Category: General Interest Articles

Articles of general interest on no particular subject

International Women’s Day

International Women’s Day

It was recently International Women’s Day, so Happy International Women’s Day!

I have always been surrounded by incredible women. Between my Mam championing STEM and balancing a full-time career with twins, to my aunt who has raised my three cousins solo since they were young and doing so whilst starting her own business, to all of my cousins who are clever and brave and beautiful. To another aunt who, as a nurse, has spent Christmas Days caring for others, and another aunt who spends her life making everyone’s lives better by being attentive and caring.

To my Nana, whose life was spent supporting and caring for my dad and his siblings and attempting to better their lives and my Mamgu, who was a teacher and has travelled the world and who is always there to brighten my day with her stories. To my friends, old and new, who show me every day that the future truly is female.

I will always be surrounded by incredible women. Because I’m lucky enough to not only have role models within my own family, but also within popular culture. Between Greta Thunberg and Malala Yousufzai, Serena Williams and Taylor Swift, Stacey Dooley and Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka there are plenty of women to look up to.

I’m glad I have these role models. They’ve made me a better person. I’m keeping myself informed on important matters and I’m learning how to improve myself each day. I’m not perfect and I still find it hard to ask for help when I need it, but having the support of the amazing women around me and being able to look to these role models allows me to look to them for guidance and ways of improving myself.

I see the young women around me, and I have hope for the future. They are witty and bright and have the power to change the world if they want to. From my friends hoping to be doctors and save people, to those who want to pursue a career in teaching so that they can shape young minds. To my friends who want to be translators or writers or bankers or actors. To my friends who, like me, are pursuing a career in journalism and hope to change the world through the press and media.

They have the world at their fingertips, and I cannot wait to see them reach their full potential.

International Women’s Day is never about bashing men. It’s about celebrating the women who are often left in the shadows and don’t make it to the history books. It’s about celebrating the women who have survived domestic abuse and supporting their journey. It’s about remembering the young girls who are married before they even start their period; the ones who deserve change because they deserve better lives. It’s about remembering the women who have shaped the world without the world even knowing. It’s about celebrating the women who live with conditions like endometriosis and polycystic ovarian syndrome but remembering that often, their pains weren’t believed. It’s about remembering that most women aren’t believed when they report sexual assault. It’s about encouraging the new generation of women to break through glass ceilings and showing them, they have the power to do so.

Regardless of whether you were born a woman, if that is how you identify you deserve to have people use the correct pronouns and treat you with respect. Regardless of whether you are able to reproduce or whether complications mean it might never be possible or whether you never want children, you deserve to have your value seen as more than just your womb. Regardless of the colour of your skin, you deserve the same rights as anyone else. Regardless of any disability, you deserve to be treated with respect.

Being a woman can be hard. Between inequality and periods and misogyny, it’s a tough world. But women need to support women. Men need to support women and women need to support men, too. Everyone needs to support everyone. Imagine how much of a better place the world would be if we all supported one another in achieving our goals, instead of building up barriers and causing roadblocks.

Regardless of your gender, you have a right to equal pay and equal opportunity.

By Tirion Davies

 

 

NHS-Funded Minor Eye Conditions Clinic Opens

NHS-Funded Minor Eye Conditions Clinic

First for Barry as new NHS-funded minor eye conditions clinic opens.

People with urgent eye problems across the Vale of Glamorgan are now able to receive a free NHS assessment by a local optometrist thanks to a new service based in Barry.

Patients with problems such as eye infections, minor eye injuries or sudden loss of vision will be among those who’ll benefit from the new clinic being run by Vale Eyecare.

Anyone with an acute problem with their eye or vision can be seen at the NHS funded clinic, which is based at Highlight Park Medical Practice on Lakin Drive, behind the Tesco Superstore. The new clinic is part of the Wales Eye Care Service (WECS), a scheme created to relieve the pressure on GPs and A&E departments.

