The Official Wenvoe Homepage
LIVING WITH CANCER
STROLLERS
Amazingly blue skies greeted the living with cancer strollers at Cosmeston. Two walkers had reasons to enjoy a celebratory walk, a birthday for one and the end of cancer treatment next week for another. Milestones for both. Another reason to celebrate was the almost complete absence of mud as we strolled around, but Helen did manage to point out one large muddy patch which the group navigated skilfully around
IT IS BETTER TO TRAVEL THAN TO ARRIVE
Over a pleasant lunch, some Cardiff friends asked what plans for adventure I had this year? They knew I had arranged four pilgrim walks last year and they may have been winding me up on the back of a glass of wine or more. Truthfully, I had no real plan in mind, but I replied that I would see how far I could go in a day on my bus pass.
We all know that people of a certain age are eligible for a bus pass issued by Transport for Wales. The pass is correctly called the Welsh Concessionary Travel Card and is available to people in Wales over 60 years of age for use on business, socialising or leisure travel. While it is primarily used for bus travel on all Welsh buses it can also be used for some train journeys in Wales.
As the weeks went by, I made a plan to travel to Aberystwyth and, as it is so far, I would stay the night and return the next day. When I told my friends how the plan was developing one of them said he had never been to Aberystwyth and that he would like to join me. Well, I soon get bored with my own company, so I readily accepted David’s suggestion.
A great website for planning travel in Wales is Traveline Cymru and I began to look at bus timetables but noticed that some trains also offered free travel with a travel card. In particular, the Heart of Wales line could be used between October and the end of March. So rather than going up and back the same way by bus, we decided to travel north using the Heart of Wales railway and then we would return by bus.
The Heart of Wales line runs between Swansea and Shrewsbury, though purists would say between Llanelli and Craven Arms. The line was originally built for freight but is now mainly used by passengers. The route is scenic and delightful passing through the most rural parts of mid-Wales and most notably through the old nineteenth-century spa towns Llandrindod Wells, Llangammarch Wells, and Llanwrtyd Wells. The train consists of one or two carriages, and it moves at a gentle pace stopping at twenty-nine stations on the route. Some days there is a refreshment trolley service, but the best advice is to take a good picnic as the journey takes just about 4 hours from Swansea to Shrewsbury. The train runs four times a day in both directions. It is a single-track railway with passing loops in four places. I am pleased to report that the single carriage we took did have a lavatory! To continue from Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth there is a third train with takes another two hours.
At Shrewsbury we had a wait of 2 hours for our connection, so we had ample time to explore.
Shrewsbury Castle and Military Museum is a short walk from the station, and we soon made our way there. The Castle is built with red sandstone, and it stands on a hill in the neck of the meander of the River Severn on which the town originally developed. Of relevance to Welsh visitors is the fact that the castle was briefly held by Llewellyn the Great, Prince of Wales, in 1215.
Scuttling back to the station to get our connection we were soon aboard and arrived in Aberystwyth at 5.30 pm. We had left Cardiff at 8.06 am so it had taken over 9 hours to travel 74 miles as the crow flies. This is not a journey for the impatient.
Aberystwyth would fit the Dylan Thomas description of a “lovely, ugly town”. It is not an ancient town, but it is the capital of Mid Wales. It has an elegant esplanade that is regularly battered by Atlantic storms. The Cambrian Railways line from Machynlleth reached Aberystwyth in 1864, closely followed by rail links to Carmarthen, which resulted in the construction of the town’s impressive station. The Cambrian line opened on Good Friday 1869, the same day that the new 292 meters Royal Pier opened. Although it was originally 50 meters longer than Penarth pier much of it was washed away by storms over the years and it is now much shorter. In Victorian times the new train line caused a boom in tourists and the town was even called the Biarritz of Wales.
We spent the night in a seafront hotel, of which there are many, and enjoyed a good supper in the nearby Baravin restaurant which is linked to the celebrated Harbourmaster in Aberaeron. In the morning we chose to visit the National Library of Wales where there was an excellent exhibition of contemporary Welsh art. This magnificent building was opened in 1915 but construction continued until 1937. The main purpose of the National Library of Wales is to collect and preserve materials related to Wales and Welsh life and those which can be utilised by the people of Wales for study and research. The building and grounds are both well worth a visit.
There is also a funicular cliff railway at the north end of the promenade. This was opened in 1896 and rises 237 meters from sea level to the top of the cliffs. It is the second-longest in the UK and it is a fun thing to do, but we did not have time to visit it.
After sightseeing, we bought a picnic for the rather long bus journey home. Conveniently the bus station is adjacent to the train station, and we caught the 1305 pm X47 bus which left on time for Llandrindod Wells arriving at 1445 pm, a relatively short journey of an hour and 40 minutes. The scenery on this route, especially from Aberystwyth to Llangurig is spectacular as it winds up and down the Cambrian mountains. To the north, you can see the lower slopes of Plynlimon which are the source of both the rivers Wye and Usk. While on the south side of the road there are massive wind farms as far as the eye can see. It may be worth adding that the buses carried very few passengers so we were not depriving anyone of a seat.
