Month: July 2019

Meet the Author

‘WRITING IT IS THE EASY BIT’ by David Simmonds

 

Many people enjoyed a lovely evening with journalist, novelist and genuine raconteur David Simmonds, who gave of his time to support the Friends of Wenvoe Library.

David’s career in journalism took him from the newspapers of the South Wales Valleys to BBC Wales in Cardiff, where he worked as a radio and television producer and director.

After retiring, David embarked upon writing and has recently published his novel ‘Jake’s Progress’.

David shared his own experiences of writing creatively, and suggested some advice that he found invaluable.

  1. Write about a subject you are familiar with. ‘Jake’s Progress’ is set in the South Wales valleys where David himself spent many of his formative years as a journalist.
  2. Weave a plot around key events/experiences that you and others find interesting and/or entertaining. David was looking forward to writing about a rugby match in the South Wales Valleys.
  3. Research to ensure accuracy e.g. decimalisation, the flooding of Capel Celyn and the IRA activities all feature in ‘Jake’s Progress’.
  4. Be consistent in the time you allocate to writing every day. David found the National Novel Writing Month which is held in November each year a very useful tool. Participants have 30 days in which to write 60,000 words. Being a journalist, David was familiar with working to a deadline. He got up 2 hours earlier each morning to write and was kept on target by a graph indicating progress. The focus is on writing and not editing.
  5. Join a support network to challenge yourself to write about unfamiliar topics, develop your confidence and receive constructive feedback from other like minded people. So many suffer from doubting their own abilities; this is known as ‘Imposter Syndrome’. John Steinbeck himself abandoned a book he had written and then embarked upon a period of writing which led to the publication of the Pulitzer Prize winning ‘The Grapes of Wrath’ (1940). It was during this period that Steinbeck concurrently wrote a diary which ‘stands, above all, as a supreme testament to the fact that the sole substance of genius is the daily act of showing up’. For David, the Creative Writing Workshop at Cardiff University led by Lynne Barratt-Lee was instrumental in his progress. He has been successful in writing stories which have been purchased by national magazines and winning the 2017 Artists and Writers’ Short Story Competition.

As the title of the talk suggests, in the end the writing of ‘Jake’s Progress’ for David was the easy part. Publishing a book today is extremely difficult and in the end David decided to go down the route of self-publishing. Publishing companies usually look for an author with a high profile or insist that you have 2/3 books in the pipeline. By choosing the self-publishing route you pay £75 to publish a book and each book is printed individually to order.

The ‘Meet the Author’ evening concluded with David’s thoughts on themes raised by the audience, including free speech and citizen journalism.

Our thanks to David for an entertaining and informative evening.

 

 

‘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.

 

 

Three Year Report

A Report After Three Years

Background

Your Community Library took over providing the library service in September 2016 and this is a review of the present position.

Volunteers are the backbone of the service. They work in pairs to open the library; the detailed opening hours are on the inside page of “What’s On”. They offer as many hours as they wish, some doing 2 sessions a month and others 2 sessions a week. Their numbers have fluctuated over the 3 years with 22 at the moment.

We can always use more Volunteers; you do not need any special skills and training is provided. If you would like to help your community and become a Volunteer please contact the library on 02920 594176.

Present position

We have a wide stock of books, talking books and CD’s to lend. There is a separate Children’s Section with books for toddlers up to teenagers. Any resident, young or old, can use the library. We also have two computers for use by the public, one only for the library Catalogue and the other to use the internet.

While the books, shelves and computers are provided by the Vale Council we have to pay our way in other areas. The library building is owned by the Wenvoe Community Council and we pay to use it including heating costs. We also have to pay for insurance, burglar alarm, telephone and running costs.

We have started a range of new initiatives to raise money:

  • Regular coach trips to London. The next one is in the Autumn.
  • Coach trips to Bath and Cheddar/Clark’s Village. The coach trips have proved very popular.
  • Raffles at Christmas and Easter. The prizes for raffles are donated by Volunteers and members of the public.
  • Sales of donated books at the library, at 2 local pubs, the Horse & Jockey and Wenvoe Arms, the Copthorne Hotel, and pop-up book stalls outside the Village Shop.
  • Sponsorship of the Wenvoe Village Show in September.
  • Family history tutorials at the library.
  • Welsh conversation meetings at the Wenvoe Garden Centre Restaurant.
  • “Meet the Author” talks at the Wenvoe Arms organised by our newly formed Friends of the Library Group.
  • A one-off initiative with Waitrose at Barry.
  • We were successful in being awarded a grant from the YMCA (1910) Trust to purchase a replacement colour printer and other items of equipment.

 

We invite Wenvoe Residents to take part in our fund raising initiatives so that we can pay our way and keep our Community Library.

 

We hope to have a new building in due course and welcome people to visit us there.

