Newsletter No 71 Fforest Uchaf Farm. Maindy Road, (Maendy) Penycoedcae, Pontypridd. R.C.T, Wales. UK. CF37 1PS Tel; 01443 480327 info@pitponies.co.uk www.pitponies.co.uk www.sponsorapony.co.uk Open to visitors; May/Sept=Sunday 11am – 4pm. Weekdays 10am – 2pm. Closed Saturdays Nov/April= by appointment, www.visitpitponies.co.uk Adults £4:00 OAP/Children £2:00 or £10:00 per car. Groups/Schools/Clubs by appointment. Special needs visitors please telephone to discuss your needs.
NB All visitors it is always advisable to telephone 01443 480327 or 07798584735 before you visit. PROVIDING TENDER LOVING CARE TO NEEDY HORSES & PONIES
The Bevin Boys Association have felt a strong affinity with The Pit Ponies. Pictured here with Pit Pony Jake is Mr Warwick Taylor MBE who was Chairman of the Association and Mrs Beryl Ungate, whose husband Leonard was saved by the Pit Pony he was working when it refused to go forward moments before the roof collapsed. Mrs Beryl, Warwick & Pit Pony Jake Ungate who’s been a supporter for many years presented a donation to the Centre. from the proceeds of selling her book “The Departure Lounge” The Bevin Boys Association has now been disbanded following the Remembrance Day Parade at the Cenotaph in London on the 11th November 2012.
The Bevin Boys Remembrance Day March
Roy, Beauty & Beryl.
Beryl & Roy
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Chipped and ready to sell at £25 bag.
Angela feeding the Chipper
Megan helping herself
Roy & a new volunteer learning the ropes
Ponies enjoying the treats.
Mollie saying there’s a Rabbit in there.
We have many Hawthorn bushes on the Farm. They provide good shade for the ponies from the sun. However they also shade out the grass from growing underneath them. We have been trimming the lower and any dead or diseased branches. As soon as they begin to wilt the fallen branches are sources of tasty treats to the ponies. Once the ponies have enjoyed them we begin feeding them into a “chipper” mounted on the tractor. Angela feeds them in, Roy works the machine to avoid jams and volunteers bring the branches close to the work. easyfundraising.org.uk is beginning to show it’s worth for the ponies. Supporters who have used the site have raised £49:06 in May & June and £60:46 in July & August. We have some new posters that explain how to visit the site and get started raising funds for the ponies without spending a penny extra. If you have access to the Internet you can go to www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/pitpony to help raise much needed funds for the ponies when shopping on-line without costing the shopper anything. If you know anyone with a computer, Tablet or smart-phone who shop on the internet please ask them if they would like to help Needy Horses & Ponies. Just tick the box on your return address sheet and tell us how many posters you need. Thank you
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Lukie passed away in his field at the Centre recently. He had been in good health and spirit. We found him collapsed in the field close to his many friends. It seems he died quite suddenly without fear or suffering. Possibly a heart attack.
The weeds have had good growing conditions this summer and have kept us busy. Angela is pictured here arriving back from the pastures with another load of thistles, nettles, Docks etc. all being laid out to dry in the sun.
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Fearless foaly has found a long term foster home.
