Y DDOLEN THE LINK Cylchgrawn Plwyf Your Parish Magazine

Tachwedd 2020 November

PARISH OF AND LLANDOUGH PLWYF PENARTHYG A LLANDOUCHAU £1.00 Hedgehog House St. Augustine’s Churchyard, donated by Viv Liles.

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CONTENTS Hedgehog House ...... 2 Fr. Mark Writes ...... 4 Editorial ...... 6 Admin Corner ...... 7 Church of the Holy Nativity - ...... 8 A Host of Angels ...... 10 Here Lies...... 11 Lost Lives Remembered ...... 13 Poem of the Month: Sunday Before Advent ...... 17 Recipe of the Month: Apple and Beetroot Cake ...... 18 Reports ...... 19 PCC REPORT September 2020 ...... 19 Harvest Service at Lavernock ...... 20 From the Registers ...... 21 Funerals ...... 21 Interment of Ashes ...... 21 Seasonal pictures...... 22 PARISH DIRECTORY ...... 23

3 Fr. Mark Writes

All Change!

The philosopher Heraclitus of Ephesus thought a great deal about change. He said life was like a river, constantly changing. Indeed, if you dipped your toe into it, removed it, and put it back in again, it would not even be the same river that you dipped your toe into, on the second occasion, as on the first! Change is inevitable, and the swirls and currents, the energetic flows and the calm bits, are all part of life – so enjoy the ride!

On the 26th September, the Bishop used her Presidential Address at Diocesan Conference to order important changes in how we do ministry in the Llandaff Diocese. Our Ministry Area in 2021, along with 20 odd others in Llandaff, is going to become a Rectorial Benefice: ours, the Rectorial Benefice of Penarth. This means that the Church in , as a whole, will have completed it programme to set up these new ways of working. Some might say that the whole point about Ministry Areas is that lay people will have to get more involved in doing things in the future, as there are, and will be, fewer clergy around to do things for them. That’s certainly true, but misses out on another essential point – that it’s actually healthier for the life of the church, and grows individuals in their faith, if lay people are more involved. That second point probably sounds like a cop-out to some of the more sceptically-minded, but the first point is unarguable.

Let me give you an example. Peter Cox retired in February. He was born in the mid-1950s and grew up whilst churchgoing was still common. When I was born in 1970, churchgoing was far less common, with the only people going to church being those who had been doing so for decades. In general, it is usually the case that teenagers and twenty-somethings don’t find it easy to get on in an environment dominated by the retired. People my age were virtually non-existent. Only a small percentage of churchgoers are ever called to give up all the benefits of modern life and become clergy, and some resist the call. But a fraction of virtually zero, is zero. Therefore the church has a

4 problem in the future, if it relies on old-fashioned ways of doing things, in order to grow its clergy –because they’re not there to call upon! Which is why encouraging vocations is so important, not just to the ordained clergy, but throughout the church. Peter Cox’s generation, who are retiring around now, are the last of the Old Guard: they probably will be replaced, but with some difficulty. However, it will become increasingly difficult, as time goes on, to make replacements, and the list of vacant parishes will surely grow dramatically, in years to come. We’ve tried increasing, and increasing again, the number of churches under individual clergy, over a number of years, but it just leads to burnout and early retirement, and Dioceses are increasingly worried about being sued by disgruntled ex- clergy, especially as legal frameworks were brought in to protect clergy wellbeing. But at the same time, the people on the ground, unhelpfully, continue to demand exactly the same things of their clergy as in decades past, when there were two, three (or more) of them doing that same work. Of course, parishes who don’t want to adapt inevitably die, and usually quite quickly; and they’ve no-one but themselves to blame.

Ministry Areas are not a gimmick, but an attempt to rewrite the rules of the game. They are a positive thing –a way to dig ourselves out of this hole. Churches are grouped together, and clergy stop being ‘Lone- rangers’ - instead they work as part of a team. Yes, the work loads are enormous, but the clergy are there to support one another, and that helps. But something else is different too. Ministry Areas mean that enough lay people with specialist skills, such as in children’s work, or on buildings projects, or whatever, can come together too, and support one another - and the clergy. I know that our Sunday school people, for example, are looking forward to working with others!

