Category: Community Groups

‘The Quality of Silence’

‘The Quality of Silence’
by Rosamund Lupton

Yasmin who is an Astrologist, and her daughter Ruby, who is deaf from birth, have flown to Fairbanks to meet up with her husband Matt, who makes documentary wildlife films. They were met by a policeman who explained that Matt had been staying in Anaktue, a village north of the Artic Circle where a fire had claimed the lives of everyone living there.

Yasmin felt strongly that Matt would have survived and set out with ten year old Ruby, who is a bright little girl and internet savvy, in a hired giant ice-road truck across the Alaskan tundra in search of Matt. Within hours they were faced with biting piercing coldness, raging storm conditions and a bleak and unforgiving landscape.

The majority of us accepted the implausibility of the idea of mother and daughter taking on the ice road and an Arctic monster storm and concluded that they were either very brave or delusional. The adventure, events and descriptions of the wilderness compensated for the far-fetched storyline. Most of us were of this opinion, some thinking that credibility was a bit of a stretch and in fact quite ridiculous, the idea that a mother would subject her 10 year old daughter to such danger.

In spite of the reservations concerning the credibility of the storyline, the majority felt that they would recommend the book and that it would appeal to adults and early teens alike. The average score out of 10, was 6.

Tea and cake were served and being November the evening concluded with a brief but spectacular firework display

 

 

November Walks

 

Goytre Wharf – We started at Goytre Wharf car park and set off towards the Monmouthshire and Brecon canal.

The Wharf was built in the early 19th C so that barges could unload coal and limestone directly to the limekilns. It celebrates the industrial heritage of the area with a number of displays including the original lime kilns with figures lugging sacks and an old cart. On the morning of our walk the kilns were particularly atmospheric as steam appeared to be rising above them as if from the limekiln chimneys (probably early mist rising). At Machine Cottage, in 1812 home to toll collector Francis Morgan and his family, a weighing platform outside was connected by levers to scales inside which enabled the calculation of the toll for a cargo.

Heading south along the canal we enjoyed the level ground before turning west, quite a steep climb led to woodland. Great swathes of woodland had been cleared so we were rewarded with good views. Looking back into the valley we could see a pub we had passed and even though it was early in the day we looked forward to refreshment there at the end of ther trek. One of the houses appeared to be pale blue as its white walls were reflecting the sky. Considering so many trees had been felled the paths were still clear and littered with bright orange patches of a fungi, with a flat open growing habit.

We passed a tree which had fine almost transparent fungi growing on its branches. Superb beech trees edged our track and as we had passed the highest point of the day we stopped near them for lunch. New shoots of foxgloves could be seen in abundance promising next summer even though last summer had only just gone.

After lunch our route was mostly downhill or level. We continued north and east heading towards Llanover. Heading across farm land we came back to the canal and some people took the opportunity to stretch their legs striding out ahead. We met up again as we turned back to Goytre Wharf.

The day was dry and cool but felt humid whenever we were climbing. In total we had walked 8miles and climbed 1100ft. Maps 152 & OL13.

Llangybi – Parking in Llangybi village we noted that the older buildings had interesting windows with small panes and unusual chimneys. We started by returning to the main road and after a short walk north along the road entered a field, very quickly our boots were heavy with mud as we trudged across it. Briefly we followed a stretch of road and we saw the profile of a man stood in a field with a

rifle looking towards the wood.

Travelling generally west on a track we passed a Motte & Bailey on our right which was hidden from view but we didn’t explore because of the muddy path and overgrown surroundings. The remains of Llangybi castle were on our left. Now we walked north for a short while through Cae Knap and then east along a road at the edge of Coed y Fferm. Walking along the road we could see the outline of Sugarloaf and Skirrid in the distance. Turning off the road we headed for Cwm Dowlais and then west towards Bittia farm.

Crossing farmland we came across a derelict farmhouse with huge cracks in some walls but there was a solid barn in good condition. Perhaps the new house lower down the valley was a replacement farmhouse.

There was lots of mistletoe growing in the area and quite high up in a tree, we had our first sighting of berries this year.

Now we turned south towards the other side of Coed y Fferm and southwest once we reached the wood. A farmyard had a handsome herd of cows and a little further on we found a farm building which had a door with a cat flap at first floor level and next to it an outdoor tap – a bit odd.

Coming across a solid metal feeding trough, we stopped for lunch, the only dry place we could find as the whole walk had been pretty muddy underfoot due to heavy rain the previous night.

Reaching a farm access road we turned southeast towards and through a wood. At a clearing we turned south and came out of the wood across open land passing Whitehouse farm and on to the road leading back to Llangybi. Our route back to the start was via a new housing estate which took careful navigation.

Although muddy underfoot, luckily we had a dry day with bursts of sunshine throughout the day which gave us some lovely views. The walk was 7.5miles and 110ft climb. Map OL13

 

 

DEVELOPMENT OF CARDIFF AIRPORT

 

The history of the airport extends back to the1942 when the Air Ministry requisitioned land for training Spitfire pilots. After WW2 the airfield was abandoned. The man who decided Rhoose could be the site of a new airport was David Rees-Williams (later Lord Ogmore). In1945 Rees-Williams became an MP; then when Minister of Aviation he identified a great need for a commercial Airport of international standards in south Wales. He told the House of Lords that a decision had to be taken whether to do nothing at all or whether Pengam Moors, the existing airport for Cardiff, should be improved or, thirdly, whether a new airport should be constructed.

