Category: Community Groups

Forest of Dean

 Forest of Dean

It was another warm day as we set off to the forest of Dean, parking at the RSPB Nagshead nature reserve car park. Our route was taking us north to the water at the edge of Stonyhill Green, then west towards The Barracks where there is a picnic spot, from there to Parkend and along the Dean Forest Railway before turning North to our start point.

We passed a family of waterfowl at Cannop ponds and were soon amongst grand trees, many of them sweet chestnuts. We crossed a busy road and passed between two large gate posts to a footpath and soon had views of open fields bathed in sunshine from the welcome gloom of the forest.


At lunchtime we approached a large house where the footpath almost disappeared as we skirted the property and came out onto a tarmacadam roadway. We looked for somewhere to settle and eat. One person decided to check where the road led and found a church a short distance away. We all followed him and found a large churchyard where we enjoyed our lunch, there was even an extension to the churchyard on the other side of the road. After eating, most of us explored St Paul’s church, which is unusual as it is octagonal and cruciform.

 

Continuing, we followed a footpath and came out on a road, several people found themselves unable to pass an ice cream shop without trying the goods! Soon we could see steam and were at the station for the Dean Forest Railway. A train had just arrived and we were lucky to see people board and the train depart in clouds of steam.


After leaving the railway we spotted a sign ‘Ladies Walk Path to Church’. No doubt a shortcut but why ‘ladies’ had their own path was beyond us. We were soon at the most southerly point of the walk and went around the Parkhill Enclosure back to the cars, passing Whitemead park on the way. Good paths throughout the walk.

 

It was still very warm, so we sought out a local hostelry where we parked up the road to avoid – 1. stray cricket balls from the game on the pitch opposite and 2. blocking the view of the match for customers sat out front.
Walk 8.4m 900ft Map OL14

 

Mindfulness

My ability to walk has been restricted by sciatica for the last few weeks so I have explored the area around the village, as I did during lockdown. I started around the Redrow estate, to the garden centre and up Burdons Hill, along the side of the golf course, past a House called Fairview and back to the main road via the golf club access road.
Paying attention to the natural world is relaxing and enhances my experience. Just using my senses to notice nature took my attention away from my pain. I was delighted to spot several apple trees in one garden followed by a mock orange with its heady scent. When the flowers were decimated by a heavy fall of rain I was momentarily disappointed but was very happy to be smothered by the heavy scent of Jasmine at the top of Burdons Hill. If you carry on for a while you will find a gate into the Elizabethan Orchard which is looked after by the Wenvoe Wildlife Group (they always need volunteers if you are interested). Retrace your steps and you will notice a gate which gives access to Wenvoe golf course, don’t go through it but keep it to your right as you continue down a track. The rose hedge belonging to the golf course is on your right and depending on the season there will be glorious deep pink roses or large red rose hips.
There are lots of trees on this stretch and you might like to focus on their bark, leaf shape, height or even the scent they emit. When you get to the golf club access road turn left and be aware that there are usually vehicles every few minutes. The roadway is lined with some splendid oaks and lots of other trees, plus an open area of grassland both sides, currently full of thistles. Butterflies are in abundance here in the summer.
Earth footpaths are a pleasure, the ground beneath one’s feet is softer so feet and joints don’t get sore and silence is deeper away from roads. And, for example, after a rain shower the soft pitter patter of raindrops falling from leaves at the top of trees onto lower leaves can be heard.

 

 

 

CANCERSTROLLERS JULY 2023

LIVING WITH CANCER STROLLERS

 

The hunt was on for orchids this month; luckily we found some in the long grasses as we waltzed our way through the fields of Cosmeston. The ground was dry as we walked through the woods enjoying the shade of the trees. It will be different in winter!

