Tag: Latest Posts – August

New posts for August 2019

Dog Mess In Wenvoe

Dog Mess In Wenvoe

A few months ago we bought a puppy so that we would have to get out and walk more regularly in the village. We bought disposable small bags, so as not to leave our new pets’ mess for other people to have to pick up, step in or look at. They are very cheap and readily available.

I do not know the cost to our Council to have to clean up after a minority of uncaring, selfish pet owners but am sure this money could be better spent elsewhere in our village. Recently I saw a notice in the local park stating that unless owners cleaned up after their dogs, a ban could be put in place stopping dog exercise in this area.

I must admit that I am disgusted by the amount of filth so called ‘animal lovers’ are prepared to leave in parks, on roadsides, paths and verges, It makes me feel ashamed to be associated with people, most of whom must be local and appear not to care about other people and/or their children. On several occasions I have stepped into dog mess myself. It’s disgusting!

I am sure many can complain about times they have had this unpleasant experience. I am not surprised if parents are angry and do not like dogs or their owners, when their children get covered in dog mess. There are numerous bins around the village, where bags can be left if you do not want to carry them home. The bags cost very little. I see most dog owners on walks carrying these and they share the same complaint as me.

So who are these people who don’t care about others, their children and the local environment? To that minority I say, ‘Clean up after your pet, it is wrong to leave filth around our village.’ Don’t you want anywhere left that is green and pleasant to walk your dog?’

Keep Wenvoe Clean; Bag it and Bin it!

(Name and address supplied)

 

 

Fox and Cubs = Orange Hawkweed

Fox and Cubs

Early July saw lots of these flowers in and around Wenvoe which with the benefit of colour would appear orange and brown. Nice to see that gardeners had often mowed around them. They are a wildflower known either as Fox and Cubs after the colouring or more correctly as Orange Hawkweed. Not only are they attractive but insects enjoy them as well for their pollen. They never seem to cause us a problem but in Canada, North America and Australia they are regarded as a noxious weed as this extract from the Washington State Weed Control Board indicates:

‘It’s an aggressive, unpalatable competitor of pasture and range plant species, crowding out more desirable forage. It is a serious pest of lowland pasture, mountain meadows and lawns.’

This is often what happens when a plant is introduced from another country as we have found with Japanese Knotweed and Winter Heliotrope where there are no natural predators. Meantime enjoy your Fox and Cubs safe in the knowledge that it will provide a modest splash of colour either in the lawn or the border. It has been introduced to the wildflower section of the Elizabethan Orchard where it pops up each year but has not spread beyond the point where it was first planted.

Some people in the village have commented on the apparent lack of buzzards around this year – others say they still see them regularly. We nearly lost them in the 1950s (persecution and myxomatosis) but since then the numbers have increased steadily. Causes of death and high chick mortality are usually down to the lack of food, persecution by gamekeepers and taking poisoned carcasses. But if numbers have declined this year it is difficult to see that any of these factors will have applied and even if the chicks have not done well the adults should still be around as they can live for 25 years. What do you think?

 

 

Quick Witted US Cops

 

AMERICAN COPS

These quotes are taken off actual police car videos
around the states: There are some mighty ‘quick
witted’ cops!
’You know, stop lights don’t come any redder
than the one you just went through.’
’Relax, the handcuffs are tight because they’re
new. They’ll stretch after you wear them a while.’
’If you take your hands off the car, I’ll make your
birth certificate a worthless document.’
 ‘If you run, you’ll only go to jail tired.’
’Can you run faster than 1200 ft/second? Because
that’s the speed of the bullet that’ll be chasing you.’
’You don’t know how fast you were going? I
guess that means I can write anything I want on the
ticket, huh?’
’Yes sir, you can talk to the shift supervisor, but I
don’t think it will help. Oh, did I mention that I’m
the shift supervisor?’
’Warning! You want a warning? O.K., I’m
warning you not to do that again or I’ll give you
another ticket.’
’The answer to this last question will determine
whether you are drunk or not. Was Mickey Mouse
a cat or a dog?’
’Fair? You want me to be fair? Listen, fair is a
place where you go to ride on rides, eat cotton
candy and corn dogs and step in monkey poop.’
’Yeah, we have a quota. Two more tickets and my
wife gets a toaster oven.’
’How big were those ‘two beers’ you say you
had?’
’No sir, we don’t have quotas anymore. We used
to, but now we’re allowed to write as many tickets
as we can.’
’I’m glad to hear that the Chief (of Police) is a
personal friend of yours. It’s good to know
someone who can post your bail.’
’You didn’t think we gave pretty women tickets?
You’re right, we don’t ………. Sign here.’

