Category: General Interest Articles

Articles of general interest on no particular subject

Five Mile Lane’s Hidden Past

FIVE MILE LANE’S HIDDEN PAST

Most of us will have been familiar with the old narrow twisty, turny, downright dangerous section of the A4226 “Five Mile Lane” immediately north of Barry. The Vale of Glamorgan Council had plans to improve this section of road but before construction could commence a range of environmental studies had to be undertaken.

It has been long known that this area has a rich historical heritage spanning the preceding 6000 years. Witness the evidence provided by the neolithic burial chambers at St Lythans and Tinkingswood, the unearthing of various Bronze and Iron Age structures and artifacts locally and the well known remains of Roman villas at Barry Knap and Witton Lodge, the latter being actually on the alignment of the Five Mile Lane.

So, alongside special environment studies, the Council and the Welsh Assembly Government commissioned the archaeological investigations firm Rubicon Heritage in the period 2017 to 2019 to add to the knowledge previously gained in earlier studies.

The “dig” undertaken by Rubicon encompassed the full extent of the footprint of the envisaged new road. The revealed treasure trove of burials (some 456 in number), artifacts, foundations of buildings and the like exceeded all expectations. In fact, beyond the pre-historic and Roman attributes, it also revealed a surprising glimpse into early medieval life (5th to mid 13th centuries).Prior to this study that medieval period of Welsh history had been poorly understood. For instance it was found that during this period pre-historic burial mounds were re-purposed as witnessed by some 378 burials in that period. This image is of a Medieval Christian burial located within a re-used Bronze Age burial monument.

In summary, the dig uncovered a previously unknown multi-period landscape which has been used in many ways since humans first settled in this area.

The archaeologists were able to trace the development of this swathe of land, uncovering many surprises along the way.

One cannot help but wonder how much more of our history lies buried in the Vale of Glamorgan for future generations to discover.

The purpose of this article has been to present a brief overview of the study and the findings to date. For a comprehensive insight visit https://www.rubiconheritage.com/ publications-and-articles.html and follow the links to Volumes 1 and 2 of their Five Mile Lane articles.

Alternatively, copies of those publications have been placed in the Wenvoe Hub for reference.

Tony Hodge, who thanks Rubicon for permission to reproduce the illustrations.

Fun Fact: The Five Mile Lane as we know it is only four miles long. The missing mile is now Pontypridd Road, Barry.

Cows Bulls And Other Challenges

COWS BULLS AND OTHER CHALLENGES

As we walked into the quiet village of Rhémes Notre Dame in the Italian Aosta valley the village clock rang out the time. It was half-past three in the afternoon and still very hot. The sundial on the church spire looked down on us with the inscription “Nos jours passent comme l’ombre” or our days pass like shadows.

Footpath Along the Alta Via 2 High-Level Route

We were hiking a high-level route through the Italian alps and this was day six, so we were now fairly fit. Our route was called the Alta Via 2 which runs across the grain of the alps, it took my wife Isobel and me ten days and we walked 143 km. Much of the route passes through the Gran Paradiso National Park and the paths in many places are well made because in 1856 King Vittorio Emanuele 2 had created a Royal Game Reserve and tracks had been laid to allow his entourage to move easily between the hunting lodges. This ensured good hunting for the King but also protected the native Ibex and chamois which were in decline. The ibex, in particular, was hunted because it was regarded as a “walking pharmacy “as their blood, horns, bones and even droppings were used in a variety of remedies. The paths were now two hundred years old, but in parts, the ancient paving was still in place that was originally laid so that the baggage train of mules carrying cooks, food and cooking equipment could be set up in the hunting lodges before the arrival of the royal party. When we found these paths still in good condition, they speeded up our pace considerably.

Our hotel the Galisia, was in the centre of this small pretty village and we soon settled in and ordered cold beers to drink in the sunny garden. We chose a table and sat down to relax and stretch our legs after the hard day of hiking. But no sooner had we settled than there was a virtual eclipse as the sun disappeared. We realised that we were in a high sided valley and the whole valley was now in shade. The lack of sun also meant that the clothes we had worn and washed were now not drying as we hoped – but worse things have happened. Our stay in the Galisia was comfortable and the supper they served was tasty and substantial. With coffee we drank Genepy the “digestif” flavoured with wormwood which grows wild on the alpine pastures. It was a fitting end to my birthday.