 

WOMEN’S INSTITUTE AUGUST 2023

WOMEN’S INSTITUTE AUGUST 2023

Wenvoe WI completed their year’s monthly meetings tonight in style, with a cream tea. The Speaker was Mrs Vivian Turan from St Nicholas, an antiques enthusiast. Mrs Turan brought along a dozen antiques of various kinds, from china cups to a mundane picture hook, as well as two boxed Dinkie toys and a Royal Doulton figurine. Our members’ tasks were to asses them, date them and price each article, while Mrs Turan regaled us with tales surrounding each item.

Although tonight’s meeting is the final meeting of the WI year, we have decided to hold two informal meetings through the Summer so members can stay in touch. The first is a members lunch in the Walston Castle on 18th July. The second meeting is an open Coffee morning in the Church Hall at 10 am on 15th August to which any ‘tasters’ / prospective members are welcome.

This year marks the centenary of the Glamorgan Federation of Women’s Institutes, and on 4th July, Wenvoe WI held a Garden Party at the home of a member, Mrs Judy Marsh, as phase one of our commemorating that event. Phase two will comprise members planting 100 daffodil bulbs in the grounds of Wenvoe Church in late September.

Wenvoe WI meets regularly at 7.00pm in the Church Hall on the first Thursday of each month, beginning a new year on 7th September, when we shall be holding ‘Floral Evening’, courtesy of ‘Daisy Chain’ from Sully.

New members and ‘tasters’ are always most welcome.

Jan Young (President)

 

WOMEN’S INSTITUTE

 

WOMEN’S INSTITUTE

Wenvoe WI met on June 1st, as usual in the local Church Hall .
Our speaker was Mr Terry Ewington from Coastal Watch. Mr Ewington delivered a lively, informative talk about the role of Nells’ Point Coastal Watch station in Barry, describing in detail the history of the station against the background of the role of Coastal Watch UK. The station at Nell’s Point provides a vital service in maintaining coastal safety, given that the Bristol Channel experiences the second highest tidal rise in the world.
Our next and last formal meeting before the Summer break in August, will be held in the Church hall at 7pm on 6th July, when Mrs Viv Turan , an experienced globetrotter, will entertain and regale us with one of her adventures. On that occasion we shall enjoy a Cream tea together, to round off the year.
We have a busy programme to conclude the Summer : an afternoon tea at the Beech tree on 16th June, a Garden Party to celebrate the centenary of the Glamorgan Federation of WIs on 4th July, as well as a lunch at the Walston Castle and a coffee morning in the Hub (dates to be decided).
New members are always most welcome at our events .

Jan Young ( President)

 

 

FOOTSTEPS

 

FOOTSTEPS

Clydach Vale
Clydach Vale is a village adjoining Tonypandy in the
Rhondda valley. It is named after Nant Clydach, a
tributary of the river Rhondda.
It was a warm day and we were planning to walk in
the woodland surrounding the Clydach Vale Country
Park, which has been created in the old mining area.
There are low level footpaths and two lakes to
explore, on Saturday morning it was very popular.
We parked and set off along the
shore of a lake which had a good
number of waterfowl swimming
around and one chunky bodied
one with a red wattled face, but I
have no idea what it was. As we
moved along the shore, we could
see a cafe with outside seats
perched on the edge of the lake
and started planning our
refreshments after the walk.


At the end of the lake, we
moved onto a footpath leading
into the woods, leaving the bustle of the lake area
behind. And yes, as planned we had the shade of the
trees, with occasional breaks in the shrubbery
allowing us to see the village spread out below us.
Yellow gorse bushes shone across the area and even
one yellow rhododendron. It was not long before we
found that the footpaths we expected were gone and
replaced by wide gravel paths. These had been
created as wind turbines have been put at the top of
the hill and we were now walking the access roads.
Trees had been felled in the process so we no longer
had shade but one advantage was that we had
extensive views across the valley.
Arriving at a trig point we found a huge cairn, about
6ft high, next to it. At first, we thought it might have
been built as an animal shelter but there were no
obvious openings. We stood here a while and looked
at the vast number of turbines
and were very pleased to note
that they were turning even if
it was with reduced output due
to the light wind speed! We
were walking along Mynydd
William Meyrick, a hill
straddling the boundary
between Bridgend and
Rhondda Fawr. To the west
was open moorland whilst the
area we were walking was
mostly woodland but with
views.


