Month: April 2019
A Very Special Fundraising Event
Apple and Cheddar Cake with Maple Cream
Apple and Cheddar Cake with Maple Cream
3/4 cup Self Raising flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1 – 11/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
115g butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs, beaten [beat separately]
6 tbsp. milk
1 cup grated cheddar cheese [use a good mature make]
1 large tart apple, such as Granny Smith, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4 inch dice
A good-sized tub of double cream
Maple syrup
Preheat oven to 180C. Butter a 23cm spring form tin. Combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.
Combine the butter and sugar in an electric mixing bowl and cream together on high speed for about 3 minutes until fluffy. Scrape down the sides as necessary. Turn mixer to medium speed and add the eggs one at a time. Scrape down as necessary. Turn the mixer down to low and add half of the flour mixture. Stir in the milk. Stir in the remaining flour mixture until just combined. Stir in the cheddar cheese and apple.
Scrape the mixture into the tin, smooth the top. Bake until the top is golden brown, and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean – about 35 or 40 minutes. Leave to cool, remove from tin and cool completely on a wire rack.
Whip the double cream until thickened. Add a good tbsp or two of maple syrup to the cream. Whip to combine and serve with the cake. YUMMY!
Old Docks Offices In Barry
If you’ve travelled along Ffordd y Mileniwm from Palmerston to the Barry Waterfront, you will have passed by one of the most iconic buildings in the area. This imposing building looks out over Barry Island – but at one time it faced the busy Barry Docks and housed the Docks Offices.
Barry docks office building
At the end of the nineteenth century a group of industrialists got together under the leadership of David Davies of Llandinam and with financial investment from John Cory of Tŷ’r Dyffryn, amongst others, to develop new docks in Barry for the exporting of the coal mined in their mines in the Rhondda Valley. The Chief Engineer of the docks project was John Wolfe Barry – who had also been involved in the construction of Tower Bridge in London. Interestingly, one of the other engineers who worked on the docks project was Henry Marc Brunel – the son of Isambard Kingdom Brunel.
The headquarters of the Barry Docks and Railway Company was built between 1897 and 1900, designed by architect Arthur E. Bell after the style of Christopher Wren. It cost £59,000 to build and an imposing bronze statue of David Davies stands in front of it today. The statue is the work of Alfred Gilbert, the man who designed the statue of Eros in London. A copy of the David Davies statue stands beside the A470 in his home village of Llandinam in mid Wales.
This building exhibits many interesting and unusual features. It is one of a number of buildings which are found all over the world called ‘calendar buildings’. Other examples are Avon Tyrrell House in Hampshire, Cairness House in Aberdeenshire, Adare Manor near Limerick, Schloss Eggenberg in Graz in Austria and so on. The features seen in such buildings are a reflection of various numbers in a calendar.
In our building in Barry there are 4 floors (4 seasons in a year), 52 marble fireplaces (52 weeks in a year),
12 panels in the porch (12 months in a year), 2 circular windows – one on each side of the porch representing the Sun and the Moon, 7 lights behind the traceried fanlight window (7 days in a week), 365 windows (365 days in a year) and a staircase made of Portland stone, which consists of 31 stairs (31 days in most months).
In 1984 much of the building was destroyed by fire, but fortunately, it was rebuilt and today can be seen in its former glory. It now houses the offices of the Vale of Glamorgan Council.
Ann M. Jones
We Are Surrounded By Poisons
You may not realise it, but we are surrounded by poisons in the shape mainly of plants and trees. Our rural ancestors knew what to eat and what to avoid but as we become increasingly divorced from an understanding of the countryside, we are losing that knowledge. The recent interest in foraging carries that risk and children are always vulnerable. A nine-year-old girl died recently after eating some Woody Nightshade – a very common plant that grows in the hedgerows around Wenvoe and St Lythans.
Some of you will know of Deadly Nightshade and Hemlock and may recall that Socrates’s death sentence was carried out by making him drink Hemlock. But would you recognise these plants? Hemlock grows commonly in the Vale, particularly along the Sully seafront and can be found in abundance along the M4 as you travel towards London. But you might be surprised to hear of the risks associated with parts of the plants of Snowdrops, Bluebells, Holly, Daffodil, Rhubarb not to mention Tomato, Aubergine, Potato and Peppers.
