Category: News

Christmas Crafts Well Underway

WENVOE PLAYGROUP NEWS AND EVENTS

Registered Charity, right in the heart of the Village.

www.wenvoeplaygroup.co.uk

As I write this, Christmas crafts are well underway here at the playgroup.
The children have all settled well into Playgroup life this Autumn Term. Please visit our website
www.wenvoeplaygroup.co.uk to view our gallery of photographs.

We would like to thank all our volunteers in the community for their wonderful support this past year. A big thank you to our Management Committee for their fundraising efforts and Binky Bounce for raising much needed funds.

We would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Should you have a child who is aged 2 years and above, and wish to join the Playgroup, then please contact us: email wenvoeplaygroup@btinternet.com or phone 07859 907976.

 

Advent 2025

ADVENT 2025

Following last year’s success, our Advent appeal will help others both locally and further afield through Christian Aid and the Vale Foodbank.

Christian Aid’s appeal for Christmas 2025 is for those living in crisis situations where they need emergency help urgently where they live or where they are fleeing from violence. Chance, a mother in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, gave birth to her child as bombs were dropping in her village. She survived, but lost her home and all her possessions. In crisis she gained support from Christian Aid for shelter, clothing and food. In this way Chance and her child regained their lives and hope for the future.

A collection box will be available in the Church each Sunday in Advent for donations to the appeal. Envelopes are available for gift aid donations. Sealed envelopes with donations can also be given via the locked mailbox in the Church porch.

The Vale Foodbank supports local families in crisis and campaigns for change. Currently they are calling for an end to GP fees for letters that disabled people need to access appropriate housing. The campaign was sparked by a local man who had to live in his car for over a year. He was unable to work and to apply for suitable housing he needed a letter from his GP confirming his medical condition. However, the surgery demanded £40 for the letter – money he simply didn’t have.

During the Christmas period the Foodbank will continue to provide emergency food and Christmas parcels to help to bring festive cheer to people. Suggestions include tinned ham and salmon, Pringles, mince pies, sponge puddings, selection boxes and treats, fizzy pop, crisps and custard.

Jude Billingham

 

07516 112897 (for any enquiries)

December Church News

December Church News

Nadolig Llawen. A Happy Christmas to all readers from the congregation at St. Mary’s.

If you cannot make it to church, join us online …www.ipcamlive.com/stmarywenvoe.

A message from our treasurer Ray Harris:

“The 27th of September was a disastrous day for St. Mary’s, when the figure of Christ on the Rood screen was dislodged when the cross was being dusted; likely that the glue holding the figure in place had dried out. The wood carving, which is some 150 years old, crashed to the floor and was damaged and feared to be beyond repair.

Our church architect suggested we consult Steve Shackell, a retired French polisher and furniture restorer to seek his advice regarding a possible repair. Steve, took the figure, not only damaged by the fall but severely weakened internally by a historic wood worm infestation, to his workshop, saying it would be a “labour of love ”to repair and restore the carving.

The figure was returned to the church on Tuesday the 28th October fully repaired and restored. Steve’s report read “Every worm hole was injected with a solution of polish and thinners to consolidate the internal powdery, woodworm eaten timber enabling the repair. The arms and lower legs were glued to the main body. Two coats of woodworm killer were applied. Damaged areas were filled, and missing pieces were modelled in wax and coloured. Finally, the completed carving was waxed and polished.

What was Steve’s fee? Nothing. Steve has asked that we make a donation to the Medical Missionaries of Mary, an order of nuns who provide worldwide medical care. To get an overview of their dedicated work see the magazine placed at the font.

Members of the congregation have been making donations in thanks to Steve and to support the work of the Missionaries of Mary. For friends and those who are not regular attendees at our Sunday worship, donations can be made in cash or cheques (payable to MADM St Mary) via our secure post boxes at the church hall or church porch or to make a card donation use the card machine by the Font when in church.

The repair and restoration of the figure is truly amazing. It is darker than before due to the waxes used, so we thank Steve and his colleague for a church treasure now restored to its rightful place at the entrance to the chancel.

We also thank Ray for the speed in which he ensured a repair was possible.

There were a number of special services during the month of November. All Saints and All Souls on Sunday November 1st were joyful and uplifting and the remembrance of those loved ones we see no longer but remember with love; their names were read out during the Sunday afternoon service. May they rest in peace and rise in glory.

REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY: For the first time the attendance in church was lower than in previous years, yet at the War Memorial the numbers, huddled under their umbrellas, was larger than last year. We were remembering those whose names are carved in stone at the War Memorial and 12 wreaths were laid in tribute. We thank the Vale of Glamorgan Brass Band for providing the music, and the bugler sounded the start and ending of the two minutes silence. A collection taken in church amounted to £300 and this has been forwarded to the Royal British Legion to aid them in their work with veterans of WWII. We also thank Mr Ray Harris for compiling the service booklets and for choosing the hymns sung during the service and the readers for reading with such clarity. The Head Girl and Boy from Gwenfo School offered the prayers with such confidence, despite their young age; it is to their generation to carry forward the message of Remembrance that Prince William spoke of when he delivered a video message to all schools on Armistice Day.

The Armistice was remembered when Vicar Lyndon and the Reader Emeritus met with pupils from Year 6 at Gwenfo School at the War Memorial, the Roll of Honour of names carved on the War Memorial was read out and two minutes silence was kept, as the Nation at large paused in tribute to remember the fallen.

Those who laid down their lives in all wars, are not forgotten and they will be remembered by few or by many in the years ahead – “At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them”

Fifty Years and Counting: During the morning service on Sunday 16th November Parry Edwards was congratulated on completing fifty years since his licencing in 1975. Archdeacon Mark of Margam was present to celebrate the Eucharist. This was a happy occasion with Parry’s family present with the congregation to pay tribute to his years of service to St. Mary’s. Parry spoke of how the church membership had changed during his readership in Wenvoe; there were few present who could have been in church when he preached his first sermon. The service followed with hospitality and friendship in the refurbished Church Hall. As Vicar Lyndon has written “50 years and counting…” who knows! My thanks to all who made it a memorable time which I will treasure.

God bless,

Parry

Tucker’s Final Victorian Reindeer Sale

TUCKER’S FINAL VICTORIAN REINDEER SALE

Mike and I would like to thank everyone who attended yesterday’s sale and made it such a success. Every reindeer was sold by lunchtime and orders placed for Mike to make in the next couple of weeks. Every scrap of cake sold, and the stall holders did a roaring trade. There was such a lovely atmosphere, and it was fabulous to see so many in Victorian costume – with a particular mention for Ebenezer Scrooge!

Our volunteers worked tirelessly, and we could never hold these events without them. We are extremely grateful to you all. Thanks also to Michelle and Julie for adding some lovely additions to the cake stall.

 

We had over 100 prizes in the raffle, thanks to the generosity of our ever-supportive community. We are always blown away by the way our supporters answer the call at our events like this.

The total raised so far for Wenvoe Wildlife Group stands at £1,406 and we could not have done it without each and every one of you. Thank you all so much.

Now mark the date for next year’s event which is still in the planning stage. On Sunday the 15th of November 2026 we will be keeping the Victorian theme and holding an Old Time Christmas Fair in the Community Centre. We will have games for children and adults alike with tombola and bran tubs too. There will be some craft stalls, the usual refreshments and you can have your fortune told if you dare!

Wenvoe Art and Well-Being Group

WENVOE ART AND WELL-BEING GROUP

Due to the success and interest in our Wenvoe Art and Well-Being Group we will be holding another class on Friday mornings from 10.00am – Noon. The lovely warm village atmosphere in Wenvoe helps students relax and rejuvenate as soon as they enter the well cared for old community centre.

The current group held on a Wednesday afternoon between 2.00pm – 4.00pm is full of kind and considerate students that give the class a lovely atmosphere. Some students travel from Cardiff, Barry and even Porthcawl for the experience. The group offers art tuition for all levels, from those with experience to those just starting out. Being creative is a wonderful way of letting go of any negative thoughts or problems one may be holding on to and filling your mind with the space we need to overcome them. Sharing time with others in this process offers the additional benefits of improving health and well-being. The process is so therapeutic and who knows you may even create an artwork that brings joy and uplift to someone for years to come!

If you are interested in joining a class or for further information please email glyn@glynpooley.com or ring Glyn on 07596759574. Our group is also on Facebook with examples of student artwork. All are welcome.

Local based, celebrated artist Glyn Pooley has taught many people to reveal their creativity through painting for over 30 years. More about Glyn can be found at his website www.glynpooley.com

 

Classes held Wednesday 2pm-4pm, and Friday 10am-Noon, at Wenvoe Old Community Centre.