Optometrist Tanya McNabb believes her new clinic is the first of its kind locally, where an optometrist provides only clinical care and doesn’t sell glasses.

She said: ‘Hundreds of GP appointments and A&E visits across the country are taken up every year for eye-related problems that could be assessed by a community optometrist, so I’m delighted to be able to offer this NHS-funded service to local people.’

‘Optometrists have the skills and equipment to ensure that patients are quickly assessed and treated or referred to the hospital if there is a more serious problem. Our clinic is dedicated to providing this service and for convenience has plenty of availability for a same-day assessment. We also have good transport links and a large free car park so we are hopeful that we can help reduce pressure on our local GPs and hospital.’

Patients can self-refer and simply call to book an appointment or can be referred to Vale Eyecare by their GP, pharmacist, health visitor or school nurse.

Other conditions the clinic can help with include painful eyes, foreign bodies in the eye, sudden changes in vision or new onset visual disturbances such as flashes, floaters or double vision.

The service is initially being offered Monday to Friday 9am to 1pm at Highlight Park Medical Practice on Lakin Drive in Barry. To book a free appointment, call 01446 484114

 

 

The Story Of A Steak Sandwich

The Story Of A Steak Sandwich

It had been another long hot day in central Africa, and I was driving a fast RIB – a rigid inflatable boat – down the river Congo at full speed. We were flying across the water, but I was steering carefully between the floating clumps of water hyacinth as we headed downstream to the capital city of Kinshasa.

We had started early, and I had loaded extra cans of petrol on board as it was a long push from our campsite at the side of the river to reach Kinshasa, but the leader of our expedition needed to be there as soon as possible. There were three of us in the small boat and the floor was literally covered in petrol cans. The cool of the morning soon warmed by the inevitable sun and by mid-morning it was baking hot. The metal petrol cans were too hot to touch, but thankfully the Mercury outboard was pushing us along at about 30 knots, so the rushing air was keeping us reasonably cool.

The first few hours saw us speeding along the calm river. Waves or rapids would have slowed us down but here the river was running deep and the surface was flat. The banks here were jungle and the trees really came down into the water, I am not sure if they were all mangrove trees but there are three types of mangrove and we probably passed them all. It was the same on both sides of the river which in this area was a couple of hundred metres wide. We were making good time.

We drank from our water bottles as we didn’t really have time to stop and make a brew of tea. It would have taken too long to gather the wood to make the fire to boil the water. The problem with our water is that it came from the river and it was best to strain it in a muslin filter to take out the animal and vegetable matter that was present. There were about 20 grains of foreign matter in each litre of water. So we strained the water and then put it in our water bottles along with chlorination tablets to purify it and kill any germs. The good news was that the water was now palatable, but the bad news was that it was like drinking disinfectant. But we needed to drink in that heat to stay well.

Our eyes were always sweeping ahead, partly to avoid hitting an object in the river and partly to see if we could catch sight of any wildlife on the banks such as hippos or monkeys in the trees. At the same time, we would look for landmarks to try and pinpoint our position. About the time we felt we were nearing the city we began to see some high-rise buildings poking out on the horizon above the great moabi, iroko, ebony and mahogany trees that formed the jungle canopy.

After another thirty minutes, we came upon the long dirty brown wharves where wood, palm oil and vegetables were unloaded from the river barges. Then further on we saw the manicured bright green lawns of what turned out to be a smart yacht club, with many small and larger boats bobbing on their moorings. Above the lawns was a single storey clubhouse neatly painted and with bright flags flying from an impressively tall flagpole. This seemed to be a sensible place to tie up and find a vehicle to take us into the city and to the British Embassy who were expecting us.