Apart from knowing not to eat Potatoes when they are green, the vegetables mentioned here are, of course, fine to eat in themselves – the poisons are in the leaves or the roots. The last four are all members of the Solanaceae family which includes Henbane, Mandrake, Deadly Nightshade and, still the biggest killer of them all – Tobacco. Recently there were cases of poisoning in the Chinese community because daffodils were on sale in the vegetable section of supermarkets and were mistaken for a type of chive used in Chinese cuisine.
To our ancestors even the poisonous plants had their benefits when used in the correct dosages. Deadly Nightshade (pictured here) has the Latin name Belladonna or ‘beautiful lady’ as it was used to dilate the pupils and make women more attractive. In the mediaeval hospital at Soutra Aisle in Scotland run by Augustine monks there is evidence of the use of Hemlock, Black Henbane and Opium amongst others in carrying out operations and treating conditions like depression and cancer. The Roman physicians used Mandrake as an anaesthetic in Alexandria two thousand years ago. For those who know their Harry Potter they will recognise Mandrake as the plant which screams if it is pulled out of the ground and hearing that scream is enough to cause death.
The Wildlife Group are planning to lead a poisonous plant walk in the summer where you will have a chance to see and learn to recognise some of the plants referred to. You may also learn such things as why the Mandrake had such a deadly scream. If you are interested in coming along register your interest with the Wildlife Group
Annual Easter Egg Trail
Annual Easter Egg Trail
Upper Orchid Field
This is the 5th year that we shall be running the Easter Egg Trail on the Upper Orchid Field so why not bring the youngsters along for a bit of fresh air?
It will run from Tuesday 16th April so just turn up anytime from then on and take a form from the dispenser on the main noticeboard. Only the first 30 completed forms will get an Easter Egg.
In contrast to previous years you should now take your form to the Wenvoe Library which is open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday.
As this is the Chinese Year of the Brown Earth Pig, all the clues will be linked to pigs or the soil.
Just bring a pen or pencil.
Wild Boar
Marine Colliery Personal Reflections
PERSONAL REFLECTIONS
In the March edition of the ‘Wenvoe What’s On’, the leading article talked about the crippling explosion at Marine Colliery in Ebbw Vale on 1 March 1927, killing 51 miners. This led one of our readers to reflect on her childhood growing up in the mining community of Cwm, some 3 miles from Ebbw Vale in the years following the Marine Colliery Disaster. She shares this with us here:
‘The Marine Colliery was situated in my home village of Cwm where I was born and lived until the age of 16. In such a small community and in the surrounding area, few families were left untouched by the Marine Colliery Disaster on 1 March 1927. In the valley it was always referred to as ‘The Explosion’ and through family connections with the pit and faithful entries in family Bibles, local children were made fully aware of the events of that dreadful day.
My own father worked at the Marine Colliery when he left school, but he never worked underground. However, my grandmother was left a young widow with two small girls to raise, the elder of whom was my mother. In that single day, Gran lost her husband, her father and brother. Can you imagine surviving such a loss at that time?
The Marine Colliery is long gone, and a monument has been raised in memory of the miners. The valley has largely been restored to its former beauty, but as with other disasters, scars will always remain.’
Marilyn Case.
Lead Stolen from Vestry Roof
Lead Stolen from Vestry Roof – During the weekend of the 3rd – 4th March, thieves made off with the lead covering the flat roof of the church vestry. This was during a time of wet weather and was discovered at 7.30am on the Sunday morning when water was seen coming through the ceiling and running down the walls. Temporary repairs have been made, but much damage has occurred to both ceiling and walls. The church architect in consultation with CADW and our insurers have agreed to replace the missing lead with steel sheeting that is acceptable to CADW. Part of the cost of replacement and redecoration of the vestry is covered by our insurers and the balance is to be paid by the church building fund.
This is happening so often that it has become a normal occurrence and the police do not even want to attend to the crime. The damage was minimised by the prompt action of the churchwardens and Mike Tucker. They removed registers and papers and put a tarpaulin on the roof. Thank you, Mike – you were a great help.
