Month: April 2020

Coronavirus Notices

Miscellany of Coronavirus Notices

Tuesday Group – Please note that all sessions are cancelled for the rest of the session including the trip to Fonmon

Wildlife Group – The Great British Spring Clean has been postponed
until 11th September

Women’s Institute – all planned events have been cancelled until further notice

The Valeways Walking Organisation has cancelled their walking programme for March and April

Environment Group – Gardeners’ Question Time has been cancelled

 

Also Click on the links below

 

 What’s on subscription postponed

 Shopping offer scam

 Library closed until further notice 

 Local suppliers who deliver

 

 

International Women’s Day

International Women’s Day

It was recently International Women’s Day, so Happy International Women’s Day!

I have always been surrounded by incredible women. Between my Mam championing STEM and balancing a full-time career with twins, to my aunt who has raised my three cousins solo since they were young and doing so whilst starting her own business, to all of my cousins who are clever and brave and beautiful. To another aunt who, as a nurse, has spent Christmas Days caring for others, and another aunt who spends her life making everyone’s lives better by being attentive and caring.

To my Nana, whose life was spent supporting and caring for my dad and his siblings and attempting to better their lives and my Mamgu, who was a teacher and has travelled the world and who is always there to brighten my day with her stories. To my friends, old and new, who show me every day that the future truly is female.

I will always be surrounded by incredible women. Because I’m lucky enough to not only have role models within my own family, but also within popular culture. Between Greta Thunberg and Malala Yousufzai, Serena Williams and Taylor Swift, Stacey Dooley and Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka there are plenty of women to look up to.

I’m glad I have these role models. They’ve made me a better person. I’m keeping myself informed on important matters and I’m learning how to improve myself each day. I’m not perfect and I still find it hard to ask for help when I need it, but having the support of the amazing women around me and being able to look to these role models allows me to look to them for guidance and ways of improving myself.

I see the young women around me, and I have hope for the future. They are witty and bright and have the power to change the world if they want to. From my friends hoping to be doctors and save people, to those who want to pursue a career in teaching so that they can shape young minds. To my friends who want to be translators or writers or bankers or actors. To my friends who, like me, are pursuing a career in journalism and hope to change the world through the press and media.

They have the world at their fingertips, and I cannot wait to see them reach their full potential.

International Women’s Day is never about bashing men. It’s about celebrating the women who are often left in the shadows and don’t make it to the history books. It’s about celebrating the women who have survived domestic abuse and supporting their journey. It’s about remembering the young girls who are married before they even start their period; the ones who deserve change because they deserve better lives. It’s about remembering the women who have shaped the world without the world even knowing. It’s about celebrating the women who live with conditions like endometriosis and polycystic ovarian syndrome but remembering that often, their pains weren’t believed. It’s about remembering that most women aren’t believed when they report sexual assault. It’s about encouraging the new generation of women to break through glass ceilings and showing them, they have the power to do so.

Regardless of whether you were born a woman, if that is how you identify you deserve to have people use the correct pronouns and treat you with respect. Regardless of whether you are able to reproduce or whether complications mean it might never be possible or whether you never want children, you deserve to have your value seen as more than just your womb. Regardless of the colour of your skin, you deserve the same rights as anyone else. Regardless of any disability, you deserve to be treated with respect.

Being a woman can be hard. Between inequality and periods and misogyny, it’s a tough world. But women need to support women. Men need to support women and women need to support men, too. Everyone needs to support everyone. Imagine how much of a better place the world would be if we all supported one another in achieving our goals, instead of building up barriers and causing roadblocks.

Regardless of your gender, you have a right to equal pay and equal opportunity.

By Tirion Davies

 

 

A Stroll Around Barry Island.

A Stroll Around Barry Island.

February’s Carers walk welcomed 2 new carers (photo-shy!) to the regular stroll around Barry Island. The two new members of the group welcomed the opportunity to take a break from their caring activities and gave them a chance to take some personal time, exercise and chat. Alan, a regular walker said he never realised how important it was to have a little time out from caring, and thoroughly enjoys his monthly strolls. If you are a carer and would like some time out to regenerate, then meet us at Barry Island train station on the last Thursday of every month at 10.30am. We are a friendly group!

The Valeways Walking Organisation has cancelled their walking programme for March and April, due to the coronavirus. Hopefully the Living with Cancer Strollers and the Carers walks will resume soon.