I sometimes look at the boards listing my predecessors in St Augustine’s or St Dochdwy’s. Most had single churches and plenty of help, and the parishes were often vastly smaller than now. Yes, they had it easy. When we join with All Saints’ the Benefice is going to be the largest it has ever been, by a considerable margin, but with only 2 permanent clergy, and whatever curates may pass through. We cannot continue to go on doing things in the way that we have been, and it is essential that lay people play more of a role. This is not just me saying

5 it. Like my colleagues elsewhere in this decade, in their churches, we’re just the person who’s standing here at this pivotal moment in history, and taking the flack for being different. Every single person after me, until the end of time, will say the same thing to you, and your successors. A permanent shift in the way we do church has begun all around us. It is adapt, or die. But I’m very confident, that in our two current parishes, we have the will, and the ability, to do what is necessary, not just to survive, but to thrive. If Heraclitus could see the people of this Ministry Area now, he’d smile and see a group of people relishing the idea of a challenge for the future!

Revd Mark Jones ______

Editorial

This edition of the Link contains a healthy proportion of home-grown content, much of it appropriately commemorating the departed or looking forward to Christmas. Huw Williams and Kathleen Williams contribute an article on the Holy Nativity Christmas Tree sponsorship venture. Cathy Knapp gives an update on a Host of Angels, and Rachel Elder provides a fascinating glimpse of the past through an article inspired by the grave of James Ware. Kathleen Guy writes about the Roll of Honour project.

Our poem of the month, while nominally heralding Advent, seems especially appropriate to the times.

Perhaps most significant of all is Fr. Mark’s advice about major changes coming to the Penarth Parishes.

Thanks to all contributors this month: Kathleen Guy, Cathy Knapp, Kathleen Williams, Huw Williams, Rachel Elder, Mark Jones, the Parish Pump. The Editors

6 Admin Corner

The past month we’ve had the Hall back in use, although there have been a few ups and downs. Our long-established Line Dancing group started well, but have decided to pause their sessions as Covid-19 numbers have increased. However, I’ve been able to accommodate a couple of new groups, some on a temporary basis while our regulars are not able to meet.

I had been planning for the All Souls’ service which would have been our first ‘ticketed’ service. Each year I send out invitations to the families of those who have lost loved ones during the year and had funerals led by our clergy, whether at church or somewhere else. However, this had to be cancelled due to the new lockdown and Fr Mark is planning to do a special service in the Spring.

Further pre-booked services were also arranged for Remembrance Sunday but those too, have now been cancelled as indoor services are not permitted until 9th November. Hopefully alternative arrangements can be made for this very important time of Remembrance.

Looking ahead, there will be greater unknown challenges and changes as we move to becoming a Rectorial Benefice with All Saints next year.

Rachel Elder

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Church of the Holy Nativity - Christmas Tree Sponsorship

We are currently exploring options to fund the landscaping of the church grounds to replace the ash trees which were suffering from die-back disease and which have been removed. As part of the planning, we have been working with the Council to decide how best to present what people see of the church, now no longer obscured behind numerous trees, as they approach Penarth coming from Cogan and farther afield.

The new landscaping will not be undertaken until the 2021 planting season at the earliest so the opening up of the view of the church provides an opportunity to site a Christmas tree in a prominent location on the newly re-designed roundabout. A further consideration this year is that the Christmas Tree Festival held at St Augustine’s, which has become a traditional Penarth Christmas fixture, will not take place due to public health restriction to counter coronavirus and the need for social distancing.

The church itself does not have funds for carrying through the Christmas tree initiative on its own, beyond making the location available. However, thanks to the generosity of the Penarth Town Council, we have secured an offer of sponsorship to fund the cost of a Christmas tree and a banner, displaying a seasonal message with space to acknowledge sponsorship.

We are now seeking additional sponsorship or donations to decorate and illuminate the tree from local businesses and individuals to a total of around £300, as well as offers of assistance

8 in kind to erect and remove the tree. We are in communication with local businesses about the sponsorship opportunity.

We also know readers of the Link may well have ideas about businesses or organisations that may wish to offer sponsorship and some readers may, indeed, be actively involved with organisations or businesses that could benefit from the publicity that sponsorship of a highly visible Christmas tree display would give.

To find out more please contact us for further information at [email protected] or on phone 02920 708 554.

