Category: News

5th Wenvoe Scarecrow Festival

This year the 5th Wenvoe Scarecrow festival will take place on Saturday 21st.September from 2.00 to 5.00pm and Sunday 22nd September from 10.30 to 11.00am when the winners will be announced.

Please start to think about entering a scarecrow this year even if you have not entered before. Its free to enter and there is no theme. We would like to make this year’s festival the best year yet as after this year the festival will become biennial, so we want this year to live long in our memories – well two years at least! More details will follow in future issues of What’s On. However, if you are keen to start building your scarecrow now further information can be obtained by emailing wenvoescarecrows@ yahoo.com or ring Vicar Jon on 02920595347. Please put the date in your diary.

 

 

Clutching our maps, proudly wearing our Wenvoe Open Garden stickers and not going very far in the lovely summer sunshine before stopping to say ‘Hello’ to friends and neighbours, we all enjoyed a wonderful afternoon.

The sense of community had been evident since Brian and Sandra Jones suggested Open Gardens in Wenvoe and started carefully planning for the event earlier this year in aid of St Mary’s Church Building Fund. ‘The Village Gardener’ gently encouraged and cajoled, and last week twelve keen gardeners and their families warmly welcomed visitors of all ages.

Here was an opportunity for people to enjoy the diversity of the gardens and to see how the simplest ideas could be effective in a garden of any size. Photographs, written information and personal anecdotes about the history of individual gardens, added another dimension. People were generous with their knowledge about what plants to grow, how water features had been constructed and how to balance the often-eclectic mix of flowers, herbs and vegetables; their modesty about such beautiful gardens and their honesty about the pleasure taken from daily and seasonal care, was an inspiration to the visitors.

Brian and Sandra would like to thank everyone for contributing to the success of Wenvoe Open Gardens. A very special thankyou to the gardeners and their families who opened their gardens to visitors, and to Rachel from St Andrews Road who was the first person to support Brian and Sandra and add her garden to the list. Thank you to Mike Tucker who encouraged all the gardeners, gently soothing some through last minute nerves. By advertising the event in the ‘Barry Gem’, Mike and Glenys also ensured that many visited the village from the Vale of Glamorgan. Thankyou both for this. Carol, the Church Social Committee and the neighbours in St Andrews Road also have a very special thankyou for providing cakes and refreshments in the Church grounds and at 7, St Andrews Road. Both these venues provided a welcome opportunity to take a break and meet up with friends.

Rachel said: ‘It has also been a pleasure to meet the other hosts, especially Brian and Sandra, to share our love of gardening with each other and to make new friends in the village’. Rachel’s daughter pictured here certainly enjoyed helping out and keeping an eye on the lovely cakes that had been kindly donated.

Everyone will be delighted to hear that the contribution to St Mary’s Church Building Fund will be somewhere in the region of £1,500.

 

 

The greatest pleasure for Brian, Sandra and all the gardeners involved, however, was the enjoyment that this well organised event created for so many people.

Congratulations Brian and Sandra on the success of Wenvoe Open Gardens!

 

 

August News Update

 

It was with great relief that the scaffolding was finally erected around the church vestry in preparation for the replacing of the lead covering, stolen from the roof in March earlier this year. The wet carpeting on the vestry floor had already been removed, prior to the ceiling being taken down and the walls rubbed down for the redecoration to take place. It is not the intention to replace the carpeting as the maple strip floor does not seem to have been adversely affected by the ingress of water during the time the roof was stolen. The replacement roof will be of coated steel that will weather to the appearance of lead, so will not be as attractive to thieves in the future. All the items that were once in the vestry have been removed into the transept, and it is hoped that we shall be able to get the church back into the former tidy working unit it was. Since the theft of the lead and all the inconvenience of maintaining a dignified setting for the celebration of the Eucharist, it has been difficult to remember where everything is. At present the builders are using the priest’s door to access the work area. They are being extremely careful and the church will soon be back to normal.

Chancel Floor Scheme: The decision has been made that this scheme will not now be going ahead as originally planned. The plans had been strongly opposed by the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, and the Diocesan Advisory Committee (DAC) had no option but to turn it down. However, the part of the plan to remove the carpeting will be going ahead. This is necessary as the historic tiling (now covered up) has been damaged with damp and build up of “salts” on the surface of the tiling over the years. Until the carpet is removed from the chancel and the length of the nave, we will not know the extent of any damage that has occurred during the time the carpeting was laid down. It will be interesting to see the end result of this work. It will restore the church and chancel to the original plans the Victorian restorers had in mind in the period of the 1880’s when much work was done on the church to restore it according to the ethos of the Oxford Movement which was active in the diocese at that time. It was under the Jenner Rectors in Wenvoe that this work was carried out, and they leaned towards High Church practices that were not always well received by the parishioners of the day.