At Llangurig our bus met another service and we got off for a leg stretch, and the smokers quickly lit up! Then on towards Llandrindod and now on the more familiar A470. We arrived at the rather bleak bus station on time but our connection, the T4, was about 20 minutes late. The journey to Cardiff takes a surprisingly long 3 hours so we were happy to arrive at Greyfriars’s road at 6.20 pm after roughly 5 hours on the road.
We had enjoyed two full days away thanks to Transport for Wales. We had enjoyed seeing the wonderful mid-Wales scenery; you miss so much when driving a car. And we had appreciated a fleeting visit to the iconic town of Aberystwyth. We could have gone both ways on the bus at no cost, but by choosing to use the free Heart of Wales line we had to buy single tickets to Swansea and from Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth but with Railcards these only came to about £20.
So – to the retired people of Wenvoe and for that matter anyone over 60 – pick up your Concessionary Travel Card and board a bus – the hidden gems of Wales await you.
Gwenfo School News April Notes
We had a lovely end to the Spring term, celebrating Easter in style with the return of our Easter bonnet parade. Thanks to all parents and children for taking part and creating some fantastic headwear!
With restrictions easing we’ve been delighted to have a few Family Friday playtimes. The children have loved playing with other year groups, especially getting to see their siblings!
Key Stage Two had a wonderful morning before the holidays engaging in an Easter rotation, making Easter nests, Easter lilies, Palm crosses and Easter cards.
In our Action for Happiness work we have been looking at emotions. We have been encouraging children to recognise their and others emotions, and have explored how to deal with big emotions like anger and how to focus on and look for the good around us to help us feel more positive emotions. We have been practising gratitude and saying thank you for all the things and people in our lives that help us feel happy. Our next action is Acceptance, and learning to be happy with who we are.
Our value for the half term was Justice, and we have talked about what that means for us. We have thought about how all of our needs are different, and sometimes we can’t always have the same things as others for things to be fair. We talked about how we use rules both in school and in our country to ensure that we are all treated justly.
THE VILLAGE GARDENER
Rita Edwards gives her sound advice.
Mat Holland of Dyffryn has his say.
Advice on controlling pests without resorting to chemicals has TV gardening personalities telling us that we need to strike a balance with nature and learn to live with these pests. The R H S has declared slugs are no longer pests. If my garden was the size of a Tesco car park I’m sure the critters could munch away without causing me too much concern. On the average plot a pest infection can be devastating, ruining the growing season.
These same people have said that if you have a problem with aphids you need to buy plants that attract ladybirds. For goodness sake if you have aphids you will definitely attract ladybirds, who will then breed and whose larvae are voracious aphid eaters. All without splashing out on special plants.
Another stunner of an idea was to attract more birds to your garden so they could eat the slugs. Be honest, have you seen garden birds eat slugs, because I haven’t. The best animals to have around your garden to help control slug problems are hedgehogs, frogs and toads. A lot of Wenvoe residents have hedgehog boxes and this has resulted in the village becoming a hotspot for these mammals which is bad news for slugs. Frogs and toads spend very little time in water, they prefer a damp area and cover. Toads only use the water in the mating season so you only need a small pond to accommodate these amphibians. Helen, Hugh & Mathew of Vennwood have foxes visiting their garden taking care of their Gastropods. The slug problem has been with gardeners and growers forever so the balance must still be ok. Just one more thing, the French won’t even eat them.
Right then – are we ready to plant out knowing we will have a fight on our hands to keep the plants safe? If you can be patient and hold back your bedding plants a little while, the warmer soil will give them a good start. As has been said many times, to get the best from your hanging basket display keep them sheltered until the very end of May. Sow some hardy annuals direct into the garden where there are gaps to fill. With the weather warming up and less rainfall the pots will need extra attention, try not to let them dry out or the plants will not recover to their full potential. Spring flowering shrubs that have finished blooming need to be cut back as soon as possible. Weeding is one of the tasks that has to be done but we don’t enjoy. You can keep pulling them up but your back won’t thank you for it, the best is always little and often on dry days with a Dutch hoe, just keep cutting them off and it will weaken perennial weeds and kill annual ones. Leave the waste to shrivel on the soil but do this before they set seed.
Allotment holders are busy as usual with this years rhubarb looking good throughout April. Eric & Joyce donated some of their crop to the Wenvoe Wild life Group to sell at the plant sale in April. The allotmenteers are obviously well informed about the fact that bare soil is the major factor in soil erosion as there very few patches with nothing growing. The library will be running the Village show again this year and Gordon Jones is intent on keeping his prize veg a secret with an extra high fence and a guard cat.
