Month: July 2019

‘Under A Pole Star’. by Stef Penney

‘Under A Pole Star’. by Stef Penney

This book is centred around the two main characters, Flora Mackie and Jakob de Beyn.

We are first introduced to Flora, an elderly explorer known as the Ice Queen, as she prepares to return to Greenland in the year 1948. A reporter, accompanying the group, questions her about the fate of de Beyn and his companion Armitage, both of whom had disappeared during an Arctic expedition in the 1890s.

The story then follows the early lives of Flora and Jakob in the late 1800s. From the age of 12 years, Flora accompanies her father, a widowed Captain of a whaling ship, on his fishing expeditions to the Arctic. She is fascinated with the polar regions and its indigenous inhabitants, the Inuits. From the age of 18 years, at a time when it was difficult for a woman to achieve a good education or career, she studied Meteorology and was determined to lead her own exploration to the North. Jakob meanwhile, having been raised by his brother in New York, studies Geology and follows his ambition to become an Arctic pioneer.

It is during the ensuing expeditions that their paths cross.

The group agreed that the expectations for this book had been high with the promise of adventure, historical interest and romance in the early chapters. We loved the descriptive and expressive prose which brought to life the glaciers, the skies and the hardships experienced by the Inuits on a daily basis and the explorers during their expeditions. It had obviously been well researched and many of the Page Turners had read ‘The Tenderness of Wolves’ a previously successful novel by this author.

However, despite an interesting start and even though it was necessary to read of the personal relationships, emotions, passions and power struggles to set the scene of the protagonists, the Page Turners agreed that the storylines became too verbose and confusing and it was difficult to relate to some of the characters. The romantic encounters between Flora and Jakob were far too frequent and graphic. The storyline petered out and the question of the fate of de Beyn and Armitage was inconclusive.

The Page Turners agreed it is not a novel we would recommend. The overall score was 5 out of 10.

 

 

Castell Carreg Cennin

Castell Carreg Cennin

Our destination was near Llandeilo so after a long drive we arrived at Castell Carreg Cennin and were soon booted up and on our way. We set off uphill, as usual, noting that a large barn had been converted into a tearoom and shop where we could get a drink later.

 

Then we caught sight of the imposing ruins of Carreg Cennin Castle. In the 1960s Carreg Cennen Castle was acquired by the Morris family of Castell Farm, when a legal mistake included the castle as part of the farm. Today the castle remains privately owned but is maintained by Cadw. Our walk was to be a circular route around the castle.

The ruins sit on top of a dramatic limestone crag, towering 300ft above the surrounding landscape. The steep slopes and cliffs made it easy to defend and there is evidence that it may have been occupied in the Iron Age and later by the Romans. It is believed that the first castle was built in the 12th century when Lord Rhys, Welsh Prince established a stronghold and administrative centre for Is-cennen. Over the next 100 years it was fought over and changed hands a number of times, until it was seized by the English King Edward I in 1277. Under Edward’s control the castle was demolished and replaced by the impressive fortress that remains today. The castle remained in English hands but fell temporarily to the Welsh during Owain Glyndwr’s uprising in 1403. Eventually, to prevent it becoming a base for local robbers, 500 men were paid a total of £28.5s.6d. (approximately £28.27) to demolish the castle in 1462. There is a natural cave beneath the castle, which leads deep into the hillside. A freshwater spring rises in the cave, which would have been a useful supplement when rainfall was low.

The steep sides of the crag have helped to defend the site for nature. Inaccessible cliff edges provide nesting sites for birds and safe havens for rare plants. The steep southern edges are cloaked in the trees of  Coed y Castell, home to Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Pied Flycatcher and others. Due to a geological fault two different rocks are exposed here – Limestone and Sandstone giving rise to distinct habitats within the woods. Limestone supports Ash trees (as we know in Wenvoe!) whilst Oaks prefer sandstone. The wood is now a local Nature Reserve and Site of Special Scientific Interest.

As we began our circumnavigation of the ruin we couldn’t help but be awed at the sight of the castle high above us. It was a warm and cloudy day as we walked towards the river Cennen and then up quite a steep slope to open countryside. Pillow mounds are marked on the map here and we debated which of the hillocks they were. Curiously as we walked the castle seemed to move; at one moment it would be to the right, then to the left and back to the right again but of course it was us that were taking a meandering route around it. We came to the source of the river Loughor and followed the stream back to the River Cennen. A good bridge was provided over the river but one or two members of our group took the option of the ford. Humidity was higher near the water and we were happy to emerge into open countryside again.

