Category: News

The National Trust

THE NATIONAL TRUST

Many readers of Wenvoe What’s On will be members of the National Trust, one of the great institutions of the United Kingdom, or they will know something about it. The National Trust was founded in 1895 by Octavia Hill, Sir Robert Hunter, and Hardwicke Rawnsley. These visionaries sought to combat the rapid industrialization and urbanization that threatened Britain’s green spaces and historic sites. The founders believed in protecting areas of natural beauty and historic interest for future generations, a principle that remains at the core of the Trust’s work today.

The National Trust owns almost 250,000 hectares of land, 780 miles of coast, more than 200 historic houses, 41 castles and chapels, 47 industrial monuments and mills, the sites of factories and mines, 9 lighthouses, 56 villages, 39 public houses, and 25 medieval barns. The historic houses and castles are particularly worth visiting, and luckily, we have one of them near Wenvoe, Dyffryn Gardens. It is a pleasant cross-country walk from Wenvoe, going up Burdons Hill and across the golf course on the public footpath to reach Dyffryn Gardens where you can visit the café on arrival for refreshments. Or you can arrive by car with a picnic to enjoy the delightful gardens. There is limited access to the house on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. There is also a shop and second-hand bookshop.

All National Trust properties offer the chance to explore, many are open all year round and give a good opportunity for exercise, including ever-popular dog walking! Many visitors like to arrive at a National Trust property mid-morning to enjoy a coffee before touring the house and gardens. These properties invariably have a good café or restaurant offering a selection of fine homemade foods for lunch, and all proceeds go towards restoring the buildings.

We recently went to visit the last castle to be built in England, a National Trust property called Castle Drago which is 16 miles west of Exeter. It was built between 1910 and 1930 for the owner of the Home and Colonial stores. He had it built as a family home for his wife and three sons, but you have guessed it, by the time it was built his sons had left home. It looks modern and although built a hundred years ago it was one of the first private buildings to have central heating, a telephone exchange and its own electricity supply provided by a water-powered generator in the river below the castle. It is well worth a visit.

With over 5.7 million members and thousands of volunteers, the National Trust is one of the largest membership organizations in the UK. Its properties attract millions of visitors annually, offering educational programs, family-friendly activities, and community initiatives that help people connect with history and nature.

You must pay to visit the National Trust properties and as an example entry to Dyffryn Gardens will be £26 for a couple or £32 for a family with three children. If this seems steep compare it with the cost for two adults to visit Longleat which is £90. Members have free entry. Annual membership of the NT appeals particularly to retired couples who have more time. The cost is £160 for a joint adult membership, which may seem expensive but if you were to visit ten properties in a year it would work out at only £16 for each visit. The National Trust is a great organisation why not start with a visit to Dyffryn Gardens where spring flowers are in bloom.

 

March Meeting of Wenvoe W.I.

WOMEN’S INSTITUTE

March Meeting of Wenvoe W.I.

Wenvoe WI met on Thursday 6th March at 7pm in the Church Hall. On this occasion the Speaker was Joyce Hoy, a resident of the village and a member of our WI.

Joyce had recently returned from Alaska and regaled us with details of her precarious journey, as well as sharing some beautiful slides of the wildlife she saw – most of which were quite different from the birds and animals resident in our shores and countryside. Also during her trip she experienced close up encounters with moose, wolves and bears.

Our meeting concluded with the usual business and a cuppa. Our next meeting will be on 3rd April at 7pm in the Church hall, when Mrs Brenda Webster will demonstrate and explain the intricacies of playing the piano accordion. Any visitors and potential new members are assured of a good welcome.

On Thursday 1st May Wenvoe WI intend to hold an open coffee morning. Entry will be £3, to include a cuppa and a slice of cake. A proportion of the proceeds will be donated to our Charity for this coming year – Ty Hafan.

Jan Young ( President)

March Meeting of Wenvoe W.I.

  WOMEN’S INSTITUTE

March Meeting of Wenvoe W.I.

Wenvoe WI met on Thursday 6th March at 7pm in the Church Hall. On this occasion the Speaker was Joyce Hoy, a resident of the village and a member of our WI.

