Month: September 2022

Advent Windows 2022

We are inviting you to take part in lighting up your windows this Advent 2022 following the last two successful years.

The Advent Windows 2022 will encourage us all to wrap up warm and get out to view the windows throughout December. There will be a new window to see each night leading up to Christmas Eve when of course there will be all 24 on display.

This community fun event will run from the 1st-24th December, with the final window at St. Mary’s Church. We would like you to take part; there is no entry fee, it’s not a competition and adults and children can be involved.

How it works: – We need a minimum of 24 participants to decorate their windows. Participants will be allocated a date when they will light up their window for the first time and continue lighting up each day until 24th December. For those of us viewing the windows this will mean every day from 1st December a new window will be lit up to go and see so that by 24th December there will be 24 windows to view.

The windows can be designed and constructed from any media including lights, mobiles, cut outs etc. They can be as simple or technical as your artistic tendencies take you. They can be internal or external displays as long as they involve decorating your window. All the displays should relate to Advent / Christmas and can be humorous, artistic or topical. During previous years there was a great variety in size, contents, both humorous and stately, some with a modern portrayal and others of traditional designs.

The windows will be lit from 5 – 9pm each evening.

Each house participating will be asked to

– display a number corresponding to the date their window is ‘opened’ to differentiate it from other residents who will have their own Christmas decorations.

– keep their window a surprise as far as is possible before the designated revealing evening

If you want to participate you need to:

 live in a house that has a window (upstairs or down) that can clearly be seen from the street without people coming onto your property

 be happy to keep the window illuminated each evening after it is ‘revealed’ until December 24th

 

We are aware that many people give their time and money to support a host of different charities. If you would like to put a charity box outside your house you would be most welcome. Just make sure you empty the box each evening.

For more information ring: Glenys and Mike Tucker: 07922 109721 or Jude and Nige Billingham: on 02920594708 or 07516 112897.

Please let Jude Billingham know by October 16th that you want to decorate your window by supplying your name, address, email address, telephone number, and any preference you have about dates by email (judebillingham@yahoo.co.uk) by telephone, or text.

Please be aware that in agreeing to participate you are also agreeing to have your address identified on the windows map that will be made available so people can look for your window. No names or email will be shared without your permission

This is a St. Mary’s initiative for the whole community

August 2022 News Update

August 2022 News Update

After many trials and holdups our new priest The Rev. Lyndon Hutchison-Hounsell and his wife Chris finally made it to the Rectory on the evening of the 8th August after a gruelling journey from London, Ontario Canada. They were welcomed with many useful gifts to help furnish their home as well as messages of welcome and greetings. It has been heart-warming to see the response from all over our three churches to make them feel at home in Wales and that they are among friends. Before Vicar Lyndon can take any services in our churches he will have to be licensed by the Bishop, and this hopefully will be in September at a date yet to be announced. He is anxious to meet as many people as possible and has been around the village, with visits to St, Mary’s, the Wenvoe Arms, The Hub and other places, so please make yourselves known to them.

The latest edition of the Ministry Area “Connections” magazine was available during August and a copy has been placed at The Hub in Wenvoe, during the library opening hours. Lyndon wrote a letter for the magazine as follows

“Hello, De Morgannwg Ministry Area!

It is such a pleasure to be able to say hello and I so look forward to getting to know all of you. I’m sure you’re curious about who I am and, of course, you will get to know me over the course of the next few months, too. As an introduction, here’s a little bit about me and my wife, Chris.

We’ve been married for 33 years. We have lived in various locations in the provinces of Ontario, Quebec, and Manitoba. My family is from Newfoundland. We have two adult children, Thomas and Emma. Thomas is studying architecture and has a passion for sustainability. Emma is an artist who enjoys working with textiles – especially knitting.

Chris and I love to travel. We spent two months in Italy in 2012 and four months in the UK in 2019. We enjoy visiting holy sites and places where other pilgrims have walked before. We are looking forward to spending many hours on the trails of the Wales Coastal Path and Brecon Beacons. We hope to share those walks with many of you.

