Month: September 2017

Village Show 2017 – Report and Results

 

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you huge, I mean really huge beetroot! Personally, I suspect they had been fed bits of special ‘stuff’, maybe a dram or two, otherwise how could they possibly get to be so BIG? These, you may gather, were not the usual entries in the beetroot category. They were in fact donated by one of our judges, just to demonstrate what we might aim for. They certainly would have won the giant beetroot category – if we had one! We donated them to the harvest festival so you might have seen them again at their second guest appearance in the village together with some equally large swedes.

This must have been a good year for apples, such was the number of entries we had. We had to keep moving the other produce entries around to make room for them. We also had a glorious array of tomatoes, but no shallots. It goes like that, some years it’s an ‘onion year’ or a ‘runner bean’ year, this year it seemed to be apples. We had a couple of good sized marrows and a good number of potatoes. I thought I identified some nice looking ‘fir apple’ variety – but they didn’t win – well, what do I know?

Our baking categories this year included curry flavour biscuits. How peculiar they were. The thing is, you don’t get a guide or recipe to work from so how the thing you make tastes is entirely up to you. One entry had a sort of curry and cheese flavour and one of the others was a sweetish curry flavour. They pretty much split the room in the way that Marmite does. Mind you, there were only a few crumbs of each left so I guess people were curious enough to keep coming back for more. I must say I was glad to see lemon drizzle cake in the categories this year as it’s probably my all time favourite cake, though my mate’s only came second – a decision which was such a travesty of justice, I don’t know what the judge was thinking. However, drum roll….. the Husbands machine bread came first, so at least some face was saved in the Williams house this year, phew. Our baking judge had a hard time of it to be honest, because I would have found it very difficult indeed to separate the entries into first, second and third. Sometimes however, it is made a little easier because the entry has got some additional ingredient – usually for embellishment purposes, or has gone off on a limb and used the wrong filling. So, for the record, Victoria sponge should only have strawberry or raspberry filling (and definitely no butter icing or cream) and butterfly cakes should not have raspberries or sprinkles on top, just icing sugar to dust. This does not in any way detract from how fabulous they taste, in my humble opinion.

We had a separate judge to do the jams, jellies, chutneys, drinks and eggs. Now, I don’t know how you judge the difference between fizzy elderflower champagne and beech leaf noyau (no, I have no clue either) – anyway both were alcoholic and I must confess that I had a little sip. I would have been happy to drink either to be honest, but I think that the cherry liqueur won and I can tell you it had the most wonderful colour.

We had a huge display of cut flowers this year – which brightened the room no end. I should mention that my father in law managed to come second with his flowers – despite the fact that he was lying on a sun-lounger on a cruise ship at the time. My skills at flower arranging are now famous!

We had some extremely amusing limerics which I cannot print here for lack of space of course, but I can tell you that my mate Al scored a first place – to his great delight. As is now traditional, our produce judge judged the limerics and wrote one of his own at the end of the show.

Our craft category went from strength to strength this year and we had a number of really good paintings. The winning one was still wet, so it’s never too late you know!

Children’s entries were down this year as the school entries got stuck in school. I do sympathise because the timing of the show was really tight for them this year – they would only have been in school for half a week prior to the show. It was a shame, so I do hope to see them next year. Finally, our photographic category was to the usual high standard. We are open to suggestions for entries and generally print the categories early in the year so there is plenty of time to get your pics printed off.

We had some new helpers this year, keen growers and makers of strange drinks (!). We have introduced them to Al’s marvellous computer entry system and they are keen to get involved next year too. This is really good news as you will have seen my plea for ‘new blood’ in an article earlier this year. Our next step is to meet up and review what went well, what didn’t and make a few early plans for next year. If you want to get involved, please do, we would love to have you and it is a lovely villagey thing to do. Oh, and this of course, includes our new residents at either end of the village. I know for sure that a few from the Redrow estate entered the show which is really great.

Finally, I must once again, thank all the judges who have a really hard task, the organisers and the entrants – the show would not happen without any of you.

 

 

September Activities

 

 

Work in September included dead heading the roses at the community centre and on the village green and making a start on clearing overgrown shrubs on the latter. This will be finished this month. As I write this piece there is still plenty of colour in the remains of the summer bedding. Tulip and daffodil bulbs have been ordered ready to be planted in the window boxes and elsewhere at the community centre. October’s meetings will be on the 16th and 30th, weather permitting.