Joyce had recently returned from Alaska and regaled us with details of her precarious journey, as well as sharing some beautiful slides of the wildlife she saw – most of which were quite different from the birds and animals resident in our shores and countryside. Also during her trip she experienced close up encounters with moose, wolves and bears.

Our meeting concluded with the usual business and a cuppa. Our next meeting will be on 3rd April at 7pm in the Church hall, when Mrs Brenda Webster will demonstrate and explain the intricacies of playing the piano accordion. Any visitors and potential new members are assured of a good welcome.

On Thursday 1st May Wenvoe WI intend to hold an open coffee morning. Entry will be £3, to include a cuppa and a slice of cake. A proportion of the proceeds will be donated to our Charity for this coming year – Ty Hafan.

Jan Young ( President)

Celebration of Wenvoe Scouting

 

Celebration of Wenvoe Scouting and Review of Last 12 Months
7pm Tuesday 1st April Wenvoe Community Centre

g https://www.scouts.org.uk/ or email me for a chat.

Waiting list contact

1stwenvoe.join@penarthanddistrict.org.uk

 

Community members, scout parents, family and carers are invited to join us in the Hall to learn more about the fun that our young people enjoy during meetings and activities. We have had a thriving group thanks to the adult volunteers, who support the group.

We do however need more volunteers both to work with the young people and to act as Trustees to support the group, overseeing the group’s governance and finance. Trustee meetings are once per term and last about 2 hours plus an AGM. Meetings last about 2 hours and are held in the evenings. Working with the youngsters is fun and is very rewarding. There is easy on-line training. Leaders training is mainly on-line and forms part of recognised Youth Training. Sadly due to increased other commitments our current Cub Leaders have to stand down and we will have to suspend Cubs after Easter until we have re-placements. Would you be prepared to try and help? Come and meet us and find out. More information on the website https://www.scouts.org.uk/ or contact me for a chat.

Barry Scout Fete Saturday 5 July. Save the date for this exciting event. We run a popular Smash the China Stall. If you have any crockery you wish to dispose of please let me know.

 

Jane Fenton-May

Chair 1st Wenvoe Scouts jfm@fenton-may.org

 

Lliw Reservoir & Nuppend, Alvington

Lliw Reservoir

After a longish drive, more of us than usual, arrived at the lower Lliw reservoir, and were happy to see a café. The café has a handy leaflet describing local footpaths and points of interest.

The reservoir was built in 1867, following an 1859 cholera epidemic which gripped Swansea. The advent of clean water halved mortality rates in two years and Swansea was declared the third healthiest town in the UK. Nearly 30 years later the Upper Lliw reservoir was built, as the lower reservoir had always leaked. After over 100 years, in 1979, the dam for the lower reservoir was completely rebuilt so that the two combined now supply water across South Wales.

We walked across the dam and alongside the western side of the lower reservoir on a good tarmac path. At the head of the reservoir where an otter sculpture enthralled us, we crossed the River Lliw to continue north along the river, still on a good track, to arrive eventually at the Upper reservoir.

At an abandoned quarry a kite soared out and over us, so majestic. We watched a while as it dipped and soared at speed, soon out of sight. A gate at the Upper Lliw had a mechanism which took 5 padlocks, each with its own security code and able to release the lock – clever. Interesting, Victorian, metal and stone structures decorate the Upper Lliw, and wind turbines provide a modern backdrop.

Now we crossed the Upper dam and headed out onto wide open upland commons via a woodland. Even though it was the end of winter, we were surprised and pleased to find it relatively dry underfoot, though the moorland looked more like a desert than grassland. We found the first frog spawn of the year, including some tadpoles, in a brackish puddle with reedy grass. We also found a stone which marked the Gower Way – a long way from the Gower we thought! But the Gower way has 50 of these marker stones and extends from Penlle’r Castell to Rhosilli – a 56Km route. Up here the views are extensive as there are no trees. We spread out as we walked at our individual speeds, coming back together when we found rocks beside a path providing an ideal lunch stop.

