Month: March 2021

Diamond Wedding Anniversary

 

April Letters

(The Editor

Pen+ink

s are not responsible for opinions expressed, although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information. The editors reserve the right to protect the anonymity of anyone who wishes to contribute articles or letters for the magazine provided they are aware of the identity of any such person. )

 

 

 

We would like to thank all friends and neighbours for the good wishes, cards, flowers and gifts on the occasion of our Diamond Wedding Anniversary.

Because of lockdown, what we thought would be ‘just another day’ turned out to be something special.

Our mystery – A lovely card came through the door, envelope written in gold but they forgot to sign it.

Thank you

Joyce & Eric White

 

 

 

Parkinson’s Disease Appeal

PARKINSON’S DISEASE APPEAL

Many Wenvoe residents will remember Helen and David Blessley and their contributions to village life. They moved to live in Penarth but still maintain village connections. Helen, being a superb cook, wrote a column called ‘Helen’s Kitchen’ for the magazine for over 15 years. This appeal has been written by their son-in-law, Marc Dunmore. 

The first thing we would like to say about David (Sarah’ s Dad, my father-in-law) or as I like to call him, Mr B, is that he is funny, strong, determined and not one to complain about anything. He is 78 and was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease around 25 years ago.

Parkinson’s is the fastest growing neurological condition in the world. There are over 40 symptoms, from tremor and pain to anxiety. Some are treatable, but the drugs can have serious side effects. Mr B struggles to move, he struggles to eat, struggles to remember, he struggles to speak clearly and sleep is uncomfortable and disrupted. He has a hospital bed, walking frames, inflatable cushions and 2 wheelchairs to try and help. The alarms sound every 3 hours to remind Helen (Sarah’s Mum, my mother-in-law) to give his medication every 3 hours to deal with these symptoms but although the medication is supposed to help it can cause confusion and hallucinations. Parkinson’s Disease gets worse over time and at the moment there is no cure.

Helen is Mr B’s wife and main caregiver. She plays an integral part in his health, helping him to get the right treatments and help that he needs. As a result, he has been able to maintain the best possible lifestyle in the circumstances. However, this disease is not easy for anyone involved with the person living with it, whether family members or caregivers.

Not only do we want to help fundraise for Parkinson’s UK to help find a cure but also to provide funding for the local side of Parkinson’s. Our local Parkinson’s support group has been a lifeline for both Helen and Mr B. Not only can these groups introduce you to other families with Parkinson’s but can provide wonderful assistance for families like ours with information and events to help support everyone involved.

Mr B faces many challenges every day and we wanted to experience our own challenges. Over the course of the year Sarah will be virtually running Lands end to John O Groats (874 miles) culminating in both of us running the London Marathon and then…when one marathon isn’t enough, we will be running the Newport marathon a couple of weeks

later. The training for all this will most definitely be a challenge to fit in alongside dodging Covid, home schooling and working. However, when put into context with the challenges that Mr B and others like him face seems humble.

As you may be aware we have in the past run a few marathons between us so we wanted to make this one different and demanding. We did enquire about pushing Mr B round the London Marathon course in his wheelchair; however, this is not able to happen. So, instead Mr B will be joining us in his wheelchair, pushed by us, on some of our training runs around Cardiff. I’m sure there will be hard days for us both when the effort of running seems too much but we will take a leaf out of Mr B’s book and be strong, determined and try not to complain (not much anyway!!).

Through Virgin Money Giving, you can sponsor me, and donations will be quickly processed and passed to Parkinson’s UK. Virgin Money Giving is a not for profit organisation and will claim gift aid on a charity’s behalf where the donor is eligible for this.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. Please donate to this fantastic cause! We really appreciate all your support and thank you for any donations.

Donations can be made via https:// uk.virginmoneygiving.com/marcdunmore. Once on the page you can click “donate” and then there are easy step by step instructions.

 

 

Footsteps

Dyffryn

A favourite walk is to Dyffryn as there are several routes that can be taken. Hopefully before long Dyffryn Gardens will open and refreshment can be taken there before returning home. The photo below is of the mid-week walkers a couple of years ago, everyone with a smile on their faces despite a thorough drenching.

The first and most straight-forward route is to walk along the road to Dyffryn via St Lythans, though the road is a bit busy for this to be truly relaxing. From the village you can go along Pound Lane and into Wenvoe woods, which emerges onto a track running from Burdon’s Hill to the St Lythans Rd. From here there is a footpath to 12th C St Lythans Church where you can explore the churchyard and spot the vent at the top of the tower which was an outlet for the oven where bread was baked.

