostentatious neo-gothic house in 1803. The house was used as a convalescent home during the two World Wars. Finally in 1962 the mansion was demolished, a casualty of the cost of maintenance.

Continuing along the cliff top, we stopped to admire a juvenile Peregrine falcon which hovered near us for ages. As we walked we kept well away from the edge; there are visible signs of erosion even on the surface but looking at the cliffs we could also see the telltale cracks in the rock face which may well succumb to this winter’s storms.

The rocks forming the cliffs of the Glamorgan Heritage Coast were created in the early Jurassic times. The land that is now the Vale of Glamorgan was formed at the bottom of a warm shallow sea near the equator. Most of the rocks were created from the build up of millions of shells of tiny sea creatures, together with mud brought to the sea by ancient rivers. Eventually this was compacted to form limestone.

We stopped for lunch at an Iron Age fort. Shaggy parasol fungus grew in profusion in the area.

Arriving at Monknash beach we were astounded to see the volume of water pouring down the normally tranquil little stream which emerges here. At this point we divided into 2 groups; half of us walked up the stream and back to Monknash to retrieve the cars finding it necessary to wade across several inches of water in one place with the water getting into boots!

As it was low tide, the other group walked along the beach to Nash Point. It feels almost primeval with its craggy rocks eaten away by the sea and no noise apart from the screech of seabirds and the rolling waves. At one point we heard a deep rumble and glanced at the cliffs just in time to see a small but dramatic rock fall. Just as at Monknash the stream at Nash point was very full and we crossed it where it disappears under large rocks. Walking up the road to Marcross we were reunited with the others in the pub for refreshments. (Walk 8.5 miles Map 151)

 

 

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