Category: Community Groups

“Crafty Surprises”

 

In Madeleine’s absence Pam led our July meeting with a special welcome for our speaker, Eva Leslie and our visitor, Pat Weavers. Eva gave a talk on “Crafty Surprises” during which she created a selection of animals such as sheep and dogs from felt by making stabbing action with a two pronged pin. Pam E and Judy had a go themselves and produced a lovely heart and star. Eva has had stalls at many craft fairs including St. Fagans and donated a red heart to be given to Madeleine-such a very king gesture and much appreciated . We finished our meeting with strawberries and cream.

Three members attended the Link meeting at Penarth and two will be going to the Highlight coffee morning on the 31st July. Our summer lunch is on August 7th at the Wenvoe Arms .Future events include a trip to the Botanical Gardens on August 15th (£22) and a trip to Worcester market on Dec.1st (£18), both arranged by Dinas Powys WI. Culverhouse Cross has invited us to their harvest supper on Oct 11th( date to be confirmed).

As there is no meeting in August , our next will be on the 6th Sept. in the Church Hall at 7pm when we will be presenting our cheque to the speaker from Air Ambulance Wales. Visitors are very welcome.

 

 

The Legacy of Elizabeth Pringle by Kirsty Wark

 

The Legacy of Elizabeth Pringle by Kirsty Wark

Kirsty Wark is the respected BBC television presenter. This, her first novel, was mostly a disappointing read for the Page Turners.

We are introduced to Elizabeth as a nonagenarian who harps back on her single life and some love but little excitement. She bequeaths her house on the island of Arran to a passing stranger whose daughter becomes the beneficiary.

We found the plot of the novel to be somewhat turgid and annoying. We had little empathy for any of the various characters, but enjoyed some of the historical facts about Arran. Between us we offered only a few positive adjectives for this month’s read. However the majority of us did finish it and we scored it an average of four out of ten.

 

 

The Mercy Ship Fund Raising

 

The first major fund raising event held in Wenvoe to help raise money for Helen Ormrod's work on the Mercy Ship in Africa was held in May, when Johnny Tudor and Olwen Rees gave us a musical tale of their lives in showbiz. This was reported in the June edition of the What’s On , and was a very successful evening, and a hard act to follow. But I think all who attended our second event on Saturday 23rd June will agree that we achieved another "Double Whammy".

This time, we were entertained – and enlightened – in the most interesting way, by Derek Brockway and Nicola Smith, both of BBC1 Wales fame. The ‘Weatherman Walking’ gave us a fascinating insight in to the mysteries of meteorology, as he had become fascinated by the weather since a child. (As he said, all the British talk about the weather, especially the Welsh!). He served the Met Office in various places from Cardiff Airport to the Falklands, where he did some vital work for the Army, RAF and Navy. As the islands are so remote and very barren and windy, conditions are hard, but he managed to take some lovely photographs of the wildlife there. My favourite was the 3 penguins, all lined up for a photo shoot, just for Derek! (Attenborough, eat your heart out!).

Derek did a special Forecast for Wenvoe for the week ahead, which he assured us would be sunny, hot and "toasty", and said there is a strong possibility that this summer will be very dry (bad news for all you gardeners).

After the interval (for refreshments and raffle!) , we were introduced to Nicola Smith, the BBC1 news reader, whom half the audience knew already as "one of us". Nicola recalled how she and her twin sister Sian, lived in Orchard Close, Wenvoe with their parents for many years, and spent happy hours with their grandmother, Mrs Margaret Barton, whom lived in Walston Road. Many of us remember her fondly as a lovely, jolly, kindly, sociable lady who was a staunch member of the Choir at St Mary's Church.

Nicola was married and christened in St Mary's Church, and a rranged for her own two children, Isobel(7) and Will(5) to be christened there too. (Husband George was babysitting on 23rd so Nicola could talk to us, so "Thank you, George"!). Nicola said she was pleased to be asked to talk to her home village- and in aid of such a good cause.

Nicola described her career rise, and loves her job as it is so varied, no 2 days are ever the same and we now feel we can appreciate more all the hard work which goes in to the outside broadcasts and interviews, often in very inclement weather, for long hours, which only results in 2 minutes of screen time! She showed us photos of the inside of her car boot – stacked with wellington boots, hiking boots, macs, a sleeping bag, change of clothes (and maybe a snow shovel from November on?).