Walking along the St Lythans – Dyffryn road you reach Dyffryn Gardens in about 1 mile. Returning along this road follow the brown tourist sign for the footpath to the St Lythans burial chamber, a megalithic dolmen built in the Neolithic period around 4000 BC. The dolmen has three upright stones and a capstone which is 3 metres wide and 4 metres long; all the stones are mudstone.

 

From the dolmen you travel to Maesyfelin (the mill field) farmhouse. The footpath passes between the house and some outbuildings and through a gate. Over a couple of stiles straight ahead (east), you will often encounter a herd of cows. Across a couple of fields with the Goldsland woods (private) on your right and you emerge onto a stony track. Remains from seven Neolithic humans have been excavated from a cave in these woods. It is thought the corpses had been placed there to decompose before being removed to sites such as Tinkinswood or St Lythans burial chambers. This seems to be the sole site in Britain where corpses were left to rot prior to placement in communal tombs.

On an open piece of land is the Bee Loud Glade with a noticeboard giving information about the ongoing work to attract pollinators. The rest of the open area had a good display of flowers last summer, including one of my favourites the tiny but gorgeous blue flax which can be used to produce linen or flax oil. The footpath runs along the southern edge of this area and into a small woodland, along the northern boundary of Wenvoe golf course, and back to Burdon’s Hill. Going south here leads to the Port Rd or turn left going up the track, almost always with some mud, and take the stile on the right back into Wenvoe woods, to retrace your steps to Walston Rd.

For a longer walk you can continue past Dyffryn Gardens along the road and take the footpath to 6000 -year-old, Tinkinswood burial chamber (through a field and over a stream to reach the chamber from the road). A larger dolmen than the one at St Lythans, the Tinkinswood site contained human remains and pottery dating to the early Bronze Age. It is a good place to stop for a while. Instead of returning to the road you can cross a field and a small holding. There is a large open field, with Dyffryn Gardens to the left which seems to have a sense of quiet peace. Eventually the path emerges beside the Nant river and you can walk through Dyffryn village, with a stream either side of the road and some lovely houses.

At the end of the village there is a footpath around a small farm, where there are llamas, sheep and other animals. This leads into Dyffryn Springs fishery where you skirt a lake and can spot waterfowl and heron. After this are Old Wallace and New Wallace farms, where you walk through the stable yard and can look across the valley towards Barry and the airport. After New Wallace the track becomes a road, leading to Goldsland farm and the golf course and eventually the Port Rd south of Wenvoe

Other variations allow diversions through the Wild Orchard and Coed Nant Bran, even taking in St Nicholas and/or the Downs. Whichever path you take you can rely on mud somewhere, the possibility of having to wade through an inch or so of water (or 3inches this winter) and the vagaries of the British weather. But you will also see some beautiful countryside, lots of history beneath your feet and around you, and plants and animals aplenty if you keep your eyes and ears open. Many of these paths cross farmland and it is important to keep to the footpaths, keep any dogs on a lead and leave nothing but footsteps. I hope you enjoy your rambling as much as I do.

Walk 5-8.5 miles depending on which route is taken. Map 151

 

 

American Dirt, by Jeanine Cummins

OFF THE SHELF

“American Dirt”, by Jeanine Cummins

 

American Dirt is a 2020 novel by American author Jeanine Cummins, about the ordeal of a Mexican woman who had to leave behind her life and escape as an immigrant to US with her son. At the opening of Jeanine Cummins’s devastating and timely novel, bookshop owner Lydia and her eight-year-old son, Luca, are the only survivors of a targeted massacre by the Mexican cartel that dominates and terrorises their hometown of Acapulco. Sixteen of their relatives have been shot at a family barbecue, including Lydia’s husband and Luca’s father, a journalist who had been investigating and reporting on the drug traffickers.

What follows is the story of a mother’s desperate attempts to keep her son alive, away from the cartel whose influence stretches across Mexico and from whom she knows they will never be safe. It is through their ordeal that Cummins humanises the migrant crisis, delivering a powerful portrayal of the extraordinary lengths people will go to in order to save their loved ones. It is a moving portrait of maternal love and an unflinching description of the experiences of displaced people on the move.