Church Extension Scheme which we are calling Wenvoe 2020: The plans for this ambitious scheme, to bring all the church activities on to one site, remain with the Llandaff DAC and we have received no indication as to how they are going to agree in part or in full to the ideas we have incorporated into the design. We remain very much in their hands and in the discussions our architects have been having with them but hope that we shall hear some good news in the not too distant future.

During the month the plans for the former Old Rectory Care Home were made public, with plans for 12 apartments and 12 parking spaces. The Old Rectory and St. Mary’s Church form an important grouping within the Wenvoe Conservation Area with a high grade listing. It is some years since the church authorities sold the rectory and grounds into private hands. At that time Prof Atkinson and his wife Hester took possession and did much work to make the old house more liveable. It was during their time in the house that they moved the 18th century sun dial from the rectory orchard to the front driveway. The sundial plate had been missing for some years when they discovered it many miles away and restored it with a new gnomon. The sundial was originally erected by the Rev. Thomas Davies, Rector of Wenvoe in 1777 – 1828 and is a community treasure whose future needs to be safeguarded. The developers are aware of this and have promised that it will be well looked after. The plans are now with the local authority and their decision is awaited.

It has been a number of years since the church took part in the commemoration of Sea Sunday. This is the global celebration of the enduring and vital work of the Mission to Seafarers. It has happened every year for over 160 years. Churches are invited to become a powerhouse of prayer and fundraising for the work of outreach to the thousands of seamen and seafarers out at sea for long periods. The Mission to Seafarers provides help and support to the 1.5 million men and women who face danger every day to keep our global economy afloat. The congregation was invited to join in the fund raising and the total raised will be announced in next month’s magazine.

Our wonderful Pebbles group of children have now broken up for their Summer Break and we will miss hearing of their activities during the short time they are in the Church Hall before joining the congregation in church. As always, we thank the organisers for the time they take with our youngsters, in helping to shape their lives according to the teaching of Jesus Christ. Well done all of you.

A number of well loved members of the congregation have been missing from their normal places in recent months, due to illness or accidents in their lives. Pat Williams is now nearer her family in a care home in Porthcawl, Philip Morant has settled into a care home in Barry, and Mary Turner remains in hospital following her fall at home. We send them good wishes and pray for the day when they will be able to return to their rightful places in the congregation at St. Mary’s.

With the summer holidays with us, we send good wishes for a safe return for all who are travelling abroad or those who are ‘staycationing at home.’ Weather is an important factor in any plans made for holidays. So far the month of July has been very dry, and rain is needed to maintain gardens and fields alike. A full report on the Wenvoe Open Gardens will be included in September’s “What’s On”.

A warm welcome awaits you in church at any time of the year. Parry Edwards

 

 

The Ongoing Felling Of Trees

 

It is with great sadness I witness The Ongoing Felling Of Trees in and around our lovely village. When nature itself wields the axe there is little to do but acknowledge the circle of life and the safe removal of the fallen tree that inevitably follows is also a necessity.

However there does seem to be a big appetite to fell or seriously trim back other trees that are standing tall, strong and magnificent. There seem to be innumerable reasons justifying such activity from disease; danger; leaves blocking drains or trees allowing animals to access rooftops. Factor in so called expert opinion of Arborists and those of us who wonder at trees stand little chance of countering any such claims and the trees’ destiny is down to a simple signature on a form authorising destruction.

Hundreds of years of incredibly slow growth gone in an hour; the home to thousands of insects; animals; birds and even other plants gone in a day. Replacement with 10’ saplings is little compensation for the magnificent 200 year old 150’ tall Ash or the 150 year old Horse Chesnut.

At a time when we’re all being urged to fundamentally change our thinking away from exploiting nature to helping to heal its wounds, this ongoing determination to change the wooded skyline of Wenvoe is so sad, irrespective of what rationale you choose to apply…

 

Martin Thomas

 

 

Wenvoe Scarecrow Festival

This year the 5th Wenvoe Scarecrow festival will take place on Saturday 21st.September from 2.00 to 5.00pm and Sunday 22nd September from 10.30 to 11.00am when the winners will be announced.

