Ottery Gazette

Ottery Gazette ISSUE No112

December 2010

4,000 copies free of charge

WINNER National Parish Magazine Awards 2009

Crowds turn out to protest about East Devon urban sprawl plans

BK

ACCOUNTING 01297 678636 07809 764929

Help with self assessment.

Small business book keeping.

PAYE and VAT returns www.bk-accounting.co.uk

Photo courtesy of BBC

Over 100 people turned out to voice their objections about East Devon District Council’s Local Development Framework, on Tuesday 23 November,

in a planned demonstration to raise awareness of the importance of commenting before the deadline of 30 November.

Dozens of placards and banners were held high during the march from the bottom car park at EDDC’s HQ in Sidmouth, where people gathered initially.

Communities Before Developers campaigner, Claire

Wright, said: “There were people from every part of East Devon, which shows just how wide the concern is over these plans.�

Several responses to the plan were handed over to Matt Dickins, Planning Policy Manager at East Devon District Council, including one from Communities Before Developers.

Continued on page 2

Dilly’s Florist Flowers for Christmas and all occasions Deliveries Undertaken 20 Mill Street, Ottery St Mary Tel: 01404 812184 www.dillysflorist.co.uk

z INDEPENDENT AGENT z LIVING AND SELLING LOCALLY Call Halls for a free up to date valuation

01404 812000

BEAT THE XXX FTDPU EFWPO DP VL

PRICE RISE ...SEE PAGE 13 -JGFÂľT B #FFDI www.escot-devon.co.uk 01404 822188 UIF &TDPU .B[F ...SEE PAGE 11

Campaigners ‘alternative approach’ for local development A group fighting East Devon District Council’s plans to grow the district by a third over the next 20 years have put forward an alternative approach, based on the principles of localism, as their response to the public consultation.

In a move that coincides with National Empty Homes Week, Communities Before Developers will formally hand over their response to the Local Development Framework (LDF) consultation, at a protest tomorrow,Tuesday, 10.30am, at East Devon District Council’s HQ in Sidmouth.

According to a recent study, there are almost 2,000 empty homes in East Devon.

CBD campaigner, Cllr Roger Giles, explained: “We believe that the LDF as it stands is not only incredibly damaging to East Devon, with its plans for mass development and weakened protections for the countryside, but is also a wasted opportunity.

At risk - East Devon’s beautiful countryside “Of course some houses are needed, especially affordable houses for local and less welloff people, but the number of houses proposed is far far too many.”

Cllr Giles continued: “East Devon’s natural assets – its beauty, quality of life and special landscapes which are obvious strengths, and which our tourist industry is built on, should be central to the plan.

“But instead it is as though they are viewed as an inconvenience or barrier to development.

Continued from front page The group has drafted an alternative approach to the top-down proposal from East Devon District Council, based

Otter Valley Dental Laboratory WE REPAIR DENTURES IN A FRIENDLY AND EFFICIENT SERVICE TELEPHONE: 01404 813967

on the principles of localism and on local need.

“We are totally against East Devon being grown artificially by a third and weakening landscape protections. If this development took place, with all the associated infrastructure that would be needed - would destroy what makes East Devon special – its beautiful countryside, and the reason that people choose to live here.

“It is clear that local people are very opposed to these plans.

Now is the time for East Devon District Council to listen to its residents and put them first.”

Claire Wright IPR Dip MCIPR

STRAINS, PAINS AND STIFFNESS?

Homeopath

CHRIS BATTEN

LCCH RGN

Call

DO, MICO, MAO OSTEOMYOLOGIST Tel: 07977 553435

Advice is always available

14 Broad Street, Ottery Tel: 01404 812109 Page 2

Local people consistently say that the beautiful countryside and quality of life in East Devon are the things that mean most to them – the LDF will damage the countryside and erode the quality of life.”

Cllr Claire Wright, added: “EDDC surely has a responsibility to resolve the issue of empty homes in the district before they start building all over our green fields.”

The group has asked that East Devon District Council look again at the LDF and bring it into line with the localism agenda, which means that communities work in partnership with councils on planning issues, perhaps even leading the way.

CBD has also asked that EDDC’s ambitions to attract massive inward migration are dropped. They want a new draft to instead to be based on local need only, such as affordable housing for existing residents.

The Localism Bill is expected to be published in November.

LibDem Parliamentary Spokesman, Jonathan Underwood, said: EDDC’s whole approach is completely incompatible with the Localism Bill and must

Natural, Physical, Holistic, Treatment and Advice for Aches and Pains, Many Health Problems,Women’s Health and Baby and Child Ailments at:

Ottery Healthstore

Lin Lester

HOMEOPATHY FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY Available at the Ottery Healthstore Tel: 01404 813074 Mob. 078541 49762

be re-drafted to fit the new legislation and respect the rights of residents.”

Communities Secretary, Eric Pickles, said last week that plans for localism would mean “more people-planning and less politician-planning.”

Mr Pickles said: ”For far too long local people have had too little say over a planning system that has imposed bureaucratic decisions by distant officials in Whitehall and the town hall.

“We need to change things… so there is more direct democracy and less bureaucracy in the system.These reforms will become the building blocks of the Big Society.”

Cllr Claire Wright said: “It is clear that EDDC is going to have to change its approach dramatically if it is going to allow local people to take the lead in this way.”

She said: “Councillors and planners seem so blinkered about ‘provision’ they have forgotten what makes East Devon special. And that is dangerous. It is dangerous for residents and it is dangerous for the independently owned businesses that are currently keeping our communities alive.”

COUNCIL MATTERS

At its November meeting the Town Council was pleased to be able to co-opt two new Councillors. Robin Mitchell now represents the West Hill Ward and Janice Aherne the Tipton St John Ward. There is still one vacancy for the North Ward (Alfington, Escot, Gosford, Fenny Bridges area). Do contact the Office for further information about becoming a Councillor.

Following all the public meetings in the Wards regarding East Devon District Council’s (EDDC) Local Development Framework (LDF) draft Core Strategy Preferred Approach document (“Plan-It East Devon�) the Council is considering its response which will be sent by the 30th November deadline. Thank you to everyone who came to these special meetings about such an important topic which will affect planning policy up to 2026 and beyond Following EDDC’s withdrawal of funding for the flower beds the Town Council has worked hard to ensure that the seven town beds have been beautiful

over the summer (using flowers supplied by EDDC). From now on the Council has to ensure that plants are also provided.

The Council’s thanks and appreciation go to Rainbow Nurseries and King’s Nurseries which have provided plants for and also planted up the beds at the end of Kennaway Road and at St Saviour’s respectively.

The Council is dealing with the two beds in Canaan Way, involving the Rotary Club which will be planting crocuses as part of a project to eradicate Polio.

So it just leaves the two beds at Butts Road to provide for. If you can help in any way, please get in touch.

Remembrance Day was marked at Ottery’s War Memorial in the Parish Churchyard with Derek Baxter firing the rockets to mark the beginning and end of the two minute silence.

Remembrance Sunday was marked by the Council with attendance at a Service in the Parish Church in Ottery where the Mayor laid the Council poppy wreath, along with many other organisations.

At its November Finance and General Purposes Committee

Please support your local shops this Christmas

it was recommended that Grants be awarded to twelve organisations. These recommendations have to be approved by the December Full Council Meeting with the recipients being presented with their grant at the Annual Parish Meeting next April.

During early December Tenants of the Allotment Gardens at Higher Ridgeway will be receiving their tenancy agreements and request for payment for 2011. The allotments are being fully used with currently 15 people on the Waiting List, with nobody having been on that list more than 14 months.

The Allotment Management Committee undertake regular inspections and there is a procedure in place to deal with allotments which are not being used, with ultimate eviction by the Council of those tenants who do not keep to the Tenancy Agreement which all of them have to sign.

Writing this on a dull day in mid-November (yet another one!) I see that the Christmas lights are in place and we are all anticipating with pleasure the late-night shopping evening and the switching-on of the lights. The Council wishes to thank all of those local businesses and Sainsbury’s which have contributed so generously towards the Christmas lights this year.

Recently attendance at the monthly Councillors’ Surgery has fallen away. It has been decided that there will be no Surgery in December or January with it resuming in February. Please watch out for posters and announcements about it.This does not however mean that you cannot get in touch with your Councillors!

Their contact details are available in all the Council notice boards and on the website or you can phone the Office or send an email or even write a letter!

For your information the Town Council Office will be closed from Monday 27th December to Thursday 30th December inclusive and again on Monday 3rd January 2011. The first Council Meeting of 2011 will be held on Tuesday 4th January (as the first Monday is the New Year’s Day Bank Holiday).

Finally the Mayor and Council, Deputy Clerk Su Graham and I wish you all a very happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year.

Judith Reynolds Town Clerk Council Offices The Old Convent 8 Broad Street, Ottery St Mary, EX11 1BZ Telephone: 01404 812252 enquiries@otterystmary-tc.gov.uk www.otterystmary-tc.gov.uk

"%&/2% 7% "5),$ !

0/24&/,)/ 7% "5),$ ! 2%,!4)/.3()0 !T #HARLES 3TANLEY WE PRIDE OURSELVES ON OFFERING YOU THE BEST POSSIBLE ADVICE WHICH IS WHY WE TAILOR OUR INVESTMENT SOLUTIONS TO CATER FOR YOUR PERSONAL NEEDS $ISCRETIONARY AND ADVISORY INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT !DVISORY SHARE DEALING #HARITY SERVICES

%XECUTION ONLY SHARE DEALING )3!S AND 3)00S )NHERITANCE 4AX 0ORTFOLIO

)F YOU WOULD LIKE ANY OF OUR ADVISERS TO TAKE A PERSONAL INTEREST IN MANAGING YOUR INVESTMENTS PLEASE CONTACT 0AUL ,EWIS ON THE NUMBER BELOW

/R CALL INTO OUR %XETER BRANCH "ROADWALK (OUSE 3OUTHERNHAY 7EST %XETER %8 43 WWW CHARLES STANLEY CO UK

-EMBER OF THE ,ONDON 3TOCK %XCHANGE SINCE !UTHORISED AND REGULATED BY THE &INANCIAL 3ERVICES !UTHORITY

Page 3

Campaigners delighted at ‘Victory for people power’ Maternity campaigners are thrilled at the news that mums are finally, after eight months of campaigning, to be allowed to stay overnight at maternity units in Mid and East Devon.

Health bosses agreed at a board meeting in October, that new mums will now have the option of staying overnight at Honiton, Tiverton and Okehampton maternity units, if a midwife agrees that they need further support.

In papers that were presented at NHS Devon’s board meeting on Wednesday (27th October), NHS Devon’s board of directors agreed to endorse the proposals.

Ottery St Mary Town Councillor for West Hill and Honiton Maternity Matters campaigner,

Claire Wright, said: “It is absolutely fantastic news that the NHS has listened to local families who have sent in so many letters and emails about the huge value of this service – widely regarded to be the gold standard.

“It is a wonderful victory for people power.”

Retired Ottery St Mary GP, Dr John Ackroyd said:“As ever, the devil is in the detail of course and we are waiting to hear more about the criteria that will be used by midwives to assess mums.We will be working with NHS Devon on the detail of these new proposals.

“This decision is an inspiring sign that if you are determined enough to change something, you can. It has been hard work,

Twinning Social Evening Plans have been made for the February Social evening when traditionally twinners get together to sample any products brought back from our twin town which we visited the previous year.

This also incorporates the twinning AGM when details of the forthcoming years visits are discussed and agreed. Plans have already started to be made for these visits which in 2011 will be for visitors from our German twin town to be in Ottery and for us to visit Pont l’Eveque in Normandy each for a long weekend in the summer.

Make a note in your diaries that the Social evening will be on Thursday February 10th at the West Hill village Hall. Watch out for more details in the February Gazette.

D O G G O N E H A I R Page 4

DOG GROOMING z All aspects of dog grooming tailored to suit your requirements z Clipping and hand stripping z Holistic grooming (with essential oils) z Pick up and drop off service available z Micro Chipping/Pet ID Advice z Fully Insured z Canine first aid qualified z Warm, friendly and relaxed environment

Please call at any time for more information and quotations

Ali Smith 01404 822979 Mobile: 07837 593411 Home run business 3 LEES MEADOW, TALATON, DEVON, EX5 2SG

but worth every minute to know that local families will now benefit from a service that is so important to them.”

In September, Devon County Council’s Health and Adult Services Scrutiny Committee, voted 17 to one, to reinstate

overnight stays at Honiton, Tiverton and Okehampton maternity units and restore transfers from the RD&E Hospital for new mums.

Pictured: campaigners Claire Wright, Roger Giles, Dr John Ackroyd and Alison Kettlewell.

