Category: News

We Have Enough Volunteers

ADVENT WINDOWS 2022

We Have Enough Volunteers!

The great news is that we have enough volunteers to go ahead with the Wenvoe Advent Windows! We have some regular volunteers who have readily joined us again with plans already for this year. It is very encouraging that we have new people who are joining us for the first time. We have lost some and our thanks go to Sandra and Brian Jones, who have moved out of the village, who not only provided windows but also helped in the planning and organising. They will of course be coming to view what we achieve this year.

We start on 1st December at 29 Venwood Close at 5pm, where Mike and Glynis Tucker will host us. On the same evening the telephone box will again have a story decorating the windows with special interest for those young in heart. You will need a torch for this as there is no electric supply there. We will conclude on 24th December at St. Mary’s Church with an input from Gwenfo School.

There will be a map of the village with information about all the windows in next month’s Wenvoe What’s On, with pointers where maps can be obtained elsewhere in the village.

Many thanks to all those who have volunteered. For any other information contact Jude Billingham 07516112897

 

Childhood Memories – A Poem by Zena Ball

CHILDHOOD MEMORIES

What freedom we had when I was a child
Compared to nowadays.
We were allowed to roam about at will,
And even ride our bikes on the roads.

When we were little and days were sunny
Our Mother and her friend would meet
Their purses were empty and they had no money
But loved taking us out for a treat.

We would visit the Drope half a mile away
Where we could all picnic and play.
Mother made sandwiches and took some pop
And we would all have a lovely day.

The field was quite large with a river close by,
And a railway viaduct
We would wave to the trains as they went by,
And the drivers and guards would wave back.

We played rounders and shouted until we were hoarse,
And even the Mothers joined in.
Together with others that happened to be there,
Enjoying the afternoon sun.

We would swim in the river to cool ourselves off
The water was clean in those days.
We would dive from the bank and cross on the log
And from the bank pick the daisies.

A tributary stream into the river dull flow,
With water as clear as a bell.
When we were thirsty we just cupped our hands
And drank as if from a well.

As the evening approached and the sun went down,
We would wend our way home to our Dad.
The lane seemd so long as we daudled along,
With Mother carrying all the bags.

Zena Ball

 

Tucker’s Christmas Reindeer Sale

 

It’s almost here! Come along to the 4th annual Tucker’s Christmas Reindeer sale on Saturday 19 November from 10am to 4pm at 29 Vennwood Close (the road opposite the church). Apart from the stars of the show there will be some lovely things to buy and a festive atmosphere to get you in the Christmas mood. We are being joined by some local crafters on the day including Trevor and his lovely Christmas houses, Linda and her sewn crafts, Llinos will be taking orders for Christmas wreaths and small Christmas trees sold in aid of Velindre and 2 card sellers. Heulwen will be raising money from her cards for the Library hub and Esther will be raising money to replace her mother’s memorial bench which was situated on the village green until a storm destroyed it last winter. There will be Tucker family crafts and some really cosy crocheted blankets sold by Justine.

We will be holding the usual raffle with some excellent quality prizes including luxury food hampers, a home baked and decorated Christmas cake, some very interesting bottles and some items that would make ideal gifts for adults and children. Once again, profits from this and from the sale of some crafts will be donated to our charity of choice, the Wenvoe Wildlife Group. Rumours have been circulating that there might be a visit from a gent on a sleigh in a red and white suit and these may very well be true and may offer an excellent photograph opportunity. There will, again, be home made cake sold by the slice and all craft tables will be under the cover of Christmas decorated gazebos and festive music will provide the backing track to the whole event. Why not join us and pick up a reindeer and some Christmas spirit! These have become collectors items so start making a list of people who deserve one as a gift. Bring a friend and have a festive catch up. We are so looking forward to seeing you there.

 

Meaning Of Place-Names Part 5

THE DERIVATION AND MEANING OF PLACE-NAMES

MERTHYR DYFAN

 – The Welsh word ‘merthyr’ is seen in a number of place-names in Wales – and this again is often mistakenly translated. Many people are familiar with the word ‘merthyr’ which derives from the Latin word ‘martyr/martyris’ – meaning ‘martyr’ – a person who dies for his beliefs. And it is a temptation to translate place-names such as Merthyr Dyfan, Merthyr Tudful, Merthyr Mawr as churches dedicated to the martyrs Dyfan, Tudful and Myfor (which has given us ‘Mawr’ today).

