Category: Community Groups

The Kymin and Kenfig

The Kymin and Kenfig

The Kymin

We parked in a layby, on a hill east of Monmouth and the river Wye and walked along the road a short distance to take a footpath into woodland. It was hot, humid and sunny, but walking on a wide track in the woodland shade was very pleasant.

Soon we were passing one of the impressive houses which abound in Monmouthshire. We came into the open and had a trek up a stony track. A farmer and young child passed on an off-road vehicle and we probably all thought how good it would be to get a lift. A flock of sheep still wearing their woollen fleeces gained our sympathy as they grazed a dry field in full sunshine. A little later we came across shorn sheep, lying in the shadow of a hedge, and looking more comfortable.

Soon we were back in woodland and following part of the Offa’s Dyke path before climbing up to the Kymin at 800ft. The Kymin and its nine acres is a National Trust property, overlooking the Wye valley and Monmouth. As it was clear, we could see the Brecon Beacons and Malvern hills. Everyone had a look at the Naval temple and then decided to eat lunch, some choosing benches in full sun with panoramic views and others finding shade, near sweet chestnut trees and an uneven ‘bowling green’.

Over 200 years ago, a group of local gentlemen formed a picnic group and visited the Kymin every Tuesday. This led to the building of the round house, for shelter when the weather was inclement. It is a quirky building, small, circular and with a castellated roof and has now been converted into a holiday cottage. There is also the Naval temple, which was built by public subscription in 1800 and commemorates 16 of Britain’s famous admirals and their victories in the Seven Years War and the war against France. It is Grade II listed and has undergone three restorations; the last two by the National Trust in 1987 and 2012 because of storm damage. Nelson commented ‘It was one of the most beautiful places he had ever seen’.

Resuming our walk, we descended a path through gnarled tree roots and rocks, where it was noticeably cooler (and had been the planned location for lunch). We avoided the nearby road by walking parallel to it through the woods, negotiating a large ditch and a fallen tree. At last, we had to emerge from the wood to cross the road in full sun, following a track littered with signs from the local Staunton council, warning most vehicles off, but not walkers. We entered a final stretch of woodland, then a tunnel with creeping plants hanging down over its entrance and a ceiling covered in bricks and were soon back at the cars.

The day was hot and humid, with a cooling breeze. Our leader did us proud, managing to devise a route that stayed in woodland most of the time, with short spells in the open. At the end of the walk, we drove to Redbook to visit the Boat Inn for thirst quenching drinks. Walk 6.2m 1000ft Map OL14

Kenfig

It was hard to believe that our last walk had been rained off as we set out on the hottest day of the year so far. We left Wenvoe earlier than usual to head for Kenfig. The first part of the walk meandered across the dunes, occasionally finding shade under a small copse of trees and taking drink breaks. The areas that are normally waterlogged in winter and spring had dried out and were springy underfoot.

 

There were fabulous flowers, some being viper’s bugloss, evening primrose, sea holly, and a low growing shrub with small dark, berries (a rose?).

As the morning progressed it got hotter, and Lawrence of Arabia came to mind. Then we broke through the dunes to the beach to be met by a sea breeze which immediately made us feel comfortable. Several of us took off our boots to paddle in the sea, along the beach. Wonderful! After crossing the main part of the beach, half of us ate our lunch whilst the other half went for a swim – the sea was not cold!

A shorter route back to the car park took us to Sker house, reputably one of the most haunted houses in Wales. R. D. Blackmore, (author of Lorna Doone) wrote a novel called ‘the maid of Sker’ which was inspired by Sker house and a Welsh ballad of the same name.