Thanks for supporting the Ottery Gazette This year’s 11 issues of the Ottery Gazette have reached 40 pages in each issue and a bumper 44 pages in this one. Circulation (now 4000) is also reaching an ever widening area. People in Payhembury, Gittisham, Talaton, Whimple, Rockbeare, Marsh Green, Exeter and beyond are now reading the Gazette every month. Many readers from around the country and overseas are receiving copies by posta dn by e mail. This would not have been possible without the editorial matter provided by the many contributors who provide diverse and interesting news for each issue, and the loyal support of the many businesses that place the advertising which covers the cost of production and distribution.

The Gazette has proved to be a successful noticeboard for the area’s many charities, groups, clubs and societies and has provided new local businesses with free editorial and publicity.

Thank you all for your continued support throughout 2010.

Please keep sending us your news, editorial and photos. Call 01404 815111 or e mail otterygazette@yahoo.co.uk or call in to the office (next door to Ottery library).

We wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year.

Due to the closure of paper merchants, suppliers, and distributors over the Christmas and New Year Holidays, it will not be practicable to print a January edition of the Gazette.

The next edition will be ready for delivery in early February.

Garden Tidy FENCING * TURFING * STRIMMING GRASS CUTTING * HEDGE TRIMMING SHED/GREENHOUSE REMOVAL GARDEN CLEARANCE

01404 813364 * 07884 232244

Page 5

Photographer and film Are you ready for a close maker Andy moves to Ottery encounter with this Panto?

While many of us dream of pects amidst all the talk of leaving the UK to move abroad, recession, but Ottery seems to photographer and film-maker have a really strong community Andy Johnstone and his family and I think the south west has have just returned to the UK lots to offer, so I am very after spending the last 10 years optimistic about the future.” in the south west of France, Andy’s wife Lisa, a professional translator has also enjoyed near Toulouse.

“We used to come back to the ‘coming home’. Having spent 5 UK quite often for holidays and years at Exeter University, we often stayed in Devon, so Devon has always had a special when we decided to “come place in her heart, so the opportunity to move back to home”, Devon was top of our Devon after 10 years in France list. Our ‘welcome home party’ was very welcome. was the Ottery Tar Barrels which was fantastic – even if I And have they missed France did burn a hole in my new since moving back? “Our kids jacket while photographing the obviously miss their friends, but they have been made to feel event!” really welcome at their new The family has now settled in schools (King’s and Ottery Ottery St Mary and Andy is Primary), by the Brownies and setting up his business to offer the Scouts and by all the varpress, corporate and wedding ious sports clubs, that they photography in the South West, haven’t really had much time as well as continuing to make to think about it”, said Andy. documentary films and prod- “We do miss our house in uce media projects and web France, which we designed and sites through his company Wild built ourselves, but hopefully Dog Limited. we can find a new project here “It would be easy to feel fairly soon…I’d love to find a gloomy about business pros- building plot!”

Andy’s latest film about the effects of climate change on the river Nile can be seen on the Guardian website: www.guardian.co.uk/ environment/video/2010/jan/15/climate-change-nile For more on Andy Johnstone’s photography and for bookings, please visit www.focusphotos.com Sample pics in next Gazette.

Devon Tiles Ltd The Natural Choice for Tiles and Bathrooms Visit our Showroom Unit 23/25, Finnimore Trading Estate, Ottery St Mary

Tel: 01404 811209 Open Monday-Friday 8.30 - 5.00pm 9.00am - 1.00pm Saturdays Page 6

Long, long ago in a galaxy far, far, away a strange group of creatures were preparing their local pantomime. Their plan was to take over the Earth and perform in village halls from Aberdeen to Zanzibar. In 2011, Ottery Community Theatre promises to ‘boldly go where no Community Theatre has ever gone before’ and take you to another planet (not too far from the final frontier) where you’ll find a galaxy of stars, the odd Space Man, numerous Space Oddities and, hopefully not the Captains Log! The invasion has already begun with sightings of UFOs (Unidentified Freaky Oiks) appearing during the Carnival and also making an appearance at Ottery Late Night Christmas Shopping. However, Hughes There, spokesman for NASA (Not Actually Space Associated), reports that the full invasion is planned to hit the Institute between Wednesday 19th – Saturday 22nd January 2011.

If you would like to witness the coming of the Space Invaders, fuel up your rockets (don’t forget to put your money in the parking meteor) and head on down to Stage Struck in the Square to buy your tickets. ‘Stellar Offer’ tickets for Wednesday; 3 humans for price of 2! Tickets will be available on the door but ‘space’ is limited, especially towards the end of the week, and we’d hate to not be able to fit you in. So stock up on your Milky Ways, Galaxy and Mars Bars and we’ll see you there!

What are you doing for Christmas this year?

OTTERY SILVER BAND DIARY

A question asked of most of us at this time of year. Some of us have family or friends to see and visit, and for others it will be just be another day.

A group in Ottery have a dream to share a Christmas Day meal with others in the town, and celebrate this special day. They are organising a traditional Christmas Day lunch at the Institute followed by some light entertainment.This lunch is open to anyone and will cost £5 per person. Lifts to the event will also be available.

Tickets are available from the Tourist Information Office and Ottery St Mary Parish Church Office, and the closing date is 13th December. The lunch is being organised by local churches and friends from the town. For more information please ring, Brian and Wendy Cammack on (01404) 811280.

Pictured (left to right) organisers Wendy Cammack, Brian Cammack, Gary Boorman, Penny Boorman.

The Pixie Day Committee invite you to

Carols Round the Tree

The Band are feeling and sounding very festive and looking forward to a busy December! Our first Christmas playout will be on Sunday 5th December, 1-3pm at Otter Nurseries where we will be performing Christmas music and carols to get you in the mood and help you along with your festive shopping.

Then follows our big Christmas Concert on Saturday 11th December at the Institute, Ottery St Mary at 7.45pm. We promise you a real Christmassy evening compared by Nick Agg-Manning filled with festive music, sing along carols, a performance by our juniors ‘Brassclass’ and a visit by Father Christmas! Tea/ Coffee and mince pies will be served in the interval followed by a Christmas Raffle. Tickets are £4.00 (Under 16s free) and can be purchased at StageStruck Ottery, from members of the Band, on the door or by telephoning 01404 814502.

We look forward to seeing you there!

On the evening of Saturday18th December the Band will be playing at West Hill Royal British Legion at their Carol Service, this event starts at 6.30pm. This will be the first year that the Band have played and we are very much looking forward to it.

The following evening, Sunday 19th December the Band will once again be playing at the Woodbury outdoor Carol Service on the Green (will be held in the Main Church if raining. This is always a lovely service with a lovely local community atmosphere. The Service starts at 7.00pm and I believe that there will be refreshments and mince pies available afterwards.

Finally from all of us in Ottery St Mary Silver Band we wish you a very ‘Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year’.

Should you have any enquiries or wish to become a playing member of the Main Band or Brassclass we would love to hear from you. Please contact Brian on 01404 814502.

On Monday 20th December at 7.00pm Outside the NatWest Bank Father Christmas will be coming with presents for the children, and hot fruit punch and mince pies will be on sale afterwards.

With grateful thanks to the Rotary Club of Otter Valley, Otter Nurseries and the Carnival Committee for their support.

Foot Health Professional LORRAINE GILL - MOBILE M.C.F.H.P. M.A.F.H.P. (R.G.N.)

ALL FOOT DISCOMFORTS, VERRUCAS, CORNS, CALLOUSES, DIABETIC FOOT CARE, HOSPITAL VISITS

Telephone: 01404 812860 Mobile: 075236 86863 Page 7

Tar Barrel Heritage At the Ottery Heritage Society meeting on Tuesday evening, 19th October, more than 90 members and guests came along to the Institute to hear Andy Wade give a talk about the history of the Ottery Carnival, the ancient custom of the Tar Barrels, and about the huge amount of organization behind the town’s world famous annual spectacle.

Andy was no stranger to most of his audience; he is president of the Ottery Carnival committee having been involved in the event for many years. The origins of the flaming barrels is unclear, but there are press reports of local police doing battle with rowdy barrel-rollers dating back to the 18th century – surprisingly not all in Ottery, but in several towns and villages throughout the country.

But it is believed the practice is much older. Some suggest that as it takes place traditionally on November 5, it could have direct links with Guy Fawkes and gunpowder plot – and for some time antiCatholic demonstrators would burn an effigy of the Pope atop their bonfires. Other historians suggest the practice is Pagan in origin, perhaps linked to

fertility rites, and pre-dating Christianity. On a more practical level, it is suggested that by carrying a smoking barrel through the town’s dwellings, the acrid smell of tar would help to clear vermin and disease.

Traditionally, Carnival night was a more parochial and quieter affair - local families out for an evening’s enjoyment, there weren’t the crowds then probably a few hundred rather than the thousands we expect today. In those days the Carnival procession took place in the early evening, local organisations and family groups proudly showing off their floats they’d been building all summer. After the parade, the revellers would drift through the square and watch the flaming barrels at various points en route, making their way to the funfair and huge bonfire down by the river.

All very civilised.

Local family run business Established 10 Years All aspects of tree surgery undertaken to the highest of standards.

All staff NPTC qualified, fully insured with excellent references.

Pruning, thinning and reductions. z Dismantling and felling z Removal of deadwood z Hedges trimmed reduced or removed z Tree and hedge planting z Wood chipping z Garden clearance. z Stump Grinding and removal z Fencing z

24 hour emergency call out service www.hartwood-treeworks.co.uk

Tel: 07909 524526 or 01404 813026 Page 8

Once the media got hold of this event, particularly the exciting footage of flaming barrels broadcast by television channels around the globe, the revellers in their thousands began to descend on the small town.

Inevitably, greater emphasis was placed on health and safety issues - but then, it is generally accepted that people who attend such events are alerted to the risks and warned to take reasonable care.

But this surge in popularity has led to one important change the Carnival with its decorative floats, many involving the town’s families and young people, has been moved to a separate date, leaving the now huge crowds of adventurous revellers to join in the rough and tumble of the Ottery Tar-Barrel spectacle.

Andy explained that over the years, the subject of insurance has rarely presented a problem, but this year organisers found themselves potentially facing a huge rise in premiums, fuelled by a single compensation claim which the they have been quick to contest.The committee were determined that this year’s event would go ahead as arranged, and plans are already being formulated to ensure that townsfolk and visitors will continue to enjoy this ancient tradition for years to come.

Before drawing his presentation to a close, Andy answered a number of questions from the audience. Heritage Society Trustee, Jim Woolley, then gave an official vote of thanks to the speaker, commenting on the excellent and informative presentation which detailed the huge amount of hard work put in throughout the year by the Carnival Committee in order to stage this world famous spectacle.

Membership of the Ottery St Mary Heritage Society is open to anyone interested in furthering the work of the Charity. Meetings are held in the Ottery St Mary Institute, usually on the third Tuesday of each month, unless advertised otherwise. Eminent speakers are invited to talk on their particular area of interest.These meetings are well-supported social affairs and refreshments are available. Non members are always welcome.

There will be no December meeting. The next Heritage meeting at the Institute will be on Tuesday, January 11th. Guest speaker Colin Pady’s talk is entitled “From Carthorses to Computers”, the story of farming in the 20th century.

ROBERT NEAL Ottery St Mary Heritage Society Photo: Barrel in The Square by Debbie Bragg 2010,

Another great year for Ottery St Mary’s Tar Barrels Well that’s Carnival over for another year and I think we have been successful with all our events this year, the procession, Fireworks, Bonfire and of course the Tar Barrels. As you probably know we were confronted by an enormous insurance premium of £25,000 to stage this year’s events and after making the matter public we managed to reduce the amount to £17,000. This amount meant we needed to seriously look at increasing our income especially from those attending the event and by having Barrel Rollers, Committee members and our supporters collecting money during the Barrels we collected over £5,000. Our Committee owe a big thank you to all those organisations and individuals who have donated money this year and be assured we will work tirelessly to ensure our traditions are safeguarded for the enjoyment of future genera-tions.

Merry Christmas Andy Wade President, Ottery St Mary Carnival Committee.

...and the longest Carnival procession in East Devon!

The rain didn’t dampen the spirits of competitors or spectators at this year’s Carnival Procession on Saturday October 30th.

The town was treated to one of the longest processions in East Devon this year with some 60 entries making their way through the town. Above: The 2010/11 Ottery St Mary Carnival royalty pictured with Flo Rowland who performed their crowning ceremony on October 30th. Photo Phyllis Baxter.

OTTERY ST MARY CARNIVAL

Grand Christmas Bingo AT OTTERY ST MARY FOOTBALL CLUB ON SUNDAY 12TH DECEMBER 2010 Eyes down 8.00pm Transport available. Contact Steve Pearcy on 01404 811335

Ottery Gardening Club The speaker we have on Tuesday 25th January at 2.30pm in the Institute is Mr.Les Peek who will talk on ‘Growing for the Show Table & Dining Table’. We thought it would add to the enjoyment if we combined his talk with a cream tea and of course a raffle.

