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News From The Vale
We’ll bring you stories from all across the Vale over forthcoming issues. Here’s a few stories we thought you may find interesting. |
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WICK
Olympic heroine brings gold back home
Nicole Cooke, Britain’s 200th Olympic Gold medallist was given a rapturous welcome back to the village where she has lived virtually all her life. A small Welsh community put on the warmth and style very few other places in the world could match, as a massive crowd turned out in the tiny village to welcome the ‘Golden Girl’ back to her roots.
“I just could not imagine that there would be so many people here,” Nicole said. “This is fantastic, there are my teachers from primary school, the play school leader and just so many friends neighbours and family, even the postman is here. This is just absolutely fantastic, I’m so proud to be part of such a great community.”
Just days after crossing the line of a gruelling race held in atrocious conditions to snatch the first gold medal that kick started Team GB’s medal bonanza, the good people of Wick proudly erected signs on the roads into their village proclaiming to everyone ‘You are entering Wick, the home of Britain’s golden cyclist.’ By the time of her return further signs were added stating ‘Welcome home our golden girl.’
To mark her return to Wick, which boasts a total population of only 694, the village held a festival of celebration and a crowd of several times that turned out to shout their greetings. There was an afternoon of fun and festivities laid on which started with a triumphant open top bus tour of the surrounding area, where it seemed every house was bedecked with bunting or flags. The bus was preceded by a cavalcade of cyclists. Local Bridgend club – the Ogmore Valley Wheelers was very well represented with dozens of its members proudly cycling at the head of the group.
Cyclists had come from as far afield as Rhos on Sea in North Wales and High Wycombe. There were representatives of virtually all South Wales clubs. Cardiff Ajax club member Steve Cottrell said, “I remember competing against Nicole when she was far younger. Even when she rode club 10 mile time trials at 13 or 14, you could see how determined she was. I went abroad to see a famous one day classic, the Fleche Waloon, in the first year she turned professional when she was 18. She did not win it that year, I think she was sixth or seventh, but the finish is on a very steep hill called the ‘wall’. I have never seen anyone trying so hard to give absolutely everything as Nicole did. She was trying far harder than the riders that beat her that day and I knew she would win it when she was older.
The next year she became the youngest ever winner of that famous race. It was great to see her win the Olympic Road Race and it is great to be here to celebrate her return to Wick. She is so determined and yet so down to earth”.
Supporting the event were teams from both the Vale of Glamorgan and Bridgend County Borough. Andrew Thomas of Bridgend County Borough Council Sports Development Unit stated, “We are so proud to be here supporting Nicole’s homecoming. Nicole participated in many of our sports programmes when she was younger and it was always a delight to work with her. She took part in Gymnastics and Athletics programmes and to see her move onto become Olympic Champion from being ‘Bridgend young sportsperson of the year’ is fantastic. This gives the ultimate proof to the message we are trying to get across to the youngsters of the borough, that with hard work and dedication, anything is possible.”
Nicole enjoyed the open topped bus journey that took her along the route she cycled to Brynteg so many times. “It was different seeing it from high up and it was fantastic to see people out in their gardens with all the flags flying and tables with wine out, celebrating.”
Ira Collins, Judy Geraghty and Helen Duggan were teachers of Nicole who represented Brynteg School. “We were delighted to represent the school at the celebrations. Nicole was a delightful pupil, always most pleasant and polite and the absolute model in terms of her work. The school is so proud of what she has achieved,” stated Ira.
“It was great seeing so many of my teachers from Play scheme, Wick School, Brynteg,” said Nicole. “I have such happy memories of all my time growing up. They were all fantastic to me, they worked so hard for the pupils in their care... they were the best! For example, when I knew I wanted to live on the continent I needed to speak French really well. Mrs Debbie Walsh gave up her lunchtimes to help me become fluent. I saw three of them in their car from the top of the bus and we just screamed at each other. Look at it here today – so many happy people, they have put on great food, great fun events for the kids, this is just such a great place to live, I’m so proud to be part of such a great community.”
Pauline Thomas and Carolyn Jenkins were a vital part of the organising group that put on the event. “We did not have much time to get it all organised but everyone in the village worked together,” said Pauline. “We have been baking cakes, cooking food and blowing up special golden balloons to make sure we had the best day possible. The spirit has been fantastic.”
