Category: News
Wenvoe Village Show
WENVOE VILLAGE SHOW AT THE CHURCH HALL
SATURDAY 6th SEPTEMBER
This is Wenvoe’s own local show and offers an excellent opportunity for some friendly, fun competition. Will your fruit and veg be the talk of the village? Is your baking a triumph? You don’t have to be an expert, you just need to enter. The show is limited to entries from people who live in the Wenvoe community (Wenvoe, Twyn-yr-Odyn, St Lythans and Dyffryn) and children who are residents of Wenvoe or attend the village school.
Entries to be registered at St Mary’s Church Hall between 8.30 and 11 am on Saturday morning (for those who have other commitments on Saturday morning there will be a limited time slot to register entries between 6 – 7.30pm on Friday evening 5th September but this will NOT include culinary entries). The hall will then be closed between 11 am and 1.30 pm. for the judging to take place. The public will be welcome to come and view the exhibits between 1.30pm and 4pm. From 3pm – 4pm there will be a chance to sample the culinary entries for yourself. There will be a good quality raffle, and this will be drawn at 3.30pm. If you have a prize that you could give we should be very grateful.
If you wish to reclaim your entries they should be collected between 4 and 4.30pm but please note that items entered in the culinary categories will be offered for public tasting and will not be eligible for collection unless there is any left at 4pm. Entry fee – £1 for the first entry and 50p for all subsequent entries per person. You may enter as many sections as you wish but the maximum number of entries per person in any one section of a category is two. Items entered in previous Wenvoe Village Shows are acceptable but only if they have previously failed to win a prize. If you would like to help on the day or have any queries, please speak to Mike or Glenys Tucker.
Weather permitting there will be refreshments available outside all day.
The categories are listed below.
Exhibit Categories
A Very Hot Day at Cosmeston
Valeways Walks August 2025
The Sites Are In Tip-Top Condition.
Wenvoe Wildlife Group
The Sites Are In Tip-Top Condition.
Activities this month included strimming the Welsh Orchard, continuing to clear the Upper Orchid Field and working on the Community Orchard. We attended the Playing Fields Open Day but had very few visitors to the Community Orchard – not surprising as the weather 
was pretty miserable. The willows on the Community Orchard are due to be cut back at the end of the month but they will continue to provide a screen at the northern end of the orchard. Most of the fruit seems to be doing well and the Shepherds Bullace is already being harvested by enthusiastic jam-makers. We still get asked where the orchards are so you can pick up a leaflet showing their locations from the Tuckers’ noticeboard dispenser outside 29 Vennwood Close.
We were delighted to hear that our 7 sites had all passed the Green Flag assessment. Another independent vote of confidence in the quality and accessibility of the nature reserves. Thanks are due to the members of the group, landowners and residents who aim to keep the sites in tip-top condition.
June & July Events of Wenvoe W.I.
WOMEN’S INSTITUTE
June & July Events of Wenvoe W.I.
uneIn June we welcomed Ann Lush MBE from Penarth who gave us a very interesting talk about how cakes are used to celebrate occasions throughout the year, along with how they are made. She also told us about the filming of her garden for a future Gardeners’ World programme which had taken place that day.
On July 3rd Viv Truran entertained us again with tales of her travels, gave us some information on antiques that members had brought in and described how she has become an Instagram influencer. This was followed by a strawberries and cream supper.
The following day we visited Ty Hafan, our chosen charity for the year, for a very informative tour around the gardens and hospice, showing us the facilities available for the children and their families. We were also treated to cakes and drinks provided by the volunteer gardening team.
We are not meeting in August but are going out for a meal together.
A member of staff from Ty Hafan will be the speaker for our September 4th meeting and we will be having a raffle as our final fundraising event.
Visitors and prospective members are always welcome to our meetings, which are held in the Church Hall at 7pm on the first Thursday of the month. Please ring 07881853032 for further details
Carol Charlson (President)
Vale Foodbank Update
VALE FOODBANK UPDATE
Thank you to all those in Wenvoe who have donated to the Vale Foodbank, especially those who donate frequently. The boxes in St. Mary’s Church porch are emptied regularly and the contents taken to the Foodbank warehouse each week. There is usually a car boot full and in addition money to donate from those who find it difficult to carry food stuff. If you wish to donate money in cash or by cheque written out to the Vale Foodbank it can be posted in a sealed envelope in the Church porch letter box.
All of the local Foodbanks in the Vale continue to be accessed regularly. In June 292 referral vouchers for help included 399 adults and 201 children. Of these 73 households were referred for the first time. Regular donations ensure the Foodbank can continue to support individuals and families. Unfortunately, the number of donations has reduced; for example in June 18,265 kgs of food was distributed with only 17,216 kgs coming in. As the school holi-days now begin, we are reminded that the require-ments for the Foodbank continues at a pace.
Current items in short supply include; Tinned meat for hot meals and sandwiches, tinned vegetables, long life milk and fruit juice, tinned rice pudding, snacks and instant foods for people who do not have access to cookers.
Jude Billingham
Blooming Wheelbarrow Results
BLOOMING WHEELBARROW RESULTS
A huge thank you to all of you who turned out for the Blooming Wheelbarrow Competition in the Church Hall on Saturday 5th July, despite the wet weather. We had 13 entries, all very different and all very imaginative.
Adult individual wheelbarrow – Tony Hodge
Adult group wheelbarrow – The Bush Trimmers.
Container/small wheelbarrow – Linda Edwards
Children’s wheelbarrow – William, Poppy, Frances and Georgia.
Thanks to all of our stalwart volunteers who make these events possible, and of course massive thanks to all the entrants, whether individuals or groups.
Many thanks to Tony Frost for doing the difficult job of judging and to The Bush Trimmers for giving back their prize to be donated as a prize for the Wenvoe Village Show Raffle. What a lovely lot!
What’s On Volunteers Wanted
What’s On VOLUNTEERS WANTED
To join the What’s On magazine team.
Wenvoe What’s On has been published since 1988, with the aim of providing information, news, and entertainment for the people of Wenvoe. Contributions come from a number of people in the village, but we would like to have more. About 600 copies are printed and distributed each month by a network of volunteers. Costs are covered by advertising.
We need help from people with various skills:
- Desktop publishing
- Layout design
- Proof reading
- Distribution
- Advertising
- Finance
- General information technology
- and last, but not least, enthusiasm and team working.
This kind of volunteering is well suited to those doing Duke of Edinburgh, or Welsh Baccalaureate, as well as those of us who have a bit more time on our hands.
If you are interested in joining us, or just finding out what we do, please contact Dickon Oliver (07979 474 809) or Annie Bennett (07754 072826). Alternatively write to wenvoewhatson@gmail.com.
Thursday Walkers Celebration
THURSDAY WALKERS
– CELEBRATION –
Wenvoe walking group began about 30 years ago when Doreen Searchfield and Mary Rees said, in the Wenvoe Arms upper room, that they would like to walk around the village but didn’t know where to go. Bert Bates and John Custance took up the challenge and started local walks.
The monthly Thursday walks and longer Saturday walks then become the norm. Bert and Gwyn Bates, John and Jacky Custance and Ian Moody were the main organisers.
Following Bert’s recent decision to hang up his Thursday afternoon boots, current and past Thursday walkers assembled at the Wenvoe Arms upper room once more to say ‘Thank you’ for all the chat, walks and fun.
Thanks to Joyce for organising the evening, Jenny at the Wenvoe Arms for supplying a delicious hot and cold buffet, all the walkers for the friendship and stories, and of course, Bert and Gwyn for all the happy memories.