Lunch was enjoyed on a grassy slope above running water. We passed the village of Trapp and shortly after passing Carreg Cennen farm took the decision to take a footpath east cutting out a section of the walk as we were taking longer than usual. Approaching the castle from the northwest it was fronted by the patchwork fields of a farm complete with newly shorn sheep. The hay had been cut and bales were scattered across a couple of fields. We walked through some beautiful grassland during the day with lots of different species of grass. We spotted a couple of unusual plants: in a stream a cress like plant with small blue flowers – brookline, Veronica becabunga, and a small yellow flower – ribbed melilot in grass at the side of the path. The hedges were full of Brambles, Honeysuckle and Meadowsweet.

Walk 5.6 miles 1200ft climb. Maps 186 & OL14

 

 

Clutching our maps, proudly wearing our Wenvoe Open Garden stickers and not going very far in the lovely summer sunshine before stopping to say ‘Hello’ to friends and neighbours, we all enjoyed a wonderful afternoon.

The sense of community had been evident since Brian and Sandra Jones suggested Open Gardens in Wenvoe and started carefully planning for the event earlier this year in aid of St Mary’s Church Building Fund. ‘The Village Gardener’ gently encouraged and cajoled, and last week twelve keen gardeners and their families warmly welcomed visitors of all ages.

Here was an opportunity for people to enjoy the diversity of the gardens and to see how the simplest ideas could be effective in a garden of any size. Photographs, written information and personal anecdotes about the history of individual gardens, added another dimension. People were generous with their knowledge about what plants to grow, how water features had been constructed and how to balance the often-eclectic mix of flowers, herbs and vegetables; their modesty about such beautiful gardens and their honesty about the pleasure taken from daily and seasonal care, was an inspiration to the visitors.

Brian and Sandra would like to thank everyone for contributing to the success of Wenvoe Open Gardens. A very special thankyou to the gardeners and their families who opened their gardens to visitors, and to Rachel from St Andrews Road who was the first person to support Brian and Sandra and add her garden to the list. Thank you to Mike Tucker who encouraged all the gardeners, gently soothing some through last minute nerves. By advertising the event in the ‘Barry Gem’, Mike and Glenys also ensured that many visited the village from the Vale of Glamorgan. Thankyou both for this. Carol, the Church Social Committee and the neighbours in St Andrews Road also have a very special thankyou for providing cakes and refreshments in the Church grounds and at 7, St Andrews Road. Both these venues provided a welcome opportunity to take a break and meet up with friends.

Rachel said: ‘It has also been a pleasure to meet the other hosts, especially Brian and Sandra, to share our love of gardening with each other and to make new friends in the village’. Rachel’s daughter pictured here certainly enjoyed helping out and keeping an eye on the lovely cakes that had been kindly donated.

Everyone will be delighted to hear that the contribution to St Mary’s Church Building Fund will be somewhere in the region of £1,500.

 

 

The greatest pleasure for Brian, Sandra and all the gardeners involved, however, was the enjoyment that this well organised event created for so many people.

Congratulations Brian and Sandra on the success of Wenvoe Open Gardens!

 

 

August News Update

 

It was with great relief that the scaffolding was finally erected around the church vestry in preparation for the replacing of the lead covering, stolen from the roof in March earlier this year. The wet carpeting on the vestry floor had already been removed, prior to the ceiling being taken down and the walls rubbed down for the redecoration to take place. It is not the intention to replace the carpeting as the maple strip floor does not seem to have been adversely affected by the ingress of water during the time the roof was stolen. The replacement roof will be of coated steel that will weather to the appearance of lead, so will not be as attractive to thieves in the future. All the items that were once in the vestry have been removed into the transept, and it is hoped that we shall be able to get the church back into the former tidy working unit it was. Since the theft of the lead and all the inconvenience of maintaining a dignified setting for the celebration of the Eucharist, it has been difficult to remember where everything is. At present the builders are using the priest’s door to access the work area. They are being extremely careful and the church will soon be back to normal.

Chancel Floor Scheme: The decision has been made that this scheme will not now be going ahead as originally planned. The plans had been strongly opposed by the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, and the Diocesan Advisory Committee (DAC) had no option but to turn it down. However, the part of the plan to remove the carpeting will be going ahead. This is necessary as the historic tiling (now covered up) has been damaged with damp and build up of “salts” on the surface of the tiling over the years. Until the carpet is removed from the chancel and the length of the nave, we will not know the extent of any damage that has occurred during the time the carpeting was laid down. It will be interesting to see the end result of this work. It will restore the church and chancel to the original plans the Victorian restorers had in mind in the period of the 1880’s when much work was done on the church to restore it according to the ethos of the Oxford Movement which was active in the diocese at that time. It was under the Jenner Rectors in Wenvoe that this work was carried out, and they leaned towards High Church practices that were not always well received by the parishioners of the day.