 

Community Library Management Team

 

 

Carers Walk

THURSDAY CARERS WALK

As a summer heatwave descended over Europe, the carers walkers met at Barry Island in similarly scorching heat. Hats, suntan lotion and bottles of water at the ready, the group set off. Jackson’s Bay was the first stop and an almost empty beach looked as beautiful as any beach on any Mediterranean coastline. We are lucky to live in this part of the world.

The group for this walk was small. That is the nature of carers’ commitments. Caring can be a lonely job and plans have to be unmade to fit in with the needs of the person who is being cared for. The Carers Walk is for carers, when the time and situation is right. The walk doesn’t have to be a monthly commitment. If you care for someone and want a short walk, in good company, join us at Barry Island train station on the last Thursday of every month at 10:30am.

 

 

Wonderful 50th Celebration

 

Well what a wonderful 50th celebration it was for Wenvoe Playgroup. Thank you to all those who supported the event in various ways. It was lovely to see staff and families, past and present, in attendance and although it was raining it didn’t dampen our spirits. The children thoroughly enjoyed the bouncy castles and tattoos available, with a warm, friendly atmosphere about them. It was lovely to bring everyone together.

We would like to mention a few people who supported our event both local and from surrounding communities.Thanks go to:

  • Dinas Vets – For providing the Banner to advertise the event
  • Jacky and Ken Rattenbury – For their cash Donation of £200 which paid for the Soft Play and Bouncy Castle. Also, for the cake donations to sell at the event.
  • Brickability- Donation of Vale Golf Vouchers for the raffle
  • Beech Tree – Donation of a Meal voucher for the raffle
  • S.R. Davis Meat & Poultry – For the donation of meat for the BBQ
  • Yates Fruit & Veg – Strawberry donations for the yummy chocolate dipped strawberries
  • Wenvoe Wheelers – For their Cash Donation of £150 as a birthday gift, supporting the event
  • Wenvoe Village Hall Management Committee – For the free hire to hold and celebrate the event.

 

Although the event was about celebrating 50 Years of Wenvoe Playgroup and not necessarily making money, the raffle raised £210 which Barclays Bank has offered to match doubling the money, so thank you Barclays.

Thank you to: Jody, Amy, Lisa, Michelle, Emily, Ceris and their families, for all their hard work in making the day such a success. You did us proud.

It is good to know that many support Wenvoe Playgroup, our Community Charity.

As we are a not for profit group, fees cover the basics and any profit is used for equipment for the children. Our Management Committee give all their time voluntarily and over the years they have worked tirelessly to support the group with their fundraising ideas and events. This ensures that Playgroup continues for the Community and surrounding communities, so a big ‘Thankyou’ to all those who have kept the Playgroup going for 50 years and well done.

By the time you are reading this, we will be closed and enjoying our summer holidays.

We re-open on Wednesday 4th September for all returning children and those who start Nursery at Gwenfo School. Breakfast club also starts for not only Nursery and Playgroup children, we are also taking Reception children. Please make sure you

are booked into breakfast club prior to attending. Breakfast club starts at 8am daily.

There are no afternoon sessions or all day care sessions between 4th and 6th September. Our full service will start from Monday 9th September. Our new families and younger members are welcome to visit from Wednesday 4th to Friday 6th September as settling in days ready to start from Monday 9th September.

For further information please visit our website www.wenvoeplaygroup.co.uk or email us at wenvoeplaygroup@btinternet.com (all contacts are on the website).

Enjoy the holidays and see you all in September.

 

 

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

 

 

August Gwenfo School News

August Gwenfo School News 

 

As always time seems to be flying! At the time of writing, we now have only 4 days left until the summer break!

Our Christian value is still respect with the theme of saying goodbye and moving on.

The school has recently had their sports day. Everyone did amazingly and Greaves won! Tia from Year 6 won the School Sports Personality award for being an important part of the Netball Team and a good sporting role model to all.

The Netball Team did really well in the Kent Tour! Both A and B teams won in the first tournament and B team won again in the second tournament! The A team did well and came second! They have also recently hosted our own tournament in which they won again! The next day they also won the Saint Patrick’s School Tournament. Well done Gwenfo Netball!

The whole school got very emotional during Year 6 Leavers Assembly. The Year 6 class then went to Cosmeston to have their Leavers BBQ. They all enjoyed it a lot!

Year 4 have taken part in a Rugby Tournament. They were unbeaten in the Tournament and brought back another trophy for Gwenfo School. Year 3 have had fun walking up to the woods and measuring the trees there. They have also enjoyed doing tennis in their PE sessions. Year 2 are preparing to move up from the Infants to the Juniors. They have also been out in the sun learning to cross the road. They have been doing very well. Year 1 have also been learning to play tennis. It’s clear they’re all having an amazing time. Reception will be having a Mini Beast Ball. What a great end to the year!

The choir have done amazing singing at the Motorpoint Arena. They all did their best. They sang songs like ‘A Million Dreams’ and ‘Roar’. Lots of money was raised for Cancer Research when the school did their own Race for Life.

There will be lots of fun and sunshine in the last couple of days in school before summer break!

Alfie Osborne and Ella Darko

 

 

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