Category: General Interest Articles

Articles of general interest on no particular subject

Wenvoe’s Part In The Battle Of Trafalgar

Wenvoe’s Part In The Battle Of Trafalgar

The Battle of Trafalgar (21 October, 1805) is probably Britain’s most famous naval victory. The main facts are well known. The Royal Navy led by Admiral Lord Nelson, aboard HMS Victory, defeated a larger combined French and Spanish fleet under the command of the French Admiral Villeneuve. In what was to prove a key event in the Napoleonic Wars, victory confirmed the naval supremacy Britain had established during the course of the 18th century. Nelson was shot by a French musketeer and died of his wounds. Villeneuve was captured, along with his ship Bucentaure and later attended Nelson’s funeral while a captive on parole in Britain.

What is less known, but of interest to us, is that Frederick Jennings Thomas, originally of Wenvoe, played a significant part in the battle. Frederick was born 19 April 1786, the younger son of Sir John Thomas, fifth baronet of Wenvoe Castle, and his wife, Mary. He entered the navy in March 1799 and by 1803, while serving on the Prince of Wales flagship of Sir Robert Calder, was present during several important naval actions. On 19 September of the same year, he was appointed Acting-Lieutenant of HMS Spartiate, an appointment that led him to the Battle of Trafalgar. During the battle the Spartiate, with Frederick playing a key role, forced the surrender of the 80 gun Spanish ship Neptuno. The Spartiate was damaged in the fierce fighting, but there were only three killed (two seamen & one boy) and twenty wounded.

Until 1814, Frederick served on the Spartiate and other ships in the Mediterranean, finally commanding the San Juan, flagship of Rear-Admiral Linzee at Gibraltar. The San Juan had been captured by the Royal Navy at Trafalgar following a heroic fight led by its commander, Don Cosme Churruca. During the battle, Churruca had ordered the Spanish flag to be nailed to the highest mast, as a way to tell everyone involved not to expect an easy surrender. With a decimated crew, and despite being mortally wounded as a result of having a leg torn off by a cannonball, Churruca refused to submit. Even following their Commander’s death, his officers kept their word. It was the last one alive who finally yielded, to save the ship and lives of the crew. In recognition of Churruca’s courage, the commander’s cabin on the San Juan was given a brass plate in his honour. All who entered it, including Frederick, were required to remove their hats as a mark of respect for a gallant enemy.

Frederick Jennings Thomas retired from active service in 1814 settling down to family life. He stayed in the public eye, writing on naval matters and even inventing a lifeboat with three keels, so designed to prevent capsizing. It also seems that he was the first person to propose a pier at Brighton. Having accepted the retired rank of Rear-Admiral, Frederick died near Southampton, on 19 December 1855.

 

 

 

Men and Mental Health

The Man by Tirion Davies

40% of men won’t talk to anyone about their mental health.

In a 2018 study by Priory, 40% of men polled stated it would take thoughts of suicide or self-harm to compel them to seek professional help. Almost a quarter of respondents stated they would feel uncomfortable speaking to their GP or a psychiatrist as they believed their concerns would be a waste of time. 77% of respondents in the study stated they have suffered with anxiety, depression and stress.

According to a 2017 article by Mind, suicide rates are higher in Wales than in the rest of the United Kingdom. In 2017, 5,821 suicides were recorded in Great Britain, of these 75% were males. Suicide represents the largest cause of death for men under the age of 50. Higher rates of suicide are also found in minority communities including gay men, war veterans, and those with low incomes. A particularly vulnerable group to death by suicide are middle-aged men from lower socio-economic backgrounds.

We live in a world filled with toxic masculinity. A world where stereotypes are still forced upon men and women. Stereotypes which can be incredibly damaging.

Earlier this year, I responded to an advert by the razor brand Gilette. The advertisement included men stopping other men from inappropriate behaviours and keeping men accountable for questionable actions. The advertisement garnered such a response online and highlighted the issue toxic masculinity faces on men within our society.

And yet, countless men took to online social media platforms to argue their disgust in the ad, claiming it tarnished all men and masculinity as bad.

But that’s part of the problem. The advertisement was made in an attempt to discuss the toxicity the ‘masculine’ stereotype can have; the fact that in order to be a ‘man’, you must not cry or be seen as ‘weak’. The advert was in an attempt to hold men accountable for sexual harassment and bullying, and to attempt to redefine ‘masculinity’. Damon Jones, Vice President for Global Communications and Advocacy at Procter & Gamble, stated in a January 2019 Forbes interview,

‘In many ways men are finding themselves at a crossroads – caught between old definitions of what masculinity means and this new era of masculinity. It’s about allowing men space to define masculinity for themselves. We don’t set the standard for what masculinity is, but we do believe we have an opportunity to promote positive, attainable, inclusive, and healthy versions of what it means to be a man’.

