Category: New Items for September 2024
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Community Library September Events
WENVOE COMMUNITY HUB
Tel: 02920 594176 – during opening hours or wenvoelibrary@outlook.com
Like and follow us on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/WenvoeCommunityLibrary
For general enquiries you can email us at wenvoelibrary@outlook.com
Library Hub – September 2024
New arrivals – Our selection
Crime: Mrs Pargeter’s Patio. Mystery fans seeking pure escapism fun will be rewarded.
Family: An Ideal Husband by Erica James. Wonderful on family dynamics.
Fiction: SAS Hero: Gold Red by Chris Ryan.
Non Fiction: One Thousand Shades of Green by Mike Dilger. A year in search of Britain’s wild plants.
Young Readers: The Library Mouse by Frances Tosdevin & Spolina O’Connor. Quill the library mouse is a dreamer. He longs to write stories and share them with children at his beloved library.
Report from the Hub Team
- Coffee at the Hub. Now the warm weather is here, why not come in and drink a coffee on our patio. We also sell Fruit Shoots (sugar free) and a small selection of ice creams / popsicles.
- Volunteers. We are in need of more volunteers. If you are interested, pop in for a chat.
Watch this space
- Cuppa with a Coppa – tba at 2.20 pm in the Hub
- Wellbeing Group – tba between 2 pm and 3 pm in the Hub
Wenvoe Village Mother and Toddlers
What is there to say other than the group is extremely popular and well attended. We had a peak attendance early in July of 39, which includes the children & parents/grandparents & childminders.
We have been running long enough now to see our initial cohort of children move on to playgroup or nursery, they seem very old at three! So the majority of children coming now are aged 1 – 1 ½ & our play activities & stories reflect this.
It is a great outlet for grandparents, some who have recently moved to the area to support the care of their grandchildren. Some weeks it is like a mini Clwb Clonc as a few of the grandparents and parents speak Welsh.
We had the second of our annual summer outings at the end of June – a walk across the Barrage to the children’s play area plus a picnic. Short of being blown over we didn’t get as far as the play area but returned to a cafe for shelter & a chat. The children didn’t seem to mind at all.
Here are some comments made by a few of the adult attendees:
The children’s group on a Wednesday morning is absolutely fantastic. My eldest daughter, attended when she was younger and I have no doubt that it greatly contributed to her developing language, love of singing and books. I have no hesitation in now bringing along my newborn daughter. A lovely welcoming group for all to enjoy.
This group has been a pleasure to attend both for us as grandparents and the children – to see them develop skills has been a blessing. The volunteers are delightful and nothing is too much trouble for them. The children really enjoy learning songs and listening to stories.
The joy the children get from books is wonderful to observe & families are encouraged to register the children with the Library as early as possible.
Westonbirt Arboretum
We now have a date for the trip to Westonbirt Arboretum – 25th October 2024. The coach will be £25 per person.
- Entry to the Arboretum is £14.40 but if we block book there is a 10% discount taking it to £12.96. This is in addition to the coach cost.
- The coach will leave at around 10am from the usual place outside the Wenvoe Arms and pick up for return around 4pm.
- A £10 non-refundable deposit will be required.
- The Arboretum can provide wheelchairs and motorised scooters but we would need to let them know as early as possible of how many would be needed.
- Don’t be disappointed as numbers are limited. Pop into the library to book your seat.
Tuesday mornings in the Hub
A collection of retired gentlemen meet at the Hub on a Tuesday morning, enjoying each other’s company and varied topics of conversation. A cup of delicious coffee served by very cheerful ladies keeps the gents well lubricated and allows the conversation to carry on flowing.
Welsh Traditions 6 – Medi – Harvest
WELSH TRADITIONS 6
MEDI – HARVEST
The Welsh word ‘medi’ is a verb meaning ‘to reap’ or ‘to harvest’ and as a proper noun, ‘Medi’, is the name of the ninth month of the year, namely September – the month when the crops are harvested, of course. The English word ‘harvest’ comes from the Anglo-Saxon word ‘haerfest’ – and it was used as the name of the third season until around the 16th Century when it was superseded by the name ‘Autumn’.
There are a number of customs and traditions associated with the harvest season here in Wales. It was, of course, the most important period in the agricultural year – and before the dawn of mechanisation, all the neighbouring farmers and farm hands would gather at each farm in turn to see to the harvest. In Welsh, there is a name for this practice of community aid – ‘cymhortha’ – a word based on the noun ‘cymorth’ meaning ‘help, aid, assistance’. The same thing happened at other busy times in the year – sheep shearing, lambing, crop planting and so on.
