December 2024 Meeting

The speaker for December was Peter Davis – a poet. He informed us that his love of poetry was inspired by a past Reverend of Ararat Church, Reverend George Evans, because he used to quote from 'The Hound of Heaven' by Francis Thompson.

Peter stated that even though poetry may not be everyone's cup of tea, as a topic for a WI meeting was highly appropriate for three reasons: firstly poetry is creative, and the WI is creative; secondly we all have lines of poetry in our minds – and he called for suggestions which many members provided; and finally the WI's anthem is 'Jerusalem' by William Blake.

 

 

The format for his talk was to quote several poets on a particular topic and then round up with a piece of his own poetry on that topic. Some subjects were whimsical, some amusing, some touching, and some serious and thought provoking. His poetry was most approachable and enjoyable. 

The rest of the meeting was dedicated to socialising and eating the wonderful food that everyone had brought to share. The Christmas spirit was rounded off by finishing with a rendition of 'The Twelve Days of Christmas' with each table allocated one of the numbers to sing and mime to. Everyone was in good voice and had a jolly time.

 

IT course 28 Nov 2024 – Apps

The smaller number of attendees allowed for 1:1 help throughout so the format became more interactive than usual.

We started with everybody visiting the Ararat website.

We then had a general introduction to working on-line, with explanations and hints on e.g. icons, cookies, tabs, bookmarks, using audio input and output, etc.

We practiced using QR codes on our devices.

The main part of the time was spent on learning about and downloading a wide range of Apps = quick access to favourite websites, available from Appstore (i-phones)  or google play (android). Apps can be deleted by ‘press & hold’ the icon which will bring up an option to delete.

Examples of useful Apps:

Ask Silver – a government approved system which you can join and it will use WhatsApp to notify you of the latest scams.

Screenshot – capturing what is on the screen to enable it to be sent onwards. On android this is done by holding Off and Vol down simultaneously – the shot is saved in Gallery.

Shopping on-line – download Apps from chosen stores.

U-Switch – government-approved site for comparing and choosing utility providers.

BBC Sounds – a free App for podcasts (audio documentaries), music, live radio, on-demand programmes and audio-books. 

TV 0nline – some free e.g. BBC, ITV, and some subscription e.g. Netflix and Prime.

YouTube – free – vast range of instructional videos.

Seeing AI – aim the screen at text – it will narrate what it sees.

Health – NHS Wales online can include booking appointments, requesting repeat prescriptions, looking at your health ecord (varies with each GP centre).

Torch – built in to most phones. For android, swipe down from top of screen to find torch icon. For i-phone ask Siri or use control centre.

Another fascinating session – many thanks to Lucy and to the BT volunteers.

Newsletter – December 2024

December meeting:
9th December in Ararat Church Hall, Whitchurch Common, 2 pm.

Main speaker – Peter Davis: ‘Everyday Life – That’s Poetry For You.’

The December meeting is the Christmastime gathering and always an enjoyable event, with buffet food to share, a host of seasonal clothing on display, and this year table decorations to vote for.

 

 

Outings:

Details of outings, sign-up sheets and payment are all available at the meeting.

The 2025 outings are being planned, so look out for notifications in future newsletters.

    HOTTER SHOES – this visit was well attended on November 12th with many members benefitting from the offers.

    ROYAL COLLEGE OF MUSIC AND DRAMA – this event took place on November 19th. Although the visit was a little shorter than expected, it was enjoyed by all who attended.

    The ‘SWING INTO CHRISTMAS’ concert at the RWCMD on the 23rd November, as part of the Down for the Count Orchestra’s 2024 tour, was thoroughly enjoyed by 9 members.

    IT TRAINING with AbilityNet – the second session took place on November 28th. It was a smaller group this time which meant that members had one-to-one attention from the volunteers. The next session will happen in the new year.

Our Charity – Wales Air Ambulance
 
Whitchurch WI had a stall at the Ararat Christmas Fair on November 30th. There was plenty left over from the summer fete to stock the stall, plus a table where Nor’dzin would write your name in Tibetan script. Liz, Marilyn and Yvonne staffed the stall and we thank them for their time and energy. £100 was raised through their efforts.

Information

Link to the Glamorgan Newsletter.

MyWI site (registration and log in required)

Survey ‘Count Me In’ about shaping the future of the WI (registration and log in required)

Groups:

Choir: The choir will meet again in January. Date to be confirmed.

Book Group: Wednesday 11th December / 11.00 am / La Cucina da Mara, Whitchurch

Craft Group: Monday 16th December 2024 / 10.30 am / 41 Cherry Orchard Road, Lisvane

Tangle Art Group: Wednesday 18th December / 2.00 pm / 5 Court Close, Whitchurch

Family History: Monday 6th January / 2.00 pm / 113 Pantbach Road

Sunday Lunch Group: will meet again in January. Date to be confirmed.
 