The return involved a steepish descent through brown bracken which the children amongst us seemed to thoroughly enjoy whilst some of us were more tentative. We met the Cwm Ysgiath walk covering the lower Lliw reservoir and south, returning via Felindre. Now we followed a small section of our outward journey before returning on the eastern side of the Lower Lliw reservoir.

Back at the car park we looked at pieces of metal which looked like giant bath plugs but are valves which controlled the flow of water to Swansea from the reservoir.

This was a super walk with good paths and quite wild in places; as well as kites we saw corvids, larks and a couple of grebes. Tea and ice-cream in the café finished it off nicely. [Walk 7.5m 850ft. MapOS165]

Nuppend, Alvington

At Alvington, between Chepstow and the Forest of Dean, in England, we walked through Nuppend. The footpath went through a field with several tractors. The driver nearest us said ‘if you wait a few minutes, I will create a path for you to walk across’ How nice was that? We were happy to cross the few ditches to access the flattened path that stretched right across the field.

At Beanhill a sward of grass was full of bright daisies and crocuses. On farmland we stopped for a brief conversation, crossed a stream to a road, then found a courier had delivered a parcel to the top of the drive – possibly a box of wine but we resisted any inclination to check!

As we entered woodland. the footpath was devastated by the removal of trees felled by storm Darragh and forest thinning prioritising broadleaved trees. The going was heavy, but persevering, we came to a high wall (a bridge?) which we realised was originally a dam. We descended to the stream and climbed to a ridge covered in rhododendron and laurel bushes. After struggling to find the footpath we dropped onto it and things became easier.

The walk passed through woodland with many sweet chestnuts. We saw a shed full of calves, a handsome white-faced ram with ewes and palomino horses. Snowdrops, primroses, yellow comfrey, comfrey and coltsfoot were all spotted. At one point a basketball hoop stood at the side of the road, the traffic here must be very light.

The return route passed places with strange names: Rough Raging, Hanging wood, Upper and Lower Bargain wood, West Hunger Hill. The day was rounded off with drinks in a local hostelry, [Walk 7m 1040ft. Map OL14]

The Life And Times Of Mr J C Meggitt – Part 2

THE LIFE AND TIMES OF MR J C MEGGITT – Part 2

In Part I, we learned how the 28 year old John Claxton Meggitt came from Wolverhampton and established a thriving timber supply business in Barry. Initially this was to supply the timber needed for “false works” in the construction of the Barry Dock and Railway, and subsequently for the construction of the “boom town” that naturally ensued. They also engaged in the business of supplying pit props to the coal mines.

With his brother-in-law, his business became Meggitt and Jones, then subsequently Meggitt and Price. Meggitt was not only a successful business man, but he became very active in both his adopted community and nationally in many spheres of public life. Here are some of those activities:

  • Bristol Channel Timber Importers Association – President
  • Public Administration – Alderman, Glamorgan County Council
  • Barry Local Health Board – Member
  • Barry Urban District Council (Successor to the above) – Its first Chairman
  • Windsor Road Congregational Church, Barry – one of the founders and Superintendent of the Sunday School. Nationally, he was Chairman of the Congregational Union of England and Wales in the late 1920s

 

In addition, together with his wife, he provided Barry’s first hospital, and if all of the above were not enough he was a Justice of the Peace for the County of Glamorgan for nearly 40 years!

As we have read in previous articles, J C Meggitt became quite wealthy from his involvement in the timber trade. At the age of 70 in 1928, he handed over day-to-day control of the company and set about travelling the world for the next decade. We are fortunate in having detailed accounts of his several voyages. He wrote these as a series of letters to the Western Mail which were subsequently published in booklet format. In these he records how he travelled by sea and rail (on the Tran Siberia railway) to visit and record his impressions of some 35 counties. In the 1931 volume he mentions that his travelling companion was Sir T P Thomas, in the other volumes no companion is mentioned.

Copies of these booklets were presented by Sue Culbertson to the Barry Library and are presently being digitized for posterity on the “Peoples’ Collection Wales” website. Ms Culbertson’s great aunt Doris Gooding (her maternal grandmother’s sister) was head housekeeper to the Meggitt family.

