Category: General Interest Articles

Articles of general interest on no particular subject

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

 

 

 

Welsh Learners at Clwb Clonc

Meet the tutor 1-3pm 04/09/2019

Canolfan Wenvoe Community Centre

Dewch am sgwrs â’r tiwtor

If you pop into Pugh’s garden centre on a Monday morning you might notice a group of people chatting in Welsh over their coffees. Some may speak quickly and others throw in English words to keep the conversation going. This is because this self-organised group is attracting Welsh learners and speakers alike. Last May a few Wenvoe library volunteers decided to start a Clwb Clonc (Chat Club) and posted an advert in this magazine. This advertised that learners and speakers would be welcome to meet at 11 a.m. on Mondays in the garden centre’s café. Janet Tabor says, “We are going from strength to strength. There are usually around 10-15 people each week. Although most come from Wenvoe village itself this popular group has people popping in from other areas in the Vale. We have a lot of fun. I would like to see more joining us. In my opinion it is wonderful to have an opportunity to use our Welsh locally. You never know how many people can speak Welsh in your area!”

Learn Welsh. The Vale wants to start a fast track class in the Community Centre. We hope to attract enough learners who wish to learn quickly by attending Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 1.00-4.00 p.m. 9 hours a week for £90 for the year. Wenvoe resident Brenig Davies says, “Learning Welsh has allowed me to see a parallel world” and “I have made lots of new friends because of my classes”. If you want to discuss learning Welsh further call the office on 01446 730402 or pop along to the meet tutor event on the 4th September.

 

Os ewch chi i ganolfan arddio Pugh ar fore dydd Llun efallai y byddwch yn sylwi ar y grŵp yn sgwrsio yn Gymraeg dros eu coffi. Efallai bydd rhai yn siarad yn gyflym ac eraill yn taflu geiriau Saesneg i gadw’r sgwrs i fynd. Mae hyn oherwydd bod y grŵp hwn yn denu dysgwyr a siaradwyr Cymraeg. Mis Mai diwethaf penderfynodd ychydig o wirfoddolwyr llyfrgell Wenfô gychwyn Clwb Clonc a phostio hysbyseb yn y cylchgrawn hwn. Roedd yr hysbyseb yn rhoi croeso i bawb gwrdd am 11 a.m. ar ddydd Llun yng nghaffi canolfan Pugh. Dywed Janet Tabor, “Dyn ni’n mynd o nerth i nerth. Fel arfer mae 10-15 o bobl bob wythnos. Er bod y mwyafrif yn dod o bentref Wenfô ei hun, mae pobl yn dod i mewn o ardaloedd eraill yn y Fro. Dyn ni’n cael llawer o hwyl. Hoffwn weld mwy yn ymuno â ni. Yn fy marn i mae’n hyfryd cael cyfle i ddefnyddio’n Cymraeg yn lleol. Dych chi byth yn gwybod faint o bobl sy’n gallu siarad Cymraeg yn eich ardal chi !”

 

Mae Dysgu Cymraeg y Fro am gychwyn dosbarth cyflym yn y ganolfan gymunedol. Dyn ni’n gobeithio denu digon o ddysgwyr sy’n dymuno dysgu’n gyflym trwy fynychu dydd Mawrth, dydd Mercher a dydd Iau rhwng 1.30-4.30 p.m. Bydd 9 awr yr wythnos yn £90 am y flwyddyn. Dywedodd Brenig Davies, un o drigolion Wenvoe, “Mae Dysgu Cymraeg wedi caniatáu imi weld byd cyfochrog” ac “Dw i wedi gwneud llawer o ffrindiau newydd oherwydd fy nosbarthiadau”. Os dych chi am drafod dysgu Cymraeg ymhellach, ffoniwch y swyddfa ar 01446 730402 neu galwch heibio i’r Ganolfan

 

 

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

South Wales Air Museum

NEW VALE AIR MUSEUM CAUSES QUITE A STIR

 The South Wales Air Museum opened in April of this year, next door to the St Athan Ministry of Defence site. It wasn’t long before contributors to Trip Advisor put pen to paper about their visits to the new venture. And they are very impressed! A staggering 93% of them rate the museum as excellent, with the other 7% going for a more stingy Very Good . Typical is one who lauded it as a ‘very good museum well worth a visit, interesting for the aviation and non-aviation fan alike.’ The museum, which has a café and gift shop, is currently open at weekends 10am to 4:30pm, although it is hoped to extend this for special events. Now well established, the museum relies on donations from visitors for funding (suggested £5 per person).