The custom known as ‘Y Gaseg Fedi’ (The Harvest Mare) was an important element at the end of harvesting. The name ‘Y Gaseg Fedi’ was given to the very last sheaf of corn to be cut. The sheaf was divided into three by the senior farmhand and plaited. The reapers would then take it in turn to throw their scythe or sickle at the sheaf to see who could cut it down. The person who succeeded would recite the following, traditional lines (translated here)
‘I tracked her,
In the late evening I followed her,
I’ve caught her, I’ve caught her!’
The other reapers would respond –
‘What did you catch?’
and the reply would be –
‘A hag! A hag! A hag’!
‘Gwrach’ (Hag) was another name given to the Harvest Mare.
At the end of the corn harvest, the farmer’s wife would organise a Harvest Supper for the neighbours who had helped with the harvesting. There was always plenty of food and locally brewed beer. In some areas, a sweet dish called ‘whipod’ was served. It consisted of a mixture of rice, white bread, dried fruit and treacle. In nearby Cardiganshire in 1760, a farmer reported that the feast following the reaping of his rye by about 50 neighbours consisted of ‘a brewing pan of beef and mutton, with a range and potatoes and pottage, and pudding of wheaten flour, about 20 gallons of light ale and over twenty gallons of beer’. After the meal, there was usually dancing to the music of the fiddle, with a plentiful supply of beer and tobacco.
It was seen as an honour in Wales to be the one to bring down the caseg fedi, and the man who succeeded in doing so was often rewarded. The winning reaper was faced with the task of carrying the Harvest Mare into the house – making certain that it was kept perfectly dry. But this gave rise to great revelry as the women present attempted to drench it with water before it reached the house. If he’d been successful in keeping the sheaf dry, he would be given an honoured seat at the Harvest Supper table with plenty of ale to drink. But if he’d failed to keep it dry, he would have to sit at the far end of the table, have no ale to drink and suffer the taunts of his fellow diners throughout the meal!
The ‘caseg fedi’ may have represented the fertility of the harvest condensed into the final sheaf and it was believed that a spirit resided in the last sheaf of grain to be harvested. In one part of Wales, it was recorded that seed from it was mixed with the seed at planting time ‘in order to teach it to grow’. In other parts of Britain, this last sheaf was buried on Plough Monday, the first Monday after Epiphany (6 January), so that it could work its magic on the growing corn.
Once the grain harvest proper and the Harvest Supper were over, the women could begin gleaning, i.e. scouring the fields for the leftover ears of corn which they could claim and keep for themselves.
The Gleaners by Jean-François Millet
People have been giving thanks for the harvest since farming first began in the Neolithic era. Today, it has become a Christian festival of Thanksgiving and is celebrated in most chapels, churches and schools – usually on the first Sunday following the Full Moon closest to the Autumn Equinox. However, the traditions outlined above are far older than Christianity and this Christian assembly only became popular in Victorian times when, in 1843, a Reverend R. S. Hawker had the idea of holding a special service on the first Sunday in October in his Cornwall parish. The idea caught on and soon it became the custom to decorate churches with fruit, vegetables and flowers and to sing the harvest hymns written for the occasion.
Harvest has now become a time when people come together to give thanks for our own good fortune, to donate food to the needy, and to raise money for worthy causes. Thus Harvest still commemorates not just the gathering of the fruits of the Earth, but also the community cooperation that exists to extend a helping hand to people less fortunate than ourselves.
Ann M. Jones
Brecon Beacons / Bannau Brycheiniog – Craig Cerrig Gleisiad
Brecon Beacons / Bannau Brycheiniog
Brecon Beacons / Bannau Brycheiniog
Craig Cerrig Gleisiad
We parked near Forest Lodge cottages and set off along Sarn Helen, the 2000-year-old Roman road which runs from North Wales to Neath. The route would take us around Craig Cerrig Gleisiad Nature Reserve, Fan Frynych, climbing to the trig point and descending towards Twyn Dylluan-ddu before returning to Sarn Helen and the cars.
The first section along Sarn Helen is easy walking and we passed some interesting black and white sheep, cattle and lovely views. Taking a left turn we entered the nature reserve to walk along the valley and immediately spotted wind battered trees on the top of a hill. A noticeboard declared ‘It is a wild and craggy place and home to some arctic survivors. Glaciers carved out this special landscape. The steep rocky slopes, sharp escarpments and crags are home to rare arctic-alpine plants.’ The birdlife includes peregrines, kestrels, red grouse and rare ring ouzels. Archaeological remains found on the reserve show that the area has been inhabited for many thousands of years, including Iron Age huts.
As we progressed along Cwm du the state of the trees attracted our attention. On a visit 8 years ago, they were wind battered but now many seemed to have sparse leaves, one had a heavy crown of greenery. The path alongside the stream also seemed more overgrown but we had walked it on almost the same date last time.
