Category: News

Conkers vs Spiders

 

I must admit that since I was a child, I’ve not been able to tolerate spiders, so I dread the reported invasion of giant spiders in the house this autumn . There are many gadgets and products on the market to remove spiders from the home and according to old wives tales, there are also natural methods Leaving conkers on window ledges is said to stop spiders entering the house, but scientists haven’t proved whether the saponin compound found in conkers is effective. Some swear by peppermint oil which has a high concentration of pulegone and methone which are natural pesticides. Drop 15-20 drops of the pure oil into water and add to a spray. Similarly eucalyptus oil or white wine vinegar mixed with water and then sprayed around the home are said to be good repellents. So I am going to have a go with the conker method- no problem with collecting conkers in this village is there?

 

 

FROM DUNKIRK TO WENVOE

FROM DUNKIRK TO WENVOE

The film Dunkirk, currently on release in cinemas, tells the story of the Dunkirk evacuation between 26 May and 4 June 1940. This is the story of the miracle of Dunkirk – the evacuation of Allied soldiers from the beaches and harbour of Dunkirk in northern France, an evacuation code-named Operation Dynamo. In the film a group of soldiers manage to cross the English Channel to Weymouth and are placed on a train. The trains were known as ‘Dynamo Specials’ taking troops to temporary camps. It reminded me that Wenvoe played a part in Operation Dynamo, well in the receiving of Dunkirk evacuees at any rate, with the Wenvoe Camp that had been set up that year. A camp later used by the US Army between 1943-4 in the run-up to the D-Day campaign and later used for German and Italian prisoners of war (see ‘Wenvoe at War’). Wenvoe Camp occupied the site that would be occupied by the golf driving range and now the crematoria.

I’m not sure how long the camp was occupied by Dunkirk veterans, it appears to be occupied mainly by Royal Army Service Corps men as one letter dated 31 July 1940 to a Pte A J Hopkinson, gives the address as; ‘No. 2 Base Petrol Filling Centre, R.A.S.C., Wenvoe Camp’. A later letter to Pte Hopkinson is dated 9 October 1940. Another soldier; John Edwards, was also with the RASC, he recalled; ‘At St Malo docks, we drove the lorries into the sea and some threw in their weapons too …The ship set off for Weymouth (the journey took all day!) and we arrived there to be met by the Salvation Army who gave every man a tin of Bully beef, a tin of Mackerel, hard tack biscuits and a tin mug full of tea. …My wife (whose neighbour had helpfully told her that "we would never see any of them again") eventually got news that I was in a camp at Wenvoe in South Wales and my brother in Law (who lived in Newport) managed to find me and confirm that I had survived.’ Another RASC man was Pte Edward Anthony Clarke, whose story; ‘Tony Clarke's World War II’; ‘Jul-Sep 1940 – Tony's unit in a big camp under canvas at Wenvoe, 7 miles west of Cardiff, manning road-blocks and checking everybody's identity (why??), with Boer War Ross rifles and a Boys Anti-Tank Rifle …’ The story notes that in Oct 1940 Tony's unit was to move to winter quarters in Caerphilly.

The brother of the famous author C.S. Lewis; Major Warren Hamilton, would also spend time at Wenvoe. Before the war the two brothers had been inseparable, sharing their thoughts and observations on the countryside, literature, and the changing world. He was a noted scholar in his own right and had served in the First World War, being recalled to active service on 4 September 1939 and posted on 25 October 1939 to Le Havre. In May 1940 he was evacuated from Dunkirk and transferred to the Reserves on 16 August 1940. He then left Wenvoe Camp and headed for Oxford where he promptly joined the Sixth Oxford City Home Guard Battalion.

It would be interesting to know how much interaction was there between the camp and Wenvoe and if any readers can add anything please let us know. Parry Edwards has noted that in 1940 there were two weddings from the RASC Wenvoe Camp; one couple being Beryl Fairchild who married William Shakespeare of the RASC at St. Marys Church. No doubt these were engaged couples who had decided that with one of them having survived Dunkirk they should get married!

Stephen K. Jones

 

BBC WW2 People's War Lost in France, May/June 1940: With the RASC by John Edwards http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/45/a2598645.shtml

Tony Clarke's World War II, http://www.rogerclarke.com/Family/AW4/06/2/WWII.html

http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/GLAMORGAN/ 2004-08/1091645916

 

 

Church News for October

 

Looking back into October we seem to have been celebrating the HARVEST FESTIVAL for most of the month. Following on from the highly enjoyable Scarecrow Festival, we began by giving thanks for the Harvest at St Mary’s on Sunday 29th September, when the “Pebbles “ children gave us a presentation of the colours of the rainbow, with fruit and vegetables to line up with the colours of the rainbow. They also brought to the altar the gifts of tinned goods and other foods for the foodbank in Barry, whilst the fresh vegetables were taken to the Salvation Army for use in their kitchen to feed the homeless in Cardiff. In addition the money we raised from the weekend’s activities and the morning collections in church came to £324.27 which was donated to Christian Aid for the East Africa Appeal. This amount was further increased by the giving in Church to the appeal over the past weeks.

