Category: News

Take Time To Sit And Enjoy

THE VILLAGE GARDENER

Take Time To Sit And Enjoy

Hope you are all pleased with your gardening efforts so far this year. As June kicks us off into the main flowering season, especially with geums and the first flush of the roses, don’t forget to try and take time to sit and enjoy it when you can. People who are patient will always get good results. May was so warm that Silvia Davies had planted out her summer bedding by the middle of the month. It’s probably best for all of us to follow her lead as she really does know her stuff. Pelargoniums that were bought as plug plants and kept under glass until the end of May, then planted out, will flourish and give us colour until the end of September. Lupins are coming into their own now. If you bought some that were grown by Barry Oliver, they would have been brought up in what is known locally as Barry time, meaning they will take a while to be at their best but will form a lovely display and with a little care will last for ages. If you haven’t cleared the mess left by forget-me-nots, then you will now be inundated with this annual next Spring.

Mulching the bare soil will help retain moisture and if it’s put on a couple of inches thick will slow weeds down considerably. The dry weather had certainly stopped the slugs’ movement, but as soon as we have rain, they will be out in force so be on the lookout. Beer traps work wonderfully even if they are a bit messy. If you are thinking of planting a climber on a boundary, put it on the north side of the garden. Putting these on the south side, means that your neighbour will be enjoying the blooms.

Allotments at Twyn Yr Odyn have never looked so good according to the old folk (Bernard & Colin). This is a great effort from the allotmenteers, especially the new folk. A lot of effort will now go into protecting the crops from pests and diseases. The police team up there put their runner beans in early. This isn’t against the law, but you do have to be careful of cold nights, high winds and young rabbits, who have no respect for authority. Rabbit stew and beans will give you all the energy you need to keep on digging, according to Gareth Lewis.

Take care and happy gardening

Brecon & Llanthony Priory

Brecon 

This was a delightful walk, we parked north of Brecon and took a footpath through the cathedral grounds. The mixed woodland (oak, beech, hazel and alder trees) of Priory Groves borders the river Honddu, and is about a mile long. Birds sang, the river tinkled, the scent of bluebells hung in the air and the sun shone through the branches as we strode along, heavenly.

We emerged into open farmland where the Pen y Fan range came into view dominating the skyline. Heifers showed interest in us and a local farmer drove towards us apparently to check that the two dogs were under control. Unsurprising, as the next field had a bull and cows with their calves. As we travelled northwest a few footpaths proved a challenge but the many spring lambs in varying shades were entertaining and the views fabulous. At the northernmost point of the walk a missing footbridge across the river Honddu forced us to retrace about 1 kilometre to take an alternative route. So, we stopped for lunch on the edge of a field trying to avoid nettles and thorns as we sat.

We took a road west until we were beside the iron age, Pen-y-crug fort, where we climbed a footpath to the top of the fort. We had superb 360o views of Pen y Fan and other hills of the Brecon Beacons and of Brecon lying to the south-east.

A wide grass path led us down into Brecon near Maen-du well. The dogs paddled in muddy water before a brief foray into a clear stream and the humans looked at the stone building around the well. An excellent day’s walking rounded off with a drink in the sunshine at the pub in Libanus.

Walk 7.25m 1125ft. Map OL12

Llanthony Priory

Another beautiful walk, this time in the Black mountains above Llanthony Priory. As we set off, we realised we were sharing the mountain with a few other people! Lots of cars were parked in a field, with a marquee, a police presence and a ‘Finish

Line’. Longtown Mountain Rescue were holding their annual fund raiser with 850 participants! As we climbed, we saw few people, as luckily, our route differed from the event.

Our surroundings were a pastoral idyll, with lush grass, trees in full leaf and ewes with their lambs. The climb was demanding, and we all took breaks to look at the tiny people and vehicles below and to gaze at the beautiful valleys and hills around us. The call of a cuckoo echoed up the valley and we were all reminded of days gone by when we regularly heard it. The Mountain Rescue helicopter flew up and down the Ewyas valley doing circuits until it eventually landed in a field near the priory just as we reached the ridge of the mountain and Offa’s Dyke path.

We were doing our route anticlockwise, and the event participants were going in the opposite direction. We reckoned they were walking further than us and gave way whenever necessary. There was a feeling of spaciousness along the ridge as the Black Mountains spread away from us. This area is spectacularly beautiful, and we enjoyed superb views with a light breeze and sunshine all day long.