Nicole was accompanied on the bus by Heather March the Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Glamorgan and the Mayor of Llantwit Major, Councillor Molly Lane. At her reception in the village Jane Hutt AM Minister for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills made a very good speech welcoming Nicole back to the community and urging youngsters of the Borough to have confidence in their dreams and aspirations. John Pritchard BEM from Tondu, spoke about Nicole’s cycling achievements. John stated that Nicole had undergone surgery on her knee after serious crashes and that it is always very hard to comeback from serious injury and regain top form but that Nicole had shown great strength of character. Her career had ups and downs but now she had capped it with wining the longest and hardest event of any at the Olympic Games, a race that was nearly one hour longer than the marathon and conducted in appalling conditions. John represented Wales at four Commonwealth Games and was team Captain on one occasion.
The local Brownies who had formed a guard of honour from the bus, then presented Nicole with a fabulous bouquet of flowers.
Welsh Athletics and Welsh Cycling ran stands and events for children. Displays were put on by the Bridgend Bears, cheerleading group, the Pencoed Boys Gymnastic Team and the Pencoed Tang Soo Do Club.
“The food that the village has put on is just great - so many people must have worked so hard to get this altogether in such a short period of time. The village looks so pretty. The displays by the youngsters are great and there is even a fantastic water slide which I definitely want to have a go on! It is fantastic to see people having so much fun,” said Nicole, who does not appear to have stopped smiling since she crossed the line in Beijing.
Later, the Community of Wick asked Nicole to unveil a plaque they intend to place on the Memorial Village Hall. This is an update to the one they have already placed there and records the fact that Nicole is the first ever Welsh woman to win an individual gold medal at the Olympics.
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VALEWIDE
New website brings artists to buyers
A new website has been launched to give national and international presence to a select group of the UK’s experienced and proven artists (including Dale Devereux Barker, Stuart Asher, Sandra Orme, Niall Hennessy, Sheilagh Jeavons, Clive Gould, David Morgan, Nat Young, Bob Henfry and John Playfoot).
Real-artists.com aims to give more global selling power to a number of artists who, often due to regional inaccessibility, do not have the wider presence that their work warrants. The site has been created by art collectors David Playfoot and Paul Smith.
“Real-artists.com is about connecting art buyers to a handpicked group of artists from a variety of mediums,” says David Playfoot. “All works are high quality originals or limited edition prints that can be viewed easily, at home, at leisure, with confidence, with knowledge and with the security of a full money back guarantee. It’s a way of highlighting some of the UK’s best to a wider market of interested and experienced buyers.”
Clive Gould from Cowbridge is just one of the artists featured on real-artists.com. You may remember Clive from last Autumn’s issue and his gorgeous paintings and sculptures inspired by the Heritage Coast.
Every artist featured on real-artists.com has gained repute and some have exhibited internationally, but to date several have had minimal marketing presence. The website includes detailed information about each piece of art and each individual artist including an explanation of each work displayed by its creator.
All work is clearly indicated and guaranteed as either original work or a limited edition print and all are exclusively available through the website and are not also for sale privately or through a studio or gallery.
Buyers have the chance to sort by artist, by medium, or by price with mediums ranging from acrylic, pastel and mixed media to glass, enamel and bronze. Prices run from £350 to £3,000. Buyers can also select to have their purchase delivered or to collect it directly from the artist enabling face-to-face opportunities with the artist as well as avoiding the cost of postage and packing.
“Real-artists.com brings you a comprehensive collection of some of Britain’s best artists of today at the most competitive prices and with the reassurance that if your purchase is not absolutely right, then you can return it for a full refund,” says David Playfoot. “Our aim is to make real-artists.com the most reliable, risk-free route to reputable art possible.”
| For further information and to see examples of the artists featured please visit www.real-artists.com |
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WORLDWIDE
Local poet receives critical acclaim
We recently featured the poem Departed Spirit and received many emails and calls saying how well it had been received by readers. We are delighted to announce that Philip Jenkins has recently received a Crystal Award for his poetry from the United States.
His work has just been published in the United States in an Anthology it has also been put onto a set of CD’s. It was chosen as one of 33 from millions of entries worldwide. It has also been chosen from over 22,000 entries to be included in an Anthology to be printed in the UK. In a letter received recently from Noble House Publishers in New York, Philip has learned that his poetry has been chosen from millions of poems they have read and edited worldwide to go into an Anthology which will have worldwide distribution in Spring 2009, a copy of which will be lodged in the British Library National Archive.