June is Pride Month

Shade never made anybody less gay

June is Pride Month, a time when the LGBTQIA+ community should be able to celebrate being themselves. Being a part of this community even in today’s age is possibly one of the hardest things a person can do, so I celebrate anyone who identifies as part of this community because support isn’t always easy to find.

I talk about not spreading hate, but I always feel it’s incredibly important whilst discussing the LGBTQIA+ community. The norm even in 2019 is being heterosexual, and there are still too many people in the world who neither support the community nor care to educate themselves on it. There are still people who think there is something wrong with being anything but yourself. As of April 2019, only 16 states in the United States of America have criminalised conversion therapy on minors.

In 2018, the film ‘Love, Simon’ was the first major Hollywood studio film to focus on a gay teenage romance and ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ won Rami Malek an Oscar at the 2019 Academy Awards for playing Freddie Mercury. The LGBTQIA+ community being predominantly represented in film and television without being the stereotyped sidekick is a breath of fresh air, but it doesn’t mean everyone’s supportive of this change.

Despite ‘Moonlight’ encouraging many to become more comfortable with their sexuality, and ‘Orange is the New Black’ and ‘Chilling Adventures of Sabrina’ showcasing transgender and non-binary characters respectively, bigotry lurks. ‘Rocketman’ was banned in Samoa, after the film was the first Hollywood blockbuster with a sex scene between two men.‘Beauty and the Beast’ was banned in numerous countries, including America, after Disney changed the sexual orientation of the character Lefou for its live-action adaptation.

For some reason, being a part of the LGBTQIA+ community still makes you an outcast. Many celebrities who identify as LGBTQIA+ feel a sense of responsibility forced upon them, to be a positive influence for others in the community. But many of these celebrities have also expressed how their sexuality is a defining feature and being a part of the community is the first thing people often see about them. Broadway performer Billy Porter also expressed how although LGBTQIA+ roles are more available, they are often not offered to those who are part of the community, and instead go to cisgender actors because their names are more widely known.

But why do people care to be mean to the LGBTQIA+ community? Truly. Why do people care about who other people love? How does two men kissing on their wedding day because they love each other affect you? Why do you care if someone has started living as another gender because they know they were born into the wrong body? They’ve

discovered their true self and should be celebrated for it. Why does it affect you if someone wants gender neutral pronouns? Use them and be respectful. Why does everyone believe that they deserve a say on what happens in the LGBTQIA+ community if they’re not a part of the community? Just let people live their lives.

Between Boston having a ‘Straight Pride Parade’ and the lesbian couple attacked on a bus for refusing to kiss, this year’s Pride month truly shows why it’s needed. Not enough people are truly accepting of the LGBTQIA+ community, but instead of spreading hate, maybe they should try educating themselves enough on what the community is about.

By teaching children about the LGBTQIA+ community in schools, it doesn’t ‘force’ a certain sexuality on them because your sexuality isn’t learnt behaviour. Teaching children about LGBTQIA+ means that there will be less miserable children thinking that they are awful people because of their sexuality; there will be less bullying, because having lessons about the LGBTQIA+ community normalises it. Because being a part of that community is normal and natural, and thus far the world’s been hiding that.