Poetry and Prose Group: Monday 27th January 2025 / 11.00am / The Ark coffee bar, Ararat. 

 

Following meeting:

13th January in Ararat Church Hall, Whitchurch Common, 2 pm.

Main speaker – Rosemary Chaloner: ‘My Life as a Butlins Redcoat’

 

🎅🎄   Merry Christmas to One and All  🎄🎅

and a Happy New Year!

Stay Safe On-line

 

IT training session, 31 October 2024 with Lucy Walsh of AbilityNet

 

Stay Safe On-line

After a quick overview of useful aspects of devices, Lucy told us about a range of on-line scams and gave pointers for dealing with them, e.g.

• Anything official will be addressed to you by name, so check

• Don’t click on any links

• Family impersonation scams – ask them a question that only your family members could answer

• Don’t allow remote access 

• On suspected fake websites look for the s on https in the address line and the padlock sign

• Beware fake rewards and prizes, also

• Fake endorsements by well-known people or celebrities e.g. by Martin Lewis

• Download and use a parking app as it is very easy for scammers to stick a false QR code onto the front of a parking meter

Specific types of scams mentioned included romance scams, pet scams and energy scams. 

People fall for scams for two main reasons:

Fear of losing out (re special offers)

Fear of problems / retribution if you don’t do what they suggest.

In summary, if someone has approached you and you find yourself with your phone / device in one hand and your credit card in the other hand, put one down and think again!

Newsletter 187 – November 2024

NOVEMBER MEETING
Main speaker, Rosemary Chaloner, presents “Angels in the Line of Fire” – about nurses in WW1.
We also will be hearing from Becky Davies who is seeking volunteers for a social history project. She is wanting women born between 1930 and 1958 to give interviews about their families' experiences during WW2.

HOTTER shoes – Tuesday November 12th at 4.30pm 

TOUR OF THE RWCMD
19 people have signed up for this. Date: Tuesday 19th November 10am. Meet inside the entrance to the college. 

IT TRAINING
This IT training is free and tailored to people aged 65+. The first session was much appreciated by those who attended. The second session will be on 28th November at 2pm. The session will cover downloading apps and managing health on-line. 

OUR CHARITY – WALES AIR AMBULANCE
As we still have some items left over from the Summer Fete, we have booked a pitch at Ararat Christmas Fair on Saturday 30th November 12.00 – 4.00pm. Do come along on the day. (Anything left will be disposed of and we do not want more items to sell.) 

SOUTH WALES LISTENS:
This is a police platform enabling residents to send messages (not reporting crimes) directly to the local PCSO and neighbourhood Policing team. They will let you know about local engagement events, crime prevention advice and occasionally significant police activity in the area. It is on-line, but “Cuppa with a copper” still exists.
Contact: www.southwaleslistens.co.uk. It’s free but you have to sign up to give or receive information. 

DECEMBER MEETING
This is our Christmas meeting and refreshments will be our usual sharing buffet. Please bring a maximum of 8 items of food on a plate. As it’s our Christmas party, please wear something Christmassy and, if you can bring a table decoration, these will be judged by the members by placing a coin alongside their favourite.
Date: Monday 9th December at 2pm.
Speaker: Peter Davis, ‘Everyday Life – That’s Poetry For You.’ 

GROUPS: • Please note change of usual venue this month
Choir: The choir meets every Wednesday morning, 11.30-12.30, except for the Wednesday of the Rhiwbina WI meeting. Meetings will be in the Memorial Hall, Rhiwbina
Book Group: Wednesday 13th November 11.00 am at 5 Court Close, Whitchurch*
Craft Group: Monday 18th November 2024 10.30 am at 41 Cherry Orchard Road, Lisvane* Tangle Art Group: Wednesday 20th November 2.00 pm at 5 Court Close
Family History: Monday 25th November 2.00 pm 113 Pantbach Road
Sunday Lunch Group: Sunday 1st December 1.00 pm at The Butchers Arms Rhiwbina.
Poetry and Prose Group: no date yet.

Angels in the Line of Fire

Rosemary Chalmer presented an informative and fascinating insight into the role of women in WWI. The eestablishment of nursing as a profession began with Elizabeth Fry in the 1840s, and was contiunued by Florence Nightingale. The Welsh nurse, Betsy Cadwaldr, worked with her during the Crimean war at Scutari Hospital in Istanbul.