Subsequently the Welsh Civil Aviation Consultative Committee proposed the Royal Air Force airfield at Rhoose. The Government accepted this proposal and the Ministry of Aviation promptly began converting the abandoned airfield into a civilian Airport.

 

Opening of new airport. In October 1952 the new airport was opened. Then civilian flights from the old Cardiff Municipal Airport at Pengam Moors were transferred to Rhoose in April 1954. In 1965 the Ministry of Aviation handed over the airport to Glamorgan County Council and was renamed Glamorgan (Rhoose) Airport. The council started a five-year plan to develop the airport including a new control tower, terminal building and runway extension.

1986 saw a further extension to the runway, attracting more business in the form of new-generation jet aircraft. The runway extension enabled the airport to handle 747 jumbo jets. This was instrumental in attracting the British Airways Maintenance facility to the airport. The airport is not only the main maintenance base for British Airways but also home to a variety of aerospace-oriented firms and colleges, and now is a major contributor to the economic development of the region.

The airport was privatised in1995 due to local authority re-organization. Later in 2013 the Welsh Government bought it for £52 million. There followed an investment of a £6 million route-development programme. In 2015 a major deal was signed with Flybe which saw the opening of a two aircraft base for their airline with a considerable number of new routes. In April 2017, Qatar Airways announced their plans to launch a service from Cardiff airport to Qatar and significant global markets via Qatar’s capital city in May 2018. This development is considered a game changer for the airport’s future.

BD

 

 

 

Welcome Evening for New Residents

 

The Community Council and Neighbourhood Watch will be hosting a Welcome Evening for the residents of the new estates in the village and anybody else who is new to the community, on Friday 3rd November at the Community Centre from 6.00pm to 9.00pm.

There will be displays and literature about the variety of organisations active in the village. These will range from physical activities such as Dancing, Tai Chi, Karate or Yoga to activities with talks such as Tuesday Group, Leisure Group, Women’s Institute and History Group, or activities with a more outdoor flavour such as Allotments Group and Wildlife Group.

There will be no charge and light refreshments will be available.

If you are a recent resident to the village – or have lived here longer and wish to brush up on your information – please call in during the evening to find out about the many organisations and activities in your village. You should find something to interest residents of all ages.

 

 

WENVOE CHRISTMAS CRAFT FAIR

 

Sunday 26th November 2017

10 am – 4pm. Wenvoe Community Centre

The Second Annual Wenvoe Christmas Craft Fair is only weeks away and we are getting very excited! We have a lovely selection of crafts on offer and the Village Gardener will be on hand with something to warm you up on his stall. When you’ve shopped don’t drop! Head over to the refreshments area and enjoy a break with a choice of hot and cold drinks, home made cakes and some warm savoury items. We have been so lucky to have received generous prizes from some of our lovely neighbours and friends and these include a stylish designer shoulder bag, a delicious large Christmas Hamper basket, a homemade, fully iced and decorated Christmas cake, a basket of luxurious beauty products, a confectionary basket, a bottle of Whisky, a ‘Frozen’ doll, 2 bottles of wine (red and white), jewellery, a beautiful vintage evening clutch bag and lots more. Make sure you get a handful of tickets – it would be madness not to! The proceeds from this years raffle will be donated to ‘Rally for Romeo – New legs and new life’, profits from the refreshments will be donated to St Mary’s Church Building Fund and a donation will also be made to the Village Hall Committee to help with the cost of building maintenance. We have had such wonderful support for our past fairs – please come and support us again and help swell the donations to these worthy Wenvoe Charities. We are delighted to have so many Wenvoe Crafters on board so come and see us. We would really love to see you and bring your friends and family.

For more information contact the organisers, Glenys and Mike Tucker on 07922109721, email pukkatucker@gmail.com or take a look at our event page on

 

 

The Age of Dancing

 

On September 20th Stephen Jarvis gave us a talk on dancing as we knew it,in the days of the Big Bands .The big names then being Joe Loss, Henry Hall and Bert Ambrose. ladies would dress up and men put on their tuxedo to enjoy a night out dancing the quickstep, waltz,foxtrot or tango. Towards the end of the century,couples increased and modern ballroom was born .Many well known singers such as Vera Lynn and Anne Shelton started their careers with the big bands .many can remember our local dance halls, the City Hall ,the Marina in Penarth ,the Capital, and Bindles in Barry. Then along came the twist and the jive introduced by Chubby Checker and couples no longer danced together and unfortunately dancing declined.

Despite being few in numbers our Harvest Thanksgiving was a great success, the auction raising over £46 towards our charity .Many thanks to Rev Jon for conducting the afternoon, and to his wife for the delicious cake his wife made us. Many thanks to Sue for organising the sales so well.

