Month: May 2018

The Marble Gall

We often refer to the Marble Gall at our talks and on our walks and usually comment that they are regularly confused with Oak Apple Galls which we have never seen. On the Orchard Walk in May we saw one for the first time and this was on the border of a patch of woodland near New Wallace Farm. Seen in the photo it was as described in the books – much larger than the Marble Gall (about 4 to 5 times its size) and soft and spongy rather than the hard and smooth of the Marble Gall. Parts of England still celebrate Oak Apple Day and this is often associated with the restoration of the Stuart monarchy after the Commonwealth period under Oliver Cromwell. Towns and villages like St Neot in Cornwall, Upton Gray in Hampshire and Upton upon Severn all celebrate the occasion in different ways but often involve parading through the village, wearing or carrying oak sprigs and ending up at the local pub. It is sometimes referred to as Shick-shack day (a term for the Oak Apple) or Oak and Nettle Day. The gall is caused by a wasp which lays its eggs in the tree and the larva injects chemicals which cause the gall to form and provide the larva with a food supply.

 

 

Usk Walk

 

Parking in the main car park at Usk, site of the Rural Life museum, nine of us set off through the streets of Usk. We passed a small but delightful garden created by local Girl Guides. Soon we found ourselves turning left to climb a fairly steep slope. It was a warm morning and we were glad of the dappled shade provided by trees around us.

Soon we were passing the back of Usk castle. At the entrance was an old sea bomb and behind it a face peering out of a tree stump from which it had been carved. The ruins of the castle overlook Usk and the river beyond. A medieval castle it fell into disuse 500years ago. It is open to visitors almost every day and entry is free with a donation box.

Climbing Beech Hill we were soon passing the site of the battle of Pwll Melyn, also known as the battle of Usk. This was part of the Welsh War of Independence against English rule that lasted from 1400 to 1415. The battle occurred in spring 1405 and the defeat of the Welsh rebels here was devastating. It included the loss of important leaders and men. A contemporary Welsh chronicle described it as a ‘slaughter’ and that ‘It was now that the tide began to turn against Owain and his men.’ According to historian J. E. Lloyd writing in 1933 ‘Pwll Melyn is the pond lying northeast of Usk castle …numerous skeletons were found in the pond when it was cleaned out. The pond is so called because the water is always slimy and of a dirty colour.’

But we were here on a beautiful May day with wall to wall sunshine and travelling north we passed a delightful pond with a wooden bench beside it which had a dog carved into the backrest and a carved bottle and glass resting on a ‘table’ at the front. Continuing north we took a solid footbridge across a stream, followed shortly after by a stile leading to particularly boggy ground. Two large horses showed interest in us as we each found our way across the mud. It was near here that we spotted an early purple orchid.

Coming up towards Trostrey Common we started to enjoy far reaching views. We continued climbing to our high point for the day above Hill farm and now

had 360o views. Stopping in an open field we relaxed in the sunshine and ate our lunch looking out across the valley with the river Usk somewhere below us.

The heat of the day was building as we turned south back towards Usk. We passed Trostrey Court (there is also a Trostrey wood). Trostrey Court House is a late 16th C gentry house, the current building replaced a medieval court. During the English civil war it was seized by the forces of Thomas Fairfax during the siege of Raglan castle. It remains a private house and working estate and the court is a grade II listed building.

Walking through a field of ewes with their lambs we caught a glimpse of a windmill, with vanes, in the distance and walking along a stretch of road we came closer to it. This is Llancayo windmill – ‘luxury accommodation, sleeps 12 and is available to rent £2250-£3850 a week!’

A field in the far distance was black and we wondered what the crop could be as the earth in this area is brown. Our best guess was flax in its early stages. We eventually arrived at a large solar farm – we’d seen the backs of the panels. Walking past it we were instructed ‘DANGER OF DEATH KEEP OUT’.

Passing a large piece of farm machinery trudging up and down a field, we made our way down to the banks of the river Usk. Shelter from trees and the freshness of the water both helped to cool us as we meandered with the river all the way to Usk and the stone bridge that crosses the river. An Usk Civil society blue plaque on a wall nearby declares ‘ Conigar walk (conigar from coney or rabbit warren, denoting a medieval enclosure to provide rabbits for food)… built in 1858 to commemorate the marriage of Victoria, Princess Royal, to Prince Frederick of Prussia.’

