Library Grant Application rejected

Library Grant Application rejected

The Welsh Government has informed the Community Council that the grant application for a new library building made more than 3 years ago, has finally been rejected. This is a huge disappointment . However, the Community Council will now start to explore alternative options for replacing the library building.

 



 

What’s Coming Up in March

 

New Volunteers. – We would like to welcome our new volunteers Trisha and Paula. We are privileged to have an amazing team of enthusiastic volunteers who help us to run the library.

 

Meet the Author – Wednesday 18 March 2020, 7pm, Wenvoe Community Centre

Free entry but a donation to the library would be welcome.

Come listen to and meet Sam Hurcom as he talks about his book A Shadow on the Lens that is based in Dinas Powys.

  1. Thomas Bexley, one of the first forensic photographers, is called to the sleepy and remote Welsh village of Dinas Powys, several miles down the coast from the thriving port of Cardiff. A young girl by the name of Betsan Tilny has been found murdered in the woodland – her body bound and horribly burnt. But the crime scene appears to have been staged, and worse still: the locals are reluctant to help.

As the strange case unfolds, Thomas senses a growing presence watching him, and try as he may, the villagers seem intent on keeping their secret. Then one night, in the grip of a fever, he develops the photographic plates from the crime scene in a makeshift darkroom in the cellar of his lodgings. There, he finds a face dimly visible in the photographs; a face hovering around the body of the dead girl – the face of Betsan Tilny.

 

Gardeners’ Question Time,

7:00 p.m. Wednesday 15th April,

Wenvoe Community Centre

Join us for a good-humoured evening where an audience of amateur gardeners can put their horticultural questions to our panel of local experts. Chaired by Mike Tucker (Village Gardener) and his trusted panellists: Joyce Hoy and Gordon Jones. Tickets £2 available from Wenvoe Community Library during opening hours or £2:50 on the night.


 

Bus trip to Hay Festival

Saturday 30th May.

Watch out for further details

 


Book donations – We are always grateful for donations of good quality books. If you’ve finished the latest bestseller, have some books you’ll never read again or it’s just time for a clear out, you can donate your books to us. Please bring your books to the library during opening hours or if you contact us, we can arrange to pick them up.

Off the Shelf

This month’s book was a light read by Penelope Lively. How It All Began is a book of consequences. Charlotte in her late 70s is mugged and suffers a broken hip. The story describes the knock-on effects of this event. Charlotte’s daughter Rose works as Sir Henry’s secretary but has to attend to her mother. Sir Henry calls his niece Marion to cover Rose. Marion sends a text to her lover Jeremy to cancel their tryst. Jeremy’s wife reads the text, and so the story unfolds. We all agreed that this was a pleasant if not a challenging read and gave it an overall score of 5/10

 

 

 



 

Concentrating On Our Book Stock

Concentrating On Our Book Stock

In the following months we shall be using this page to review varying facets of our library provision. This month concentrates on our BOOK STOCK which is a key asset and plays a major role in our service.

The Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 states that libraries should provide ‘a comprehensive and efficient library service for all persons desiring to make use thereof’. One of the cornerstones of a library is having a well organised and suitable book stock. To this end we are regularly liaising with the Vale Council section who are responsible for ordering our books.

Our aims are to maintain and develop an attractive book stock.

FICTION: New titles, classic and perennially popular titles. Factors to consider are performance of titles by the same author, series of books for consistency, and influence of the media

NON-FICTION: Popularity of the subject, how specialist is the material and the quality of the book

CHILDREN: A balance of familiar, comforting books as well as books to challenge, excite and delight children.

TEENAGERS: Well-known authors, particularly series, and up-to-the-minute games.

ANALYSIS:

  • We are in contact with the Vale to provide us with some statistical analysis of our book stock
  • How we think of a book is subjective; in book clubs a novel will receive a score of 9/10 from one reader and 2/10 from another
  • Our plea is to have some extra input, some male and teenage voices would be much appreciated
  • Please call into the library or send us an email. We would really value your suggestions.

 

Iain Pate “A Journey in Flavours”

Many thanks to Iain who gave us a comical and entertaining talk on his experiences in the flavours industry. We can look forward to yet another of Iain’s amusing talks later on in the year, when he reveals his relationship to Catherine Cookson through his infamous great grandfather.