 

 

Sticky Apple, Sausage and Bacon

Sticky Apple, Sausage and Bacon

8 rashers of smoked streaky bacon

8 quality pork sausages

1 tbsp sunflower oil

2 red skinned apples, cored and cut into 8 wedges

2 red onions, peeled and thinly sliced

Heat the oven to 180C fan. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and gently fry the onions until just softened; transfer to a roasting tin and spread to cover the bottom. Roll the bacon around the sausages and secure with cocktail sticks. Just brown the sausages in the pan. Place the sausages on top of the onions and spoon the juices over the onions. Roast for about 15-20 mins then scatter the apple wedges amongst the sausages and cook for a further 10 mins until cooked. Serve with a well buttered mashed potato (Maris Piper) and buttered green beans

 

 

Pork and Pesto Cobbler

Pork and Pesto Cobbler

1 tbsp. olive oil

450g pork fillet, cut into 2.5 cm chunks

1 large red onion cut into wedges

2 large cloves of garlic, crushed

2 carrots, cut into 2.5 cm pieces

1 tbsp. plain flour

15g fresh rosemary, roughly chopped

1 vegetable stock cube, made up to 400ml

2 tbsp. red pesto

350g scone mix

2 tbsp. 4 seed mix

150ml whole milk and extra for brushing

Heat the oil in a large frying pan and add the pork. Cook for 3-4 mins stirring occasionally until browned all over. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Add the onion, garlic and carrots to the pan and cook for 5-6 mins until beginning to soften. Stir in the flour and rosemary, add the stock and bring to a simmer. Return the pork to the pan, season, mix well and simmer on a very low heat for about 15 mins. Stir in the pesto. Preheat the oven to 170C fan while the pan is simmering and make the scone topping. Tip the scone mix into a bowl and mix in about half of the seed and a pinch of salt. Add the milk and mix to a soft dough. Cut into 12 pieces, then use your hands to roll into balls and slightly flatten to about 2.5cm thick. Tip the mixture from the pan into a large oven casserole dish, place the scones on top of the scone mix around the edge in a circle. Brush with a little milk and sprinkle over the remaining seeds. Bake for about 25-30 mins until the topping is risen and golden. Serve with buttered herby new potatoes and a green vegetable.

 

 

NHS-Funded Minor Eye Conditions Clinic Opens

NHS-Funded Minor Eye Conditions Clinic

First for Barry as new NHS-funded minor eye conditions clinic opens.

People with urgent eye problems across the Vale of Glamorgan are now able to receive a free NHS assessment by a local optometrist thanks to a new service based in Barry.

Patients with problems such as eye infections, minor eye injuries or sudden loss of vision will be among those who’ll benefit from the new clinic being run by Vale Eyecare.

Anyone with an acute problem with their eye or vision can be seen at the NHS funded clinic, which is based at Highlight Park Medical Practice on Lakin Drive, behind the Tesco Superstore. The new clinic is part of the Wales Eye Care Service (WECS), a scheme created to relieve the pressure on GPs and A&E departments.

Optometrist Tanya McNabb believes her new clinic is the first of its kind locally, where an optometrist provides only clinical care and doesn’t sell glasses.

She said: ‘Hundreds of GP appointments and A&E visits across the country are taken up every year for eye-related problems that could be assessed by a community optometrist, so I’m delighted to be able to offer this NHS-funded service to local people.’

‘Optometrists have the skills and equipment to ensure that patients are quickly assessed and treated or referred to the hospital if there is a more serious problem. Our clinic is dedicated to providing this service and for convenience has plenty of availability for a same-day assessment. We also have good transport links and a large free car park so we are hopeful that we can help reduce pressure on our local GPs and hospital.’

Patients can self-refer and simply call to book an appointment or can be referred to Vale Eyecare by their GP, pharmacist, health visitor or school nurse.

Other conditions the clinic can help with include painful eyes, foreign bodies in the eye, sudden changes in vision or new onset visual disturbances such as flashes, floaters or double vision.

The service is initially being offered Monday to Friday 9am to 1pm at Highlight Park Medical Practice on Lakin Drive in Barry. To book a free appointment, call 01446 484114

 

 

A Lovely March Morning

A Lovely March Morning

On a lovely March morning, the large turnout (4) cut back the roses on the village green. Group member, big John, told us of the method Len Jones used to cut roses back in the early Spring. Unfortunately, Gardeners’ Question Time has been cancelled, but we will reorganise this in conjunction with the Community Library, as soon as we are able to.

The Environment Group will not meet until further notice. Thank you

 

 

One of the Longest Walks

One of the Longest Walks

March’s walkers welcomed a new member, Sylvia, who was lucky enough to join us for one of the longest walks the group have been challenged with. However, plied with St David’s Day Welsh cakes, everyone stayed dry and finished the walk in style.