We crossed the golf course several times, where a surprising number of people were playing. Arriving back at the car park we enjoyed delicious ice-creams and cake, in the shade. Looking at photos I said, ‘It looks like the Med’ my friend replied, ‘It felt like the Med’. Walk 6.6m Map OS151

“Orbital” by Samantha Harvey

 

“Orbital” by Samantha Harvey

Orbital by English author Samantha Harvey was winner of the Booker Prize 2024. The novel is beautifully written with distinctive and poetic prose. It covers a 24 hour period in the International Space Station as six astronauts and cosmonauts from America, UK, Japan, Italy and Russia hurtle through 16 sunrises and sunsets at over 17,000 miles per hour, 250 miles above Earth.

Their day is filled with individual tasks carried out with dedication and precision as they pass over and see the ever changing vistas of oceans, mountains, deserts and glaciers, a world without borders. They watch as a gigantic typhoon builds over the Pacific.

They have a daily exercise programme to offset the negative effects of the lack of gravity and at night they sleep floating about in their small claustrophobic cabins. We are given brief insights into the lives, histories and thoughts and learn how the cycle of daily orbits result in the loss of their natural sense of time.

This novel initiated a lively discussion and some very different reviews from the Page Turners. All agreed it was well written and thought provoking. Some were fascinated by the narrative and were of the opinion that any elaboration of the characters would have changed the whole tenor of the book. More negative responses described how they found it tedious and boring with no plot or character development, not enough human drama and too many lists and repetitive descriptions of scenes of Earth from space. Scores ranged from 4 to 10 and the overall score was 8.5.

Two Months’ Worth of Reports!

Two Months’ Worth of Reports!

“Less ” by Andrew Sean Greer

This Pulitzer Prize winner was boring, uninteresting and not at all funny. So said all ten of us Page Turners. Our score was the lowest yet of one out of ten. Less was clearly not more.

However, it was lovely as always to meet up together for a welcome cuppa and exceptional bara brith and brownies. Thank you, Nicola. You spoilt us

“Frank and Red” by Matt Coyne

Frank is a widowed older man who likes to keep himself to himself. Red is a six-year-old boy who is chatty and excitable.
Frank is a gruff, ill-humoured loner since the death of his wife, Marcie, whose “ghost” does her best to cheer him along or put him straight on a few things. His house and garden are now neglected, and he’s turned his back on the world. Then Red and his mum Sarah move in next door after Sarah’s divorce
Red hates the new house, it’s tiny compared to his old house, he hates his new school, none of the kids speak to him, excluding him at playtime, and one boy in particular is a real bully. It’s no better at home, no one to play with, and then there’s Frank, the grumpy old man next door who’s really mean.
The most unlikely of friendships, but somehow, two people who are decades apart in age, are thrown together by circumstance. What follows warms the heart to see just how the relationship develops. Frank and Red are new neighbours and complete opposites.
The group felt that it was an easy read with some laugh out loud moments and was sad and emotional. There were some issues that some members found difficult to accept. Firstly, why didn’t the teacher do more about the bullying of Red which was quite obvious as the story developed. The whole group questioned whether a six-year-old would have taken this difficult journey on the underground as he was trying to reach Frank’s son or would Frank have got away with driving on the pavement (which he did) trying to reach his son.
The story was heartwarming and uplifting but had varying scores between 5-9. The final score was 7.1

Many thanks to Jill our hostess for the afternoon who provided us with delicious chocolate cake.

Redbrook and Pontsticill

Redbrook and Pontsticill

Redbrook

We parked at Redbrook and walked up the Wye valley, away from Monmouth, towards Bigsweir bridge.

We entered Highbury wood, an example of ancient semi-natural woodland typical of the Wye valley. For centuries, until the 1950s, it was managed by coppicing, to provide wood for charcoal and fuel for the limekilns in the wood. We were amazed by the number of large-leaved lime trees we passed and spotted whitebeam and yews which are apparently over 300 years old.

We heard lots of bird song but although the woodland has treecreepers, nuthatches and woodpeckers, we did not spot any of these. However, we did find tall kissing gates standing alone which we walked around. Then we found a lone Butterfly orchid, with a small, white flower mimicking a butterfly with outstretched wings and were delighted later, when they lined the path.

