Month: February 2018

ST DAVID – WALES AND BEYOND

ST DAVID – WALES AND BEYOND

St David was born in Pembrokeshire around 500 AD to Sant, a prince of Cardigan, and St Non, the daughter of a chieftain. Little is known about his life. He was brought up near Aberaeron and is said to have been baptised by St Elvis of Munster. David was educated at a monastery under St Paulinus who, recognising his great potential to spread the word of Christianity, sent David on pilgrimages around Wales, Cornwall, Britanny, Ireland and Jerusalem.

St David died on March 1st, 589. His remains were buried in St David's Cathedral. Although his shrine was later removed by Vikings, a new shrine was constructed there in the 13th Century.

It is said St David founded 12 monasteries and performed several miracles. Canonised by Pope Callixtus in 1120, St David has been recognised as patron saint of Wales since the 12th century.

St David’s Day is celebrated by Welsh societies around the world. St David’s Day celebrations are still held by the descendants of those who emigrated from Wales to Patagonia in 1865.

 

• While preaching to a crowd in the West Wales village of Llanddewi Brefi, David is said to have performed his most famous miracle. The crowd were finding it difficult to see and hear the sermon, when a white dove landed on David’s shoulder. As it did, the ground on which he stood is said to have risen up to form a mighty hill, making it possible for the gathering crowd to finally see and hear him. The dove became St David’s emblem, often appearing in his portraits and on stained-glass windows depicting him.

• Monasteries founded by St David were known for their extreme austerity. Monks abstained from worldly pleasures and carried out hard farming duties on a basic diet. Some monks were so fed up of St David’s harsh regime they even tried to poison his bread. Fortunately he survived.

• The 17th century diarist Samuel Pepys noted how Welsh St David’s Day celebrations in London would spark wider counter-celebrations among their English neighbours, with life-sized effigies of Welshmen being symbolically lynched.

 

Welsh tradition says that during a battle against the Anglo-Saxons, David advised the Welsh warriors to wear a leek in their hats or armour so that the warriors might distinguish themselves from their enemies. Ever since then, the Welsh wear leeks every March 1st in memory.

 

 

Yellow Fish Drains

 

Yellow Fish? In Wenvoe? We hope so, sometime in April or May. So what is this all about? The Yellow Fish campaign involves using a stencil to spray-paint yellow fish alongside street or storm drains. This UK-wide project is already underway and its purpose is to draw our attention to street drains and the need to prevent them getting polluted.

Broadly-speaking we have two sorts of drain. Everything in your household should go into foul or wastewater drains – from your toilets, baths, basins, washing machines and dishwashers. The liquid is treated at water-treatment sites and then discharges in a purer form into our rivers and oceans, but street drains are there to carry surplus water off our roads. They do not go to treatment works but discharge straight into our brooks, our rivers and our seas. So anything you put down these drains or allow to flow into them will pollute our watercourses.

So the first issue is to have a think about what you might let get into a nearby street drain. Ever washed your car using detergents or been tempted to tip that surplus bit of oil, paint or antifreeze down the drain? Or allowed litter to slip through the grille? Car wash centres are usually better because the run-off is captured or processed. If you wash your car at home consider using biodegradable and phosphate-free products which are less harmful to the environment. Take that unneeded oil to the Barry Recycling centre at the Atlantic Trading Estate.

The next issue may come as something of a surprise but a significant number of home appliances are incorrectly connected and discharge directly into street drains. Welsh Water have estimated the figure at 20% and another survey found misconnections included many toilets. Next time you dip your toe in the sea at Barry Island remember than an estimated 9% of pollution in bathing areas results from incorrectly connected drainage. If in doubt, get your connections checked.

Does it matter? If you care at all about wildlife – yes! When oestrogen gets into the water it affects the reproductive cycle of fish. Untreated sewage uses up oxygen and our rivers can no longer support insects and fish and those that depend on them like birds and mammals. And if you are still feeling a bit indifferent, remember that, if you are caught causing pollution such as with misconnected appliances the fines can be severe, running to tens of thousands of pounds. So look out for the Yellow Fish which should be appearing in the early summer. And don't worry – a chalk-based spray is used to create them which is non-toxic and will wash away with our ever-so predictable rains.

