Category: News

Yet More Musings

PLAY HARD, WORK HARD

Cinema – An Appreciation

Films are a form of escape – whether you have nothing to escape or everything, it’s a way for us all to stop thinking about our problems and become engrossed in a story. The cinema is a way for film makers to express themselves or make a statement – I suppose I relate to that as that’s essentially what I try to do myself with writing. You see stories being played out and you fall in love with characters – whether they’re real people or not – because if it’s played out properly, a character is someone relatable.

Last year, the Oscar managed to produce a number of incredible and intriguing films. Most notable for me were films such as ‘Room’ (which earned Brie Larson a well-deserved Academy Award, but failed to earn Jacob Tremblay any kind of award) and Spotlight (earning Best Picture at those same awards); my two personal favourites of the year. Room was so powerful and it’s hard to believe anyone could have been in such a situation; yet I was hooked from the first moment. It was fascinating and heart breaking, but made such a statement it was hard to ignore. Although the cast was small, each and every person held an important role; that’s an impressive feat that isn’t too often found in such Hollywood films of recent years.

Spotlight was a film that although I hadn’t ended up watching in 2016 (rather, in early 2017) I thought was so brilliant. Perhaps it’s my secret love for a powerful true story, or maybe it’s because the story depicts a bunch of journalist doing something good (as an aspiring journalist myself, I can argue they don’t often earn a friendly depiction). Stories like the one in Spotlight make it hard to believe I’d never heard of it before the film was made. It surprised me I suppose that such a story had the capacity to be created in film form; people aren’t always as happy to open their arms to a controversial topic.

This year, however the Oscars gain more diversity yet the incredible films continue! Recently I saw Hidden Figures and it shocked me and annoyed me that I had never been taught about these women (despite not being American, one of my History GCSE modules was on America between 1929 and 2000). The same could be argued for Hacksaw Ridge – clearly important people in America’s history forgotten for either the colour of their skin or for being a conscientious objector. History is a topic I’m so intrigued by so these films with such interesting contexts mean so much more to me I suppose (I can’t decide whether it’s weird that a big part of my favourite films include the context?).

La La Land came a surprise – a musical is never something I can walk away from and not remember the words for the next month – but it was just how good it was. A big gamble that managed to pay off. Lion is another I’d love to see honoured at this year’s award shows. Despite being so in love with the cinema, I don’t often cry; not too many stories touch me in such a way I guess. But this was different – so far all of the films of 2017 have had me on the brink of tears, yet Lion managed to push me over the edge to the point of only seeing a blurry screen through tear-filled eyes.

I’ll reiterate: the cinema is my escape. If you manage to make it into my room – unfortunately, I have a terrible lack of tidiness – you will see that I have almost a memorabilia wall. The wall is a pin-board filled to the brim with items I have accumulated over the years, including a bag from Bubba Gump and tickets to the Capital Building and Empire State building and even a booklet from the Smithsonian from my trip to America two years ago; numerous Taylor Swift polaroids; a couple of my numbers and certificates for various sports; a souvenir booklet from when I was in Les Misèrables; some Marvel cards and even tickets from trips to London. On a whole – these are (as the song says) ‘a few of my favourite things’. Yet, scattered amongst the memorabilia are cinema tickets, the tickets I’ve managed to save from being thrown away. Because these count as memories.

Films have been a part of my life since forever; the stories and characters manage to stay with me. I doubt that’ll change, but being in higher education it’s important to get the chance to escape every once in a while. In that case, I think I’ll stick with the cinema – a platform to express yourself is always incredible.

 

Tirion Davies

 

 

 

About the Community Council

 

 

The readers of Wenvoe What’s On are happy to be living in a village that is well situated between the metropolis of Cardiff and the tranquillity of the Vale of Glamorgan and it’s lush countryside. Wenvoe is a quiet village with a fine reputation, and its people live in harmony with one another.

This well-ordered way of life is not something we take for granted; rather it is thanks to the Wenvoe Community Council, as well as the Vale of Glamorgan Council that things run so smoothly. This article will focus on the Community Council, how it works and what it does for the community which includes Dyffryn, St Lythans, Twyn-yr-Odyn, Brooklands as well as the village.

Community Councils are the grassroots level of local governance in Wales. They take decision-making out of the town hall and put it back into the community. They give people of any age and background a say about what goes on in their area. Community Councils also provide a forum for consultation with local people, giving residents an opportunity to influence how County Council and other services are delivered. Attending the meetings allows local people and councillors a time to get to know groups and organisations that work in the area, including the police.