As members we really enjoyed reading this book. It was very well written, had powerful descriptions throughout and the turn of events were easy to follow. Although these were menacing at times and difficult to read, we persevered and appreciated its honesty. The characters were powerful and the main characters Lydia and Luca extremely likeable. We would recommend this book and gave it a score of 9/10. Chris Munroe

 

 

Parsnip, Parmesan and Sage Bread

Parsnip, Parmesan and Sage Bread

(bread without yeast)

 

175g grated parsnips [prepared weight]

50g parmesan cheese, cut into 5 mm cubes [Parmigiano Reggiano]

1 rounded tbsp chopped fresh sage

225g SRF flour

11/2 level tsp salt

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 tbsp milk

For the topping

25g parmesan shavings [same cheese]

a few whole sage leaves

a little extra flour for dusting

1 tsp olive oil

In a large bowl sift the flour and add salt. Mix together. Add the grated parsnip and toss in the flour to coat. Add the cubed parmesan cheese and chopped sage. Mix together. Add the milk to the beaten egg. Add this to the mixture a little at a time and mix together with a fork. You should end up with a rough, loose sticky dough. Transfer to a floured work surface and gently form a 15 cm round. Make a cross on the top with the back edge of a knife. Scatter the shavings over the top and dust the top with a little flour. Spoon the olive oil on to a small plate, dip each sage leaf into the oil and scatter over the top of the bread. Transfer to a well-oiled baking tray.

Bake in a pre-heated oven 180C fan centre shelf for about 45-50 mins until the crust is golden.

Serve as a snack with a crisp apple, celery and a soft creamy cheese.

 

 

Roasted Root Vegetables with Pitta

Roasted Root Vegetables with Pitta

(Ideal for vegetarians)

2 med sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into thick wedges

15 baby carrots, washed and left whole

2 med red onions, cut into wedges

4 tbsp olive oil

2 courgettes, cut into thick slices, diagonally

2 sprigs of rosemary

1 tsp honey

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1tsp chilli flakes

300g crumbled goats cheese

warm pitta bread to serve

Preheat oven 180C fan. Place the sweet potatoes, carrots and onion in a roasted tray and drizzle with oil. Roast for 20 mins. Add the courgettes and rosemary. Mix together vinegar, honey and chilli. Pour over veg and mix well. Roast for a further 15 min. Mix during cooking. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper and scatter with the crumbled goats cheese. Mix well and serve with the pitta breads.

 

 

Impressive Bonfires to Come

Wenvoe Wildlife Group

Visitors to the Upper Orchid Field will have noticed that the piles of bramble and brash are getting even larger as more areas are being cleared. There will be some impressive bonfires once the piles have had a chance to dry out. New trees continue to be planted including Small Leaved Lime, Black Poplar and Beech. Wildflower meadow mix seeds are being scattered on the charred surface where old bonfires have burned. Trees previously totally or partially hidden by vegetation are now seeing the light of day again and these include Hornbeam, the Chequers Tree, Wild Pear and Crab-apple. A spectacular Hawthorn should hopefully display its impressive blossom soon – we often think of these as mainly hedgerow plants but given the opportunity they can grow quite tall.

Primroses were already in bloom on the field in mid-March. April will see the Cowslips follow on and these will be part of a Europe-wide survey. Starting in Estonia the survey looked at the two types of Cowslip – Pin and Thrum – and how they compared in terms of numbers. Distinguishing the two types is not difficult with a bit of guidance and children as young as 4 or 5 took part and proved they were well up to the task. You can download an ‘app’ and record the results. If you know of anywhere that has cowslips which you can access you can do your own survey. For more information, contact the Wildlife Group who will also publish the results of the Upper Orchid Field survey in What’s On.

We have taken delivery of a number of items funded by the Vale of Glamorgan’s Local Nature Partnership including a water butt, pond, bee hotels and plug plants. The latter are for a range of native wildflowers such as Betony, Birds Foot Trefoil, Southern Marsh Orchid and real rarities like Shepherd’s Needle. We also now have a Moth Trap which will help to remedy a section of wildlife which we have done little work on to date. We continue to keep searching for signs of otters in the parish and we now know from an ecology survey carried out at Dyffryn Gardens that they have been present there.

 

 

Until it Happens to You

Until it Happens to You

The UK was recently rocked when it was announced that the remains of Sarah Everard, who initially went missing on March 3, were found in Ashford, Kent. The 33 year old marketing executive had been walking from a friend’s home in Clapham to her own home in Brixton in South London when she was abducted.