But there is another Latin word – ‘martyrium’ – which means ‘shrine’ or ‘ the place where a saint’s relics lie’. And that is what we have in the place-name Merthyr Dyfan – the martyrium or shrine of Dyfan. The same is true of Merthyr Tudful and Merthyr Mawr. Nothing is known of Saint Dyfan – though tradition states that he was one of four saints who were sent by Pope Eleutherius to bring Christianity to this part of Britain in the 2nd Century.

The name ‘saint’ was used by the Celtic Church – and earlier – to refer, simply, to a holy man or woman. The four saints were Ffagan, Elfan, Meudwy and Deruvian – four missionaries of their day. Scholars don’t give great credence to this tradition – and furthermore, there is no proof that the person who was named Deruvian was indeed our Dyfan.

It is said that it was Saint Teilo in the 6th Century who was responsible for creating Dyfan’s martyrium – and the present church on the site – which dates back to the 13th Century – is dedicated to St Dyfan and St Teilo.

HOLTON – This name is made up of two Old English words – ‘hol’ and ‘ton’. The first element ‘hol’ simply means ‘a dip/ hollow’ and the second element ‘-ton’ is the suffix which means ‘a homestead, or ‘a settlement’ (which has given us ‘town’ in modern English.) So Holton could mean ‘a homestead or a farm in a hollow.’

BUTTRILLS – This name again is easily explained. The two elements are ‘buttr’ and ‘hills’ – meaning ‘butter hills’ – an area where there was good pasture for the production of butter.

TREGATWG – CADOXTON – The Welsh name Tregatwg is made up of two elements – ‘Tre’ and ‘gatwg’. The prefix ‘Tre’ is the Welsh equivalent of the English suffix ‘-ton’ – and as explained above, means a ‘homestead’ or a ‘settlement’. It has given us ‘tre(f), meaning ‘town’ in modern Welsh. The second element is a version of the name St Cadog. So this homestead was situated near where the saint had his cell.

The English name is merely the Anglicized version of the name Cadog or Cadoc – the ‘x’ being merely a different spelling which has developed over the years. He was born around 497 and he established a monastery and an important centre of learning in Llancarfan. There are many churches dedicated to him in Wales and in Brittany.

MÔR HAFREN – SEVERN ESTUARY / BRISTOL CHANNEL – The Welsh word ‘môr’ is derived from the Celtic word ‘mori’ and it simply means ‘sea’. The second word, ‘Hafren’ again derives from a Celtic word – ‘Sabrina’ – which gave us ‘Habren’ in Old Welsh and ‘Hafren’ in modern Welsh – the consonant ‘b’ having softened to ‘f’ (which represents the ‘v’ sound in Welsh of course) – and the initial consonant ‘s’ becoming ‘h’. So, remembering the Welsh word order, ‘Môr Hafren’ literally translates as ‘Severn Sea’. The word ‘Severn’ is also derived from ‘Sabrina’ but you’ll notice that the ‘S’ has been kept and, like the Welsh word, the original ‘b’ has softened to ‘v’ – to give us ‘Severn’.

The consonant ‘s’ in a Celtic – or in a Latin – word often becomes ‘h’ in Welsh. In another example we see that an earlier word has developed into ‘salt’ in English but into ‘halen’ in Welsh.

By the way, an ancient legend tells us that Sabrina was a Celtic princess who was drowned in this river by her stepmother, thus giving it its name!

Next month – Llanilltud Fawr / Llantwit Major, y Rhws / Rhoose, Sain Tathan / St Athan, Penmarc,

Ann M. Jones

The Welshman Behind The Gunpowder Plot

THE WELSHMAN BEHIND THE GUNPOWDER PLOT

Guy Fawkes may be the most infamous figure in the Gunpowder Plot but he might not have been involved in the legendary conspiracy to blow up Parliament, if it had not been for a Welsh spy.

Fearing the wrath of the authorities, Hugh Owen fled to Flanders and built up a network of contacts that anyone seeking to wipe out the political establishment would want to tap into. He was known to have been involved in some way or an-other with all sorts of conspiracies and plots. He was also popular with other conspirators due to his ability to communicate in Latin, French, Spanish and Italian, as well as English and Welsh. Owen’s contribution included providing intelligence to Catholic Spain, perhaps even during plans for the Spanish Armada of 1588. Research by Jonathan Roche, of the University of Nottingham has shown how in 1597 Owen told Spain that Essex had taken most of the front line fleet to the Azores to intercept a treasure fleet, which left England undefended. His report apparently led to the immediate deployment of the third Spanish Armada, which failed only because of storms off the Scilly Isles. Roche said ‘The Armada of 1597 came within miles of landing in Cornwall and, if it weren’t for a storm, who knows what might have happened?’