The AGM is getting ever nearer and we are still looking for committee members to come and contribute to the continuation of the club. Although we have speakers ready for 2011 we will not book any more for 2012 unless help is forthcoming.

The same applies to the trips.

We have only booked three instead of our normal six to

seven with possibly a trip to Highgrove being the fourth but who knows about 2012? We will do our upmost to keep things running for 2011 and hope you will renew your membership for the year.

At the AGM the speaker will be Ms. Heather Talbot from Joshua’s on ‘It’s history and principles’ and will take place after all the official business and a cup of tea or coffee. We look forward to seeing you all and that you all have a very Happy Christmas and New Year.

For more information on any of the above and to join the Gardening Club contact Joan Dalton on 01404 815082.

CARPETS COLLECT

THE YARD, MILL STREET, OTTERY ST MARY, EX11 1EJ Tel: 01404 812964 / 07866 237935 / 07825 339376

z We have an extensive range of 80% wool 20% man made fibre carpets to choose from, plus a large stock collection of cut and loop pile carpets underlays, vinyls and sundries. z We have free measuring and quoting service. z Carpets Collect caters for all commercial needs including wet rooms and kitchens. z A range of wood and laminate Brand New flooring samples to look at Stock Range z We offer a full fitting service or we can deliver to your door PLUS OUR USUAL EXTENSIVE RANGE OF SAMPLE BOOKS TO CHOOSE FROM e mail: sales@carpetscollect.co.uk www.carpetscollect.co.uk Page 9

Although we are separated from our medieval forbears by many centuries, it continues to surprise me just how modern they can sometimes appear. If we went back to Ottery in the early days of the College, Christmas was just as much a time of celebration back then as it is now, and food and drink figured just as prominently in the planning for the big day.

Although Turkey and roast potatoes weren’t on the menu (not available for two hundred years or so) a fine meal of swan or goose, or ham and bacon with peas or beans with mince pies to follow was just as popular.

Well off families would bring their entire household - servants, scullery maids and all, into their halls for a grand communal dinner. Peasant households would do much the same on a smaller scale. Ottery’s poor and dispossessed would gather at the gates of the College to get fed from the kitchens of the Canons, or polish off the substantial leftovers from celebratory meals.

Fun and games were a major priority too - there would be plenty of horseplay - games of contrary roles, where the least of the household - the stable boy perhaps - would be made Lord of the manor for the evening and sit on the dias at the top table, while the lord and his lady would serve the diners.

Christmas - Medieval Style

Mummers at Christmas. A picture from the Bodleian Library, published in “Old England: A Pictorial Museum” 1845.

They were reminding them- masks to play out scenes of selves of the fickle wheel of moral conflict that everyone in fortune which could propel the audience will instantly recthem to wealth and status or ognise. Their masks allowed penury and oblivion, as fate them license to do what would decided. They felt very keenly be impossible for most people that their destinies were not in everyday life - they can poke under their own control. fun at those in authority! And Swopping social status (and those in authority are OK with sometimes gender roles) were that (mostly) - it’s all part of the also reminders of a much more medieval outlook on life. They ancient tradition of Saturnalia, often have musical instruments which worked its way from the too, and singing and dancing dark ages into the Christian figure prominently in the celeperiod, and later on appears brations. Things sometimes again in Pantomime stories that went too far though. Ottery we still enjoy today. Seen from was given a bleak warning by this perspective the woman as Bishop Grandisson just before Principal Boy and the man as Christmas 1360 not to develop the Dame suddenly makes its theatrical ambitions beyond sense. that required for illustrating If you were very wealthy you biblical themes. Apparently the might engage professional players - the minor orders in entertainers at your feast. the College - probably urged Mummers are a hot favourite on by the more ribald members at Christmas. They come in of the audience, were intent on providing entertainment rather than sticking to the usual, information-based, latin-scripted

“tableaux” approved by the church. Unable to restrain their Thespian enthusiasm, they simply moved the plays from the church into the market place and hoped the bishop wasn’t around for any of the performances!

To recap then - we’ve got a huge meal and plenty to drink; music and dancing; fun and games; a free panto and lots of to-ing and fro-ing with friends and neighbours. So what’s missing from the medieval Christmas that we have today? Mostly it’s the stuff that the Victorians cooked up to make Christmas a much more socially conscious event. Private cards were exchanged among wealthy families as a signal of favour or friendship, and the rest of us soon copied the habit with purpose-made cards, starting in the 1840s. Christmas trees became popular in Britain at about the same time when we began to copy an old German protestant tradition brought here with the marriage of QueenVictoria to Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

Father Christmas has been with us since the 16th century, although he most often has a green coat not a red one.

Even without extravagant presents, 24 hour shopping and the Queen speech, medieval Ottregians celebrated Christmas with as much enthusiasm and energy as we do today.

Chris Wakefield Ottery St Mary Heritage Society

2011 Calendar on sale now

The 2011 Ottery St Mary Calendar is now on sale at the Tourist Information Office, Broad Street, Ottery St Mary. It contains full colour pictures of local views and events on each page along with useful spaces to write short notes.

An ideal Christmas gift!

All Business and Personal Insurance Requirements We specialise in Small Holders Insurances for properties under 50 acres Telephone: 01404 813495 Fax: 01404 814277 62 Mill Street, Ottery St Mary Devon EX11 1AF Web site: www.ottery.co.uk An independent insurance intermediary.

Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority

Page 10

Coleridge Memorial Project makes new bid for cash The Coleridge Memorial Project (CMP) has submitted a second bid to the AONB “Making It Local” fund for a new Coleridge Memorial in Ottery. In the face of advice that the sculptural centrepiece planned for Ottery St Mary Church may fail to attract funds from MIL, the Chairman and Secretary of the Project took a last minute decision to upgrade the poetry stones element of the bid to supplement the existing bid for the sculpture.

Poetry around the town was a strong favourite in the public consultation exercise completed last January and February, and the aim now is to investigate the potential for including poetry stones as part of the new pathway and bridge to Kings School.

Chairman of CMP Chris Wakefield told the Gazette “It was becoming clear that MIL were unlikely to fund our centrepiece, so we thought we should emphasize the other elements of our bid that we originally thought would come later on in the project, and we’ve now made them a much higher priority”. He went on to confirm that the sculpture idea was still firmly on the agenda - “We have to recognise that we are much in the hands of those who are prepared to fund our ambitions, but the sculpture is still in my view a vital element to the success of the Memorial Project overall. We might just have to wait a little longer to get it. Meanwhile we are getting squarely behind the poetry stones idea which was so popular when we conducted the public consultation last January. With the right input, we can certainly turn that into

a big step forward for the Project”.

The new bid is accompanied by a thorough examination of the potential for Ottery of a new Samuel Taylor Coleridge memorial in a specially commissioned report from Peter Beasley of Tourism Research Solutions, based in Plymouth.

The report makes it clear that there is a major opportunity in Ottery to build the association between the town and Coleridge and attract a much greater number of visitors than we do at the moment. Further copies of the report will shortly be available from the author on www.tourismsolutions.net Alongside Making It Local, CMP is preparing bids for other funding agencies, and is registered with the Charities Commission, awaiting approval of its Charity Status application which was submitted in September.

More information about the Project and recent news updates are at the website www.coleridgememorial.org.uk or contact the Hon Sec on 01404 812737.

For Gazette Advertising Call 01404 815111

Martin Askew Tree Services ALL ASPECTS OF ARBORICULTURE

Fully Insured. Free Estimates Work includes: Felling, Wood Chipping, Hedge Trimming, Stump Grinding, Hedge Laying

Call 01392 365620, 07971 262753 or 01395 442028 e mail: martinaskew@btinternet.com

Tar Barrels success for Ottery Scout Group It’s hard to believe by the time you read this article that a month has nearly passed since we enjoyed the spectacle of Tar Barrels.

Firstly on behalf of the Scout Group can we pass on our thanks to the organisation this year of the whole event.

Despite the gaze of the media and mindful of events of last year, the whole night was a great success.

The Scout Group along with Ottery Silver Band and Busy Otters Playgroup were organising the car parking on the Barrack Road entrance to town, and for one member of the team it was his “swan song”.

Bruce Harvey – Assistant Scout Leader has been co-ordinating the car parking for the Scout Group for the last 7 years.

Bruce announced earlier this year that he was stepping down.We were delighted when two parents (Conrad Johnson and Della Adams) came forward and volunteered to take over the co-ordinating from Bruce for 2011 onwards. On behalf of the whole group I would like to thank Bruce for undertaking this role over the past years and look forward to

continuing success under Conrad and Della’s stewardship.

We also hosted a number of the German Scout Leaders who were visiting Ottery primarily to experience Tar Barrels at first hand. Rebecca, Simon and Daniel Kübler and Michael Lutz arrived on 4th November and enjoyed a fish and chip supper with some of the Ottery Leaders.We then meet up with them on Friday 5th Nov and spent the night enjoying the spectacle of Tar Barrels, which they thoroughly enjoyed even if they thought we were crazy!

Saturday afternoon the German Leaders joined Chris and Bruce to watch Exeter Chiefs vs Wasps match at Sandy Park, before finishing the night at a fireworks party. Sunday after lunch they headed back to Stanstead for the flight home with many more memories of another stay in Ottery.

John Green Group Scout Leader 01404 812836 or jgreen@averyberkel.com

PLEASE SUPPORT OTTERY SHOPS THIS CHRISTMAS

ROBERTS

A good old fashioned shop, with good old fashioned service

TRADITIONAL HOMEWARE/HARDWARE GENERAL STORE BROAD STREET, OTTERY ST MARY Telephone: 01404 813240

email:robertsottery@btconnect.com

Happy Christmas Everybody!

Thank you all for your support and kindness during 2010

Wishing customers and fellow traders A happy and prosperous new year Open every day 9.00am to 5.00pm except Sun Page 11

Moving Pictures - another new shop in Ottery St Mary

Colin Bond and Sam Haggett opened their new store, Moving Pictures, at 3 Silver Street, Ottery St Mary, during October and have got off to a flying start.

In the spacious store, formerly the bridalwear shop, you will find film and TV related toy,s gifts, collectibles and clothing.

Some people may already know Colin who has been running the bar at Ottery Football Club since 2008 and Sam worked the Disney Store in Exeter until it closed in June.

Colin said: ” We aim to sell items that appeal to us and our children. If customers call in and let us know what they would like to see in stock we will expand our range to suit demand.”

Items already available include Disney, Microworld, Dr Who,

Torchwood, Gruffalo and Star Wars Art FX from Japan. The Moving Pictures web site is currently under development but you can join the Facebook group ‘moving-pictures’ if you want comprehensive up to date information on latest products held in stock.

Moving Pictures can provide you with a host of Christmas gift ideas. Colin and Sam would be delighted to see lots of you visiting their store.Another new shop in Ottery St Mary is very encouraging in such a tough economic climate. Please give them your support.

Opening hours: Tuesday to Friday - 10.00am to 5.00pm, Saturday - 10.00am to 3.00pm.

Closed Sunday and Monday.

Telephone: 01404 812774.

EAT OUT from AT THE

£5

TALATON INN Tel: 01404 822214

2 COURSE LUNCH SPECIAL Main Course and Pudding or Coffee - £5.00 Sunday Lunch from £5.75 Bookings advisable Christmas Function Menus from £10.00 Friday and Saturday evenings Play a game of skittles and enjoy a Buffet - menus start at just £2.95 per person Where are we? Follow the old or new A30 to Fairmile junction, and follow the signs to Talaton. Cheers!

Page 12

2011 Spanish Courses starting on January 15th The Spanish classes organised by Josefina Gori, held at Ottery Town Council Offices, have proved extremely popular again and will continue in 2011.The programme has been tailored to cover the needs and requirements of those interested in learning the language for the first time and also those who have progressed in their knowledge of the language and their communication skills and want to continue.

Monday 7.00pm to 9.00pm - Hablando En Espanol A course for students with a good knowledge of the lang-uage wishing to improve their conversational skills. Want to learn how to speak like a native? Then this is the course for you.

Tuesday 7.00pm to 9.00pm - ¿Como Se Dice….?

A course for absolute begin-ners specifically designed to enable you to learn quickly with a minimum of effort.

Wednesday 10.00am to 12.00pm - El Toro Dos A course for students at inter-mediate level.The saga of “El Toro” will continue during this term and we will be able to finally know who “El Toro” is.

Wednesday 1.00pm to 3.00pm - No Comprendo A beginners course for those wanting to take it easy at “siesta time” but still learn quickly.