Huw Williams and Kathleen Williams

9 A Host of Angels

What a wonderful number and variety of angels I have received over the last few weeks. Thank you to all of you from the churches in Penarth and Llandough who have been busy knitting them.

We had intended giving them out to the people, who came to the switching on of the Christmas lights in Penarth, in November. Reluctantly, because of the current pandemic, we have decided it's not safe to distribute them this year. It's a shame, because this year, especially, it would have been lovely to distribute some joy around the Penarth area.

We will keep the angels safely until next year, when, hopefully, a heavenly host will be set free!

Cathy Knapp

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Here Lies... James Ware 17 Mar 1825 – 16 Feb 1892

By the path coming from the North gate at St Augustine’s, a tall grave stands on the corner opposite the bench. It’s quite an unusual grave stone, being carved to resemble a wooden cross, with a chain wrapped around it attached to an anchor, all on a rugged stone base. There is a tablet leaning against the base with the inscription, which is becoming harder to read, but it is in memory of James WARE.

James was born in Bridgwater in 1825, his father being the harbour master there. He began as a mariner, and spent all his life involved with shipping, hence the anchor on the grave stone. At various times he was a coal shipper, ship owner, ship broker and iron exporter.

He was greatly involved in the docks around , Barry and Penarth and became very wealthy. However, he gave much back to the community, founding a scholarship at Cardiff School of Science and Art (which later became Cardiff School of Art & Design and is now part of Cardiff Met University) and making large donations to hospitals and colleges. He also gave money for stained glass windows in Cardiff Free Library (now the Museum of Cardiff) on The Hayes. The gravestone notes him as a JP and in 1887 he was appointed County Magistrate. His newspaper obituary records him as ‘seldom absent from his seat at the bench in Penarth during the hours of judicial business’.

11 His wife was Margaret Broadish Walker, and is also commemorated on the grave. She was born in Woodbridge, Suffolk in 1820 and died 3rd April 1895. They married in 1850 at Bridgwater but lived in Cardiff for a while, before settling in Penarth by 1871.

They lived at Briar Bank, Beach Road (next to Kymin), where they remained until they died. Their son James Alexander Ware married Annie Elizabeth Fisher, the daughter of George Fisher (deputy owner of Taff Vale Railway Co). Daughter Norah Casilda Ware married Robert Alner Bowring, partner in a major Cardiff auction & stock holding company.

Rachel Elder ______

12 Lost Lives Remembered

In August 1920 a memorial to those from Penarth who were killed in the first World War was unveiled. This was not the memorial in Alexandra Park, that was not unveiled until November 1924. This was the unveiling of the first Town Memorial, now better known as the Roll of Honour, in St. Augustine’s Church. The memorial remembers 207 men, regardless of denomination, who had a connection with Penarth.

ST. AUGUSTINE’S WAR MEMORIAL. ––––––– UNVEILING CEREMONY. On Monday evening the unveiling ceremony of St. Augustine’s War Memorial took place. The unveiling was performed by Lieut.-Gen. Sir H. de Beauvoir de Lisle, K.C.B., K.C.M.G., D.S.O., general officer commanding Western Command. General de Lisle said they were met together to do honour to those who paid the price of victory with their lives. They could not honour the dead too highly. The Rector read over the names of those who had paid the supreme sacrifice, numbering about 200, and those whose names had been inscribed on the very beautiful memorial, which has been exquisitely carved in Italian walnut. The secretary of the Memorial Committee was Mr. N. C. Godby, whose duties in connection with the monument had been extremely onerous, but have been very successfully carried out. Penarth Times, Thursday 12 August 1920

In 2014, to mark the centenary of the outbreak of the Great War, the Friends of St. Augustine’s embarked on the Roll of Honour Project. Part 1 was to conserve the fabric of the Roll of Honour itself. After almost 100 years it needed some professional care and attention. This was undertaken and the memorial was rededicated in August 2014.

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The Roll after regilding

The second part of the Project was to record the history of the Roll of Honour – who commissioned it, who designed it, and how was it financed? The answers to these questions were found in Vestry minutes, PCC minutes and reports in the Penarth Times. A Presentation Copy of the resulting book, ‘A History of the Roll of Honour’, is on permanent display at the rear of the Church.

