Category: Wenvoe Community Library

September Notes

WENVOE COMMUNITY LIBRARY

Tel: 02920 594176 – during opening hours or wenvoelibrary@outlook.com

Like and follow us on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/WenvoeCommunityLibrary

For general enquiries you can email us at wenvoelibrary@outlook.com

Click and Collect – We shall continue to supply you with books on a click and collect basis during library closure. We’ll be at hand in the Community Centre on Tuesday and Thursday mornings between 10-12 to help you with on-line ordering and general enquiries. You can phone us during opening hours on 07526 478740 whilst we are closed and awaiting our exciting new building.

Pop-up book sales – On the second and fourth Saturday of each month, a pop-up stall selling pre-loved books, cards etc will be held on the grassed area to the front of the Community Centre from 10:30 – 12:30.

Please come and see us on the 11th and 25th of September.

 

 

Musings from a volunteer

Famous Last Words.

I must admit, I am one of those readers who will invariably turn to the last page of a novel to read the final words before deciding whether the book is for me or not. It is true that the opening sentences of a story are important, but so are the final words. A book’s last sentence is the final detail of a plot that has been presented to the readers’ imagination; it is a last chance for a lasting impression.

Some final lines have the power to disrupt and shake our expectations. Others will provide a sense of closure or leave us with a degree of ambiguity. An effective ending anchors the story in a reader’s mind long after the book is finished. Wuthering Heights, 1984, Gone with the Wind and Jane Eyre have memorable endings.

In Wuthering Heights, the narrator is in the graveyard and…(I) lingered round them under the benign sky: watched by the moths fluttering among the heath and harebells, listened to the soft wind breathing through the grass and wondered how anyone could ever imagine unquiet slumbers for the sleepers in the quiet earth.

A gentle ending to an emotional roller-coaster of a novel. Catherine, Edgar and Heathcliff lived tragic and tempestuous lives in total and mutual disharmony. Furthermore, their turbulent lives condemned the next generation to unhappiness. Now, however, they rest in peace and the young have moved on. Unlike many Victorian novels, Wuthering Heights has no happy ending, but the author has written a peaceful and serene conclusion for her anguished characters in describing nature at peace.

1984 ends abruptly with just four words: He Loved Big Brother.

The brief, stark and very powerful sentence establishes the inevitability of the hero’s life. He had fought the system which was engulfing and diminishing his true nature; he had loved and had been loved in return; for a brief glorious moment he had been truly free. In the end it was all for nothing. The futility of his rebellion makes his bid for freedom all the more tragic. He is once more just a faceless and nameless cog in the Party’s greater plans. His self-esteem and spirit have been utterly destroyed.

Although Reader I married him is probably the most quoted, parodied, and adapted phrase in Jane Eyre, the novel actually concludes with a quotation from The Book of Revelations: Amen. Even so come, Lord Jesus.

It is not even Jane, or Rochester who quotes this, but St John somewhere in India on his deathbed. True to the majority of Victorian novels there is a happy ending – the good are rewarded and the evil have met their just deserts. God is praised for watching over the characters in the novel and guiding them to their destiny. Jane, although never overtly religious, reaches her true destiny in her marriage to Rochester. She has achieved all she has striven for.

A young woman who somehow just cannot reach her ‘true destiny’ and the reader is left with the lingering doubt that she may never do so, is Scarlett O’Hara from Gone with the Wind. On realising that Rhett Butler is walking out of her life for ever she cheers herself up with the following words: Tara. Home. I’ll go home, and I’ll think of some way to get him back. After all, tomorrow is another day.

Scarlett is not a likeable heroine. She is brash, self-centred, and totally heartless in her determination to achieve her own goals. The final words reveal her defiance. There is not only heartbreak, but a note of hope to rebuild what she has destroyed. In many ways she epitomises the America that emerged from the trauma of the civil war, hopeful and optimistic for a better future. But will she achieve her dream? That is something that many readers cannot agree upon.

Alina Trigger

 

 

WENVOE COMMUNITY LIBRARY

Tel: 02920 594176 – during opening hours or wenvoelibrary@outlook.com

Like and follow us on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/WenvoeCommunityLibrary

For general enquiries you can email us at wenvoelibrary@outlook.com

New Library Hub

Our old library will close on 24th July and a brand new, slightly larger, Community Hub will open on the same site. We are hopeful that the new facility will open week commencing 4th October with everyone’s approval.

