Category: Community Groups

Usk Walk

 

Parking in the main car park at Usk, site of the Rural Life museum, nine of us set off through the streets of Usk. We passed a small but delightful garden created by local Girl Guides. Soon we found ourselves turning left to climb a fairly steep slope. It was a warm morning and we were glad of the dappled shade provided by trees around us.

Soon we were passing the back of Usk castle. At the entrance was an old sea bomb and behind it a face peering out of a tree stump from which it had been carved. The ruins of the castle overlook Usk and the river beyond. A medieval castle it fell into disuse 500years ago. It is open to visitors almost every day and entry is free with a donation box.

Climbing Beech Hill we were soon passing the site of the battle of Pwll Melyn, also known as the battle of Usk. This was part of the Welsh War of Independence against English rule that lasted from 1400 to 1415. The battle occurred in spring 1405 and the defeat of the Welsh rebels here was devastating. It included the loss of important leaders and men. A contemporary Welsh chronicle described it as a ‘slaughter’ and that ‘It was now that the tide began to turn against Owain and his men.’ According to historian J. E. Lloyd writing in 1933 ‘Pwll Melyn is the pond lying northeast of Usk castle …numerous skeletons were found in the pond when it was cleaned out. The pond is so called because the water is always slimy and of a dirty colour.’

But we were here on a beautiful May day with wall to wall sunshine and travelling north we passed a delightful pond with a wooden bench beside it which had a dog carved into the backrest and a carved bottle and glass resting on a ‘table’ at the front. Continuing north we took a solid footbridge across a stream, followed shortly after by a stile leading to particularly boggy ground. Two large horses showed interest in us as we each found our way across the mud. It was near here that we spotted an early purple orchid.

Coming up towards Trostrey Common we started to enjoy far reaching views. We continued climbing to our high point for the day above Hill farm and now

had 360o views. Stopping in an open field we relaxed in the sunshine and ate our lunch looking out across the valley with the river Usk somewhere below us.

The heat of the day was building as we turned south back towards Usk. We passed Trostrey Court (there is also a Trostrey wood). Trostrey Court House is a late 16th C gentry house, the current building replaced a medieval court. During the English civil war it was seized by the forces of Thomas Fairfax during the siege of Raglan castle. It remains a private house and working estate and the court is a grade II listed building.

Walking through a field of ewes with their lambs we caught a glimpse of a windmill, with vanes, in the distance and walking along a stretch of road we came closer to it. This is Llancayo windmill – ‘luxury accommodation, sleeps 12 and is available to rent £2250-£3850 a week!’

A field in the far distance was black and we wondered what the crop could be as the earth in this area is brown. Our best guess was flax in its early stages. We eventually arrived at a large solar farm – we’d seen the backs of the panels. Walking past it we were instructed ‘DANGER OF DEATH KEEP OUT’.

Passing a large piece of farm machinery trudging up and down a field, we made our way down to the banks of the river Usk. Shelter from trees and the freshness of the water both helped to cool us as we meandered with the river all the way to Usk and the stone bridge that crosses the river. An Usk Civil society blue plaque on a wall nearby declares ‘ Conigar walk (conigar from coney or rabbit warren, denoting a medieval enclosure to provide rabbits for food)… built in 1858 to commemorate the marriage of Victoria, Princess Royal, to Prince Frederick of Prussia.’

It had been a glorious sunny day, a bit humid at times, and a lovely walk – 9 miles with an 800ft climb. Tea in the café attached to the museum was much appreciated. Map 152.

 

 

 

Phil Bowen on Carisbrooke Castle

 

Tuesday Group meetings continued with a trip to the Millenium Centre to see "Fat Friends. Thanks must go to Betty for organising the tickets and transport. Our final meeting was a talk by Phil Bowen on Carisbrooke Castle. Phil has spoken to the group on previous occasions and so we knew that it would an entertaining talk. In his introduction Phil explained that his daughter had died from lung cancer and that the proceeds from his talks go to the Roy Castle Lung Foundation who support research into lung cancer.

Carisbrooke Castle on the Isle of Wight is a Norman castle which was altered in subsequent periods. The first castle was built by William FitzOsbern to secure the Isle of Wight for the Normans. It was then seized by Henry I when the motte-and —bailey castle was built. The castles position 210ft above sea level means that it can be protected and the surrounding land made safe from any hostile folk. It is also in a good position to watch over the entrance to Southampton.

With the aid of photographs Phil was able to explain why the castle was difficult to attack as it was protected by a dry moat which had spikes and flints and other protective features were arrow slits at strategic points to repel invaders. The Bailey was where everyone lived. The Bayeaux Tapestry depicts the building of a motte and bailey castle and this has helped the understanding of this type of fortification.

Isabella de Fortibus was the first lady to rule the Isle of Wight and she transformed the castle into a home worthy of her prestige and wealth. She added a chapel and a chamber at the end of the Great Hall. This chamber had a window overlooking the island and reflecting her status it was glazed.

Isabella controlled the castle for some 30 years and when she died power struggles ensued. This led to the demise of the independent Isle of Wight and the estate passed to the Crown.

