Month: March 2023

Glamorgan Coast and Abercarn

 Glamorgan Coast

We parked near the Plough and Harrow Inn and walked straight across a sodden field towards Broughton. We wended our way to Monkton and across farmland towards the coast. Some of the fields were muddy and we soon had great clarts of mud on our boots making our feet heavy. Foot stamping and dragging feet through long grass cleaned boots as there were no puddles!

There was no wind, the air unusually still, and it was eerily quiet. Far off to the west we spotted a Murmuration. Joining the coast at St Donats, we turned towards Nash Point. We sat on rocks outside Atlantic College and stared out to sea eating our lunch. Someone spotted two heads in the water coming towards us and then carrying on across the bay. They stayed together and we could not identify them. People at the coast watch centre said, ‘great black backed gulls.’

At Nash Point we descended into the valley and a couple of peregrines took off as we arrived. It was high tide, so we kept to the cliff tops. There was not a ripple on the sea. The path inland at Monknash was slippery from heavy rain during the week. At the old mill the stream was full and the tufa quite spectacular.

The volume of water in a stream made some of us reticent to cross the top of a small waterfall but we did. The trees beside the stream were old and gnarled from the wind and their roots a foot or more above the earth A large horse followed us across a field, and we passed the remains of a mill, whose roof was replaced by a wacky hairdo of ivy.

Back at the Plough and Harrow, the Barry Male Voice choir, having a social lunch, burst into song as we waited to be served. With the roaring fire and Real ale to drink, what a great atmosphere to end a lovely walk.

Walk 6.6m 400ft Map OS151

 Abercarn

Abercarn is in the Ebbw valley and driving towards a parking area, we passed a huge church, St Luke’s iron church. According to a foundation stone, it was built in 1923. It became redundant due to a dwindling congregation in the 1980s and although it is grade II listed it is now derelict (but in the care of Cadw?). Looking at photographs on the internet you can see that it was once a truly impressive church. Its architect was J. Coates Carter who was born in Norwich and is notable for his design and restoration of churches in S. Wales (including Llandaff cathedral and the Paget Rooms in Penarth). It is not clear who commissioned it, but it could be a Crawshay as they owned an estate in Abercarn. It is early gothic style with slim cast iron columns.

( See More Photos of Church https://www.28dayslater.co.uk/threads/st-lukes-church-abercarn-south-wales-12-08-08.35494/ )

We set off downhill through leaf strewn woodland to running water, Nant Gwyddon, crossed a bridge and reaching the other side started climbing. We walked through mixed woodland accompanied by almost incessant bird song, it was mild, so Spring was in the air!

As we climbed the trees seemed to be older and the path was edged by beeches towering above us. Along an old hedge-line tree branches intertwined as they reached skyward. Roots penetrated old boundary walls and trees and stones were clothed in green moss with the roots clinging to the hillside.

Coming out onto open access land with open moorland, we could see the Pen y Fan area wreathed in cloud with Corn Ddu clearly visible in the distance. We kept looking at the scudding clouds in the hope that we would see the whole range and just before we arrived at woodland they cleared, and Pen y Fan peeped out of the cloud.

All the paths were good and flat underfoot but there was a fair amount of climbing so we waited until we were at the top of our climb before, we stopped for lunch on the wild moors. As soon as we stopped three scrambler bikes came past us and another two passed as we ate.

Resuming we started to descend, climbing over a fence and then a few trees blocking the path (felled to deter motor bikes). This wood was a fir plantation and as we emerged from the trees we could see vast swathes of land stripped of its tree cover by the forestry workers and evidence of erosion.. We spotted frog spawn in a pool, long catkins and tiny red flowers on a hazel, and fungi growing on a dark tree trunk and several sheep’s skulls.

The paths throughout the walk were in good condition, so we were able to stride out on the descent and we didn’t need to climb a single stile. Wonderful.

Walk 7.75m 1400ft Map OS152

 

February Report

FEBRUARY REPORT

Dear Readers, Welcome to this month’s report on the GOOD NEWS to be given to the faithful worshippers in St. Mary’s every Sunday at 9.30am.