We shall continue to supply you with books on a click and collect basis during library closure from the Community Centre where we shall be on hand to help you with on-line ordering and general enquiries. You can phone us during opening hours (see page 2) on 07526 478740 whilst we are closed and awaiting our new building.

Also on every 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month a pop-up stall selling pre-loved books, cards etc will be held on the grassed area to the front of the Community Centre from 10:30am – 12:30pm

Can you help us?

As well as needing additional volunteers to help with the library’s extended opening hours, running the coffee area, and offering children’s activities, we need help in developing a dynamic social media presence. If you have any experience in web design and are willing to offer us your service by getting us started, we’d love to hear from you. Please contact us on wenvoelibrary@outlook.com if you’d like to get involved in any capacity

 

 

General News

General News

New Library Building

(Editors Note:  This article was written before construction was delayed because of unforeseen problems with  asbestos. The start date will be delayed )

Construction work on the new library will commence on Monday 16th August with the demolition of the old building and construction of the groundworks. Most of the car park will be fenced off, except for the footpath from Wenvoe Close to Old Port Road, and access to the Community Centre.

In the week of 30th August a large crane and the four building modules will be delivered, which will require a clear road from the church to the building site. Residents of Wenvoe Close and Lower Walston Road are asked NOT to park on the road at this time. The exact date will be notified by a letter to all concerned.

The plan is to complete all the work within 6 weeks, and to have the library back in operation by 4th Oct.

Police Report

Police attended the meeting to update councillors on local crime figures and answer any questions. There was a report of a rogue trader operating in the village targeting vulnerable people. The police advice is if seen in the area to ring 101; but if spotted actually doing work call 999 and try and provide as much detail as possible about the vehicle they are using.

Community Centre

All regular users of the Community Centre have been contacted to assess their requirements for future use of the building as Covid-19 restrictions are lifted. A new set of regulations will be provided for all hirers.

Additional notice boards will be erected at the Redrow and Belway developments when permission can be obtained from the landowners. A third board will be erected on St Andrews Road.

The Council still awaits the Vale’s S106 proposals for funding possible youth facilities locally.

The Council has been aware that the hall suffers from poor acoustics and the matter has been especially highlighted when holding social distancing meeting during the Covid-19 crisis.

Professional advice will be sought in an attempt to improve the situation.

Quotations for repairs/replacements to the Community Centre windows is still being investigated. Finding proficient contractors is at the present time proving difficult.

Concern has been expressed about the state of pavements around the area with overgrown hedges and weeds in particular. With Vale budgets being extremely limited they can only carry out limited operations. It is suggested we could improve the look of the community by at least keeping the area around our own properties tidy.

Complaints concerning the voting difficulties encountered recently by compelling all local voters to use the Community Centre as their polling station has resulted in a visit from the returning officers and agreement that the size of the community warranted a second polling location being required in future. An acceptable location will be sought at the northern end of the community (Culverhouse Cross area)

Every person should know when and how to perform CPR to keep the blood flowing to the brain and around the body in the event of an emergency. With the installation of additional defibrillator machines locally the public should also be confident in using the machines to assist in the patient’s recovery while awaiting the emergency services. The Council will be organising free training courses in the near future.

 

 

Volunteers Needed

WENVOE COMMUNITY LIBRARY

Tel: 02920 594176 – during opening hours or wenvoelibrary@outlook.com

Like and follow us on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/WenvoeCommunityLibrary

For general enquiries you can email us at wenvoelibrary@outlook.com

Do you know where the Wenvoe Community Library is located in the village? For most people reading this, the answer will be yes!!It’s been there for years. However people are moving into the area all the time, so if you don’t know, it’s in a very old Portacabin behind the community centre in the centre of the village. The good news is that this Summer, the building is going to be replaced with a new, modern unit which will be slightly bigger than the existing one.

The library is self-funded and run entirely by volunteers which means that we have to continually fundraise to pay for all the running costs to keep it open. This will be the same for the new building. All the volunteers who are currently involved want the new building to become a central hub for the local community and a real asset to the village.

Outside the building, on the grassy area, there will be a small patio area and it is our intention to have tables and chairs on there as well as inside. We are going to install a drinks machine so that we can sell refreshments as well as wrapped cakes and biscuits and this will mean that you can meet friends there – and make new ones – and chat over a drink. The money raised by this will go towards the running costs of the building.

