Historical Whitchurch – September meeting

The advertised speaker for the September meeting was unable to attend due to ill health. At the last minute, Nigel Lewis, the husband of one of our members, stepped in to talk to us about interesting facts about Whitchurch.

Nigel started a blog during Covid, called '101 things you do not know about Whitchurch'. These are now being turned into books and he had the first of them with him for sale. The books are illustrated with Nigel's delightful sketches. He did not cover all 101 items in his talk, but included many interesting snippets about Whitchurch in Victorian times.

Approximately 400 people lived in Whitchurch during this period, very few of whom were well-to-do. Most were poor, working class people. The posh people lived in a grand house on the site of what is now Whitchurch Hospital. At that time, houses had no electricity and running water. It was the children's job to collect water from streams and the village pump. Where Domino's Pizza outlet is currently in the village, was a farm in the Victorian period. In the place of Coffee Lab, in the upper part of the village, were a group of thatched cottages. One in four children under the age of four died. But if a child survived to four years old they enjoyed the prospect of a long and healthy life. There was a school with 75 pupils on the register. In 1855, however, a new school was established. Parents paid 10d for each child to attend. Although most people spoke Welsh at that time, schooling was in English and the use of Welsh was not allowed.

Boys and girls worked at Melin Gryffydd, and boys might start in the coal mine as young as eight years old. They had no clocks. They simply rose at dawn and went to bed at sunset. Families lived in tiny cottages even though their household might include large extended families, with grandparents, aunts and uncles living with them. Sometimes a cottage might be shared on a shift system - being used by one family for one working shift, and for another family during the next working shift. Most clothing was homemade, and children lived in hand-me-downs. Families would grow their own vegetables, and might keep chickens or rabbits. Some families would share a pig.

Nigel presented a most interesting talk, and we were very grateful to him for stepping in a such short notice. 

Eglwys Newydd Hanesyddol – cyfarfod mis Medi

Nid oedd y siaradwr a hysbysebwyd ar gyfer cyfarfod mis Medi yn gallu mynychu oherwydd afiechyd. Ar y funud olaf, camodd Nigel Lewis, gŵr un o'n haelodau, i mewn i siarad â ni am ffeithiau diddorol am Eglwys Newydd.

Dechreuodd Nigel flog yn ystod Covid, o'r enw '101 peth nad ydych chi'n eu gwybod am Whitchurch'. Mae'r rhain bellach yn cael eu troi'n lyfrau ac roedd ganddo'r cyntaf ohonynt gydag ef i'w gwerthu. Mae'r llyfrau wedi'u darlunio â brasluniau hyfryd Nigel. Ni wnaeth gynnwys pob un o'r 101 eitem yn ei sgwrs, ond cynhwysodd lawer o ddarnau diddorol am Eglwys Newydd yn oes Fictoria.

Roedd tua 400 o bobl yn byw yn Eglwys Newydd yn ystod y cyfnod hwn, ac ychydig iawn ohonynt oedd yn gyfoethog. Pobl dlawd o'r dosbarth gweithiol oedd y rhan fwyaf. Roedd y bobl cyfoethog yn byw mewn tŷ mawreddog ar safle Ysbyty Eglwys Newydd heddiw. Bryd hynny, nid oedd gan dai drydan na dŵr rhedegog. Gwaith y plant oedd casglu dŵr o nentydd a phwmp y pentref. Lle mae siop Domino's Pizza yn y pentref ar hyn o bryd, roedd fferm yn y cyfnod Fictoraidd. Yn lle Coffee Lab, yn rhan uchaf y pentref, roedd grŵp o fythynnod gwellt. Byddai un o bob pedwar plentyn o dan bedair oed yn marw. Ond os byddai plentyn yn goroesi i bedair oed, byddai'n mwynhau'r posibilrwydd o fywyd hir ac iach. Roedd ysgol gyda 75 o ddisgyblion ar y gofrestr. Ym 1855, fodd bynnag, sefydlwyd ysgol newydd. Byddai rhieni'n talu 10d am bob plentyn i fynychu. Er bod y rhan fwyaf o bobl yn siarad Cymraeg bryd hynny, roedd addysg yn Saesneg ac ni chaniatawyd defnyddio'r Gymraeg.

Roedd bechgyn a merched yn gweithio ym Melin Gryffydd, a gallai bechgyn ddechrau yn y pwll glo mor ifanc ag wyth oed. Nid oedd ganddyn nhw glociau. Roedden nhw'n codi gyda'r wawr ac yn mynd i'r gwely gyda'r machlud. Roedd teuluoedd yn byw mewn bythynnod bach er y gallai eu cartref gynnwys teuluoedd estynedig mawr, gyda neiniau a theidiau, modrybedd ac ewythrod yn byw gyda nhw. Weithiau gellid rhannu bwthyn ar system sifftiau - yn cael ei ddefnyddio gan un teulu ar gyfer un sifft waith, ac ar gyfer teulu arall yn ystod y sifft waith nesaf. Roedd y rhan fwyaf o'r dillad wedi'u gwneud gartref, ac roedd plant yn gwisgo dillad llaw-fi-lawr. Byddai teuluoedd yn tyfu eu llysiau eu hunain, ac efallai'n cadw ieir neu gwningod. Byddai rhai teuluoedd yn rhannu mochyn.