Toxic masculinity is an issue which many are still arguing doesn’t exist. But by forcing these outdated stereotypes on men, it causes men to follow

unhealthy habits and makes it harder for them to admit when they need help.

Mind Cymru’s Lee Cambule stated ‘I am still faced with some outdated stereotypes as a man suffering from depression; men as a source of strength, dominating positions of power, the hunter-gatherer, the idea that strong and silent is alluring/attractive, the “show no weakness” bravado of heroes in our media’. He also states that the men who are most revered in our society, like celebrities, are not always ready to admit their struggles to the public because of this ‘toxic masculinity’. Which, as a result, leaves the everyday man even more uncertain about speaking out.

The expression ‘manning up’ is often used to belittle men who show they are struggling with their mental health. Young boys are told to ‘man up’ if they cry about being hurt or when they show signs of struggle at school. Lee Cambule says, ‘that expression is still often used for the wrong reasons, unfortunately. The concept that mental health can be conquered by simple acting more “like a man” is misguided. Depression, anxiety, personality disorders and schizophrenia are no more or less difficult based on whether you have a Y chromosome in your DNA’.

It’s 2019, and yet too many men are struggling with speaking up about their mental health because of this ridiculous idea that they would be deemed less of a man if they admit they are suffering. It’s 2019, and yet too many men are killing themselves because of this refusal to admit that toxic masculinity exists and that it alienates many. It is 2019, and yet the statistics on male suicides seem unlikely to change.

I’m aware that just me telling you that you’re not weak won’t miraculously change the world’s outlook on men’s mental health. But hopefully, if enough people start to say it, more and more men will realise the truth behind those words. Because you are not weak. Admitting you are struggling is incredibly hard to do. If anything, it makes you braver than anyone else to admit that you need some help in feeling yourself again.

It’s time to admit that the masculine stereotype placed on men is outdated. It’s time to admit that seeking help can make you stronger. It’s time to admit your mental health is just as important as everyone else’s.

Being a ‘man’ doesn’t mean you have to suffer in silence. You deserve the right to be happy.

If you need any help, please don’t hesitate to use any of the following links:

https://uk.movember.com/mens-health/we-need-to-talk

Priory: 0800 086 1441

Mind:https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/helplines/

0300 123 3393

Samaritans: 116 123

 

 

A Poem for For Howard Bevan

 

Little Hamston

For Howard Bevan

The surge of green that overruns

the kitchen garden, where it rests

between hawthorn and stone, maroons

the swimming orchard’s sharp harvest.

Green shade, where the last bee drones,

slows the chariot wings, compressed

behind the brazen honeycombs

and Time is stilled, and quiet, blessed.

Welsh slates on the long roof leaden.

Sky curves over dappled gauze.

Nest-filled creepers draw a sudden

blaze of carmine curtains closed.

Though September doors stand open

the parlour flickers, fire on brass.

Flagstones warm, tomatoes ripen

all along the window glass.

The old man sips his evening tipple,

solves another crossword clue,

resting at the oaken table

worn by generations, who

drew their days from crop and stubble,

flock and herd, from morning dew

to twilight’s fall on sty and stable,

Seasons turn and turn anew.

Little Hamston, little jewel

set aside from crowd and noise;

spirit’s strength and soul’s renewal,

all our senseless rush defies.

Good folk, self-sufficient, loyal

follow here their daily lives

In narrow acres, wed to soil,

yet comprehend God’s wider skies.

© Kay Rowe May 2008

 

Kay visited the late Howard Bevan at Little Hamston, a property in Dyffryn, between 1990 and 2008 and wrote this poem about September. Supplied by Pat Read.

 

 

Music Shop History Request

I am embarking on a project to document the history of music and record shops in Cardiff, Barry and Penarth and I would love to have some help from Wenvoe residents. I am hoping to publish a book which will document the hidden history of music and record shops from 1850 to the present day- the first 170 years. Very little has been published on this specific topic locally and I felt it was a subject that deserved more publicity as these shops were/are an important part of many peoples lives.