The path gradually became more difficult with craggy, slippery rocks and narrow ledges. To continue past a waterfall, we needed to cross the stream. Large rocks were very slippery, so we went downstream, crossing to a bank of tall plants and made our way to a vertical wall with footholds cut into it. One of us is an experienced climber and she guided each of us until we were all safely at the top.
We were above the waterfall and followed the stream a little further before crossing it again to climb up to a grass covered area which proved much easier to navigate, following paths created by animals. We came across a herd of wild horses with foals which trotted off as we approached. The views were breathtaking, and we decided to stop for lunch looking back down the valley towards the Carmarthen Fans.
Arriving at a T-junction of paths we saw the first people we had seen all day and turned left towards Fan Frynych. At the trig point, we had awesome 360o views of the Brecon Beacons from the far west, north and around to Pen y Fan.
The path downhill led us back to Sarn Helen and the cars. The Mountain Centre provided a very welcome cup of tea and ice-cream. Looking at photos from 8 years ago, one person commented ‘we’re still wearing the same walking clothes’! Walk 7m, 1200ft. Map OL12
The Village Hop Harvest
WENVOE FORUM
Considering Tomorrow Today
“The Village Hop Harvest ”
Some readers will know that Sian and Steve Jones coordinate the Village HOP Harvest on behalf of the Wenvoe Forum. Our hops go to join a Cardiff community hop growing scheme that results in a beer called Taff Temptress. If you would like to join the hop growers then please get in touch via gwenfo.forum@gmail.com. Existing hop growers please read a message from Sian about this year’s harvest.
Hi village hop growers,
The hops have been a bit slow but I am sure like us you can see some flowering. We hope that you will be able to pick them on Friday 13th September for Steve to take them to Pipes Brewery on Saturday 14th. The Taff Temptress beer should then be ready three weeks later.
Like last year I don’t think we will have a huge crop but every little helps! We look forward to seeing you all on 13th September.
Sian and Steve Jones
To join our Facebook group, please ‘friend up’ with the Gwen Fo account @ https://www.facebook.com/gwen.fo.1 and then jon the Wenvoe Forum @ https:// www.facebook.com/groups/635369267864402
Some further information and updates, blog site https:// wenvoeforum.wordpress.com/. Any Wenvoe community member is welcome to join the Forum meetings, via Zoom, which are normally held 19.00 on the second Thursday of each month. E-mail gwenfo.forum@gmail.com if you wish to join.
About the Playgroup
WENVOE PLAYGROUP NEWS AND EVENTS
Registered Charity, right in the heart of the Village.
www.wenvoeplaygroup.co.uk
The Playgroup operates from the Village Hall and has been operating for over 50 Years. We are registered with Care Inspectorate Wales to care for 30 children at any one-time from the age of 2 years 4 months. We open 9:00am until 1:00pm Monday to Friday and on Wednesday and Thursday we offer care until 3:15pm.
Wrap around care: We collect children daily at 11:20am from Gwenfo Nursery and on into lunch club until 1:00pm and on Wednesday and Thursday until 3:15pm. We also support children across from our morning sessions to afternoon Nursery at 1:00pm daily.
30 Hour Funded Childcare Offer: Children from Cardiff and the Vale are benefitting from this offer. 12.5 hours are used for LEA Nursery and 17.5 hours per week can be allocated to time with us here at Playgroup. This offer is for children the term after their 3rd Birthday. To find out more, please visit our website www.wenvoeplaygroup.co.uk
Tax Free Childcare: We accept payment via the Governments Tax Free Childcare. Many parents at this time use this method to pay fees for all ages or use alongside the 30 Hour Funded Childcare to top up their extra hours/transition fees. Families set up a Tax-Free Childcare account and for example, for every £8 the family pay in, Welsh Government pay in £2. For further information go to www.gov.uk/tax-free-childcare
Our Statement of purpose and Admissions Policy & Procedure can be found in ‘DOCUMENTS’ on our website, which may be useful for times and prices. However, if you want to know more, please email or phone. All contacts are on our website.
We have many children staying for the morning session 9:00am until 1:00pm in September 2024 and a waiting list for January 2025. Should you wish to be added to our list for 2024 or 2025 please email wenvoeplaygroup@btinternet.com.
August Report
AUGUST REPORT
From time to time the church Treasurer has to review the present level of church finances against the church budget set at the beginning of the year. At the present moment we are looking at a shortfall of £5,000 at the current year end and the Church Council has agreed that a Gift Day be arranged at the time of our Harvest Festival on 22nd September. There will be a warm welcome to you all at a bring your own picnic in the church grounds from 1.00pm-4.00pm with activities for the children which will include a colouring competition, a treasure hunt and other entertainments.
Here is the Treasurer’s Letter of Appeal.