Gwenfo School has held a non-uniform day and raised £200 towards the cost of replacing the stolen lead. This is an extremely generous gesture toward the repair, and we wish to acknowledge the gift with grateful thanks.
Donations from the community would also be gratefully received.
Lent 2019 – The penitential season of Lent began on Ash Wednesday. The previous evening on Shrove Tuesday, a Pancake Evening was held at St. John the Baptist Church Hall in Sully. There was much frivolity, with pancake tossing, eating and entertainment. Congratulations to Lynda Francis for being the best ‘pancake tosser’ of the evening.
The theme for Lent this year is ‘Count your blessings’ promoted by Christian Aid, and there are booklets in church to enable day by day prayer and reflection. Through Lent, the themes of awareness, repentance, forgiveness, reconciliation, transformation, and blessing, give us the opportunity to discover more about the lives of those who are pushed to the brink of survival by climate change and precarious livelihoods.
Another activity in Lent is the weekly Lenten Lunches. Every Wednesday soup, rolls and cheese are served in the Church Hall, and donations go towards our target for Christian Aid. The house to house collections this year take place from 12th to 18th May. Please help us to raise the money so badly needed in many places throughout the world.
Chancel Floor Scheme – The plans to lower the floor of the chancel have again been under scrutiny by the Diocesan Advisory Committee and the statutory bodies. “Vicar Jon” and our architect were invited to a meeting to discuss and explain why we think this is a necessary step to take. The aim is to take away the Chancel Step to enable wheelchair users access to the part of the church they are currently excluded from. The Building Committee has met to discuss the way forward in the light of the negative comments from the members of the DAC. The decision was taken to engage archaeologists to investigate the likelihood of burials under the chancel floor before a final decision is made to allow us to proceed with the work.
During the month we received the sad news that Mrs Denise Fry, lately of Burdon’s Hill, but who formerly lived in Orchard Close, had passed away after a spell in hospital. Denise was married to Alan Fry, for many years Churchwarden and Secretary of the PCC and was very involved with many church activities. She was a member of the Mothers Union, sang in the church choir alongside Alan and was a great help in supporting him in his church work. We offer our condolences to her daughters Rhiannon and Ros and their families who will miss her in the days and weeks ahead. Her funeral was well attended with many friends and neighbours offering their support and help during this very sad time for them. ‘May she rest in peace and rise in glory’.
Holy Week and Easter Day:- See list of services on the Church Notice Board.
With Blessings to all our readers Parry Edwards
RHS tips for April
THE VILLAGE GARDENER
March and April bring out the usual pests like slugs and snails. While difficult to deal with, we seem to find a way. But the other pests prevalent at this time of year have two legs and come aggressively knocking at your door, offering to clean your drive or tidy up your garden. They know people want their places cleaned up in the Spring. There is no happy outcome with this sort, so please just say ‘No’. It will save you a lot of money and worry. If you need work doing, the best thing to do is ask a friend or neighbour to recommend someone or contact British Soil in Wenvoe, as they have a list of approved contractors.
RHS tips for April
- Keep weeds under control with regular hoeing.
- Protect fruit blossom from late frosts.
- Tie in climbing and rambling roses.
- Sow hardy annuals, herbs and wild flower mixes outdoors.
- Start to feed citrus plants.
- Increase water to house plants.
- Feed shrubs and roses.
- Prune fig trees.
- Divide clumps of bamboo
- Repair bare patches on the lawn.
Everyone is busy in the garden, planting out, sowing seeds or carrying all you can manage from garden centres. However, you do need to be careful as a late frost will ruin all your hard work. Listen out for Derek and keep some fleece handy if temperatures are going to drop.
Mrs Woodruffe of Greave Close loves cosmos which is a great plant and a good cut flower. It will stay in bloom until the first frosts, but you must keep dead heading. Young sweet pea plants need the tops pinched out. This will make the plant stronger and increase side shoots. Perennials are always a good thing to grow from seed or buy as plants. You will, however, need to give them enough room to not just grow up but also to spread out.
Sow sunflower seeds directly into the soil at the end of the month with a little compost to help speed germination. Mark each seed with a cane which will be needed as support. If you put a two pence coin alongside the sunflower seed, then you won’t have any trouble with slugs.
