Produced by the Friends of Tintern – October 2007
FLU JABS 2007
Tintern Surgery
This year our
sessions will be on:
Friday 9th
November 11.00am – 6.00pm
Saturday 10th
November 8.30am – 12.30pm
in
TINTERN VILLAGE
HALL
No appointment necessary
You can park in the Village Hall car park
Flu vaccination is available to any of our registered patients free of
charge.
Vaccination is advised if you are over 65 or if you suffer from:
Diabetes
Heart Disease
Lung Disease
(including asthma)
Kidney disease
_________________________
Parva Farm Vineyard Celebrates a Decade of Welsh Wine
Colin
and Judith Dudley bought Parva Farm at Tintern in the Wye Valley ten years ago.
With the farm was a derelict vineyard, which they decided to try to renovate.
1997 was their first harvest, which yielded 65 kilos of grapes, making 56
bottles of wine. After four years of hard work clearing the vines of weeds and
replacing fallen stakes, in 2001 they picked 5 tonnes of grapes – approximately
4500 bottles of wine!
They’ve
had their ups and downs since then but several good summers have produced good
crops and some very good wines too.
To
celebrate their tenth anniversary at Parva Farm, the Dudley’s have released a
sparkling rose wine, made with their Pinot Noir grapes. To add icing to the
cake, this wine has just been awarded a bronze medal at the South West
Vineyards Association Competition held at Pebblebed Vineyard in Devon.
Other
awards gained this year include a bronze for their red “ Ty Coch “ wine and a
highly commended for their “ Bacchus 2005 “ dry white in the same competition.
Their rose “Bwythyn Rhosyn “ and “ Bacchus 2006 “ also gained bronze medals in
the U.K. Wine of the Year Competition held in June, which makes these wines
amongst the best in the country.
These
wines and more are available from their shop at Parva Farm Vineyard which is
open every day 10.30 – 6.30pm. A great way to Celebrate! (JD)
I
have followed, with interest, the published views of Tintern residents about
the proposed TAP scheme in the Angiddy valley. Most have been considered and
sincere, but some appear to have the undisguised objective of igniting
pointless controversy.
I
find myself puzzled and dismayed by it all. After the flooding in 1993, the
lower Angiddy valley was restructured and the riverbed cleaned and cleared.
Instead of excavating and disturbing much of the Angiddy valley, why not
re-instate the mill race near Abbey Mill, install a turbine in it, and thus
combine modern engineering with the old technology which played such an
important part in Tintern’s history?
Our
village would gain from the electricity generated, there would be minimal
environmental disturbance, and the turbine could become a minor tourist
attraction. Best of all, perhaps we shall all be able to sleep peacefully in
our beds again.
Ray Flashman.
The Friends of
Tintern Committee.
Following
a meeting of the Friends of Tintern Committee on the 3rd September
2007 it has reluctantly been decided that the Christmas Party for the over 65’s
will not be held in 2007. This decision has been brought about by a lack of
funds available to the committee following reduced support from residents
within Tintern to our fund raising events.
It
can be announced that both the Christmas Lights, costing in the region of
£2000.00p per year following a change in both law and charging, will go ahead,
as will the monthly Newsletter. You will see from the level of costs that any
donations or support for our activities will be greatly appreciated and probably
will be imperative if both the Lights and Newsletter are to continue.
If you would like to sponsor a Christmas light, from £5.00, to make a donation or to offer help in fund-raising for Friends of Tintern, please contact Sue Ball on 01291-689629 (TP)
Friends of Tintern
– Car Boot Sale
Our thanks
go to Sue Ball for organising and manning our stand at the Car Boot Sale over
the Bank Holiday Weekend – proceeds towards the Christmas Lights. Also thanks
to Ruby and Daisy who with a combined age of 161 years managed to assist Sue
over the two days – I do not suppose the younger ones could stand the pace or
get up early enough to attend but perhaps I’m wrong? (TP)
Tintern Village Hall and
Recreation Centre – Honorary Treasurer
A
vacancy has arisen on the Village Hall Committee for the post of Hon.Treasurer
following the resignation of Mr. M. Woodruff after many years service at the
last meeting of the Committee. If you
would be interested in offering your services to the committee in this way,
please contact either Mr. Ken. Haynes 01291 689588, or Mr. Adam Parker 01291
689552 for more information, or come to the next Committee Meeting on Tuesday
16th October at 7.30pm in the Village Hall.
The talk by Henry Hodges on “Hidden Chepstow” was enjoyed by all. Mr Hodges has a tremendous depth of knowledge of local history and we all learned something new about Chepstow.
The next meeting on Monday 15th October at 2.00pm in the Village Hall will be completely different. We are going to have a talk on belly dancing followed by all members getting up to have a go! Members are asked to bring a long flimsy scarf to help the dancing along. This should be an interesting afternoon. Come along to join us if belly dancing appeals to you.