Dear Friends,
We are always grateful for the generosity of our local community towards St Mary’s Church here in Wenvoe. We have decided to hold a Gift Day this year to invite local people, regular worshippers and non-worshippers alike, to make donations to ensure that our historic church can remain open to serve the whole community. It is thanks to your support that we have been able to continue to maintain St Mary’s as a centre for worship and a place where everyone in the community can celebrate important occasions. We are a charity and depend entirely on the direct giving of our congregation and fundraising to meet the costs of running the church.
Maintenance and day-to-day running costs for St Mary’s averages £45,000 every year and this year, with shrinking reserves, we are facing a likely deficit of £5,000. We are aware that not everyone is in a financial position to give as they would wish, but we ask for whatever support you can give. If you are already someone who gives regularly and do not feel able to do more, please accept our grateful thanks for what you are doing, and do not feel any further obligation.
Our Gift Day will be held on Sunday 22nd of September, which is also our Harvest Festival, when from 1.00pm to 4.00pm we will be holding a Family Picnic in the church grounds. Prior to Sunday, the church will be open from 2.00pm to 4.00pm on Saturday 21st when you are cordially invited to visit St Mary’s to view the Harvest decorations and, if you wish, bring your Gift Day gift in person. We look forward to seeing you.
Gift Day envelopes will be available from September 7th in the church, the Library, village shop and Wenvoe School. Cheques should be made payable to MADM St Mary. If you would like to contribute electronically:
Text STMARY to 70970 to give £5
Text STMARY to 70191 to give £10
Web easydonate.org/
We can provide further details about tax-efficient ways of giving, and how you might make a regular gift to the Church, perhaps to celebrate an anniversary or other special occasion. You might even want to make a smaller weekly or monthly donation. However you choose to give, we will be very grateful for your support.
Matronal Festival of Mary the Mother of God
On August the 18th, at our Eucharist we celebrated the feast of our patron saint Mary, the Mother of Jesus, with the church decorated in gold and white to honour her name and her role in the story of redemption. Mary has been known as far back as the 14th century as the “god bearer” when her role as mother of Jesus was fully recognised by the early church at Ephesus, and when the Normans invaded in 1066 they built many churches all dedicated to Mary, hence the dedication here in Wenvoe with our church. Wales at that time was a mix of Welsh principalities, constantly at war with each other in the north of the country, while here in the south the imposition of Norman Rule under William I, known as the Conqueror, with supporters loyal to the English crown, made way for a settled time of relative peace. St. Mary’s Church founded in the 12th century is of that time. Much has changed. The original stone church was enlarged and there followed years of deprivation and neglect. However, we have a church worthy of being dedicated to Mary, recognising her role in the life of Jesus and the early church. Jesus entrusted his mother into the care of St. John when dying on the cross and it is thought that she eventually died at Ephesus. In church there are a number of images of Mary in stained glass and statuary on the Reredos at the altar, over the South Porch and on the Rood Screen at the entry to the chancel. The service, with the booklet prepared for the congregation to follow, was well attended, allowing that many people are away in August on holiday.
During August we continued with our Open Church on Saturday afternoons, we had a wedding, and three baptisms, plus a midweek celebration of the Eucharist on Wednesday. The Chattery met on the second Thursday of the month, when friends caught up with each other with coffee etc. and great fellowship. It may be holiday time when many are away but St. Mary’s is always available for those family occasions to mark different stages in our lives, time to celebrate, time to grieve the loss of loved ones and time to welcome new members to Christ’s family. Remember the work of the church in your prayers, and we always welcome newcomers to our services.
Thank you for reading this,
Parry Edwards
World Friendship Day
In The Woods In Cosmeston
“I Kiss Myself Goodbye: The Many lives of Aunt Munca”
a
OFF THE SHELF
“I Kiss Myself Goodbye:
The Many lives of Aunt Munca”
This is a memoir written by Sir William Robert Ferdinand Mount (3rd Baronet). Principally he is writing about his relationship with his aunt, an apparent millionairess who calls herself Aunt Munca after the mouse in a Beatrix Potter book (it was never explained why). According to Mount, his aunt is a bit of an enigma and a consummate liar, “Nothing about her back story seems to add up”. Mount writes about his summer holidays at her house by the sea and the comings and goings of various guests. He name-drops frequently throughout the book and paints the characters who come and go but in a very superficial or irreverent way. There is no depth to any of the characters.
Mount does get to find out about his aunt’s background – probably the most interesting part of the whole book. Despite that there was a general feeling of so what? The title, I kiss myself goodbye is a reference that Aunt Munca makes to her background – a background that she wants to disown and forget.
This book has been well reviewed elsewhere – but take a deep sigh here – none of our book club members liked the book, only one gave it a six out of 10, with the rest scoring it as low as 2, 3 or 4. Three of us failed to finish it. It was described variously as tedious, boring, pointless and self-indulgent. Overall rating 4 ½ out of 10.