It was about midday and we had been on the river for over four hours and I was starving. Breakfast had been a rotten plastic mug of tea and some dried biscuits and I was looking forward to grabbing a bite to eat wherever we could. Having secured the boat, we walked up to the Clubhouse and were rather conscious of our scruffy appearance in soiled and sweaty shirts and petrol stained cotton trousers below which were wet boots dripping with river water. We must have looked an odd and unusual sight to the kindly barman who stood on the veranda as we approached. He was a Congolese man of about forty who spoke fluent French and was dressed in smart dark trousers with a white jacket, white shirt and bow tie. I briefly explained who we were in my stumbling French as he ushered us through the doors of Kinshasa Yacht Club into the bar area. Coming in from the strong sunlight my eyes adjusted to take in the fine carpet and comfortable looking armchairs around us but more exciting was the bar promising cold drinks and possibly food? I asked, with some trepidation, if there was anything we could eat for lunch to which I heard the immortal reply “Would sir like a steak sandwich?”. As the barman called the order to the chef in the adjacent kitchen, he poured the first chilled larger into a frosted glass and I was at the gates of heaven. The succulent steak sandwich soon arrived – a tender piece of sirloin steak in a fresh baguette. It was delicious and how hard it was to eat slowly. In no time at all the glass was dry and the taxi was waiting to take us to the Embassy – the spell was broken.

Kindly contributed by a Wenvoe resident

 

 

What Colour Analysis is All About

I often get asked what Colour Analysis is all about, what does it involve and what really are the benefits to me getting my colours done. So get yourself a cup of tea and enjoy:

♠ What is colour analysis? – In a nutshell it’s an in-depth three stage process that identifies the perfect pallet of colours that complement your hair, skin and eye colouring the most.

♠  Can I analyse myself online? – There are compa-nies that claim to do this. However it’s very difficult to achieve this accurately without the perfect lighting, having drapes in 135 colours and someone who has a trained eye for colour analysis.

♠ Y Why have your colours done? – Once you know the colours that suit you you will receive a swatch wallet containing examples of 42 colours to use when shopping. Once you have this you will know instant-ly whether or not an item of clothing or make-up is going to work well with your colouring saving you time when shopping and also money as you won’t make mistakes. When you wear colours that suit you you will look brighter, more radiant, healthier and younger. Wearing the wrong colours can be draining, change your skin tone, clash with your hair colour and age you. Ultimately wearing colours that you look great wearing will make you feel happy!

♠  What happens during a colour consultation? – You will learn about the concept and theory of colour analysis and how the tone, depth and clarity of your features look great with some colours and not so good with others. I will take you through the 3-stage process to identify all your perfect colours. There are 24 different combinations so your pallet will be very unique to you. You’ll discover your really “wow” colours which always give me goose bumps and learn how to introduce your new colours into your ward-robe and your life. I will also show you a personalised pallet of make-up colours so you can see how your whole look pulls together.

♠  Where do I go to have my colours done? – I have a style studio based in Wenvoe with the perfect lighting for analysing colours.

♠ How long does it take? Usually between 2 and 2½hours.

♠  How much does it cost? – £125 which includes your personalised swatch wallet and a make-up tutorial.

♠  How long will I benefit from it? -A lifetime unless you change your hair colour dramatically or your hair and skin colour has aged naturally since you last had it done.

Get in touch to book your colour analysis now, you’ll wish you did it years ago! Nicole Griffiths, Colour and Makeup Consultant

 

 

Bridgend POW Camp – 75 Years

BRIDGEND POW CAMP MARKS 75 YEARS
SINCE GREAT WELSH ESCAPE

 

It’s 75 years since the ‘Welsh Great Escape’ from the Island Farm prisoner of war camp near Bridgend. On the night of 10 to 11 March 1945, the largest German P.O.W. escape attempt in the UK took place and The Hut 9 Preservation Group are marking the occasion by staging a special open week-end event on Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th of March.

Originally built as a hostel for female workers employed at a local munitions factory, the buildings were later used to house American troops in the lead up to D Day in June 1944. The camp then proved an ideal location for the many German POWs captured by the allies during 1944-5.