Next was Cadora woods which is a collection of woods which cloak the steep-sided slopes of the Lower Wye valley. The large leaved limes throughout indicate that the woodland could be more than a thousand years old. In the 1960s many trees were felled and conifers planted. These are gradually being replaced to reclaim its native broad-leaved beauty.

We emerged onto a road to walk towards Bigsweir bridge; three-way lights at the bridge kept traffic to one way most of the time. We put on a spurt and walked in single file. Crossing Bigsweir bridge, we arrived at the Toll house which was built with the bridge 1825-39 on behalf of the St Arvan’s – Redbrook Turnpike Trust.

The Toll house was renovated in 1981 by 16–18- year-olds under the Youth Opportunities Programme. As it was lunchtime we found some comfortable grass and sat on the banks of the River Wye to take our break. We voted to continue along the Wye valley rather than use our planned route saving ourselves a climb of a few hundred feet. Consequently, we had a little trouble finding the right footpath but were entertained by the wildlife of the river.

Two Canada geese with 4 goslings swam by. A lone heron stood stock still on a rock, in fast running water, fishing. A flotilla of Canada geese (10 of them) swam majestically along the river beside us. These were followed by a stag party; several canoes, full of males wearing sailor hats, paddled by and when asked where the groom was, they pointed at the first canoe where a lone ‘sailor’ wore a large hat leading the rest. We are not sure but suspect we saw the hen party further along.

This was a delightful walk on a dry day, but it was humid in enclosed places, a very welcome light breeze cooled us in the open space by the river.

Drinks were enjoyed at the Boat pub just across the river Wye; apparently the tea was a bit odd, but the beer was delicious.

Walk 8m 800ft Map OL14

Pontsticill

Parking between Pontsticill and Pentwyn reservoirs, our route took us up to Bryniau Gleision, above the Taff trail and Beacons Way. We have been incredibly lucky with the weather this spring, every Saturday has been dry and clear and often sunny. Today our luck changed. The forecast was for dry weather late morning, so we headed for the hills but as we climbed, we reached the clouds.

It was dry until lunchtime a fierce wind was blowing. Lunch was in an abandoned quarry where there were a few comments about the sheep poo scattered around – it was difficult to avoid but I can’t say I blame the sheep for taking shelter where they can from the cutting wind. Setting off again the moisture from the clouds dropped as fine rain. The force of the wind was such that those of us that failed to don waterproof trousers were soaked to the skin.

At this point, we were supposed to have glorious views of Pen y Fan and the reservoirs – Pontsticill and Tal y Bont. But we saw nothing except a faint glimmer of sunshine when we hoped the sky was clearing but it closed in again. Still, most of us have memories of previous visits and we can come again!

As we descended into the valley, where it was dry, we soon dried off. On the whole walk there was only one stile, near the Pontsticill reservoir and throughout the walk we could hear skylarks and spot them soaring despite the weather.

The Barn tearoom supplied us with cups of tea ice-cream, chocolate cake and several scones; they were scrummy, and we deserved it after the wetting we’d had.

Walk 7.7m 1100ft Map OL12

“Real Americans ” by Rachel Khong

OFF THE SHELF

“Real Americans ” by Rachel Khong

We thoroughly enjoyed Real Americans. We were especially drawn to the novel’s multi-generational structure and the thoughtful exploration of identity, heritage, and the American experience. The characters, particularly Lily and Nick, felt well-developed and relatable.

May (also known as Mei) revealed how her past decisions shaped the lives of her daughter and grandson. Through her experiences, we were invited to consider how the pursuit of progress and the desire to escape one’s past can impact future generations. Only by reading the final phase of Real Americans does one fully understand the emotional weight carried by Lily – how being denied both her true genetic identity and meaningful parental love left her feeling incomplete, possibly too damaged to experience a normal, loving relationship. This added a poignant dimension to her character and deepened our appreciation of the novel’s emotional complexity.

