Category: New Items for November 2025

Latest post for the current month

“Gabriel’s Moon ” by William Boyd

 

“Gabriel’s Moon ” by William Boyd

 

Gabriel’s Moon by William Boyd was met with mixed reception by the group being thoroughly enjoyed by some but others felt that it was a disappointing read and wouldn’t recommend it.

The main character was a travel writer who somehow became embroiled in espionage and managed to gain entry to several different countries becoming involved with historic events such as the assassination of Lumumba in the Congo. As such there was a mixture of fact and fiction in the book.

There were themes in the book of the main character’s relationships with women – among others his psychoanalyst, the woman who became his ‘handler’ – his brother and contacts made in the field, while at the same time he was dealing with the childhood trauma of losing his mother in a fire. There were a lot of different threads within the book that many felt quite confusing.

Some felt the book was well written with good description of places visited but others found it ‘bitty’ and confusing with no real theme to the story.

The ending was ambiguous but this is the first in a trilogy so any loose ends may become clearer in future books.

One of the group has read a number of books by William Boyd and felt that the story followed previous themes.

Overall, the book was given a score of 5.

Definitive List Of Welsh Apples

Definitive List Of Welsh Apples

There has been some press coverage recently following an announcement by the National Trust of the publication of a definitive list of Welsh Apple varieties. There are 29 listed. As we have gone to great lengths to plant many of the Welsh varieties in our orchards, we have been considering the list and its implications. In fact although 29 are listed they are broken down into 3 categories. The first category is the Historic list – apples unique to Wales with evidence of cultivation in the country pre-1950. There are 16 of these and include varieties planted in our orchards such as Cissy, Gabalva and St. Cecilia. We have 11 varieties of these.

 

The second category is referred to as Modern which are unique to Wales but introduced by a Welsh breeder or nursery post 1950. One of these is Bardsey which is claimed to date back hundreds of years as it was found in an old orchard on Bardsey Island and sold around the world as such. However, as there is no evidence to support the claim and it was discovered in 1998/9, it is officially post-1950 and thus Modern. There are 5 of these of which we have Bardsey and Machen.

The final category is called Associated and these are not unique to Wales but may have been given a Welsh name and widely cultivated in Wales or the Marches. There are 8 of these of which we have only planted Morgan Sweet.

However, we have another 7 which we understood were Welsh but do not fall into any of these categories such as Afal Wern, Pig Aderyn and Cadwallader. The implication is that these are English apples which were just given a Welsh name. So, this list does help to clarify which varieties are truly Welsh and which were adopted and introduced from elsewhere. To check out the full list go to the National Trust website.

Orchard Maintenance

Wenvoe Wildlife Group

Orchard Maintenance

Sian has cleared a section of the Watercress Beds at Goldsland. Llewellyn from the Vale Local Partnership team has done a fantastic job cutting the Community Orchard, Wild, Goldsland and Elizabethan orchards whilst also widening the paths around the Upper Orchid Field.

These and many other jobs are made possible through the money raised by the Tuckers’ events and all of you who support them. Other items we have spent this money on include new benches in the Community Orchard, new noticeboard in the Community Orchard, junior workshops for 7- to 11-year-olds, insurance, schoolbooks and items in the wildlife patch, leaflets, signage, tools and materials. Thank you to all who support us directly and those who participate in the Tucker events.

Date for your 2026 diary. The Garden Birdwatch takes place between Friday 23rd and Sunday 25th January. More details will follow nearer the time.

“Into the Storm ” by Cecelia Ahearn

OFF THE SHELF

“Into the Storm ” by Cecelia Ahearn

Cecelia Ahern is an Irish novelist, known for her works like PS, I Love You; Where Rainbows End; and If You Could See Me Now.
It is a wild night in the middle of December, and GP Enya is crouched over a teenage boy, performing CPR in the rain.
The boy survives, but Enya’s life splinters in two. Trapped in a loveless marriage, the storm propels her to break free. But even in the remote country town that becomes her sanctuary, Enya is haunted by the night in the rain. Beneath the boughs of an ancient tree that tells a thousand stories, can she find the courage to face her demons.
The book was enjoyed by all members of the book club. However, some members found the ending unbelievable because they felt that the author had not set up some of the characters well, particularly the GP in the story who they felt was not credible.
Despite this it was readable and well written, and some members really enjoyed it and would recommend it.
A score of 7/10 was given overall.

November Church News

November Church News

Greetings to you all from the congregation at St. Mary’s Church. Join us for our Sunday service at www.ipcamlive.com/stmarywenvoe at 9.30am.

Our joyful celebration of the harvest was also the occasion when we formally said farewell to Alyson Price as she has now embarked on her final two-year preparation for the full-time ministry. Alyson has been a stalwart member of our congregation and for many years was the leader in our Pebbles Group of young children. She has been a teacher for 32 years and she has opened a new chapter in her life. We wish her well and at a presentation in the newly refurbished church hall Alyson was presented with a card of good wishes, flowers and a gift of an All Seasons Stole for the day of her ordination.

Harvest is always a special time, and the church was filled with the largest congregation of the year so far. The Vale Foodbank received the tinned goods, fresh vegetables and cash offerings to help fill the gap for an ever-increasing need for their services. It is our duty as Christians to share the bounty of the earth with those who are not as fortunate as we are. Thank you to those who helped prepare the church for harvest, to those who brought an abundance of foods and other items, and to Jude and Nigel for their weekly delivery to the food bank in Barry.

Our Harvest Thanksgiving continued on Sunday October 12th at St.Bleddian’s Church at 3.00pm. It is good to see the church prepared and cleaned ready when it is not in regular use. So, a big THANK YOU to the faithful for such a special effort to present the church as we have always known it.

