Countryside access and walking VALEWAYS

Cerdded yng nghefn gwlad

Newsletter Spring 2019

Winter is behind us. The clocks go forward. We are into April and we might even say a fond farewell to May! Summer is upon us. Welcome to hour latest Newsletter! ‘To every thing, turn, turn, turn There is a season, turn, turn, turn And a time to every purpose under heaven.’

These words from Ecclesiastes 3:1 were made famous by Mary Hopkin when the record was released on 21 February 1969, fifty years ago! Ah, those were the days!

This collage of Office is the work of students on the PGCE Primary Education Course at Cardiff Metropolitan University and is soon to be housed at Golau Caredig on Gladstone Road, Barry. The Docks Office is often referred to as the ‘Calendar Building’. Find out why and let us know! To help you find the answers, the walk ‘Discovering Barry Docks Office’ (Walk 19) in the forthcoming Vale Walking Festival includes a guided tour of some of the interior features of this iconic building rarely seen by the public. The tour will also include reference to the statue of David Davies, which stands outside the building. The bicentenary of David Davies’ birth passed almost without a whimper last year. David Davies ‘regarded as one of the great entrepreneurs of 19th century ’ and the driving force behind the creation of Barry Docks, was born on 18 December 1818.

David Davies possibly reading a belated birthday card?

1 We march on yet again with a full, quarterly walking programme which takes us through spring and well into the summer months. Signs of Spring – ‘maybe bluebells’ (5 May) gradually give way to ‘orchids, sand martins’ (20 May) and well-manicured gardens. (23 June) Walks vary from seeing ‘Barry’s Best Bits’ (7 April) or just ‘Going round in circles’ (27 June) to a venture beyond the county boundaries when a walk, led by John Treby encounters the waterfall at Pontneddfechan (30 May) in the Neath Valley. Valeways walkers always have faith in our Walk Leaders so we are confident that the walk entitled, ‘Where does this path go?’ (25 April) is a belated April Fool joke!

Annuals for Sale! Look out for the special fundraising event! Valeways volunteer Huw Allaway, will host a fundraising tea and plant sale from 3 pm on Saturday 13th April at his home in Barry. There will be an hour’s walk starting at 2 pm and then tea/coffee and cake will be available for £2. All welcome – even if you don’t do the walk.

Colin John Dunford – Trustee, friend and colleague

Earlier this year Valeways was saddened to hear of the sudden passing of our Treasurer and Trustee, Colin Dunford. In recent months Colin had been a corner- stone of Valeways and had worked diligently seeking funding to ensure that Valeways continued its vital work in the Vale.

We are grateful to our Chairman, Phil Gibbins, for his moving tribute not only to a fellow Valeways Trustee but also to an ex colleague and a personal friend.

“There was tragic news for Valeways in February with the sudden and unexpected death of our Treasurer, Colin Dunford. There was no warning for his wife, Trish, who had been out of the house for only a short while and found him on her return. Colin was only in his early seventies. The sympathies of us all at Valeways are with Trish at this sad time.

Colin will be sorely missed as Treasurer. His pedigree was impeccable. An ex Financial Controller with Ford Motor Company in Treforest, he left to join Treforest Plastics where he subsequently became part of a management buy-out of that company. He brought all this professionalism, experience and skill to Valeways, organising and systematising our fundraising programme without which we would have ceased to exist. As the only other Ford employee to be transferred to along with Colin in 1974 I became a lasting friend as well as colleague. I will miss him therefore both as long term friend and colleague. A great loss to me as well as to Valeways.”

2 Volunteer Co-ordinator’s Report

Despite the low growing season over the winter months the Walk and Clear Volunteers have been busy way marking the Valeways leafleted routes and making temporary repairs to wobbly or rotten stile steps where possible and replacing missing way marker posts. We have also managed to undertake some spectacular clearances, reported by two local walking groups, in and around City. Both the groups and the Council were very impressed by the work we undertook.

‘It’s time for a break. Just got it from the horse’s mouth’ Over the last few weeks we have observed the nettles and brambles springing into growth and have enjoyed a great year for the catkins and snowdrops. At the end of January five new walk leaders undertook training to help bring lots of new walks to the spring programme. New health walks will include a monthly mental health walk in Barry on the first Friday of each month, a monthly Carers Walk and a new Coffee Shop Strollers Group. Many thanks to the walk leaders who have suggested these walks - please help to spread the word.