It had been a glorious sunny day, a bit humid at times, and a lovely walk – 9 miles with an 800ft climb. Tea in the café attached to the museum was much appreciated. Map 152.

 

 

 

The Orchard Walk

 

Improving weather has helped us to get out and about and we were very lucky to have ideal walking conditions for our Orchard walk which took place as part of the Vale of Glamorgan Walking Festival. 32 walkers (plus 3 dogs) joined us for the day coming from all over South Wales as we wandered up to Burdons Hill, down to Goldsland and back via the St Lythans Burial Chamber and the Welsh and Wild Orchards. A grass snake at the Elizabethan Orchard and Oak Apple not far from New Wallace Farm were both new wildlife records for the area. It was nice to have with us a good number of Wenvoe residents who were keen to see how things were progressing in the orchards.

We have been concentrating on keeping the sites tidy for Green Flag judging and we await the results with interest. More recently we have been planting up the new Farm Orchard at Goldsland and its surrounding hedgerow. We have planted wildflower seed in a number of locations and donated seed to groups in Dinas Powys and Cowbridge along with over 100 packets to individuals who turned up for the Craft Fair. With funding from Grow Wild we are planting wildflower plug plants at Goldsland Farm and setting up areas where we shall be growing fungi – not for consumption but to help to tell the story of how important fungi are to our lives. If you come to the Open Day at Goldsland on Sunday 10th June you will be able to see what we are up to. And what a free day out for families with lots of other things going on!

 

 

I Just Turned Eighteen

I just turned eighteen – and I mean just. But I don’t ‘feel’ eighteen. I’m not sure what it’s supposed to feel like, but I’m pretty sure I don’t feel it… But turning eighteen has made me reminisce about the past eighteen years, and there are a few people I’d like to thank.

Firstly and most obviously, my parents for just, making me really… but really – thank you parents for giving me all the support anyone could ever wish for, even when I do things which are really stupid! Secondly, my brother for sharing a sense of humour with me, and always making me feel as though a rubbish day can have a little bit of sun. To my family and friends, thank you for making me feel worth when it’s hard not to see past the failures. And thank you to everyone – even the kind strangers on a bus who offer you a seat, or an American till worker helping me figure out what change I had in New York – for helping my experiences to have a flicker of fun in them all.

Thank you, also, to all those who have helped me to gain enough experience for my future – to everyone who reads my blog, to those at the BBC for letting me gain work experience (and to the woman who made it happen!) to everyone reading this now, you’ve helped me so much – and to the organisers of What’s On, I thank you for giving me the opportunity month after month to do what I love.

This year has been a bag of mixed emotions. Although my exams were the most stressful they’ve ever been (well, until this year) the results day was worth it, by setting me up comfortably for this year’s exams. When my friends and I managed to survive climbing over mountain after mountain and treacherous terrain during our Duke Of Edinburgh Award (without those ladies I really don’t know if I’d have finished, but the endless laughter of the absurdity of the least outdoorsy people managing to fall in cow poo every five seconds made the treks bearable). When I got offers from all of the Universities I had applied to – and that my first choice university was my lowest offer! Getting the chance to speak on BBC Radio Cymru on International Women’s Day was one of the most exciting things I think has happened in my life. Completing my last show with my stage school after acting for eleven years.

Seventeen has been brilliant. It’s also been hard. But with the summer on its way, and the prospect of getting in to University spurring me through my exams, I can’t wait to see what eighteen has in store. With my last day in secondary school next week it seems that eighteen has a great beginning. And the fact that I can drink (legally)!

Thank you to everyone who made seventeen great. Let’s make eighteen spectacular.

By Tirion Davies

Meeting Rescheduled

 

Put it down to a senior moment, but when I chose a date for our May meeting I had forgotten about the early May Bank Holiday which just happened to be on that Monday. Apologies for my error. We have missed so many meetings this year but maybe we’ll be lucky this month so we will try for June 11th. Meet as usual, at 9.30 at the Community Centre.