Camellia flowers are now starting to fade, so pick off blooms as they turn brown to keep the plant looking tidy. Once all flowers have gone, clean around base of plant then give the shrub a good boost of ericaceous liquid feed.
Brian and Sandra Jones plan to open their garden in July. If you would like to be on the list of gardens to visit, please get in touch. Some of you don’t realise how good you are.
Take care and happy gardening.
Girls Like You
Girls Like You
Blogging about International Women’s Day has become almost tradition at this point. You may think it odd that I continue to celebrate this day every year though it’s not considered an international holiday. But every year, International Women’s Day exemplifies the importance of positive reinforcement for young girls. Whenever I browse social media on March 8th, I’m always flooded with stories about strong women I can aspire to be or shown stories of the women who’ve fought for the rest of us to have made it so far. I’m also shown ways of helping others, whether that be through the UN Women’s social media pages, or Plan International or Amnesty International, I see a way of helping women who aren’t as fortunate as I am. But the most prominent feeling I get from International Women’s Day every year is that women deserve to feel valued and that by lifting each other up we can all feel stronger. Cheesy, but true.
This International Women’s Day I’m celebrating the women in my life. Whether that be friends I’ve grown up with through school, friends I’ve met through sports, friends I’ve gained through musical theatre, friends I’ve met more recently at University or the incredible women I’m surrounded by in my family. I’ve never felt limited by any of them, and all I’ve ever received is support. Support to push beyond the boundaries that may sometimes be in my way, and support to continue through those boundaries when there’s no way around them.
This International Women’s Day I want to thank the women who’ve had my back (and held my hair). To my friends, who I see every day being sensational young women and forging paths for themselves. To my family, who’ve shown me ways of being an amazing woman, regardless of whether they’re older than me or not. And to the women I see in the media punching through stereotypes and fighting even when it seems impossible. Thank you.
It’s not the perfect time to be a woman in today’s age; between the fight for reproductive rights, the fight for an equal place at the table, the fight to have the choice who to marry and when and the fight against the stereotypes, it’s still a tough world. But it used to be far, far tougher and we can’t deny that some things are better. Young girls are able to open a magazine and see people like Ashely Graham or Iskra Lawrence looking like their body type and having it be celebrated. Others are looking at entertainment and seeing that they are so much more than the stereotype that have thrust upon them because of the colour of their skin. Others are realising that they weren’t born to be in the body they have and understanding that that’s okay. Some are realising that they get to love whomever they want to love, and it’s a brilliant thing. Young women and women everywhere are beginning to see their value, because there are more outlets showcasing every kind of woman. So yeah, being a woman’s still not perfect, but at least women are understanding that they deserve the perfect rights.
International Women’s Day began on February 28, 1909 when the Socialist Party of America organised a women’s day in New York, with the International Socialist Woman’s Conference suggesting a Women’s Day be held annually. March 8th was introduced by the Soviet Union in 1917 when women gained suffrage and the date became a national holiday, later being adopted as the international date for Women’s Day in 1975 by the United Nations. To reiterate what I say every year, today isn’t a day for bashing men – I’d actually like to celebrate my Dad and my brother for always encouraging me to be me and be the best person I can be. Today is a day to celebrate the women in our history who have shaped the world when it was deemed impossible for them to do so.
Mary Kom, an Indian boxer once said, “Do not say you are weak, because you are a woman”. Don’t limit yourself because of your gender; sex is biological, gender is a social construct. The stereotypes placed on women have been placed there by the men and women of the past. Think – a century ago women weren’t allowed to vote in elections because ‘common sense’ deemed that women were incapable of making sound decisions without the aid of a man. The world has seen a fair share of female political leaders since then. Women who’ve changed the world in some way, or at least changed the world’s perception of what it is to be a woman. Being born a woman ought not limit anyone, and I’ll be damned if the young women growing up in this century think less of themselves because of the sex on their birth certificate.
Whether you were born a woman or discovered later in life you should have always been a woman, you count. You are more than the limits the world will often put on you.
You count, you mean something, and I can’t wait to see you change the history books.
By Tirion Davies