 

The prefabricated concrete huts surrounded by open fields were considered ideal, although the barracks had to be converted and barbed wire fences erected. The camp eventually held more than 2,000 prison-ers. The first POWs were a mixture of Italian and German troops, but the War Office soon decided that the camp was too comfortable for enlisted men and 160 German officers, including generals, admirals and field marshals were held there. Some were among Hitler’s closest advisers. Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt for example, had been commander in chief of the German armies in Western Europe in 1940. Reflecting his status, von Rundstedt received certain privileges at the camp, including his own private suite, consisting of a sitting room and bedroom. Rundstedt returned to Bridgend after appearing as a defence witness at the Nuremberg trials. Deemed unfit for prosecution due to poor health, he was released in 1948 and died in 1953 in Hanover.

 

Gerd von Rundstedt is pictured (left) being given a ‘VIP’-style greeting at Bridgend Station.

Above – one of many paintings completed by German POWs while at the camp.

Soon after their arrival at Island Farm the POWs began escape efforts and on 10 March 1945, 70 prisoners escaped through a tunnel dug from Hut Nine. The tunnel was about 30 feet (9.1 m) long and breached the perimeter fence. Some of the techniques used by the inmates were ingenious and not too dissimilar to those in the war film ‘The Great Escape’ about Allied POWs. Excavating the tunnels was not easy because of the heavy clay soil. Cans, meat tins, and even knives from the can-teen were used as digging implements. Prisoners carried the soil outside in their pockets while oth-ers kneaded clay into balls and dropped them through a hole in a false wall they had constructed. To support the tunnel roof, oak benches were stolen from the canteen and bed legs were cut down when supplies of wood were depleted. A ventilation pipeline was made from condensed milk tins; air was forced through by a hand-operated fan. The tunnel even had its own electric lights, tapped off the mains supply. Noise was concealed by chorus singing.

The escapees were divided into groups, each of which was equipped with fake identity papers, a map, homemade compass, and food. At around 10pm on March 10, the prisoners made their move; a few stole the local doctor’s car and got as far as Birmingham and another group got as far as Southampton. However it seems that all the escapees were eventually recaptured,

If you would like to visit the camp, see the Hut 9 website: http://www.hut9.org.uk/

 

 

Did Anyone Ever Escape From Alcatraz

Did Anyone Ever Escape From Alcatraz

In the movie entitled “Escape from Alcatraz” starring actor Clint Eastwood, Frank Morris was portrayed as the keen and brilliant mastermind of one of the most famous prison escapes in history. The FBI and American authorities’ official version is that the plan failed, the prisoners drowned and no-one ever escaped from ‘The Rock’.

Frank Lee Morris had spent a lifetime in the prison system before his arrival on Alcatraz, mostly for armed robbery. Morris was credited by prison officials as possessing superior intelligence, and he had a reputation for brilliant escapes. This was why he was put on The Rock in January 1960. John and Clarence Anglin were also clever escapers.

The plan was extremely complex and involved the design and fabrication of ingenious lifelike dummies, water rafts, and life preservers, fashioned from over fifty rain coats that had been acquired from other inmates – some donated and some stolen. They would also require a variety of crudely made tools to dig with, and to construct the accessories necessary for the escape. By May of 1962, Morris and the Anglins had already dug through the cell’s six-by-nine-inch vent holes, and had started work on the vent on top of the cellblock.

The inmates alternated shifts, with one working and one on lookout. They would start work at 5:30pm and continue till about 9:00pm, just prior to the lights-out count. Meanwhile, John and Clarence started fabricating the dummy heads, and even gave them the pet names of “Oink” and “Oscar.” The heads were crude but lifelike, and were constructed from a homemade cement-powder mixture that included such innocuous materials as soap and toilet paper. They were decorated with flesh-tone paint from prison art kits, and human hair from the barbershop.