In the Vale of Glamorgan there are over 20 Community Councils and there are over 730 community and town councils throughout Wales. Some represent populations of fewer than 200 people, others populations of over 45,000 people; but they all work to improve the quality of life and environment for citizens in their area.

Community Councils are accountable to local people and have a duty to represent the interests of the different parts of the community equally. The Wenvoe Community Council has 11 members and that includes the Chairman Colin Thomas, and Jonathan Bird who is also a Councillor on the Vale of Glamorgan Council.

Each year the Council agree a precept, which is then collected from residents as part of the Council Tax charge. This figure changes but at present it is about £25.000. The Council draws up a budget each year and decides how to spend the money. The Council employs a part time Clerk, Tony Williams, who works from 9 am to 1 pm every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from the Community Centre. He is often the first point of contact for a resident with a question or problem. He is paid by the Community Council and examples of other expenditure would be grass cutting around the village and at Twyn yr Odyn, the maintenance of the Memorial Garden adjacent to the Wenvoe Arms, the cemetery and the Community Centre.

Your Council is also responsible for organising the allotments at Twyn yr Odyn, the council take part in the Remembrance Day parade and service, the hosting of the gathering following the annual Community Carol Service and for keeping an eye on planning applications that will affect the community. Looking ahead the Council hopes to be able to provide a proper new building for the library and it will be working to ensure the successful integration of the two new residential developments at either end of the village.

Any committee or board always needs new people with enthusiasm to join it and Wenvoe Community Council is no exception. The next elections are in May and anyone who is interested will be able to put their names forward for election. A notice about this will be carried in local papers, notice boards and Wenvoe What’s On nearer the time. If you think you have the time to serve your community do consider putting your name forward. The work is not onerous with the council meeting formally one evening a month in the Community Centre. There are also sub-committees and other meetings taking place as well as regular contacts with the public and other bodies.

We are fortunate to have a well organised and efficient Community Council in Wenvoe, and perhaps you may wish to play your part in it for the sake of future generations.

 

 

Church News – February

 

 

ST. MARY’S PARISH CHURCH NEWS

Discussions have been going on during the month with our architect as to what form our proposed church extension is going to take. We have been talking about what we want the extra space used for, not only on Sunday mornings but its use during the week for church and non- church activities. The plan is that this extra space will be offered to any group in the village to meet, in surroundings that will have kitchen facilities and toilets available. Until we get these initial ideas on paper, and agreed, our architect will not be able to produce any preliminary sketches of what is possible within the means of our budget and available funds. The decision to sell the Church Hall still stands and the proceeds from the sale will be used to fund the extension and we intend seeking other grant aid, so that we have a well thought out design we can be proud of for the future development of our church and community.

We were represented at the eucharist service, to mark the retirement of Archbishop Barry at Llandaff Cathedral. Allen Oliver, attended with Jon, and reported that the cathedral was full but due to the wet weather that afternoon there was space available. We wish Archbishop Barry Morgan peace and joy in his retirement, and trust that he will settle into his new routine and home, to enjoy many years with his family.

The Annual Quiz Evening was a great success with a sell out of tickets well in advance of the evening. The quiz master was Ian Moody and his questions had many scratching their heads for answers. The evening raised the amazing amount of £748.46p and will be placed in the Church Building Fund to carry on the work needed around the church to cure the damp in the walls on the south side of the nave and porch. Our current programme of work continues at a slower pace that we would like, with the church gates having been removed for painting and repair. The large East window remains to be cleaned and new window guards fitted.

Traidcraft Plc… Helping us bring Fair Trade to our parish

Jude Billingham reports.. 2016 was a busy year for our team in Wenvoe. In addition to the usual stalls following the All Age Services and at the Chattery, we held stalls at the Scarecrow Festival, another following the Remembrance service. And at the joint Parish services. Sales to friends and families also help to boost our takings. During the year we sold goods worth £3166 and gave donations of Easter Eggs to the Foodbank in Barry and for distribution to the congregation on Easter Sunday. We also donated Advent calendars to the Foodbank in Advent.

Last year Traidcraft launched a “Let it grow” campaign to raise money for rural farmers and their families. This aimed to help farmers develop their skills in farming and business know how. This was highly successful raising over £550.000. In Wenvoe we donated £200 of our surplus and are planning to send another £150 later this year as the campaign enters its second year.

Looking ahead… a “Sale table” has been introduced to help clear some of the remaining Christmas stock, to make way for new items when the Spring catalogue is launched before Easter.