Wednesday 7.00pm to 9.00pm - Puedo Hablar Espanol A course for students at intermediate level. Just the course for those wanting to consolidate their knowledge of the language and discover how much more they know. Free coffee and tea facilities during the two hours sessions.We provide all the material necessary during the course. Recordings from TVE (Spanish television) will be shown periodically using the audio-visual facilities at the Council Offices. Competitive fees.

For more information please contact Josefina Gori at: 01297 23777, 01404 811583 / 07941 459441 or e-mail: ftnsy62@aol.com

News from Ottery Tourist Information Centre

We are ticket agents for National Express Coaches, Sovereign Coaches tours, also Hotel Bookings at Heathrow and Gatwick Airport. New leaflets are now in on Cycling in Devon - Tavistock, Exeter, Exmouth and much more. We also have new walking brochures. New bus and rail timetables will be available shortly.

2011 Ottery Calendar The new 2011 Ottery St Mary Calendar is now on sale.

Splendid views of local events and places in full colour. What a great Christmas gift idea! Call in and have a look or call us on 01404 813964.

Thank you for all your support during 2010. Have a very Happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year z Knife & Scissor Sharpening z Clock & Watch Repairs/Sales z Shoe Repairs / Accessories z Watch Batteries / Straps z Dry Ceaning / Duvets z Patching & Stitching z Key Cutting Service z Engraving

Tel: 01404 813088 11 MILL STREET, OTTERY ST MARY E mail: baytreeshoerepairs@googlemail.com Web: www.shoerepairsdevon.co.uk

Thanks a million!

Well 11 million actually...

Ottery Heritage Society’s Annual Lunch

Young pupils ‘take over’ running Council for a day A group of 40 primary school pupils ‘took charge’ at East Devon District Council’s offices on Friday 12th November, as part of the national 11 Million Takeover Day. Schoolchildren aged between 10 and 11 years old from Chardstock, Hawkchurch, Otterton and Ottery St Mary accepted an invitation to visit the Council and say how they would run things if they were in charge.

They learned about food safety by taking part in a mock-up of an unsuitable kitchen, complete with dead mouse and an unhygienic sandwich-maker.

They took part in a special ‘Council meeting’ to debate whether a wind farm should be allowed in the district. East Devon District Council Chairman Councillor Graham Liverton led the debate, which was ‘minuted’ by a Democratic Services Officer.

To place editorial matter and relevant photos or advertising - call 01404 815111 or e mail: otterygazette@yahoo.co.uk

Planning Policy officers involved them in deciding what facilities they want to see in their area when they are adults.The children also had a chance to relax in a juggling session organised by the Housing Team’s Community Development Officer.

Afterwards Councillor Liverton said: “I was very impressed with the debating skills, and the enthusiasm and interest with which the children entered into all the tasks that were set for them.They showed an amazing level of maturity and I’m sure Councillors and officers learnt as much from them as they learnt about the work that we do.

“These young people are the voters, and potential Councillors, of tomorrow so it is important they understand the world of local government and the impact it has on people’s lives. Whilst there was a serious element to the day, we also had a lot of fun.Taking part in 11 Million Takeover Day is something I would encourage other organisations to consider next year”.

The Heritage Society’s Anniversary Lunch to celebrate the birth of poet and philosopher, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, was held at the Tumbling Weir Hotel on Saturday October 23. Pictured are Heritage Society trustee, Chris Wakefield, guest speaker Hick Pruce, his wife Dr Jean Brown, and Robert Neal, chairman of the Society.

WW2 Veteran’s Day Otter Nurseries hosted the largest gathering of WW2 Bomber Command Veteran Heroes in the country, when they visited the Garden Centre on Saturday 6th November!

The day’s aim was to raise funds for a Bomber Command Memorial, planned to be built in Green Park, Piccadilly, Central London in memory of the 55,573 aircrew of Bomber Command that gave the ultimate sacrifice in WW2.

The Nursery raised a very respectable £1,600 when the 24 veterans attracted a steady flow of people all day, who came to see these heroes and to have wartime memorabilia signed by them. There was entertainment in the form of the Linda Operatic Society, with the Honiton Cadets onsite to help, and a special guest appearance was made by Glyn Dobson, the Mayor of Ottery.

The Great Chocolate Snowman Hunt at Escot Escot’s Chocolate Snowman Hunt has become a great new feature of an East Devon family Christmas. Hundreds of hunters of all ages have searched through

the winter woodland looking for traces of his snowy white footprints. Clues (that children find easy, adults less so) lead the hunters deep into the parkland where the

snowmen have their frosty lairs. Is it the thrill of the chase or the promise of a chocolate prize that drives them on?

Who knows? The essential thing is that it’s clearly been an enormous success with all generations and looks certain to be a regular Christmas feature at Escot from now on.

The Snowman Hunt is avail-able daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. from 1st December until the end of January. A small charge is made and profits go to the Tale Valley Trust, the local community charity.

Chocolate Snowmen in East Devon: whatever next? Just watch this space!

And remember - an Escot Multipass lets you visit Escot as often as you like throughout the year. It’s fabulous value – especially if you buy now at 2010 prices! – and it makes a great Christmas present for the whole family.

For more information, please contact Escot on 01404 822188 or visit the Escot website at: www.escot-devon.co.uk Page 13

East Devon Cats Protection The East Devon branch of Cats Protection covers a very wide area of Devon, totalling about 400 square miles. We take in and re home cats and kittens who are strays or are unwanted and/or abandoned.

We have foster homes in or near Ottery St Mary, Sidmouth, Budleigh Salterton, Exmouth, Seaton and Axminster, where the cats are cared for and prepared for re homing.

All our cats and kittens are Vet checked, treated for fleas and worms, vaccinated, microchipped and if over 5 months old, neutered.We will also help with the cost of neutering the kittens we home.

We often take into care older cats who are fit and healthy but are handed in to us as their

SANTA’S DECEMBER SCHEDULE

Santa in his musical sleigh will be around the Ottery St Mary District during December as follows: 7th: Eastern Ottery, 8th: Western Ottery, 9th: Broadclyst, 16th: Whimple, 21st: Feniton All between 6.00 and 8.00pm

owners are not and can no longer care for their cats. Many people are not prepared to adopt an older cat because they are worried about the possible veterinary costs associated with elderly cats. For this reason our branch of Cats Protection has its ‘Golden Oldie Scheme’.

We will cover most age related vet bills for the elderly cats we home. Snowdrop, featured in our advert this month is just such a cat.

She is so friendly and affectionate and is a real lap cat but she has been with us for nearly a year. Similarly, we have grey brothers, Smokey (9 years) and Billy (11 years) who are staying at our foster home near Tipton St. John. They are lovely and very affectionate.

So please, if you would like a knee warmer or two for the winter (and many to come of course), please consider Snowdrop or one of our other lovely foster cats and call one of our fosterers whose phone numbers are in the advert, or call me on 01404 812920 or Trudi on 01404 831166.

If you would like to help with fund raising please call Sheila on 01404 812576 Alyn Potbury

EAST DEVON BRANCH www.eastdevoncats.com

All our cats and kittens are flead, wormed, vaccinated, microchipped and, if over 5 months old, neutered. We also help with neutering costs for the kittens we home.

SNOWDROP (pictured) is a sweet and gentle 12 year old white girl who is staying at our foster home at Aylesbeare.

Telephone: 01395 233494 CHARLIE is a lovely, affectionate and friendly 4 month old boy who is staying near Tipton St John. Tel: 01395 577334 SUKI is a beautiful and friendly 5 year old tortoiseshell girl who is staying at Sidford.

Telephone: 01395 515601.

DAISY is a lovely, affectionate 7 year old black and white girl who is staying near Seaton. Tel: 01297 22085.

BOBBIE is a friendly 1 year old white, black and tabby boy who is staying in Seaton. Telephone: 01297 21610.

These are only a few of the cats in our care who are looking for homes. If you do not see the cat for you, please call 01404 811089 For more information and for General Enquiries call 01404 811089. For Neutering Advice and help with Neutering Costs for those eligible Call 01297 22085 If you have lost or found a cat please call - 01297 21610 Page 14

A wheelie great success!

Cerys Hiscocks aged 10 and James Nancekivell aged 7, both from Ottery St Mary raised £400 recently by wheeling 2.5 miles across East Hill Strip in a bid to raise funds to purchase a child’s wheelchair. Both of the children’s families came up with the idea when they had difficulty in finding one to borrow in the Ottery area.

The wheelchair was purchased from Lindsay & Sons of Exeter who gave the families expert advice and were sympathetic enough to offer a generous discount on the list price.

On Friday 19th November the wheelchair was handed over to

the Ottery Help Scheme, based at Coleridge Medical Centre, along with the monies left over from the funds raised.

Both families wish to thank all who sponsored the two children in their fundraising and Lindsay & Sons of Exeter for their expertise.

Thanks to Cerys and James the wheelchair is available to loan for all children in the area.

Contact Pat Lane at the Ottery Help Scheme for more information on 01404 816700.

Pictured: members of two families and their children present Jane Ross of the Ottery Help Scheme with the wheelchair.

Bowling Club Coffee Morning

This year’s Ottery Bowling Club Mince Pie and Coffee Morning will be held on Saturday 4th December in the Institute,Yonder Street, Ottery St Mary. There will be numerous stalls, which will include quality gifts, cakes, an extensive choice of books, raffle, tombola and the chance to win, by guessing the correct weight, a homemade Dundee cake! So come along and enjoy the occasion. We will be open from 10.00am till 12.00pm. Table tops for hire only £5. Contact 01404 811195 for more information.

FERGUS CLARK KITCHENS LTD. COMPLETE KITCHEN FITTING SERVICE ALSO BEDROOMS AND BATHROOMS Years of Experience. Professional Planning.

Telephone: 01404 813318 Mobile: 07771 645464 Jesmond, Ridgeway, Ottery St Mary EX11 1DT

D.I.Y. TIP OF THE MONTH

BY CHRIS ABBOTT

Chimney Sweeping Made Simple Hello and welcome to December’s DIY tip of the month.

Now this month I’m going to be covering the important task of keeping your chimney clean.

This is a very important task to perform, not just so Santa doesn’t end up looking like he’s been working in a coal mine after going down your chimney on Christmas eve, but more importantly, if you have a solid fuel fire in your house and don’t clean your chimney, it may be a little more than just chestnuts roasting in your house this Christmas! Chimney fires equate to 15% of all household fires! That’s around 10,000 a year in the UK.

Chimney fires are caused by a build up of soot and tar in your chimney and when the soot reaches a significant level then the risk of a fire increases proportionately. To clean your chimney you can buy the equipment relatively cheaply.

The rods that you require are the same as those you would use for unblocking drains but with a chimney brush screwed on the end. Before buying a chimney brush you should measure your flue diameter so that you buy the correct one that fits your flue. Your brush must not be too small or it won’t do a good job, or if it’s too large it may get stuck.

Inner Wheel Club News

November – always a very busy month for our Inner Wheel Club started on 5th November with Tar Barrels when our ladies helped the Otter Valley Rotary Club sell programmes. As always, it was a hectic evening at this spectacular local event.

This was quickly followed by the ‘Sidmouth Swimathon’ when a joint Inner Wheel/Rotary team entered this sponsored swim to help raise funds for the local ‘Living With Cancer’ charity. Our own mermaids (Monica Lacey, Barbara Bennett and Sandra Bryant) and Rotary ‘fishes’ swam a total of 96 lengths in just 55minutes…well done to all of them.

The highlight for November however is always our Annual Quiz in aid of Hospiscare.

West Hill Village Hall was bursting at the seams! Our Quiz Master for the evening, Roly Sanders, kept the ques-

tions and humour rolling along at a tremendous pace and ensured that contestants of all ages could take part. Half time was marked with ploughman’s supper and raffle with prizes ranging from planted baskets to chocolate biscuits and a frying pan!

All in all a fantastic night was had by everyone who attended.

Although final figures have yet to be confirmed we estimate that we have broken previous records and will raise in the region of £1,400 for this wonderful charity Hospiscare.

The Otter Valley Inner Wheel Club would like to thank everyone who took part and helped us achieve this wonderful sum.We hope to see you all again next year at the 9th Annual Quiz! More Inner Wheel news soon!

Sue Hulley Club Correspondent

Before you can sweep a chimney you must wait at least 24 hours since your last fire to ensure that all the soot has cooled down and also you should cover all of your furniture and floor with dust sheets in preparation.To sweep your chimney you can either brush it from above or below.

If you brush it from above it will cause you less dust.

However, without the correct access equipment it’s very dangerous so I would recommend you approach the sweeping job from below.

All you need to do is slowly push the brush up the chimney rotating as you go. Bear in mind that if you rotate the brush in an anticlockwise direction you will separate the brush from the rod causing you a big problem half way up your chimney. If, having completed cleaning your chimney, you feel that it was hard work and that there must be an easier way, then you’re in luck! There is a product which we sell called Flue Free. It’s basically a powder which you add to a low fire twice a week. It reacts with the soot and tar in your chimney

causing it to breakdown and weaken its bond with the wall.