 

 

Cheese Tartlets and Fishcakes

 

Leek and Goat's Cheese Tartlets

4 med leeks, trimmed, halved and finely sliced

large knob of butter

2 tbsp thyme leaves and 4 nice sprigs

375g block of puff pastry

4 good slices goats cheese [with rind]

truffle oil or walnut oil [optional]

Wash the leeks and drain. Heat the butter in a wide pan until sizzling, [don’t bun it] then add the wet leeks, thyme leaves, fresh black pepper and a dash of sea salt. Turn heat down low and cook for about 20 mins until they have practically melted but not coloured. Add a little more butter if required. Set aside and allow to cool. Heat oven to 200C Roll out pastry to a thickness of a £1 coin. Cut out saucer sized circles and place on a prepared baking sheet. Divide the leeks to each circle and spread to within 1/2 inch of the edge. Place a slice of cheese on each tart and top with a thyme sprig. Pinch the pastry edges together to encase the leeks, then bake the tarts for about 20 – 25 mins until puffed up and golden. Serve hot and drizzle with flavoured oil. Serve alongside a green salad and sliced cherry tomatoes.

 

Fish Cakes with a difference

600g potatoes, cut into med sized chunks

2 x 120g sardines in spring water [drained]

4 tbsp chopped parsley

zest and juice of 1 lemon

3 tbsp. light mayonnaise

4 tbsp. fat free Greek yogurt

1 tbsp. seasoned plain flour

4 tsp sunflower oil

Cook potatoes and drain, Mash well with a little butter. In a large bowl, coarsely mash the sardines, [no need to remove the bones] Mix in 3 tbsp. of the parsley and half of the lemon zest and juice and fresh black pepper and a dash of sea salt. Gently mix into the mashed potatoes and season. shape into 8 fat fish cakes using floured hands, then dust with the seasoned flour. In a serving bowl mix the yogurt, mayonnaise, remaining lemon juice, zest, parsley and seasoning. Heat half the oil in a non-stick pan and fry half the fish cakes for about 3 – 4 mins on each side. Keep warm and repeat with the remaining fish cakes. Serve with the lemony mayonnaise, green salad and lemon wedges

 

 

 

Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

This book follows a single day in 1923 in the life of Clarissa Dalloway, an upper class London society hostess, preparing for a party. The day interweaves her thoughts, reflections on the past, life choices and actions, with several other characters, including Septimus Smith (a war veteran, suffering from post traumatic stress) and Peter Walsh (an early admirer). The day ends with the suicide of Septimus and Clarissa’s party.

The book published in 1925, is considered a classic, an example of ‘stream of consciousness’ storytelling. It touches on suggestions of a Lesbian relationship, mental illness and lost love.

However, the majority of our group did not enjoy it. People found it repetitious, with overlong sentences, the characters hard to visualise, lacking in story and boring. Several members did not finish the book.

Those in favour rated it as a favourite read and beautifully written. The reader gets to know the characters really well and they are cleverly connected at the end.

 

 

Half Term Report

 

 

Well, the past half term has passed by in a flash!

The children have engaged in various activities; some have been playing African drums with specialist teacher, Mr Rees. Pupils in Lower Key Stage 2 have thoroughly enjoyed taking part in a Creative Schools project and have been learning how to screen print; the finished results are truly beautiful. Pupils are also benefiting greatly from learning how to create computer code.

Years 3 and 5 have both led worship this past half term. Parents are welcomed into school to join with their child’s class worship and are invited to stay for a coffee and biscuits afterwards; this is always a special time. Well done to the children and thank you also their class teachers for their very hard work in the planning and facilitation of the class assemblies.

The week before breaking up was Arts Week; the children have been very busy in their preparations for Saint David’s Day, including art work and story writing. They will, no doubt, also be enjoying being creative over half term, making items for the home entries. All entries receive House Points. We have four Houses in school, named after local farms: Ballas; Greaves; Whitehall; Wrinstone. On entry into school, pupils are placed in one of these Houses. House Points are also earned throughout the year, with the winning House presented with an engraved trophy, on an annual basis.

We are looking forward to next half term, with Saint David’s Day celebrations and also the run up to Easter, which is always a very special time in school.