2019 has shown not only an increase in the number of new walk leaders but also the number of walkers enticed by handouts and some very informative walks from Peter and Kate.

Dates for your diaries: The Wales Coast Path opened 7 years ago and a 7 day festival is taking place throughout May at the following locations: The Great Orme, Llandudno, Anglesey, Porthmadog, Cwm Tydu, Saundersfoot, Burry Port and .

The Llantwit Major event on 19th May will involve seven walks of differing lengths ending at The West House for refreshments at 4.30 pm. This will be a great opportunity to limber up for our walking festival 2 days later! Also, if you are free on Monday 6th May would you be willing to help run a Valeways stand at the Lion's May Fair to be held on the Bear Field, ? It will be a great opportunity to promote both walking festivals plus our general work. If you are able to help please contact [email protected] for more information.

3 The Vale of Walking Festival Tuesday 21—Sunday 26 May 2019

June know that the Walking Festival is in its tenth year? For the last decade, the annual Festival has increased in its popularity and has become the highlight of the Valeways calendar. This year’s event is launched in Country Park on Tuesday 21 May, concluding on Sunday 26 May with the ever popular ‘Sundowner’ walk along Promenade. In this ‘Year of Discovery’ Valeways Walk Leaders together with participating partners (see website for full list) have once again created interesting, varied and informative array of walks across a broad spectrum of interest – from our own doorstep to circumnavigating the world! (Walk 12) Yes, something for everybody! The geographers amongst us can look forward to exploring various communities around the Vale including ‘Discovering three villages’, (Walk 4) Dunraven, (Walk 5) , (Walk 6) Llantwit Major, (Walk 11) , (Walk 13) Aberthin, (Walk 16) and Sully. (Walk 20) The technically minded can marvel at the wonder of Porthkerry Viaduct (Walk1) or celebrate modern engineering achievements with a trip to the Cardiff Barrage. (Walk 21) Historians can ‘Step Back in Time’ (Walk 9), discovering The Romans, Normans and Victorians’ (Walk 10) or visit the oldest church in the Vale. (Walk 23)

There are also walks for nature enthusiasts with a study of wild life, (Walk 8) Ridge and Valley, (Walk 2) Sea, Trees and Stairs (Walk 3) and novaleways walk would be complete without a visit to the Salmon leaps! (Walk 26) The cultural scene in the Vale has not been overlooked either with a walk discovering medieval paintings at (Walk 14) while all budding photographers are encouraged to take part in a walk around picturesque Llantwit Major. (Walk 11) Remember to take your camera! For music loving walkers, the walk ‘Penarth Scenic Route’ (Walk 15) has been organised to coincide with a concert by The Armida Quartet at Penarth Pier Pavilion. For more information and to purchase tickets please contact http://valeofglamorganfestival.org.uk/armida-quartet-2/

There is also an opportunity to discover more about the Vale’s own cultural ‘maverick’, Iolo Morganwg! (Walk 25) One can only surmise that Iolo would have been happy to rub shoulders with such august company as Cllrs Nic and Shirley Hodges as they lead the walk entitled, ‘Victorian Barry Docks’. (Walk 27) This walk recalls some of Barry Dock’s infamous Victorian past – ‘murders, stabbings, prostitution, heroic deeds, scandal …’ enough!

In recent years Nic Hodges led fascinating walks around Cemetery in the Walking Festival. Coincidentally, a recent impromptu walk in the cemetery revealed yet another significant but hitherto virtually ignored anniversary. World Boxing Champion Jimmy Wilde, ‘The Mighty Atom’ died fifty years ago almost to the day this photograph was taken.

Jimmy Wilde’s final resting place at Merthyr Dyfan Cemetery and remembered by family or a boxing fan.