Christmas Raffle. Thank you to everyone who bought a ticket. £322.00 was raised. All of this goes towards our running costs.

The winners were:

Large hamper – Richard, Whitehall Close – Green ticket 113

Small hamper – James, Goldsland Walk- Green 255

Red wine – Zena , Old Port Road -Green 163

White wine – Colin, Goldsland Walk – Blue 116

Chocolates – Jane, St Andrew’s Road – Blue 146

Smellies – Gillian, c/o Clare – Yellow 110

Table decoration – Erica, Goldsland Walk – Green 245

Table decoration – Laura, Burdons Close – Green 247

Table decoration – Kath, Orchard Close – Yellow 61

Table decoration – Gloria, Old Port Road – Green 158

 



 

Future Events

 

Meet the author.

Wednesday 15th January,

7pm upstairs in the Wenvoe Arms.

Iain Pate “A Journey in Flavours”

Iain spent a 25-year career in sales & marketing in the Flavour industry where he worked for two of the top international flavour houses and a family owned international herb & spice extractor. He worked through the 1980s and 1990s where new products were launched weekly and product innovation drove the food & drink markets. Iain had a fascinating job where new things could be learned every day.

During this time, he worked with many of the major food and drink companies across all product areas and across the UK, Ireland and Europe. Iain has had the pleasure of working with many interesting people and quite a few characters, some of whom feature in his presentation and ALL of whom are real people (although some names have been changed!!).

In this talk Iain will explain what flavourings are, how and why they are needed and how they are used. He’ll examine how food trends have changed, some interesting products that have come and gone from the market and ideas that didn’t make it with a brief look at additives and E numbers. If you eat and drink anything you will find this interesting!!

The presentation will have woven within it some entertaining TRUE stories that happened to Iain and his colleagues that are humorous, entertaining and embarrassing. It is also a tale of companies he was proud to work for and who were interested in looking after their employees. This is an affectionate portrait of a time gone by, and Iain guarantees that you will be entertained!

Christmas Raffle

The draw took place on the 21st December; too late to enclose the results in this edition. The lucky winners will be published in next month’s issue.

A big thank you to everyone who bought tickets. The proceeds go towards our running costs which average £200 per month.

Future bus trips

Following our successful trips over the last year, we have several more planned for you in 2020. These include the Hay Festival, the Royal Welsh Spring Show, and Gloucester for Christmas. Watch this space.

Handcrafted cards

We have a section of Welsh and English cards for all occasions on sale in the library for just £1 each. All proceeds to our Community Library.

Free Digital Taster sessions

Get the most from your mobile phone, computer and tablet. Contact us to make an appointment. We can

also arrange small group sessions on getting the most from the library on-line.

Jigsaws

We now have a jigsaw table so next time you’re in the library help us complete a puzzle. We also have a selection of jigsaws for all ages available to borrow.

 

Happy New Year 2020 to you all

from your Community Library

 



 

December in the Library

 

Saturday 21st December in the Library

10-10:30 am, Storytelling. Join us when the Christmas Elf will be reading magical Christmas stories for the under 5s.

12 noon, Raffle. The winning raffle tickets will be drawn for your chance to win one of our fabulous Christmas hampers.

Secret Santa

In the run-up to Christmas we are offering a surprise Secret Santa adult or child book for £2. Buy your ticket in the library and choose your wrapped book.

Christmas opening hours

We shall be open as usual on Saturday 28th December, Monday 30th December and Tuesday 31st December.

Happy Christmas. We would like to wish our members a very happy Christmas and thank you all for the support you have shown your community library throughout the year.

 

 

 

 



 

Bus Pass Renewals & New books

Help with bus pass renewals

Existing Concessionary Travel Cards holders and new applicants are being asked to apply for new-style cards via the new Transport for Wales online portal. Your old-style cards are only valid until 31 December 2019. If you are having difficulty in renewing your bus passes, come along to the library and we’ll help you complete an application online. Just bring along your existing bus pass and your national insurance number. We also have temporary bus passes available.

