Mothers Union 
The next meeting of the Mother's Union is the Branch AGM on Tuesday 2nd February at 7.30pm in Llandow Village Hall.

The following meeting is on Tuesday 2nd March at Ty Teilo again at 7.30pm and will be Lenten Reflections by the Rector. On 24th March at 7.00pm there will be a Deanery Lady Day Service at St Mary Church.

All are welcome to any or all of these events and if you want any further information please contact Susan Smith.
Susan Smith

LCA Meeting
The next meeting would be held on 8th February at 8pm. The venue will be Rosedew.
LCA

Little Fish Fun Club.
The Little Fish Fun Club will meet on TUESDAY 16th FEBRUARY (note change of day) at Colwinston Village Hall from 10am - 1pm. If your child / children would like to attend could they please contact Diane or Helen. Cost £5 (£4 for siblings).
Diane Bluck

Alpha Course
We will be starting another Alpha course in April. If you want to find out more look at www.alpha.org or call Rev Peter Leonard or Melanie.

Llysworney Website
We would like to thank the Carne Arms and Llysworney Garage for sponsoring our website and we continue to thank Bryn Miles for maintaining it.
LCA

Newsletter Deadline
The deadline for receiving contributions for the March 2010 newsletter is 25th February 2010. Could everyone please send your contribution to me by that date. If the deadline is missed it will be published in the next month’s Newsletter.
Bryn Miles

Village Annual General Meeting 11th May 2009

Chairperson’s Report 2009
Llysworney Community Association is one of a number of groups working and thriving within our community, there are book clubs, music groups, scouts, brownies, guides, ‘Little Fish’, bridge, rugby, soccer, the Church and other clubs too numerous to mention that all intersect with our lives here. As the Chair of the LCA I have the relatively easy job of listing the progress made by your committee, the events put on over the last year and planned for the future.

Last Year’s Village events
The Llysworney Community Association has once again been involved in many differing activities through 2008 and 2009. In July the villagers took part in the Llysworney Arts Festival. This is the better known version of the biennale and is an Arts festival organised by and for the villagers, but particular mention must be made of the MC Martyn Hurst who took us on a world tour from the comfort of the pews in St Tydfil’s church. We were due to repair to the marquees but the traditional welsh summer reared its uglier side, it rained, and we would like to thank David and Emma Scott-Coombs for allowing the villagers to use their house for refreshments. Of particular note for this Arts festival is that the Bishop of California was in attendance. Clearly reports of the artistic prowess of the villagers reach around the world. It was great fun to share a glass of wine or two with him afterwards. On his blog he wrote;

One of the most fun times I’ve had in quite a long time was attending a village fete held at a medieval church in the parish served by the Leonards, my hosts in Wales.

He goes on to mention the gentle good humor, mutual support and the sense of community of the vibrant yet understated community in Wales – yes folks that’s us.

We were due to have a Hog Roast in the Marquees on the Saturday following the Arts festival but the gentle rain from heaven fell upon the place beneath and soaked it - we did manage to sell the cuts of pork to the villagers. However the glorious summer of this contented village was shown to better effect on the Sunday. It turned out fair and we were able to lay on a children’s treasure hunt and impromptu BBQ. Many thanks to Jo and Maria for organising the Hunt and to Sarah and Paul for allowing everyone to use their paddock.

There was a village tidy up on October 8th which was followed by a drink in the Carne Arms. These hours tidying the village have served the community well over a number of years, not only do they help us to show the village off to best effect but they also serve to reinforce community spirit.

Following on from the success of the history tour of the Vale in 2008 we arranged a history talk on Wednesday the 26th November at Nash Manor. The lecture was given by David Francis, a local historian, and was very well attended. Particular thanks are due to Jen and Eric at Nash for welcoming us into their home.

December saw the traditional events that the LCA has organised to great acclaim for many years, the Christmas tree was decorated and lit, a symbolic present was placed under the tree to remind us of Operation Christmas Child, (Christmas shoe boxes were sent to children in poor countries). We organised a trip to see Cinderella on Ice on the 20th of December thanks to Hilary for the organisation of this event.

Father Christmas visited in the Carne Arms and villagers gathered on the 18th of December to sing Carols around the pond, ah scratch that, it rained again and so the villagers repaired to the church, but we were in good voice and enjoyed the carols, mulled wine and mince pies. Thanks are due to Catharine Bray for allowing her kitchen to be used for this event and to Jim and Penny Churchman for mulling the wine. (Collection of £147.75 was sent to ‘Celebrate the Children’ a local South Wales charity).

When the rains of April had pierced the March drought we organised a series of walks culminating with a meal in the Pub. Actually this was one of the occasions when we organised an event and it didn’t rain. Thanks are due to Emma for leading the short walk and to Diane for leading the longer walk.

This year’s Village events.
So that was the year of grace 2008 – 2009. The LCA works hard to put on a variety of events that suit all tastes within the village and will try hard through 2009 to make these things go with a bang, but to do this, we need your support. What of next year?