However, in order to provide these services, we need volunteers and we always welcome new people joining our team. We only ask that you commit to a few hours each month. You can be involved in helping to run the library or with selling the refreshments – making the drinks will only involve pushing buttons on the machine! – or you can help us with both. Please consider if you could join us by volunteering and do contact us if you’d like to know more details. We anticipate that the new library/ community hub will be opening in late September so even if you don’t have any time now, will you have a few spare hours from the Autumn onwards? Many of you will already know someone who is already volunteering, so have a chat with them about the duties or pop into the library to see us on a Tuesday or Thursday morning 10am to 12 midday or on a Saturday morning 9am to 1pm. The old building will

be open until at least mid-July. You can also e mail us on wenvoelibrary@outlook.com

We would be really delighted if you would join us

New Library Building

The library will be closed from the end of July to the end of September 2021 for the building for the new library. Our Click and Collect service will resume during this period and will operate from the Meeting Room of Wenvoe Community Centre.

Opening hours when operating from the Community Centre will be:-

  • Tuesday 10 till 12
  • Thursday 10 till 12.

 

 

 

Limerick Competition Winner

WENVOE COMMUNITY LIBRARY

Tel: 02920 594176 – during opening hours or wenvoelibrary@outlook.com

Like and follow us on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/WenvoeCommunityLibrary

For general enquiries you can email us at wenvoelibrary@outlook.com

 

 

 

Winner of the Limerick Competition

This year’s competition attracted the most entries to date. Thank you to Alina for judging them all. Her description of the winning entry was ‘It’s got the correct number of syllables for each line; it’s witty, pithy and gives us a slightly naughty picture of what was, perhaps, going on behind the heavy brocade curtains of some of the more sedate Wenvoe houses. Especially as I feel that Thoreau could drive some of us to Bordeaux, or Chateau Neuf du Pape, or even Pinot Grigio’.

Congratulations to Gareth Stone who wins a bottle of Prosecco.

There was once a village in lockdown

Held online events to ease meltdown

Reading books by Thoreau

Drinking wine from Bordeaux

Then dancing to music from Motown.

We Want Babies, Children and Young People to Love Wenvoe Library

Our children-friendly library is bursting with brilliant books and captivating stories to spark and inspire your imagination. The library has a variety of crafts, jigsaws, Duplo, Lego, games and great reads for all ages. Look out for this year’s Summer Reading Challenge at https://readingagency.org. uk

When we have our new library (and a coffee area for mums and dads), we want to expand our services such as Baby Rhyme Time, storytelling for the under-5s, workshops and much more. We are working towards an exciting programme of activities. There’s already always something to do in the library and all you have to do is come along. Everyone is eligible for membership from the day they are born.

We would welcome your suggestions for future children’s activities.

Volunteer contribution

Alina Trigger recounts how the earliest prose stories of the literature of Britain became widely influential and remain to be actively read many centuries since they were written.

Literary Allsorts.

Whether read to, or reading by ourselves, we as young readers came across four small words that

invited us into a world of magic, mystery and adventure: Once upon a time…the quintessential ‘opener’ to a story.

Opening lines of a story or a novel can prove crucial. Many authors were, and still are, known to have spent an extraordinary amount of time giving careful thought on how their narratives should begin. Some suffer writer’s block until they have composed a suitable opening.

As the initial invitation into the world of a writer’s creation, they set the tone, be it ironic, witty, sinister, or a social comment. From Pride and Prejudice to Harry Potter ‘openers’ often become the most iconic passages in a book.

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in need of a wife. The witty and rather caustic comment indicates how Jane Austen will deal with the issues of manners, education and marriage among the landed gentry in early 19th century England. The reader is about to be treated to an elegant comedy of manners.

J.K. Rowling’s introduction to a series about a boy wizard in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is ironic and smug. Mr and Mrs Dursley of number four Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. She is telling her readers that ‘normal’ is boring. And how right she is.

George Orwell creates the ominous and unsettling atmosphere of a dystopian society with a seemingly simple opening sentence. It was a bright cold day in April – so far so good – and the clocks were striking thirteen. Something is wrong. The reader is hooked.

Marley was dead: to begin with. Immediately, Dickens hints that perhaps Marley is not totally dead and that there is more to Marley’s death than at first appears. And a wonderful story full of social comment and redemption unfolds.

No matter how great a novel might be, if the opening lines fail to capture the reader’s imagination, there is the possibility that the book may never be read. Opening sentences not only raise questions, introduce themes and the overall tone of the novel, but intrigue their potential reader.

What about famous last words? Ah, those will be for next time.