By 1605 Catholics had given up on hopes that James I would be more sympathetic to them. Attempts to instigate rebellions among the aristocracy and to secure a foreign invasion had failed. So, led by Robert Catesby, the Gunpowder plotters decided the best way to destroy the government was to blow it up. By then, Owen himself had developed a passionate dislike of King James, calling him ‘this stinking King of ours’ and ‘a miserable Scot’. Owen could be trusted and knew all the right people. It was no surprise when one of the lead conspirators in the Gunpowder Plot, Thomas Wintour, came to Flanders in 1604 to see him. Wintour outlined the plan to blow up the House of Lords during the State Opening of Parliament on 5th November 1605. Owen was only too glad to play his part, using his secret contacts to put Wintour in touch with a Spanish explosive expert, none other than Guido Fawkes, better known today of course as Guy Fawkes.

England later demanded Owen’s extradition from Flanders but had little evidence of his involvement. Owen successfully distanced himself from the conspiracy saying, ‘I take my oath that no human being ever wrote to me about it, nor did I write to anyone about it, nor did any other person do so by my order.’ He was able to spend his last years courtesy of the Spanish government, living out his life in relative luxury at the Spanish embassy in Rome. It was a welcome obscurity, entirely suitable for someone who lived life in the shadows. His end was a lot less traumatic than that of Guy Fawkes, who revealed the names of his fellow conspirators partly due to being stretched four inches on the rack. Following interrogation, Fawkes, Win-tour and several other conspirators were hanged, drawn and quartered. Hugh Owen lived on and eventually died in 1618 at the age of 80.

Hugh Owen, was a devout Catholic born in 1538 at Plas Du in Caernarvonshire. He was known as the “Welsh Intelligencer” and was one of the most determined plotters against the Protestant monarchy. Owen was hated by the government in England who considered him a major trouble maker…with good reason!

 

 

September Letters

 

Ref: Andrew RT Davies article

I am writing further to letters in the last issue of the What’s On with regards to the article by Andrew RT Davies.

Firstly, I would like to apologise if this caused offence.

The idea was to get a view from the Senedd with regards to local issues, the title of the article should have been A View from the Senedd. Andrew’s office have apologised for both the topic written about and the title of the article.

This was never meant to be a party political article.

I asked the What’s On editors to include a view from both the Senedd and Westminster. I thought it would be of interest to the community.

In the 28 years I have lived here, to my knowledge no other party has ever made any effort to include anything in the What’s On.

Yes, I am a member of the Conservative Party, but as local ward Councillor, I am committed to representing all members of the community whatever their political views are.

My one and only objective is to represent the community I live in to the best of my ability and ensure we have the best facilities possible.

I hope this clarifies matters for all concerned.

Your sincerely

Cllr Russell Godfrey

 

We would like to thank fellow dog walkers and neighbours who have asked after Andy through his recent illness. He passed away peacefully at home last month surrounded by family. Our family have been supported throughout by City Hospice and Marie Curie staff – all of which were superb.

Sue, Rufus, and family – Greave Close

 

All the family of the late Melissa Jayne Davis, nee Ankin, would like to pay a huge thank you for all the wonderful support given to Melissa before and after she passed away on 7th July aged 46. Melissa fought bone cancer very bravely and remained at her home with all her family. Melissa was born in Wenvoe and lived here until she married Mark, then lived in Barry with Rhian, their fourteen year old daughter. Rhian is now going to do the Shine Night Walk for Cancer Research on 7th October in Cardiff with Linda, Shirley, friends and school mates in memory of Melissa who was well loved and is truly missed by everyone. So many happy memories to never be forgotten. With heartfelt thanks for everyone’s support.

Marilyn and Terry Ankin and all the family

 

Fundraising to Replace Memorial Bench

Fundraising to Replace Memorial Bench Destroyed in a Storm.

I am sure that many of you are aware that the attractive, and well used memorial bench on the village green was sadly destroyed in a storm in November last year. The bench was in memory of my mother, Audrey Rees, and was donated to the village by myself and my father in 2010. It goes without saying that it has been heart-breaking to see such a well-cared for, and appreciated bench, in memory of a close family member, destroyed by a falling tree. A bench which I personally used to take the time and care to thoroughly clean and oil every year.