The summer tent event will be held on the 11th of July this year and will take the form of a band and meal with drinks at very reasonable prices - tickets will be available from the usual suspects. After the success of last year’s children’s treasure hunt we may repeat this with an informal BBQ as the volunteers take the marquees down.

Speaking of the marquees you may remember from the chair’s report last year that we have purchased a new marquee but will note from the weather last year that we have not yet had the opportunity to put it up. Volunteers are therefore requested to put the marquees up on the 14th in Nash. Please see a committee member for more details.

December will once again see the decoration of the Christmas tree, Carols around the Pond (weather permitting), Santa in the pub and Christmas church services in St Tydfil’s. Please see your newsletter for more details of these and any other forthcoming events in and around Llysworney.

Village Tidy Ups
Once again the committee have declined to enter the village into the Best Kept Village competition this year. We keep our village in a state of good repair with the regular village tidy ups. Llysworney is a rural working village with outstanding natural features but in best kept village competitions it fares poorly against villages which have more baskets and flower verges. Not that the Best Kept Village Competition is entirely without merit - those who have been to the prize-giving meal will know that this is one of the highlights of the season.

From time to time the LCA organise village tidy ups which are publicised in the village newsletter. The LCA usually organise a skip to be delivered and the villagers take the opportunity to tidy around the village - you do not have to be an LCA committee member to take part! For the autumn tidy up in addition to the skip we hope to arrange a large tractor driven shredder so that villagers can cut down small branches etc and also get some bark chippings for mulching the garden. Details of all the village tidy ups can be found in your village newsletter.

Llandow Community Council
Llysworney Community Association serves to provide community events for the villagers of Llysworney. It is not a political entity as this is the function of Llandow Community Council. The Llandow Community councillors who live in Llysworney give regular updates to the LCA on matters of interest to us. The LCA will continue to forge links with Llandow Community Council

Finance
I refer you to the Treasurer’s report but am happy to say that the LCA finances were handed over to the present committee in surplus and remain in a robust state. The purpose of the LCA is not to make money but to use what money we have in the interests of community social events.

Votes of thanks
It is my pleasure as chair of Llysworney Community Association to able to thank a number of people on behalf of the village and the LCA. We are delighted that the Carne Arms continues to flourish within the village albeit under slightly  different management. A small village like Llysworney is very lucky to have a flourishing local pub, and I, and I’m sure a number of other villagers, can attest to the quality of the beer and the food served here. Llysworney Community Association is happy to continue to work with the pub to everyone’s advantage.

Thanks are again due to Peter Leonard the vicar of St Tydfil’s for the generous way in which he allows the community to use the church. St Tydfil’s lies at the centre of our village and village life flows around the church and in and out of its doors, whether for prayer, Arts festivals, choir practice or meetings; the villagers and the LCA are grateful for being allowed to use these facilities.

Thanks are due to the Booth family for allowing their paddock to be used for the various marquee events; it is more than generous of them to continue to allow the marquees to be erected in, and the villagers to traipse through, their garden.

Carols around the Pond is a very popular event and draws a large and enthusiastic crowd every year from both within and without the village. It could not happen without the work put in by David Gordon and the rest of the Gordon family and the rest of the strolling players - a note of thanks to you.

The Llysworney Newsletter and Llysworney website are the means through which we communicate with village and the outside world. This newsletter would not exist but for the work of Bryn Miles; thank you Bryn. I know that Bryn would also like me to mention that any and all contributions to the village newsletter are always welcome. Results of rugby, darts, or bridge games, the deliberations of LaRGA, the thoughts of the various book clubs and the musings of poets, wine lovers and chefs all are welcome contributions to the village newsletter.

There are many others who contribute to the life of the village and deserve thanks, you know who you are and you should all give yourselves a pat on the back

Finally it is my pleasure to thank on your behalf the members of the Llysworney Community Association. The LCA committee members are all volunteers and give their free time to the service of the village and the villagers. You should be aware that if you agree to serve on the LCA your entire family is also co-opted and therefore thanks should also go to the committee member’s families who turn out tirelessly to help with everything that we put on. A particular vote of thanks goes to my fellow officers the LCA secretary Diane Bluck and the Treasurer David Edwards both of whom work far harder than I and deserve twice the thanks.

Llysworney Community Association Committee
I have to report that the Diane the LCA secretary is stepping down after three years of service and the chair is also stepping down at this time. If any villager feels that they would like to contribute to the work of the LCA please see any of the committee members after the meeting.
Andy Bray
Llysworney Community Association Chair
11th May 2009

Llysworney Community Association Year Planner
Listed below are the set events that are held in the village on a regular basis. New ideas are always welcome.

MARCH   Village walk.

APRIL Village tidy up.

MAY   Meal for the older residents of the village.

JUNE   Mid Summer soiree.

JULY   Family fun day (biannually). Go-Karting/breakfast/brunch.

SEPTEMBER   Village rounders or cricket (biannually). Village bike ride. Childrens treasure hunt.

OCTOBER   Arts festival (biannually).

NOVEMBER   Village tidy up.

DECEMBER   Advent Sunday-decorate Christmas tree. Carols by the pond.