 

 

The “Wenvoe What’s On” Website Treasure Trove

THE “WENVOE WHAT’S ON” WEBSITE TREASURE TROVE

My name is Alan Williams. I am one of the ‘Backroom’ boys responsible for producing the Wenvoe What’s On. My task is to translate or digitize the paper version of the magazine for the online Wenvoe website. I’ve been doing this for ten years. For several years I also designed the colour covers for the Christmas edition, but I don’t do that anymore. They are very time consuming, and I am running out of that valuable commodity.

The purpose of this little article is to promote the virtues of the web version of the magazine. Why? Although this is not as a result of an in-depth survey, in my experience, hardly anyone visits the website.

I want to encourage more people to explore the possibilities of the website. The magazine is a very interesting read and is full of useful and interesting articles, not to mention the ads for local services. Now there is nothing in the current month’s web page that is not in the paper magazine. However, the website magazine is available to everyone with an interest in Wenvoe at the click of a mouse, and that brings me to my point.

The advantages of accessing the website of the What’s On magazine means that every single article that has ever been written for the What’s On in the last ten years is also available at the click of a mouse.

Here is some of the content that is worth exploring:

If you are looking for a recipe, MR GREEDY’S KITCHEN has around two hundred mouthwatering recipes available, and HILARY’S CULINARY CORNER has added around twenty or more this past year. Gardeners will find valuable tips for any season from the vast knowledge base provided by THE VILLAGE GARDENER. Looking for a good read? THE WENVOE PAGE TURNERS and the OFF THE SHELF group have reviewed and rated hundreds of books. I suggest that their opinions are probably more relevant to local readers than professional reviews. THE HISTORY GROUP has given us lots of very interesting stories with a Wenvoe connection like “Wenvoe’s Part in The Battle of Trafalgar.” Who would have thought! And plenty more like that. THE WENVOE FORUM is well worth a browse for its discussions of a wide range of topical subjects. Fascinating facts and information on the natural world, especially those with a local flavour, for instance “Trees in Danger”, have been discussed by NATURE NOTES. THE WILDLIFE GROUP do a fantastic job of managing the various orchards around Wenvoe and their activities and extensive information on wildlife and orchards are well worth a browse.

So, this is my earnest message; please explore the treasure that is the “Wenvoe What’s On” website. Click on wenvoe.org.uk and make my long candlelit hours into the night worthwhile.

About Conkers and Israeli / Palestinian Conflicts

ABOUT CONKERS AND ISRAELI / PALESTINIAN CONFLICTS

(A Brief Summary of Part of an Intractable Problem)

By now local children will have collected their conkers in Grange Park. But let us stop a moment to consider how conkers relate directly to a century of conflict in the Middle East.

It began with a Jewish scientist named Chaim Weizmann. He was born in Russia in 1874 and after a rather colourful early life he was to become a professor of organic chemistry at Manchester University in 1904. By this time, he had become a committed Zionist campaigning for a Jewish homeland in Palestine.

(Incidentally, the British government had long been sympathetic to finding a Jewish homeland, and at one time they had offered the Uganda Protectorate as a possibility, partly to offset the ruinous cost of building a railway line through Kenya from Mombasa to Lake Victoria).

Back to Weizmann. Ten years of research at Manchester had led to him inventing a process to obtain acetone by fermenting starchy materials. It is now the start of the First World War, and the armament industry is in need of huge quantities of acetone to manufacture high explosive cordite.

At the beginning of the war, they relied on imported maize for the starch. But when supply routes were cut, Lloyd George, as Minister of Munitions, required that starch should come from closer to home. Weizman proposed horse chestnuts. There were factories at Poole in Dorset and by the dockside at King’s Lynn in Norfolk, producing as much as 90,000 gallons of acetone a year. Children collected the conkers and because the factory locations were top secret the collected conkers were sent to London to be passed on to the factories.

As the process was being kept secret, there were local suspicions that private profit was being made from voluntary efforts of the children. It was said that because so many conkers were collected around the country there were transport problems and piles of rotting conkers were left at railway stations.

Weizmann was thus the man of the moment, but a quid pro quo raised its head. “Seeing that I have helped the war effort, how about the British Government ceding part of Palestine (where the British had some influence) to become a Jewish Homeland? Prevarications ensued, and in 1919 when Palestine was under British control as a Mandated Territory following the defeat of the Ottomans the Balfour Declaration was issued: “His Majesty’s Government views with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country.” (Author’s Bold and Underline)

We now know just how well that ideal worked out.

An historical footnote: When the state of Israel was founded in 1948, Weizman became its first president.

Tony Hodge

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