Please start to think about entering a scarecrow this year even if you have not entered before. Its free to enter and there is no theme. We would like to make this year’s festival the best year yet as after this year the festival will become biannual, so we want this year to live long in our memories – well two years at least! More details will follow in future issues of Whats On. However, if you are keen to start building your scarecrow now further information can be obtained by emailing wenvoescarecrows@ yahoo.com or ring Vicar Jon on 02920595347. Please put the date in your diary.

 

 

July Church News

Work will shortly be starting on the repair and re-mortaring of the west wall of the churchyard, to include a renovation of the wrought iron archway, which leads into the churchyard extension. This archway was once at the front entrance to the churchyard, but was removed when the Laura Jenner Arch and gates were built as a memorial to her in the 1930’s. This work will complete the programme of works included in the last five-year inspection of the church building and grounds.

News was received during the month that our recently appointed Church Architect had left the practice of Davies Sutton, and once again we are faced with the appointment of a new architect. The latest plans for the proposed church extension have been received and have been discussed with the Diocesan Advisory Committee and we await their thoughts on the proposals. The work on the repair of the vestry roof and interior walls has not yet been started and the conditions in vestry are deteriorating due to all the heavy rain we have had in the month and since the lead was stolen earlier in the year.

The Chancel Scheme to lower the floor level to assist wheelchair users is still unresolved but we have been told that the blue carpeting can be removed without any further delay. We are anxious to see the condition of the Victorian tiling under the carpet which has not been uncovered for some 30 years. The same applies to the blue needle cord floor covering in the main aisle of the nave, where the effect of the salts damage is clearly to be seen on the edges not covered by the carpeting. For the first time for many years the white marble slab fronting the altar, which is inscribed with the initials of the Birt and Jenner family members, buried below will be seen.

Christian Aid Collection. The house to house collections in the three parishes, together with the contributions from the Lent Lunches, Agape supper, Wenvoe School “Big Brekkie” and the No Uniform Day, plus a contribution from church funds came to a staggering £3,000. Which is a brilliant effort for the organisers and street collectors and big thank you to all involved. Well done!!

Messy Church – Messy Fathers!

With the inclement weather making a Messy Church theme of Noah’s Ark seem more appropriate than the planned Fathers Day, our annual outdoor Messy Church event had to move indoors on 15th June. The theme was indeed Fathers Day and a good number of excited children and their parents braved the rain to take part in an afternoon of craft, games and fun all designed to celebrate fathers everywhere. There was the opportunity to ‘Pin the Tail on Dad’, a take on the old party favourite of ‘Pin the Tail on the Donkey’. There were races wearing our Fathers shoes. Bookmarks and pictures were made as gifts for Dad. ‘Prayeroplanes’ were made – Vicar Jon displaying a hitherto undisclosed talent here! At other tables children decorated ‘Dad you Rock’ pebbles, decorated tie themed cakes and even made

a ‘Portable hug’ – just in case Dad ever feels a bit in need! Worship on theme of The Prodigal son was led by Deb, then the whole event finished with a celebration meal of hot dogs, crisps, cakes and fruit prepared by our willing kitchen team. A lot of fun was had by all, despite weather and the change of venue. Our next Messy Church event will take place on 28th September, when the theme will be Harvest. We hope you can join us!

The Chattery. The monthly Chattery coffee mornings continue to be well attended and enjoyed.

However the Fairtrade stall which is run by Jude Billingham will be finishing. We will all miss seeing the interesting items and buying things from tea to greeting cards and chocolates. Thanks to Jude for all her hard work over many years, you and your stall will be sadly missed.

Tree Blessing. On Sunday 2nd of June a special service took place in St Mary’s Church to dedicate four cherry trees which have been planted in the church grounds. They are on the north side of the church and run along beside Walston Road.

Each tree has been given in memory of a loved one, the names being Quirine Robbins, Jean Mary Matthews, Cliff & Ruth West, Betty & Leslie Holliday

The moving service took the form of readings and prayers, with everyone moving to stand beside each tree while Vicar Jon anointed them with water. Those who attended were family members and friends from the congregation. At the end of the service everyone gathered for refreshments and fellowship.

This is a verse from a poem which was read during the service

A Shropshire Lad 11 by A E Houseman

Loveliest of trees, the cherry now

Is hung with bloom along the bough,

And stands about the woodland ride

Wearing white for Eastertide’

Wenvoe Open Gardens on Saturday 20th July 2019 in aid of St. Mary’s Building Fund. See article on page 5

Thank you for reading, a warm welcome awaits you at St. Mary’s.