Both talks were humourous. Light-hearted and very entertaining, but also educational with food for thought. We are extremely grateful to both Derek and Nicola for giving so freely of their precious leisure time, and we know that Helen Ormrod joins us in

thanking all who supported this Event, including Tony Williams, who helped us with the venue at the Community Centre, Cath and Andy who ran the bar so well, the Church Social Committee, and donors of the raffle prizes.

Diolch yn Fawr i chi!!

 

 

Establishing the Watch in new housing areas

Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinators met on July 14 and items from the discussions included:

Establishing the Watch in new housing areas. – Much progress has been made in this area with new Co-ordinators coming forward.

• The Grange has 3 Co-ordinators with a Watch notice on a lamp post at the entry to the estate.

• St Lythan’s Park has 1 Co-ordinator and a notice on a lamp post at the entry to the estate.

• Cambrian Park has 2 Co-ordinators and a notice on a lamp post at the entry to the estate.

 

We have produced postcard-sized notices which Co-ordinators can use to introduce themselves to their nearby residents.

As more houses are built in these areas, we will need more Co-ordinators. If you are interested in helping to deter crime in your locality, and would consider becoming a Co-ordinator, please contact our Secretary/Treasurer Jacky Gauci on 07876 207843 or jacky.gauci47@gmail.com

Crime in Wenvoe – In general Wenvoe is only affected by low level crime such as stealing of shrubs, manhole covers and incidents of fly tipping. We should all be aware of suspicious activity and, if seen, inform our local Co-ordinator or the police on 101.

We were made aware of a serious incident when a high value car was stolen from a drive after the thieves had broken into the house at night and taken the car keys. The advice here is to place car keys in a safe place at night – perhaps in the bedroom.

Data Protection Act – We noted the introduction of the Regulations governed by this Act and are taking action to ensure the Watch complies.

Alan French

 

 

WHO WAS NYE BEVAN?

 

As widely publicised, this month sees the National Health Service, celebrate its 70th birthday. The man most closely associated with the foundation of the NHS was a Welshman, Aneurin Bevan.

Most of us will have at some time passed the statute of Aneurin Bevan at the west end of Queen Street and also seen the striking painting of the famous Welshman while visiting the clinics at the Heath Hospital. But what of the man who as Minister of Health in the post-war Attlee Government (1945-51) led the creation and establishment of the NHS?

Aneurin Bevan was born at 32 Charles Street, Tredegar, on 15th November 1897. It was one of a long row of four-roomed miners' cottages. He was the sixth of ten children born to Phoebe and David Bevan, of whom only eight survived infancy and only six to adulthood.

His mother Phoebe was not interested in politics but as a typical Welsh ‘mam’ dominated matters in the home and was a strict disciplinarian. His father David Bevan was a Tredegar miner and active trade-unionist. As with many miners, he suffered from the choking black dust disease pneumoconiosis. It was a disease that was to eventually kill him.

Bevan disliked school and was often in conflict with William Orchard, headmaster of Sirhowy School. On one occasion, Orchard asked one of his friends why he had not been to school the day before and when he replied that it was his brother's turn to wear the shoes, he mocked him. Bevan reacted by throwing an inkwell at his headmaster. At the age of eleven he worked long hours after school and weekends as a butcher's boy. On his thirteenth birthday, in November 1910, he went to work with his father in the Ty-Tryst colliery for 7 shillings (35p) a week. Bevan joined the Tredegar branch of the South Wales Miners’ Federation and soon became a union activist. By the time he was nineteen he was chairman of his Miners' Lodge and a powerful speaker. His employers considered him to be nothing less than a revolutionary. In 1917 he was called up under the Conscription Act, but refused to join the British Army claiming he would choose his own enemy and battlefield. He was however eventually rejected on health grounds, as he suffered from an eye condition.