The octavo booklets are as follows:

  • “Impressions of a World Tour” – December 1930 to April 1931”
  • “Japan, Across Siberia, Russia and Germany” – 1935 (including impressions along the way of Yugoslavia; Suez Canal; Aden; Singapore, Ceylon; China and Hong Kong”.
  • “South America (Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina), “Robinson Crusoe” Island (ie Juan Fernández Island), West Indies” – 1938”.
  • “South America, South Africa and the West Coast of Africa”– January to March 1939”.

 

As well as the “touristy” aspects of what he witnessed, being a businessman at heart, he delved deeply into, and commented on the commercial and political environs where he was to stay for any length of time. Thus, these booklets are full of insights into the local economy and the lives of the local populations.

I cannot hope to do any sort of justice to the overall scope of the content of the many places he visited, instead I will provide a few of examples of the topics he covered in depth to give you an insight.

In Australia and New Zealand (1931) he pondered on whether British car manufacturers should produce vehicles better suited to local conditions, and drunkenness and the control of drinking establishments.

In Cape Town (February 1939) he wondered whether the former German Colony of South West Africa should be returned to Germany (No, because of the abysmal treatment they had previously meted out to the indigenous population)

From Valparaiso in Chile (1938) he took an excursion of some 345miles to the Juan Fernandez Islands. It was here from 1704 to 1709 that the Scottish seaman Alexander Selkirk voluntarily exiled himself. Based on the experiences he narrated to Daniel Defoe the novel “Robinson Crusoe” was written in 1719.

The pictures were taken in Chile: at a fox farm and a local mode of transport.

This series will continue with further notes about South America and his impressions of China, Japan, the Tran Siberia railway, Poland and Germany in the mid 1930s together with events surrounding his 90th birthday in 1947.

Tony Hodge

 

Lamb Pasta Melt & Mini Egg Cheesecake

Celebrate Easter with lamb in a different but very
easy way…….
Less time cooking and more time to enjoy

Lamb Pasta Melt

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 tsp dried oregano

500g pack lamb mince

400g tin chopped tomatoes

140g pitted black olives

200g frozen spinach (about 7 cubes), defrosted

30g pack dill, thick stems removed, and leaves chopped

250g farfalle or preferred pasta shape

1 ball half-fat mozzarella, drained and finely torn

Method

  • Heat the oil in a large frying pan, then add the onion and garlic and cook for 5 mins over a medium heat. Add in the oregano and lamb, turn the heat up to high and cook for a further 5 mins.
  • Stir in the chopped tomatoes, olives, spinach and dill. Season well and cook for 5 mins until the lamb is cooked through.
  • Meanwhile, bring a pan of salted water to the boil and cook the farfalle for 10-12 mins, until tender. Drain.
  • Preheat the grill to medium-high. Stir the meat mixture into the drained pasta and spoon into a 1.5ltr ovenproof dish. Top with the mozzarella and cook under the preheated grill for 4-5 mins, until golden and bubbling.

Mini Egg Cheesecake

Mini Egg Cheesecake

This mini egg cheesecake is a no bake recipe, so dead simple but needs a few hours to set or ideally overnight in fridge.

Ingredients

For the base

250g/9oz chocolate digestive biscuits

80g/2¾oz unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for

greasing

For the filling

680g/1lb 8oz full-fat cream cheese, at room

temperature

90g/3¼oz icing sugar

1½ tsp vanilla bean paste or maple syrup is a good

substitute

320ml/11fl oz double cream

320g/11½oz sugar-coated chocolate mini eggs,

roughly chopped, plus extra to decorate.