Try to educate yourself. Either do so online or ask someone who’s a part of the community. It may seem embarrassing to ask, but it shows personal growth because you are encouraging their self-expression and trying to understand it yourself. Ask them what it feels like to be a part of the community and why it’s such an important community to them. Because I doubt you could walk away from that conversation and still believe it’s anything but amazing to celebrate them and who they are.

They were created to be who they are, never try to take that away from them or shame them.

You don’t have to paint everything rainbow. But you do have to make sure that the person you know who is LGBTQIA+ is loved. You do have to make sure that they feel accepted and that they know there is nothing wrong with being them. You do have to raise your children to know it’s okay to be LGBTQIA+. It’ll be harder for everyone if your child resents themselves because they think there’s something bad about them being a part of the community.

In the words of Tan France, “It’s very unlikely that people are going to cause you an issue just because you are being yourself. And if they’re concerned, that’s on them. You’re happy”.

Remember: You do not have the right to shame a person for who they are. Ever.

Always support members of the LGBTQIA+ community, because there are many, many people who won’t.

By Tirion Davies

 

 

Nutty Brownies

Nutty Brownies

225g dark chocolate

100g unsalted butter

150g dark soft brown sugar

150g caster sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

150g plain flour

50g walnut, hazelnut or pecan pieces

A 20cm square tin, lined with greaseproof or baking paper

Heat oven to 160C fan. In a saucepan, melt 125g of the chocolate with the butter over a low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove pan from the heat. Stir in the sugars, then the eggs one at a time, stirring after each one, and then the vanilla. Fold in the flour and 1/4 tsp salt. Stir in the nuts and the rest of the choco-late, broken into pieces. Pour into cake tin and cook for 20-25 mins till just set in the centre.

Cool then cut into squares

 

 

Pasta Shells with Tuna and Pears

Pasta Shells with Tuna and Pears

350g pasta shells

50g butter

125g frozen peas

med onion chopped

2 egg yolks, beaten

300ml double cream

226g can tuna in oil, flake larger pieces

salt and fresh black pepper

2 tsp fresh thyme

fresh mixed herbs to garnish

Cook pasta as per instructions for about 7 – 10 mins. Drain. Melt butter in a separate pan and fry peas and onion until tender, about 5 mins. [DON’T BURN THE BUTTER ] Stir in the drained pasta, mix in the beaten egg yolks, cream and tuna, add the seasoning and thyme. Heat gently for 5 – 10 mins until sauce thickens, Serve garnished with fresh herbs. Serve with fresh garlic bread.

 

 

Six Green Flag Awards

Six Green Flag Awards

Six Green Flag awards was our tally for this year putting us well ahead of any other village in the UK and with more awards than most towns. The Green Flag Award programme is delivered in Wales by environmental charity, Keep Wales Tidy, with support from Welsh Government. It is judged by green space experts, who volunteer their time to visit applicant sites and assess them against eight strict criteria, including biodiversity, cleanliness, environmental management and community involvement. Our success is down to our few active volunteers and the support of the landowners, the Reader farmers and the Vale of Glamorgan Council. The sites now include the Upper Orchid Field, Community Orchard, Elizabethan Orchard, Wild Orchard, Welsh Orchard and now, Goldsland Farm. Why not visit some of them during August? We have led two guided walks so far this year and plan to do more.

Thanks are due to the Village Hall Committee for donating their old noticeboard to the group. With some adjustments and refurbishment, we plan to put the noticeboard up at Goldsland Farm either in the orchard or the new Pollinator Patch. We had fine weather for our Poisonous Plants walk with visitors from Barry and Cardiff joining Wenvoe residents.We would have had more but on a day when Culverhouse Cross was gridlocked, Five Mile Lane virtually impassable and the road past Dyffryn House closed, several gave up and went home. A pity as the weather was ideal.

We found 8 poisonous plants and trees in the middle of Wenvoe and a further 24 in the hedgerows and orchards. Whilst cases of poisoning are very rare, they do still happen often to children and those foraging so it is as well to know your plants.

