A trip to the Royal Mint

 On March 20th, 25 members enjoyed an afternoon trip to the Royal Mint in Llantrisant.

The Mint's website states:  

"With a history spanning more than 1,100 years, The Royal Mint is a British maker of thoughtfully designed products and services. We make original coin collections and gifts to celebrate special moments, and offer eye-opening experiences, investment opportunities and produce currency for the UK."

Tom, the young man who guided us on the tour, was extremely knowledgeable and a most pleasant and friendly host. Understandably, photography was not permitted inside the Mint, but we were shown the various machines used in the minting process and given fascinating details about the history of the Mint.

In the foyer was a mini and a model of Grommet embossed with coins.

The tour ended with a small museum area, and a shop.

A purser's bag, rescued from a sunken ship and renovated. 

Everyone agreed that it was an enjoyable and interesting visit.

Kelmscott Manor

32 members enjoyed a trip to Kelmscott Manor, the former home of Williams Morris and his family.  First there was a stop at a nearby garden centre allowing time to browse and also have some lunch.  Then tea and biscuits on arrival at the Manor, along with a short talk giving some background on William Morris’ connection to it. We were then split into 3 groups, each with a guide, to have a tour of the house and see some of the collection housed there. It was a long but enjoyable day.

Report by Liz Jervis

Wye Valley trip – 2024-06-11 – Taith Dyffryn Gwy

report by / adroddiad gan Nor'dzin Pamo 

 

Forty-eight stalwart members of Whitchurch WI set off at 9:30 from Ararat Church. 

 

First we travelled to Chepstow to pick up our local guide, Pam. She fed us interesting snippets of information about the area through which were driving, including a slight detour to see Tintern Abbey, and then arriving outside Shire Hall, Monmouth. A coffee break was the first order of the day on arriving in Monmouth and then the group had a relaxed look around the Shire Hall. After this, different groups of people explored Monmouth following their own interests and having lunch.

 

 Cychwynnodd pedwar deg wyth o aelodau selog SyM yr Eglwys Newydd am 9:30 o Eglwys Ararat. Yn gyntaf fe deithion ni i Gas-gwent i nôl ein tywysydd lleol, Pam. Fe wnaeth hi fwydo pytiau diddorol o wybodaeth i ni am yr ardal yr oedd yn gyrru drwyddi, gan gynnwys dargyfeiriad bach i weld Abaty Tyndyrn, ac yna cyrraedd y tu allan i Neuadd y Sir, Trefynwy. Seibiant coffi oedd trefn gyntaf y dydd ar ôl cyrraedd Trefynwy ac yna cafodd y grŵp olwg hamddenol o gwmpas Neuadd y Sir. Ar ôl hyn, bu grwpiau gwahanol o bobl yn crwydro Trefynwy gan ddilyn eu diddordebau eu hunain a chael cinio.

 

I was interested to see the castle and wandered off on my own in that direction. I had been warned by Pam that there was not much left of the castle, and this was indeed the case. 

 

Next to it is the regimental museum on one side and a memorial garden on the other.
The memorial garden is a peaceful spot and I sat on a bench there for a little while enjoying the sunshine and birdsong. Looking at the map I had picked up in Shire Hall, I noticed a footpath from the lane I was in that crossed over the river, across open land, and back round to Minnow Bridge, so I decided to give this a try. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was a lovely walk. At the end of the fields was an area with benches and a pond with ducks, and I sat there to eat my packed lunch. There was then a short walk by a busy road, and a left turn brought me to Minnow Bridge. The walk had not taken as long as anticipated (no distance scale on the map) so I was able to sit by the river next to car park meeting point for half an hour and commune with pigeons and ducks.

 

Roedd gen i ddiddordeb mewn gweld y castell a chrwydrais i ffwrdd ar fy mhen fy hun i'r cyfeiriad hwnnw. Roeddwn wedi cael fy rhybuddio gan Pam nad oedd llawer ar ôl o’r castell, ac roedd hyn yn wir. Wrth ei ymyl mae amgueddfa gatrodol ar un ochr a gardd goffa ar yr ochr arall. Mae’r ardd goffa yn llecyn heddychlon ac eisteddais ar fainc yno am ychydig yn mwynhau’r heulwen a chân yr adar. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wrth edrych ar y map roeddwn i wedi ei godi yn Neuadd y Sir, dwi’n sylwi ar lwybr troed o’r lôn roeddwn i ynddi oedd yn croesi dros yr afon, ar draws tir agored, ac yn ôl rownd at Minnow Bridge, felly penderfynais roi cynnig arni. Roedd yn daith gerdded hyfryd. Ar ddiwedd y caeau roedd ardal gyda meinciau a phwll gyda hwyaid, ac eisteddais yno i fwyta fy mhecyn cinio. Roedd yna daith fer wedyn ar hyd ffordd brysur, a daeth troad i'r chwith â mi i Bont Minnow. Nid oedd y daith gerdded wedi cymryd cymaint o amser ag a ragwelwyd (dim graddfa pellter ar y map) felly roeddwn yn gallu eistedd wrth yr afon wrth ymyl man cyfarfod y maes parcio am hanner awr a commune gyda cholomennod a hwyaid.

 

 

 

It was then time for us all to be back on the coach for a short drive to Symonds Yat West for a boat trip followed by refreshments in the Old Court Hotel. The walk to the boat passed a delightful 13th century church in the parish of St Dubricius. Interestingly—being Whitchurch Cardiff WI—this village is also called Whitchurch.

The steps down to and into the boat were a little tricky, but everyone safely boarded. We were told about how extraordinary flooding in recent years had affected the locality, and of some huge salmon caught in the river by famous fisherwomen. We were accompanied on the boat by a duck who seemed perfectly at home. 

 

 

 

 

Roedd hi’n amser wedyn i ni gyd fod yn ôl ar y bws am daith fer i Symonds Yat West ar gyfer taith cwch gyda lluniaeth i ddilyn yng Ngwesty’r Old Court. Aeth y daith gerdded i’r cwch heibio i eglwys hyfryd o’r 13eg ganrif ym mhlwyf Sant Dubricius. Yn ddiddorol—sef SyM Caerdydd yr Eglwys Newydd—gelwir y pentref hwn hefyd yn Eglwys Newydd. 

 

 

 

 

Roedd y grisiau i lawr ac i mewn i'r cwch ychydig yn anodd, ond roedd pawb yn byrddio'n ddiogel. Dywedwyd wrthym sut yr oedd llifogydd rhyfeddol yn ystod y blynyddoedd diwethaf wedi effeithio ar yr ardal, ac am rai eogiaid enfawr a ddaliwyd yn yr afon gan bysgotwr benywaidd enwog. Daeth hwyaden gyda ni ar y cwch a oedd yn ymddangos yn berffaith gartrefol.

 

The Wye Valley trip was a delightful day – relaxing, informative, and interesting. Everyone seemed to have a lovely time. I, for one, am hoping to get over to Symonds Yat West again to explore the Butterfly Zoo and Hedge Maze that are also on the same site. Thank you to Glenys who organised the trip.

Roedd taith Dyffryn Gwy yn ddiwrnod hyfryd – hamddenol, addysgiadol, a diddorol. Roedd pawb i weld yn cael amser hyfryd. Rwyf, am un, yn gobeithio mynd draw i Symonds Yat West eto i archwilio'r Sw Glöynnod Byw a'r Ddrysfa Hedge sydd hefyd ar yr un safle. Diolch i Glenys a drefnodd y daith.