Month: May 2024
Sun, Rain, Hail, Wind, Blue Skies
Wenvoe Sewing Ladies
WENVOE SEWING LADIES
Explore Your Creativity
Wenvoe Sewing Ladies meet in the Hub each Monday from 1.00-3.00 pm. There are usually 6 or 7 members. The agreement is that they will buy a drink and Linda Edwards and Brenda Webster are both able to make the drinks and use the till.
On Mondays their usual activities consist of knitting, crocheting and hand sewing and a great deal of chatter. I know they appreciate their surroundings and look forward to being able to sit outside.
The group’s main event is in the Community Centre on Wednesdays from 10.00 am -2.00 pm when the sewing machines, iron and cutting boards are used. There are usually more members attending these sessions. More complex projects are carried out and beautiful garments, quilts and bags result.
I have been really welcomed into this group. I have been overawed by the standard and complexity of the work carried out and am seriously out of my depth. However no-one is “precious” about their skills and knowledge and help and advice are always given freely. Offers of fabric are often given as well as tip offs about where to buy the good fabric. I am now growing my stash again.
I think that anyone who crafts in any way will know the feeling of buying a fabric, wool, paper or card with no intention of using it! In fact, one of the ladies says that she is constantly telling her husband that buying fabric is not at all the same as sewing it!
There is no pressure to keep up and it’s quite acceptable to just go along and chat with this lovely group of ladies on both Monday and Wednesday.
Paula Johnson
ALL WELCOME
April Meeting of Wenvoe W.I.
WOMEN’S INSTITUTE
April Meeting of Wenvoe W.I.
The members of Wenvoe WI met on 4th April in the Church Hall at 7pm.
On this occasion, the meeting was ‘a hands on’ session with each member creating their own table decoration, using fresh flowers and foliage, under the able direction of Mrs Carol Charlson, who demonstrated the basic procedure initially. Soon the air was fragrant and redolent, as everyone set to, and enjoyed creating their own ‘masterpiece’ amid much chatter and laughter.
Also members voted unanimously in support of the resolution to be forwarded to the National Federation of Women’s Institute to lobby the Government to increase investment in the training and retention of Dentists in order to redress the current inadequacy of the NHS, to ensure that everyone can access an NHS Dentist in their area.
This was followed by the nomination and selection of members to form the Committee for the next full year of Wenvoe WI . As a result, the new Committee will consist of eight members.
Our next Meeting will be held on Thursday 2nd May at 7pm which will be the AGM.
New members and ‘tasters’ are ensured of a warm welcome.
Janet Young (President)
Focusing On The Reuse Of Various Resources
WENVOE FORUM
Considering Tomorrow Today
Focusing On The Reuse Of Various Resources
This year, the Wenvoe Forum members are focusing on ideas around the REUSE (including REPURPOSING) of various resources. As this year’s Tucker’s Spring Plant Sale takes place at the Wenvoe Church Hall soon (Saturday 11 May – 10 am), we thought it would be good to support them (and the Wenvoe Wildlife Group) by having a table offering surplus gardening tools, plant pots and equipment etc. – all looking for a new home. Amongst the other garden bargains there, you’ll be able to choose your plants, sit and have a cuppa and a chat and maybe buy a slice or two of Tucker’s home-made cake and brownies. It’s for a great cause, with all proceeds to the Wenvoe Wildlife Group!
We’ll also be raising awareness of a couple of existing Facebook pages that already support the idea of reusing existing resources – the Wenvoe Recycling & Reuse Group @ https://www.facebook.com/ groups/1870475136410648 and the Wenvoe Buy and Sell pages, @ https://www.facebook.com/ groups/3019469164839088.
Finally, in our linked article this week, a money saving idea in line with the gardening theme courtesy of the Royal Horticultural Society web pages.
How to REUSE spent compost…
It’s not uncommon to have spent compost at the end of each growing season, especially if you grow bulbs or bedding plants in containers. Rather than getting rid of this, which can be difficult and wasteful, there are a handful of ways to reuse it within your garden.