 

 

Ice Trap by Kitty Sewell

 

Ice Trap by Kitty Sewell Published 2007

Dafydd Woodruff, a young surgeon, experienced the horror of making a near fatal mistake on the operating table. Very shaken by this he takes a locum position in Northern Canada in a remote community Moose Creek to help overcome the guilt he suffered. He returns to Cardiff and fifteen years later he’s a consultant surgeon in the Heath Hospital and is married to Isobel, an interior designer. Their marriage is crumbling under the pressure of infertility.

Dafydd receives a letter from Moose Creek from a teenager, Miranda, claiming that he is the father of her and her twin brother. Her mother, Sheila, is the head nurse of the hospital there, with whom Dafydd is adamant that he had never had an intimate relationship. However, DNA results prove Dafydd wrong. His marriage by now is extremely unstable. In his effort to unearth the truth he returns to Moose Creek and stumbles upon long buried Moose Creek secrets.

It took very little time to establish that to varying degrees everybody disliked the book. It was felt that one would have to stretch one’s imagination to the limits to have any belief in the characters or story line. It was said to be not well written, boring, tiresome, very flat, and it’s only minor interest was that it was partly set in Cardiff and Penarth. Nobody felt that they would recommend the book. Not surprisingly the score was 3 out of ten.

 

 

Squash and Pasta

Roast Squash with
Moroccan Spices


! butternut squash, about 1kg
8 small shallots
1 tbsp. harissa
3 tbsp. garlic olive oil + extra for drizzling
450g can of butter beans, rinsed and drained
100g baby spinach leaves
1 rounded tsp clear honey


To serve: Couscous flecked with chopped coriander, lemon wedges
Heat oven to 180C. Cut squash into chunky wedges, deseed and peel. Scatter the squash onto a large shallow baking tray. Peel and halve the shallots lengthways. Scatter over the squash. Mix the harissa and oil together and pour over the vegetables. Gen-tle toss together with your fingers and season with fresh black pepper. Roast for about 2o mins until squash is tender and the shallots starting to brown. Shake tray half way through cooking. A few mins before the end of roasting, tip the butter beans over the squash, toss briefly in the juices, then return to the oven to warm through. Remove from the oven and scatter the spinach over. Gently toss together without breaking the squash until the spinach starts to wilt. Drizzle with the honey and olive oil, season with sea salt and fresh black pepper. Serve with the couscous and lemon wedges.


Pasta with Garlicky Greens


1 tbsp garlic olive oil
3 leeks finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
250g baby spinach leaves
200ml double cream
400g orecchiette or other short pasta
75g blue cheese, crumbled


Heat the oil in a frying pan. Add the leeks and garlic and soften for about 10 mins. Stir in spinach leaves and allow to wilt for a few mins. Add the cream, stir and remove from the heat. Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling water. Drain well and return to the sauce pan, stir in the leek sauce. Serve in bowls with crumbled blue cheese on top. Serve with good crusty fresh bread, and may be a glass or two of good Italian white wine.

 

 

Things to Do This Month

The Cherry blossom on the village green in early May was just fantastic. You would be hard pressed to find a nicer village view anywhere than that from the corner of Vennwood Close by Ty pica farm house, looking towards the church. A lot of effort has been going on around the Village with residents planting out their gardens to put on a good show. If you need inspiration the usual suspects are at it. Silvia Davies, opposite the Walston Castle, always provides a great visual entrance into Wenvoe. The renowned Gerry Crump and the forever young Ieuan Williams, both excellent gardeners, are the supremoes of Rectory close. And of course, there are many more around the village.

The Royal Horticultural Society things to do list for this month: –

1. Keep borders weed free by hoeing regularly.

2. Be water wise, especially in drought conditions.

3. Pinch outside shoots on tomatoes.

4. Harvest lettuce, radish and early potatoes.

5. Mow lawns every week.

6. Plant out summer bedding.

7. Stake tall or floppy plants.

8. Prune spring flowering shrubs.

9. Shade greenhouses to avoid scorching.

10. Keep bird baths topped up with fresh water.

June is the month when gardeners who enter competitions position their hanging baskets and containers outside. These need a lot of care and attention but are stunning to see. If you have the time to do this the results are worth it.