As we turned to start our descent, we looked for a moment at the cairn where we had laid a stone in memory of a fellow walker. It was lunchtime and we took ourselves a good distance off the main path to relax. Everyone started to divert off the path towards us, obviously assuming we were part of the event, even though there was no visible path. One woman asked, ‘Is that real?’ referring to a white horse that was stood stationary behind us, staring at the people. Perhaps she was from Milton Keynes?

Hang gliders took off from the mountain opposite and rode the thermals to come over Offa’s Dyke. We joked that maybe they could give us a lift down the mountain. Now we had a steep descent, the path was clear as bracken had been cut back. Stone markers pointed us to Capel y Ffin as we descended and hawthorn trees heavy with white blossom dotted the hillside, but I had to keep my eye on the path or risk vertigo.

Arriving at the road that runs along the Vale of Ewyas we discovered that the road to Capel y Ffin was closed to all but walkers due to a landslide. We headed towards Llanthony enjoying the warm afternoon and the beauty of the valley.

Jams were inevitable as Llanthony traffic met other vehicles on the narrow road, but we had a cunning plan and headed for the Crown at Pantygelli where the refreshments were excellent.

Walk 7.3m 1300ft. Map OL13

Blooming Wheelbarrow Competition

Saturday 5th July, 11am – 2pm
Wenvoe Church Hall

How imaginative can you be with a wheelbarrow? Blooming Wheelbarrows is a new concept for Wenvoe suggested by Tony Hodge.

Plant up a wheelbarrow with flowers or make a fairy garden or whatever appeals to you. It doesn’t have to be a wheelbarrow, you can use a bucket if you don’t have a wheelbarrow. There will be a small entry fee of £1 per wheelbarrow and 50p per bucket. Open to both adults and children; there will be small prizes for the winners.

Inside the Church Hall there will be hot and cold drinks and homemade biscuits for sale and tables set out for you to have a chat.

If you are interested in taking part please contact Mike on 07704340840 or Glenys on 07922109721 so that we can gauge the level of interest.

Thursday Walkers – A Farewell –

 

THURSDAY WALKERS

– A FAREWELL –

 

In September 1995 I had the pleasure of leading the first ever Wenvoe Walkers group.

At first my walks were demanding and wide ranging. As the years have gone by they have become a Thursday Walk centred around enjoyment of the company of like-minded people AND a coffee at some point. The walk has always been advertised as about 5 miles though often it has been more. That was psychological as some of the group always felt “I can walk 5 miles “but might not have wanted to tackle 7 or 8 miles which they did!

There has also been a comment that Bert’s Thursday Walk always has good weather. Not true. It has rained on 3 occasions! Anyway, I have always said that I only choose the day, it is the Good Lord that decides on the weather.

I had intended to complete 30 years of leading before retiring so my last walk would have been this September. However, I have some commitments over the next months which makes it difficult to fix dates. Therefore, my May Walk, which covered some of the first walk I led, was my last walk as leader. I have thoroughly enjoyed my years of leading and the company of the many people that have accompanied me over the many years.

Best wishes,

Bert

 

An Incredibly Successful Plant Sale

Wenvoe Wildlife Group

An Incredibly Successful Plant Sale

After an incredibly successful Plant Sale run by Glenys and Mike Tucker, the Group benefited from a donation of £2,132. Our thanks to all who supported the event, bought raffle tickets or plants and other produce, donated takings from their tables or just had a cup of tea. This helps to ensure we have sufficient funds to purchase benches, plant trees, refurbish noticeboards and sponsor youth workshops and school projects. We are most grateful.

Most people will have heard that vandals burned down the noticeboard/bee hotel on the Community Orchard. We shall be replacing it, but this will take a few months of planning and design. Meanwhile we shall be installing a smaller noticeboard near the planters, thanks to Martin Thomas.

Green Flag judging took place in May, and the judge was shown round by Sue Hoddell and Nicola Harmer. Fingers crossed for a good result.

The second Junior Wildlife Workshop takes place on 8th June. These tend to be heavily oversubscribed but a third will be planned for August.

If you are walking around the Orchid field meadow you might notice that a small area has been cleared of bracken. Please help us by stamping on and pulling any bracken you see at the side of the path. Even better come and help our small team next month. Thank you.