Method

  1. To make the base, line the bottom of a 20cm/8in
    springform or loose-bottomed cake tin with baking
    paper and lightly grease the sides.
    2. Add the biscuits to a food processor and blend
    to a fine crumb texture. Alternatively, add them to a
    food bag, seal and bash with a rolling pin. Pour the biscuits into a bowl and stir in the melted butter.
  2. Tip the biscuit mixture into the tin and use the
    back of a spoon to press down firmly and evenly.
    Place the tin in the fridge to chill.
    4. To make the filling, place the cream cheese,
    icing sugar, vanilla and half of the double cream in a
    large bowl and beat until smooth and thick. Stir in
    the chopped chocolate eggs.
    5. In a separate bowl, whip the rest of the double
    cream until it forms stiff peaks. Fold this into the
    cream cheese mixture.
    6. Pour the filling into the tin and level the top.
    Leave to chill in the fridge for at least 6 hours or
    overnight.
    When ready to serve, remove the cheesecake from
    the tin.

Keeping The Village Tidy

VILLAGE ENVIRONMENT GROUP

Keeping The Village Tidy

On an overcast morning, a depleted team of six helped tidy up the rose bed on the village green. These folk have stayed loyal to their task of keeping the village tidy since 1988 when the group was formed, with the Rev Bernard Johns as chair. In those days the team was made up from pillars of the Community, clergy, doctors, councillors etc. Nowadays it’s kept alive by what can only be described in some cases as ne’er do wells. Best not to delve too deeply, especially Shady and of course, Big John who has missed two outings because of tennis apparently but we in the team know that the only court he’s familiar with has a judge and not an umpire. Racketeering is his forte. He has only gone missing since Trump announced tariffs.

For those not on remand, we will meet again on 14th April by the Community Centre

 

Wenvoe Repair Café

WENVOE FORUM

Considering Tomorrow Today

Breaking News! Wenvoe Repair Café

Ken and Martin have been busy!

Following the research we described last month, things have moved quickly. The Community Council gave their support to establish a repair café in Wenvoe and offered the use of the Community Centre. Ken and Martin visited the Repair Café in Barry, and signed up for support (guidance, training and insurance) from Repair Cafe Wales with plans to start with a low key debut. This “soft opening” on March 28th, had to be at the Church Hall because the Community Centre was already booked up. Ken and Martin have recruited and registered local volunteers and have benefited hugely from the experience and systems set up by those who already have active and successful schemes. Hopefully some readers will have been along to the Church Hall and met the local team as well as some enthusiastic volunteers from other repair cafés. At the time of writing one can only speculate what challenges would face the repairers on that first outing. However having experienced repairers on hand should have boosted confidence.

The Community Centre has been reserved for the Grand Opening of Wenvoe Repair Café by Councillor Williams, Chair of the Community Council, on April 26th. Support the development by taking along your items that need fixing.

We do hope you will start bringing items requiring a repair to the café to let the team of repairers and caterers demonstrate and exercise their skills. Three local resident repairers will be supported by three more from Barry and another from Llantwit Major so we anticipate having all the skills necessary for your electrical and non-electrical repairs. You can take along household electrics, small items of furniture, clothes, technology, wooden items, children’s toys, bikes etc. The team don’t promise to be able to fix everything, they know their limits, but if they can effect a repair quickly they will do so while you have a cuppa and wait. The repairs and the refreshments are provided free of charge but donations will be much appreciated; some income is needed to keep running. Overall, by repairing items rather than sending them to land fill we are working towa @ForumGwenfoe

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To join our Facebook group, please ‘friend up’ with the Gwen Fo account @ https://www.facebook.com/gwen.fo.1 and then jon the Wenvoe Forum @ https://www.facebook.com/ groups/635369267864402

Some further information and updates, blog site https:// wenvoeforum.wordpress.com/. Any Wenvoe community member is welcome to join the Forum meetings, via Zoom, which are normally held 19.00 on the second Thursday of each month. E-mail gwenfo.forum@gmail.com if you wish to join

.