Philip has also just become a Distinguished Member of The International Society of Poets.
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VALEWIDE
Help put a lifesaver in every home
Fifteen-year-old Gareth Farrow from Aberystwyth, was out kayaking with his friend Joe, who became trapped on a rock in the middle of a weir. Water began pouring into Joe’s boat and he could not free himself.
Gareth performed underwater rescue breaths to keep his friend alive until he eventually managed to pull Joe free. It wasn’t just quick thinking and the ability to stay calm that turned Gareth into a lifesaver. He knew what to do because he had recently been trained in first aid by St John Cymru Wales. We believe that training young people is the best way to ensure there is always first aid for people in need.
A gift in your Will can help to:
■ Train more individuals in first aid
■ Attend more community events
■ Provide more personal development programmes for young people
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PORTHCAWL
St John’s School in Porthcawl
We’d all like to give our children the best start in life and what better start than a private school providing the best academic achievements in a caring environment.
We spoke to Carol Clint the Headmistress of St. John’s School in Porthcawl about what the school has to offer boys and girls aged between two and a half to sixteen years of age.
Carol says, “St John’s School provides an excellent education for boys and girls aged two and a half to sixteen. We empower pupils to achieve their individual potential while teaching them to respect personal, moral and religious values.
St John’s School has a strong family atmosphere in which each and every pupil feels cared for and supported, as great emphasis is placed on pastoral care. Our small classes enable the children to be educated and motivated individually. The staff are fully committed and are generous with their time.
Our GCSE results have consistently been amongst the best in Wales, with 100% of pupils achieving five or more A* to C grades for the last six years in a row. These results easily exceed county and national results.”
As well as excellent academic resultswhere pupils have exceeded their own expectations in many cases- the school traditionally offers an exceptional range of activities for its size. Art, drama, music and sport play large parts in the life of the school and all pupils have the opportunity to participate in performances and teams.
Some pupils live locally in Porthcawl, Newton and Nottage but many also come from further afield, such as Neath, Swansea, Bridgend, Maesteg, Cowbridge and the Vale. Whilst parents do drive their children, all these areas are served by our minibuses that are driven by our own staff. They collect children in the mornings and drop them back in the late afternoon at set stops along the routes.
Carol summed up St John’s ethos by saying, “What sets us apart from other schools is our unique family ethos and the attention and care given to every individual child and parent. Visitors to the school are always impressed by our pupils and by the friendliness of all the different teams of staff who help in the running of our community. They often remark on how they can sense the atmosphere in which our children are happy and purposeful in their learning.”
And having visiting the school myself, I can honestly say that the minute I walked through the gate, a sense of calm descended and I knew I was in a very special place.
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WENVOE
Hunter Trials attendance sets record
The recently held Hunter Trials at Alps Park, Wenvoe were a huge success with amazing support and catering girls having to be sent out for extra provisions four times!
In the senior open, Hunt Master Martyn Edwards had four horses. The day was made up when David Broom and his sons turned up for the open, prior to heading for the Horse of Year Show but, disappointingly, were not placed. Even Brychan Llyr one of Wales’ stars from S4C and BBC's Against the Odds took a place. The open had a great atmosphere, with Jayne James (nee Case), BBC Wales’ longest serving news presenter, Mrs Fiona Martyn, HSBC Regional PR manager John Lloyd Jones and the BBC's Coal House family from the last series presenting the trophies which, ended up being handed out in virtual darkness!
The main open of the day was won by local student Ross Gibbon. It was a long day with many of the hunt members and supporters working at least twelve hours on the day and their support was really appreciated by all. The event was pretty much incident free, which was a great relief given the inherent dangers of hunter trial.
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FONMON
Vale Show brings out the crowds
The skies may have been overcast but it was sunshine all around in the Vale Life marquee.
Andy and Peter from Hamptons arrived at the crack of dawn (well almost) and got to work transforming our wonderful marquee from County Marquees into an African hideaway. With cream carpets throughout the only thing for guests to do was kick off their shoes and wellies, enjoy a glass of bubbly and tuck into our buffet table laden with various Welsh patés, cheeses and exotic fruits supplied by the ever fantastic Farthings Deli of Cowbridge.
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