Summer’s Here and It’s All Happening In The Vale

SUMMER’S HERE AND IT’S ALL HAPPENING IN THE VALE

The ongoing (until 3rd June) Vale Food Trail has recently brought us a mix of farm tours, cook-ery workshops, tasting events, special exhibitions, live demos and more. If you are disappointed that we are at the tail end of the food frenzy, fear not. This month, the Vale continues to provide events to suit all tastes.

Sunday1June:Welsh National Aquathlon Championships. Produced by All or Nothing Events, the two events planned are a 750m open water swim and a 5km run, across a hopefully sunny not too hot Barry Island. You can find more details on the AllorNothing Facebook page. If you wish to enter you can follow this link:https://www.allornothingevents.com/race-swyd-aquathlon-2025/

Sunday June 8:St Donat’s Castle Summer Fayre. The fayreis set across St Donat’s Castle, Arts Centre, striking outdoor gardens and sea front. The entertainment includes live music and a host of family activities and local traders providing over 60 stalls. There will be the opportunity to indulge in freshly prepared food with a variety of international tastes catered for as well as the less exotic but no less tasty range of British staples like brownies and preservatives. The craft stalls will include a variety of jewellery, wood, glass, ceramics and textiles. There is more. There will be a bouncy castle and family magician ‘Simon Sparkles’ will be putting on a magic show in Tythe Barn. You can also book the following additional activities:

  • 60-minute indoor and outdoor lido pool session (£5pp(– please note the indoor pool is heated but the outdoor pool is not.
  • Archery taster experience – 3arrows plus practice shot (£5pp, ages 6+)
  • Climbing taster experience – 2 climbs plus leap of faith (£5pp, ages 6+)

 

Tickets are £13 per car (for as many people who you can fit in) or £3pp on foot. Last entry is 3.30pm. Dogs are permitted onto the campus grounds, but must be on a lead at all times. You are also welcome to bring your own picnics.

Saturday 14th June: Barry Pride. The event returns to King’s Square and Central Park between midday and 7pm, with a variety of stalls, live entertainment, food and drinks.

Sunday 15th June: Barry Island 10K Race. Barry Island will provide the backdrop for a 10K race, plus a Family Fun Run, Toddler Dash, and competitive Future Challengers mile races. The popular race organised by Run 4 Wales, will take a scenic route with highlights including Whitmore Bay, Romilly Park, Watchtower Bay, Friars Point and the Knap. There will also be plenty of fun and games for spectators to enjoy in the event village on the promenade and gardens. This year’s new lead charity is Cancer Research Wales, and the event will form part of the Run 4 Wales 10K Series. Tickets are available at £32 or £30 for affiliated athletes. For more information or to enter the Barry Island 10k visit: barryisland10k.co.uk

Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th July: GlastonBarry. Looking ahead to next month, GlastonBarry will return to Romilly Park with 22 tribute band providing live music for what is now a well-loved and established part of the calendar.

February Meeting of Wenvoe W.I.

WOMEN’S INSTITUTE

February Meeting of Wenvoe W.I.

Wenvoe WI met on the first Thursday of the month, and our speaker on that occasion was Mr Stephen Jones, a local Historian who specialises in the ‘History and work of Brunell.’ Mr Jones provided us with an excellent review of Brunell’s early life. It was quite staggering to hear about Brunell’s ability to create so many outstanding features and icons of civil engineering of his day, given that this was achieved through hard graft and genius via a drawing board – minus all the benefits of our computer age. We look forward next year to another visit from Mr Jones when he will complete the ‘Brunell Story’ (Part 2).

Our meeting concluded with the usual business and a cuppa. Again, we welcomed yet another new member, Jackie.

A week later the Wenvoe WI met to celebrate a ‘late’ Christmas lunch in the Wenvoe Arms, with excellent fayre and good company.

Our next meeting is on Thursday 6th March, at 7.00pm in the Church Hall, when we shall be welcoming Joyce Hoy, one of our members. Joyce will regale us with her recent trip to Alaska.

New members and tasters are assured of a warm welcome.

Jan Young (President)

Christian Aid Week

Christian Aid Week

 

Sometimes the simplest things can make a world of difference: every year, people in Wales and all around the UK come up with all kinds of fundraising activities to support Christian Aid. The appeal gives us seven days to make a difference to people in the most vul-nerable countries around the world.

Our global neighbours are also amazing at transform-ing their lives. This is Aline’s story. Aline Nibogora is 35 and lives in Burundi. She was married young and when she was 14, she gave birth to the first of her six children. Her husband was violent and beat her regularly – one day it got so bad, she fled.