We also enjoy music and dancing, reading historical and mystery novels, and local food and drink. I enjoy singing and playing some guitar. Chris enjoys knitting and researching her genealogy. We are looking forward to being introduced to cricket, rugby, and football, (as spectators) and would like try our hand at bowls and croquet.

I have been a professed member of the Third Order of the Society of Saint Francis for more than 20 years. There’s lots to talk about but suffice it to say this means I have a keen interest in caring for the earth and those in need.

I was ordained priest in 1993 so I’ve been at this for a while. But that’s not to say I don’t have anything to learn. I most certainly do and I look forward to

continuing my spiritual formation alongside the good people of De Morgannwg Ministry Area.

Peace and many blessings,

Lyndon

During the month of August our church services have been led by visiting priests and we have been enjoying the varying styles of worship they bring to the church. Being a holiday month we always expect a downturn in attendances with people away on holiday, but the number of worshippers has been very encouraging, and things can only improve once Lyndon is able to officiate and establish the normal pattern of services in our churches.

Work on the tower is progressing now at a faster rate than before with the mortaring gang applying the lime mortar as quickly as the weather conditions allow. The recent hot sunshine dries the mortar out too quickly and causes cracks, delaying the final mortaring to be applied. So hopefully the work will be completed in September, the scaffolding, removed, the clock restarted, and the ground around the tower cleaned up in time for the Harvest Festival and BYO picnic in the church grounds to meet up with our new priest. So watch for the announcement on the church notice boards and the community pages.

The Rev. Kevin Barry, our former curate will be licenced to the East Vale Ministry Area on Sunday 4th September at Llancarfan church at 6.00pm and members of our three churches will be there to support him and to acknowledge the time he spent with us. Our best wishes and prayers go with Kevin and his family for this next stage in his ministry in the Church in Wales.

We supported the Christian Aid “East Africa Hunger Appeal” with retiring collections at our Sunday services. “After the worst drought in 40 years millions of people across East Africa are facing the threat of famine and dying. With the war in Ukraine causing global food prices to rocket, we are facing crisis on crisis. Due to climate change many families are now homeless, identified as displaced” Faced with a situation like that we have no option but to try and help with whatever money we are able to raise to ease their situation especially in the provision of water purification kits, dispersing animal feed and medicine. Christian Aid is supporting over 300,000 people and more help is needed. Thank you to all who supported this appeal in our churches.

Looking ahead we are planning a number of events to meet up with our new priest during September. They are all in the planning stage and no firm dates have been agreed at the time of writing, so keep your eye on the notice boards in church and on the weekly newsletter.

Thank you for reading this, the very latest news from St. Mary’s and we invite you to join with us during the month as we celebrate a new chapter in the life of the church here in Wenvoe. God Bless.

Parry Edwards

 

International Friendship Day

CARERS WALK

With International Friendship Day designated by the UN as 30th July, it was wonderful to celebrate it with the Carers walk around Barry Island. Everyone needs friends, including Carers, and it was lovely to see everyone mingling, chatting and just enjoying themselves. Did the walkers find time to admire the pristine Whitmore beach, the Burnet moths or the cliffs at Jacksons Bay….maybe not, but being with, and enjoying the company of friends is part of the joy of this walk

The Three Lakes Challenge

LIVING WITH CANCERSTROLLERS

Forget the three peaks challenge this was the three lakes challenge, though there was some debate over whether the dragonfly patch of water counted as a pond or lake! Jill brought along some cake refreshments to celebrate her birthday which a welcome excuse for a break on a warm day

Llanharan and Caerwent

 Llanharan

Parking at Llanharan station we headed uphill at the High Corner pub, turning right along a terrace to a large field. We walked through wood-land and passed a Christmas tree farm emerging onto open moorland. Out from the cover of trees, we realised it was raining and donned waterproofs; most of us didn’t have waterproof leggings and our trousers were soaked and dried several times.