Over the last 18 months I have uncovered information on 330 (yes 330!) music and records shops in the area. I am hoping that local residents can help me fill in some of the gaps. I am appealing for help in finding out more about the shops and the people who owned/ran, worked in them as well as any reminiscences of being a customer. Any photos or other memorabilia relating to record shops would be great too.

Of course there were many high street stores such as Woolworths, Howells, Morgans, Littlewoods and specialist stores Virgin, HMV and Our Price etc. However I am particularly keen to find out more about some of the small independent shops many of whom did not just sell records and/or musical instruments but stocked bicycles, TV’s, Radios, electrical and other household items. Before 1900 it was quite common for tobacconists to stock sheet music and musical instruments. I have even uncovered a watch maker stocking musical items.

Most people can remember the first record they purchased and where – however embarrassed they now feel about it! – and these stories could also help with my research.

If you have any information you would like to share please let me know. I can be contacted at nigelrbillingham@yahoo.co.uk or 02920 594708. Thanks for your time

 

 

 

Sun Hats And Sun Cream

Sun hats and sun cream were the order of the day as the Carers walk set off around Barry Island on the hottest day of the year, so far.

The walk is an opportunity for carers to get together in a relaxed and friendly environment and have some respite from caring duties. When you’re caring, it can be easy to
feel cut off. On this walk there is no danger of being cut off….by the tide, or otherwise! See you in August, on the last Thursday of the month at 10.30am.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Clutching our maps, proudly wearing our Wenvoe Open Garden stickers and not going very far in the lovely summer sunshine before stopping to say ‘Hello’ to friends and neighbours, we all enjoyed a wonderful afternoon.

The sense of community had been evident since Brian and Sandra Jones suggested Open Gardens in Wenvoe and started carefully planning for the event earlier this year in aid of St Mary’s Church Building Fund. ‘The Village Gardener’ gently encouraged and cajoled, and last week twelve keen gardeners and their families warmly welcomed visitors of all ages.

Here was an opportunity for people to enjoy the diversity of the gardens and to see how the simplest ideas could be effective in a garden of any size. Photographs, written information and personal anecdotes about the history of individual gardens, added another dimension. People were generous with their knowledge about what plants to grow, how water features had been constructed and how to balance the often-eclectic mix of flowers, herbs and vegetables; their modesty about such beautiful gardens and their honesty about the pleasure taken from daily and seasonal care, was an inspiration to the visitors.

Brian and Sandra would like to thank everyone for contributing to the success of Wenvoe Open Gardens. A very special thankyou to the gardeners and their families who opened their gardens to visitors, and to Rachel from St Andrews Road who was the first person to support Brian and Sandra and add her garden to the list. Thank you to Mike Tucker who encouraged all the gardeners, gently soothing some through last minute nerves. By advertising the event in the ‘Barry Gem’, Mike and Glenys also ensured that many visited the village from the Vale of Glamorgan. Thankyou both for this. Carol, the Church Social Committee and the neighbours in St Andrews Road also have a very special thankyou for providing cakes and refreshments in the Church grounds and at 7, St Andrews Road. Both these venues provided a welcome opportunity to take a break and meet up with friends.

Rachel said: ‘It has also been a pleasure to meet the other hosts, especially Brian and Sandra, to share our love of gardening with each other and to make new friends in the village’. Rachel’s daughter pictured here certainly enjoyed helping out and keeping an eye on the lovely cakes that had been kindly donated.

Everyone will be delighted to hear that the contribution to St Mary’s Church Building Fund will be somewhere in the region of £1,500.

 

 

The greatest pleasure for Brian, Sandra and all the gardeners involved, however, was the enjoyment that this well organised event created for so many people.

Congratulations Brian and Sandra on the success of Wenvoe Open Gardens!

 

 

The Ongoing Felling Of Trees

 

It is with great sadness I witness The Ongoing Felling Of Trees in and around our lovely village. When nature itself wields the axe there is little to do but acknowledge the circle of life and the safe removal of the fallen tree that inevitably follows is also a necessity.

However there does seem to be a big appetite to fell or seriously trim back other trees that are standing tall, strong and magnificent. There seem to be innumerable reasons justifying such activity from disease; danger; leaves blocking drains or trees allowing animals to access rooftops. Factor in so called expert opinion of Arborists and those of us who wonder at trees stand little chance of countering any such claims and the trees’ destiny is down to a simple signature on a form authorising destruction.