New books

Snow is falling and books are calling. We have a good range of new books for you to snuggle up and read over Christmas.

Crime and thrillers:

‘Brutal’ by Mandasue Heller. A bereaved husband is faced with a devastating choice in this gritty thriller.

‘A Shadow on the Lens’ by Sam Hurcom. 1904 and Thomas Bexley, one of the first forensic photographers, is called to Dinas Powys. A young girl has been found murdered but the crime scene appears to have been staged, and worse still: the locals are reluctant to help.

‘Red Strike’ by Chris Ryan. Another in the Strike Back series. Chris Ryan turned to writing thrillers to tell the stories the Official Secrets Act stops him putting in his non-fiction.

‘The Stone Circle’ by Elly Griffiths. Nelson is disturbed when he receives a letter telling him to go to the stone circle and save the child who is buried there. Sure enough, a child’s bones are found in the circle, those of a girl who vanished thirty years ago. When the lead suspect in that case, the so-called Stone Man, is found dead, Nelson knows that he is dealing with a killer who cannot forget the past.

‘Her Sister’s Secret’ by E V Seymour. An absolutely gripping psychological thriller with suspenseful twists

‘Neon Prey’ by John Sandford. Lucas Davenport pursues a prolific serial killer who has gone undetected for years in the newest nail-biter by this internationally bestselling author.

‘The Venetian Masquerade’ by Philip Gwynne Jones. A game of blackmail and betrayal is played among the backstreets and canals of Venice

‘The Punishment She Deserves’ by Elizabeth George. Another masterpiece of suspense in the Inspector Lynley series.

‘The Silver Wind’: Four Stories of Time Disrupted by Nina Allan. Martin Newland is fascinated by watches and clocks and the nature of time. Time, memory, love, hope and regret all complicate Martin’s quest for the truth. In the implied spaces and overlaps between these five moments in time the reader is granted a mysteriously enriching vision of the everyday world

‘Ghost Fire’ by Wilber Smith. A new generation of Courtneys fight for freedom in an epic story of

tragedy, loss, betrayal and courage that brings the reader deep into the seething heart of the French and Indian War.

Romance

‘The Winter Orphan’ by Cathy Sharp. A heart-breaking story of one child’s courage, from the bestselling author of The Orphans of Halfpenny Street.

‘Wrapped Up in You’ by Jill Shalvis. The perfect feel-good romance to brighten your day

‘Beauchamp Hall’ by Danielle Steel. Inspired by the TV show Downton Abbey, Beauchamp Hall is an uplifting story of an ordinary woman embracing an extraordinary adventure

Nonfiction

‘My Friend Anna’ by Rachel DeLoache Williams. The true story of the fake heiress of New York City

Poetry/ criticism

‘Great Goddesses: Life lessons from myths and monsters’ by Nikita Gill. Step into an ancient world transformed by modern feminist magic.

Children’s fiction

‘On Angel Wings’ by Michael Morpurgo, illustrated by Quentin Blake

‘Mimi and the Mountain Dragon’ by Michael Morpurgo.

 



 

October Library Update

October Library Update

 

Meet the Author

On Wednesday 16 October, Alistair Love gave us an interesting insight to the background of his new novel The Heath written under the pseudonym of A.J. Munro. Working as a news producer based in London, Alistair developed a love of Hampstead Heath in which his gripping novel is based:

As an August heatwave grips London, a crack sniper starts shooting the dogs of the great and the good on Hampstead Heath. It falls to DI Jack Love to solve this most perplexing of crimes and when a famous rock star loses his dog to the marksman, the whole country becomes embroiled in copycat shootings and a media circus. Meanwhile, a new client for renowned counsellor, Jane Harkness is the most challenging in her career as the line between work and home life becomes dangerously blurred. As Love fears the shooter will start killing humans and Harkness realises that she has bitten off more than she can chew, worlds collide in a desperate race to catch a man out of control. DI Love finds himself on a rollercoaster ride through an unravelling mind played out in the full glare of a hungry media desperate for a silly-season sensation with devastating consequences.

You can buy the book online from Amazon and we also have a copy in the library. You might also wish to follow Alistair’s podcast – The Cardiff Podcast on which he interviews local people and addresses current issues.