Behind us we spotted Tylorstown tip in the distance,
a wedge of a hill which is easily identified. In
February 2020, after several other winter storms,
Storm Dennis precipitated a landslip on the
Llanwonno side of the tip. This blocked the river
valley, broke a foul sewer, covered a strategic water
main in several metres of debris, and covered a
footpath and cycle path. The area was closed to members of the public to ensure safety
immediately. The hillside has been
reinforced and new footpaths and cycle
paths created, and new receptor sites created to
reduce the impact should further storms hit
Tylorstown.
We headed into the shade of fir trees for a lunch
break and were soon surrounded by insects, so most
of us retreated to the edge of the path. When we
resumed we were walking past
tall firs with bare trunks for
most of their height. The lower
branches obviously dropped
when they were surrounded by
other trees but the creation of
the roadway for the wind
turbines had taken out the
protecting trees on the edge of
the wood.
We turned back down the valley,
losing height quite quickly and
as we dropped lower the
temperature rose. We spotted a rose and a
chaenomeles (Japanese flowering quince) but the
skies had been very quiet all day, apart from one
buzzard the only birds we had seen were at the lake.
Now approaching Clydach Vale again we could see
below us a sports field. Someone said that this was
where handball was invented. A little research has
revealed that the native games developed in Wales
share a Celtic heritage with sports in Cornwall,
Scotland and Ireland. A number of sports are
recorded, including variations of ‘village football’,
‘bat and ball’, and ‘hand ball’ games. The most
prominent native sports to survive into modern
Welsh history are Cnapan, Bando and Pel-Llaw.
Welsh handball, more commonly known as ‘Pel-
Llaw’, is related to Irish handball, Fives, Basque
pelota and later American
handball and has been
continually played since the
Middle Ages. The sport’s
popularity offered ordinary
people opportunities through
prize- money, bookkeeping
and even player
professionalism. Pel-Llaw
has been described as ‘Wales
first national sport’.
At the end of the walk we
went to the cafe on the lake
for tea/ beer/ ice cream and
enjoyed a well earned rest. There is a large display
board with a map of Rhondda showing all the
mining tunnels underground, a fascinating picture
which makes you realise that the Rhondda is like a
huge sieve and there is a tunnel below you almost
wherever you go.Walk 7m 1100ft Map OS166
[Footsteps walk routes and map are available by
contacting the editors]

 

 

“THE PAGE TURNERS”

 

“THE PAGE TURNERS”

Go Set A Watchman by Harper Lee
Harper Lee wrote the Pulitzer Prize winning novel
To Kill a Mockingbird in 1960 which became a
classic of modern American literature and went onto
become an iconic film starring Gregory Peck.
Following its publication, Harper Lee was subjected
to a whirlwind of publicity tours which she found
difficult. It remained her only published work until
2015.
Lee is reported to have said in 2011 that there were
two reasons that she never wrote again; “One, I
wouldn’t go through the pressure and publicity I
went through with To Kill a Mockingbird for any
amount of money. Second, I have said what I
wanted to say and I will not say it again.” She died
in 2016.
To Kill A Mocking Bird remained her only
published work until Go Set a Watchman was published in 2015. It is understood that
she didn’t want the book to be published.
It was therefore with interest that the Page Turners
group read Go Set a Watchman. The book contains
versions of many characters from To Kill a
Mockingbird although it is set some years in the
future when Scout is a young adult and returns to her
childhood home town. The book was completed in
1957, although it has been published as a separate
piece of work.
Nearly all members of the group were very
disappointed in the book feeling that it was very
much a first draft and was a series of disjointed
thoughts and ideas. It was difficult to read it as a
stand alone book without comparing it with To Kill
a Mockingbird.
The book received an overall score of 4.

 

 

1 … 4 5 6 7 8 … 72