Perhaps the most popular aspect of the project is the commitment to a hands-on approach for visitors. The museum aims to attract everyone from school children to ex-armed forces members. The venture is the brainchild of aircraft engineers Gary Spoors and John Sparks. Gary, a former RAF engineer, said: “This is all about bringing a bus load of 11-year-old kids to come in and be inspired about aviation. One of the things that is killing this industry is that children these days aren’t getting into it. So we want to inspire them from a young age. In years to come there will be shortages in the industry if we don’t get them inspired young.”

You are encouraged to get close to the exhibits. You can for example clamber into the cockpit of a Tornado and get inside an old Royal Navy Sea King helicopter. You can also get up close to the cock pit of a Russian MiG 29 as well as the flight deck of a Boeing 707.

Tremendous hard work has been put in by the SWAM volunteers who can explain the story behind the museum, the planes and other exhibits such as World War II memorabilia.

 

The Panavia Tornado GR1.P – ZA326, the only one in existence, proved popular with children of all ages – the oldest around 60!

The exhibits are increasing in number and of course often need a lot of hard work to restore. They can vary a lot – from twin-propeller planes from the 1950s to fighter jets that can fly at twice the speed of sound and helicopters like the Sea King below.

 

 

The café, also said to be excellent, is open on weekdays from 9am to 2pm. More information can be found online, including on Facebook. Address: South Wales Aviation Museum, Hangar 872, Picketston Business Park, St Athan, Vale of Glamorgan CF62 4QN.

 

 

 

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.

 

 

Meet the Author – ‘Motorway Madness’

‘Meet The Author’ Evening In The Wenvoe Arms. 

‘Motorway Madness’

Our thanks to Ian Pate and The Friends of Wenvoe Library for organising another excellent ‘Meet the Author’ evening in the Wenvoe Arms. The topic ‘Motorway Madness’ might not have initially sparked your interest, but through photographs, expert knowledge and an array of personal anecdotes, Ian ensured that we had an evening which was both sobering and entertaining.

With a twenty-five year career in sales, which required extensive travelling in the UK, Ireland and the Benelux countries, Ian thought he knew everything there was to know about driving on motorways. However, it was not until he started working as a Traffic Officer in 2008, that he learnt about the unpredictability of our motorways. In this role, with powers to stop and direct traffic and work under the authority of a police officer, he began to appreciate the phrase ‘expect the unexpected’.

Statistically, the motorway is the UK’s safest road. Drivers know that if something happens whilst driving on the motorway they should move onto the hard shoulder, put their hazard lights on, get out of the car if possible and get to a place of safety. The last of these is important because the most dangerous place on the motorway is the hard shoulder. A safe place Ian reminds us is ‘behind the barrier, up on the embankment, under signs, by bridges or even on a police observation post’. If you stay in your car, your life expectancy according to police statistics is 30 minutes. The message is ‘When it is safe to do so – get out, keep safe, stay alive!’ At night, this risk increases. There have been cases in which lorry drivers at night have put their inside wheels onto the rumble strip that separates the hard shoulder from lane one, to keep them alert whilst watching TV!

As a Traffic Officer, Ian was involved in a wide range of incidents. Twenty five percent of all breakdowns attended on the motorway are simply because drivers have run out of fuel. Some drivers get into trouble when transporting goods like a mattress or even a complete bed from IKEA on the roof of their car without the legally required roof rack and safety harnessing! Getting animals to safety – horses, swans and at one time a small herd of water buffalo in Newbury – were all in a day’s work. Drunk drivers, unwell drivers, car fires and extreme weather all require assistance from the Traffic Officers. These people ensure that you and I are safe if an incident does occur. Ian and his colleagues set up rolling roadblocks, clear dangerous debris from motorways and are the people on the ground responding to alerts from the Traffic Management Centres across the country.

Ian concluded his talk with a look at new smart motorways where all lanes are running. On the first smart motorway on the M42 in the West Midlands, there is no hard shoulder and a refuge area every 500 metres. Above every lane there are signs to note variable speed and clear messages e.g. lanes closing. Any difficulties drivers encounter, are immediately picked up by the control centre and a lane can be automatically closed. The M4 between J3 and J12 is currently being upgraded to a smart motorway. However, the model has undergone modifications. Refuge areas are now1.6 miles apart and overly detailed signs on the left hand side of the motorway, have replaced the clear signs above each lane. It can take up to one hour for an ambulance to get to an incident. Inevitably, such concerns have led road safety campaigners to lobby Parliament and they are now working with an all-party group of MPs to look at the safety concerns relating to the rollout of smart motorways.

The Friends of Wenvoe Library would like to thank Ian for his support in helping to raise funds for Wenvoe Library. Please look out for the next ‘Meet the Author’ evening – we would love to see you there.

 

 

 

1 … 27 28 29 30 31 32