Elizabeth I makes her cousin George Carey captain of the Isle of Wight and he builds a 13- room mansion within the castle. This became a social centre with banquets held regularly. Jesters from the mainland attended these feasts and swapped news.

Charles I was imprisoned at the Castle during the Civil War and although he tried to escape both attempts were unsuccessful and he was eventually taken to London where he was executed.

The castle then fell into disuse until Princess Beatrice, Queen Victoria's youngest daughter modernises the castle and makes it her residence.

The castle is now maintained by English Heritage and having seen how Phil can make the various features of the castle come alive with his wealth of anecdotes I am sure it will be on the to do list of any member visiting the Isle of Wight.

The final event of the year is our annual dinner which is being held at the Blue Anchor.

 

 

WENVOE VILLAGE SHOW

WENVOE VILLAGE SHOW SATURDAY 8TH SEPTEMBER


Just a quick reminder of the village show. The full list of entry categories will be published next month and will include produce, crafts, photography and flowers. There will also be community events during the judging period based in the village to entertain adults and children alike. We are still happy to accept help from anyone interested, so feel free to contact us and we would be delighted to hear from you.
Thanks from Heulwen and Sue, available on the following numbers – Heulwen 07411178797 Sue 07880936301
I am sure that we can make this years event an occasion to be remembered. Thanks and we look forward to seeing you there

 

 

AGM Report

 

Our AGM was held in May and two representatives from Federation House were present to oversee the proceedings. Our members voted unanimously in favour of the national resolution which this yea concerns mental health matters keeping parallel with physical health. Delegates will vote accordingly at national level this month.

The financial report was presented in June’s absence and as our retiring treasurer, we wish her well as she recovers from recent surgery. Secretary Pam gave a detailed and interesting report on our previous year.

The president’s address carried a “ Thank you Theme “ when Madeleine thanke committee members and all the WI ladies for all they had done and given to our institute, especially at those times in her absence,when everyone worked together to produce successful events. Madeleine also expressed her pleasure that after a few years, Pam Hodge has renewed her membership of our institute. It will be good to have her join us.

The committee for 2018/19 is as follows:-

President – Madeleine Rees.

Vice President- Margaret Morant.

Secretary – Pam Ewington.

Treasurer- Jayne Aust

Committee Members. Shirley Hammond,

Maria Williams,

Janet Young.

The WI advisor praised our instate forits success and warmth and we look forward to another year.Next meeting is at the church hall on June 7th at 7pm when we will be welcoming back Viv Truran with more of her humorous stories.Visitors are very welcome to come along.

A reminder that our charity afternoon tea is on June 15th at the community centre, 3-5 pm.Donations for raffle and tombola will be very welcome.at our June meeting.

 

 

Mercy Ships and Faberge Jewellery

 

Mrs Sheila Pugh visited us on April 18th, and gave us a very interesting talk on the Mercy ships, and the wonderful work done by those who volunteer to work on them. The ship is stationed each year at a port, mostly in Africa, where it becomes a hospital,carrying out surgery and treatments doctors, nurses, teachers etc, at their own expense volunteer to spend 10 months of the year helping the poor people of these countries. Receive medical aid .This coming year it will be in port in Guinea.

On April 25th Mrs Lilian Charles came to tell us the history of Faberge jewellery. via the screen she showed us numerous pictures of Faberge eggs and jewellery all sparkling with diamonds, and mostly made for an occasion .Then we were treated to a few real pieces from Mrs Charles own collection

Dr Neville Evans visited us on May 2nd with his on his childhood experiences, this was part two of his talk, and as before, very humorous .

We were looking forward to Mr John Sheen’s new talk on May 9th,and we were not disappointed. Mr Sheen sees the the funny side of every day life and with his acting experience tells it all so well.

Diary of events

June. 6th. Afternoon tea

June. 13th Donald Knight. ‘The art of Bonzai’

June20th Wenvoe school choir

June 27th Bruce Hawkins. ‘Naughty ladies in history’

 

 

Ice Trap by Kitty Sewell

 

Ice Trap by Kitty Sewell Published 2007

Dafydd Woodruff, a young surgeon, experienced the horror of making a near fatal mistake on the operating table. Very shaken by this he takes a locum position in Northern Canada in a remote community Moose Creek to help overcome the guilt he suffered. He returns to Cardiff and fifteen years later he’s a consultant surgeon in the Heath Hospital and is married to Isobel, an interior designer. Their marriage is crumbling under the pressure of infertility.

Dafydd receives a letter from Moose Creek from a teenager, Miranda, claiming that he is the father of her and her twin brother. Her mother, Sheila, is the head nurse of the hospital there, with whom Dafydd is adamant that he had never had an intimate relationship. However, DNA results prove Dafydd wrong. His marriage by now is extremely unstable. In his effort to unearth the truth he returns to Moose Creek and stumbles upon long buried Moose Creek secrets.

It took very little time to establish that to varying degrees everybody disliked the book. It was felt that one would have to stretch one’s imagination to the limits to have any belief in the characters or story line. It was said to be not well written, boring, tiresome, very flat, and it’s only minor interest was that it was partly set in Cardiff and Penarth. Nobody felt that they would recommend the book. Not surprisingly the score was 3 out of ten.