Work in September included dead heading the roses at the community centre and on the village green and making a start on clearing overgrown shrubs on the latter. This will be finished this month. As I write this piece there is still plenty of colour in the remains of the summer bedding. Tulip and daffodil bulbs have been ordered ready to be planted in the window boxes and elsewhere at the community centre. October’s meetings will be on the 16th and 30th, weather permitting.

 

 

 

September’s Events

 

September saw a quickening of the pace in activity in the church. People are so used to thinking that the church is only used on a Sunday that it may come as a surprise at the other times that services take place. During the month the Eucharist has been celebrated on 10 occasions, Evensong has been held on the first Sunday of the month. There has been 2 baptisms when three children were added to the Christian family, 2 funerals have arranged for the faithful departed, and 1 wedding celebrated. In addition we have had 2 sessions of “Open Door”, 1 meeting of the “brass cleaners”, The Parochial Church Council has met in church, The Scarecrow Festival was held in the churchyard. The Chattery met as usual in the Church hall on the 2nd Thursday of the month The church was decorated for the Harvest Festival, Lots of people involved with lots of “goings on” in the church proves that our lovely building is in constant demand during the week. It is for this reason that our building fund is so important to maintain the building in as good a condition as is possible, by drawing the community of Wenvoe into as many of our activities as they feel comfortable with. Sunday mornings are busy but there always room and a warm welcome for all who wish to join in the worship.

What a joy it was to welcome our “Pebbles” back after the Summer break. They bring such a buzz with them, and they enjoy sharing with the congregation the craft work they have been doing in the Church Hall. New mums and Dads have joined their children and they are most welcome and valued for the care and concern that have for their children to experience something a little different on a Sunday morning. We are very fortunate to have sincere Christian leaders to monitor the group’s activities while the children are in their care. They have been preparing a special something for our Harvest celebration, which has been very carefully kept under wraps until the morning service. We will not be disappointed.

The joint parish Magazine “Connection” is a very high quality print, a number of people have taken up the offer of paying for year in advance, which will help us to plan the quantity we need for the month. We still send many copies to the waste despite trying to include as much news of Wenvoe and St. Lythan’s as is possible. The content of the magazine is open to all, and contributions and ideas are always welcome, whether it is some where you have visited on holiday. Something you have read in another church magazine you may have had in a church you have visited. The Sub Editor in Wenvoe would be most pleased to receive it to forward it to Lynda in Sully, who compiles the magazine for the printer. The copies are always in church on the first Sunday of the month to collect or purchase.

The congregations of all three churches have been invited to Vote for your favourite hymn by October 15th . It would be good to know why the three you have chosen are your favourites, so if you would like

to, please give a reason. There will then be a special service where we will sing the top six hymns as voted for by you on Sunday 29th October at 6 pm at St John the Baptist Church in Sully. So the invitation is there to vote for your favourite hymn and come along see if it has made the top six

Tea Party at the Rectory in Wenvoe for the children and families of the Parishes of Sully and Wenvoe with St. Lythan’s.

Jon writes – On Sunday 17th September all the children and young people who have been prepared for Confirmation in the last three years were invited along with families who attend Pebbles at Wenvoe, and the Sunday School at Sully to come to a Tea Party at the Rectory. The table “groaned” with cakes and the rain held off so we were able to go outside and those who wished to played in the garden with footballs and giant Connect 4 and Noughts and Crosses. Thank you to everyone who came and contributed to a wonderful atmosphere throughout the afternoon.

Next “Messy Church” on Saturday 21st October at 3.30.pm in the Community Centre, Wenvoe.

With every Blessing

Parry Edwards

 

 

September Walks

 

Black Hill Ridge – It was a long drive to the beginning of the walk, the final stretch following winding lanes until we reached the car park at the foot of Black Hill. In the north east of the Black mountains we were in Herefordshire north east of Llanveynoe and Longtown. Little Black Hill was visible to the south and our destination, Black Hill, rose steeply behind us.

Over a stile and we were travelling north along the valley and past Craswall. There was lots of mud but the ground remained mostly firm underfoot. The path was level or downhill so that the ridge we were to walk loomed higher and higher above us.

From the bottom of the valley, in woodland and to our right we could hear hounds baying. After a while the sound came from ahead of us – we guessed in the woodland as there were fields of sheep and cows. Then a large dog came bounding along the trail towards us and up the hill not even glancing at us it was so focussed on its quarry. A second hound followed soon after. Baying sounds could now be heard in several different directions. Passing through a gate we suddenly found ourselves surrounded by the pack, racing backwards and forwards and jumping a barbed wire fence in their quest. They totally ignored us apart from a few who gave us a brief sniff.