By the time you are reading this page, we will have been in the solemn season of Lent since Ash Wednesday on the 22nd February when the traditional ceremony of “ashing” was carried out during the Holy Eucharist service at 10.00am. Perhaps an explanation will help those who are not regular churchgoers. ASH WEDNESDAY is called because on that day Christians in church will be marked with a cross on their foreheads with ash, derived from the burning of last year’s palm crosses, with the words “Dust thou art and unto dust will you return”. It is a reminder of our origin and our mortality, and is a sign of penance for the starting of our Lenten observance. Church teaching during Lent was for us to give something up, that has changed now to doing something extra, to help your neighbour with a task if they are unable to do it themselves. To greet a perfect stranger with a smile. To go out of your way when you come across a need that needs to be addressed. The first Wednesday in Lent is also St David’s Day, Dydd Gwyl Dewi Sant and David is remembered for his teaching to his followers “TO DO THE LITTLE THINGS AS YOU HAVE SEEN ME DO” that still holds good today, and echoes the message of Lent to do something extra. Following the service, there will be an opportunity for some hospitality in the Church Hall with coffee/tea and Welsh cakes. During Lent there will be a service in church each Wednesday morning at 10.00 am and all are welcome to join the faithful who will appreciate the additional service in mid week, which is normally a more quieter service than that on a Sunday morning.

The other piece of GOOD NEWS is the publication of the latest edition of “CONNECTIONS” our quarterly Ministry Area Magazine, which is full of the activities in the nine churches since Advent of last year, together with all the arrangements for observing the period of Lent, to Holy Week and the major church festival of Easter itself. Copies are available in all our churches, and are FREE but donations towards the cost of printing are always welcome, and a copy is always placed in the library at the Hub in Wenvoe, where you can read it, but why not have a copy at home to keep all the events at your fingertips. We also provide a digital copy if that is more convenient or you can forward it to a friend who has a former connection with Wenvoe.

Last month we reported how the church was facing up to the increased cost of maintaining the church as a warm comforting place during these Winter months. We are not alone with this, as many other churches are facing the same additional costs, just as we are in our own homes. That message is worth repeating again this month..

We all know only too well how our household bills have risen as a result of the war in Ukraine and the cutting off of the supplies of gas from Russia has

increased the cost of heating our homes. The church is not immune from this and the rising cost of other bills to keep the church functioning is a real worry for church officers trying to balance the books at the year end. The church survives solely on the income that comes from the offerings on the collection plate, the scheme of Giving Direct via our bank accounts, donations, fund raising and our precious reserves. Our largest outlay is the monthly payment to the PARISH SHARE to the Diocese, to cover the salary of the incumbent and other expenses in the financing of the diocesan policies, so the question we need to ask ourselves is this….When did you last review your weekly giving to the work of the church? Since COVID and the lockdowns we are seeing fewer people at our worship, yet the bills keep rising for a church that is in every sense a church for the community at large. The church door is open to all, at most times and Vicar Lyndon welcomes enquiries about donations, large or small, to help today’s generation to hand the building on to the future generations yet to be born. As a Church we have good reason to be thankful to the many generations who have gone before us. Through their good Christian stewardship and generous legacies they have provided for the mission and ministry of the Church over many centuries, the fruits of which we continue to enjoy today. So another question we can ask ourselves is Have I made provision in my will to help foster the work of the church after my days. Congregations in every church are commended to remember their spiritual home to help the work of mission and ministry by leaving a legacy which can make a vital difference in maintaining a church that can be used by the whole community when the needs arise. Thank you for reading this and if you are able to donate a gift, however small, it will be gratefully received.

Mothering Sunday on March 19th. There will be an opportunity to join with our Ministry Area of De Morgannwg to attend the service of Choral Evensong at the Cathedral. This is very appropriate to be at the mother church of the diocese on this day, and expressions of interest will be sought with a view to providing transport to and from our churches nearer the time. The morning services will be at the usual time and maybe there will be flowers to give Mums and others to mark the specialness of the day.

Thank you for reading the church news. We launched the CHRISTIAN AID appeal for the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria, donations can still be made via our secure letter boxes at the Church Hall and Church Porch. There is always a welcome to join our services. The church door is not a barrier but a threshold to joining a warm loving community ready to greet you.