New volunteers: We would like to give a warm to our new volunteers who have stepped forward to work on the library desk or behind the scenes in organising events. Our library wouldn’t survive without its volunteers and if you have a few hours a month to spare, we would love to hear from you.

London trip Saturday 30 November

Just a few tickets left to book your seat on the London trip. The cost of the trip is £22.

Sylvia Harvey has made two recommendations for those visiting London.

Royal Academy, Piccadilly– Anthony Gormley Exhibition: Thoroughly recommend a walk round this. You really feel part of the exhibits, to quote Anthony Gormley “I want to use sculpture to throw us back into the world”.

Teatulia Café, Neal Street, WC2. Near Covent Garden: Organic tea and coffee served in comfortable surroundings with the added bonus of an excellent selection of books to browse through. The books have been selected and arranged by Tilda Swinton and Stephen Fry. Note: Payment by card only.

Christmas Raffle: It is time to buy your raffle tickets for your chance to win our fabulous hamper. Tickets are on sale now in the library.

Laminating and photocopying: Just a reminder that we offer both A4 laminating and A4 photocopying (in both black and white and colour). The cost of photocopying is 10p per sheet for black and white and 20p per sheet for colour. Laminating is 20p per sheet.

 

Apologies: We are so sorry that we left Maureen Richards off the list of winners in the Village show. Maureen’s knitted toys came third in the Craft category.

Off the Shelf Book Club Review: ‘When Breath Becomes Air’by Paul Kalanithi

‘When Breath Becomes Air’ is a non-fiction autobiographical book and a memoir about the author’s life and illness, battling stage IV metastatic lung cancer. Whether you simply want to read about the life of a doctor at the top of his game and how he copes when everything comes crashing down; or you too wonder about the interwoven connection between the meaning of life, as seen in literature and philosophy, and the physiological mechanisms of the brain.

The Off the Shelf book club found this book highly enjoyable and felt that Paul Kalanithi dealt with the balance of being a neurosurgeon and an author beautifully. He found his knowledge of literature more helpful for reflection than moral philosophy or ethics. He wrote with an honest approach and there were no wasted words. His wife wrote the epilogue which added a unique aspect to the book. He was an astonishing individual who demonstrated great ambition, resilience and determination in the face of great adversity.

One of the members found an interview with Paul’s wife that had been televised on the news. We watched the clip as a group which added a real tangible element to the story. The group were unanimous in their decision about the book and gave it a mark of 10/10! Highly recommended

 



 

Wenvoe Village Show

Wenvoe Village Show

Wenvoe Village Show – The show this year was well supported by the village. We received nearly 300 adult entries and we raised £354.55 for the Library.

The dulcet tones of the village choir commenced the proceedings and Johnny Tudor and Olwen Rees opened the event. As well as the produce and culinary categories, we had a record number of artworks submitted, all to a high standard which made judging reallydifficult. We also received beautiful crafts and needlework and a host of entries from the children in the village. The show ended with the public tucking into the beautiful cakes and produce entered into the show. Congratulations to the overall winner Gail Griffiths, and to the second Isobel Davies and to the joint third winners: Gordon Jones and V’Iain Fenton-May.

This was the second show organised by Wenvoe Community Library and we would like to extend our thanks to everyone in our community who supported the show. Thanks also to the judges, entrants, volunteers, Johnny and Olwen, the choir, who all gave freely of their time and to all who made the event possible and extra special thanks must go to the Show’s organisers Janet Williams, Heulwen Davies and Sue Hoddell who did a fantastic job

We hope you are planning for next year. The Show will be on 5th September. Look out for next year’s schedule which will be available in the Spring. We shall have even more categories including a fun dog show.

 

 

It is by taking part in community events that makes our village a great place in which to live.

Summer Reading Challenge

About 30 children registered for this summer’s challenge, the theme of which was Space Exploration linking it with the first moon landing 50 years ago. The Challenge had its launch on Thursday July 18 with Alina Trigger attending a school assembly with all relevant information. Dave Breen, of Techniquest in Cardiff contributed with a talk on space and held a walk-in workshop in the library on 21st August. Alina will present the certificates to the participants of the Challenge.

 



 

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