Having walked a few miles along the valley we took a path in a north westerly direction. We came onto open land which gradually sloped towards the lower slopes of Hay Bluff and we espied a hang glider. As it was 1pm, we stopped briefly in warming sunshine to eat our 1st lunch of the day (enough to get us to the top of the hill). Extensive views to the northeast spread out before us.

We used part of the Offa’s dyke path to climb Hay Bluff, an excellent path reinforced all the way to the ridge. Here we met our first walkers of the day, a group of girls doing their silver Duke of Edinburgh award.

Ignoring the trig point at the top of Hay Bluff we turned left (south east) to climb to the top of the ridge. Now we could enjoy our 2nd lunch, making our way to a small promontory we settled down. Fabulous views again, this time of the surrounding ridges and Pen y Fan could be seen in the distance. The Olchon valley lay below us.

Refreshed we continued along the top of the ridge; it is peat bog with many acrid pools and a paved pathway had been laid to preserve the habitat – very easy walking thanks to a lot of hard work and investment. As we continued we had to be careful to move left across the moorland and back to the Black Hill ridge as the solid path that is Offa’s Dyke could easily have taken us in the wrong direction. This was the only really rough ground of the whole day.

On reaching the Black Hill ridge our view was mainly the cultivated farmland to the east and the ridge rising above us to the west. One of the hang gliders came in to land on the lower slopes of Hay Bluff and another came very close to us as he veered around, to join his colleague.

As we progressed the ridge looked dauntingly narrow but once we arrived on its craggy section we realised it was at least 3ft wide along its length with a few large rocks to scramble over. Even vertigo sufferers were reassured. We could see the Olchon valley again and the ridge which Offa’s Dyke follows continuing for some miles across the valley.

At the end of the ridge the path went into a steep descent but in places there were steps worn into the hillside which made progress easier. Over the stile (the only one on this walk) which we crossed at the start of our walk and we were back at the car. 8¾ miles walked and 1200ft climbed and we all agreed that it had been fabulous

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Year of the Runaways

The Year of the Runaways
by Sanjeev Sahota

This Booker-short listed novel traces the lives of three Indian immigrants over a year.

The three young men, Tarlochan Kumar (Tochi), Avtar Nijjar and Randeep Sanghera, move into a house in Sheffield which is shared by numerous migrant workers. The fourth character in this story, Narinder Kaur, is a young British-raised devout Sikh girl, the visa-wife of Randeep, who moves separately into a flat in Sheffield. The author tells the story of each character’s past in India, the events that bring them to this country as immigrants and the struggle they then face in the daily fight for work, money and survival in England, as their lives become entwined.

The majority of the group agreed that the book is superbly written, simply expressed and a real page turner. It is thought provoking with clearly drawn characters and incidences. We are given good insights to Indian culture and the Sikh religion. Although the story-lines were tragic and moving at time, harsh details were not unduly dwelled upon. Unusually, the view was expressed that this is a book people need to read as it opens our eyes to a greater understanding of why people want to come to our country as immigrants.

One member of our group listened to this novel on Audio and expressed her delight at the way in which the background sounds really enriched the story and helped bring the culture alive.

However not all opinions were positive and a view that the book was depressing with continual hardships was also expressed. Additionally, it was agreed that a Glossary would be useful as the author has included many foreign words and phrases which were a bit daunting a times.

After a lively discussion the overall score was a positive 8 out of 10 and therefore a highly recommend.

The evening was pleasantly rounded off as we enjoyed tea, coffee and delicious snacks and cakes courtesy of Val.

 

 

 

An Hour of Storytelling

 

 

Wenvoe residents Eirwen Malin and Phil Thomas would like to invite you to their home in Old Port Road for an hour of storytelling from storyteller Carl Gough followed by drinks, some of Eirwen’s legendary homemade soup and a chance to meet some other fans of storytelling and, perhaps, others from the village you may not know.

There is no ticket price as such. We would ask for a donation to cover costs and the storyteller’s fee. Any surplus will be donated to Parkinson’s UK and The Beyond The Border International Storytelling Festival.

Places will be limited to 25 so please email philipthomas664@gmail.com or call 07870 212437 by Monday 2nd October to reserve a place and receive address details.

Please note – these are adult tales (some were considered “…oo vulgar for Victorian sensibilities…) So please be aware – not for children!

We hope to see you.

Eirwen and Phil

 

 

 

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