Every Blessing and Peace

Parry Edward

 

Motivated by a Dog

CARERS WALK

We expect to see sun, sea and sand at Barry Island on the Carers walk….so were surprised to see an arthritic spaniel exercising his legs by swimming around Whitmore Bay. Inspired and motivated by the dog, we doggedly strolled around both headlands on a calm, chilly winter’s day. Our new walker was welcomed to the group and tucked into a delicious ice cream at the end!

 

Gardening Thoughts From The Silver Foxes

THE VILLAGE GARDENER

Gardening Thoughts From The Silver Foxes

The gardening thoughts this month come from the Silver Foxes, who meet their probation officers at the Library Hub on Fridays.

  1. Reduce the buds on roses for bigger blooms if you’re going to enter the village show.
  2. Cut back dogwoods and use the trimmings for pea sticks.
  3. Leave any bulbs growing in the lawn for at least 6 weeks after flowering before cutting back.
  4. Fill the runner bean trench with newspaper to help retain moisture during dry periods.
  5. Sweet pea seeds can be sown outside now.
  6. Split hostas before they start vigorous growth.
  7. Put fresh gravel around early flowering alpines to show off the blooms.
  8. Slugs will be on the march now and very hungry as well, so be vigilant.
  9. Place canes adjacent to tall perennials before they put a spurt on.
  10. If you could do with some excellent conversation and company then come and join us.

The 20th March is officially the first day of Spring but we know this can be cold and wet, so please don’t be tempted to rush to the garden centre and fill your trolley with all those lovely plants that have been grown in heated greenhouses. These plants will suffer badly when you get them home unless you have the right conditions to look after them. Nurseries and garden centres know this happens and will have replacement plants back in over the next few weeks so you can buy again when the first lot fail. Once the weather warms up, plants you delay in purchasing will catch up without fail. In Wenvoe we are lucky to have a garden centre on our doorstep and people want to support local businesses, just don’t throw your money away. We are encouraged to go peat free and from next year peat products in England will be banned for everyday gardeners. Professional gardeners will initially be exempt but a ban is planned for them too. Head gardener at Hestercombe gardens, Claire Greenslade, has said they are going peat free but the bedding plants that are purchased from nurseries are still grown in peat at present so, if you’re concerned about the use of peat, check that your supplier is doing their best to bring this practice to an end. British Soil based in Wenvoe have been peat free for a number of years and produce some good composts to grow plants from seed and to bring on young plants.

If some of your daffodils have not flowered it may be that the clump is overcrowded and may have to be split up. The main reason for daffs not producing blooms is that they are not planted deep enough, they need to be inserted at least three times the depth of the bulb.

One of the jobs that will give you a good return on your time is to remove the top 5cms of compost from your containers as this is where most pests, diseases and weed seeds congregate over winter. Replace with some fresh compost and a general fertiliser or, for roses, a balanced rose feed will give excellent results.

On the allotment they are still adding manure and preparing the ground. If the ground is too wet you are better off waiting as the ground will be compacted which will reduce the yield. Spring broad bean seeds can go in now as well as early potatoes. Be aware that there may be late frosts so don’t plant more than you can protect with fleece or cloches. One of the allotment holders is a renowned horticultural show judge so expect a critical eye on your produce at Twyn Yr Odyn.

There are plans for another Gardener’s Question Time in the Spring ( date to be announced). This will give you a chance to ask any questions you have and pick up some tips to enhance your love of gardening.

Upcoming events include the Spring plant sale Sat 29 April 10 – 3 at 29 Vennwood Close and the Wenvoe Open Garden Day on Sat June 17th 10 – 5.

Take care and happy gardening.

 

Geothermal Energy From Mines

WENVOE FORUM

Considering tomorrow today

Geothermal Energy From Mines

During lockdown I signed up for Senedd updates on Covid statistics. As the crisis receded, I discovered a wealth of other information available at the click of a button, all freely accessible via this portal. One of the available links – to the BGS (British Geological Survey) – looked interesting; imagining dinosaurs and heliotropes, earnest students and crusty old academics imparting pearls of wisdom suitable for quiz questions, I clicked. The first thing I came across was this, almost throw away, notification of a symposium: –

“Following on from the successful events in 2021 and 2022, there is now an Open Call for Contributions for The Mine Water Energy 2023 Symposium, which will be held on 19-20 April 2023.” “WHO KNEW?” – certainly not me! Intrigued, I discovered an article from which I quote extensively below.