Quick facts…
- Compost breaks down and compacts over time, so it needs enriching and mixing thoroughly before it can be reused for planting.
- You may need to add fertiliser if reusing compost for hungry plants like roses
Using spent compost for mulching around established trees and shrubs is good
Getting started…
Soil and spent compost can’t usually be added to green waste bins but our local council recycling centres will accept it. However, finding ways to reuse it in your garden saves you time, money and effort.
The manufacture, transport and packaging of bagged compost has a large carbon footprint, so being able to use it again for growing plants helps save the planet and saves you the cost of buying new compost each time you replant.
What you’ll need to reuse spent compost:
- Gloves
- A board or sheet to tip the compost out on
- Organic matter, like garden compost, leaf mould or well-rotted manure (if replanting)
- Possibly some other fertiliser
- A garden fork (if digging-in)
- A shovel and a rake (if mulching)
- Focusing On The Reuse Of Various Resources
Top Tip…
Tipping out old compost first lets you assess its condition and decide how best to reuse it. If you find vine weevil larvae when you empty your pots of spent compost, spread the mixture thinly on a tarpaulin or hard standing and wait for the birds to eat the larvae as a tasty treat. Once they’ve found them all, sweep up the compost and use as above.
Five ways to reuse spent compost
1 – Add organic matter and use it again for planting
Tip out the spent compost, remove any large sections of root and work it back to a smooth, fluffy texture with your hands. Then add handfuls of organic matter, like garden compost or well-rotted manure, to create a mixture of around 70% spent compost to 30% new organic matter. This mixture can now be used for planting up containers.
2 – Improve your garden soil by digging-in spent compost
Though it won’t add much in the way of nutrients, it will improve soil structure, helping with aeration and drainage, and in turn will boost soil biodiversity.
3 – Mulch your beds and borders to lock-in moisture and suppress weeds
Use a shovel to pile the compost onto your beds and a metal rake to spread it over the soil to a depth of around 7.5cm (3in). Over time the mulch will be worked in by soil organisms, thereby improving the structure and health of your soil.
4 – Improve the appearance and health of lawns
Add spent compost as a top dressing in autumn, mixing it with sand and brushing or raking it into the holes created by spiking (aerating). Spent compost can also be used to even out dips and hollows when repairing lawns.
5 – Boost an existing compost bin or start a new one
Even spent compost will contain a variety of soil organisms that can be put to work breaking down garden and kitchen waste. If you’ve got lots of spent compost to add to your compost bin, do this in layers between other waste. Adding spent compost to the base of new bins can help kick start the composting process.
Sources:
How to reuse spent compost / RHS Gardening
We do hope that you find these ideas and tips useful. Good luck with your gardening. Please keep a look out for our other activities, and join us or send messages on:
Facebook: Gwen Fo @ https://www.facebook.com/ gwen.fo.1/ and Wenvoe Forum @ https:// www.facebook.com/groups/635369267864402 twitter @ForumGwenfo or e-mail – gwenfo.forum@gmail.com
New Forum members are always welcome to join e-mail us e-mail gwenfo.
forum@gmail.com
Contact to us on :-Facebook: Gwen Fo @ https://www.facebook.com/gwen.fo.1/
and Wenvoe Forum @ https://www.facebook.com/groups/635369267864402 or
twitter @ForumGwenfo
See our Blog site https://wenvoeforum.wordpress.com/
“Memphis” by Tara Stringfellow
“Memphis” by Tara Stringfellow
This is Tara Stringfellow’s debut novel; she is a former attorney and known for published poetry and prose and her love and use of language is displayed throughout the novel. The story follows four strong women over three generations and is based around the family home in Memphis. The author uses her own family history to base the novel on and some of our group felt that this intimate family connection led to a positive bias of the women in the story compared to the men, whose story was not told in any detail. The story has lots going on in it and does have some upsetting content but is also filled with joy and laughter. Stringfellow writes about each of the women in different chapters and the story moves back and forth between different eras; this means that the story jumps around. The majority of our group felt that to enjoy the novel, they had to continually refer back to the family tree to establish which character they were going to read about and what period they were in. The book did split the group’s view of it, with one member rating it extremely highly and a “must read” where others struggled to find a connection to the story. The majority of us enjoyed exploring the characters and following the story through the years.
