The Official Wenvoe Homepage
Bright Blue Skies And Brilliant Sunshine
Bright blue skies and brilliant sunshine for the Carers stroll this morning at Barry Island. Kath was missing today as she was celebrating her 80th birthday… a good excuse!!
Squalls of rain and swirling winds did not put the strollers off on the Carers walk around Friars Point today. Unsurprisingly coffee was the refreshment of choice rather than ice cream!
WENVOE COMMUNITY HUB
Tel: 02920 594176 – during opening hours or wenvoelibrary@outlook.com
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For general enquiries you can email us at wenvoelibrary@outlook.com
Library Hub – October 2024
Books New arrivals – Our selection
Crime: Inside Threat by Matthew Quirk. The White House has been breached.
Romance: Better Left Unsent by Lia Louis. Pure romance magic.
Fiction: The Midnight Hour by Eve Chase. A golden family, a buried secret and a clock ticking down.
Non Fiction: Kier Starmer – the biography by Tom Baldwin
Young Readers: Photo Skills – How to be a brilliant photographer.
Report from the Hub Team
Coffee at the Hub; why not pop in for a coffee and a chat. We also sell Fruit Shoots (sugar free) and a small selection of ice creams / popsicles.
As winter approaches and the days shorten and become colder, please feel free to pop into the hub for a browse or a chat. You will always be greeted with a warm welcome and a friendly face. Also, please remember, that with increasing reliance on technology, we are happy to assist with accessing information on-line, or completing any applications.
Volunteers – we are in need of more volunteers. If you are interested, pop in for a chat. See separate advert.
Don’t forget to measure the height of your sunflower at the beginning of October and register it with the Library
Watch this Space
Cuppa with a Coppa – tba at 2.20 pm in the Hub
Wellbeing Group – tba between 2 pm and 3 pm in the Hub
Westonbirt Arboretum
We now have a date for the trip to Westonbirt Arboretum – 25th October 2024. The coach will be £25 per person. Entry to the Arboretum is £14.40 but if we block book there is a 10% discount taking it to £12.96.
This is in addition to the coach cost.
The coach will leave at around 9.30 am from the usual place outside the Wenvoe Arms and pick up for return around 4pm. A £10 non-refundable deposit will be required.
The Arboretum can provide wheelchairs and motorised scooters but we would need to let them know as early as possible of how many would be needed.
Don’t be disappointed as numbers are limited. Pop into the library to book your seat.
Summer Reading Challenge 2024 – until we meet again next year
The aim of the annual Summer Reading Challenge is to encourage children to keep reading during the summer holidays, ensuring they are ready for a great start to the new term in the autumn. Children set a reading goal and collect rewards for reading anything they enjoy.
As it has done each summer for the last seven years, the Hub launched the Summer Reading Challenge 2024
on the first Saturday of July, this year being 6th July. All Primary School and Nursery children were invited to take up the Challenge.
And it has been a successful year. Sixty-eight children aged from 3 to 11 took up the challenge. In total fifty children have read at least 2 books. Seventeen completed the challenge, each having read six books. A further six read more than 6 books each. These ‘Super Readers’ will be awarded an additional prize in the form of a book token from the Hub as a special ‘well-done,’
Certificates and prizes will be handed out to all successful challengers at a whole school assembly just before October half-term.
Well done everyone! It has certainly been a bumper year for readers.
Alina Trigger
VILLAGE ENVIRONMENT GROUP
Plans To Recruit Pillars Of Society
While on a routine cleaning up of Clos Llanfair. The team were approached by an official from the home office, who informed the men of government plans to recruit pillars of society into a sort of local volunteer force to help quell some of the unrest in the country. As soon as the gentleman started speaking, Gareth Mainwaring (front of photo) piped up and told the official of his past war record and said that he would lead the men. No uniform or weapons will be issued. The task force would have to verbally calm any situation with the troublemakers. Gareth has a known ability to be able to wind up a sloth, so will have to stay at a safe distance or rioting will prevail.
If we remain in one piece, we will meet at the junction of Pound Lane and Walston Road on 14th October
Wenvoe Wildlife Group
£1000 for wildlife activities
After another very successful Village Show organised by Mike and Glenys Tucker, we were delighted to receive just under £1000 For Wildlife Activities. Our thanks to all who supported the occasion and made individual donations and, not least, Mila and her Lavender sachets. These events have enabled us to repaint, refurbish and rebuild noticeboards, clear vegetation, buy tools and create the school Wildlife patch amongst many other things. Without them we would struggle to retain our 7 Green Flag Awards. Well done all round!