Sarah Everard’s story started a nationwide, and now, global discourse regarding the safety of women. Beginning on Twitter in the UK, millions of women shared their experiences of worrying about their safety while walking home, encouraging a global discussion about the experiences almost every woman has had.

In an article published by The Guardian in the same week, it was found that 97% of young women 18-24 have experienced sexual harassment, with 80% of women of all ages noting they had been sexually harassed in a public space.

A poll by The Tab, which asked 14,000 students in Britain whether or not they had been groped in clubs, with the results showing that 91% of women who answered noting they had experienced sexual harassment and assault.

The issue wasn’t exclusive to women, however. Overall, 82% of University scholars, both male and female, told the Consent and Sexual Assault Survey that they had experienced groping, with 61% of men noting they had experienced groping. In the study, Cardiff University was found to be the second worst university in the UK for experiencing groping on a night out, with 95% of students saying they had experienced some form of sexual harassment.

Discussions around sexual harassment and sexual assault have been circulating for years, but following the case of Sarah Everard, it feels as though there has been a global resignation that it is an issue which can no longer be swept under the carpet.

Baroness Jenny Jones argued in the House of Lords last week that perhaps there should be a 6pm curfew for men. This comment has been heavily debated online, with many noting it would be unfair to stop men from leaving their homes at night. Many women have argued, however, that despite there not being a physical curfew in place for women, women have always been encouraged to stay indoors after dark, so as to not be in any danger.

Baroness Jenny Jones later clarified that her comments were not asking for serious policy proposal, but rather pointing out that London police had advised following the case of Sarah Everard that women “not go out alone”. She told LBC that it was a concern to her as it appeared that no one seemed to “bat an eyelid” at the assumption that women ought to change their actions in order to stay safe.

Of course, walking alone is dangerous for everyone regardless of their gender. However, as we’ve seen from various surveys, women feel they are in significantly more danger when walking home alone than men.

According to data from UN Women’s Sexual Harassment Report 2021, 71% of women of all ages in the UK have experienced some form of sexual harassment in a public space, with this number rising to 86% among 18-24-year-olds. The MP Jess Phillips last week read the names of the women killed by men in the UK over the past 12 months. compiled by the Femicide Census; in 2020 and 2021, the list amounted to one woman every three days.

The discussion surrounding safety is one everyone should have, regardless of gender. But it’s important that we listen to the women who are expressing their concern, and we begin to change the way we address the safety of women. Men’s stories deserve a platform – but should not be used in order to diminish the stories of women; each story is valid.

Using hashtags such as #NotAllMen not only dismisses the lived experience of women and girls, but also seems as though it is invalidating the stories men have too. Why only bring up the statistics about male rape and harassment in order to counteract the stories being shared by women? Think about it – would you still share those statistics if women weren’t having this discussion? Stories from men who have faced similar experiences need to be addressed, in their own right, not as a way of invalidating stories from women; that isn’t fair to anyone.

Women and most men are aware that not all men are dangerous and not all men would do these horrible things. When we’re walking home (during the day, but especially at night) and the man behind us has been walking in the same direction for a long while, we don’t have the time to make sure he’s one of the good guys – it could cost us our lives.

We know it’s not all men, but the problem is, we don’t know which men.

The world needs to have this discussion. It may feel uncomfortable, but if we don’t have the discussion nothing will change. It’s also vital that men are part of this discussion. Men are able to tell their friends when their behaviour or the things they say are inappropriate and could stop further harassment or assault.

The discourse surrounding the safety of women is underway, and it’s important we all listen. Almost every woman has a story or an experience. A lot of men do, too. So let’s listen to them, and encourage change, so that the next generation don’t have their own stories.

by Tirion Davies

 

 

Gardening Advice for April

THE VILLAGE GARDENER

Gardening Advice for April

Tips from Mair Jones of Brynheulog Nurseries:

  1. Divide hostas before they come into leaf.
  2. Apply slow release fertilizer to your flower beds.
  3. Trees are wonderful, but not just outside your window. Check on their final size before buying.
  4. Invest in a water butt.
  5. Grow some carrots in a pot; lovely foliage and so sweet to eat.

Craftsman Eric White on what to get right this month:

  1. Pinch out the tops of sweet peas to make more substantial plants.
  2. Always read the label on plants so you don’t put it in the wrong place.
  3. Make sure your young plants are kept watered. Otherwise it is just a waste of money and effort.
  4. If purchasing a new implement make sure the handle is the right size for you.
  5. Golden rule. Do not walk past a weed, or the next time you see it, it will have produced offspring.