Seven
members visited the Nurtons garden in Tintern for the September meeting. It was a pity that so few could go (many were
away on holiday) because it was a very enjoyable evening and the members were
made very welcome. We hope that more
members will be able to come to the October meeting on Friday 19th
at 7.30pm in the Village Hall. Mr
Chirnside will be giving a talk on “Bees and Candlemaking”. There will be a competition for the best
decorated pumpkin. Even if you are not a member of the VPA and are interested
in this subject do come to the meeting you will be made very welcome.
Beloved wife of Brian Shaw,
Daughter of Arthur and Merlyn Ball,
Mother of Lynette, Adrian, Michelle, Graham, Craig, Ian, Paul and Terrina,
Sister to Randolph, David and Peter Ball,
Grandmother to 23 children
Great Grandmother to 3 children.
The service was held at the Bethel Pentecostal chapel, that she attended all her life.
“The sun shone that day”
Words cannot say how much we all miss and love her. She will always be in our hearts.
June fought her illness over the last seven months with dignity and bravery, how she dealt with this illness, was an inspiration to us all.
She was very content in life and her enjoyment was her family (knitting, Chapel) and she could give a different perspective on a way of looking at a situation.
She always provided us with everything we needed. Due to her generous nature we had great holidays, trips away and she gave us great memories to treasure.
She was always there to look after the grandchildren and generally help and support everyone.
I would like to thank everyone for their cards and well wishes that were sent to her in hospital, they were greatly appreciated by mum (June) and also for the cards, thoughts and prayers we have had off everybody.
Thank You
Craig Shaw
A new song at Tintern Abbey
‘Sing
a new song to the Lord,” runs the familiar psalm. So they did last Sunday at Tintern, but it
was also a unique coming together of the new and the old.
The
September ecumenical Vespers service, begun in the millennium year, has grown
to become a fixture in the calendar, drawing a congregation of up to 500. This year more than 700 people packed the
Abbey full from end to end.
The
reason was probably the extra dimension of the service – which was certainly
something to sing about. For this great
crowd would witness the dedication of the statue, completed last week by the
Sculptor Philip Chatfield, to re-work the 13th century original so
much damaged during the 16th century Dissolution and its aftermath.
As
usual the opening procession of clergy and religious into the Abbey church
numbered both Catholics (led by Archbishop Peter Smith of Cardiff) and the
Church in Wales (Bishop Dominic Walker of Monmouth) and included the parish
priests of the area in which the Abbey lies, as well as the Methodist
Prebendary Norman Wallwork (representing also the Ecumenical Society of the
Blessed Virgin Mary).
The
only Cistercian monk able to be present was Fr Peter Claver Craddy OCSO: it was
moving to see him carry the processional cross through the Abbey founded here
by his Order in 1131.
The
singing was led by Anglican Sisters from the Monmouth Tymawr Convent (Society
of the Sacred Cross), backed up by monks from the RC Belmont Abbey in Hereford
and the ‘mixed’ community (both monks and nuns) of the Anglican Benedictines in
Burford, whose Abbot, Br Stuart Burns OSB, preached the address.
The
reader, and also the leader of prayers during the service were both local
people, one a Methodist, the other a Moravian; and the congregation included
Baptists and doubtless other denominations too.
An
interpreter was there to sign for some of the hearing-impaired, and it was a
joy to see that several wheelchairs had managed to negotiate the difficult lie
of the land around the Abbey’s precincts; as well as to have a colourful group
of medieval re-enactment enthusiasts in costume, who had walked up to the
service on a mini-pilgrimage from the little church at Tintern Parva.
Meanwhile
the sculptor himself, who has been such a visible presence at the Abbey over
recent months, stood quietly among the huge congregation, to look with them at
his outstandingly beautiful work, seen against the backdrop of the magnificent
Gothic architecture. This was truly his
labour of love, now entrusted to the care of the Friends of Our Lady of Tintern
and of Cadw, who have still to identify the safest and most suitable site for
her permanent abode.
“Truly
prayerful”, “truly uplifting’ and “this is
the way forward for ecumenical worship” were some of the comments after the
service.
As
the chanting of the psalms rose serenely amid the great pillars and arches of
the ruined Abbey, so many eyes fastened upon the delicate stone figure of a
simple Jewish woman of supreme faith, lovingly holding her young Child on her
arm for all to see. Only a low rope
barrier separated her from the congregation, and the most moving moment of the
service came when that space was crossed for the prayer of dedication made
jointly by Archbishop Peter Smith and Bishop Dominic Walker.
Fragrant
incense – a gift from an Orthodox monastery for the service – tinged the air as
a simple anthem was sung by two voices and the statue was sprinkled with
blessed water, before a little line of children from local parishes came to lay
posies of flowers at Our lady’s feet.
Then
came the singing by everyone of the ‘Salve Regina’, the concluding blessing,
and the Abbey echoed again to a joyful closing hymn as the clergy procession
moved out, followed by the colourful ‘Medieval pilgrims’.
Some
people then joined a long queue to see the statue at closer quarters, singing
hymns as they filed passed. Others went
outside and were glimpsed sitting on the grass giving their hungry and thirsty
children an impromptu picnic, while yet more went across to the village Hall
for a cup of tea and the chance to purchase some attractive times on sale as
momentos of the day and to swell the statue project funds.