“He would often jeer that he would kill me and bury me without anyone knowing,” Aline said.

Forced to leave her children behind, Aline wandered the streets trying to stay close by, asking anyone for a place to sleep.

“Those who showed me kindness would let me stay for two or three days, but it was difficult,” she ex-plained. “People would insult me and treat me with contempt. They forgot I was a human being. It filled me with sorrow.”

In a patriarchal society where men dominate in al-most every aspect, life is particularly challenging for women. They’ve been conditioned to be dependent on and dominated by men. But Aline found the strength and determination to push back against the injustices she was facing. Every gift, every action helps transforms lives; sometimes the simplest things can make a world of difference. Aline went to a three-day community workshop where Christian Aid-funded trainers taught people about village savings and loans associations.

“I came out of it with amazing knowledge and skills. During the training, I stayed focussed and was deter-mined to not miss out on anything at all. I really liked the teachers’ methodology; they restored in me a sense of hope and energy to take on initiatives. From then on, I started working hard, so I would not be dependent on anyone.”

With a small start-up loan, Aline began trading avo-cados and peanuts locally; then used her profits to buy a bicycle to transport greater quantities of goods to markets further afield. She is now a grocery whole-saler; she’s been reunited with three of her sons and lives on her own plot of land in a village in Kayogo-ro, in Makamba Province. She is planning to expand the business and is building a home for her family – she hopes she’ll one day have all her children with her.

“I bought some solar panels,” Aline added. “We now have electricity and the children are able to see to do their homework in the evenings. It’s true there’s a shortage of food at the moment, so there’s no lack of problems, but I’m doing what I can to get by, before we are able to harvest. I enjoy spending time with my children, who are my favourite people in the world”.

Aline is also now the chairperson of her own village savings and loan association and has helped 25 other families. She finds it important to be able to give

back and train others for the further development of the community as well as her country. Aline says the support of Christian Aid has made the whole commu-nity feel comforted and empowered. They feel they are not alone in their initiatives. Without your support we could not go further,

“You empowered us by changing our living condi-tions. Before, we couldn’t see opportunities around us. Now we can see positive and significant changes in our lives”.

This Christian Aid Week in Wenvoe

This year in Wenvoe we are busy planning money raising activities to continue to support the work of Christian Aid. We invite you to take part and to en-joy the week with us.

Our activities include:

  • Distributing ‘Delivery Only envelopes’ throughout the village giving details of how you can contribute to the appeal
  • On Wednesday 15th Assembly at Gwenfo school
  • On Wednesday 15th a ‘Clothes Swap’ (girls and women only) from 7pm at Alison’s home at 52 Wal-ston Road, where you can take pre loved items of clothing to donate or swap with others. No charge, but donations welcomed! Fizz and nibbles included!
  • On Friday 17th Big Brekkie and non-uniform Day at Gwenfo school
  • On Saturday 18th ‘Cake, Cake and More Cake’: in the Church Hall, Port Road from 10 – 12 30. No charge for refreshments, but donations welcomed, and, there will be a cake stall for take aways from one slice to whole cakes!

 

We look forward to seeing you during the week.

Jude Billingham:

 

Christian Aid Week in Wenvoe – 12-18 May 2024.

 

The Ice Cream Van Visited

WENVOE PLAYGROUP NEWS AND EVENTS

Registered Charity, right in the heart of the Village.

www.wenvoeplaygroup.co.uk

 

Well, what a lovely treat for the Playgroup children! The Ice Cream Van visited our Easter concert, with a special treat of a free ice cream for all children and the staff of course! Peppa Pig also visited with an Easter Egg for all the children and a fun day was had by all.

We would like to thank all our families and friends who made this possible. The Easter eggs were provided by the Tesco support team at Culverhouse Cross. They sell second-hand books and with monies raised, they donate to local charities. Thank you for this. If anyone has any good quality, unwanted books, then please, contact us and we can pass them on for you. Our way of saying thank you as a community playgroup.

For all those on our waiting lists for September, we will be contacting you sometime in May, to invite you to an open afternoon in June.

If you are thinking of joining us from September 2025, then please email us and we can add you to our waiting lists for 2025 – 2026.

Many thanks to all those in our community who continue to support the Playgroup behind the scene, to ensure we continue to offer this service for the surrounding area.

Contact us at wenvoeplaygroup@ btinternet.com or on 07859 907976. Why not view our website: www.wenvoeplaygroup.co.uk and view our gallery to see what we have been up to!

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