The next morning, my diary records, that breakfast was a spartan affair with no meats or cheese, just bread and jam and coffee. So, we did not linger as the pass we had to climb was at 2840 metres and we were at 1722 metres. There was a challenging vertical kilometre to climb before midday. Our path out of the village soon led to a narrow wooded valley down which a stream tumbled. We zig-zagged steeply up through the pine trees until the path levelled off and we got our breath back. This was pleasant walking and we had made a good dent into the height we had to climb.

We soon came to pasture with a small shepherd’s hut and around it was a herd of Valdostana Castana, the native cows of the area which are noted for their “vivacious and warlike temperament”! We have met many types of cows over the years and our standard tactic is to take a long detour around them, however frustrating that can be. But on this occasion, we were constricted by the raging torrent of a stream on our left and a high cliff to the right of the path. Now some cows will continue to chew the cud as you approach, others will drift away out of timidity but this small herd of about fifteen full-grown animals were walking fast towards us. There are many records of walkers being trampled to death in these circumstances, so we decided to back off and retraced our steps. Just behind us was a large rock about the size of a delivery van. I called to Isobel to climb up fast – she replied that she could not do that with her rucksack on. Her back was to the cows as she considered the sides of the rock upon which I was now perched. When I said that the cows were now very close, she suddenly found that she could climb up and join me after all. From this safe but uncomfortable stance, we could see that the leader of the herd was a large bull with horns about four feet across. He was now pawing the brown dry soil with his forefeet and eyeballing us from about thirty feet. I felt he would have been able to get at us where we were so I suggested to Isobel that we drop over the large boulder to the streamside where there was a ledge before the long drop to the stream below. Isobel replied quite firmly that she was not able to climb over to the ledge where I was now standing. Then the bull moved forward and suddenly Isobel found the strength and courage to vault the top of the boulder and join me on the ledge while avoiding looking at the drop to the stream. Being safe we now began to see the funny side of things and so we shared some sweets and the minutes passed by. Before long the bull had been lured away by some pretty cows and we were able to climb back down to the path. We did reach the col, or high point, before midday and only stopped for a bowl of polenta at a high mountain refuge before descending to our day’s objective the attractive but modest ski resort of Valgrisenche, where we celebrated our safe arrival with two large pink Magnums.

 

Tucker’s Wartime Spring Plant Sale

TUCKER’S WARTIME SPRING PLANT SALE

Saturday 10th May

 

This year’s Spring Plant sale falls very close to the VE80 anniversary which is on 8 May. This commemorates the 80th anniversary of the cessation of fighting in Europe. Fighting would rage on in Japan until surrender came on 15 August 1945 which finally ended WW2. The usual array of plants will be on sale outside the church hall and there will be hustle and bustle inside the church hall too. The hall will be decorated inside and out with celebratory bunting, there will be music from the era playing inside and there will be refreshments with a chance for visitors to buy a sheet of ‘ration tickets’ which they can use to sample some food made from typical wartime recipes. There may be some under the table brownies and cakes available too but don’t tell anyone about that. Penalties are hard for Black Marketeers. If you wish to dress in clothes sympathetic to wartime we would be delighted.

There will be the usual raffle but running parallel to that will be another raffle which will have prizes which would have been treasured during wartime restrictions. You still only pay once but every winning ticket gets a prize from each table. There will be posters and information sheets around the walls. Glenys recorded older residents talking about their memories of WW2 in 2020 for planned celebrations for VE75 but Covid stopped that so there will be some transcripts for people to read on the day too. You may even like to have a go at ‘pin the cigar on Churchill’.

As usual the proceeds from the raffle and some proceeds from the plants and refreshments will go to our charity of choice which is the Wenvoe Wildlife Group to help enable them to carry out the much needed work they do in and around our village. We would love to see as many of you as possible on the day and hope you will join in with the spirit of the occasion. Mark your calendar!