The third and final part of the Project was to discover more about the lives of the 207 men and their families, before they went to war.

The book is a team effort, with research carried out by Linda Guilfoyle. Contributions from family members and others were collected by Kathleen Guy, who also edited the text. Chris Higley prepared the work for printing.

The entry for each man records what is known about his life. In most cases we only have information from documents in the public domain, but even this official information gives us an insight into life in Penarth at the beginning of the 20th Century.

We know that in general, families then were larger than they are today, and households often included extended family members. Most of the 207 men were born, lived and worked in Penarth, but some moved further afield and a few looked to the Empire for a new life.

14 For some of the men we are fortunate to have more personal accounts given to us by 21st Century family members. One such man was John Regan: from the 1901 Census we know that he was born in 1882. At the time of the Census he was living with his parents, three brothers and two sisters at 76 Salop Street. From his granddaughter, Kath Williams, we learn that John Regan was always known as Jack. Kath tells us that:

Jack Regan became a well-known rugby player at half-back with Penarth RFC. He was Vice Captain and played 5 times against the Barbarians. In the years before the War Jack also toured with Penarth RFC to play against French clubs in 1910, 1911 and 1914. On each occasion they came home undefeated.

When he went away to war Jack Regan was the father of a large family with his wife Mary (who was known as Ginny) of four boys and one girl. Ginny was also expecting another child, Eileen, who was born on 6th May 1916 after her father had left for France.

Jack and Ginny’s family

15 Kathleen has two letters home from Jack Regan and a fragment of a third. One of them thanks Ginny for sending a parcel and a snapshot photograph of her and the children including his new daughter. He expresses his pleasure that both his wife and daughter looked healthy after what had evidently been a difficult birth. He also refers to finding a ha’penny in the parcel from his new daughter which he says he will keep for good luck. Sadly, the photograph has not survived.

Jack served in the 113th Siege Battery, The Royal Garrison Artillery. He was killed in action on Monday 31st July 1916 and is buried at III.F.11., Peronne Road Cemetery, Maricourt.

His granddaughter and other family members still live in Penarth.

Not all the men named on the Roll of Honour died on the battlefields of France and Belgium. Penarth men are buried in Mesopotamia, Salonica, India, Norway, Egypt, Palestine, Malta, Germany and Canada. Nineteen men are buried here, in Penarth.

It is important that all these men and their families are remembered in the coming years. With this in mind, the Project Team will be placing copies of ‘Sons of Penarth’ in a number of local and national archives and libraries. In addition, the Friends of St. Augustine’s have commissioned an A4 leatherbound Presentation Copy which will be on permanent display in the Church. A facsimile copy will be placed in the Church archives and will be available for future research.

Soft cover A5 editions of ‘Sons of Penarth’ are available at £9.99 from the Project Team (029 2115 2723) or from Griffin Books, Windsor Road, Penarth.

Kathleen Guy

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Poem of the Month: Sunday Before Advent

The end of all things is at hand. We all Stand in the balance trembling as we stand; Or if not trembling, tottering to a fall. The end of all things is at hand.

O hearts of men, covet the unending land! O hearts of men, covet the musical, Sweet, never-ending waters of that strand!

While Earth shows poor, a slippery rolling ball, And Hell looms vast, a gulf unplumbed, unspanned, And Heaven flings wide its gates to great and small, The end of all things is at hand.

Christina Rossetti

17 Recipe of the Month: Apple and Beetroot Cake

Ingredients for the syrup for the cake  1 orange, zested  50g butter  220ml water  200g soft brown sugar  150g caster sugar  200g self raising flour  5g baking powder  100ml sunflower oil  2 eggs  300g beetroot, grated  75g apple, diced  75g walnuts, toasted Method Prep time: 15 min Cooking time: 50 min  Preheat oven to 180°/Gas 4. For the cake  heat the butter in a small pan until it browns and smells nutty. Add the sunflower oil and leave to cool.  Whisk the eggs and sugar until pale and thick. Gradually pour in the oil and butter mixture as if you're making mayonnaise.  Sift the flour and baking powder over the egg mixture and fold in.  Add the remaining ingredients and transfer to a greased and lined tin.  Bake for 40 minutes - 1 hour (until a skewer comes out clean). To make the syrup  heat all of the ingredients in a pan until the sugar dissolves.  Prick the cake all over with a fork and douse with the syrup.