The average marking of the group was 6
Welsh Traditions 2 Calan Mai – May Day
WELSH TRADITIONS 2 CALAN MAI – MAY DAY
In the old Celtic Year, the summer season consisted of the months of May, June and July so the first day of May was also the first day of summer. The Welsh name for July – Gorffennaf – testifies to this as the word actually translates as ‘the end of summer’ ( gorffen – end + haf – summer). The Welsh word ‘Calan’ translates as ‘the first day of’ – thus the Welsh equivalent of May Day is Calan Mai.
Like May Day in England and Walpurgis on the Continent, Calan Mai was an important time for celebration in Wales – and the roots of this festival go far back into our Celtic past – to the Beltane festival (various spellings) which celebrated the coming of summer and the time when the animals were turned out to pasture. Beltane was one of the four main seasonal festivals of the Celtic year – the other three being Imbolc (February 1st), celebrating the coming of Spring, Lughnasadh (1st August), celebrating the beginning of the harvest season (autumn) and Samhain (1st November), celebrating the end of the harvest season and marking the first day of winter.
During the Beltane celebrations the lighting of bonfires represented an opportunity for purification, to protect the animals from disease – and they also celebrated fertility and new growth. And the tradition of lighting bonfires continued down the centuries and was associated with Calan Mai – as with Calan Gaeaf (the first day of winter – November 1st) of course. The celebrations and revelry started on the eve of Calan Mai – and history tells us that here in Wales, May Day Eve was even more important than May Day itself. It was one of the three ‘Spirit Nights’ in the Celtic year – when the veil between this world and the spirit world was at its thinnest – and when people believed that the spirits of the dead walked among them. (The other two Spirit Nights are St John’s Eve on 24th June and Halloween of course on 31st October). The people would decorate the outside of their houses with flowers and sprigs of hawthorn as they welcomed the coming of summer – and fires would be lit to ward off evil spirits. Young men would place bunches of rosemary, tied with white ribbons on the windowsill of a young girl they admired.
The building of the village bonfire was steeped in ritual. Nine young men, after emptying their pockets of all coins, were sent to gather branches of wood from nine different trees. The bonfire would be built in a traditional way and once the fire had been lit, they would leap three times over the flames in order to make sure of a good harvest. Later, when the fire was out, the villagers would carry some of the ashes to their homes to ward off illness and sadness throughout the coming year.
On the morning of Calan Mai, the village youngsters would welcome the coming of summer after the cold and barren winter by parading around the area carrying the Bedwen Fai (May Birch) – always birch, decorated with flowers and ribbons. They would sing and dance as they paraded – and many of the songs – known as ‘summer carols’- were quite bawdy and explicit in nature. Others were topical verses reminding the villagers of some of the interesting things that had happened during the year gone by. The dancers would all be dressed in white with colourful ribbons – except for the ‘Cadi’ – the Fool – the main character who led the parade. He would be masked or have a blackened face – and would wear a lady’s petticoat and a man’s waistcoat! When they reached the village green the Bedwen Fai would be erected and the ‘Twmpath Chwarae’ (play Mound) opened for the rest of the villagers to join in the dancing and singing. A harpist or ‘fiddler’ would sit atop the mound to accompany the singing and dancing.
Different traditions developed in different areas of Wales. In some areas, a mock battle between representatives of winter and summer would be staged. In the village of Defynnog in mid Wales it is recorded that on Calan Mai, the Winter King and the Summer King would be crowned – the Winter King with sprigs of holly and the Summer King with colourful ribbons. In Tenby, numerous Maypoles would be raised in the town – and groups of dancers would wind their way from one to another. It was not unusual, of course, for a group of youths to raid another village’s Bedwen and steal it before the celebrations began. Here in Gwenfô our Bedwen was often in danger from raiders from Sain Ffagan! But I believe the Gwenfô youngsters did their share of raiding too!
