Month: December 2019

A Fan of Taylor Swift

Did you think I wouldn’t hear all the things you said about me?

If you know me well, you’ll know I’m a fan of Taylor Swift’s music. Since her Fearless album (the first album I ever bought) to her most recent Lover album, I’ve followed her transition from country music sweetheart to global popstar. If you look back over some of the titles of my blog posts, you’ll find many are either lyrics or titles from some of Swift’s songs. But the one thing above all I’ve been hyper-aware of over the past ten years is Taylor Swift’s battle with the media’s perception of her.

Despite many male celebrities – including Leonardo DiCaprio and George Clooney (and even Swift’s ex-boyfriend Calvin Harris) – having an endless list of girlfriends, Swift is continuously vilified for her relationships and branded a serial-dater. Why do the double standards exist for male and female celebrities?

Women in the music industry are watched constantly. Their male counterparts can get away with so much, and yet if the media tells us to hate a female celebrity – we do. Swift continues to earn backlash online, but often people aren’t sure why they hate her, other than because they’ve been told they ought to. Think about it – the world loves to hate Kim Kardashian because all we’ve ever heard is that she’s an awful person. Perhaps she is, but it’s rare that we question why we hate these female celebrities, and it’s often because of the media’s perception of them.

When the MeToo movement in 2017 reached prominence, and the world began to understand the true problem surrounding sexual assault, Swift came forward about a battle she’d been having for years regarding a DJ who touched her inappropriately a few years prior. Swift went to court against this man and asked $1 if she won the lawsuit. But even when Swift had been touched without her consent, she barely garnered support. She was still vilified and told she was ‘playing the victim’.

The world seems to love to hate Taylor Swift. Even when she announced in the summer and has since reiterated the fact that the former head of Big Machine Records (the label Swift signed to from the beginning of her career and until recently) had sold her masters and banned her from buying them back, many stayed silent. Even now, as she battles the rights to music, she herself curated and wrote, many men are refusing to stand in her corner. All because we’ve been told she’s awful.

How is it that we’ve let the media control our way of thinking and why is it that sources continue to attack certain celebrities? I’m very much aware that it causes a media storm, and creates views but as I’ve said before, these are real people with real lives. Although they have offered themselves up to media interpretation, the disrespect many receive, and the utter vilification goes beyond wanting likes on a

story. It’s damaging, not only to the vilified but also to those who read the stories. It’s causing a mob mentality against certain celebrities that is harmful.

Targeting one celebrity because it has become tradition isn’t a good enough reason. Not supporting them when the unimaginable is happening to them is disgraceful. I realise they are celebrities. But they’re also real people. Taylor Swift is battling to even be able to sing the songs she wrote when she was under Big Machine Records. Songs about life experiences she poured her heart out to make. Supporting the people who are stopping her from gaining back the rights to her songs just because you don’t like her doesn’t make sense. Because it’s not just her music she’s fighting for, it’s for the many who’ve had the same happen to them.

Why there are celebrities in the world we choose to hate, I will never know. You don’t have to say you like their music or the things that they do but admitting that the things that are happening to them are unfair is good. If you wouldn’t want it happening to you then why would you encourage it happening to someone else?

Swift seems to be handling the hate well – she’s had years of it after all. Between the lyrics of her songs and her attitude, it seems she’s taken the hate and manifested it into a don’t-care attitude. But she shouldn’t have to. No one should have to be so comfortable with hate that it becomes part of their every day.

Don’t hate these people just because the telly and social media tells you to. Encouraging their downfall reflects worse on you.

By Tirion Davies

 

 

November Walk

Dealing with everyday life can be difficult when you’ve been affected by cancer. Whether you are a patient, carer, or loved one, people often struggle with a diagnosis or the treatment of cancer. Anxieties, sadness and fears for the future sometimes overcome you. To support a more positive outlook, the living with cancer strollers offer a chance to walk, talk and enjoy good coffee!! If you would like to join us, we meet the first Thursday of every month at the Cosmeston Information Centre.