Wenvoe Village Hall Raffle 2024

WENVOE VILLAGE HALL RAFFLE 2024

The Village Hall Management Committee would like to thank everyone who kindly donated prizes to this raffle and to the people who support us by buying and selling tickets. All money raised through the raffle contributes to the ongoing insurance, maintenance and daily running costs of the Hall which is primarily for the use of the villagers. We thank you all and wish you good health and a Happy and Prosperous New Year

Men United In Song Supporting Prostate Cymru

MEN UNITED IN SONG SUPPORTING PROSTATE CYMRU

Men United in Song has proved such a big hit nationwide that the popular pop-up singing project is being rolled out in the Vale of Glamorgan.

Launching in January 2025 and supporting Prostate Cymru, Men United in Song aims to give 40-plus local men the opportunity to get involved, try something new and give something back to the community… In a nutshell what does it offer?

  • A ten week project starting on 28th January.
  • A chance to learn to sing.
  • No previous experience needed.
  • Professional direction and support.
  • Great social opportunities.
  • A chance to sing in Llandaff Cathedral on 11th April.

Working over ten weeks towards a fantastic live charity event at Llandaff Cathedral on 11th April 2025, participants meet new people, challenge themselves, perform live on stage AND raise money for a much-loved and very important charity Prostate Cymru – what’s not to like?

No previous experience is necessary, just a willingness to step outside their comfort zone, get stuck in and give it a go… everyone’s in the same boat, and it’s all about the journey! Previous projects around the UK provided an overwhelmingly positive experience for the men who took part:

“A really great experience, at the start it was daunting, but we all came good!”

“A great bunch of men, and you got the best out of us… brilliant!”

For more information, call 07395414501 or email

menunitedinsong.vog@outlook.com

The MUIS project is grateful for the financial assistance from Ty Cerdd, Vale

of Glamorgan Council and GVS third sector small grants scheme.

Update On 6th Annual Tuckers Reindeer Sale

UPDATE ON 6TH ANNUAL
TUCKERS REINDEER SALE

On a wet and windy day in November we set everything up for the Tucker’s Reindeer sale hoping that people would brave the weather and turn up.

As usual, our lovely community didn’t disappoint and came in droves. We had wonderful crafters and stall holders with us, and all made satisfying sales. Brenda and her friend played Christmas music on their accordions and the church hall was festooned with nostalgic Christmas decorations. Coffee, tea and cakes were consumed with lots of chat and laughter and reindeers sold like hot cakes. The total from the sale, and from kind donations since from people who could not be at the sale, now stands at over £1,500 for Wenvoe Wildlife Group.

We want to thank you all for your help and support. Whether you were manning the coffee and tea station, the cake stall, the raffle books or standing in the pouring rain selling reindeers. Whether you were one of our excellent crafters or stall holders, bought raffle tickets, donated raffle prizes or bought drinks and cake you all played a part.

We are always amazed at your kindness and once again there are just no words to adequately express the level of our gratitude. Happy New Year to you all.

 

Autumn Walk

Autumn Walk

If you recently planned to go for a walk in the park, you would have expected to enjoy the wonderful colours of the autumn leaves, the shiny conkers, the displays of fungus, the play area full of excited children…

what you may not have expected to see was an amazing display on aerial silks.

The silks were tied to a sturdy branch and Bethan had the opportunity to practise her skills in the sunshine in a fantastic outdoor setting.

 

Lynne Frugtniet

 

The Life And Times Of Saint Nicholas

THE LIFE AND TIMES OF SAINT
NICHOLAS

Should you wish to make a pilgrimage to honour the life of Saint Nicholas you would not be going to Lapland. Firstly because according to popular culture he is still alive and kicking up there in the frozen wastes. Secondly you would be going in entirely the wrong direction. You would need to head south to Bari. No, not Barry, but its almost namesake: the southern Italian port city on the Adriatic.

About the man himself. According to the available literature (ie Wikipedia) he was born in 270AD in Patara on the Mediterranean coast which is now in present day Turkey. His father was an early Christian bishop and following a series of miracles in youth it was inevitable that he would also become a priest. Eventually when a vacancy for a new Bishop of Patara arose, he was the logical shoe in for the role.

Whilst he was Bishop he was credited with various Good Works, the most memorable being the gifts, initially made anonymously, of purses containing gold coins to a father facing penury whose three daughters faced a ruinous future. Which is, children, the reason behind us all gifting presents to each other at Christmas.