All in all the Calan Mai revelries and celebrations were a means of bringing colour and enjoyment to people whose lives were hard – and very often bereft of colour and just plain fun!
Ann M. Jones
Thanks for The Photos of the Wildlife Sightings
Wenvoe Wildlife Group
Photos of the Wildlife Sightings
Our thanks to all residents who have sent in photos of their wildlife sightings including Bee Flies (see photo), Brimstone butterfly, Bumblebees and wildflowers Ivy -leaved Toadflax, Wild Arum, Lungwort and the rare Herb Paris. With the help of our wildlife cameras we have recorded 20 bird species and 5 mammals. These are all recorded on the South Wales Biodiversity database which can help to inform planning decisions and designate nature protection areas.
We have been mentoring Rosie Robyns who lives in the village and is doing the Welsh Baccalaureate. To help with one of her assignments she has carried out various activities with the Group and has designed 2 anti-litter posters which are being displayed on our noticeboards. Rosie writes: I had a wonderful experience with Bruce and Judy from the Wenvoe Wildlife Group. They were very kind and willing to help me with my community action project for the Welsh Baccalaureate. I had to complete 15 hours of community action that would benefit my community. Judy helped me gain experience whilst working within the orchards and showed how we can do little things to help keep their habitat clean. Bruce was also very informative and knowledgeable when it came to the orchards. He helped explain to me the types of trees and animals that live in the orchard. Overall they were really kind to give up their time to help me with my project. I would like to thank them for being so kind and welcoming towards me. It has motivated me to try and become more involved with the Wenvoe Wildlife Group in the future.”
Penhow
Penhow
Penhow – As you read this the weather will be sunny and warmer (I hope), but we undertook this walk towards the end of all that winter rain. We parked on the A48 near Penhow, taking a footpath to Penhow castle. Our route took in Penhow Castle farm, passing Magor services on M4, Pencoed castle and back to Penhow via Llandevaud.
The manor of Penhow was held by Caradog ap Gruffydd, Prince of Gwent before the Norman invasion. The estate was seized, and a Norman knight built Penhow castle in the 12th century. By the mid twentieth century the castle was deteriorating and was restored by film director, Stephen Weeks. It is a Grade II listed building, private home and some claim the oldest continuously inhabited castle in Wales. Walking through the farmyard we admired the agricultural buildings and castle and visited the small church complete with bell tower and bellringers’ ropes.
We walked along the road as the fields were waterlogged and a stream beside the road, St Brides brook, was overflowing. Indeed, we paddled along the road and kept to its centre to avoid puddles. Some, who will remain nameless, really enjoyed splashing through the water and generally playing as they walked! It was another matter whenever a car came along as we had to find refuge to avoid being drenched.
We arrived at St Brides Netherwent (circa 1290), an isolated church with snowdrops in the churchyard and a claim for the oldest inscribed bell in Wales. The inscription is ‘Ave Maria Gracia Plena, one like a pot and the other like a pan’ with other embellishments. The bell is still rung to call people to worship 700 years after it was made. There was a very smart steel doored toilet in the corner of the churchyard which was available for use.
Continuing along the flooded road, we arrived at the back of Magor services which was a bit smelly as their bins were lined up near our track. Now we were going slightly uphill and soon moved onto a footpath heading towards Pencoed castle.
There are extensive renovations taking place at the Grade II listed, Pencoed castle and it looked markedly different from the last time we passed it. We hunkered down near one of its boundary walls to eat our lunch and enjoy the castle and its surroundings.
According to Wales Online, the castle was sold for £1.1m in 2020 and there are extensive plans for its development. It is estimated that the castle was built between 1500 and 1560 and for generations belonged to the Morgan family from Tredegar, who built a large mansion on the medieval site. More recently a coal owner and politician, D. A. Thomas, restored the mansion for his adored daughter and her husband. The coal owner died before the work was complete and soon after his daughter divorced. In 2016, a farmer turned property developer, Peter Morgan, was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of his girlfriend, Georgina Symonds, a dancer and personal escort at the castle. An unfortunate building?