I know that the bench on the village green is much missed by the village as a whole. I would love to replace it with an identical one. A replacement bench would cost £1,220. I have therefore launched a fundraising campaign, to hopefully raise the amount necessary in order to replace it. Any donations, whether they be large or small, would be gratefully received. Donations may be made in the following Gofundme crowdfunding campaign: https://gofund. me/4a825edc

Should any donations be raised in excess of the target amount, these would be donated to a worthy cause, namely the Wenvoe Environment Team. The Environment Team help to maintain the village green, and any other community areas around the village which need attention.

I thank you for your time, support and kind words.

Esther Rees

 

The Derivation And Meaning Of Place-Names

THE DERIVATION AND MEANING OF PLACE-NAMES

HIGHLIGHT

The English name ‘Highlight’ first appears on maps in the 16th Century – during the reign of Elizabeth 1st – as the name of a farm. Before that time, the name was Welsh – ‘Uchelolau’. The name ‘Highlight’ was obviously an attempt at translating the Welsh name – but unfortunately, it was erroneously translated – although this incorrect version was adopted and has been used down the centuries to this day.
The original Welsh name – Uchelolau – is made up of two elements – ‘uchel’ and ‘olau’. ‘Uchel’ is an adjective – still used today – which means ‘high’ – so that part of the Elizabethan translation was perfectly correct. The problem lies with the second element. There is a Welsh word ‘(g)olau’ which means ‘light’ – and this is what was used in the translation to give us ‘Highlight’.
BUT, ‘olau’ also has another meaning (just as ‘bark’, for example, has more than one meaning in English). ‘Olau’, at one time, was used as the plural form of ‘ôl’ which means ‘mark/ footstep/ track’. (Today we use ‘olion’ as the plural of ‘ôl’). So ‘uchel’ + ‘olau’ correctly translates as something like ‘high track’.
I think ‘Ridgeway’ would be a more correct translation of ‘Uchelolau’.

BRYNHILL
This is obviously an example of a bi-lingual name – made up of two elements with the same meaning – ‘bryn’ and ‘hill’ – a perfect example of tautology!
This phenomenon can be seen in place-names which are centuries old. The name Chetwood in England is made up of two elements – ‘chet’ from the Celtic/Brythonic word ‘kaito’ (which has given us ‘coed’, meaning ‘wood’ in Welsh) and the English word ‘wood’.
Then we have Bryndown near Dinas Powys – ‘bryn’ – the Welsh word for ‘hill’ followed by ‘down’ meaning ‘hill’ of course – as in The Downs at the top of The Tumble – and Gibbonsdown, meaning Gibbon’s hill.
Another obvious example is the River Avon. ‘Afon’ is the Welsh – or old Brythonic – word meaning ‘river’.
Bredon Hill in Worcestershire is an example of triple tautology. It is made up of three elements, all with the same meaning – ‘bre’ from the Brythonic or Celtic word ‘bryn’ meaning ‘hill’ – ‘don’ from the Old English word ‘dun’ again meaning ‘hill’ – followed by the word ‘hill’ itself!
But Torpenhow Hill in Cumbria takes the biscuit! It is made up of four elements – all meaning ‘hill’. ‘Tor’ is from Old English, ‘pen’ is from Brythonic and ‘how’ is from Old Norse. Then the word ‘Hill’ is added for good measure!

There are plenty of examples of this phenomenon in all parts of the world and I’m sure many will surprise you – Lake Tahoe (Lake Lake), Sahara Desert (Desert Desert), Mississippi River (Big river River), Faroe Islands (Sheep islands Islands), East Timor (East East), The Rock of Gibraltar (The Rock of the Rock of Tariq) and many more.

Next month – Merthyr Dyfan, Holton, Buttrills, Tregatwg/Cadoxton. Môr Hafren/Severn Estuary.

Ann M. Jones

 

“Are You OK?” Campaign

NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH

Last month our national Neighbourhood Watch launched an “Are you OK?” campaign against street harassment. Although street harassment is unlikely to be common in Wenvoe we may see it elsewhere. It is usually directed towards women, girls, and gender-diverse people.

Street harassment is on the rise and is often not an isolated incident. We know the long-term impact can harm mental health and change people’s behaviour. Victims often feel guilty, ashamed and blame themselves.

Witnessing street harassment and not safely intervening sends the message to those experiencing it that it’s okay and society normalises it.

The campaign encourages those who see someone being harassed in public to ask the victim “Are you OK?” when they feel safe doing so. Those three little words let the victim know they have support and street harassment is never okay.

Alan French

 

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