Somewhere not far from us were the wind turbines that are visible from the A48 and M4, but low clouds hid them although we could hear the whooshing sound of the blades. We stopped for lunch under a few trees which had grown from a hedge and one of the turbines momentarily appeared only to disappear again

Continuing we came to Caer rocks, known locally as the Cariad stones, because of a carving in the slabs, ‘Dduw Cariad Yw’ which can be seen from below even on such a cloudy day. It translates as ‘God is Love’ and is said to have been inscribed by a zealous preacher from Tonyrefail in the early part of the 20th century. There is also a story that in the 1920’s a collier from Thomastown (near Tonyrefail) carried his daughter here daily to sit with him as he carved. She was suffering from tuberculosis and as he carved, she breathed in the fresh air. When he finished his daughter was healed. On a clear day there are good views, not today.

One person took a track back towards Llanharan whilst the rest of us continued along the ridge. When it was time to descend, we were confronted by a sea of waist high bracken interlaced with hidden brambles, the footpath was nowhere to be seen. A few aborted attempts to get through it were made including one which followed a dried-up stream for some way before we had to admit defeat and retreat back uphill to join our friend on the track.

The weather was clearing, and we admired rain drops on spiders’ webs and gloriously coloured heathers. The track was so narrow we had to breathe in deeply to allow a car to pass.

The final stretch was through Brynna woods where we spotted a clump of well camouflaged orchids. Walk 6miles 1000ft Map 151

 

Caerwent

We parked at the Roman site of Caerwent, a good-sized free carpark which was not full even on a warm August weekend. This is just inside the west gate of Venta Siluran, a Roman town founded shortly after the Romans’ conquest of South Wales in 75AD. The town became the tribal capital for the Silures and had its own town council. Sitting astride the Roman Gloucester to Caerleon road, it was the largest civilian settlement in Wales covering 44 acres. Initially buildings were wood but by 200AD public buildings, shops and houses were stone. A defensive stone wall and ditches were added later and the Roman town wall that still encircles modern Caerwent is the best preserved in Britain.

Pound Lane has a huge fig tree at the corner and the layout of a number of buildings can be seen on the ground. We visited the Church of St Stephen and St Tathan with its rotating lychgate. Inside there are roman sculptures which were uncovered in 1900 and 1911 during building works, 4 blocks show floral motifs, and one has a bird on a leaf. An exposed, framed section of the floor has a Roman mosaic.

The footpath from the churchyard led us across a field planted with maize which came well above our heads and was planted so close to the path that the large leaves slapped at us as we walked through – one person even cut their lip. It seemed to go on forever, but eventually we emerged and stepped over a stile to a road.

The route took us across an abandoned golf course where the grass was crisp from lack of rain and we climbed over an electric fence with no isolators but were able to temporarily disconnect the batteries.

We spotted lots of centaury growing in patches and a row of liquidambar trees, unusual and decorative. An old rabbit hole had been colonised by bees with the distinctive honeycomb pattern easy to see. At Slade Woodland we learned that more types of wildlife live in the first 10 metres of a woodland ride than in the rest of the woodland as it creates a more open and sunny space

After crossing a field where a large herd of black cattle followed us, we were soon back in Caerwent and skirting the Roman remains again.

The walk was across a mixture of grassland, crop fields, roads, and woodland where we sheltered for lunch. It was a hot sunny day and where roads had high hedges it was even hotter; in the open there was a breeze at times. Luckily all the crops, apart from the maize at the beginning, had been harvested so it was relatively easy underfoot. Walk 81/4miles 500ft Maps 154 and OL14

Note: At this time of year, footpaths may be overgrown, and it is a good idea to carry a pair of secateurs (and maybe gloves). Brambles, nettles etc. can block paths and stiles are frequently impassable. Even with secateurs we had to take a diversion on the Caerwent walk. And the bracken was so dense on the Llanharran walk that we had to retreat and take a shortcut.