According to the coal authority, one quarter of the UK’s residential properties sit on the coalfields. Abandoned mines often fill with water that is warmed by natural geothermal processes, these are now being developed as a source of low carbon energy to heat homes and businesses.

“In December 2020 BGS and the Coal Authority released an interactive map showing where the mines are and the extent by which temperatures increase with depth. The mapping tool is freely available to use by developers, planners and researchers to identify opportunities to investigate the use of UK mine water as a sustainable heat source. It is the first time the data have been brought together in this way, and illustrates the long-term feasibility of heating homes and buildings using this zero-carbon energy source.” Project leader Gareth Farr, BGC geoscientist said

“This has been a very exciting piece of work. It’s the first time we have been able to visualise the temperature of Britain’s coalfields. We have found records of heat temperatures going back over 100 years and compared them to temperatures in the mines now and found them to be quite similar. This is a clear indication that geothermal processes that create this heat will be here for a long time to come. Combined with other layers of data, the maps provide an important groundwork for developers, local authorities, and scientists to explore new mine water heating schemes, and we are hopeful they will be of value to inform policy decision making”

The article continues “It is recognised that geothermal energy from mines, combined with heat pump technology, could provide a sustainable energy source for these networks that is both local and low cost. Technical specialists at the coal authority say there is potential to kick-start a new renewable industry, creating employment, tackling climate change, and attracting investment to the coalfield communities previously disadvantaged by mine closures. When aligned with the government’s ten point plan for a green industrial revolution, the warm water in abandoned coal mines is now being seen as a viable new form of sustainable energy with the potential to play a vital role in making homes and public buildings greener, warmer and more energy efficient.”

Jeremy Crooks, the Coal Authority’s Head of Innovation added,

“When miners were working in hot, dusty conditions, they would not have known that their efforts and the heat they worked in, would one day create a sustainable source of energy for hundreds of years to come. We are currently reviewing over thirty potential heat network opportunities using geothermal mine energy. Seaham garden village and Gateshead are the first two such schemes to secure funding from the government’s £320 million heat network investment programme, with others to follow. Heating accounts for 44 per cent of energy use in the UK and 32 per cent of its air pollution. It’s ironic that mining coal, a fossil fuel, would provide access to a low carbon, clean air, energy source that will last far longer than the 200 years of intensive mining that created this opportunity.”

Surely this is an exciting opportunity that we can exploit in Wales. Maybe the excessively wealthy oil companies could sink (no pun intended) just some of their vast profits into what could be a very successful, viable scheme?” – Glenys Stone

For a longer version of this article with links to web information see our blog site https://wenvoeforum. wordpress.com/

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To join our Facebook group, please ‘friend up’ with the Gwen Fo account @ https://www.facebook.com/gwen.fo.1 and then jon the Wenvoe Forum @ https://www.facebook.com/groups/635369267864402

Some further information and updates, blog site https://wenvoeforum.wordpress.com/. .

 

Is Ours A Loveless County?

A loveless county?

Is ours a loveless county? Judging by the records of Mistletoe growing in the Vale of Glamorgan, you might think so. The wildlife database, Aderyn, only has two records for the Vale of Glamorgan – one in Wenvoe and two in Dinas Powys. The photo shows the one in Wenvoe. Of the two in Dinas, one has gone when the branch it was growing on collapsed but there are two clumps growing on an apple tree which appear to be in good health. Mistletoe is usually associated with apple trees but also grows on Hawhorn, Poplar and many other tree species. The Wenvoe clump is growing on an Acer which is uncommon but not unknown.

There is plenty of Mistletoe in Cardiff, particularly around Llandaff and near the Taff where it mainly grows on Poplar. With all the orchards that used to grow in the Vale one might have expected there to be more around and we have asked via Facebook for people to get in touch if they know of other locations. At time of writing we are following up some leads and will keep you informed. If you know of cases, do get in touch with the Wenvoe Wildlife Group with photos. Mistletoe can get confused with larger bird nests or tree growths such as galls.