18 Reports PCC REPORT September 2020

The PCC met by Zoom on 11th Sept. The main topics of discussion were: Hall The hall is in use again, following completion of the risk assessment. Only exercise groups are currently allowed under Welsh Govt regulations.

Church services  Face coverings will now be required in all places of worship  Attendance limits – If numbers attending go up towards the permitted limit, there may have to be a booking system. This mainly affects St Augustine’s.  Special services like Remembrance Sunday and All Souls may need to have a booking system as well to keep a check on numbers.  Midweek Services - Fr Mark confirmed that these will probably not resume until the Spring.

Holy Nativity Works  It was agreed to replace the lights in the church that are failing. Work is also needed on rainwater gullies and proper window guards. Tree work is still needed on the remaining ash trees and overgrown evergreens. Planning for the re-landscaping has started with co-operation from the Vale, Town Council and local groups.  It is hoped that a Christmas Tree can be sited in the grounds this year, if financial assistance is obtained from the Town Council and another sponsor.

Work planning It was suggested and agreed that the Wardens & sub- wardens should draw up a list of works needed by each church, based on the Quinquennial reports. This will allow planning and budgeting for the works to take place.

19 Finance Some recent legacies were discussed and it is hoped that they can be used as a bursary to encourage local music students to boost the choir at St Augustine’s.

Churchyards at St Augustine’s and St Dochdwy’s have recently benefited from work done by the Probation Service. This has made a great difference and will now be happening on a regular basis March – October.

The next meeting is on 13th November.

Full minutes can be obtained by contacting the Parish Office. Rachel Elder

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Harvest Service at Lavernock

On Sunday 11th October, Old St Lawrence church had its first outdoor Harvest Festival. Everything was done to comply with the government regulations and was attended by about 30 people. Most were the regulars, but it was lovely to see quite a few new faces. Both doors were open, so we could hear Anne Thomas play the organ inside.

The entrance was decorated with fruit and veg and wild vegetation from around the churchyard. We had a microphone for when people read the lessons and poetry readings and the service was, as always, beautifully taken by Margaret Stark in her usual informal, humorous, warm and professional way. People were very generous and the collection amounted to about £270. We are hoping to have a Remembrance service in November.

Many thanks to all who attended and all those who helped to make the service so successful.

Michael Lawrence

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From the Registers

Funerals

17 Sept Douglas Rex WILSON of Penarth age 90 at Lavernock Court

Interment of Ashes

16 Sept Sheila Maria HURNDALL formerly of Llandough at St Dochdwy’s 7 Oct Mary Lilian Rose HODGE of Llandough at St Dochdwy’s 7 Oct Hilary Elizabeth ARROYO of Llandough at St Dochdwy’s

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21 Seasonal pictures

22 PARISH DIRECTORY

Priest Revd Mark Jones 029 20709897 [email protected] Parish Administrator Mrs Rachel Elder 20708722 [email protected] (Parish Office)

Treasurer Mr Roger Owen 20702172 Gift Aid Secretary Mrs Viv Liles 20712466

Organists St Augustine’s Mr Robert Court 20619436 Holy Nativity Contact the Churchwardens St Dochdwy’s Contact the Churchwardens

Mothers’ Union Mrs Delyth Williams 20705898 Friends of St Augustine Ms Cathy Grove 20704298

Church Wardens St Augustine’s Mrs Linda Guilfoyle [email protected] 20706309 Mr Andrew Davison [email protected] 07704 049053 Holy Nativity Mrs Kath Williams [email protected] 20708554 (one vacancy) St Dochdwy’s Mr Roger Owen [email protected] 20702172 Mrs Jan Cullen [email protected] 20704926

Parish Hall, Albert Road, Penarth CF64 1BX - To hire, please contact the Parish Office

Home Communion, Sick visiting and other pastoral matters: Please contact Revd Mark Jones

Baptisms & Weddings: To make initial enquiries, please contact Rachel Elder at the Parish Office.

Concerts at St Augustine’s – please contact Mr Robert Court

Parish website: www.parishofpenarthandllandough.co.uk Facebook: @penllanparish

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