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.

 

 

February Updates

Planning Updates.

The following application have been approved:-

• 17 Old Port Road. Work on a tree in the Wenvoe Conservation area.

• Wenvoe Quarry. Proposed recycling facility

• St Lythan’s Park. Amendment to brick type from red multi to buff. (Effects property still to be constructed)

 

The council had a presentation by Mr M. Clogg, Operations Manager Highways. Following concerns about traffic through the village and the hazard s of crossing the road near the Walston Castle new traffic surveys are taking place. The new traffic lights at Brooklands Terrace are being monitored, Cardiff Traffic Division who have the overall view of traffic flows through Culverhouse Cross and surrounding roads adjust the sequences to maintain best throughput of traffic. The major road works are aimed at encouraging the use of public transport. Numerous comments were made from local observations of the problems encountered at this junction.

School parking and its associated problems for the village and especially the local residents living close to the school. Mr Clogg promised to have his monitoring team to examine the situation and see if they can suggest ideas to help alleviate the problems.

The problem of the surface water just below the entrance to St Lythans Park, which freezes in icy weather, is due to a BT culvert flooding problem which will be resolved. The bus shelter at St Andrews Road, destroyed by a car, is the subject of an insurance claim being argued by loss adjusters. A temporary solution will be sought until the claim can be resolved.

Mr Clegg and his department will examine the list of other local road concerns raised by the council.

The Rural Regeneration Grant sought for the library is still awaited. A request for the delivery profiles raises hope that we are nearing the conclusion to the application.

The community meeting on the future of the church hall was reported upon. Around 50 to 60 people attended the meeting with the rector describing his vision for the church and the poor state of the present hall. There was no overall support for any suggestions made. As this is the centre of the village conservation area numerous residents were against selling the hall for housing. The church was questioned over their right to dispose of the hall as it was gifted by the Castle Estate to the church, others questioned whether the village needed another hall if the church built their extension, parking problems if additional housing came to the area. Although not meant to be part of this meeting concerns were made by a number of the public present about the construction of a new hall on the side of the church nearest Walston Road and the loss of the present beautiful aspect of the church and grounds. The Council decided a small working party would examine certain aspects before making any decision over their final position as regards the hall.

Dog fouling is starting to be a local problem. There are increased reports of owners not clearing up their pets even allowing them to foul outside the school gate. Owners can face on the spot fines for not removing their dog’s mess. Please either challenge owners or report them if such incidents are witnessed.

The increasing amounts of litter appearing on Old Port Road, north of the Walston Castle, will be reported to the Vale. There is a community litter pick planned for Saturday 3rd March starting at 10.00am from the Community Centre. It was reported that the yellow signs posted along Port Road, and other locations, at the start of the year encouraging drivers to take more care over the disposal of their litter was very successful in reducing the amount of littering and will be repeated in the future.

Concerns were raised at the possible high levels of nitrous oxide levels near the school area. It was reported that there are two known areas within the Vale of high levels and monitoring across the whole Vale regularly takes place.

The surfacing of the footpath between Clos Llanfair and The Grange is now complete and usable, a kissing gate has also been installed. If the gate is preventing the passage of your pram, pushchair or mobility scooter please contact the clerk to the council so the matter can be resolved.

 

 

February Playgroup News

 

I recently attended a meeting with regard to the Governments 30-hour Childcare offer which they propose to roll out across Wales by 2020.

It will be offered for 48 weeks of the year for all children the term after their 3rd Birthday until the September after their 4th Birthday (Nursery age).

To be eligible, both parents in the household need to work a minimum of 16 hours per week at the National Minimum Wage (NMW). If you are a single parent family the 16-hour rule applies at the NMW.

The 30 hours will be split between education and childcare provider e.g. 15 at Nursery and 15 with a Childcare Provider.

Although Nursery School offer term time only which is 39 weeks per year, we have been advised that the extra 9 weeks at 30 hours can be claimed with a childcare provider.

This is very exciting news for Playgroup with the wraparound that we provide alongside Gwenfo Nursery. We can now start to plan a way forward and gather information to support the Community with their Childcare needs to be ready in time for 2020.

We will keep you up-to-date with the latest information as and when we receive it.

Playgroup numbers are continuing to rise, with the wrap around care facility most popular.

Children may be left in our care from 9am with their packed lunch from home and walked across to Gwenfo Nursery for 1pm for £16 each morning Monday to Friday.

We pick up everyday from Gwenfo Nursery at 11:20 and on into Playgroup until 12:45pm for a cost of £8 per child. On a Wednesday, children may be collected from Nursery and stay with us until 3:15pm for a cost of £16 per child. A packed lunch is provided from home to eat at 12 noon.

We care for children from the age of 2 years and 4 months and support their care and development until reception age. If you would like more information on any of the above then please email me wenvoeplaygroup@btinternet.com or telephone 20597494 between 9 and 12 noon Monday to Friday.

Sandra

 

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.

 

 

History of the Village Hall

 

The Village Hall (big white building adjacent to the school & opposite the Community Centre) is one of our local charities. It is built on land owned by the Wenvoe Estate for a peppercorn rent to the residents (then known as Villagers) to build a Village Hall in memory of their loved ones at the end of the First World War.

Back in the early years it was known as the ‘tin shack’ by residents which was eventually replaced and rebuilt by the Committee and residents in 1974 into the building you see today.

The hall is run by a Voluntary Management Committee of residents who adhere to a lease signed and agreed between themselves and the trustees to the land.

One of the conditions in the lease is that the Village Hall must have a minimum of 8 and a maximum of 12 residents from the Parish of Wenvoe known as ‘The Committee’. If the hall fails to adhere to this then the land will be passed back to the Landowners and the Village Hall will be no more.

The Village Hall was built very much with the community in mind. It is the home of the Playgroup who will be celebrating their 50th Birthday next year. The Playgroup was formed in 1969 by the residents of Wenvoe.

We have 3 badminton classes each week, 2 Karate Classes, along with Annette’s Children’s dancing and adults exercise classes Wednesday and Saturday.

There is Ballroom dancing Saturday evenings with Afternoon Tea Dances held every Tuesday from 2 – 4pm throughout the year. Tuesday group hold their meetings in the Annexe the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month and of course it’s a great hall to hold big events such as; Coming of age Birthdays, Weddings, Anniversaries and Children’s Parties.

The Vale Village Church are at the hall every Sunday morning from 10:30am and also hold an evening service, the first Sunday of every two months (the next evening is 1st April).

All contacts are at the front of this magazine.

The Wenvoe Wheelers hire the hall for the winter months on a Thursday evening and some exciting news from Thursday June 7th for six weeks, we have a Circus Skills Workshop hiring the hall. Watch out for the advert. It’s for all the family we are told, so lots of fun to be had in the Summer evenings.

As you can see from the above number of classes and events, the Village Hall is well used. If you would like more information about the Village Hall then please email us on wenvoevillagehall@yahoo. co.uk.

 

 

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

 

 

 

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