Do not be fooled by April. We can still have cold nights that will ruin all your hard work of raising tender plants. Just try to be patient, they will soon catch up. Planted up hanging baskets will come on tremendously well in the cold frame or greenhouse. Show gardeners like the late Kenny Condick would never put a hanging basket outside until June. Perennials, which will eventually need support, should be staked early and tied in as they grow. Protect fruit tree blossom with fleece if there is any sign of frost in the weather forecast. When mulching around the trees make sure to keep it away from the stem. Forsythia will still be in flower this month and one of the loveliest displays is at Church Rise, on

the left hand side just after where the shingle starts. This plant needs to be cut back just after flowering as it produces flowers on this year’s new growth. A great time for planting annuals direct to the soil where they will need just a bit of thinning out as they emerge. Mark where you sow these as they could be mistaken for weeds. Lawns will start to look good now after a feed and weed. This is a good time to sow grass seed on any bare patches.

Leaving the EU has created an opportunity for British nurseries to step up to plate. They have known about this situation for quite some time and although the choice may be a little diminished, there is no excuse to put up prices on what is available.

From this month on, there will be people offering garden services. Some will be okay but others will disappoint, so please be careful. If you need help it’s better to have a friend or neighbour recommend someone. British Soil on Station Road will give you advice on the best way forward. For general gardening advice, the best place to find it is at the Twyn yr Odyn allotments. You will never meet a friendlier bunch. They have a wealth of knowledge ready to share – especially Sue and Barry.

On Saturday 1st May from 10.00am, there will be a plant sale at our home in Vennwood Close. Covid regulations in place at that time will be followed. Some friends and fellow growers from the village will be joining us to peddle their best flora. Please ask for advice on the day, with the likes of Joyce, Brian and Sandra, Bruce, Gordon and Ann in attendance. It will be like Gardeners Question Time.

Take care and happy gardening.

 

 

Good News on The Tree Planting.

Good News on The Tree Planting.

For once there is a little bit of good local news on the tree planting front although the overall position for the UK remains dire. Despite the importance of trees for carbon capture, climate change and biodiversity, despite the impressive commitments and bold targets from all the UK governments whatever their political persuasion, the actual delivery of new trees in the ground can only be described as lamentable. Take the example of Wales where the Welsh Government’s target is to plant 2,000 hectares of trees every year. Achievement in 2019/2020? 80 hectares – just 4% of its target. So where is the good news?

Tree-planting on any scale in the parish of Wenvoe and St Lythans has been very limited and with road-widening, housing development and cutting down of trees by individual householders, we have probably had a net loss of tree cover every year. The last significant tree planting was at the Jubilee Wood by the Vale of Glamorgan Council around 9 years ago of 5.5 acres (2.2 hectares) and how many of you know where that is? But now, walkers on the public footpath from near the corner of Walston Road to Whitehall Farm can glimpse the tree-planting that has been carried out by Cemex as part of the quarry restoration plans. This involves 2,530 trees and 1,100 shrubs – a significant number by any standards. There is a lot more potential good news in the scheme including the variety of trees planted including Cherry, Aspen and Rowan and the planting of woodland and pond margin plants. Whilst there is no public access to the site at the moment, it is assumed that either Cemex or the Vale of Glamorgan Council who own the site will be arranging both access and information when the site is secure and ready in the future.

Meanwhile the Wildlife Group continue to plants trees as they have for 13 years now. 28 fruit trees donated by Keep Wales Tidy were planted last month in Wenvoe, St Lythans and Twyn yr Odyn. New varieties are being planted on the Upper Orchid Field. These include Black Poplar, described by the Woodland Trust as ‘imposing, elegant and rare’. Once widespread in the UK it is now isolated with Somerset being the nearest county with established numbers. It is the food plant for many moth caterpillars including the Figure of Eight, Poplar Hawk and Wood Leopard moths. Bees and other pollinators take advantage of the early pollen in the catkins and birds enjoy eating the seeds – see photo. Ideally the tree flourishes best in damp conditions so we may well need to supplement our generous rainfall with dousings of extra water in dry periods.

The Quarry and the Upper Orchid Field will be complementary, particularly as they are next to each other. The Quarry will have a large number of trees but fewer species – 11 on present plans. The Upper Orchid Field will have fewer trees but more species with 30 planned for this year. It will be interesting to compare the biodiversity on the two sites as the trees become established

 

 

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