Hundreds of years of incredibly slow growth gone in an hour; the home to thousands of insects; animals; birds and even other plants gone in a day. Replacement with 10’ saplings is little compensation for the magnificent 200 year old 150’ tall Ash or the 150 year old Horse Chesnut.

At a time when we’re all being urged to fundamentally change our thinking away from exploiting nature to helping to heal its wounds, this ongoing determination to change the wooded skyline of Wenvoe is so sad, irrespective of what rationale you choose to apply…

 

Martin Thomas

 

 

Cofiwch Dryweryn. Please.

Since the vandalism of the ‘Cofiwch Dryweryn’ mural near Aberystwyth earlier this year, I’ve noticed ‘Cofiwch Dryweryn’ signs reminiscent of the original appearing all over Wales – and all over the world, too. It feels like a nation coming together and showing that even if you try to silence us, we will continue to tell our story so that history won’t repeat itself.

But what’s the importance of ‘Cofiwch Dryweryn’?

‘Cofiwch Dryweryn’ means ‘Remember Tryweryn’ in Welsh and is in reference to the drowning of the Welsh village Capel Celyn (the valley was Cwm Tryweryn) in 1965.

During the mid-1950s, it was announced by the Liverpool Daily Post that they intended to flood the village of Capel Celyn in order to use it as a reservoir for Liverpool. The 67 Welsh-speakers living in the village of Capel Celyn were blindsided by the news and were stripped of their choice to save their village.

The Capel Celyn Defence Committee was set up, in addition to the Liverpool branch of the Tryweryn Defence Committee. On November 7th, 1956 the Committee sent representatives, including the president of Plaid Cymru, Gwynfor Evans, to address Liverpool City Council. The three were escorted from the chamber, and Gwynfor Evans was shouted down. They were fighting for a chance to save their village, because an English city deemed many in Wales becoming homeless as a reasonable sacrifice for their water. The only thing is, Liverpool wasn’t the place having to make the sacrifice.

Capel Celyn wasn’t the first time Liverpool had decided they could use Wales to their disposal. Eighty years prior to the drowning of Capel Celyn, Liverpool had used Llanddwyn as a reservoir, later becoming Llyn Llanddwyn as it is today.

In January 1957, Liverpool began its attempts through the parliamentary system. Obtaining authority through an Act of Parliament meant Liverpool City Council managed to avoid the need for consent from Welsh planning authorities. Wales were silenced and refused the right to argue to save Capel Celyn. Wales wouldn’t earn a Senedd for decades, and the lack of devolution in 1957 meant Parliament in England could do what they wanted to Wales. 36 MPs alone were in Parliament on behalf of Wales, but their numbers were too low, and their opposition seemed futile.

Eight years after the fight had begun, the residents of Capel Celyn were forced out as the flooding drew near. Alun Ffred Jones, who was 15 at the time of the flooding said of the opening ceremony for Llyn Celyn, “These people had drowned this village and driven people from their homes, and they were suddenly arriving to have a tea party”. The displeasure shown by the residents of Capel Celyn at the time has been consistent since the drowning in 1965.

The drowning of Capel Celyn is unforgettable because it was almost reminiscent of the treatment by the Welsh people under English rule centuries earlier. By working around giving Wales the opportunity to fight the drowning in any legal way, Liverpool twisted Wales’ arm behind its back and made it obey. The Welsh were second-class citizens following the betrayal of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd in 1282, and the ‘Cofiwch Dryweryn’ mural is so honoured because it reminds Wales that history can repeat itself unless we find a way of fighting back.

The continuous vandalization of the ‘Cofiwch Dryweryn’ mural has incredibly backfired, with many flocking to the site quickly to repaint and later rebuild the wall. A wall behind the original site has since been painted ‘fe godwn ni eto’ (‘we will rise again’). Dozens of ‘Cofiwch Dryweryn’ murals have been appearing all over the world. Through Wales, some in England, even in America and Spain. The resilience of the Welsh people is sensational, and it will forever make me proud to call Cymru my home. ‘Cofiwch Dryweryn’ is a symbol that Wales won’t lie back and accept oppression.

The drowning of the Tryweryn valley in 1965 sparked so much anger throughout Wales that it aided in the revolution and evolution of the Welsh language, to a point where Cardiff Council is now being urged to only open Welsh language schools in the years to come. The fact that Wales was so easily stepped upon caused a want for more power in Wales, and today devolution is an ever-changing improvement in Wales, with powers slowly but surely moving back to where they belong – the Welsh people’s grasps.