Take care and happy gardening
Sweet Potato & Parsnip Bake [v]
800g sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
800g parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks
200ml tub reduced fat creme fraiche
2tbsp shredded sage
4tsp wholegrain mustard
Butter for greasing
1 slice granary bread finely chopped
50g coarsely grated veg-style Parmesan
3 tbsp pine nuts
Boil the sweet potatoes and parsnips until just tender in salted water. Drain really well, then roughly mash with half the creme fraiche, half the sage, the mus-tard and salt and pepper. Pile into a buttered ovenproof dish and smooth over. Heat the oven to 170C fan. Mix the breadcrumbs with the Parmesan, pine nuts and remaining sage. Spread the remaining creme fraiche over the mash, scatter over the bread and cheese mixture. Bake for about 25 – 30 mins until golden.
Harissa Sticky Chicken with Couscous
25g butter
3 tbsp harissa
3 tbsp clear honey
1/2 lemon, zested and juiced
8 skin on, bone in chicken thighs
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
300ml chicken stock [cube]
200g couscous
small pack coriander, roughly chopped
400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Heat oven 180C fan. In a small pan, melt together butter, harissa, honey, and lemon juice. Arrange the chicken on a roasting tray and pour over the harissa mixture. Roast for about 40 – 45 mins, basting with the harissa mixture every 10 mins. Heat the oil in a pan and cook the onion over a medium heat for about 10 mins to soften. Pour in the stock, bring to the boil, then add the couscous, stir to combine. Turn off the heat, cover and leave for about 5 mins until the couscous has absorbed the stock. Stir in the coriander, chickpeas, and lemon zest. Transfer the couscous to a large plate. top with the chicken and spoon over the remaining juices from the tray
NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH
Increase in burglaries after covid restrictions eased
Watch has come across some information which could be useful to Residents as the Summer holiday season arrives.
Churchill Home Insurance has used its own data to calculate that 9M people have been burgled in their own home in the UK, many targeted more than once. There was a lull in reported burglaries due to the covid pandemic but cases increased towards the end of 2021 as households returned to work. There was an 11% increase in burglaries reported to police in the 4th quarter of 2021 compared with the 3 previous months.
Useful advice is:
The full item can be seen at https://apple.news/AFQb1vEf7Q2W1NQR047JJfA
Alan French
CARERS WALK
The carers had a jolly jaunt between Friars and Nells points along the beach at Barry Island. Snow could be seen on the Exmoor hills, across the Channel, but the strollers were fortunate to walk under glorious blue skies in bright sunshine. Hopefully one missing carer can rejoin the group when his wife recovers from surgery.
.Planning Updates
The following applications have been approved
Cae Hafan Fields, Adjacent to A4050, Wenvoe. A planning application to erect a wooden shed for agricultural storage purposes has been refused. The proposed shed was not considered to be justified as reasonably necessary for the purposes of agriculture within the unit and is not considered to be permitted development
Council members have met with the new police officers for the area and raised local issues with them. With new appointments it is anticipated that they will have a greater presence in the area in the future. They do encourage the reporting of all local incidences to the police as this influences the amount of coverage the area receives.
Posters, which have continued to appear for over 18 months, seeking Flash the missing dog are still being discovered with razor blades attached to injure anybody attempting to remove them. The Walston Road dog owner has been visited by the police who continue to take an interest in the case.
With no outstanding 106 payments for the library building the Vale is investigating the proposed projects for the remaining available funds. These include outdoor gym equipment, the update of the Station Road tennis courts as a multi-use area and additional equipment for the Heol Collen play area.
The council have agreed to permanently mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee with the erecting of a toposcope located on the mound at Twyn-yr-Odyn. The purchase of bunting, flags and lamp post decorations was confirmed. (see page 9 for a list of activities planned to mark the occasion)
Investigation has started on the hardware and installation of an audio system to allow the public and any housebound councillors to participate in council meetings from remote locations. This is one of the new requirements the Welsh Goverment require local councils to provide.
The management of the Wenvoe library is no longer a service delivered by the Vale but is provided by a team of local volunteers. The Council has provided and maintains a building for this activity to take place along with the recent provision of a coffee facility requested by the public. The councillors discussed the subject of the rent charged for their exclusive use of the structure. The library management committee would like it provided rent free, while most councillors feel there is no precedence for such action while all other volunteer led village groups pay rent to use council buildings to run the community services they provide. Due to the rebuilding works, re-establishing a library facility and Covid restrictions the rent has been forgone for the last couple of years.
The official opening of the new library building is planned for Saturday 21st May. (See front cover). Work on the redesigned patio area is hoped to start soon. The Vale is to be approached about the provision of new location street signs.
Investigations continue for a company to repair/replace the windows in the Community Centre that can meet the latest building requirements and are suitable for the building which is in a conservation area.
The appointment of a Clerk to the Council has not materialised. The council is seeking new applicants for the post. If interestewenvoecc@googlemail.comd please contact the chairman, Rhian Sexton 2059 3522 or e-mail wenvoecc@googlemail.com
The April meeting was the last meeting of the present council which due to Covid, has been in office for the past six years. For various reasons many of the councillors are not standing again and only a few persons are seeking office. The new council, when formed, will be seeking to co-opt interested persons to fill any vacancies. The chairman thanked the present councillors for their service to the community and made a presentation to Cllr Harvey and Cllr Moody for the very many years of service they have provided.
. Planning Applications