She has gone to a young family in the Vale of Glamorgan. We loaded Fearless in the yard without a hitch. Phoned the foster home to say we are coming but got no answer. Carried on regardless, got there, no one around. Let her into the big long tree lined field we had been shown on our inspection visit. She saw their 25 year old pony and his companion a small Shetland. The Shetland saw beautiful Fearless and came charging his huge mane blowing in the wind. He was looking like a charging Lion. Fearless took fright, jumped over the fence into a neat, just planted seed bed field. (Luckily the Farmer didn’t see) We drove around to the other side expecting the worst. She came over the manicured field to us totally un-marked. It turned out the fosterer was watching the fun from the Farm yard. By the time you read this the Farmer will know it wasn’t aliens who made all those deep round holes in his seed bed, she is now nicknamed “Fi Fi”. Mrs Dickerson sent this pair of stamps. They are very old Penny Reds. We Googled “Penny Reds” and found a Daily Mail article that said if the perforations didn’t match the picture they could A group of the ponies resting after a hard session of grazing. be worth a lot of money. Well we didn’t need a magnifying glass to see that the perforations are not evenly around the pictures. We photocopied the stamps and sent the cop to Stanley Gibbons. We waited for the reply excited, expecting the good news and planning for a bigger Farm for the ponies. One with big mature trees casting shade from the hot sun and UV rays, a stream meandering across the land where thirsty ponies could drink long an cool on hot summer days. One with good access for visitors so anyone wanting to meet the last few Pit Ponies could easily come to see them. One with lots of good strong buildings for old bones to shelter from the cold winter and plenty of space to store Hay & Straw. Then the reply came. “Virtually worthless”. Are well we live in hope.
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The Ponies have had a supporter for some time called Kate Adie. We have often wondered? She kindly sent a donation recently for the ponies and seeing the name we wondered yet again but this time put a “PS are you the Kate Adie?” on the bottom of the thank you card. We had forgotten about doing it when one Sunday morning a visitor arrived. She had been in Cardiff working for the BBC interviewing Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and thought she would drop in on her way home to say “Yes I am”. We had a lovely chat; she came and met the Pit Ponies and other ponies and posed for this picture. Sorry about the goose house quietly sinking in the pond behind her. Please ignore it as it has been repaired now. Also sorry it’s not with the Ponies. It was a last minute “remember to get a photo” jobby. Roy hasn’t got Altseimers he’s got Sometime-ers. Sometimes he remembers and sometimes he doesn’t. Mr Tom Wenham spotted the size and build of Lady from the pictures in our Newsletters and sent a lovely turn out rug with his best wishes. He bought the high quality rug for his own horse but the neck was rather tight. It fits Lady nicely and she has already gotten used to its fine quality. She is posing here in her stable. Lady and Beauty come in most days for a breakfast and stay a while, if it’s wet.
Please send us your old Jewellery, CD’s Watches, Pens, DVD’s, gift vouchers, raffle prizes, bits n bobs etc. Even broken jewellery trinkets etc. All for the Ponies. Please ask you friends and family also. Any re-saleable items are gratefully received. We promise to do our best to realise the best possible value for the Horses & Ponies. Thank you. News, Views and thanks of how you help us help them. Page 5
Megan has had on-going problems with her teeth and the Vet came to see the problem. For such a tiny pony she can be difficult. She had to be sedated for the vet to see the problem. She is so tiny the Vet is squatting down very low. Roy is pictured sitting on an upturned water barrel and supporting a sleepy Megan on his leg whilst Vet Sarah lies of the stable floor to work on Megan’s teeth.
Cardiff Christmas Market.
Donations have recently been received in memory of;
Norman V. Dives, Mr Ralph Eldridge, Lynnette T. Tilton, Hazel W. Morris, Mrs Kathleen Dyet, Edna Hartshorne, Ira Mills-Catford, Vivien L. Evans, Audrey Wilson, Josepine J. Makowski, Mr Fisher. oO-0-Oo
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A little taste of Wales Honey and Ginger cake. Teisen Fet a Sinsir At this time of harvest we thought you would appreciate this traditional recipe. Welsh honey often has a subtle taste of wild thyme 7 fl, oz Honey 1 level dessertspoon ground ginger 4 oz Butter 4 oz Glace cherries, or 2 oz Cherries 2 oz Sultanas 12 oz flour 3 Free range Eggs 1 teaspoon Bicarbonate of soda 3 Table spoons of milk Pinch of salt Method: Warm the Honey in a saucepan, add the butter and stir gently until blended. Allow the mixture to cool a little. Set oven at 325 F or gas mark 3. or 170C. Sift together into a bowl the flour, Bicarbonate of Soda, salt & ginger. Add the cherries or cherries & sultanas and to the flour mixture. Beat the eggs & milk together, blend in the Honey mixture then add to the dry ingredients a little at a time, beating well after each addition. Turn onto a greased and lined 8” square cake tin. Bake for 1 to 1:1/2 hours or until golden and firm to the touch. Cover the top with foil if it appears to be browning too much. Once cooked allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack. (This cake if stored in an airtight tin it keeps well). Serve with lashings of hot tea. Mwynhewch y pryd! (Enjoy your meal
Giveacar the people who specialise in dealing with scrap cars, caravans, boats etc. for Charity are still going strong. Perhaps you could bake a cake for the ponies and organise a coffee morning, cake stall etc. with your friends then tell them your cake’s story and maybe win a prize and a donation for the ponies.