The deposits should eventually just fall down the chimney or if they remain they are weakened enough so that when you do attempt another sweep the deposits can be more easily removed.

Well that completes this month’s DIY tip of the month. I hope that it has been up to its normal standard as this month it hasn’t been written by its normal author, Chris Abbott, as he has just become a daddy for the first time. So congratulations to him and his wife Janet. Chris will be writing the DIY tip of the month again next year so as ever, if you have any burning DIY questions, simply email him on chris@abbottsdiy.com So all that is left for me to say is Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from all of us at Abbott’s

Is there a DIY problem, that you would like to see answered in this column? If so or if you have any other comments relating to this column visit the Tip of the Month page on the all new Abbotts website www.abbottsdiy.com

LOGS FOR SALE Seasoned Hardwood Great Value and Quality Free Local Delivery 01404 813026 or 07909 524526

Page 15

LION’S CORNER Since the last newsletter the Honiton and District Lions Club has been quite busy as you may have noticed.We have provided stewards for both the Honiton and Ottery Carnivals following the loss of some of the support provided by the police.

Our skittles team is through to die next round even though we put up a poor show against the Seaton and District Lions Club.

Tar Barrels has again come and gone. Thanks to all those who supported our burger stall at the rear of the Kings Arms.We actually sold out of food on the night. You can’t do better than that.

At our last meeting at the Deer Park Hotel in Honiton, we had a visit from the District Governor who is a member of the Seaton Lions Club.The District Governor, Lion Neil Rutter, is normally a tram driver on the Seaton Tramway but has probably had to take time off from that job because of his busy schedule in looking after the 63 Lions Clubs in the District.

We laid a wreath at the memorial at Ottery St Mary church following the procession and memorial service in the church.

(See photo). A similar event took place at Honiton. There was a good turnout in spite of the rain which came just the wreath laying ceremony was taking place.

There will be a Carol Service at St Marks Church, Honiton on Saturday 4th December involving all of the Lions Clubs in the District.This is an Annual event which is normally held at Tiverton, but is being held at Honiton in respect of Lion Ralph Hibbert, who died recently.

In the past you may have seen, and taken part in a raffle in Ottery involving a wheelbarrow containing Christmas fare. You will have another chance to win this useful prize (including the barrow) on Saturday 11th December. A similar raffle will take place in Honiton on Saturday 18th December, when we will also be collecting at Tesco’s in Honiton the same day.

I mentioned in the last Gazette that we have formed a ‘Friend of the Lions’ section, in which you can take part in certain of our activities, without actually becoming a Lion. Get in touch with me if you are interested.

You never know, you may get

to like us. Come on men, it will only cost you a fiver.

The next thing is to wish you all a Very Merry Christmas and

a Happy and Prosperous New Year. As usual, my number is 01404 813513.

Bill King

Christmas Bells

The bells that will be ringing out at Christmas are continuing a tradition going back long before Christ was born. The earliest metal bells were Chinese, dating back several thousand years, though they didn’t appear in Europe until many centuries later.

Exeter Cathedral has two of the heaviest bells in England. One of them, ‘Peter’ , hangs in the north tower, and weighs about four tonnes.You can hear it every time the clock strikes. ‘Grandison’, which weighs over three and a quarter tonnes hangs in the south tower, and is rung conventionally. This means that it is attached to a large wheel, so that it turns through 3600 every time it sounds. It produces a tremendous centrifugal force as it turns, so much so that the whole tower moves when all the bells are being rung. The bells in most towers are nothing like as heavy as this, normally ranging from a few hundredweight to a tonne or so, and are easy to ring once you know how. Laurie Palmer, on 01404 814545, is willing to teach you if you want to have a go.

Richard Coley

The Gallery @ Hind Street A mixed exhibition of new work in December from artists Mike Hughes Vince Peterson Sandy MacFadyen John and Helen Wakefield Traditional & Contemporary Framing of the Highest Quality.

Hand Finished by Qualified Artist/Craftsmen.

Regular Exhibitions of work from Established and Up Coming Artists and Sculptors.

Page 16

We are highly expert in the complete framing process, all framing work carried out on the premises.

We also offer complete oil painting restoration WE CAN FRAME ALMOST ANYTHING!!

Do you know where the nearest vineyard to Ottery is?

Not a quiz question but something many of you may not know. Among the many visitors in Ottery for the Tar Barrels on 5th November was a family from Ilsfeld in Baden Württemberg which is Ottery St Mary’s twin town in Germany.

They are well known for their wine in that part of Germany and since they grow grapes commercially, our friends were curious to know more about Devon vineyards asking the question posed above. Vineyards in Devon have a good reputation and a simple search of the internet threw up some interesting answers. There is a vineyard not more than two miles from the homes of most residents of Ottery.

On the web we found that the Pebblebed winery, run by Geoff Bowen from Topsham, has three vineyards in East Devon including one in Ottery and also has wine cellar/wine bar near to Topsham Quay. Formerly a professional hydrogeologist, Geoff started his viticulture project as recently as 2005 adding the Ottery vineyard in 2008 so a wine from Ottery grapes will be first produced in 2011.

A quick telephone call resulted in an invitation for us all to

meet with Geoff at the wine cellars where a very pleasant couple of hours were spent comparing techniques in Germany and Devon and sampling the English wines. From this experience both the white and rosé wines which Geoff produces are highly recommended. He also produces a sparkling rosé. If you don’t accept my modest recommendation I am told that Michael Caine of Gidleigh Park Hotel and Oz Clarke on BBC TV ‘Countryfile’ both rate the Pebblebed wines highly. The wines are supplied to a number

of prestigious locations and were recently served at the International Climate Change Conference at the Met Office.

Since the venture is quite new stocks are limited but are comparable in price with other Devon produced wines.

Those of you who followed of the Dragons Den on TV earlier

this year will have seen Geoff making his bid for support.

Not surprisingly, his convincing presentation and the obvious potential of the product persuaded Duncan Bannentyne to invest and provide business knowhow to this project. The vineyards are registered as organic through the Soil Association and the business is environmentally friendly, encouraging minimum waste and recycling of its empty wine bottles. You can adopt a single vine (and receive a bottle of wine) or for even more prolific drinkers a case of wine is on offer if a row of vines is adopted.

If you want more information just look at the website www.pebblebed.co.uk which will tell you. As a clue - you get glimpses of the vineyard if you walk the Devon County footpath, Ottery St Mary FP10.

Keith Spittlehouse Above: German wine grower in the Ottery vineyard comparing the height of the vines. Inset: Pebblebed wine.

Ottery St Mary Millennium Green Trust AGM

Ottery St Mary Millennium Green Trust will be holding its Annual General Meeting on Thursday 2nd December 2010 at The Lamb & Flag, Batts Lane, Ottery St. Mary, at 6.30 p.m. All members of the public are welcome to attend.

Page 17

Ottery Vision OM News With Christmas approaching we wished to do something special. We have decided to each buy a present for a certain amount and then choose one each. We shall also have a ‘Memory of Christmas past’, which we know will generate much conversation and hopefully bring back happy memories of our younger days! Very different, I expect, from the present day. None of us had so much and, as children, we didn’t expect so much. Were we happier than our grandchildren are? That will lead to much discussion!

In November we took a trip to Harry Ramsden’s where we had a really nice time last year. Fish and chips may not be to everyone’s taste, but it is a treat if one enjoys them as we rarely

King’s School PTFA News

cook them ourselves. The staff were extremely accommodating and helpful to us all.

We have planned our programme for the next six months which will see us in the Institute during the winter months, with various interesting speakers visiting. From April we will be going out and about, having lunch or tea at different venues.

Living in this lovely area we do not have too much difficulty in choosing places to go.

We will welcome new members - you do not have to have a sight problem. We meet on the last Thursday afternoon in every month and we have sighted members too.

For more details please contact Anne on 01404 813810, Mary on 813176 or Kay on 815001.

African Drumming Workshop dates

Sustainable Ottery’s successful series of African drumming workshops continue throughout the winter with three more dates planned. Due to work commitments overseas the next workshop in on Sunday 12th December instead of the normal Saturday, and then we have Saturday 8th January and Saturday 5th February planned.The new format of starting with beginners at 2pm and then moving on to more experienced drummers at about 3.30 is working well and will be continued with. For more information please call 01404 814217. Workshops are held at the Station Youth Centre in Ottery St Mary.

We have been very busy this term with the fantastic success of our “Burger Kings BBQ” on tar Barrel night. Despite some nasty weather causing our leaking gazebo to drench our smoked out cooking team We managed to sell out of all our burgers and sausages and almost everything else to raise nearly £1,900 for our school.

Huge thanks go to the volunteer helpers consisting of Parents and Staff. Special thanks to Steve at Country Farm Butchers and Millstone Bakery for supplying the top quality foods.

On to our next big fund raiser – our Annual Christmas Fayre will be held on Friday 3rd December in our main hall

from 7.00pm to 9.00pm. More traders than ever will be bringing their specialist goods for sale.We will have singing entertainment from our Primary Feeder Schools just to set the scene. The PTFA will be selling refreshments, mulled wine and a home made Chilli to warm you up. Please come along and support us and make a start on that Christmas Present list.

Looking to next year – the news in the playground is The Fashion Show really is going to happen!! More details to follow.

You can contact us via the School Front Office or by email on diana898@btinternet.com or the School website on www.thekings.devon.sch.uk Diana Mckay

The only local glazing/conservatory company to hold the Government Endorsed Trust Mark status z Complete conservatory packages from foundation to finial Pilkington self cleaning solar-control glass or heat sheild poly carbonate z Beautiful composite doors z Latest Bi-fold doors z 4 Stylish window systems with energy ratings up to ‘A’ level z High security residential Doors and Sliding Patio Doors z All roofline products: facias and guttering etc. (capping and full replacement) z Also small building work undertaken (Porches/Extensions etc) As registered

SERVICE, QUALITY, VALUE, EXPERIENCE A Family Business Built on Reputation

Super Spacer Installers we can now guarantee glass units for 20 years!

Phone 01404 823078 today for a free estimate or quotation Page 18

New website launched to fight development plans A website to fight controversial plans to grow East Devon District Council’s population by a third by building almost 20,000 homes over the next 20 years, was launched in early November Campaign group, Communities Before Developers, are the driving force behind the website, which will be used to give the real story behind the hugely complex and ambiguous 140 page consultation document for EDDC’s Local Development Framework Core Strategy (LDF).

Although the website hasn’t yet been publicised in local media it is already attracting comments from people, follow-

ing several blogs and articles that have already been posted by group members.

Honiton resident and East Devon Green Party Coordinator, Sharon Pavey, said: “People deserve to know what the real impact of the LDF is and EDDC clearly isn’t going to reveal anything except puff, so we have set up a website which we will all contribute to on a regular basis, as the situation unfolds over the coming months.”

Sharon, who set up the website, added: “East Devon residents and local media will be able to rely on us to get a quick reaction or view onto the website, in response to any

Readers Write Thanks for a brilliant Tar Barrels!

Dear Sir, I am sure that I am only one of many who would like to say a big, big thank you to Andy Wade and his team. They must have worked their socks off all year to achieve such a lovely carnival and then a brilliant bonfire and tar barrels. It was all so good natured and just fun to be there (even my hot dog tasted good too) and the clear up in the early mornings was brilliant. I do hope enough money was collected to enable it all to continue and please Andy do it all over again next year - we really appreciated it.

Anitra Lockwood, Raymeadow,Winters Lane.

to-door leaflet doesn’t even mention numbers of houses at all and the summary leaflet is vague and omits important “The people we know who details, such as plans to make have managed to read the it easier to build anywhere in entire document, are left with the countryside, by reducing a multitude of questions, as well the vital landscape protections as understandable and deep we currently take for granted. confusion at the relentless Communities Before Developambiguity.” ers members will now regularly Roger Giles, Ottery St Mary blog their news and views as District Councillor for Ottery months go by. The next stage St Mary Town added: “Most after 30 November – the end residents will not get chance of the consultation - is a counto read the full document, but cil vote, before the final public glancing at the leaflet that drops consultation early next year. through their letterbox or the The final stage of the process summary leaflet, won’t tell is the planning inspector’s them much either. The door- inquiry later in 2011.

The address is www.communitiesbeforedevelopers.org emerging issues. We are in for the long haul – this isn’t over by a long chalk.”

Learn about the Impressionists and Post Impressionists A workshop at the Town Council Offices, Ottery St Mary.

Come and find out more about some favourite artists including Monet, Renoir, Pissarro, Morisot, Cezanne, Van Gogh and Gauguin. Begin to discover why and how they painted, when they did and enjoy looking at slides, dvds, books and some interesting reviews of exhibitions on 9th December from 10.00am to 3.30pm. The

fee is £35 to include materials, tea, coffee and lunch at the local pub. Please ring Annie Pollard on 01297 444719 - before 7.00pm weekdays or e mail: apollard@myguide.net for more information.