Parry Edwards

Cofiwch Dryweryn. Please.

Since the vandalism of the ‘Cofiwch Dryweryn’ mural near Aberystwyth earlier this year, I’ve noticed ‘Cofiwch Dryweryn’ signs reminiscent of the original appearing all over Wales – and all over the world, too. It feels like a nation coming together and showing that even if you try to silence us, we will continue to tell our story so that history won’t repeat itself.

But what’s the importance of ‘Cofiwch Dryweryn’?

‘Cofiwch Dryweryn’ means ‘Remember Tryweryn’ in Welsh and is in reference to the drowning of the Welsh village Capel Celyn (the valley was Cwm Tryweryn) in 1965.

During the mid-1950s, it was announced by the Liverpool Daily Post that they intended to flood the village of Capel Celyn in order to use it as a reservoir for Liverpool. The 67 Welsh-speakers living in the village of Capel Celyn were blindsided by the news and were stripped of their choice to save their village.

The Capel Celyn Defence Committee was set up, in addition to the Liverpool branch of the Tryweryn Defence Committee. On November 7th, 1956 the Committee sent representatives, including the president of Plaid Cymru, Gwynfor Evans, to address Liverpool City Council. The three were escorted from the chamber, and Gwynfor Evans was shouted down. They were fighting for a chance to save their village, because an English city deemed many in Wales becoming homeless as a reasonable sacrifice for their water. The only thing is, Liverpool wasn’t the place having to make the sacrifice.

Capel Celyn wasn’t the first time Liverpool had decided they could use Wales to their disposal. Eighty years prior to the drowning of Capel Celyn, Liverpool had used Llanddwyn as a reservoir, later becoming Llyn Llanddwyn as it is today.

In January 1957, Liverpool began its attempts through the parliamentary system. Obtaining authority through an Act of Parliament meant Liverpool City Council managed to avoid the need for consent from Welsh planning authorities. Wales were silenced and refused the right to argue to save Capel Celyn. Wales wouldn’t earn a Senedd for decades, and the lack of devolution in 1957 meant Parliament in England could do what they wanted to Wales. 36 MPs alone were in Parliament on behalf of Wales, but their numbers were too low, and their opposition seemed futile.

Eight years after the fight had begun, the residents of Capel Celyn were forced out as the flooding drew near. Alun Ffred Jones, who was 15 at the time of the flooding said of the opening ceremony for Llyn Celyn, “These people had drowned this village and driven people from their homes, and they were suddenly arriving to have a tea party”. The displeasure shown by the residents of Capel Celyn at the time has been consistent since the drowning in 1965.

The drowning of Capel Celyn is unforgettable because it was almost reminiscent of the treatment by the Welsh people under English rule centuries earlier. By working around giving Wales the opportunity to fight the drowning in any legal way, Liverpool twisted Wales’ arm behind its back and made it obey. The Welsh were second-class citizens following the betrayal of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd in 1282, and the ‘Cofiwch Dryweryn’ mural is so honoured because it reminds Wales that history can repeat itself unless we find a way of fighting back.

The continuous vandalization of the ‘Cofiwch Dryweryn’ mural has incredibly backfired, with many flocking to the site quickly to repaint and later rebuild the wall. A wall behind the original site has since been painted ‘fe godwn ni eto’ (‘we will rise again’). Dozens of ‘Cofiwch Dryweryn’ murals have been appearing all over the world. Through Wales, some in England, even in America and Spain. The resilience of the Welsh people is sensational, and it will forever make me proud to call Cymru my home. ‘Cofiwch Dryweryn’ is a symbol that Wales won’t lie back and accept oppression.

The drowning of the Tryweryn valley in 1965 sparked so much anger throughout Wales that it aided in the revolution and evolution of the Welsh language, to a point where Cardiff Council is now being urged to only open Welsh language schools in the years to come. The fact that Wales was so easily stepped upon caused a want for more power in Wales, and today devolution is an ever-changing improvement in Wales, with powers slowly but surely moving back to where they belong – the Welsh people’s grasps.

‘Cofiwch Dryweryn’ isn’t meant to be a middle-finger to every English person, it’s meant to be a symbol of power to the Welsh people. To remember that we deserve more than the insult that occurred with Capel Celyn. To remember that a fair democracy should mean that Wales earns a voice within Britain, and that next time it’s not overlooked.

Cofiwch Dryweryn. Please.

By Tirion Davies

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