Category: New Items for September 2025

Latest post for the current month

Invitation to Creative Individuals

DESIGN A FESTIVE COVER FOR OUR CHRISTMAS EDITION

Each year, readers eagerly anticipate the Christmas edition of What’s On, known for its vibrant and festive cover design.

We are inviting creative individuals to design the front and back cover for this year’s edition, which will go to print on or around November 20th.

If you’re interested in contributing your artwork and would like more details, please get in touch with any member of the WO team or email wenvoe whatson@gmail.com.

We look forward to hearing from you.

What’s On Team.

 

 

 

AVE ET VALETE TO WENVOE
I am writing this on the day before we move from Wenvoe to Dinas Powys, surrounded by boxes of all shapes and sizes. My wife Isobel has decided it is time to downsize from our five-bedroom house to a bungalow, so we are on our way.
We have very much enjoyed our 15 years in Wenvoe, and have found Clos Llanfair a pleasant and convivial community, always quick to help one another. I have enjoyed worshipping in St Mary’s, not often enough, but I have always been made welcome there.
Wenvoe is fortunate to have a shop, post office and pub which together with the church make for a perfect village. The Wenvoe Arms is a great pub, and I hope it continues to flourish. I want to thank the kind man in the Springfield stores who kindly kept a copy of the Sunday Times for me.
We have walked in all directions, and we especially enjoy the cross country walk to Dyffryn Gardens, where we stop for a coffee before heading home. The woods around Wenvoe are full of wild garlic which heralds the arrival of spring, and we have made garlic pesto with success.
It has been very useful having a great choice of supermarkets near us. To avoid the chaos and delays at Culverhouse Cross I am always happy to drive to Lidl, but my wife will happily battle with the traffic to reach M&S.
Mike Tucker is a stalwart supporter of all things in Wenvoe, and I am sure we are not alone in being grateful for his community spirited work.
Wenvoe What’s On has been eagerly awaited each month and we are grateful to the team that has produced this very useful magazine over the years.
I was brought up in St Andrew’s Major so we are going off in that direction again and leave you with all good wishes.
Alun and Isobel Davies

 

Dates For Your Diary

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

 

TUCKER’S VICTORIAN CHRISTMAS REINDEER SALE AND CAFE
Saturday 15th November 10.00am – 4.00pm

The 7th annual Tucker’s Christmas Reindeer sale and cafe will take place on Saturday 15 November from 10am to 4pm at Wenvoe Church Hall. This year we have a Victorian theme, and we would love to see people in Victorian costume. There will be some traditional Victorian food for you to buy on the day. There will be tables inside the church hall for you to sit and enjoy a tea or coffee and maybe a homemade slice of Glen’s usual cakes or brownies.

As well as the antlered stars of the show there will be some lovely things to buy and a festive atmosphere to get you in the Christmas mood with the church hall decorated in Victorian style. We will be joined by our good friend and talented crafter Trevor with his lovely Christmas houses and decorations. There will be other local crafters joining us too and we will give more information about this in the next issue of Wenvoe What’s On so watch this space.

We will be holding a raffle with some excellent prizes including luxury food hampers, a home baked and decorated Christmas cake, some interesting bottles and some items that would make ideal gifts for adults and children. Once again, profits from this will be donated to our charity of choice, the Wenvoe Wildlife Group. The man in red will be appearing with his sleigh which will offer an excellent, free photograph opportunity. The reindeer will be sold outside where there will be gazebos decorated in Victorian Christmas style and Victorian festive music will provide the backing track to the whole event. Why not join us and pick up a reindeer and some Christmas spirit! These have become collectors’ items so start making a list of people who deserve one as a gift. Bring a friend and have a festive catch up. We look forward to seeing you there.

Famous Lines by John Masefield

Famous Lines by John Masefield

 

“I must go down to the seas again,

To the lonely seas and sky….”

These are famous lines from a poem by John Masefield.

But no need for our strollers to feel lonely as they gaze out to sea…no doubt wanting to join the paddle boarders in the bay!!

 

 

A Waiter in Paris by Edward Chrisholm

OFF THE SHELF

“A Waiter in Paris ” by Edward Chrisholm

As a young unemployed and disillusioned graduate, Chrisholm is invited to move with his then girlfriend to Paris. He is determined to learn French and to do this he seeks employment in a well-known and elite restaurant at the edge of the Seine.

His unflinching and brutally honest descriptions of life as a lowly employee, first as a runner and then the slow, often gruelling pathway to becoming an accepted member of the team as a waiter. He describes the dark underbelly of the restaurant business and the cutthroat hierarchy that keeps everybody in their place. Chrisholm captivates the disparity between the glamorous dining experience of the guests and the often-harrowing experience of the workers, from immigrant migrants desperate to eke out a living to the scheming coworkers who aim to get the best tips by any means possible.

Chrisholm’s observations move through the year it takes to get ‘some-way’ to acceptance (never fully), charts the breakup of his relationship and what it feels like to live hand to mouth in the beautiful city of Paris. This is an insightful book that will make you appreciate the waiters who work in these busy restaurants.

As a group we gave this an 8 out of 10.