The
Abbot spoke in his address of the enormous need in our times for people to find
quiet and peace. Without some measure of
these we cannot live lives of integrity and poise, without which we are often
lost, in turmoil, buffeted by events seemingly outside our control.
There
is a hunger for God, manifest outside the churches as much as in them. The
message of St Benedict is the same as the message of Mary the Mother of Jesus:
‘Listen’. Listen, patiently,
perseveringly, trustingly, alone or with others. Learn to recognise the many
ways in which God’s reassurance or prompting can come to us – and then do what
He, in your inmost heart, leads you to do.
This
is what the first Friends of Our lady of Tintern tried to do, when the idea of
the statue project came to them. It has
borne amazing fruit and it is ongoing.
It seems clear that the carving of the new statue is only a beginning.
At
the service a direct invitation was made for anyone interest to join them to
make contact. You can find out more by
asking for an open letter they issued at the service (soon to be available
together with the Abbot’s homily, on their website: www.ourladyoftintern.co.uk) and
you might like to see an illustrated order form showing items for sale many of
which depict the new statue.
The
surviving pieces of the ancient statue are authoritatively said to be a great
rarity, thought to be the only such survival in southern Britain. They are something of which the local area
can be very proud of indeed.
Friends
of Our Lady of Tintern
9
Lilac Drive, Monmouth, NP25 5DY.
info@ourladyoftintern.co.uk
Friday
26th October – 20.50 – 7.9m
Saturday
27th October – 21.34 – 7.9m
Cleaning
Rota - fortnight beginning:
8th
October Tintern W I
22nd
October Hermione Ford
5th
November Jude Spooner
19th
November Trudy and
Nine Phelps
3rd
December Ann and Barry
Richardson
17th
December Elspeth and Karen
31st
December Janet, Sue and
Barbara
Happy Birthday – 2nd October – Tim Ball
also on 2nd October 2007 Happy 18th Birthday to Kimberley Morgan (daughter of Geoff and Liz.)
11th
October 2007: Happy 1st Birthday Evan
All our love from Canada
Auntie Robyn, Uncle Darren and Owen
Thursday
4th October Tintern Angiddy Project Meeting – 6pm ‘til 8pm – Village
Hall
Wednesday
10th October - Bingo at the Anchor - 7.30pm
Monday
15th October – Tintern WI – 2.00pm – Village Hall
Monday
15th October – Friends of Tintern Meeting – 7.30pm Royal George
Hotel
Tuesday
16th October – Village Hall Committee – 7.30pm
Friday
19th October – Tintern VPA – 7.30pm – Village Hall
Friday 9th
November – 11.00 – 6.00pm – Flu Jabs – Village Hall
Saturday
10th November 8.30am – 12.30pm – Flu Jabs – Village Hall
Sunday
25th November – Race Night – for all the family at the Anchor from
7.30pm
Monday 10th December - Annual Candlelit Service at Tintern Abbey
Events at the Vineyard include:
Weekends during December – Nativity with live animals
If you wish to book the village hall please ring 07512
856024 or email: Tintern.hall@yahoo.co.uk.
Please note the following: Bookings need to be made at least 7 days in advance.
Payment will need to be made in advance except for regular users.
Tintern Youth Club
The
Youth Club is open every Wednesday from 6:30 until 8:00 for everybody aged
between 8 to 13 and costs only 50p per week and is held at the Village Hall.
New equipment will be available soon.
Please
come along or contact Dawn on 689705 or at Tintern Antiques
24th
October – rescheduled date for the
Fashion Show.
Sunday
11th November – Remembrance Day Service with Monmouth Band
Saturday
17th November – Race Night
Friday
23rd December – Christmas Carol Service with Monmouth Band
Coffee
Mornings held on the third Tuesday of each month at 10.30 a.m. All
welcome.
Whist Drives on Friday 30th November, Friday 14th and 28th December.
For
details on all events or to hire the hall contact Rosemary Stephens on
01600-860451
The
Tintern News is delivered to approximately 250 houses in Tintern. If you would like to advertise something in
the News the current rates is £5.00 for a small ad./half a page, and £10.00 for
a full page (per month). Please send
items to the editor at the address below with full contact details.
Items
for the Newsletter – dates for the November 2007 edition
Items for the Tintern Newsletter can be sent by email to andrew.elspeth@virgin.net
delivered to Wye Barn, Tintern, or tel 01291 689456 or to Jackie Langdon of 5
Park Glade, Tintern, telephone 01291 689782 e-mail address: jackie.langdon@tiscali.co.uk
Items for the November edition
of the Newsletter should be received by Friday 26th October, 2007.
The
Tintern News is a vehicle for the expression of opinion by all members of the
Tintern community. While it does not necessarily endorse the views of any
particular contributors, it does wholeheartedly support the promotion of lively
debate on the development of the village and of freedom of speech in general.
However, it will reserve the right to edit any contributions in order to
preserve moderation and a spirit of good intent in the presentation of
arguments. Thoughts from everyone in our community will continue to be very
welcome. ER