 

 

Bake Off Competition

On Friday, Staff took part in a Bake Off competition for Children In Need. Congratulations to Mr Bean, who came first and to the runner up, Mrs Ure. The children were able to buy the cakes to raise money for this excellent cause. Many thanks to our judges, Mr Sonny, Mrs Flynn, Mrs Hazelton and Nicola, our cook, who had the hard job of tasting all the cakes!!! Pupils also enjoyed wearing their own clothes for the day.

As part of anti-bullying week, last Tuesday, was ‘wear odd socks to school day’! Pupils in Years 5 and 6 also engaged in workshops run by Kidscape.

Parents and carers of prospective Nursery and Reception pupils were invited to an open morning or afternoon last week; they enjoyed a tour of the school with Miss Starke.

It’s this time of year again – the children and staff are busy rehearsing for their Christmas concerts! It is always a very busy and wonderful time of the year! If you pass school, you may well hear some lovely singing as the children practice for their performances.

We are very much looking forward to the run up to Christmas, with theatre trips and festive activities planned.

A Happy Christmas from all the staff and pupils.

 

 

Pottering in the Orchards

The odd dry day has allowed us to get out and potter in the orchards. Even in mid-November we were picking apples in the Welsh Orchard. However, the main activities were pruning the fruit trees, strimming and re-locating plants in the herb garden that were becoming invasive, such as Comfrey. The hedgerow in the Community Orchard has had a good trim and we have continued to plant apple, plum and damson trees down at Goldsland.

Whilst the heavy rain has caused it to be a bit wet in parts of the Community Orchard, think back to how things were before we planted the orchard. The photo shows the whole area where the orchard is now, under water up to the nearby goalpost, during the winter before we started planting.

 

 

John Sheen Talk

It was a pleasure to welcome John Sheen for his third and final talk.

This talk was entitled ‘Christmas Crackers’ and was divided into twelve separate items representing the twelve days of Christmas.

We enjoyed a selection of poems, prose, a joke, a mini quiz and a very funny recipe for a Christmas cake. His version of Cinderella called Pinderella was one of the funniest we’d heard and it was lovely to hear everyone laughing so much. There was even audience participation – ‘Oh yes there was’!

Another funny item was the parody on the twelve days of Christmas closely followed by ‘what to do with sprouts if you don’t want to eat them’.

While all the items were interesting and entertaining some were of particular note. John read an excerpt from Dylan Thomas’ ‘A Child’s Christmas in Wales’ as only a Welshman can, as well as a John Betjeman poem simply called ‘Christmas’. He also read a little known piece by Richard Burton called ‘Radicalism on Christmas Eve’.

It was indeed a memorable evening and we were left with that lovely feeling that only shared prose and poetry can bring. It was a shame it had to end.

Our next speaker was also someone who had addressed the group previously and on this occasion Rosemary Scadden was talking about ‘Hidden London’.

Rosemary began her talk by quoting Dr Johnson – ‘He who tires of London tires of life’.

Her memories of London began on visits to London in 1947 when many bomb sites were still in evidence and she remembers being told not to stare at Indian ladies. Other early trips to London were for the Festival of Britain and to see the decorations for the Coronation in 1953.

Rosemary was a student in London and so became very familiar with Central London. She suggested that a good place to start any tour of London would be The Monument which is the tallest isolated stone column in the world. Other places which might be of interest include The Bank of England which has a museum which is free and open to the public, the Mansion House which opens every Tuesday and the Roman amphitheatre in the basement of the Guildhall.

Rosemary then went on to tell us about some of the more unusual memorials there are such as the Firemen’s memorial near St Paul’s. Also near St Paul’s is St Benet’s Church which was designed by Christopher Wren and escaped the bombs in the war. This church was given to Wales by Queen Victoria. Also in the same area is Postman’s Park which houses The Watts Memorial to Heroic Self- Sacrifice. Decorating the walls are Doulton tablets commemorating acts of bravery. This park is popular as it has plenty of shady areas as well as seating so this could be a good place to take a break on a tour of London.