 

 

Collecting Wildflower Seed

Wenvoe Wildlife Group

 Collecting Wildflower Seed

September should see some of our sites being cut, mainly the Community Orchard off Station Road and the small meadow at Goldsland Farm. This is done by the Ecology team in the Vale of Glamorgan Council using a special machine which collects wildflower seed in the process. This is then distributed to create new wildflower meadows elsewhere in the Vale. We are currently unable to get machines onto the Upper Orchid Field as Cemex changed the locks on the access gate and we are trying to get a key. However the intention is to take some wildflower seed from here and this will be followed by the normal full cut scheduled for October. Photo shows the seed collecting machine in use last year

Funds from the Tuckers’ garden sale have been used to purchase a strimmer to be used for our orchard, the mini-meadow and watercress beds at Goldsland Farm.

Ryland & Dave – Bionic Men

THE VILLAGE GARDENER

Tips from Venwood’s bionic men Ryland & Dave

Ryland

  1. Get to work on lawns by scarifying and seeding.
  2. Hold back on buying Spring flowering bulbs as they will be cheaper by the end of the month.
  3. Water butts are a must, stop putting it off.
  4. Collect seeds from plants. With the cost of seeds increasing it makes good sense.
  5. September is the best time to spray those perennial weeds.

Dave

  1. Put netting over ponds before the leaves start to drop.
  2. At this time of year you will have a lot of garden waste so go on – start a compost heap.
  3. If you haven’t grown sunflowers try to do so next Spring as the birds will love the seeds at this time of year and they are so easy to grow.
  4. If you’re thinking of making a raised bed you need to construct it so you can reach the middle from both sides.
  5. A wooden gazebo covered with a climbing plant provides unrivalled, cool shade

This year the hot weather has made it difficult to find places to be cool indoors or out. Those who walked in woodland during this time have found how cool it is under the shade of trees as they dissipate the heat so well. Planting a small tree in the garden will provide a cool place to sit. If you decide to plant one it will need plenty of water until it gets the roots growing.

We can take cuttings from a lot of plants at this time of year. Pelargoniums, fuchsias, penstemon etc are all easy to propagate. Just pick a stem without a flower, trim below a leaf node and place in pots of compost and keep in a cool place. Divide perennial plants, pot up and water the ones you want to give away and dig the others into their new home. If you have some clear ground to spare try sowing some hardy annuals such as cornflowers for early summer flowering.

Hedge cutting will be the major job in most gardens during the autumn so take your time and don’t worry that you can’t get it all done in a day. It’s not going anywhere and the longer you can live with it the shorter it will be at the beginning of next year’s growing season. When you’re cutting the shrubs back try cutting some of the lower branches off to allow more air and light around the base. In most cases the plant will look better as well. Are you considering buying a shredder to reduce the debris and use it as mulch? This is a commendable idea in practice but be warned there are dozens of sheds in the village with shredders that were purchased without the benefit of YouTube, so do check before buying.

With more rain and some sunshine September is a good month to sort out the damage done to the lawns by the dry weather (and the no mow May) during the late Spring and Summer. Most will need scarifying plus an Autumn lawn treatment along with some lawn seed. Besides the amount of effort needed you will need to keep the birds from taking their fill of seed.

Produce is being harvested from allotments and veg gardens in what is the most productive month of the year. Onions are being laid out to dry, runner beans are still being harvested and Autumn raspberries are at their best. Even when harvesting is in full swing Bernard, of compost bin fame, is planting onion sets and broad beans to get a good start for next year. Garlic really benefits from an early Autumn sowing as do meteor peas. Try putting in some turnip seeds as at this time of year conditions are perfect to produce a small but perfectly formed veg for the Christmas dinner table.

Hope to see you all at the Village Show, where the ability of local folk can be seen, admired and tasted. Be a part of village life and meet some of the characters that make Wenvoe a lovely place to live.

Take care and happy gardening

 

1 2 3