Church Extension Scheme which we are calling Wenvoe 2020: The plans for this ambitious scheme, to bring all the church activities on to one site, remain with the Llandaff DAC and we have received no indication as to how they are going to agree in part or in full to the ideas we have incorporated into the design. We remain very much in their hands and in the discussions our architects have been having with them but hope that we shall hear some good news in the not too distant future.

During the month the plans for the former Old Rectory Care Home were made public, with plans for 12 apartments and 12 parking spaces. The Old Rectory and St. Mary’s Church form an important grouping within the Wenvoe Conservation Area with a high grade listing. It is some years since the church authorities sold the rectory and grounds into private hands. At that time Prof Atkinson and his wife Hester took possession and did much work to make the old house more liveable. It was during their time in the house that they moved the 18th century sun dial from the rectory orchard to the front driveway. The sundial plate had been missing for some years when they discovered it many miles away and restored it with a new gnomon. The sundial was originally erected by the Rev. Thomas Davies, Rector of Wenvoe in 1777 – 1828 and is a community treasure whose future needs to be safeguarded. The developers are aware of this and have promised that it will be well looked after. The plans are now with the local authority and their decision is awaited.

It has been a number of years since the church took part in the commemoration of Sea Sunday. This is the global celebration of the enduring and vital work of the Mission to Seafarers. It has happened every year for over 160 years. Churches are invited to become a powerhouse of prayer and fundraising for the work of outreach to the thousands of seamen and seafarers out at sea for long periods. The Mission to Seafarers provides help and support to the 1.5 million men and women who face danger every day to keep our global economy afloat. The congregation was invited to join in the fund raising and the total raised will be announced in next month’s magazine.

Our wonderful Pebbles group of children have now broken up for their Summer Break and we will miss hearing of their activities during the short time they are in the Church Hall before joining the congregation in church. As always, we thank the organisers for the time they take with our youngsters, in helping to shape their lives according to the teaching of Jesus Christ. Well done all of you.

A number of well loved members of the congregation have been missing from their normal places in recent months, due to illness or accidents in their lives. Pat Williams is now nearer her family in a care home in Porthcawl, Philip Morant has settled into a care home in Barry, and Mary Turner remains in hospital following her fall at home. We send them good wishes and pray for the day when they will be able to return to their rightful places in the congregation at St. Mary’s.

With the summer holidays with us, we send good wishes for a safe return for all who are travelling abroad or those who are ‘staycationing at home.’ Weather is an important factor in any plans made for holidays. So far the month of July has been very dry, and rain is needed to maintain gardens and fields alike. A full report on the Wenvoe Open Gardens will be included in September’s “What’s On”.

A warm welcome awaits you in church at any time of the year. Parry Edwards

 

 

The Cuckoo’s Calling

The Cuckoo’s Calling

This month’s book was Robert Galbraith’s ‘The Cuckoo’s Calling’. This is the first of the Strike detective series written under a pseudonym by J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series. Rowling’s identity was leaked before the televised series of her third book was launched.

Cormoran Strike is a war veteran whose injuries resulted in the amputation of a leg. After a period of convalescence, Strike opens a London-based private detective agency on borrowed money. Strike’s story opens with his break-up from his glamorous but disturbed girlfriend and we find him camping out in his office. Robin Ellacott is sent by a secretarial agency to work for Strike and her initiative helps him solve the murder of a supermodel who plunged to her death from her balcony. Despite Strike’s financial difficulties, Robin proves her worth and her position is made permanent.

As with the Potter books, Galbraith’s vibrant attention to detail gives readers a vivid description of the characters and their surroundings. One of our group found this irritating and related that much of the first quarter of the book was distended and longwinded, but thereafter found it to be a page-turner. We all thought that the book was an enjoyable light read and that the protagonist proved to be more than the stereotypical hard-drinking private detective that had fallen on hard times. Galbraith painted a tawdry picture of mostly shallow people and we were all surprised by the choice of crude language which punctuated Strike’s thoughts and conversations. However, this was probably influenced by our knowledge of the identity of the author more than our sensitivity. Overall, we gave the book a score of 7.5 and might take the next book in the series as a holiday read.

 

 

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