The Harvest celebrations continued in St. Lythan’s and Sully churches over the weekend of October Ist, with beautifully decorated churches and more money donated to Christian Aid. On October 16th St. Lythan’s held a Harvest Lunch at Dyffryn Springs in aid of their church funds, and a goodly number settled down to a hot lunch and super desserts in the lovely surroundings of the fishing lakes.

To round off the harvest, Messy Church met in the Community Centre on October 21st to explore the theme of “Messy Harvest” and once again the response was good and the children and parents enjoyed the craft activities and joined in the worship and all appreciated the meal at the end of the session. Once again thanks are given to all who help to organise and arrange these afternoons for a different kind of worship which are arranged with members of the Vale Church in Wenvoe.

On Sunday 29th October, being the fifth Sunday of the month, the congregations of sully, St. Lythan’s and Wenvoe churches came to together to celebrate the Eucharist. The morning began with a Parish Breakfast in the church hall, followed by the service in church. In the evening a “Songs of Praise” service was held in Sully to sing the Ministry Area Six Favourite Hymns. The congregations have been voting during the month in each church for their favourite three hymns, and the highest votes were then sung with great gusto.

 

OBERAMMERGAU Germany 2020:-

In 1633, the residents of the beautiful Bavarian village of Oberammergau made a vow, that if God would spare them from the plague which was ravaging Europe, they would produce a play thereafter for all time depicting the life and death of Jesus Christ. True to their word the first Passion Play was performed in 1634 and now almost 300 hundred years later the play is still performed once every 10 years between May and September. 2020 marks the 42nd Passion Play and we are beginning

to explore the possibility of running a coach trip with Edwards Coaches. In the meantime we would like to know how many people from the Ministry Area would be interested in being part of this trip. Expressions of interest – which does not at this point commit you to anything- should be made to Howard Rees, churchwarden of St Bleddians’ church. St. Lythan’s c/o The Rectory, Port Rd, Wenvoe. CF56DF

 

 

In Memorium :- The village of Wenvoe was shocked to hear of the passing of Carole Moody, a long time member of St Mary’s Church, from almost the day when she and Ian moved into the village. Carole was involved in so many activities in Wenvoe, from Scouts, Church choir, Wenvoe Ladies choir, the Sunday School, Mother Union to name but a few and she made many, many friends during her time here. Her health had been a concern for a number of years but she soldiered on despite the pain, and Wenvoe will be a little greyer without her cheerful take on life. Her funeral was held on October 25th at St Mary’s with many gathered to pay their respects and to support Ian and Kim in their loss. She was remembered in our prayers in church on Sunday 15th October, and the Bible quotation came to mind. “Well done thou good and faithful servant” Rest in peace Carole, it has been a pleasure to have known you.

With every Blessing

Parry Edwards

 

 

WENVOE CHRISTMAS CHATTERY

 

WENVOE CHRISTMAS CHATTERY

9th November starting at 10.30 in the Church Hall

Our Christmas Chattery traditionally takes place in November – we like to be different!

There will be a De Luxe Tombola and cake stall, in addition to the regular Tradecraft stall which will feature many Christmas goodies. Also featuring a raffle with the chance to win a festive hand made iced cake

Admission as usual is £2 which includes a ticket for the monthly raffle as well as refreshments

Everyone is welcome to join us for a happy, chatty gathering. All the money raised at Chattery throughout the year goes to the St Mary’s Church building fund

Carol Wyllie 02920592655

Sandra Davies 02920594335

 

 

Llandow Air Disaster 12 March 1950

 

 

In the years after WWII there was a surge in demand for air travel. This was largely met with aircraft that had been sold off as surplus to requirements.

People began to realise that travel by aeroplane was something available to everyone, not just the rich.

A Cardiff entrepreneur chartered an aeroplane to fly from Landow airfield to Dublin for £10. Llandow was not a commercial airfield, though still operating for military use.

The Welsh team was on the brink of its first Triple Crown for nearly 20 years. Victories over England and Scotland set up a deciding match with Ireland. Thousands of supporters made the trip

The Saturday flight to Dublin on Saturday 11th was uneventful.  Wales won 6-3. Great! The boys celebrated until late.

Friends and families waiting to welcome fans home spotted the aircraft in the west. As the aircraft approached it seemed to be flying too low. Then with its undercarriage down the engines suddenly boosted causing the aircraft to stall and drop to the ground. 80 died with 3 survivors.

After a court of enquiry the Ministry of Civil Aviation announced that the probable cause of the accident was the luggage loading of the aircraft, which had moved the centre of gravity.

Whether or not luggage contributed to the crash, the weighing of luggage to this day stems from the crash. Rhoose Airport was created later, with a memorial stone in Sigginstone.

The death of the last survivor of 3 was reported in WalesOnline, May 2011.

BD

(A memorial plaque is erected in Siginstone on the road side near Park Farm, the site of the crash.)

 

 

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