Coed Big Picnic: 5pm, Wednesday 4 August

 

 We will be issuing (free tickets), which will be limited until government guidance on numbers meeting outside is updated, so book your tickets now!
• Covid Secure - Risk Assessment available
• You will be asked to provide Track and Trace information
• Wet weather back up in Coed Barn (it is Wales!)
• Any swimmers must be supervised by an adult and at your own risk
• Entertainment will start at 5:30pm - Old Spice Barbershop and The Nancy Ackroyd Band and something for the children.
• Parking will be available - follow the signs along Llantrithyd Road
• When you receive your ticket there will be an opportunity to make a voluntary contribution to support Ayla - a young local teenager with cancer. (Gofundme.com Help Ayla Thrive).
• Bill and Gill would like to replicate a fun and simple version of The Masked Singer show from TV. If you fancy participating by singing behind a screen (and others guessing who you are) - please let Caroline know asap.
• If you need transport on the day this can be arranged - please let Caroline know
• Contact Caroline via email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. / St Hilary Support Group

Update (22 July): Japanese knotweed warning

Following the initial discovery of Japanese knotweed on the Downs, Mads and Will surveyed the area on Saturday 17 July and found a few more areas of growth.

Above is a map of the knotweed, marked in red, that has been found.  Further down this post are some of pictures to help identify it.  It would be really helpful if everyone could keep eyes open. It is an imported and extremely invasive plant…you do not want this in your garden. It doesn't seed itself - it is spread through tramping it when walking and there are now some outbreaks close to paths. (Please note that a patch on the outside of the dwarf wall around The Clump turned out not to be knotweed - apparently, it is a "bushy shrub!")

Martin Andrews of the Vale of Glamorgan Council has visited the common with Will and found knotweed in the scrubland opposite the gates to the radio masts.  He has engaged contractors in to deal with this after it flowers in September.  Martin has recorded the position of the other growths and is going to look at the land records to see if it is council land. If it is council responsibility, he will arrange for contractors to start treatment.

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St Hilary 900 Caribbean barn dance (7 July 1990)

Here are some photographs of the Caribbean barn dance that was held at Coed Hills as part of the celebrations of St Hilary 900 - click on the link to read all about the other activties

 

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Help for landlines going digital

If you have a landline, you will be migrating to a digital service sooner or later – some in the village already have. This means that you will plug your phone into your broadband router instead of your phone socket on the wall. BT call this Digital Voice.

The concept is simple – just replace the router, if you have been sent one, and plug the phone line into it on the day that your service provider tells you that the service is being migrated.  Providers promise to help you through the process every step of the way, so you should get lots of notification about it.

However, we have recently provided help to a villager which suggests it might not be that straightforward. The villager’s phone had stopped working and the villager said that they did not recall getting any information about the migration date but had received a new router out of the blue.

Most migrations will be easy. But if you are technologically differently abled, have a problem, or know a villager who would like help contact Terry Dennis or Chris Jones and we will do what we can.

PS it is not in the BT instructions, but when the landline is migrated to digital, the area code needs to be added for local calls, like mobiles.

3Cs

Cut, clear and clean group - all socially distanced
10am Wednesday, 4 August
10am Wednesday, 1 September

Every 1st Wednesday of the month (normally!). Everybody is welcome to join us – meet at the tree outside the rear door of the village hall.

Click here for the history of 3Cs

A £1,000 grant and marquee for the village!

Fantastic news

A massive thank you to Monica for spotting the opportunity to apply to Glamorgan Voluntary Services (GVS) for a grant towards the cost of a marquee for the village

The application has been approved and the funds of £1,000 have been received – and the village now has a marquee (and it is massive)!!!!

Neil Warnock and Terry Dennis (mainly Neil) researched the specification for a marquee for the village

We plumped for 6mx12m with heavy duty material and an opportunity to purchase one was approved by the Forum

As well as the thanks to Monica and Neil, more thanks are due to Charlie, Kevin and Jayne who helped to erect (and then immediately dismantle) the marquee to ensure all the bits and pieces were there

St Hilary 900 Medieval Day Group Photo

We have come across this wonderful photograph of the Medieval Day in 1990 - click here for the full story of St Hilary 900 (and a larger image)

Bulbs and plants for the village

Jayne Warnock and Clare Green are developing a plan for the planting of bulbs in the autumn – more details in due course

Picnic bench update

Caroline Neudegg is leading the project for a picnic bench for the village which is close to fruition

Ewart Schofield and Stephen Craddock have offered to help with the construction of the table and the base respectively

St Hilary Foragers' Produce Market - Sunday 26 September

SAVE THE DATE
Sunday 26 September 2021
12 noon - 3pm St Hilary Village

It’s that time of year again when we are out and about foraging and accepting offers of surplus fruits and vegetables from friends and neighbours.  So if you have any surplus apples, gooseberries, rhubarb, plums, blackcurrants, damsons, raspberries, vegetables, etc over the next couple of months please contact Monica 07811 159800 or Caroline 07967 976076 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Save the date! Winter's Eve 2021 - Sunday 5 December

Yes – it’s coming back

Winter’s Eve will be held on Sunday 5 December

Hopefully, we will able to hold performances in the Hall and children’s activities in the Church – and build in some favourites from last year, such as Carols Round the Village, Festive Homes, the Xmas Trail, 12 Days of Christmas and much much more!

Trees in the village and the Vale

Here is some really useful, interesting and important information about trees in the vicinity of St Hilary which was posted recently on Facebook by Ewart Schofield of ESA Treecare.

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Walks and strolls

The walks and strolls section of the website includes:

• The 10 core circular walks from St Hilary ranging from gentle strolls (1 to 2 miles) to monster expeditions (over 10 miles)
• 4 different routes to Cowbridge, which can be combined for circular routes
• Strolling over The Clump for a takeaway coffee at Stalling Café or round the Garn or to Beaupre Castle

Foodbank donations

Lynn and Bruce Rankin are collecting food donations on behalf of the Cardiff Vineyard church in Cardiff. The food will be distributed to those in desperate need. Examples include tinned soup, tinned tomatoes, baked beans, instant coffee, rice, pasta, UHT milk, cereal, biscuits – but no fresh items

Please leave donations with Lynn and Bruce at Hendre in a box in their carport (on the right about 100 yards past the phone box on the lane towards Llantrithyd – here’s the link to the map of village houses)

Map of the village with house names

Click on this link for a pdf file of a map of the location of houses in the village - useful if you need to provide directions to family, friends or delivery van drivers. There are two pages: the first is of houses in the centre of the village, the second is of outlying houses.

Click here to see the two maps on this page