To join our Facebook group, please ‘friend up’ with the GwenFo account @ https://www.facebook.com/gwen.fo.1 and then jon the Wenvoe Forum @ https://www.facebook.com/groups/635369267864402

Some further information and updates, blog site https://wenvoeforum.wordpress.com/. Any Wenvoe community member is welcome to join the Forum meetings, via Zoom, which are normally held 19.00 on the second Thursday of each month. E-mail gwen-fo.forum@gmail.com if you wish to join

Talking About Poetry

Talking About Poetry

The Page Turners article in last month’s What’s On got me running, well ambling I don’t run anywhere these days, to my bookshelf and a half of 1960’s /early 1970’s poetry. I was mad keen on poetry at the time with my favourites being The Mersey Poets – Adrian Henri, Roger McGough and Brian Patten – with Patten being my Number 1. I still have their signed copy of the Mersey Sound issued in 1967. In fact, in yet another recent clear out I came across my massive size poster of Patten’s poem Spring Song. I don’t know what to do with the poster but I can’t let it go. My wife Jude has refused for it to go on display. The poem begins “I thought the tree was rather ordinary until yesterday when seven girls in orange swimwear climbed into its branches.” You get the idea. He did write some children’s poetry books too. Here is his opener from Gargling with Jelly called Squeezes

We love to squeeze bananas.

We love to squeeze ripe plums.

And when they are feeling sad.

We love to squeeze our mums.

It was all groovy and fab in those days with people walking round with flowers in their hair (although not in my village) and as Scott McKenzie and the Flowerpot Men told us going to San Francisco. I did go to Carnaby Street once though! I couldn’t afford any of the clothes so I caught the 60’s vibe by buying a collection of poems called Its World that Makes the Love Go Round. Yes, I have got the title right! How about this one from the collection by Alec Cornwell called Sociological Study 1: After Russell

God came down to Trafalgar Square

Preached Peace to the multitude gathered there

While quoting his sermon on the mountain

Four cops kicked him into the fountain

Saying, as they ducked his head:

‘This guy’s a medieval beatnik red!’

Alongside Patten my second fave was Rod McKuen. I have 7 books of his. Here is a 1960’s title of one of his books Listen to the Warm. Now there’s a 60’s title if ever there was one. His book opens with ‘If you cry when we leave Paris I’ll buy you a teddy bear all soft and gold.’ That got me thinking I could probably do as good as that so when I left home in 1969 to live in Germany and Spain I took with me an A4 empty book which stated on the front ‘Supplied for the Public Service’ below the Queens crown. (I had been an uncivil civil servant!) Two years later I had written over 150 poems. Do you want to read one? Come on you know you do! It’s entitled A Very Simple Request During a Norwegian Prayer Meeting.

See that squirrel on the tree

Happy Happy as can be

See that squirrel on the tree

Make it, Make it, Make it me!

If you have you any idea what it is about let me

know. On second thoughts maybe Rod had something I didn’t have. I have bought a couple of his LP’s at car boots in the past. Let’s put it this way his singing is an acquired taste and proved to be a taste I didn’t wish to acquire. I had thought of compiling a book called 60’s c**p poetry but realised mine were too bad to go in it!

I have to admit to readers in contrast to the above I also loved John Betjeman. It’s not a guilty pleasure because I enjoy reading his poems and I am confessing that fact to What’s On readers. I know lots of people made fun of him but in my eyes he could do no wrong. I love his poem Death of King George V set to music by Jim Parker. Brilliant!

As my eyes glanced along our shelves I counted 7 books of Leonard Cohen’s poems. Now we were, and are, big fans of Leonard. I digress here a bit but I never thought I would see him in concert but he came to the CIA in 2008. What me in tears never! Two hours plus of heaven. It’s time to get our Songs of Leonard Cohen LP out again. Sing along everyone “Suzanne takes you down to her place in the river……

I will call a halt to my meanderings and wanderings through our poetry shelf- and a half. I can hear the What’s On editors saying bring it to a swift conclusion Nige you have waffled on much too long. Before I sign off though I ought to say if there is a popular ground swell of positive comment (i.e. one person) I may do a follow up with meanderings through some of our 1960’s vinyl albums.

So I will finish by sharing with you my favourite poem of all time. Spoiler alert. It’s a bit heavy but I think appropriate for these uncertain times. The poem is by Steve Turner and it is called History Lesson.

History repeats itself.

Has to.

Nobody listens.

As the Wenvoe Page Turners said give poetry – and peace – a chance!

Nige Billingham

 

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