Using glue stolen from the glove shop, the inmates also started working to cut and bond the raincoats into a makeshift raft and life preservers. Each evening, following the completion of their self-imposed work detail, they would hide the materials on top of the cellblock to minimize any chance of being caught with the contraband materials.

After months of long preparation, the inmates were ready. Immediately after lights-out at 9:30pm, the inmates made their final thirty-foot climb up the plumbing to the cell house roof, crossed 100 feet across the rooftop, and then carefully manoeuvred down fifty feet of piping to the ground near the entrance to the shower area. This would be the last

anyone ever saw of Morris and the Anglin Brothers.

In a later interview, prisoner Allen West said that their plan had been to use their raft to make their way to nearby Angel Island. After resting, they would swim to the mainland. They would steal a car, take clothes from a store, and then venture out in their own separate directions.

For decades speculation abounded as to whether this famous escape attempt had been successful. The FBI spent several years investigating, and later resolved that the inmates’ plan had failed.

The FBI said:

  • The men had neither friends nor relatives with the financial resources to come to San Francisco and assist in the escape e.g. buying a boat.
  • There would have been no way to communicate with outside contacts in order to confirm the date of the break.
  • The Bay waters were too cold and dangerous for anyone to survive.
  • Relatives were watched and the men didn’t contact them.

 

People who believe they escaped say:

  • The men planned it all on their own and didn’t need help.
  • They had made proper life rafts and equipment.
  • The FBI wanted everyone to think they were dead.

 

 

Tanzania Expedition – Jacob Morgan

Tanzania Expedition – Jacob Morgan

I just wanted to say a massive thank you to everyone in the village who supported me in fundraising for Tanzania. I will be leaving very soon, on February 10th, for my 10 week expedition and I am very excited.

The picture below is of me at the top of Pen Y Fan, after completing it 5 times in one day back in November.

This fundraiser along with the quiz and raffle night held at the pub received huge support from so many of you, and I am very grateful. I am extremely proud to be able to say that the fundraising target of £3,450 for Raleigh International was reached, which is truly amazing. A total of £1,265 of that was raised by you, the generous people of Wenvoe.

So once again I would like to thank all of you for the lovely messages and support I received. It really means a lot to me. I look forward to telling you all about my trip when I am back in the summer.

 

 

Happy New Year everyone!

Happy New Year everyone!

Since getting back into the flow of uni work, I’ve come to realise recently that just maybe some of my work-life balances aren’t as healthy as they probably should be.

These days, I wouldn’t dare submit an essay the day it’s due – I’m too worried something will go wrong and it won’t make it in. For some reason, I need for my essays to be submitted the night before it’s due (at the latest). For me, it’s a comfort to see it’s actually gone through and I still have a little time to change anything if need be.

You’d think submitting an essay two days before it’s due would be a relief – it is, but I still worry the link’s been lost or I’ve forgotten to add something and time after time I’ve resubmitted an essay three or four times because there’s just one more thing I think it needs.

I bet my parents are rejoicing (to an extent) when I tell them sometimes – my first year of GCSE saw me doing the bare minimum. I think part of it is me realising that the bare minimum for me is disappointing; it makes me guilty, because I know I’m better than that.

If I haven’t learnt my flashcards to the dot the day of the exam, I’m scared I’ll fail. My best isn’t always phenomenal, but I feel worse if I do badly and I hadn’t tried my hardest. Maybe it’s because I know that if my results are less than stellar, there’s no way anyone can tell me it’s because I didn’t try hard enough. It’s still gutting but at least I have the peace of mind that maybe I just can’t necessarily do that particular subject.

I think I have quite low standards for myself, too. It’s laughable how excited I get when I get good feedback on some work. I wrote the beginning of a script for this year’s module at the start of the year, and I still can’t stop fixating on the positive feedback. I’ve always been the kind of person who feels boosted by positive feedback. I’m petty enough that part of me wants to do better than the teacher thinks I can do sometimes (ahem, see History A Level Vietnam War coursework) but generally speaking, I can feel deflated if my feedback has no positives.

