Category: Community Groups

Christmas Craft Fair

 

The third annual Wenvoe Craft Workshop™️ Wenvoe Christmas Craft Fair is fast approaching. As usual entry is free and there will be a varied selection of beautiful hand crafted items on sale. With Christmas just around the corner, why would you want to miss out? We have some new faces and some familiar ones to tempt you with their crafts and there will, of course, be the usual raffle. This year the proceeds go, once again, to Rally for Romeo – the fundraiser for Romeo Hadley to assist with his ongoing needs. If anyone has a raffle prize they would like to donate please contact Glenys or Mike using the contact details below. The now-familiar tag team of Mike Tucker and Gwyndaf Breese will be manning tables at the entrance to the Community Centre and you can indulge with hot or cold drinks and home made cakes and savouries at the refreshment area. This is always a good community event with a lovely atmosphere and we very much hope you will join us. We would love to see you.

For information please contact Glenys or Mike Tucker on 07922109721, email pukkatucker@ gmail.com or call at 28 Grange Avenue, Wenvoe.

 

 

Village Show Report

 

The Village Show was held on Saturday 8th September hosted for the first time by the Library in conjunction with the Wildlife Group. Despite the inclement weather the Show was a great success and well supported by everyone. It was a real village event opened by local celebrities Johnny Tudor and Olwen Rees and judged by Wenvoe residents.

There were good entries in many areas but notably far more in the craft category this year to include some beautiful needlework from the Wenvoe Patchwork Group and some very impressive paintings. There were some 200 entries from the Village School and several individual entries in the children’s’ categories with Victoria and Thomas Bellamy standing out as winners. The Limerick competition was as popular as ever. You might think that there was little room for wordplay with the first line: The last time I got on a bus…. However, we received a large number of entries with Gordon Jones coming first.

Due to the unusual weather conditions this summer the apples were plentiful as were the pumpkins with Isobel Davies gaining first prize for her giant specimen. There are still some runner beans and Adrienne French won first prize for hers. Phil Morrant is the man who certainly knows his onions as demonstrated by his outstanding entry in this category. Who knows what next year might bring. We may be tweaking the categories next year so look out in advance for what might be on offer. We intend to put the list on the library noticeboard in the New Year.

Great fun was had from the ‘How well do you know your village’ quiz, and the winner was Steven (Will) Williams. The cutting up of the produce was as popular as ever with the public tasting of the entries enthusiastically received. Congratulations to Gordon Jones who was the overall winner of the Show by far and earned his place on the shield. Well done to all of those who won prizes; please pick up your certificates from the Library.

Many thanks to all who participated, contributed to and entered the show and those who provided such generous raffle prizes. Thanks also to Patsie Hunt who came along at the last minute to provide excellent musical entertainment when the brass band cancelled.

Thanks to all of the volunteers who made the day possible. Also a big thank you to the previous organisers and to Ian Moody who did a lot of heavy lifting and carrying and helped us newbies through the teething process. Extra special thanks to library volunteer Janet Williams who at the last moment devised our very own commuter system, which simplified the process for us (Al’s excellent computer programme being too scary).

Next year we hope to make this an even bigger and better success and we look forward to working on the suggestions already received. If you have anything you would like us to improve on, or would like to get involved with next year’s event please contact us at wenvoelibrary@outlook.com

The date of the next Village Show is Saturday 7th September. Please put the date in your diary NOW

 

 

September Activities

 

President Madeleine welcomed everyone to the meeting and gave a big thank you for all the kind thoughts and support she received during a very sad, difficult year.

Catrin, from Wales Air Ambulance gave us a very interesting talk, with slides. Wales obtained its own first air ambulance in 2001 and the very first one was sited at Fairwood Common in Swansea. Now Wales has enough air ambulances to get anywhere in the country within 20 minutes. A fully equipped air ambulance costs £5½ million and it will need a landing space the size of a tennis court.

At the end of the presentation Madeleine gave Catrin our donation to Wales Air Ambulance – the result of our 2018 fundraising.

After refreshment we proceeded with WI business. Culverhouse Cross WI has invited us to a Harvest Supper on October 11th and some members are visiting Sully WI on October 3rd to celebrate their 70th Birthday. Menu choices were available for our lunch on September 10th (to celebrate Betty’s recent 90th birthday) at the Wenvoe Arms. We are pleased to hear that Mair is progressing well after her recent new pacemaker. A big thank you was extended to Pam E. for her time and effort in producing a scarecrow for the festival, to represent the WI.

Next month’s meeting is on Thursday, October 4th at Wenvoe Church Hall. The speaker will be Damian Murray who will talk to us about podiatry. Visitors can be assured of a warm welcome and there is no charge.

 

 

Fly Tipping

I am the owner of the field alongside the footpath between the Vennwood Close tunnel and the playing field. I am working to tidy the field up but we are having trouble with fly tipping. It is very difficult for me to clear myself and costs a lot to have it removed. This time it is building rubble which has been thrown over the fence. This is a danger to animals, so we can not use the field at the moment. It is hence getting over grown and untidy. This is not abandoned land but private property.

I would be very grateful if anybody could help with information about where it is coming from. Please contact me on 07598533554

Amanda Paddoc

 

 

Mynydd Troed

.

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.

 

 

Meetings Schedule

 

Our branch doesn’t meet in August but some members enjoyed a summer lunch at the Wenvoe Arms on the 7th of the month. They want to thank the staff for a their warm welcome and excellent service. A further lunch is planned for Monday September 10th and menus will be provided at our Sept. meeting at which members will need to pay.

Culverhouse Cross has invited us to their harvest supper on October 11th.(please sign up at our Sept. meeting).

Our next meeting is on September 6th at 7pm at the Church Hall, when we will be presenting our cheque for this year’s charity, Wales Air Ambulance. No charge for any visitors, who will receive a warm welcome.

 

 

1 … 62 63 64 65 66 … 88