If you can’t see ahead - don’t overtake Dear Sir, Why is it that some car drivers have to overtake a cyclist even if they cannot see a clear road ahead? In narrow lanes any bend left or right is blind. The summit of hills are also blind.

These situations are suicidal, no-go areas for overtaking yet people still do it. Recently I travelled from Ottery St Mary to Tipton St John and on 3 occasions I had to make an emergency stop, even though I was driving at only 20mph.

If you can’t see the road ahead don’t overtake. It might cost you a few minutes on your journey but it’s better than losing your life in a head-on crash.

Barry Fearn, Ottery St Mary

Jeanette Freeman Custom Made Curtains and Soft Furnishings

Unit C1, Westleigh Willows Farm, Feniton, Honiton, Devon EX14 3BN Telephone: 01404 851027

HASTINGS ROOFING

Flat Roof Specialist D A VID HASTINGS z Fully Insured z Over 25 Years experience z Free Estimates

Telephone: 01404 814517 Mobile: 07866 433446 anytime Page 19

OTTERY WALKERS NEWS

We are a local, informal group of friends, with volunteers leading walks and everyone taking responsibility for themselves.

Anyone is welcome to join a walk, providing they bring food and drink (as necessary) and are equipped with suitable clothing, boots and waterproofs. All walks meet at the Land of Canaan Car Park, Ottery St Mary at 9 am and we share cars to the start of the walk. Why not join us for one of our forthcoming walks. Our walk on Saturday 8th January will be around 10 miles, while our walks on Thursday 6th January and 20th January will be 5 to 6 miles. For further information and a programme of walks, please contact Trevor on 811830 or Barbara on 814204.

Our Saturday walk in October started in the beautiful Village of Offwell. Following the lane past the 15th century church of St Mary. Leaving the lane we crossed fields into Colwell Wood with the rain filtering through the trees.

After coffee it was downhill across a lane then once again another steep climb to Appledore Farm. The sun was shining and warm as we followed the East Devon Way over many stiles to Farway past ancient

Page 20

petrol pumps (not in use), past Netherton Hall up Farway Hill (800ft) and down to a path bypassing Northleigh where we toiled (some of us did) up a steep 1in 5 field.

Thursday 7th October our walk started from Woodbury. Leaving the village we followed quiet lanes stopping at farm gates to admire the views to the River Exe. Crossing the main A376 we visited Gulliford Cemetery which is a site of an 18th century Presbyterian church. Those of Lympstone, Exmouth and Woodbury who did not follow the religion of the Monarchy were buried here.

After coffee we retraced our steps back on to a great new cycle/footpath alongside the River Exe, passing Nutwell Park and the Commando Training Camp. On reaching Exton we followed footpaths through green fields back to Woodbury.

The Thursday walk in November started in the delightful village of Stockland. Most of the church of St Michael and All Angels was rebuilt in the 14th and 15th century and the ring of six bells dates from 1603.

Leaving the car park we followed a lane towards the church till we turned onto a

footpath across fields of wet grass, over small streams to reach a typical Devon sunken lane which we followed towards Millhayes. Just past Mayes Cottage we joined footpaths past Shorebottom Turbury to see the Lucombe Oak of Broadhayes.

The oak was originally raised in a nursery

by Mr Lucombe in Exeter in 1762. It is unusual in the fact it keeps its leaves over winter. It is one of the 48 great trees of East Devon.

Leaving the oak we rejoined the lane through Broadhayes with a series of listed Georgian buildings for the final leg back to Stockland. On the bridge entering the village is a George IV plaque showing that Stockland was part of Dorset until annexed to Devon in 1844.

Saturday 6th November 13 walkers met for a nine and a bit miles walk in glorious weather from Churchill, a small hamlet north of Smallridge. The first couple of miles was a steady climb past Yard Farm with a sign “Bull in field� up and across Beacon Hill, then downhill over fields to follow the River Kit into the village of Chardstock. Leaving Chardstock we followed lanes and paths through Kitbridge and Millway across fields to climb through woodland past Tytherleigh Manor for our lunch stop at the Tytherleigh Arms.

Refreshed we continued by crossing the Fosse Way and on to Axe Farm. Here we encountered a small problem when the footpath on the map was not the footpath on the ground. We took a detour around barns to join a lane to cross the railway to Axe Bridge following the River Axe tracks via Bagley Hill Farm. We then pressed on to cross the Axe and the railway to Battleford Hall and took the paths to Smallridge and Churchill.

Christmas Services at Ottery and District Churches Christmas Services for Churches together in Ottery and details of prayers sessions during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity All dates shown are for December 2010 PARISH CHURCH, OTTERY ST MARY Sat 18th 6.00pm CHRISTINGLE Service Fri 24th 6.00pm Blessing of the Crib Fri 24th Christmas Eve 11.30pm Midnight Communion Sat 25th Christmas Day 8.00am Holy Communion BCP Christmas Day 10.00am Family Communion Sun 26th 9.30am Parish Communion Some other Anglican churches in the Otter Vale Team WIGGATON Thu 23rd 7.00pm Carols Sat 25th Christmas Day 10.30am Communion by Extension ESCOT Sat 25th Christmas day 9.00am Christmas Communion Service PAYHEMBURY Fri 24th Christmas Eve 11.30pm Midnight Communion Sat 25th Christmas Day 11.00am All Age Family Service FENITON Fri 24th Christmas Eve Christingle at Feniton School WEST HILL Fri 24th Christmas Eve 4.20pm Crib Service Fri 24th Christmas Eve 11.30pm First Communion of Christmas Sat 25th Christmas Day 8.00am Holy Communion 10.30am Family Service ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH Fri 24th Christmas Eve 9.00pm Mass & Blessing of Crib Sat 25th Christmas Day 9.30am Mass. (No evening Mass) Sun 26th 9.30am Mass 1st Jan New Year’s Day 9.30am Mass Thereafter normal daily Masses at 9.30 a.m. and Saturday night Mass (first Mass of Sunday) at 6pm THE METHODIST CHURCH Tue 21st Our own ‘Sing Christmas’ look out for more details: No BBC this year!

Sat 25th Christmas Day We will join our friends at the United Reformed Church at 10.30am NEW LIFE CHURCH Sun 19th 6.30pm Candlelit service Sat 25th Christmas Day 10.30am Family service Both days at the King’s School (no service on Sunday 26th).

SALVATION ARMY Sat 11th 10.00am Carols, outside Boots in the Square Sun 19th 3.00pm Carol Service with a difference, followed by refreshments

HYPNOTHERAPY

Anxiety, Stress, Fears and Phobias, Self-hypnosis for Childbirth.

Free initial consultation plus free CD. Appointments available at: Ottery Health Store, Ottery St Mary Ebdons Court Natural Health, Sidmouth The Awareness Centre, Axminster

Deborah Pearce HPD Clinical Hypnotherapist Tel: 01404 813388 or 07939 840788 dpearcehypno@supanet.com www.calmerminds.com

UNITED REFORMED CHURCH 10.30am Morning worship with Communion led by the Revd. Graham Tarn Sun 12th 10.30am Carol Service with music from Classic Sounds Sun 19th 3.00pm Christingle event for all the family with puppets and refreshments Sat 25th Christmas Day 10.30am Family Praise with Methodist friends, led by the Revd. Graham Tarn WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY January 17th - 23rd 2011 During this week we will be holding a prayer meeting or simple service in each of our churches as follows: the light lunches will most probably be soup and a bread roll.

Monday January 17th 2011 Salvation Army 12.oopm followed by a light lunch Tuesday January 18th 2011 Methodist Church 12.00pm followed by a light lunch Wednesday January 19th 2011 New Life Church followed by a light lunch Thursday January 20th 2011 United Reformed church followed by a light lunch Friday January 21st 2011 Roman Catholic Church, Morning Prayer at 9:30am followed by refreshments Saturday January 22nd 2011 The Parish Church followed by a light lunch Sunday January 23rd 2011 Church members are to be invited to attend a different church in the town to experience another form of worship as the week is undergirded by the theme: ‘All things in Common’. If you wish to do this look outside the churches to see what time their service will take place.

We wish you a very happy Christmas and a healthy and blessed New Year and as always assure you of a very warm welcome wherever and whenever you choose to join us.

Sun 5th

LOVELLS OF OTTERY BROOK STREET, OTTERY ST MARY, DEVON Telephone: 01404 812007

NEW AND USED CAR SALES

SERVICE, PARTS AND LARGE ACCESSORY SHOP

BODY REPAIRS LOW BAKE OVEN CAR ALIGNMENT JIG DUPONT 2-PACK PAINT FREE ESTIMATES

SELF-DRIVE HIRE CARS, VANS, AND MOVE YOURSELF FURNITURE VANS FREE FIT DISCOUNT TYRES Page 21

Page 22

Page 23

FROM THE CHURCHES FROM THE CHURCHES IN OTTERY We are all gearing up for our Christmas Celebrations and you will see from the pull out part in the middle of the Gazette details of services over this period. As always you will be welcome to join us at any of these whether or not you are a regular churchgoer. It is good to celebrate a birthday and this for us is the important one.

We are also planning to follow the E100 Bible Reading initiative in ways that we feel most appropriate for CTIO. The Ecumenical Lent House Groups will be based on this too so look out for more information early on in 2011.

Are you up for a challenge? The E100 challenge? The Churches Together in Ottery invite you to join the Bible Society and Scripture Union’s, “The Essential 100 Bible Readings.” Starting in the New Year, journey with us or on your own through the Salvation landscape from Creation to Revelation over a period of 20 weeks. In 2011, it will be 400 years since we have enjoyed the Bible in English – and it’s a wonderful read!

Sign up in your local church or fellowship where pamphlets are available giving details of the readings and the flow of God’s story of love for all creation. We were pleased to send our cheque for £1500 to the Skate Park organisers as we firmly support work to help the young people of our community.

NEW LIFE CHURCH December heralds the start of our Christmas celebrations as we remember the birth of Jesus. Our family candlelit service is at the Kings School on Saturday 19th at 6.30 and we will also have a short family service on Christmas Day at 10.30.

We are also looking forward to our New Year Barn Dance on Saturday 8th January. All are welcome to join us for this fun family event – no dancing skills are required, just a sense of humour.The church continues to meet at the Kings School main hall at 10.30 am on Sundays where we enjoy worship, biblical teaching and Sunday school groups for the children. We are always pleased to welcome visitors and are happy to pray with anyone who needs healing or who has any concerns.

‘Groundbreakers’, our kids club for children aged between 7 – 10 years, meets during term time between 6pm and 7.30pm at the New Life Chapel on Friday evenings – all children are welcome. The Youth Group, for 11 – 18 yr olds, also meets every Friday night at 7.30pm. If you want to know more about New Life or any of our activities contact Bruce and Heather Talbot at info@newlifeottery.org.uk or check out our website www.newlifeottery.org.uk

K &M

Butchers Tel: 01404 812724

K & M wish all our customers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year Orders are now being taken for Christmas Turkeys, Chickens, Geese and Ducks All Free Range and Local 2 BROAD STREET, OTTERY ST MARY Page 24

THE METHODIST CHURCH The church fellowship is not immune from the practicalities of everyday life and we seem finally to have resolved the problems associated with storing big black rubbish bins, awkward green recycling bins and blue food-waste bins, although not all the church users are yet sure that they know what bins should be used for various things - dead flowers are clearly compost, but does that mean at home? in landfill? or food waste? ........ These interesting conundrums must affect the other fellowships as well as all of us as we go about our daily lives. Although church groups are often seen as being set apart from the society in which they operate they are not different at all. We just happen to hold a specific set of beliefs which others either don’t share, or don’t choose to celebrate in the same way as us.

However as Christmas approaches most of the people within the town will take part in the festivities in some way. Please feel free to share our celebrations - even if only for the first time - as ‘Jesus is the reason for the Season’! And a note for the New Year we will be hosting the prayers and a simple soup lunch on Tuesday January 18th at 12 midday, during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

THE SALVATION ARMY 2010 has been a special year for the Salvation Army in Ottery as we celebrated our 125th Anniversary. The final month of the year will be filled with several special events. Our Christmas Sale will be on Friday December 3rd from 10am – 1pm with light lunches served from 12.00 noon. The Christmas Lunch Club is on Friday, December 10th but there will be no lunch club in January.

Join us outside Boots in the Square from 10.00am on Saturday December 11th for a spot of carol singing. Our ‘Carol Service with a Difference’ will be on Sunday, December 19th at 3.00pm: followed by refreshments.