Cyflwynodd Nigel sgwrs ddiddorol iawn, ac roeddem yn ddiolchgar iawn iddo am ymyrryd ar mor fyr rybudd.

Newsletter – September 2026

Have you had a wonderful summer break? Did you enjoy the heat? Some people found it a bit too hot, but the sun-lovers should be well satisfied. 

Welcome back to Whitchurch WI with a full programme up till July 2027. 

We are very sad to report the recent passing of Jean Bendoui, a longstanding member of our WI. She had been unwell for several years, but still attended our meetings whenever she could. 

May we remind members that we are in need of a new treasurer. Our WI is not allowed to continue without a treasurer and will simply be closed in May if no one comes forward to take over the role. 

September 14th meeting: 

The speaker is Ted Richards who will be talking to us about 'Captain Scott'. 

Events:   

The trip to Duffryn Gardens to view the costumes from the recent television production, 'The Other Bennett Sister', was a great success. 

A trip is proposed to the RWCMD to see 'Christmas on Broadway'. It will be on Friday 11th December at 2 pm. Tickets are £23. Sandra can reserve 20 tickets but only has a week to confirm that number. So to guarantee a place, please pay the full amount at the September meeting, or at least half and the rest by 21st September. There will be a tick list at the meeting. 

The Bus Pass Group is back! There will be a trip to Penarth on Friday 25th September. Meet at Cardiff bus station at 10:30. 

Our charity: 

Please remember to bring your Smartie Tube' filled with cash to the September meeting. This is a major fundraiser for our charity, Parkinsons UK Cymru. If you forget in September, please bring it to the October meeting at the latest. Thank you. 

The committee has decided not to take a stall at the Christmas Fair at Ararat this year. Instead, we will have a Bring and Buy sale at the January meeting. Hang on to those unwanted Christmas presents until then! 

Another way to help raise funds for our charity, is to put a donation in the pot on the refreshments table if you have a drink and a biscuit. We do not ask for a payment for refreshments, but the charity will appreciate a donation. 

Groups: 

    Book Group: Wednesday 16th September / 11.00 am / La Cucina da Mara 

    Family History: 7th September / 2.00 pm / 113 Pantbach Road 

    Poetry and Prose: Monday 28th September / 10.45 am The Ark coffee bar, Ararat
    Topic: favourite poems and poets 

    Craft: Monday 21st September / 2 pm / 18 Heol Stradling 

    St Mary's Gardens: Tuesday 13th October / 10 – 12; this meeting will also be the
    AGM of Friends of St Mary's Gardens over lunch at the Fox and Hounds. 

    Sunday lunch group: 27th September / 1 pm / Butcher's Arms, Rhiwbina 

Following meeting: 

    Monday 12th October; Ararat Church Hall, Whitchurch Common, 2 pm. 

    Speaker: Fauve Birch: 'Sewing, and The Great British Sewing Bee'

Duffryn Gardens

On August 3rd a group of members visited Duffryn Gardens to see the exhibition of the costumes from the BBC production 'The Other Bennet Sister'. It was a small but delightful exhibition. 

July meeting

The July meeting was our summer party. Glenys and Gay reported on events they had attended. Then everyone enjoyed playing Beetle, trying to complete a quiz and eating lovely cake.

Whitchurch Fete – July 4th

The summer fete on Whitchurch Common is one of our primary fundraisers of the year. This year we are collecting for Parkinsons UK Cymru. The weather was glorious—if a little windy at times for the gazebo—and a good number of items had been donated for us to sell. The theme of the stall was 'Anything Welsh'. The Welsh cakes and bara brith sold out quickly and Jenny's daffodils were very popular. We raised £200 for our charity. 

Thank you to everyone who donated an item to sell, and to those who helped on the day.

Brecon Canal Outing – June 2026

 On June 29th about 25 members enjoyed an outing to Brecon. We travelled there in two minibuses, arriving in good time to have a cuppa by the canal before boarding our boat. 

Our afternoon tea was ready and waiting for us on the tables.

We then enjoyed a gentle trip along the canal aboard 'Dragonfly'. The boatman told us not to panic and flap about if we fell overboard – but to just stand up! The water was not very deep!

The trip included navigating one lock, which was an interesting experience.  We then continued a short distance to a turning place. A number of us got off the boat to stand on a little bridge and watch the boatman skilfully manoeuvre the barge. Then it was back through the lock, (it was a bit smelly at the bottom of the lock!) and back to the wharf and the minibuses.

It was a very relaxing and peaceful day and everyone enjoyed it. The weather was lovely. Thank you Sandra for organising it.