Some gardeners believe that Mistletoe kills trees. It is a parasite (strictly speaking hemiparasitic) but it would require a very heavy infestation to do any serious damage. But benefits are that birds enjoy the sticky berries and some species, like the Mistletoe Weevil, are mainly associated with it. It can either be male or female but it is only the female plants that bear berries and then only if they have been pollinated by a male plant nearby. You can use berries bought at Christmas on Mistletoe to try to propagate it on existing mature trees but generally only a few seeds will germinate. But still worth having a go! That was how the Wenvoe Mistletoe got there.

 

“The Reindeer Hunters” by Lars Mytting

“The Reindeer Hunters” by Lars Mytting

For the Page Turners, the Reindeer Hunters was an eagerly anticipated read, after the first book in the trilogy, the Bell in the Lake, had received unanimously good reviews from all the book club members. However, there were disappointing reviews from the majority of the Page Turners and a rapturous reception from an enthusiastic minority. All agreed it was well written, but most were unhappy with the pace of the story and found it boring and uninteresting! Those that enjoyed the book were drawn into the book by the characters, and the description of a rural Norwegian village and the hardships that were endured at the beginning of the 20th century. Some were looking forward to the publication of the final part of the trilogy….others were definitely not!

A range of scores, with an average of 7…so have a read, and see what you think!

A score of 10 for Helen’s brandy ice cream was agreed by everyone!!

Rosemary Chicken with Tomato Sauce & Cheese, Ham & Olive Loaf

Rosemary Chicken with Tomato Sauce

1 tbsp olive oil

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 rosemary sprig, leaves finely chopped

1 red onion, finely sliced

3 large cloves of garlic, sliced

3 anchovy fillets, chopped

400g can chopped tomatoes

1 tbsp capers, drained

75ml red wine

Heat half the oil in a large pan, then brown the chicken all over. Add half the chopped rosemary, stir to coat, then set aside on a plate. In the same pan, heat the rest of the oil and gently cook the onions for about 5 mins until soft. Add the garlic, anchovies, and remaining rosemary, then fry for a few mins more until fragrant. Pour in the tomatoes and capers with the wine. Bring to the boil and add the chicken pieces to the pan. Season with S & P. Cover, then cook for about 20 mins until the chicken is cooked through. Season again if needed. Serve with a crisp green salad and crusty bread.

 

Cheese, Ham & Olive Loaf

150 ml dry white wine

4 large eggs

150ml olive oil

250g self-raising flour

140g Gruyere cheese grated.

200g thick sliced ham, cubed.

140g good quality pitted green olives, halved if required.

140g good quality pitted black olives, halved if required.

Heat oven to 170C fan. Butter a 900g loaf tin and line with baking parchment. In a bowl beat the wine with the eggs until frothy. Add the oil and sift in the

flour, mixing until smooth. Stir in remaining ingredients to combine. Season with S & P. Pour into the prepared tin, smoothing the surface with the back of a spoon. Bake in the oven for about 50 – 60 mins until golden brown and firm to touch. Cool on a wire rack before cutting into chunky slices. Serve with a good spoonful of onion chutney or a bowl of homemade soup.

Place-Names Derivation – ABER, BRYN, CWM, PONT

THE DERIVATION AND MEANING OF PLACE-NAMES

We’ll now look at some common elements in Welsh Place-names.

ABER

I’m sure you’ve seen this element in many placenames. The word ‘aber’ means ‘the confluence of two waters’ and because so many places containing this word are situated on the coast, it is often translated as ‘estuary’. ‘Aber’ usually precedes the name of the river. There are plenty of examples from which to choose – Abertawe (Swansea), Aberafan, Aberaeron, Aberdaron, Aberdyfi, Aberystwyth.

But some places are situated inland and, in such names, ‘aber’ translates as ‘the confluence of two rivers’ – where one river flows into another – eg

Abercynon – the confluence of the rivers Cynon and Taf.

Aberdâr – the confluence of the rivers Cynon and Dâr.

Aber-fan – the confluence of the rivers Taf and Fan

Aberhonddu (Brecon) – the confluence of the rivers Wysg (Usk) and Honddu.