January is also going to be an interesting month. The second Sunday of the year is designated by the Salvation Army as Commitment Sunday. In Ottery we will be using the occasion to welcome a new member to the fellowship. Towards the end of the month, as part of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, we will welcome Majors John and Anne Read. Major John Read is the Salvation Army’s Ecumenical Officer for the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. Major Anne Read, whose grandfather was Envoy Tom Vallaley, heads up our UK Antihuman Trafficking Unit.

Don’t forget if you have clothing or other items you wish to donate please ring the number below and the answerphone message will give details of where you can take your items. I know that people like to make certain that their ‘no longer wanted’ items go to a useful home and Christmas is a good time for giving. Thank you.

Steven Watson,Captain: Corps Officer. Tel: 01404 812159

ROBERTS

A good old fashioned shop, with good old fashioned service

TRADITIONAL HOMEWARE/HARDWARE GENERAL STORE BROAD STREET, OTTERY ST MARY Telephone: 01404 813240

email:robertsottery@btconnect.com Christmas Essentials

Roasting tins, Bun tins, Cake tins, Cooling racks, Pastry cutters, Star cutters, Christmas cutters, Tapered candles, Altar candles, Tea lights, Lighting tapers, Washing up bowls, brushes, gloves and oven cleaner.

Extra glasses in packs or singles, Cream/custard Jugs, Paper napkins, Foil and plastic containers for leftovers…

Useful, thoughtful or token gifts

12 in 1 screwdriver, Wind up torch, Emergency Gas stove, Hot water bottle, Wheat pack, Slippers, Bath back brush, Oven gloves, Aprons, Teapots, Kitchen gadgets, Magnifying glass, puncture repair kit, compass, Camping knife, Luggage scales, Travel first aid kit, Camping cook sets, Bird feeders, Doggie/cat treats and Toys, Garden Gloves, Garden tools and sundries, Otter rotter tags.

NEW SEASON Suttons Seeds now in stock!

Loads and loads and loads of ideas……

HOPE TO SEE YOU SOON

Open every day 9.00am to 5.00pm except Sun

UNITED REFORMED CHURCH

We are very pleased to let you know that £4,500 was raised at our Flower Festival. This grand total will be used for our expenses in keeping the church looking pristine...when the builders have finished!, and for outreach and other projects that we feel will benefit our witness and service to the community. Our thanks go again to everyone who supported us at this event and for their encouragement shown by the many appreciative messages about the Festival and how it enhanced the church.

We will be hosting the prayers and serving a soup lunch on Saturday January 22nd from 12 noon during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

In spite of the minimal heating during the reordering we had a packed church for the Remembrance Service and it was encouraging to see so many of the young people of the uniformed organisations there to join us. The Revd. James Grier, one of whose responsibilities is for Youth Church in the Diocese, preached and used some of the young people to illustrate his story of the 19th camel. If your maths is up to it, ask one of them to explain!

Carols and various concerts will be taking place during the Christmas season as well as the ever popular Christingle service. Details of these are on the services list for churches in Ottery. There will be another Children’s Craft Workshop in the church on Tuesday December 21st at 10.00am. The previous one was most popular when plates and some other items of pottery were decorated: some are still awaiting collection in the church and are on view on Sundays. The next one will be different but equally interesting and exciting.

The Mothers’ Union is hosting a Children’s Party during the afternoon of Sunday December 12th. See more details of all these activities and concerts on posters around the town.

It was good for Ottery United Reformed Church again this year to be involved in the bonfire night celebrations. Trade was steady rather than brisk.The front wall was popular with spectators who had been walking around the town in search of barrels. We met students from Hong Kong and China as well as families from East Devon Somerset and beyond. A donation was made for TABS charity work in Kenya.

A loyal band worked hard on Saturday morning October 30th tidying up the old yew tree and redecorating part of the kitchen and children’s areas at Ottery’s United Reformed Church. The inevitable question came at the end of the morning: When’s the next one?

On Sunday October 31st John Sumner reported back from the Romanian Orphanage Haven of Hope. His visit followed hot on the heels of the harvest collection of dried goods at Ottery United Reformed Church.

He told us of the excitement amongst the children enjoying Cornflakes for breakfast but also of the extreme economic conditions arising from the current crisis.

Christmas events at Ottery URC are now in the planning stage. A traditional service of carols on Sunday December 12 at 10.30am will be accompanied by Paul and Tia Roberts. This talented duo goes by the name of Classic Sounds and if you have ever heard them play you will know just how good they are. Paul first fell in love with the violin at the age of eight whilst visiting America with his family. On Sunday 19 Dec at 3pm there is a Christingle event with puppets and refreshments to which young and old are warmly welcome.

ST ANTHONY’S CATHOLIC CHURCH The Catholic Women’s League will be holding their annual Carols & Mince Pies evening on Tuesday 14th December, in the parish rooms, at 7.30. Everyone most welcome. We will be holding a service of Morning Prayer on Friday January 21st at 9.30am followed by refreshments to mark the week of prayer for Christian Unity: everyone is welcome as we gather to pray for unity as Christians.

Sue Wakley-Stoyle

SERVICE OF PRAYER FOR HEALING Sunday 9th January 2011 at 6.30pm at Ottery St Mary Parish Church A quiet service with sacred music, some space for silent reflection and the opportunity, if you wish, for a listening ear and prayer for healing for ourselves, for others, or for a situation in the world.

All welcome even if you do not normally attend services.

cutting edge UNISEX HAIR & BEAUTY SALON

CHRISTMAS PAMPER PACKAGES Christmas Party Time!

St Tropez Full Body Spray Tan Full Set Nail Extensions ‘Flirty Lashes’ Eyelash Extensions HALF PRICE - £60 - 2.5 hours of luxury!

Deep Conditioning Hair Treatment plus Cut and Blowdry - £30 Half Head of Foils, Deep Conditioning hair treatment plus Cut and Blowdry - £55

Not to be used with, or in conjunction with, any other offers that may be available at the time.

Mandy and her fantastic team at Cutting Edge would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and we look forward to seeing you soon

7a Mill Street, Ottery St Mary. Telephone: 01404 813400 Open Tuesday to Thursday 9.00am to 5.30pm. Late night Friday until 7.00pm.

Saturday 9.00am to 4.00pm.

Also Cutting Edge@Woodbury Park. Telephone 01395 232970

cutting edge cutting edge cutting edge

THE PARISH CHURCH

Page 25

Wow! What a fantastic Coffee Morning at Whimple. The weather was really kind to us and a lot of the villagers came along to this event. We had the very popular cake and preserves stall, raffle, handicraft table and many other stalls. Our thanks go to the Whimple Women’s Institute for helping Hospiscare with this morning.

They are terrific supporters.

The money raised from this event is in the region of £950.

The Otter Valley Inner Wheel held their Quiz at the Village Hall, West Hill on Friday 12th November. We are extremely fortunate to be their chosen charity. It was again a brilliant evening with Roland Sanders setting the questions. I think 34 tables competed this year and once again the ladies of Aylesbeare W.I took the winning prize. The draw on the evening raised an amazing £450.

We would like to say thank you to Roland, the Ladies of the Inner Wheel and also their Rotarian Husbands for giving us all such an enjoyable evening. The next morning we held

our early Christmas Coffee Morning at St Michael the Archangel Church, West Hill.

Again this was a lovely morning with a lot of people attending. At present I do not know the figure raised but I’m sure we will be able to donate a good sum to the hospice so thank you West Hill.

We are still busy selling our range of Christmas Cards, Diaries and Calendars in the Coleridge Medical Centre so please call in if you need to add to your supply.

Our next big fundraising event is the Gifts and Promises Evening at the Football Club on Friday 3rd December. We are sharing this event with the Ottery Carnival. You may have seen this event advertised for 26th November - our apologies. We decided to change the date as the original clashed with the Switching on of the Christmas Lights in the Town and the Late Night Shopping.

We now have the Catalogues for sale, priced at 50p, in the Hospice Shop, Tourist Information Centre and Pearsons.

There are over 100 lots includ-

EVER THOUGHT OF ADOPTING A CAT?

Cats Protection is one of the UK’s leading welfare charity and helps around 140,000 cats and kittens each year.

60,000 of these are found loving new homes through our adoption centres and branches nationwide. We rely entirely on public generosity to finance the vital welfare work. Your nearest Adoption Centre is:

EXETER AXHAYES ADOPTION CENTRE Little Hill Cottage, Clyst Honiton, Exeter, EX5 2HS Telephone: 01395 232377 www.axhayes.cats.org.uk Situated on the A3052 Exeter to Sidmouth Road, between Westpoint Arena and Crealy Adventure Park.

Currently we have over 100+ cats and kittens looking for new homes at our adoption centre. Do you live in the Devon Area and are looking for an addition to your family, company within your home, then please feel to call us and we can explain the easy adoption process to you.

Page 26

ing an oil painting title ‘River Otter’ by Vince Peterson, two Pictures by another local artist Helen Wakefield, massages, dinners for two people at many local pubs and restaurants, toys, games, china and many more items. Roland Sanders is our Auctioneer for the evening and he will make it very entertaining. Tracy, our shop manager, has arranged a lovely window display of some of the gifts.We would like to thank the Football Club for giving us their facilities, the bar and plenty of car parking. Please come along - we really do need everyone’s support to make it a good evening, entry is by catalogue 50p, or on the door.

Ros and Dave are holding their Christmas Coffee Morning and Table Sale at the Village Hall, Newton Poppleford on Saturday 4th December, 10-00am to 12-00noon. There will be lots

of stalls and the Grand Draw.

I think most of the Village donate prizes. It is worth going to this event just to see and take part in the Draw.

Tree of Light Service at Ottery Parish Church on Monday 6th December at 7-00pm.

We feel very privileged this year. For the first time a Service is being held in our beautiful Church. You are all invited to attend our special remembrance evening. The Tree of Light service includes carols, readings and prayers. Members of our bereavement team are on hand during and after the service to offer support. Giving a donation, making a dedication and recording it in the Book of Memories is simple by post or phone. The book of Memory will be available to view in the Cathedral and at the Churches where the Services take place.

Jill White

Seated Exercise Classes

Seated Exercise classes are available at The Institute,Yonder Street, Ottery St Mary, Every Tuesday from 10.45-11.45am. The classes are organised by The Later Life Forum but are open to everyone.

Two fully trained instructors take the classes and those who have taken part in the 3 classes which have already taken place have enjoyed the exercises and the company. Participants learn valuable gentle exercises to improve their mobility. The classes are relaxed and fun. Each session ends with tea/coffee, biscuits and a chat. We are keen to encourage more people to join. Cost: £3 per class or £15 for 6 classes which need not be taken in successive weeks. Contact Elli on 01404 812268 for more details.

LOVELL’S GARAGE Brook Street, Ottery St Mary

MOT DUE?

Phone now for Same Day Service NO RE-TEST FEE! ENGINE MANAGEMENT LIGHT ON? FAULT CODE READING £28 + VAT Discount Tyres . Air Conditioning Re-Gas Service

Telephone: 01404 812007

Ottery Hospiscare Shop News Wear it Pink day at Perkins 2010? Blimey it has whizzed the amazing Vintage gear I get Pet and Country Store past hasn’t it? It’s nearly Christ- in. It is always a talking point mas again and we are busy busy and the cause of some laughs. I busy in the shop. Busy with lots of donations.Thank you to all of you that have made donations to us here in the Ottery shop, and a massive thank you to those of you that have Gift Aided your donation.

Did you know that if you are a UK tax-payer we as a charity are able to claim an extra 28pence in the pound from the Government. So for instance if we sold a jumper of yours for £5.50 we are able to secure an extra £1.54 extra revenue.

Might not sound like a lot, but you get 5 jumpers that are Gift Aided, that’s a lot of extra revenue.

At the moment in the shop we are selling our Christmas draw tickets.Top prize of £1,500, and other cash prizes due to be drawn on the 24th December.

The tickets are just one pound each, a nice little present and the chance to win some welcome funds. Sales from the draw tickets go towards helping us to make a difference to families in Devon.

The Hospiscare shop in Cowick Street over in Exeter re-opened last week as a furniture shop, so if you have any smaller items you can drop them off with me.

I also am taking electrical items as well, which fly out of the door as soon as they come in. I get them all PAT tested first so they are safe for you.

Please keep the Vintage items coming in; they are so popular.

I try and dress one of my models in the window with some of

have been able to help lots of mum’s this last two weeks with “Victorian style” items such as waistcoats, flat caps and long black skirts. If your child has a project at school and you require old fashioned clothes or something unique or maybe you are off to a 70’s party, then please come in and ask. I may not always have it out on show.

A big welcome back to Joanit’s lovely to have you back! We appreciate all your hard work.

Thanks go to Denise and Graham Wheeler. Thank you for your time here and good luck Denise with your new venture.

To my other Volunteers I thank you so much.Without you here it becomes very difficult to run the shop. You are a constant source of inspiration to me and I do love your company.