Cardiff Christmas Market have kindly offered us an early date in November to use one of their small wooden chalets to do some Xmas fundraising for the Ponies. We hope to sell some of our decorated Horseshoes, Pre loved Jewellery, DVD’s, Pictures, Notelets, Note-pads & pens, Key rings etc. We don’t yet know the exact dates but will need some help to man the stall if you are able?
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Letters from friends. Mr Ottley sent a note after sponsoring Spike for his sister and enclosed a few old watches saying he wished they were “Rolex’s”. Nevertheless the donations of Jewellery, DVD’s, etc. are all useful and we turn them into much needed cash to pay the bills so please keep them coming. Thank you Mr Ottley. Mrs Forbes-Buck sent a note saying “Good luck to you all. I spent my childhood raiding allotments as no-one would give any when asked for the pit ponies in South Yorkshire who for two glorious weeks were up in the fresh air opposite my house”. What a naughty but nice girl. Miss C Roche wrote “Please find a small cheque towards your work. My Pony Master James recently had an operation to remove a broken tooth. The result has been successful and I would like to donate this amount to celebrate his successful recovery. I now look after three Welsh ponies and you are the only Charity that does not bombard me with letters asking for more donations that I can possibly afford to send”. We hope Master James is soon well. Mr Winston E. Bentley wrote:” Please find enclosed Bank receipt for a donation paid into your account from the cardboard collection box full of our loose change”. Thank you, Mr Bentley and all of you who save your loose change in various pots, jars & boxes. Steve & Lynn Robson wrote with a donation to celebrate her wonderful parents Jack & Bettie Mair’s Diamond Wedding back in June. We would like to add our congratulations also. Gail Evans sent a donation earned from her sales of Webb Ivory products from her fundraising catalogue. Well done Gail and all your customers. Mrs Holt sent a donation for the Ponies. On a recent visit to Canada her niece Pamela Green, asked for a donation to the Ponies instead of a birthday present. What a nice lady. Miss Brenda Dowson wrote to donate back her winning third prize in our Grand St David’s Day Prize Draw. Well done girl! Mrs Lynn Morgan sent some old stamp albums and Jewellery for the ponies. Thank you Lynn. Mr John Fisher sent some treasures to do with Colliery life gathered together by his late father and friends. Mrs M Barclay wrote; Sorry for taking so long in replying. We had a fire in our home. A Thrush built a nest on top of a security light and it caught fire. Extensive damage was the result and we won’t be back in the house until the end of October. Please bear with me if I don’t reply immediately. Wow! Bless you hope it’s all well soon. Miss C Barnard wrote; I am mystified why the National Coal Board or whoever in the appropriate authority responsible for the welfare of the Pit Ponies has not made adequate provision for these equine pensioners. Mmmmmm! Thank you, everyone who sends used postage stamps and encourages friends, work colleagues etc. They are still going well. Also those of you who send Jewellery, DVD’s, CD’s, Watches nice Pens etc. It all helps. Thank you all. Please find enclosed your Grand Bonfire Night Prize Draw tickets. Please do your best to sell them to your friends, work colleagues etc. as many as you can, for the Ponies. Thank you.
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