 

 

Your Tasks for March

 

Are we all raring to go as Spring really starts to kick in? The Winter was so wet and, on most days, too miserable to be bothered doing anything in the garden. Feeding the birds is probably the most I did. I was disappointed by the variety of birds at our feeders on the three days of the Big Garden Birdwatch, unlike Mrs Hoy who ticked loads of boxes. Next year I'm spending the weekend at The Wildfowl Trust Slimbridge to even things up, not that i'm a poor loser. The forced bulbs that we have in the house should be planted in the garden. Do not cut the leaves back but do take care of the root system. Buying snowdrops in the green at this time of year is the best way of naturalising them in to the garden.

The R H S things to do list for March –

1. Protect new spring shoots from wind, frost and pests.

2. Plant shallots, onion sets and new potatoes.

3. Plant Summer flowering bulbs.

4. Lift and divide large clumps of perennials.

5. Top dress containers with new compost.

6. Mow lawns on dry days.

7. Cut back Dogwood and Willow.

8. Hoe and mulch weeds to keep under control early.

9. Start feeding the fish and using the pond fountain.

10. Prune bush and climbing Roses.

While top dressing containers with new compost, look out for the Vine Weevil larvae and, if found, treat early with a pesticide. Don't delay on this or the plant will be ruined. Trim Winter flowering Heathers with shears as the flowers start to fade as this will stop them getting leggy and promote strong new growth. Cut off old leaves of Hellebores to expose the flowers. You can divide Hostas now before they come into leaf and Primulas after they have flowered. Dahlia tubers can be potted up now and, when the new shoots reach three to four inches, cuttings can be a taken. Dip the end in rooting powder and pot up and seal in a plastic bag until roots start to show. New plants grown this way will give you more Dahlias and a better display. Sweet pea seeds can be planted directly into the soil at this time of year, which will prolong the flowering season, along with the the plants you have grown on under glass. Hardy annuals can be sown in pots to give great colour to the garden and they are good for filling in any gaps you may have. The Village Show in September is a fantastic annual event in Wenvoe with some outstanding exhibits and is well attended. To keep this show running it needs some volunteers so if you could help in any way it will be very much appreciated.

Garden centres will be tempting us with all their new season young plants which are very hard to resist. Caution is needed as these plants have been grown in a strictly controlled environment so care will be needed when you get them home, especially from the cold and wind. When buying your compost check the bags are not too light as this will mean the compost is dry. It is quite difficult to get it back to the right moisture content and will mean a lot more work before you can use it. If you're buying mulch then the opposite is true – the dryer it is the easier it is to spread and it will go further.

 

Take care and happy gardening

 

 

I’m Back in Birdland

 

The last two years has taught me many things. We moved to a new house on a new estate almost at sea level without a single mature tree in sight. The only regular avian visitors were the gulls on the weekly waste collection day. Their cousins, the magpies paid occasional visits but the smaller birds were not tempted into the estate from the rail embankments in the middle distance.

In two months of late autumn at the Redrow Grange in Wenvoe there has been a return to the good old days. First to show were a pair of pied wagtails flitting on and off a neighbours roof taking insects in flight and then swooping away to another perch. My favourite garden bird the Robin struts his stuff on the eaves of the garage staking his territorial claim, then hopping and skipping along the fence and shrubs picking up seeds and grubs. His companion is little Jenny Wren, as small as the tip of my thumb, but neat and fast. Shy, yet cheeky enough to explore the potted shrubs on the patio particularly the Christmas fir even though smaller than the smallest bauble.

On my dog walks there are more wrens dipping in and out of the hedgerow above the Close while chaffinches and blue tits skip away from branch to branch in front of me and close in behind me reclaiming their territory. Our dog often pulls at the lead desperate to go play with the blackbirds that skit about at ground level.

In the bit of woodland near the garden centre I often hear the ratatat of a woodpecker and am fairly sure from odd glimpses that it is a lesser spotted. And I have also seen a creeper picking off insects as it hops upside down on the trunk. Too far away to be sure it’s a tree creeper.

The skies over Wenvoe were busy in October with echelons of geese flying southeast and honking away. Now it’s jackdaws and the occasional buzzards but my binoculars were too well stored to get in time to see the Ravens in January.

This all seems quite ordinary. But our time in the Quays has made me appreciate these everyday sightings.