One of the least pleasant tasks we undertake is to empty the dog-poo bin on the Upper Orchid Field. Dog-owners are very good at making use of the bin and the field has very little litter on it. The bin contents are emptied into bins in the village which are collected by the Council although they will not empty the bin on the field. Although we have been doing this for 8 years there have been instances recently where we have been challenged by local residents who presumably assume we are depositing household rubbish in the bins – hopefully now you will understand what we are doing and why.

 

 

5th Wenvoe Scarecrow Festival

This year the 5th Wenvoe Scarecrow festival will take place on Saturday 21st.September from 2.00 to 5.00pm and Sunday 22nd September from 10.30 to 11.00am when the winners will be announced.

Please start to think about entering a scarecrow this year even if you have not entered before. Its free to enter and there is no theme. We would like to make this year’s festival the best year yet as after this year the festival will become biennial, so we want this year to live long in our memories – well two years at least! More details will follow in future issues of What’s On. However, if you are keen to start building your scarecrow now further information can be obtained by emailing wenvoescarecrows@ yahoo.com or ring Vicar Jon on 02920595347. Please put the date in your diary.

 

 

Your Garden Tasks For August

 

July saw the passing of Dorothy Miller at her home in Grange Avenue. Dorothy was, at the time, the oldest resident born in Wenvoe. She worked at Anstee’s Nurseries, now Pughs Garden Centre, where they propagated roses and sold the cut flowers. Dorothy was known there as the rose queen. Dorothy had an allotment for many years and believed that most ills could be kept at bay by using herbs and plants found in hedgerows. This belief certainly worked for her as she was 97 when time finally caught up with her.

 

RHS tips for August.

  1. Prune wisteria.
  2. Don’t delay Summer pruning of fruit trees trained as restricted forms.
  3. Dead head flowering plants regularly.
  4. Water regularly, particularly new plants and those in containers.
  5. Collect seeds from plants.
  6. Harvest sweetcorn and other veg as it becomes available.
  7. Continue cutting old fruit canes on raspberries.
  8. Lift and pot up strawberry runners.
  9. Keep ponds and water features topped up.
  10. Feed the soil with green manure.

Slugs and snails are well known enemies of gardeners. The old slug pellets are to be banned from use next year because they contain metaldehyde which is water soluble and pollutes water courses and is harmful to wildlife. The new pellets contain ferric phosphate which will degrade harmlessly into the soil. There are numerous tricks that people who tend the soil have been using to deal with these pests. Egg shells around plants do not work, the same goes for copper foil strips. You would need a strip of copper 6” wide for it to work, then some scallywag would, no doubt, relieve you of it. If you decide to catch the molluscs alive don’t just throw them over into next door’s garden as they will be back. Apparently you have to take them at least 20 metres away as their homing instincts only cover short distances. Trials have shown that beer traps work well but you should empty regularly as they smell awful if left. A piece of wood or slate left on the soil will allow cover during daytime, check underneath before dusk then dispose of the little blighters as you see fit. When watering the borders you should only water the ground close to the plants as slugs and snails find it harder to cross dry soil.

Our milder climate means that we have a longer flowering season, especially with Roses. When dead heading your Rose bush or climbing Roses don’t be afraid of cutting back a bit further on spent stems to a healthy bud and you will get more flowers this year. Rambling Roses are different and will only produce flowers next year on this season’s growth. All side shoots that have flowered can be cut back to one or two buds.

August is a good time to take cuttings of your favourite perennials, over-winter these young plants

under glass if you can. One of the RHS star plants for this time of year is the Japanese Anemone. They say it can be invasive but is easy to control. Don’t believe it. You will be pulling up offshoots from this plant for ever.

We must continue to weed around our plants. While doing this look out for self seeded plants and pot them up. They may not come true to the original but will help fill the borders next year.

Take care and happy gardening.

 

 

 

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