Taking one of the many walking tours that are now available is a very good way to find some of these places and discover more of hidden London. I am sure that those of us who plan to go to London on the coach trip organised by the library might have been inspired by some of the unusual places Rosemary spoke about and can go in search of other hidden London gems.

 

 

Christmas Cookies From Abroad

CHRISTMAS COOKIES FROM ABROAD

Zimtsterne from Switzerland

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

100g semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled

2-3/4 cups of SR flour

1/3 cup ground cinnamon

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and chocolate. Combine the flour and cinnamon and gradually add to the creamed mixture. Mix well. Wrap in cling film; refrigerate for about 1 hour or until the mixture is easy to handle.

On a lightly floured surface roll out dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut with a floured 2 inch star shaped cookie cutter. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased non-stick baking trays. Chill and re-roll scraps.

Bake at 180C fan for 10-11 mins or until edges are firm. Cool on wire racks.

 

 

Snowy Mountain Cookies

1-1/4 cups butter softened

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 tbsp. vanilla extract

4 cups SR flour

1 tsp salt

350g miniature semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup finely chopped walnuts

350g white baking chips

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour and salt; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Add chocolate chips [dark ones] and the walnuts; mix well.

Divide the dough in half. Shape each into a disc and wrap in cling film. Refrigerate until firm enough to roll. This will need to be about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 180C fan. On a floured surface, roll each portion of dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut with a 2 inch triangle-shaped cookie cutter. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased non-stick baking trays. Bake until edges begin to brown; 10-12 mins. Cool on trays for about 2 mins. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Meanwhile, in a microwave, melt the white baking chips, stir until smooth. Dip cookie tops in the melted chips, Let stand until chocolate is set

They should look like little snow capped mountains.

 

 

A Visit to Puy Du Fou

SHARED EXPERIENCES

A Visit to Puy Du Fou

by Sylvia Harvey

Puy Du Fou is an historical theme park near Nantes in France welcoming over 2.3 million visitors every year.

Throughout the summer on Friday and Saturday nights is La Cinescenie – this is the most amazing spectacle. It is a large theatrical performance held on one of the world’s largest stages. It involves 2,500 actors, alongside 190 horses. There are 80 technicians and it brings together 4,000 volunteers.

It is a beautiful pageant telling a story set in the Vendee region. As each scene unfolds, it just takes your breath away. With the constant action, the lighting, the pyrotechnics, it’s almost impossible to describe.

There are a number of other shows on during the day. Two special ones for me were:

Le Signe du Triomphe: A Gallo-Roman stadium performance in which the 7,000 spectators are divided into Romans and Gauls to watch Gaulish prisoners trying to win circus games in front of the Roman governor. The atmosphere is electric; clapping, cheering, booing, chariots thunder around the arena as lions and tigers prowl among the contestants. WOW!

Les Bal des Oiseaux Fantomes: Another breath-taking experience as 330 eagles, falcons and vultures swoop over the audience, with their wings brushing our heads.

I could write so much more but I am hoping others may have visited Puy du Fou and will share their experience..

 

 

November Activities

November Activities

Madeleine welcomed everyone to the meeting. Members were very sorry to learn that Margaret was having a spell in hospital. We all wished her well and hoped that she would be back with us soon. Judy recently had a knee operation and she is progressing well. Hopefully Gloria will be able to join us in the near future too and we look forward to seeing our unwell members on the road to recovery.

Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the fish and chips, very kindly collected and delivered by Pam and Terry Ewington, and we are very grateful to them.

WI business involved collecting names for our trip to the Garden Centre at St Mellons on Monday 25 November (leaving Wenvoe shop at 10.30am) and for our Christmas lunch at the Wenvoe Arms on Monday 2 December at 12.30 for 1.00pm.