I guess part of me thinks I have something to prove. I’m studying for a degree in subjects I should excel at; I get worried when I don’t do as well as I’d like to.

It’s hard I suppose to fall out of old habits sometimes, even if they’re not as healthy as they should be. I don’t think I’ll ever be the kind of person who doesn’t need to check everything twice before submitting, which to some extent is a good thing – just maybe not when it’s quite so neurotic.

But maybe this next decade needs to be different. I’d like to learn to be (a little) more carefree with my attitudes to work. I don’t think submitting my essays a few days in advance is a problem, but I should definitely learn to be more conscious that as long as I’ve checked it to the best of my ability before submitting it, that it doesn’t need any more work.

I’d like to learn to be calmer when it comes to exams. There’s nothing I can do to change the outcome the second I leave the exam hall – whatever happens, happens. Funnily enough, the exams last year actually went pretty well (doesn’t mean I didn’t think about them throughout the summer). I’d like to learn to leave my worries on the exam hall floor.

I’d like to learn to see the positives of my work. To be able to say ‘Okay, this bit wasn’t perfect, but that’s fine’. I’d like to learn that perfect shouldn’t have to be the operative word every time. I’d like to incorporate more positive attitudes to my work. Perfect isn’t always necessary; I think for me, it’s probably too much to have to think of everything as perfect every time. I’d like to learn to look at my work and not be consumed by the negatives.

I feel like a hypocrite sometimes when I’ve said to others that they should be careful to balance their work-life time effectively, when I know I’m not necessarily doing the same. The title of this column could be considered an example of said hypocrisy.

Should probably start taking my own advice, soon.

Despite what I’d like to learn, one thing I have learned the past few months is that it’s okay for me to leave university with a 2:1 if it means I’m okay. A First Class, and that craved perfection isn’t worth risking my mental health.

As we head into 2020 and this next decade, I need to remember that my mental health is more important than being perfect.

By Tirion Davies

 

 

Are You Making A New Year’s Resolution?

Are You Making A New Year’s Resolution?

The tradition of New Year’s Resolutions has a long history, with people from many cultures across the globe making promises at the start of each year. Babylonians made promises to their gods that they would return borrowed objects and pay their debts. The Romans began each year by making promises to the god Janus, for whom the month of January is named. In the medieval era, the knights took the “peacock vow” at the end of the Christmas season to re-affirm their commitment to chivalry.

If you are thinking of joining in, here are some ideas based on the top 10 most common New Year’s Resolutions:

  • Exercise More
  • Lose Weight
  • Get organised
  • Learn a new skill or hobby
  • Live life to the fullest
  • Save more money
  • Quit smoking or drink less
  • Spend more time with family/friends.

 

If you need more inspiration for this year, how about this advice from Billy Connolly ‘Before you judge a man, walk a mile in his shoes. After that, who cares … He’s a mile away and you’ve got his shoes.’

Interestingly, your enthusiasm for New Year’s resolutions may depend on your age. Recent research suggests young Brits are by far the most likely to make them, with more than a third of 18 to 24 year olds intending to do so, while only 15% of those over 65 will bother. On the plus side research shows that Americans are more likely to give up on their resolutions than we are.

So how likely are you to be successful with your resolutions?

A study of 3,000 people by Richard Wiseman from the University of Bristol showed that 88% of those who set New Year resolutions fail! People apparently have more success with small and measurable goals like ‘lose a certain amount of weight in a week’ rather than a more general resolution to lose weight. Pauline Wallin, PhD, psychologist and author of ‘Taming Your Inner Brat’ advises people to develop a realistic plan, build in imperfections and focus on small victories along the way. But beware! Recent research has discovered that the second Friday in January is the day when we are most likely to falter. So this year if you do make a New Year’s Resolution be wary of ‘Quitter’s Day’ Friday 10th January

 

 

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