 

 

A Jewel In The Crown Of Welsh Literature

WENVOE COMMUNITY LIBRARY

Tel: 02920 594176 – during opening hours or wenvoelibrary@outlook.com

Like and follow us on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/WenvoeCommunityLibrary

For general enquiries you can email us at wenvoelibrary@outlook.com

 

 

Click and Collect

We are still operating our Click and Collect service. Order online or phone in your orders on Tuesdays between 10-12 and we will let you know when to collect your books.

New book

Local author and songwriter Philip Thomas has written two short stories in a new publication entitled Lockdown Number Two: a collection of fifteen winning short stories. These short stories, based on “Lockdown Number Two” and “General” themes, are innovative, amusing and captivating to read. It is interesting to discover, particularly, how people spent their lockdown periods during 2020 in either real or imaginary situations. You can purchase the book from Amazon.

Volunteer contribution

Alina Trigger recounts how the earliest prose stories of the literature of Britain became widely influential and remain to be actively read many centuries since they were written.

The Story of the Story

Once upon a time, Wales was a land of magic and mystery, of wizards, giants and princes. One such prince was a young man, Pwyll, who ruled Dyfed. His name means carefulness, but the prince was anything but careful. He was lively and tended to do things without thinking them over. And so, one day he rides off with his hounds to hunt…

It is his impulsiveness and its consequences that introduces readers to The Four Branches of the Mabinogi, considered one of the jewels in the crown of Welsh literature. They are a combination of heroism, fantasy worlds and magic on a par with Homer’s Odyssey or the Scandinavian Sagas.

It was not until the mid-19th century that the stories were introduced to the English-speaking world by Charlotte Guest who translated them from the original Welsh. Since then Y Mabinogi have been translated into many European languages and are firmly on the list of ‘world classical literature’, where they are revised and updated for modern readers both adult and children.

The origins of Y Mabinogi remain extremely vague. Although the first written version dates from around 1350, historians are certain that the stories already existed for centuries, being passed down orally by the Cyfarwydd, storyteller poets who would entertain Welsh princes and courtiers during banquets.

The books have formed a base for many of today’s fantasy literature, like The Lord of the Rings and not only. Tolkien’s Silmarillion was inspired by Y Mabinogi. King Arthur and Merlin make their first appearance in Y Mabinogi, long before they became heroes of the Round table.

What makes Y Mabinogi so special are the superb stories that are gripping, full of tension and action. They are a masterpiece of raw feeling: love, hate, destruction and redemption. They look at the relationship between men and women, politics and guilt, magic dreams and cruel reality. In fact everything that is still relevant today. Well worth a read.

Wenvoe Community Library ‘Browsing’ Times
During May
Thursdays 10am till 12pm
Saturdays 9am till 1pm

 

 

Research On Remembrance In Wales

POSTGRADUATE RESEARCH ON REMEMBRANCE IN WALES

Dear Wenvoe Community Library,

I read about your library from the https://libraries.wales/ website, and I hope you would not mind me asking for your help for my research. I know the importance of libraries in local communities, even if the current pandemic context makes your work and social sharing more difficult.

I am a French PhD student in history and psychology at Swansea University and I am involved in a project with a Welsh and a French research team to study the memory of disasters. We developed an online questionnaire to gain a better understanding of memory and oblivion processes involved when we are to remember past disasters. Our main goal is to progress in the understanding of individual and collective responses to these events. More broadly, this study aims to make an important contribution to ongoing scientific debates on the management of communities and territories affected by one or several disasters.

We are currently struggling to make our study known and we need more volunteers participating to be able to draw relevant conclusions.

I would like to ask for the help of your library in distributing our questionnaire, for instance by adding information about our study in your newsletter if you have one, or via your library network. Our objective is to gather the answers from a large public living in Wales, no matter the age or the background. Your help in sharing our questionnaire would also be a great opportunity for us to inform Welsh communities about our scientific interests.

A detailed call for volunteers was also published by Swansea University on its website (swan.ac/gas), and on Twitter (https://twitter.com/SwanseaUni/status/1354806627447181316). I also gave a short interview that you can find on my Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/lucrece.heux.1).

We wish to communicate our results to the volunteers who participated once our study will be finalised. If you are interested, we can also work with you to inform the visitors of your library about the conclusions we will be able to draw. The link to take part in the study is: https://survey.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/formSV_cMiOQgpbmi33U9f.

I remain entirely at your disposal if you have any further questions. Thank you for your attention,

Lucrèce Heux,

Doctoral Student/ Myfyriwr Doethuriaeth,

Swansea University/ Prifysgol Abertawe.

 

 

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