These themes around family legacy and scientific ethics sparked deep discussion in our group. However, we did find some elements of the plot implausible – especially the connection between May and Matt’s father. While we understood the thematic intention behind this link, it felt a bit too coincidental and took us out of the story at times.

Still, the novel provided plenty of material for reflection and conversation, making it a strong choice for us – and we gave it a score of 8/10.

All This Sunshine!! It Makes You Think.

WENVOE FORUM

Considering Tomorrow Today

All This Sunshine!! It Makes You Think.

Have you seen leaflets like this recently dropping through letterboxes in Wenvoe. They are primarily about installing solar panels and batteries. Is yours maybe, hanging around waiting to be read properly or did you sign up immediately to the scheme. Don’t worry, it’s not a scam, at least I don’t think it’s a scam, it is all part of the attempt to make the UK “Carbon Zero” by 2050. What “Carbon Zero” actually means varies and there is a plethora of terms with slightly different meanings, but the main message is that we need to stop adding carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases to the atmosphere and remove some that is already there changing our climate and putting the way we live on earth at risk.

Local authorities in Wales have been charged with leading the way towards rapidly reducing carbon emissions and the scheme that is described in the leaflets is one of the tactics that is being used. I expect every house received the leaflet and it would be interesting to know what the initial take up is. The first task is to register for this scheme with no commitment to do anything further at this stage, a small dip of the pinkie into the whole business of changing the energy economy. So far so good and I’ve done that bit. By making it easier, and potentially cheaper through joining the scheme the aim is to encourage householders to invest in the future and step onto the path towards carbon zero. There is also an element of raising awareness, the first time you see such a scheme you may think “Very good but money is a bit tight just now” but it has crept on to your to do list and you may be more receptive next time. I’m an example of this. I’ve wanted to explore solar panels for my house for a while but needing to find a reliable supplier in a newish market is off-putting. This scheme offers local authority vetted suppliers.

The scheme seems to be based partly on the idea of economy of scale, by collecting together customers in a geographical area, companies carrying out the work are expected to be able to deliver more cheaply. Now it seems to me that such a scheme could work very well where there are rows of houses that are similar, as they are in the photo on the leaflet. Roofs facing in the same direction and all the same size will only need one set of planning calculations for several houses, a set of customers that could be described as “low hanging fruit”. However, look around Wenvoe, mostly the house next door is different, a lot of houses have several small bits of roof pointing in different directions many of which are too small for a straightforward array of solar panels.

Whilst any progress toward carbon reduction will be very welcome, I fear that this particular scheme won’t work as well for us as it might elsewhere.

I was very aware that in answering the questions to register with the Solar Together scheme, the information I was giving would be insufficient for any supplier to genuinely provide an estimate of the cost. I will be bearing that in mind when the next phase of the scheme kicks in.

However, it has crossed my mind that if, as I suspect, my house will need its own specially tailored survey and provision, which will be more expensive, there may still be an opportunity to achieve some benefit from economies of scale for solar energy scheme providers through joining together in a community collective purchase arrangement. Is anyone interested? Please e-mail gwenfo.forum@gmail.com if you are and we’ll see where it takes us.

To join our Facebook group, please ‘friend up’ with the GwenFo account @ https://www.facebook.com/gwen.fo.1 and then jon the Wenvoe Forum @ https://www.facebook.com/groups/635369267864402

Some further information and updates, blog site https://wenvoeforum.wordpress.com/. Any Wenvoe community member is welcome to join the Forum meetings, via Zoom, which are normally held 19.00 on the second Thursday of each month. E-mail gwen-fo.forum@gmail.com if you wish to join

Brecon & Llanthony Priory

Brecon 

This was a delightful walk, we parked north of Brecon and took a footpath through the cathedral grounds. The mixed woodland (oak, beech, hazel and alder trees) of Priory Groves borders the river Honddu, and is about a mile long. Birds sang, the river tinkled, the scent of bluebells hung in the air and the sun shone through the branches as we strode along, heavenly.