A dovecote in the grounds is fascinating, probably medieval and Grade II listed, all four stone walls are still standing and there is only a small opening at the top for birds to enter and leave. The doorway has a wooden lintel and stone arch above it and it has hundreds of roosting perches inside.
We continued to Llandevaud, crossed the common and then walked across fields back to Pencoed farm. We rounded off the walk with tea at St Mellons Garden centre. Walk 6.7m 500ft Map OL14
Christian Aid Week in Wenvoe – 12-18 May 2024
Christian Aid Week
Sometimes the simplest things can make a world of difference: every year, people in Wales and all around the UK come up with all kinds of fundraising activities to support Christian Aid. The appeal gives us seven days to make a difference to people in the most vul-nerable countries around the world.
Our global neighbours are also amazing at transform-ing their lives. This is Aline’s story. Aline Nibogora is 35 and lives in Burundi. She was married young and when she was 14, she gave birth to the first of her six children. Her husband was violent and beat her regularly – one day it got so bad, she fled.
“He would often jeer that he would kill me and bury me without anyone knowing,” Aline said.
Forced to leave her children behind, Aline wandered the streets trying to stay close by, asking anyone for a place to sleep.
“Those who showed me kindness would let me stay for two or three days, but it was difficult,” she ex-plained. “People would insult me and treat me with contempt. They forgot I was a human being. It filled me with sorrow.”
In a patriarchal society where men dominate in al-most every aspect, life is particularly challenging for women. They’ve been conditioned to be dependent on and dominated by men. But Aline found the strength and determination to push back against the injustices she was facing. Every gift, every action helps transforms lives; sometimes the simplest things can make a world of difference. Aline went to a three-day community workshop where Christian Aid-funded trainers taught people about village savings and loans associations.
“I came out of it with amazing knowledge and skills. During the training, I stayed focussed and was deter-mined to not miss out on anything at all. I really liked the teachers’ methodology; they restored in me a sense of hope and energy to take on initiatives. From then on, I started working hard, so I would not be dependent on anyone.”
With a small start-up loan, Aline began trading avo-cados and peanuts locally; then used her profits to buy a bicycle to transport greater quantities of goods to markets further afield. She is now a grocery whole-saler; she’s been reunited with three of her sons and lives on her own plot of land in a village in Kayogo-ro, in Makamba Province. She is planning to expand the business and is building a home for her family – she hopes she’ll one day have all her children with her.
“I bought some solar panels,” Aline added. “We now have electricity and the children are able to see to do their homework in the evenings. It’s true there’s a shortage of food at the moment, so there’s no lack of problems, but I’m doing what I can to get by, before we are able to harvest. I enjoy spending time with my children, who are my favourite people in the world”.
Aline is also now the chairperson of her own village savings and loan association and has helped 25 other families. She finds it important to be able to give
back and train others for the further development of the community as well as her country. Aline says the support of Christian Aid has made the whole commu-nity feel comforted and empowered. They feel they are not alone in their initiatives. Without your support we could not go further,
“You empowered us by changing our living condi-tions. Before, we couldn’t see opportunities around us. Now we can see positive and significant changes in our lives”.
This Christian Aid Week in Wenvoe
This year in Wenvoe we are busy planning money raising activities to continue to support the work of Christian Aid. We invite you to take part and to en-joy the week with us.
Our activities include:
- Distributing ‘Delivery Only envelopes’ throughout the village giving details of how you can contribute to the appeal
- On Wednesday 15th Assembly at Gwenfo school
- On Wednesday 15th a ‘Clothes Swap’ (girls and women only) from 7pm at Alison’s home at 52 Wal-ston Road, where you can take pre loved items of clothing to donate or swap with others. No charge, but donations welcomed! Fizz and nibbles included!
- On Friday 17th Big Brekkie and non-uniform Day at Gwenfo school
- On Saturday 18th ‘Cake, Cake and More Cake’: in the Church Hall, Port Road from 10 – 12 30. No charge for refreshments, but donations welcomed, and, there will be a cake stall for take aways from one slice to whole cakes!
We look forward to seeing you during the week.
Jude Billingham:
Christian Aid Week in Wenvoe – 12-18 May 2024.