4 Coffee Shop Strollers seem to go from strength to strength. The new Penarth Coffee Shop Strollers, led by Paul Hawkins will meet every fortnight starting on Thursday 4 April meeting at Penarth cliff top car park at 2:30pm. Saint David’s Day 1 - “Looking forward to next month’s walk!” are the sentiments of Jane Hutt AM as she joined a newly formed walking group on Friday, 1 March. The first ‘Talk, Explore and Exercise’ walk, organised jointly by Valeways and Mind in the Vale is intended as a 'Walk and Chat with Mind' health walk. Jane Hutt adds that this was an excellent way to spend Saint David’s Day and support the brilliant work that Valeways & Mind do in the Vale. As the poster says, ‘A good walk can do wonders for your mental wellbeing’.

Jane Hutt and friends preparing to celebrate St. David’s Day! Saint David’s Day 2 – Dydd Gŵyl Dewi was also celebrated by the newly formed, ‘Crwydro yn Bellach’ group. The walk ‘Christened’ as ‘Williams, Evans, Davies and Gladstone - enwogion o fri’ led by Ruth King, included visits to former homes of artist Margaret Lindsay Williams on Windsor Road, composer Grace Williams on Wenvoe Terrace and the Welsh political leader, Gwynfor Evans on Somerset Road. The group also walked past the Memorial Hall and admired the newly renovated Gladstone Gardens. A ‘Pride in Barry’ blue plaque on the home of Gwynfor Evans on Somerset Rd. West.

Saint David’s Day 3 - Thick mud, puddles and even mini quagmires following torrential rain could not come between our intrepid walkers on the ‘Living with Cancer’ walk and their Welsh cakes! The two youngest strollers however, enjoyed the puddles and mud so much that they abandoned the walk at the play area! The rest of the group battled through the wind and red cheeked, and in some cases, red nosed, arrived at the cafe for a well-deserved hot drink. Join them at Cosmeston Country Park on the first Thursday of every month at 10:30am for exercise, a chat and possibly more Welsh cakes! May we remind anyone on a walk in Cosmeston not to forget to pick up their Loyalty Cards in the café.

The happy group gathering for a well-earned rest at the Monet inspired ‘Japanese’ footbridge at Cosmeston. Claude Monet painted numerous studies of the bridge in his beloved garden at Giverny, France - 120 years ago!

5 Valeways are offering another new led walk from April. The walk is offered to carers of all ages and their friends and families. Carers Trust Wales have calculated that there are at least 370,000 carers in Wales, more than the population of Cardiff! It is also believed that 3 in 5 of us will become carers at some point in our lives. The ‘Carers Walk’ will be a gentle stroll offering carers a chance to exercise, meet people and enjoy fresh air. Hopefully the walks will support carers to live happy and fulfilling lives for themselves and give them renewed energy for their role as carers. If you are interested in joining this group, the walk will take place on the last Thursday of every month at 10:30am. They will meet outside Barry Island train station and the walk will last between 45 to 60 minutes. For more details, contact Lynne 07729991491 Weekly Survey

Not a day goes by without someone expressing an opinion about the previous night’s television programmes. Not a week should go by without us filling in a quick, weekly survey for Media Panel Wales! Each time a survey is completed we are rewarded. Up to now, Valeways has collected 100 credits and £50 has been paid into our bank account. Thanks to all who take part and for being members of Media Panel Wales. For information see https://mediapanel.wales Two Year Project Amongst the five projects in Wales awarded funding by the Heritage Lottery Fund for the period 2018-2021 is The ‘Barry Making Waves’ project, led by the Vale of Glamorgan Council in partnership with Barry Town Council and Memo Arts Centre. The project is now well under way, with the appointment of a Place Manager for Barry and the establish- ment of a Place Board. On 8 March the inaugural meeting of the Barry Place Board took place and they will be driving forward the different aspects of the project, which includes the creation of a Volunteer Bank and a Digital Place- making project. Many thanks to Mererid Velios, Place Manager for agreeing to be our guide on a tour of Barry Docks Office (Walk 19) in the Walking Festival. For more information about all walks in the festival please visit: www.valeofglamorganwalkingfestival.org.uk

One hour, two hours or all day? As this Newsletter was being completed the Barry Gem (Thursday 21 March) revealed the Vale’s plans to introduce parking charges in many of our favourite walking areas. These include Barry Island, , Penarth and Llantwit as well as Cosmeston and Porthkerry Country Parks. This will inevitably have implications for future walks. In the meantime, watch this space! Just a minute! A date for your calendars – The Vale Agricultural Show – Wednesday 7 August 2019

… and finally

6