We emerged into open farmland where the Pen y Fan range came into view dominating the skyline. Heifers showed interest in us and a local farmer drove towards us apparently to check that the two dogs were under control. Unsurprising, as the next field had a bull and cows with their calves. As we travelled northwest a few footpaths proved a challenge but the many spring lambs in varying shades were entertaining and the views fabulous. At the northernmost point of the walk a missing footbridge across the river Honddu forced us to retrace about 1 kilometre to take an alternative route. So, we stopped for lunch on the edge of a field trying to avoid nettles and thorns as we sat.

We took a road west until we were beside the iron age, Pen-y-crug fort, where we climbed a footpath to the top of the fort. We had superb 360o views of Pen y Fan and other hills of the Brecon Beacons and of Brecon lying to the south-east.

A wide grass path led us down into Brecon near Maen-du well. The dogs paddled in muddy water before a brief foray into a clear stream and the humans looked at the stone building around the well. An excellent day’s walking rounded off with a drink in the sunshine at the pub in Libanus.

Walk 7.25m 1125ft. Map OL12

Llanthony Priory

Another beautiful walk, this time in the Black mountains above Llanthony Priory. As we set off, we realised we were sharing the mountain with a few other people! Lots of cars were parked in a field, with a marquee, a police presence and a ‘Finish

Line’. Longtown Mountain Rescue were holding their annual fund raiser with 850 participants! As we climbed, we saw few people, as luckily, our route differed from the event.

Our surroundings were a pastoral idyll, with lush grass, trees in full leaf and ewes with their lambs. The climb was demanding, and we all took breaks to look at the tiny people and vehicles below and to gaze at the beautiful valleys and hills around us. The call of a cuckoo echoed up the valley and we were all reminded of days gone by when we regularly heard it. The Mountain Rescue helicopter flew up and down the Ewyas valley doing circuits until it eventually landed in a field near the priory just as we reached the ridge of the mountain and Offa’s Dyke path.

We were doing our route anticlockwise, and the event participants were going in the opposite direction. We reckoned they were walking further than us and gave way whenever necessary. There was a feeling of spaciousness along the ridge as the Black Mountains spread away from us. This area is spectacularly beautiful, and we enjoyed superb views with a light breeze and sunshine all day long.

As we turned to start our descent, we looked for a moment at the cairn where we had laid a stone in memory of a fellow walker. It was lunchtime and we took ourselves a good distance off the main path to relax. Everyone started to divert off the path towards us, obviously assuming we were part of the event, even though there was no visible path. One woman asked, ‘Is that real?’ referring to a white horse that was stood stationary behind us, staring at the people. Perhaps she was from Milton Keynes?

Hang gliders took off from the mountain opposite and rode the thermals to come over Offa’s Dyke. We joked that maybe they could give us a lift down the mountain. Now we had a steep descent, the path was clear as bracken had been cut back. Stone markers pointed us to Capel y Ffin as we descended and hawthorn trees heavy with white blossom dotted the hillside, but I had to keep my eye on the path or risk vertigo.

Arriving at the road that runs along the Vale of Ewyas we discovered that the road to Capel y Ffin was closed to all but walkers due to a landslide. We headed towards Llanthony enjoying the warm afternoon and the beauty of the valley.

Jams were inevitable as Llanthony traffic met other vehicles on the narrow road, but we had a cunning plan and headed for the Crown at Pantygelli where the refreshments were excellent.