In 1914 the British goverment started recruiting nurses because they knew war was coming. The Queen Alexandra Imperial Nursing Service had been established in 1902 (known as the QAs) and then the Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) in 1909. The QAs were trained professional nurses, and the VADs were middle-class women orgainised and trained by the St Johns Ambulance and the British Red Cross. The third important nursing organisation in WWI was the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (FANYs). This group of women came from the well-off classes and they provided their own vehicles to be used as ambulances. Their role was to transport the wounded from the front line to medical centres for treatment. Rosemary provided many interesting details in her talk, such as that the ambulances were not allowed to use their headlights and removed the windscreens from their vehicles so they could see more clearly. She explained that there were also hospitals establised on trains and on ships. Nurses from all these organisation worked on the Western Front and the Eastern Front.

Rosemary talked about many individuals who are mostly unknown, especially mentioning some Welsh women such as Annie Brewer and Miss Tenniswood. In Cardiff the 3rd Western General Hospital was created in 1914 which included Cardiff Royal Infirmary, Mansion House, Albany Road School and Whitchurch Hospital, plus St Woolos in Newport. Other notable British buildings used as auxilliary hospitals were Brighton Pavilion and Blenheim Palace. Many nurses died during the war, either from injuries or disease. Many received medals of honour. Rosemary read a moving piece from 'The Roses of No Man's Land' by Lyn MacDonald which described the conditions under which the nurses lived and worked.

Angylion yn y llinell Danio

Cyflwynodd Rosemary Chalmer gipolwg addysgiadol a hynod ddiddorol ar rôl menywod yn y Rhyfel Byd Cyntaf. Dechreuodd sefydlu nyrsio fel proffesiwn gydag Elizabeth Fry yn y 1840au, ac fe'i parhawyd gan Florence Nightingale. Bu'r nyrs Gymreig, Betsy Cadwaldr, yn gweithio gyda hi yn ystod rhyfel y Crimea yn Ysbyty Scutari yn Istanbwl.

Yn 1914 dechreuodd llywodraeth Prydain recriwtio nyrsys oherwydd eu bod yn gwybod bod rhyfel ar ddod. Roedd Gwasanaeth Nyrsio Ymerodrol y Frenhines Alexandra wedi'i sefydlu ym 1902 (a elwir yn QAs) ac yna'r Detachment Cymorth Gwirfoddol (VAD) ym 1909. Roedd y QAs yn nyrsys proffesiynol hyfforddedig, ac roedd y VADs yn fenywod dosbarth canol a drefnwyd ac a hyfforddwyd gan y St. Ambiwlans Johns a'r Groes Goch Brydeinig. Y trydydd sefydliad nyrsio pwysig yn y Rhyfel Byd Cyntaf oedd yr Iwmyn Nyrsio Cymorth Cyntaf (FANYs). Roedd y grŵp hwn o fenywod yn dod o’r dosbarthiadau cefnog a gwnaethant ddarparu eu cerbydau eu hunain i’w defnyddio fel ambiwlansys. Eu rôl oedd cludo'r clwyfedig o'r rheng flaen i ganolfannau meddygol i gael triniaeth. Darparodd Rosemary lawer o fanylion diddorol yn ei sgwrs, megis nad oedd yr ambiwlansys yn cael defnyddio eu prif oleuadau a thynnu’r sgriniau gwynt o’u cerbydau er mwyn iddynt allu gweld yn gliriach. Eglurodd fod yna ysbytai hefyd wedi'u sefydlu ar drenau ac ar longau. Roedd nyrsys o'r holl sefydliadau hyn yn gweithio ar Ffrynt y Gorllewin a'r Ffrynt Dwyreiniol.

Soniodd Rosemary am nifer o unigolion sy’n anadnabyddus gan mwyaf, gan sôn yn arbennig am rai merched Cymreig fel Annie Brewer a Miss Tenniswood. Yng Nghaerdydd crëwyd 3ydd Ysbyty Cyffredinol y Gorllewin ym 1914 a oedd yn cynnwys Ysbyty Brenhinol Caerdydd, y Plasty, Ysgol Heol Albany ac Ysbyty'r Eglwys Newydd, yn ogystal â Sant Gwynllyw yng Nghasnewydd. Adeiladau nodedig eraill ym Mhrydain a ddefnyddiwyd fel ysbytai ategol oedd Pafiliwn Brighton a Phalas Blenheim. Bu farw llawer o nyrsys yn ystod y rhyfel, naill ai o anafiadau neu afiechyd. Derbyniodd llawer fedalau anrhydedd. Darllenodd Rosemary ddarn teimladwy o 'The Roses of No Man's Land' gan Lyn MacDonald a oedd yn disgrifio'r amodau yr oedd y nyrsys yn byw ac yn gweithio oddi tanynt.