Ash Wednesday (the first day of Lent) falls on St David’s Day, March 1st this year. As usual there will be a series of Lent courses running in Wenvoe and Sully. The course in Wenvoe will be at the Rectory on every Monday afternoon in Lent from 2.pm to 3.30pm. Lent lunches in the Church hall begin on the 8th March, when soup and rolls and cheese etc will be served. Volunteers to make the soup have been arranged and a list is available in church to give some idea of numbers attending.

The next showing of “Faith in Film” will be at the Rectory on Friday 3rd March, and again names on the list in church, to make sure there is enough popcorn available. The film is “Salmon Fishing in the Yemen”. is a tale of a fisheries expert is approached by a consultant to help realise a sheik’s vision of bringing the sport of fly-fishing to the desert and embarks on an upstream journey of faith and fish to prove the impossible possible.

Looking further ahead.. on the 30th April after the United service at Sully there will be a Ministry Area Trip to Brecon. The coach fare will be approx £10 with lunch available at the cathedral restaurant, if required, followed by an optional tour of the Cathedral and 3.30pm Choral Evensong before returning home.

 

Parry Edwards

 

 

 

 

BONJOUR” and “HOLA

 

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Do you know your

“BONJOUR” from your “HOLA”  ?

 

Come and chat to Rafael and Eva, two British teens who go to a French school in Barcelona

They will be in our Community Library on Wednesday February 22nd from 1030 to 1130

(Back of the Community Centre, in the car park)croissant

 

Come and join us. Enjoy a warm welcome, a croissant and lots of fun

 

 

 

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Preparing Body and Soul for thee Year Ahead

 

 

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PREPARING  FOR THE YEAR AHEAD

 

ex07We probably all ate too much over Christmas and the New Year and some of us possibly drank too much alcohol as well. February is therefore, not surprisingly, the peak time for gym membership as individuals sign up in an effort to lose those extra pounds. The gloomy dark winter days are brightening now as we gain two more minutes of daylight each day, and we look forward to spring. Some people do suffer from these dark days of winter and that is understandable, but happily it is possible to take steps to improve the “well-being” you feel and it is not difficult.

So let’s consider looking after our body and soul for the year ahead, and let us begin with our bodies. Wenvoe What’s On has regularly carried articles about the joy of walking, and cycling. We all know that ex03exercise is an excellent way of keeping fit and healthy and shedding the odd pound. The gyms and fitness centres are there as well and the Western Leisure Centre in Ely is just over a mile from ex01Wenvoe. For those who need a private fitness centre the Copthorne hotel at Culverhouse Cross has a gym and pool and welcomes non-residents.

Linked with fitness is a good diet and this subject is covered in very many books. But it is easy to summarise the essential point which is that we should all eat a balanced diet; that is to say a daily intake of fruit and vegetables, high fibre from bread and cereals and dairy products with reduced fat. We should generally eat more beans and pulses with two portions of fish a week, and less red and processed meat. Take aways and ready meals are generally to be avoided except as a rare treat.

fruitThere are three foods which are particularly good for you. First – eat an apple every day. The old saying “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” is apparently Welsh in origin and it holds true today. As one of the most cultivated and consumed fruits in the world, apples are continuously being praised as a "miracle food". Apples are extremely rich in important antioxidants, flavonoids, and dietary fibre. The phytonutrients and antioxidants in apples may help reduce the risk of developing cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.

Secondly the Mediterranean Diet which is largely based on vegetables, fruits, nuts, beans, cereal grains, olive oil and fish is proven to give good health including a healthier heart. A recent study found that people following a Mediterranean diet had a 30% lower risk of heart disease and stroke. Details of this diet can easily be found on the web or in a book from Wenvoe librmuesiliary.

The third special food is Muesli which was developed by Dr Bircher-Benner a Swiss nutritionist who in 1900 developed a dish based on raw rolled oats and other ingredients including grains, fresh or dried fruits, seeds and nuts, and may be mixed with cow's milk, soy milk, almond milk, other forms of plant milk, yogurt or fruit juice. This was given to patients in hospital to speed their recovery. It proved a great success and is now mass produced and can be bought in supermarkets or made at home.

The last line in looking after the body has to be to ensure good sleep. People often find this more difficult as they get older. Exercise certainly helps, as does sleeping with some fresh air in the room; but if all else fails try a herbal tea like Camomile or “Sleepytime”, the latter is sold by Beanfreaks in St Mary Street and pretty much ensures a good eight hours.