Walk 7.3m 1300ft. Map OL13

Happy Mayday

WENVOE FORUM

Considering Tomorrow Today

HAPPY MAYDAY

This time of year does seem to be a time for looking forward. Spring, in this part of the world, is definitely here; the trees are well greened up , plants poking their heads up and I am pleased to say the hops in my garden have started their vigorous growth and are looking good and worth a photo even if you can’t see the bright green leaves and dramatic red stalks. It’s a time of year when most days I go out and “persuade” them to wind themselves around the hop twine so that they grow where I want them to, not where they want to go. Fortunately, once they’ve got the idea it’s not a daily task. Sian tells me we now have 17 hop growers in the village signed up to giving their hops to make the beer known as Taff Temptress; the 2024 brew was exceptionally fine. So here we are again looking forward.

In the Islands of Britain, Mayday or Calan Mai or Beltane was the marking of life becoming a little easier for a while. The cows for example were turned out to graze with less work for the farmer. It is a time of traditional celebrations, many of which are now sadly disappearing. You may still come across a Morris Side, who dance in the dawn of Mayday, beer in hand, if you happen to be up and about at 5am! More seldom still do you come across a May Queen or children dancing round the maypole on a sunny afternoon. However as old traditions fade new ones arise and we look forward to the Tuckers Plant Sale. This year it’s a special VE day celebration marking 80 years since Victory in Europe and the thankful celebrations and hope for a peaceful future.

It has always been the Wenvoe Forum’s ambition to get the community to think about the future and the impact that each of our actions has on the future. We have been involved in a few initiatives that have tried to get people thinking and we have supported others to take positive action and run a few small projects and activities ourselves. What we have been less successful in is drawing new members and new voices into the forum. We hope to address that now with a new little project “Wenvoe Wonderings” (or maybe we’ll find a better name). This is to be a podcast of Wenvoe voices. The idea is to hear from people of all sorts chatting about matters of interest or importance to them. One of the farmers might talk about the changes they have seen over the last 30 years and the plans for future change. A recently arrived family might talk about the difficulties of starting a new school. Longstanding residents who no longer live in the village might let us know what they feel they have lost and gained from moving elsewhere. Each podcast would be 20-25 minutes.

If you would like to help with creating the PodCast, learn about informal interviewing, recording and editing sound files, and especially if you already have those skills, please let us know e.mail gwenfo.forum@gmail.com. OR if you have something you would like to say to everyone else in the village then similarly, please e-mail. I look forward to hearing from you

To join our Facebook group, please ‘friend up’ with the GwenFo account @ https://www.facebook.com/gwen.fo.1 and then jon the Wenvoe Forum @ https://www.facebook.com/groups/635369267864402

Some further information and updates, blog site https://wenvoeforum.wordpress.com/. Any Wenvoe community member is welcome to join the Forum meetings, via Zoom, which are normally held 19.00 on the second Thursday of each month. E-mail gwen-fo.forum@gmail.com if you wish to join

“Frank and Red ” by Matt Coyne

OFF THE SHELF

“Frank and Red ” by Matt Coyne

Our book club absolutely loved ‘Frank and Red’! It quickly became a favourite for many of us – with one member even saying it’s now one of their all-time top reads. We were all swept up by the imagination and humour that runs through the story and touched by its emotional depth.

The book is a heart-warming, often laugh-out-loud tale of an unlikely friendship between grumpy, reclusive Frank and kind-hearted young Red. Red is such a beautifully drawn character—curious, caring, and completely unforgettable. His warmth shines through and helps draw out empathy and change in everyone around him. Watching the characters slowly develop and open up was one of the most rewarding parts of the read.

We loved how the story made us both laugh and cry. It’s rare to find a book that delivers such humour while also tugging at the heartstrings. One member said: “It was one of the best books I’ve ever read – I’m recommending it to everyone!”

While a few of us found the ending a little far-fetched, it didn’t take away from the overall magic and joy of the book. It left us feeling uplifted, hopeful, and grateful for the small connections that can make a big difference.

A touching, funny, and imaginative story about empathy, friendship, and finding light in unexpected places. A solid 9/10 from our group – and one we’ll be recommending for a long time!

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