In 1919 Bevan he won a scholarship to the Central Labour in London, where promising young trade unionists could learn about Labour Party history and Marxism. While at college he was given elocution lessons and overcame his long time stammer by giving speeches in public whenever possible. The early 1920s were difficult for Bevan with some collieries refusing to employ the young firebrand and others offering only temporary employment due to the poor state of the economy. When the General

Strike broke out in 1926 Bevan soon emerged as one of the leaders of the South Wales miners. However, following the defeat of the strike he seems to have decided that politics would offer a more fruitful opportunity to make a difference and after a short spell as a councillor he was elected as MP for Ebbw Vale. He represented the Labour Party in the constituency for the next 31 years. In 1934 he married Jennie Lee, a fellow socialist and MP for North Lanarkshire.

In the years leading to World War II, Bevan argued that Britain should ally herself with socialist countries against the march of fascism. This stance proved very unpopular and even led to him being expelled from the Labour Party for a short time. During the war he was appointed by Winston Churchill to the wartime coalition government, as Minister of Labour. When the war ended Bevan like most of his Labour Party colleagues saw a great opportunity to build a new society based on socialist principles. Bevan was particularly keen on the manifesto commitment to create a National Health Service.

As the Attlee Government went to work on its radical programme, Aneurin Bevan as Minister of Health, became the leading light in the establishment of the NHS. In 1946 Parliament passed the revolutionary National Insurance Act. It instituted a comprehensive state health service, providing for compulsory contributions for unemployment, sickness, maternity and widows' benefits and old age pensions from employers and employees, with the government funding the balance. People in Britain were provided with free diagnosis and treatment of illness, at home or in hospital, as well as dental and ophthalmic services. The birth of the NHS was marked by Aneurin ‘Nye’ Bevan’s visit to Park, now Trafford Hospital, in Manchester on 5 July 1948. That day Bevan met the NHS’s first patient, 13 year old Sylvia Diggory.

Following his spell as Health Minister, Bevan served for a short period as Minister of Labour but resigned in 1951when Hugh Gaitskell, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced that he intended to introduce measures that would force people to pay half the cost of dentures and spectacles and a one shilling prescription charge. For the next five years Bevan led the left-wing of the Labour Party, before returning to the opposition front bench as shadow foreign secretary and eventually deputy leader of the party in 1959. He was though already a very ill man and died of cancer on 6th July, 1960.

 

 

 

Llandegfedd Reservoir

 

It was a bright, sunny morning as we parked at the visitor and watersports centre in Coed y Paen near Pontypool and Usk, just a few miles north of Newport. Our walk was to follow ‘the Reservoir Trail’ which circumnavigates Llandegfedd reservoir. The route is possible because Welsh Water have made two sections of their land permissive paths; the remainder of the trail is public footpaths or roads.

The reservoir was constructed after Cardiff Corporation was granted permission in 1958 and it was completed in 1968, covering 434acres it has a capacity of 5,300million gallons. Only 3% of the water is rainfall the remainder is pumped from the river Usk. Llangedfedd reservoir has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) for its importance to over-wintering wildfowl and because of this the reservoir is closed to all activities from 1st November to 1st March each year. Its northern edge has nationally important grasslands which are managed as hay meadows encouraging biodiversity. Flowering plants include several orchids and yellow rattle as well as orange foxtail grass and adders tongue fern.

From the car park we followed the tarmac path down a steep slope to water level, passing 5 red pictures on posts, if you look through the viewing rectangle at the side of the path all these magically line up to produce a single image of a pike. The British record pike (46lb 13oz) was caught here in 1991.

We crossed the dam enjoying the peace and quiet of the water in the morning sunshine (though we had to avoid some cars travelling towards us). At the far end of the dam we turned left and immediately climbed into the shade of woodland, where we spotted our first foxgloves of the season. After about 1km we passed a bird hide on the edge of the lake and then followed an inlet of the reservoir, which is a breeding ground for otters. We were not lucky enough to see any.

At the end of the inlet we turned north passing the entrance to Trostra Farm, their metal signpost drew admiration from all of us and gorgeous purple clematis in full bloom grew nearby. Continuing through woodland the men of the group helpfully held up a large fallen tree so that the rest of us could pass under it (in reality it was set in its location).

Going through Twyn y Cryn woods, we came out at the top of a field. We stopped here for lunch, even though it was only just after noon, as there were good views of the reservoir and surrounding landscape. One sheep in the field showed a little interest in us but the rest continued grazing.