Tina Alwyn

Wenvoe Tennis Group

WENVOE TENNIS GROUP

The newly formed Wenvoe Tennis Group is now up and running and welcomes new players to join us for regular weekly social tennis. We currently meet on Monday evenings at 6.00pm and our aim is to get as many as possible playing and enjoying Tennis in a welcoming, inclusive social group where a chat and friendship are just as important as any playing ability. We’ll often call into the Wenvoe Arms for a glass of something refreshing after each session although this isn’t compulsory.

 

If you’re new to Tennis or would like to pick it up again after a break, why not come and join us to see if it’s for you? We’ll gladly lend you a racket if you need one and will be happy to pass on some tips to get you playing and enjoying this life-long sport. It’s over 18’s only as space is limited but hopefully, we can include juniors as the group develops. If you’d like to give it a go, look out for our posts in the village Facebook page for session timings as these will change with the seasons. All you have to do is turn up around the published time. Contact Pete on 07891 828019 if there’s anything you’d like to discuss. We hope to see you on court soon.

 

Walking In Kyrgyzstan (Part 2 Of 2)


WALKING IN KYRGYZSTAN (Part 2 of 2)

In last month’s edition of What’s On, Nicola introduced us to an amazing walking adventure in this mysterious and far away country. It is now Day 3 and Nicola, who was feeling the effects of lack of oxygen, had been offered one of the pack horses to carry her over the pass. The story continues ………

Once through the pass we were on a vast upland plateau that was surrounded on virtually all 4 sides by snow-capped mountains. From my vantage point on horseback, I was able to look up, around and glimpse them through the swirling clouds. The rest of the group had to concentrate on where they placed each foot as the ground was boggy, peaty, wet clay in places as well as full of tripping hazards and small lochens. If only it hadn’t been raining…. And so, to our last, fairly miserable, boggy campsite alongside a high mountain lake at 3,800m.

On our last day’s trekking we decamped in the drizzle and walked only a couple of hours until we hit a road where our trusty, so uncomfortable, minibus was waiting for us. Kyrgyzstan has significant deposits of metals including gold and rare earth metals and this was a private road, open to the public 2 days a week, leading to a very productive gold mine initially funded by the Canadians 30 – 40 years ago. Whether the Silk Road continued along this road towards the mine or crossed it towards China we were not able to establish.

And so to our final guest house run by a Russian woman former climber in Kyrgyzstan who shared with us some incredible photographs of her past adventures.

Kyrgyz Eagle Hunters

On our way back to Bishkek, we were treated to a fantastic display by the last Kyrgyz family of eagle hunters and afterwards they provided a feast for us in their own home. And then we finally had a longed-for swim in Issyk Kul Lake which we had travelled virtually the length of on our first day and had had glimpses of in the distance as we hiked. Issyk Kul covers approximately 3% of Kyrgyzstan and is the second largest lake at altitude – the largest being Lake Titicaca. It is said that over 100 waters drain into the lake. Despite the outside temperature being around 35 degrees, the lake was surprisingly cold!

Issyk Kul Lake

 We feel so privileged to have visited a country that few people have heard of, to have walked along part of the Silk Road in the footsteps of so many others over the centuries, to experience such breathtaking scenery. And of course, there is a small element of smugness to have shown some younger people that life does not stop when a certain age is reached but that adventures are still out there to be had.

Nicola Strelley Issyk Kul Lake

 

“The Phone Box at the End of the World” by Laura Imai Messina

 

“The Phone Box at the End of the World” by Laura Imai Messina

This novel is loosely based on a true story, following the Japanese tsunami that devastated Tohoku in 2011. Yui, a radio show host, and Takeshi who is a surgeon have suffered great losses in their lives, and the story follows their slowly developing relationship after an initial encounter at Bel Gardia where the phone box is situated. The concept of a wind phone is beautiful – a safe space where people can reveal their unspoken thoughts and memories to their loved ones, helping to heal their grief after loss.

Opinions were equally divided over who did or did not enjoy this book. The scoring was 6.5/10. Thank you Sandra for providing delicious eats and ripe plums from the garden.

Busy Installing And Refurbishing Structures

Wenvoe Wildlife Group

Busy Installing And Refurbishing Structures

A number of residents have been busy installing and refurbishing structures in the orchards. Steve Jenkins has placed two new benches in the Community Orchard made of recycled materials which should last for several years. Martin Thomas and Bernard Jenkins have designed and constructed a nice new noticeboard for the same orchard after the vandalising of our previous noticeboard. Lenn Morris from Barry has refurbished an anonymously donated bench in the Goldsland Orchard. Your efforts are very much appreciated!

Our final junior workshop took place in the Elizabethan Orchard – again fully booked with a waiting list. Our thanks to Angela Peterken and Claire Newland for organising and running these very popular events. These workshops have been made possible through funding from the Tuckers’ Plant and Reindeer sales.

It is encouraging to see more and more residents posting images of wildlife seen locally on Facebook. Some are common – some less so like the dramatic-looking Wasp Spider seen in the photo – you do need colour to see it at its best. These records are registered with SEWBREC and will be available for consulting in the event of planning applications.

Socialising and Coffee Just as Important

LIVING WITH CANCER STROLLERS

Socialising and Coffee Just as Important

Why is there a picture of people sitting down when there should be a description of the latest monthly stroll at Cosmeston? That’s because just as important as the exercise from the walk, is the socialising and coffee, tea or ice cream at the end! Join us to find out more!

 

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