We were visited on October 4th by Martin a financial advisor who gave us an insight into how best to organise wills ,power of attorney, etc This is such a complex matter and certainly needs professional advice.

Lynne Plummer was our speaker on October 11th with her talk on Behind the scenes at the opera. We heard how it all starts, from the time when the opera company decide on an opera, then the scenery, followed by which performers ,then th costumes .The number of people involved is incredible

The October Meeting

 

Everyone was welcomed to our October meeting with a special mention of visitor Maureen who we hope will come again to future meetings.

Our speaker was Patricia Coulthard who has worked on the “ All Wales Autism Strategy “ and helped to set up the “ Cardiff & Vale National Autistic Society Support Group “for parents and carers. Patricia, a PhD in Autism and with the aid of slides, provided us with an informative presentation on “Autism- Different Ways of Being”. Children can be seven or more years old before a diagnosis is made and being unable to take multiple instructions, don’t see the world as we do. Patricia brought along Linda whose son is autistic but has just started studying for a Master’s degree. Madeleine presented them with our donation to their support group.

Members have been invited to the Link Carol Service at Dinas Powys at on Dec. 14th at 7 pm. Please give your names at our Nov meeting. Our Christmas meal will be at the Wenvoe Arms on Friday Dec.8th, 12.30 for 1pm and interested members are asked to pay at our next meeting on Nov 2nd, when menus for your selection will be available.

Next meeting Nov. 2nd at the Church Hall sees the return of John Sheen and the title of his talk is “Five Boys and a Pasty”. Visitors are welcome.

 

 

FROM DUNKIRK TO WENVOE

FROM DUNKIRK TO WENVOE

The film Dunkirk, currently on release in cinemas, tells the story of the Dunkirk evacuation between 26 May and 4 June 1940. This is the story of the miracle of Dunkirk – the evacuation of Allied soldiers from the beaches and harbour of Dunkirk in northern France, an evacuation code-named Operation Dynamo. In the film a group of soldiers manage to cross the English Channel to Weymouth and are placed on a train. The trains were known as ‘Dynamo Specials’ taking troops to temporary camps. It reminded me that Wenvoe played a part in Operation Dynamo, well in the receiving of Dunkirk evacuees at any rate, with the Wenvoe Camp that had been set up that year. A camp later used by the US Army between 1943-4 in the run-up to the D-Day campaign and later used for German and Italian prisoners of war (see ‘Wenvoe at War’). Wenvoe Camp occupied the site that would be occupied by the golf driving range and now the crematoria.

I’m not sure how long the camp was occupied by Dunkirk veterans, it appears to be occupied mainly by Royal Army Service Corps men as one letter dated 31 July 1940 to a Pte A J Hopkinson, gives the address as; ‘No. 2 Base Petrol Filling Centre, R.A.S.C., Wenvoe Camp’. A later letter to Pte Hopkinson is dated 9 October 1940. Another soldier; John Edwards, was also with the RASC, he recalled; ‘At St Malo docks, we drove the lorries into the sea and some threw in their weapons too …The ship set off for Weymouth (the journey took all day!) and we arrived there to be met by the Salvation Army who gave every man a tin of Bully beef, a tin of Mackerel, hard tack biscuits and a tin mug full of tea. …My wife (whose neighbour had helpfully told her that "we would never see any of them again") eventually got news that I was in a camp at Wenvoe in South Wales and my brother in Law (who lived in Newport) managed to find me and confirm that I had survived.’ Another RASC man was Pte Edward Anthony Clarke, whose story; ‘Tony Clarke's World War II’; ‘Jul-Sep 1940 – Tony's unit in a big camp under canvas at Wenvoe, 7 miles west of Cardiff, manning road-blocks and checking everybody's identity (why??), with Boer War Ross rifles and a Boys Anti-Tank Rifle …’ The story notes that in Oct 1940 Tony's unit was to move to winter quarters in Caerphilly.

The brother of the famous author C.S. Lewis; Major Warren Hamilton, would also spend time at Wenvoe. Before the war the two brothers had been inseparable, sharing their thoughts and observations on the countryside, literature, and the changing world. He was a noted scholar in his own right and had served in the First World War, being recalled to active service on 4 September 1939 and posted on 25 October 1939 to Le Havre. In May 1940 he was evacuated from Dunkirk and transferred to the Reserves on 16 August 1940. He then left Wenvoe Camp and headed for Oxford where he promptly joined the Sixth Oxford City Home Guard Battalion.

It would be interesting to know how much interaction was there between the camp and Wenvoe and if any readers can add anything please let us know. Parry Edwards has noted that in 1940 there were two weddings from the RASC Wenvoe Camp; one couple being Beryl Fairchild who married William Shakespeare of the RASC at St. Marys Church. No doubt these were engaged couples who had decided that with one of them having survived Dunkirk they should get married!

Stephen K. Jones

 

BBC WW2 People's War Lost in France, May/June 1940: With the RASC by John Edwards http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/45/a2598645.shtml

Tony Clarke's World War II, http://www.rogerclarke.com/Family/AW4/06/2/WWII.html

http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/GLAMORGAN/ 2004-08/1091645916

 

 

1 … 73 74 75 76 77 … 90