The name Abertridwr is an interesting one. It is made up of three elements -aber – confluence, tri – three, dŵr – water.

It refers to the confluence of three streams – Ilan, Cwm-parc and Cwmceffyl.

This element is seen in placenames in many different parts of Britain – where the Celts have left their mark – Aberdeen, Aberfeldy etc.

 BRYN

‘Bryn’ is the Welsh word for ‘hill’ and the element that follows it can be an adjective or a geographical position – eg

Bryn-mawr – big hill

Bryn-teg – fair hill

Brynna – hills – from the plural form ‘bryniau’

Bryn-glas – blue (i.e. green, verdant) hill

Brynbuga (Usk) – the hill of Buga. The identity of Buga is lost.

Brynaman – the hill near the river Aman

CWM

‘Cwm’ is the Welsh word for ‘valley’. It is often seen in English place-names with Anglicized spelling -‘coombe’ and it is also used in its Welsh form as a mountaineering term.

Cwm-bach – little valley

Cwmafan – valley of the river Afan

Cwmbrân – valley of the river Brân

Cwm-du – black,dark valley

Cwm-ffrwd – valley of the swift flowing stream

Cwm-yr-Eglwys – valley of the church

Cwm y Glo – valley of the charcoal

PONT

‘Pont’ is the Welsh word for ‘bridge’.

Pontardawe – bridge on (the river) Tawe

Pontarddulais – bridge on ( the river) Dulais

Pont-y-Clun – bridge on ( the river ) Clun

Pont-Rhyd-y-Fen – bridge at the ford of the wagon.

(Traditionally the ford was known as ‘rhyd-y-fen’ as

it was used by wagons. It was eventually replaced by the bridge.)

Pen-y-Bont ar Ogwr (Bridgend) – end of the bridge (over the river) Ogwr

Two local place-names are worth a special mention.

Y Bontfaen (Cowbridge) – the stone bridge.

The Welsh name refers to a stone bridge whereas the English name refers to the bridge over which the cows walked to the market – the Cow Bridge. It is possible that these were two different bridges.

Pontypridd – As it stands this name translates as ‘bridge of soil, earthen bridge’. But the present name is a contraction of the original name which was ‘Pont y Tŷ Pridd’ which translates as ‘the bridge (near) the earthen house’.

Next month – the last contribution – Caer, Pen, Tre, Ystrad, Ynys.

Ann. M. Jones

 

“The Boy with Two Hearts” by Hamed Amirii

OFF THE SHELF

“The Boy with Two Hearts” by Hamed Amirii

 

There is so much press coverage around refugees and asylum seekers currently. It is interesting to read the perspective of a young boy and his family who have gone through the harrowing and often dangerous process to get to a safe country.

The narrator recalls his memories of himself as a 12-year-old schoolboy and his brothers, one of whom has a serious heart complaint (this had been treated in Iran previously, but now the Taliban were in power there was no way to legally leave the country). The three boys and the parents escaped a Taliban death threat from the small village in Herat, Afghanistan.

There were mixed feelings about the book and the discussion was lively. Most of the book club felt that the mother of the young boy put her family’s life in danger when she spoke to parents in their local school about not allowing their daughters to be denigrated by boys and men. It was this, thought by many of us, reckless speaking out that led to a death warrant being put on the parents. We have no idea why Hamid’s mother did this and it is not written about, we only have his recollections of events from Hamid himself, his parents refused to speak of it. What is clear from the book, is Hamid himself had huge respect for his mother and her actions.

The book does give the reader insight into the hazardous and often extremely dangerous undertaking to get to a safe country and the reliance on dangerous traffickers to deliver them to whatever country they could. In this case it was the UK, but it seemed to be on the whim and facilities of the traffickers and often, situational opportunities. It also gives insight into how ruthless the traffickers are with little or no thought of the vulnerable people who pay dearly (with everything they own and sometimes with their lives) to get them to their destination. It took this one family, everything they owned to pay for the trip and over a year to get to a safe country and new life.

The book was certainly thought provoking and insightful and made the reader think about how lucky we are to be in such a safe and, in the main, protected country where we will never need to make those decisions that Hamid’s parents made. We gave this book a score 7/8

Tina Alwyn

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