Near Yew tree farm a late Bronze Age hoard (the Glascoed Hoard) was found and is on display at the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff. Soon after we passed another bird hide which is in the area that is closed in the winter. From here we continued south enjoying open views of the lake and spotting a fisherman wading in the water. There were stretches through woodland that were very muddy and slippery underfoot but it was dry in the more open ground. Woodlake Park golf course was on our left and a number of wooden seats were available for anyone wanting to relax.

Despite the warm day, we arrived back at the visitor centre at 1.30pm – one of the earliest finishes for one of our walks, having walked just over 6 miles and climbed 650ft. This was partially down to the good quality of the paths but also the pace set by those in the lead!

We took advantage of the refreshments on offer at the award winning centre. It was named ‘Welsh Building of the Year’ in 2016 by the Royal Society of Architects.

This would be an excellent walk for anyone new to walking who wants to get out into the countryside, throughout the walk there are fingerposts directing you around the reservoir trail. Parking at the centre is free and the facilities very good. The area was bustling with families and people enjoying the many water sports available at the reservoir. Map152 or use walk leaflet no 7 ‘The Reservoir trail’ created by Llanbadoc Community Council.

 

 

WENVOE VILLAGE SHOW

Have you ever been to a show and thought “mine are as good as that”? Well why not try your hand at entering our Village Show? The maximum number of entries per person in any ONE category is two. Previously entered items are acceptable if they previously failed to win a prize. You will find further details in the Library. Look out for more information on the Village Show in the August ‘What’s On’.

Schedule

Fruit & Vegetable – best examples of:

1. Apples – 3 cookers

2. Apples – 3 eaters

3. Tomatoes (standard size)- 3 same type

4. Tomatoes (cherry) – 3 same type

5. 5. Beetroot – three

6. Carrots – three

7. Onions – three

8. Potatoes – three

9. Runner bean – three

10. Chillies – three

11. Any other vegetable – One (unless smaller than a medium sized onion then 3 items should be submitted for judging)

 

Vegetables – whoppers

12. Runner bean – longest

13. Cucumber – longest

14. Marrow – biggest

15. Onion – largest

16. Potato – largest

17. Misshapen vegetable – funniest shape- a caption must also be provided.

 

Culinary

18. 4 Scones

19. 6 Welsh cakes

20. Fruit Cake (own recipe)

21. Quiche – own choice

22. Victoria jam sponge

23. Lemon Drizzle Cake

24. Bread (Handmade

25. Bread (Machine made)

26. Fruit Jam/jelly

27. Marmalade

28. Chutney (any type)

29. Eggs (home produced) – 3 matched

30. Homemade soft drink.

31. Homemade alcoholic drink

 

Craft

32. Tied bunch of flowers from your garden

33. Handwriting (adult) 50 words from a novel

34. Fabric/needlecraft

35. Wool. e.g. Knitting, crochet, felted etc.

36. Painting/Drawing

37. Papercraft

38. A wooden craft item.

39. Any other craft item.

 

Photography – unmounted and no larger than 7” x 5”. Do not write on reverse side please.

40. Local scenes

41. A two legged friend

42. The sea

43. The colour red

 

Children’s Section – all items MUST be produced by the child. Age categories are under 7 & 8-13,

44. Home baked – favourite cake.

45. Home baked – favourite biscuits.

46. Drawing or painting of an animal.

47. Handwriting – an extract from my favourite storybook (about 25 words).

48. Craft – mixed media

49. Photographs – "My best picture taken in the last year". (The child must have taken the picture.)

50. Pre-school child – Piece of art or craft.

 

Limerick

51. The limerick – first line must be: ‘the last time I got on a bus 

 

Entry for the Wenvoe Village Show is limited to residents of the Wenvoe Community (Wenvoe, Twyn-y-Odyn, St Lythans, Dyffryn) and children who attend the village school. Anyone who has regular connections with a village organisation but resides outside the community boundary and would like to submit an entry should contact the organisers.

If you have any thoughts, ideas and suggestions about this year’s event or would like to help out organising the Show, do not hesitate to contact us at the library.

 

 

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