So after the wettest February on record, what made people turn up for this stroll in March? In summary:

Marvellous scenery

Animals, insects, flowers and trees all around

Robust exercise

Companionship

Humorous chat

The Valeways Walking Organisation has cancelled their walking programme for March and April, due to the coronavirus. Hopefully the Living with Cancer Strollers and the Carers walks will resume soon

 

 

RHS Tips and Advice for April

 

RHS tips this month

  1. Protect fruit blossom from late frosts.
  2. Tie in climbing and rambling roses.
  3. Start to feed citrus plants.
  4. Sow new lawns or repair patches.
  5. Hardy annuals can be sown outdoors.

Environment team tips for April

  1. Don’t forget to put on sunblock, even in April.
  2. Try to keep on top of weeds.
  3. Check shrubs, hedges etc for nesting birds before any work is done on them.
  4. Get your hands into the soil. It has known anti-depressant qualities.
  5. Use 7up drink to prolong the life of cut flowers.

April used to be a month when daffodils would be in full bloom. Most had gone over before this month had started. The mild winter and excessive rainfall has seen some cutting the grass in February on the odd dry day. Weeds have been the biggest beneficiaries of the longer growing season, along with ash and sycamore seedlings. The sooner we get the hoe out the better!

This is the time of year we start feeding our plants. Please don’t overfeed as this is a waste of money and the excess will find its way into water courses and could affect wildlife.

Remove any faded flowers from spring flowering bulbs but don’t cut the leaves down until they die back, as they are the energy source for the bulb. Hanging basket enthusiasts will be planting up this month. Kenny Condick, a Cardiff in bloom competitor of the past, would never put a basket outside until June 1st. The longer you’re patient the better the basket. Sweet peas sown last year can still be planted this month along with some seeds to prolong the season. If you’re really keen to get a good display then Mr Crump, who took part in the Wenvoe Open Garden Day last year, is the man to see. Climbing and rambling roses will need to be tied in now. Try to keep the stems as horizontal as possible; this will slow the sap down, give you more side shoots and consequently more flowers. Last October the family at Belgrave house in Wenvoe gave instruction to staff, that some of the older roses should be cut right back to just above ground level. There was a slight concern as to the recovery capacity of the said roses. I have now been informed that they came through a very wet winter and are healthy with new growth.

Spring is a good time to try layering. A propagation technique such as this is an easy way of getting more of your favourite shrubs and climbers. Just make a small wound on a flexible stem near a bud and peg it into the soil next to the plant. When it has taken root, just cut away from parent plant and pot up. Clematis and honeysuckle are good for this type of layering. RHS has a very good explanation of the different ways of layering on its website.

Take care and happy gardening.

 

 

Welcoming A Fox Into Your Garden

 

Have you seen a fox in the village recently? The photo shows one in a Wenvoe garden at midday during last August and sightings from other residents are not uncommon.

Whilst there is no clear demarcation between ‘rural’ and ‘urban’ foxes, ours are likely to be more of the countryside variety. However many urban areas of Britain have large populations of urban foxes and if you wander out from dusk onwards you might see several. And if you do not see any, you can read about them in the tabloids and how balanced is that reporting? One myth is that they are getting bigger and bolder. A 40 year study in Bristol found that urban foxes were no bigger than rural ones and had not increased in size over that period. In London it was found that some individual foxes were bolder than others but there was no evidence of any trend towards increased boldness. Ah yes, say the tabloids, but what about foxes attacking babies! Researchers suggest that there are no cases of ‘attacks’ although there are a few cases of babies being bitten, usually on the fingers, hands or lower feet. Unpleasant and distressing though this is the statistics suggest only 7 press reports of bites in the last 9 years. Over a similar period at least 21 people (adults and children) were killed by pet dogs.

The press will also regularly report foxes attacking pets. A fox can catch a wild rabbit but if it is a pet rabbit, it becomes an ‘attack’. Foxes attacking cats is another popular news item. Researchers however found that in a confrontation between cat and fox, it is the fox that is most likely to flee. Information on cats being taken to vets indicated that wounds on cats are 40 times more likely to have been caused by other cats than foxes. Cats are known to catch and kill young foxes so it is not surprising that there will be the occasional fight.

What do you think about foxes visiting your garden? A poll last year suggested that a third of those asked would not welcome them although a half did not want the neighbour’s cats in either. 14% of British adults actively encourage foxes to visit their gardens which the Daily Mail interpreted as ‘Cunning! How the fox has wheedled its way into the affections of 1 in 7 families’ Those devious, scheming creatures!

Whilst no-one could claim that foxes are vegan and altruistic animal saints, they are carnivores after all, maybe it is time for us to look at the evidence more objectively. For more on this theme, take a look at the article ‘Time to stop vilifying the urban Fox’ by Stephen Harris and, maybe, consider welcoming a fox into your garden.

 

 

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