WOMEN’S INSTITUTE
September Meeting of Wenvoe W.I.
Wenvoe WI met on 5th September in the Church Hall for what is traditionally the first meeting of the WI new year.
On this occasion, the meeting consisted of a Charity Support evening, and our speaker was Lynn Hull who is a delegate and representative of Ty Hafan, our selected charity for this year. Lynn gave a very moving account of the grand work and assistance which this worthy charity, at TY Hafan in Sully, provides for terminally ill and handicapped children from all over South Wales. Further support for Ty Hafan will occur on 5th October when our WI will be holding a Coffee Morning in the Church Hall at 10.30am.
Later this term, Wenvoe WI intends to visit the ‘ Organ’ Factory’ in Treorchy on 31st October, where we will have a demonstration and talk about building organs , a mini concert and a cream tea will be provided.
We were pleased to welcome several new members to our WI and have been informed that we can expect quite a few more in the near future.
Our next meeting, on 3rd October in the Church Hall at 7pm, will be a Fish and Chip supper combined with members reading their favourite poems. New members and visitors are assured of a good welcome.
Jan Young ( President)
“Act of Oblivion” by Robert Harris
An historical novel that imagines one of the greatest manhunts in history: the search for two Englishmen involved in the killing of King Charles I and the merciless foe on their trail—an epic journey into the wilds of seventeeth-century New England, and a chase like no other.
1660 England. General Edward Whalley and his son -in law Colonel William Goffe board a ship bound for the New World. They are on the run, wanted for the murder of King Charles I—a brazen execution that marked the climax of the English Civil War, in which parliamentarians successfully battled royalists for control. Ten years on and the royalists are back in power and under the Act of Oblivion have tried the 59 men who signed the death warrant and found them all guilty of treason. Some have already been hung drawn and quartered but there are two,
Whalley and Goffe who have escaped to The New World. On the run and dependant on help from people with an award of £100 on their heads. Whalley and Goffe have to survive in an inhospitable, if magnificent, unknown wilderness and harsh weather conditions. The exceptional writing of Harris paints a picture of their surroundings. Living under a cellar in virtual imprisonment, having to develop survival skills, learning from and bartering with Native American Indians.
Fascinating story, great atmosphere- fear, danger, – incredible description- well researched, good pace, were comments heard during the discussion. Most of the group thought it was well researched and skilfully written. The incredible description of survival in caves and underground rooms for months on end in a very dark period in history. We were greatly helped to understand this period in history by Helen, one of our members. But none of us liked the ending which was imagined by the author and seemed implausible. .
A very enjoyable and thought provoking afternoon with our hostess Babs providing us with delicious cake. Overall the score was 8.5.
LITTER PICKING
Arlo and Will helping to keep the village tidy, by litter picking with their mum on Station Road. This isn’t a one off as they are often to be seen helping out. LITTER PICKING
Next litter pick;- week commencing 4th October with filled bags collected, along with black bags, on 11th October. Bags and pickers available . Please contact Russell Godfrey 07922 588924
TTUCKERS CHRISTMAS REINDEER SALE AND CAFE
Saturday 23th November
The 6th Annual Tucker’s Christmas Reindeer sale and cafe will take place on Saturday 23 November from 10am to 4pm at the Wenvoe Church Hall. As well as the antlered stars of the show there will be some lovely things to buy and a festive atmosphere to get you in the Christmas mood. We will, of course, be joined by Trevor on the day with his lovely Christmas houses and decorations. There will be other local crafters joining us on the day and we will give more information about this in the next issue of Wenvoe What’s On so watch this space. We have room for two more tables to join us so if you are a local crafter get in touch to secure a place.
We will be holding the usual raffle with some excellent quality prizes including luxury food hampers, a home baked and decorated Christmas cake, some very interesting bottles and some items that would make ideal gifts for adults and children. Once again, profits from this and from the sale of some crafts will be donated to our charity of choice, the Wenvoe Wildlife Group. Rumours have been circulating that there might be a visit from a gent on a sleigh in a red and white suit and these may very well be true and may offer an excellent, free photograph opportunity. There will be tables inside the church hall for you to sit and enjoy a tea or coffee and maybe a homemade slice of Glen’s cakes or brownies while you catch up with old friends and meet some new ones. The reindeer and all craft tables will be under the cover of Christmas decorated gazebos and festive music will provide the backing track to the whole event. Why not join us and pick up a reindeer and some Christmas spirit! These have become collectors’ items so start making a list of people who deserve one as a gift. Bring a friend and have a festive catch up. We are so looking forward to seeing you there