But there’s more than just this to his name. A ship he was on was nearly destroyed by a terrible storm but he rebuked the waves. Thus, Nicholas became venerated as the patron saint of sailors and travellers. And in due course also of merchants, archers, repentant thieves, children, brewers, pawnbrokers (hence their Three Golden Balls), toymakers, unmarried people, and students. He died in around 343AD and was buried in Myra which is also in present day Turkey.

And so, back to Bari. Until Italy was unified into one nation in 1861, it was a diverse collection of city states. A rival state was that of Venice, and in the 800s AD, they had stole the body of Saint Mark from Alexandria and this became the focus for highly profitable pilgrimages to Venice. The citizens of Bari were quite jealous of the Venetians and decided that they also needed a Saint for people to come and venerate and generate some revenue.

A group of merchants stole most of his skeleton, ostensibly to prevent it from falling into the hands of an invading Muslim army. They brought them to their hometown, where they are now buried deep underground in that city’s cathedral.

Tony Hodge

Teamwork

TEAMWORK

It is good to read about the various Teams working on behalf of the Community in “Wenvoe What’s On”. I remember working as a member of a Shift Team at British Geon, part of the Distiller’s Plastics Group of companies, based in Sully. It was 1962. I was a student and had a summer vacation job in the Quality Control Laboratory. The adjacent PVC Plant was in continuous operation and samples were brought to the Control Lab. at regular intervals for testing.

The Control Lab. also monitored the quality of production at the Synthetic Rubber Plant, (Hycar Ltd). This plant was at the far end of the site in the Bendricks direction. Staff had the use of a “Butcher’s Boy” bike with a basket to go to the plant to collect samples.

Working relations between the Shift Teams was not the best. The Team arriving on Shift always blamed the Team departing for not leaving the Lab. in a tidy state, e.g. Solvent flasks would be nearly empty, samples waiting to be tested, or more serious no coffee, milk, or sugar left in the rest room.

Alas! A significant problem arose when the Butcher’s Boy Bike developed a puncture. No one felt it was their responsibility to mend the puncture although it meant walking to and from the Synthetic Rubber Plant to collect samples to be brought back to the Lab. A few days later when my team was on the night shift, at about 3.30 a.m. our Shift Leader turned the bike over and started to repair the puncture, “Don’t do it, Roy!” the other team members protested. “If you fix the puncture they will all get the benefit”. With a wry smile Roy replied “Don’t worry lads, I’ll let it down in the morning and no-one will know I fixed it”.

 

Tony Coulthard

A Parent’s Night Before Christmas

A Parent’s Night Before Christmas

‘Twas the night before Christmas when all through the house.
I searched for the tools to hand to my spouse.
Instructions were studied and we were inspired,
In hopes we could manage “Some Assembly Required”.

The children were quiet (not asleep) in their beds,
While Dad and I faced the evening with dread:
A kitchen, two bikes, Barbie’s town house to boot!
And, thanks to Grandpa, a train with a toot!

We opened the boxes, my heart skipped a beat….
Let no parts be missing or parts incomplete!
Too late for last-minute returns or replacement;
If we can’t get it right, it goes in the basement!

When what to my worrying eyes should appear,
But 50 sheets of directions, concise, but not clear,
With each part numbered and every slot named,
So if we failed, only we could be blamed.

More rapid than eagles the parts then fell out,
All over the carpet they were scattered about.
“Now bolt it! Now twist it! Attach it right there!
Slide on the seats, and staple the stair!
Hammer the shelves, and nail to the stand.”
“Honey,” said hubby, “you just glued my hand.”

And then in a twinkling, I knew for a fact
That all the toy dealers had indeed made a pact
To keep parents busy all Christmas Eve night
With “assembly required” till morning’s first light.

We spoke not a word, but kept bent at our work,
Till our eyes, they went bleary; our fingers all hurt.
The coffee went cold and the night, it wore thin
Before we attached the last rod and last pin.

Then laying the tools away in the chest,
We fell into bed for a well-deserved rest.
But I said to my husband just before I passed out,
“This will be the best Christmas, without any doubt.

Tomorrow we’ll cheer, let the holiday ring,
And not have to run to the store for a thing!
We did it! We did it! The toys are all set
For the perfect, most perfect, Christmas, I bet!”

Then off to dreamland and sweet repose I gratefully
went,

Though I suppose there’s something to say for those
self-deluded…
I’d forgotten that BATTERIES are never included!

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