During the process of cleaning, the Rood Screen at St Mary’s, the central figure of Christ became dislodged and fell to the floor in pieces. It was devastating to see such a beloved artefact, which had been hanging there for over 150 years shattered. Upon examination it was thought to be repairable, and on the advice of our church architect, a retired French polisher and joiner agreed to undertake the restoration. We await the results. The figure of limewood and its attendant figures of St. Mary and St. John are full of historic wood worm which had been treated and will be subject to remedial action to ensure they are preserved for the future.

The Refurbishment of the Church Hall: The hall has been transformed with new LED strip lighting, a complete repainting, together with the kitchen and toilets and all thanks to the donations received to make the hall fit for purpose. The provision of new curtains at the windows and acoustic panels on the walls is to be welcomed to lower the noise levels. The contractor has been working on the church hall floor and the results are more than we expected. The floor has been sanded and sealed with three coats of sealant and looks amazing. We can now be proud and pleased to able to present the hall to prospective hirers as a very pleasant venue. There will be a new Hiring Agreement and NEW rates of hiring; this will come into force in the New Year.

Quiz Night at the Church Hall: On Saturday 11th October Wenvoe church hall was full of people in teams ready to compete in a fiendish quiz. Ray Harris was armed with taxing questions and Alun Jones updated a screen displaying the scores after each round. Fortunately, the new acoustic boards worked well and the sound system meant that everyone could hear. At the end there was a fun round based on Who Wants to be a Millionaire. This most enjoyable evening raised £545 towards the refurbishment of the church hall. Grateful thanks to everyone who organised or supported the quiz night’

Remembrance Sunday, November 9th will follow the successful pattern of previous years with a community service at 10.00am with the commemoration at the Village War Memorial at 11.00 am for the reading of the Roll of Honour, the two minute silence, and the laying of wreaths. This year Vicar Lyndon will be presiding over the proceedings and as usual we welcome the Vale Brass Band to provide the music, and also welcome the Scouts and their leaders, bringing their banners into church. Remembrance is a time of recalling the sacrifices made by the young men of our village and all over the country to defeat the enemy, so that we can live the life we do today. WE WILL NOT FORGET THEM. Do join us in church or at the War Memorial. The collection in church will be donated to the ROYAL BRITISH LEGION for their work in rehabilitating the veterans who through age are getting fewer each year. There will be refreshments in the church hall to follow and an opportunity to meet up with friends not often seen.

On Remembrance Day 11th November at 11.00am there will a service at the War Memorial with Year 6 pupils from Wenvoe School. You are welcome to join us.

Service of Thanksgiving: Sunday 16th November will be a special thanksgiving for the 50 years that our Reader Emeritus has served in St. Mary’s and elsewhere following his licencing by Bishop John Poole Hughes in 1975. Join us with Archdeacon Mark of Margam as we give thanks for half a century of faithful service. WELL DONE THOU GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT.

Church Clock: The church clock that has ticked the hours, the months and the years away since it was installed in 1880 seems to have a life of its own. Recently for no apparent reason it stopped. The engineer who looks after it on behalf of the original maker Smiths of Derby, could find no reason other than wear and tear and managed to get the clock working. There is a cost for this and as the clock is a public amenity for the community the Wenvoe Community council was informally approached for help in maintaining it. So far there has been no response from them and the invoice has been paid from our meagre church funds.

It is always a joy and a privilege to share news of St. Mary’s with you all.

God bless,

Parry.

Go For It – Plant The Bulbs

THE VILLAGE GARDENER

Go For It – Plant The Bulbs

Go for it – plant the tulip bulbs, they will produce excellent blooms if put in this month. Just make sure the pointy bit is aiming to the sky and they are deep enough. Daffs are cheap to buy now as the success rate diminishes with each week that goes by. Don’t even think about buying snow drop corms, they never do well. Wait until they are available next year, in the green, around March and April; you will be guaranteed a display the following Spring.

Some of the begonias flowered right through October. The mild, if somewhat windy, weather saw to that. Just make sure you save the tubers by drying them out and storing in a dry place, free from frost. The roses have also been producing blooms later this year, which has delayed any pruning until November. I will be putting the hedge trimmer through the roses and leaving the real pruning until the end of March, or when the buds show signs of growth. Do not leave any of the infected leaves around the base of the plants, as the black spot spores will thrive in the soil.

A lot of berries on the holly again this year, so if you need some for Christmas then cut off what you need and stand in water, it keeps for ages. If you don’t do this the wreath makers and wood pigeons will make short work of it before the first day of advent.

November is the start of the bare root season, these shrubs and hedging plants are generally cheaper than pot grown ones and take very well when planted. Apples and pears can be pruned at the end of the month through until the end of February. Don’t prune plums or any stone fruit until the Summer.

There is still plenty to get on with at the allotments. Mike Johnson along with others will be collecting leaves to fill the compost bins along with waste generated off his patch. This Autumn Mike is going to dig some of the leaves directly into the soil so the worms can speed up the process of decomposition. In the village you can leave the leaves on top of the soil for the same effect but up at Twyn Yr Odyn the wind will blow them into the Bristol Channel if you use this method.

Old hands Colin and Bernard have been pleased by the way the allotments have been cared for this year, producing good results in what has been a challenging year weather wise.

Reminder, if you’re having a bonfire, please check for hedgehogs. If you leave them in for too long they become crispy and take on a barbecue flavour. Barry Oliver wraps his in foil, to avoid any mishap.

Take care and happy gardening.

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