In looking after the soul – this does not necessarily mean going to church – though that can certainly be part of it. It is a matter of seeking spiritual well-being. This includes connecting with others – friends and family or even through sport and club membership. It means keeping active and getting out and about, and possibly learning a new skill or hobby or taking up adult education such as an evening class. Finally there is the need to “give” whether as a volunteer or just as a simple act of kindness, and always be mindful of the needs of others whether family – friends or strangers. These things together should bring nourishment to the soul.

 

 

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Graffiti Problem

 

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GRAFFITI

Is this your child’s handiwork?

Do you recognise their handwriting?

 

In the last few weeks the use purple spray paint graffiti has appeared around the village. A rude word on fencing near the Walston Castle has been removed. The paint on the stonework of the boundary wall near the park will be more difficult to cover up. The spray on the telephone box windows can be cleaned.

If you have any information on the perpetrator(s), the Community Council wish to know

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Further Musings of A Political Teenager

 

PLAY HARD, WORK HARD

2016:- A Summary. Welcome to 2017!

Aexamst the beginning of January 2016, I sat my first Year 11 GCSE exams which let’s just say hadn’t exactly gone to plan. I was too worried about my failure to gain my sought after marks in January that it spooked me. For the first time in my life, I fully understood how much harder I needed to work. By April I had done my Grade 7 Acting LAMDA examination, earning myself a Merit in my penultimate grade. By my May birthday, my looming exams were finally upon me, the two years of course work finally leading up to the real things. I won’t lie – they terrified me. Honestly, at some points I’m surprised I didn’t go insane, yet quickly enough by late June I was done.

The rest of June and July came and went; a holiday and quality time with my family a staple for the summer. Late July and early August meant another holiday with cousins – which luckily went off without too many hitches (no one ended up in the hospital, so I’m counting it as a win!). Then came the day – Results Day. Even the name sounds intimidating, and I still have a few years left of suffering…

Yet I was okay. My exam results weren’t all what I was hoping for – yet there’s no way I could have complained. Passing all of my exams, with 2 A*s and 5 As to show for as just a few of my results was a highlight for sure. The worry was over and the delight at my GCSEs was able to fully sink in

September meant a new start – Sixth Form. As hard as it seems even now (I was unfortunately too overwhelmed for 4 subjects, deciding now that 3 A Levels would be more sensible for me) I’m glad I’ve embarked on the journey – you can see my English Literature and Language clearly come into play! ;P – it means the chance to study subjects I enjoy, and gain hopefully a place in a University studying subjects I also enjoy. You’ll hear me complaining non-stop about being tired and overworked (I just looked and it seems I may have 7 exams in the Summer…) but I feel I needed this experience to gain further insight into what I’d like to do – and where I’d like to do it.pubspeak

November meant a new role as part of a Public Speaking team through the medium of Welsh. Despite our surprise, we managed to make it to the South Wales final and were lucky to receive the chance to speak in a Cardiff Government building.

December came with its own challenges: being sole Editor of the School’s newspaper meant more overworked hours with the excitement of people not doing their work on time! *hint the sarcasm, people. Yet it came with its rewards; it meant a newfound respect, not necessarily from those in the school – I feel like the older students didn’t want to impair their ‘cool kid’ demeanour – but further for myself. I complained to hell and back, yet I surprised myself yet again with the amount of work I was willing to do – almost three months of no work over the summer makes you forget how hard you really did work – and also how much I cared. The first issue was finally released and I could go back to being the overworked student again rather than an extremely stressed editor for the rest of December. I received my certificates for my GCSEs and did my Grade 6 PAA Musical Theatre examination, filled with fear – and me having to sing a song all alone; ‘When You’re Good To Mama’ from Chicago nonetheless! Musical Theatre gained me a Distinction and Christmas and the New Year made me reflect on 2016.

Despite its universal issues, personally 2016 has been an eye-opener. It’s shown me that working hard really does get you further in the world. It’s also unfortunately taught me that I write far too much in essays… perhaps that will be my New Year’s resolution? But no, I don’t think it is.

I believe that maybe my New Year’s resolution is to take less for granted and to give myself more credit. I’m too easy to reconsider my achievements as flukes. I highly doubt I will turn into a narcissist within 2017, but perhaps a little more acknowledgement of what I can achieve may be the key to a happier Tirion this year.

Happy New Year to you all – whether you stick to your New Year’s resolutions or not, I hope you make the most of the year ahead.

Tirion Davies

 

 

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