This year saw a problem with Moles in gardens on the edges of the village. There are only two ways to get rid of them. You can either trap them or use a sonic device that will probably move them on to your neighbours who won't be best pleased.

You will need to cut back Spring flowering shrubs if you have not already done so. Deciduous Magnolias need to be trimmed back as soon as they are in full leaf. If you leave this job till later in the year it can cause die back and ruin the look for next Spring.

Greenhouse work never ends with trying to control the temperature and dealing with pests on our precious tomatoes. Red spider mite is a nuisance and caught early is easy to control by washing them off the plants with plain water. An infestation can only be controlled by insecticide. Keeping the greenhouse humid is a good way to deter them.

Any gaps in the borders at this time of year are best filled with annual bedding plants for instant colour. It's not too late to sow fast growing and late flowering hardy annuals such as Calendula and Godetia. Hellebore seeds can be harvested and then planted as soon as possible. You know if they are ripe when you you squeeze the pod and it splits easily. These seeds will test your patience as they need a period of dormancy to germinate. Perennials such as Hollyhock, Delphinium and Lupin seeds can be planted now.

Plastic has been in the headlines for some time now and most of the supermarket chains have plans to either use recyclable or compostable pots on their own labelled plants within the next couple of years. Garden centres are a bit slower on the uptake with only a few offering any time scale on plastic reduction. Monty Don has been banging the drum on this subject in his latest series of Gardeners World. The convenience of collecting our compost etc in plastic bags is adding to the pollution.

I am really looking forward to Wenvoe gardens full of colour this Summer. Don't forget the sun screen, take care and happy gardening.

 

 

SS WENVOE – A STORY OF BRAVERY AND TRAGEDY

SS WENVOE – A STORY OF BRAVERY AND TRAGEDY

 

The 2,979 tonnes merchant steamer the SS Wenvoe was built in 1894 by the Gray Company of Hartlepool and owned by a prominent Cardiff shipping family, the Morels. Ships like the SS Wenvoe, which were used to transport a variety of cargoes, helped Cardiff to become a port of worldwide importance in the years leading up to the First World War. These ships and their crews played a brave role in supplying the country during the conflict. The war however led to tragedy for the SS Wenvoe, albeit under a different name. Sold to French owners in 1916, the SS Wenvoe was renamed the Bayvoe, although due to wartime restrictions it had to remain under the British Flag.

From the start of the Great War in 1914, Germany pursued a highly effective U-boat campaign against merchant shipping. At first, U-boats obeyed 'prize rules' which meant surfacing before attacks on merchant shipping. This allowed time for the crew and passengers time to get away. As the war progressed and allied detection improved, this policy was abandoned. U boat attacks intensified and in late 1917 and early 1918 several Cardiff based ships were hit.

On 9 January 1918, Bayvoe, on a voyage from Portland to Bordeaux with a cargo of wheat, was targeted and sunk off the coast of Brittany by a German U-boat. Tragically, four crewmen, all merchant seamen from civilian backgrounds, lost their lives.

Their origins give a strong indication of the cosmopolitan character of Cardiff at the time. The youngest, a mess room steward, was 19 and from Turkey. The fatalities also included an engineer from Riga, fireman and trimmer from Bombay and a cook from Greece.

The submarine which torpedoed and sunk the Bayvoe was under the command of 31 year old Walter Roehr. Roehr was a very successful U boat commander, with several military decorations, including the Iron Cross 1st Class. His U84 submarine was responsible for sinking 1 warship and 28 merchant ships.

Attacks on SS Birchgrove and SS Cardiff

In an indication of Cardiff’s contribution to the war effort, two more local ships suffered attacks around this time. Roehr had already been responsible for sinking the SS Birchgrove, carrying goods from Penarth to Bordeaux, the previous month. The very day after sinking the Bayvoe (9 January), Roehr attacked and severely damaged the SS Cardiff 20 miles off the French coast near Lorient. In spite of these successes, his story did not end well, as his submarine was itself sunk off Penmarch, France just 5 days later with the loss of all officers and crew. The SS Cardiff was later sold on to a German company, Schulte and Bruns. In a final twist of fate, the SS Cardiff, as the renamed Konsult Schulte, was sunk by the allies in a Norwegian fjord in 1941.