 

AyJay

 

 

 

February Parish Report

 

The solemn season of Lent is now with us, and you will notice that many of the ornaments in the Chancel and Sanctuary have been removed and replaced with more simple items, in line with the church’s teaching of self-denying during this period running up to Easter.

The services during Lent are simpler, with less singing and with more emphasis on hearing the Word of God in the Readings and Gospel narratives. Mothering Sunday is on March 11th when the children from “Pebbles” will be encouraged to bring the daffodils they have grown from the bulbs given to them last Harvest Celebrations, to decorate the church and to present their Mum’s with a gift of flowers,

The meeting to discuss the sale of the Church Hall took place on Thursday 8th February with a good crowd of people in the Community Centre Hall. This meeting called and hosted by Wenvoe Community Council to measure the public reaction of the Community Council purchasing the Church Hall. Jon, our Parish Priest was keen to impart the vision of St Mary’s looking forward to how the Church wishes to develop both the building and the congregation in the 21st century. The present hall was not seen as being part of that vision and was becoming a burden on the church as expenses are exceeding income. In addition, the hall need to be updated with improved kitchen and toilet facilities. By building a hall/meeting room facilities on to the North Side of the church that will enable the church to extend its role of hospitality both to the congregation and community. St Mary’s Church Council has worked very hard over the years to keep the church building in good order, with money raised from the Church Appeal and generous donations and grants, plus the income from our very successful “200” club. We are not state aided or supported by the Representative Body of the Church in Wales in any way, and we have to thank the generations that have gone before for what we enjoy today, and it is our responsibility to hand on to the generations yet to be born, a church building worthy of the 21st century.

An interesting debate was held about what the Community Council would do with the hall should they purchase it. This was the real purpose of the meeting to allow the council to gather a feel of the public opinion The Council will do doubt discuss their findings in due course. The alternative is to place the Hall on the open market, once we have the design of the church extension agreed by the many parties involved. Watch this space!

The Parochial Church Council met recently and was pleased to accept the Quinquenial Report from Mr Richard Dean, of Page and Dean Consulting Ltd. It is a very thorough report on the church fabric with items needing investigation. The council decided to appoint Richard as our Church Architect, which he has pleasure in accepting. The immediate work on

the drainage on the South Side of the church has been delayed as we have decided to include additional drainage on the East Wall which was not included in the Faculty. This will save us money in the long run, with the Archaeological surveys which have to be taken when any work is carried out in the churchyard. The churchyard is looking very pristine due to the work by Mike, the village gardener. He is keeping an eye out for any work that is needed during the months/seasons.

The Treasurer reported that our finances are in a healthy position, and recommended that we create a separate account, within the general account for money’s specifically given for the Building Fund. This would mean that money in the building fund would be “ring fenced” and could only be used for the repair and maintenance of the building fabric. The Christmas Collections from our three churches for the Ty Hafan Children’s hospice came to £1404.26 which is a wonderful result. Thank you to all who donated to this worthy cause. We have also received a donation of £103 from the Wenvoe Craft Workshop Christmas Fair for the Building Fund. Many thanks to Mr and Mrs Tucker. The “200” club had also made a payment of £1800 in December, once again many thanks to all are shareholders, in helping to support the building work necessary to keep on top of repairs and maintenance.

Events coming up in March. Mothering Sunday on March 11th. Special Service on Palm Sunday 25th March. Agape supper in the Church hall March 29th. Good Friday March 30th March and Easter Day on April 1st. All are welcome to these services, keep an eye on the notice boards in the Church Porch.

Blessings to all our readers.

Parry Edwards

 

 

The Facebook Alternative

 

To others of my generation who still do not and cannot comprehend why Facebook ever exists, here’s what I’m doing to gain a better understanding. I am trying to make new friends without using Facebook, but while applying the same principles.

Every day I walk down the street and tell passer-bys what I have eaten, how I feel at the moment, and what I have done the night before, what I will do later, and with whom. I give them pictures of my family, my dog and of me gardening, taking things apart in the garage, watering the lawn, standing in front of landmarks, driving around town, having lunch and doing what anybody and everybody else does every day.

I also listen to their conversations, then give them the ‘thumbs up’ and tell them I like them, I also promised to exchange holiday photos. And it seems to be working.

I already have four people following me: two police officers, a private investigator and a psychiatrist!

 

 

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