 

 

SS WENVOE – A STORY OF BRAVERY AND TRAGEDY

SS WENVOE – A STORY OF BRAVERY AND TRAGEDY

 

The 2,979 tonnes merchant steamer the SS Wenvoe was built in 1894 by the Gray Company of Hartlepool and owned by a prominent Cardiff shipping family, the Morels. Ships like the SS Wenvoe, which were used to transport a variety of cargoes, helped Cardiff to become a port of worldwide importance in the years leading up to the First World War. These ships and their crews played a brave role in supplying the country during the conflict. The war however led to tragedy for the SS Wenvoe, albeit under a different name. Sold to French owners in 1916, the SS Wenvoe was renamed the Bayvoe, although due to wartime restrictions it had to remain under the British Flag.

From the start of the Great War in 1914, Germany pursued a highly effective U-boat campaign against merchant shipping. At first, U-boats obeyed 'prize rules' which meant surfacing before attacks on merchant shipping. This allowed time for the crew and passengers time to get away. As the war progressed and allied detection improved, this policy was abandoned. U boat attacks intensified and in late 1917 and early 1918 several Cardiff based ships were hit.

On 9 January 1918, Bayvoe, on a voyage from Portland to Bordeaux with a cargo of wheat, was targeted and sunk off the coast of Brittany by a German U-boat. Tragically, four crewmen, all merchant seamen from civilian backgrounds, lost their lives.

Their origins give a strong indication of the cosmopolitan character of Cardiff at the time. The youngest, a mess room steward, was 19 and from Turkey. The fatalities also included an engineer from Riga, fireman and trimmer from Bombay and a cook from Greece.

The submarine which torpedoed and sunk the Bayvoe was under the command of 31 year old Walter Roehr. Roehr was a very successful U boat commander, with several military decorations, including the Iron Cross 1st Class. His U84 submarine was responsible for sinking 1 warship and 28 merchant ships.

Attacks on SS Birchgrove and SS Cardiff

In an indication of Cardiff’s contribution to the war effort, two more local ships suffered attacks around this time. Roehr had already been responsible for sinking the SS Birchgrove, carrying goods from Penarth to Bordeaux, the previous month. The very day after sinking the Bayvoe (9 January), Roehr attacked and severely damaged the SS Cardiff 20 miles off the French coast near Lorient. In spite of these successes, his story did not end well, as his submarine was itself sunk off Penmarch, France just 5 days later with the loss of all officers and crew. The SS Cardiff was later sold on to a German company, Schulte and Bruns. In a final twist of fate, the SS Cardiff, as the renamed Konsult Schulte, was sunk by the allies in a Norwegian fjord in 1941.

 

 

 

April Activities

 

As always all were made welcome by Madeleine at our April meeting, especially Pam Hodge, a former member who came as a visitor. We were pleased to see Pam and hope she will come again. We all send June, who is in hospital awaiting surgery, our good wishes for her future recovery.

An interesting evening was provided by Mansel Thomas who in addition to being a member of the Rotary Club of western Cardiff , is publicity officer, treasurer and website designer for the Rotary Doctor Bank, which was set up in Britain and northern Ireland, following great success in Scandinavia, the Netherlands and Germany. Mr Thomas’s talk with slides was excellent and informative. We learned that the UK has 1 doctor to 350 people, whereas in rural Africa that ratio is 1 doctor for 10 to 20,000 people. Rotary Doctor Bank is involved only with mission hospitals, mainly in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda. 4th year medical students have visited these hospitals to work and also dentists. A major refurbishment has taken place at Kamuli hospital in Uganda. For further information visit www.Rotary Doctor BankGB and I.org

Members were thanked for the way they all came together on March 15th to celebrate our 15th anniversary. AS vice president, Margaret stepped in to chair the event and all visitors thoroughly enjoyed it all. Glamorgan Federation events were announced. May 14thsees Dinas Powys hosting the fashion show by Samantha B of Ewenny. We will next meet on May 3rd, which will be our annual meeting when the committee for 2018-2019 will be formed. In May we will also be voting on the resolution of Mental Health Matters and WI advisor, Carol Atkinson will be overseeing the proceeding.

For many years June has been our efficient, well-organised and dedicated treasurer, but sadly, due to ill health she has had to step down. Wde appreciate all the hard work she has done and we all wish her well on the road back to good health.

 

 

March Talks

 

On March 21st, Mr Tom Phelps entertained us. He first gave us an insight into his childhood education which was poor but was determined to learn by following correspondence courses. He went on to write hundreds of humourous poems which he read to us with his very Welsh accent making them very comical.

This was followed on 28th March by Mr John Metcalf who spoke about the Vale of Glamorgan Festival of Music which celebrates 50 years this year in Cardiff. Mr Metcalf is a composer who has many compositions and theme tunes to his credit.

Following our Easter break, Viv Truman came to tell us how she became an antique dealer. Starting with a stall in Jacob’s market in Cardiff and progressing to two shops. She told us how jewellery devalues immediately its purchased. As usual Viv’s talks are always humorous.

 

 

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