‘Cofiwch Dryweryn’ isn’t meant to be a middle-finger to every English person, it’s meant to be a symbol of power to the Welsh people. To remember that we deserve more than the insult that occurred with Capel Celyn. To remember that a fair democracy should mean that Wales earns a voice within Britain, and that next time it’s not overlooked.

Cofiwch Dryweryn. Please.

By Tirion Davies

Queen’s Birthday Honour

Queen’s Birthday Honour for Abi Reader of Goldsland Farm

Many people living in Wenvoe have been talking to the What’s On Team about the worthy MBE honour bestowed upon Abi Reader, in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.

Abi farms with her parents John and Jennifer, and her uncle, Robert, at Goldsland Farm. The MBE recognises Abi’s services to farming.

As well as managing a herd of 180 Holstein Friesian and Dairy Shorthorns, Abi is the vice chairwoman of NFU Cymru’s Dairy Board, Glamorgan NFU Cymru county chairwoman, part of the Welsh Dairy Farm Innovations Group, the Wales TB Eradication Board, Cattle Vaccination Board and an AHDB Dairy Ambassador. She hosts Open Farm Sunday and writes in the Farmers Guardian.

Abi is also recognised for creating ‘Cows on Tour’ and travels around the country with her organisation, educating children and young people about food and farming.

With the added involvement in activities to raise money for the farming charities RABI and the DPJ Foundation, Abi is a worthy recipient of this honour. Congratulations, Abi!

 

 

Wenvoe’s Part In A Game Of Thrones

WENVOE’S PART IN A GAME OF THRONES

As Brexit heralds an uncertain future, it is worth a look back to what was going on in Wenvoe and other Vale villages during the turbulent summers of 1648 and 1649. Following a prolonged period of civil war between King and Parliament, our community was torn apart by the nearby Battle of St Fagans and in 1649 by the shocking trial and execution of King Charles I.


Civil wars are often the bitterest of conflicts dividing family members and friends alike. Ordinary people in Wenvoe however, probably did not understand what the war was about. For centuries they had been loyal to their King and Parliament. Farm labourers and their families in the local community suddenly found themselves on one side or the other. This decision was made for them by their social superiors and landlords, several of whom actually changed sides during the conflict.
The uncertainty and impact of these events must have been frightening. This cartoon from the time ‘The world turn’d upside down: or, A briefe description of the ridiculous fashions of these distracted times’ summed up how people would have felt about the perilous times in which they lived. It was a clever image summing up how ordinary life was undergoing strange and unpredictable change.
Local people had already suffered greatly in the years of conflict before 1648. Officials warned villagers if they didn’t pay wartime taxes they would be subject ‘at your peril of pillaging and plundering, and your houses fired and your persons imprisoned.’ Apart from those conscripted to fight, skilled craftsmen were forced to leave their homes to work for the armies.
The battle itself, in May 1648, involved around 11,000 men. It ended in victory for the well paid, trained and equipped Parliamentarian
forces. The Royalist army, who had hoped to restore Charles I to the throne, was routed. Many men from surrounding villages were ‘volunteered’ to join the Royalist army and bring their homemade weapons such as Welsh bills (a farming implement similar to a scythe) and clubs to the fight in the face of the cavalry, pikes, muskets and canon of the professional armies. The brutal fighting, much of which was close at hand, was reminiscent of what we saw in TV’s recent Game of Thrones. The exit wound of a musket shot was the size of a dinner plate and it was no surprise therefore that the River Ely was said to have flowed red with blood.
In the days following the battle, locals who had already witnessed horrific scenes and injuries were forced to help with mass burials of several hundred dead. One burial mound, which can still be found at Duffryn, is said to be the resting place of Royalists caught and killed when fleeing after the battle. Soldiers did not wear dog tags so once inevitably stripped of all possessions, bodies could not be identified. In local villages, the bereaved families never knew what happened to their loved ones. Survivors faced plundering at the hands of victorious soldiers. Diseases like bubonic plague and dysentery were spread by both armies. Farms were ruined. With food stores and farm animals seized for army use, starvation was inevitable. Vengeance was rife. Miles Button of Duffryn was captured and fined £5000 for his part on the Royalist side in the battle. His annual income was £400. His brother wasn’t so lucky. He was tried and executed for treason.
And what of the loyalty shown by our farm labourers to the King? Already by June 14th a poster appeared in Cowbridge calling all able bodied men between 16 and 60 to rendezvous with weapons and horse ready to fight for Parliament.

 

 

1 … 27 28 29 30 31 32