Our next meeting will be our Christmas Celebration on Thursday 5 December at 7pm at Wenvoe Church Hall. Members are requested to bring a plate of food each for the buffet table. Any raffle prizes (please wrap) will be gratefully received.

Subs are £43 for 2020 (cheques only please and made payable to Wenvoe WI) and we are starting to collect these now ready for January.

Could members please note that since our meeting the Link Carol Service is now Tuesday 10 December and NOT Thursday 19 December as previously given (location and time remain unchanged).

The President and Committee would like to extend a Peaceful Christmas and Healthy 2020 to all members and their families

 

 

Y Taith Pererin Llyn

Y Taith Pererin Llyn

 

It’s a long way from Wenvoe to North Wales, and a frustrating journey if you are in a hurry, but if you have plenty of time, and the weather is good, it is a lovely drive. Such was it one very cold autumn morning, with a hard frost that had whitened the hillsides, and the sun lighting up the autumn colours, showing mid-Wales in all its glory.

The North Wales Pilgrims’ Way (Taith Pererin) is a 134 miles long-distance path, starting in Holywell and finishing at the monastery of St Cadfan on the island of Bardsey. It had some significance in medieval times, and two pilgrimages to Bardsey were considered as good as one to Rome. The section on the Llŷn follows the ancient pilgrims’ route, and that was our goal.

We started at Clynnog, where there is a huge church dedicated to St Beuno in a tiny village, and a spring or well nearby. People with epilepsy were brought to the well and immersed in it, and then had to spend the night on the cold floor of the church. If they were in fit condition the following morning, they then continued along the coast to Aberdaron, and thence by boat to Bardsey.

We inspected the well, but decided to omit the immersion, on the grounds that we were still quite healthy. We walked from Clynnog to Trefor, hoping to get a cup of good coffee, but this was a bit optimistic, so we had to make do with a machine coffee from a Spar shop. We continued over the mountain of Yr Eifl, which had been a centre for quarrying in the days when granite was highly valued. We walked up an old incline, which would have been used to bring the stone down from the quarries, and had a marvellous view of the Llŷn coast, and across the sea to Anglesey. We then came down to the settlement of Nant Gwrtheyrn, which is an isolated community consisting of three farms and the quarrymen’s cottages. The farms are now deserted, but the cottages have been converted into modern accommodation for the Welsh Language Centre, where people can stay during language courses, or they are rented out for bed and breakfast.

It was a beautiful evening, and we watched the sun setting over the sea. The Nant is a remarkable place, and one of the most peaceful places I have ever been to. I shall have to return one day.

Next day we continued along the coast, pausing at the Tŷ Coch Inn at Porth Dinllaen, well known for its location right on the beach. In fact, there was a long queue for lunch, so we had a pint and walked out to the Coast Watch lookout and chatted to the lady volunteers there, who were keeping a watchful eye on the sea, but who seemed to welcome some company. Further on, there were seals relaxing on

the rocks, and one in the water who looked at us suspiciously and disappeared, only to reappear much closer to us, in order to have a better look.

We stayed that night in the Lion at Tudweiliog, a very comfortable pub with excellent food. Next day we walked a long day along the cliffs, and chatted to a woman going in for a swim. She claimed it was fine once you were in the sea, but we decided to take her word for it. We passed the Whistling Sands, where the sand really does whistle when you shuffle your feet in it, and continued to Aberdaron, having to cheat a bit towards the end and take a short cut, because the light was going fast. The cliff path is no place to be in the dark.

We stayed in a small hotel in Aberdaron, with a marvellous view over the beach, and asked the ferryman if we could go to Bardsey the next day, but unfortunately the weather broke that evening after three perfect days, and the sea was so rough next day that we had no wish to be in a small boat at all. It was a disappointment not to be able to complete our pilgrimage, but this was a superb walk, about 40 miles in two and a half days, and we have good reason to go back one day.

 

 

 

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