If you fancy volunteering then I do have spaces. Monday all day, Thursday, Friday and Saturday’s I could do with some help. Please come into the shop and ask for Tracy or Carol.

We have started a new scheme were you can come into the shop for a half day trial and if you like it, then we can give you a Volunteer pack and then follow up some references.

I Love it here in the Ottery shop. I have had a brilliant first year and I hope that the next year is filled with fun, love and laughter (and loads of lovely Vintage gear!!) A very Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year to you all.

Tracy Spencer.

Perkins Ltd Pet and Country Store held a ‘Wear it Pink’ day on the 29th October in aid of Breast Cancer.We had lots of nibbles and pink cake in the shop for our customers, it was a very successful day and we all had a lot of fun.

Special Events in December: on the 10th December we are having a ‘Royal Canin Day’. A representative will be here to give free nutritional advice and money off vouchers on some of our top selling products, come in and make the most of it!

For our latest offers and updates check out our website: www.perkinspetandcountrystore.co.uk You can also find us on Facebook ‘Perkins Ottery’ We now stock tortoises and starter terrariums, ideal for Christmas.

OTTERY TABLE TENNIS CLUB Ottery St Mary Table Tennis Club meets on Thursday evenings at The Institute, Ottery St Mary, from 7.00pm from September through to May. It has 6 Tables and coaching is available on a regular basis. For further details contact Roger Johnson (01297 625061) or Ray Puttick (01404 813720).

PSG HOME & GARDEN CARE INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR MAINTENANCE

Your friendly local handyman Paul is available for: Does your community project need more manpower?

Are there times when you could use an extra pair of hands?

Volunteers are now available in your area offering: * Flexible, versatile and diverse skills, in return for a little encouragement and appreciation. * Fresh enthusiasm and energy making a real difference to the lives of other people. * Professional skills and experience adding value to the running of your organisation. * Regular, one-off, occasional or seasonal help.

Contact the East Devon Volunteer Centre and get help for your community group today!

Call Sandra Chapman for an informal chat to discuss your needs on 01404 549045 or e mail: sandra.chapman@edvsa.org.uk

Decorating Home Improvements Painting Garden Maintenance NO JOB TOO SMALL call me on: 01404 850 160/07767 099 506 or e mail me at: paulgillard1974@btinternet.com for a free quote Paul Gillard. 10 Mount View, Feniton EX14 3EB Page 27

Ottery and Whimple Beavers - Railway Children for a day!

Ottery Beaver Scouts recently joined with the Beavers Scouts from Whimple and had a most enjoyable day trip to Minehead.

They started at 8.30am by boarding a coach. It was then a quick journey to pick up the Whimple Beavers. The coach then travelled to Bishops Lydyard to join the steam train of the West Somerset Railway. All the Beavers were a credit and all very well behaved on the train. Members of the train staff and travelling public commented on their behaviour.

When we reached Minehead there was a rush for the beach where the Beavers and parents ate a packed lunch and then went exploring in the rock pools. Two hours soon passed

and we were boarding the train for the return trip. We arrived back at Bishops Lydyard where the Beavers were allowed to visit the signal box.The trip was

Singers wanted!

Ottery Chorale is a community choir looking for new members to join and take part in a concert to be performed at Ottery St Mary Parish Church on Saturday 30th April 2011.

Rehearsals start on Friday 7th January 2011 at the United Reformed Church 7.30pm – 9.30pm and will continue on a weekly basis until the concert.

Conducted by Ben Scott, Ottery Chorale will be performing choral pieces by Widor,Vierne, Dupré, Franck, Bellenot, Fauré, Bairstow and Stanford.All proceeds are supporting Ottery St. Mary Parish Church.

All abilities are welcome. If you have any questions or would like to join us, please contact Sandra Chapman on 01404 814528 or 07863 325415. or by email at chapman245@btinternet.com

Coles Furnishers 11 SILVER STREET, OTTERY ST MARY (Opposite Lloyds Bank)

Gifts of lasting appeal that all will appreciate!

From winter warmth duvets and matching pillows to bright coloured throws - scatter cushions rugs and fabrics.

Also - in our clothing shop you will be sure to find that ideal gift from our carefully selected range of handbags, gloves, scarves, fleeces and knitwear to suit all the family.

A very Happy Christmas to everyone! from us all at Coles

FURNISHINGS Fabrics, Wools and Crafts - 01404 812991 LEISURE WEAR Our shop in The Square - 01404 812421 Page 28

a great success and both Beavers and parents wanted to know where we were going next. Some very tired and happy Beavers arrived home at

about 5.30pm. Pictured: Steam locomotive 5054 pulls a train through the rolling Somerset countryside on its way to Minehead.

Beavers enjoy Sleepover

Beavers from Ottery recently attended a Great British Sleepover in the Scout Centre.

They spent time learning where various towns and cities were in the UK.They found out how the Union Flag was made up of three separate flags, played games and managed to eat traditional fish and chips and cream teas. They were also introduced to a full English breakfast, cut down to Beaver size!

The highlight of the sleepover was the pitching and sleeping in the tents. The Beavers split into pairs and with the help of

the young leaders put up a tent indoors for them to sleep in.

Next morning they had to take the tents down; more fun! The Beavers did some rubbings of old pre-decimal coins, which they had never seen before.

They also started their very own stamp collection. When they left the received their ‘Night’s Away 1’ badge and were given a Union Flag mug as a souvenir.

All leaders and young leaders enjoyed themselves although one young leader when asked “did you sleep well” replied “Beavers Snore”!!

PEARSONS NEWS 5-7, Silver Street, Ottery St Mary Telephone: 01404 812649 OWNERS IAN & KAREN PEARSON Daily Paper delivery to Ottery St Mary, West Hill, Payhembury, Feniton and Aylesbeare.

Large Range of Greetings Cards and Stationery Cigs and Tobacco, Boxed Chocolates and Gifts Stamps - Phone top-up - National Lottery

Ottery Scout Group Annual Jumble Sale Once you have finished off the Christmas turkey and watched the Sound of Music again, perhaps it would be a good time to start and think about any of the Christmas presents you have received that perhaps are not wanted!

Each year in January Ottery has a great chance to undertake recycling on a mammoth scale - yes it is the Annual Scout Group Jumble Sale, reputed to be the largest in the South West.

The event will take place over two Saturdays 29th January and 5th February 2011. The young people of the scout group will be calling on homes in Ottery during the evening on Monday 24th and Tuesday 25th January

to collect your donations to the jumble sale.

As usual we will advertise the event again nearer the time, but please make a note on those nice new 2011 calendars you had as a gift.

As with previous years we are unable to accept TVs, computer monitors or soft furniture and mattresses due to issues of disposal.

Explorer Scouts on target

A group of Ottery Explorers recently attended Broadclyst Shooting Club to learn about and practice prone shooting.

The Explorers were given expert tuition by members of the gun club. Most of those attending had used air rifles, but for many this was a chance to use practice with .22 rifles in the prone position.

Several of those who attended commented that the targets they were aiming at were small

to start with, and by the time they were placed 25m away they were very small. The picture shows a number of the Explorers with some of the targets they were shooting at.

The Explorers will have another chance to further improve their skills when we have a second session at the club in a few weeks.

Thanks to the Explorer leaders Chris and Johnny who attended the evening.

Ottery Scouts go for Gold

During the past 12 months we have had no less than five Scouts complete all of the requirements and achieve the top award in the Scout section which is the ‘Chief Scout’s Gold Award’. Seen in the picture receiving their awards are: Mollie Barker, Hazel Salmon, Sam Woodward, Artie Taylor and Jack James.To gain this award Scouts need to complete 6 “core” challenge badges (Fitness, Global, Outdoor, Promise, Creative and Community) and also 2 out of 3 electives (Adventure, Outdoor Plus, Expedition) This group of Scouts are the first in the past ten years to have achieved this top award in Ottery and should be very proud of themselves.They have all shown great dedication and commitment to Scouting. The individual challenges which make up the Gold award cannot be gained in a short period of time but over a number of years. Of course this is a lot of hard work but also lots of fun.

All of the Scouts pictured are due to move onto the Explorer Scouts section in the coming year so congratulations to all five of them for achieving this award, good luck and enjoy the Explorer Scouts.

Chris Evans (Scout Leader)

Devon County Builders Complete Building, Roofing and Decorating Service 18 years experience

All Work Guaranteed Call for a free estimate:

07765 326666 Page 29

Ottery & District Guides celebrate 100 years of Guiding For the past year, Ottery St. Mary District Guides have been celebrating 100 years of Girlguiding. From the launch party at Escot last September to the closing ceremony, VISION, on the 20/10/2010 they have had a very eventful and memorable year.

On 19th October Ottery and West Hill Brownies and Rainbows celebrated their closing ceremony at Ottery Primary School. Sixty-five girls attended and together they decorated fairy cakes in the Guiding Centenary colours; pink, blue, yellow and white, which were positioned into the 100 shape.They also sang songs and played lots of lively games including a massive Hokey kokey, which one Guider called ‘very chaotic, energetic and mad but great fun!’ The evening concluded with the girls renewing their promises and they all took home a centenary balloon and a fairy cake.

On the following night, 20th October, Ottery and West Hill Guide units joined together at Ottery St. Mary Parish Church.

Throughout the evening the girls got a chance to learn about the bells, climb the bell tower, eat cake, answer questions about the church, and add themselves to our Centenary

Page 30

collage.At 8.00pm they started the official count down of the Centenary and at 20:10 all the Guides and Guiders renewed their promise. At the same time the bell-ringers rang them out and helped celebrate the beginning of the next 100 years of Guiding. Surrounded by 100 lit candles, they sang songs and reflected on what guiding means to them, creating their vision for the future.There was also a presentation to Emily Roberts and Alice Swaffield of their Baden-Powell Awards.

Throughout the year, Ottery St. Mary District units have been working towards the special Devon centenary badge made up of Creative Cooking, Music, Dance and Drama, Sport and Water. Some have also worked towards Adventure 100 which has included activities such as

glow trails, rafting, canoeing, sailing, designing the new uniform for 2015, tracking and many more.

Ottery Rainbows went wild at Paignton Zoo on 11th September, and Ottery in Bloom celebrated 100 years of Guiding with Ottery Rainbows and Guides helping plant flowers in the centenary colours, which helped Ottery in Bloom gain its award. In September the Guides were invited to the County Centenary camp at Woodlands to celebrate with over 1,000 other girls in Devon. Over the weekend they experienced Guiding taking part in a wide variety of activities. To commemorate all these memories the District hopes to plant a tree at the Land of Canaan.

Guiding friends all over the country have also been celebrating the centenary. Special badges, uniform, stationary and gifts have been designed to help them celebrate this fantastic achievement. Starting with 6,000 girls in 1910, they can now boast approximately half a million in the UK and 10 million across the globe.

Set up at a time when girls were not allowed to run or raise their arms above their heads, Guiding did face strong opposition. One Edwardian called it

‘a foolish and pernicious movement.’ Started by ‘infiltrating’ the first Scout Rally in 1909 at Crystal Palace, a small group of girls made their own uniforms and demanded ‘something for the girls’. Recently in Crystal Palace Park, a maze has been restored celebrating those individuals who started 100 years of girls in the lead.

Not only was this a big step in creating more freedoms for women, Girlguiding has helped push other boundaries of society all over the world. The founder of Scouting, Lord Baden-Powell, had a vision to bring youngsters together, regardless of class, race and social background, and Girl Guides have certainly followed this dream. Guiding has welcomed the disabled at a time when disabled children were seen not worthy of an education, broken the rules of race segregation, especially in South Africa and the United States of America, reached out to girls who are troubled and underprivileged and in isolated areas, but most of all bought young women from 145 countries together to share their cultures, learn new skills and have fun.

Ottery St. Mary District Guides would like to thank all those in the community who have supported their celebrations over the past year. And as they create their vision of the future ask yourselves “what is my vision?”

If you are interested in joining Ottery District either as a Rainbow (5-7yrs), Brownie (710yrs), Guide (10-14yrs) or would like to become involved as a helper please contact District Commissioner, Eve Townson on 01404 812604.

Above: Richard Coley shows Guides the bell ringing ropes.

A Student’s Viewpoint

By Joe Willis - The King’s School The Government are making a grave error. I know this is a Conservative stronghold and many of you must be thinking ‘Hold on Joe, surely the Tories can’t do anything wrong, I thought that was impossible.’

However, you must hear me out. I have found a hole in one of the Conservatives plans. As we all know the Government’s strategy to take us out of recession is to make cuts. I could find no problem with this, until now...

School Sports Partnerships, or SSP’s, are links between secondary schools and primary schools that build partnerships and enhance the skills of both the children and the young adults that take part. The partnerships enhance the more basic skills of the children such as communication and teamwork and build more advanced skills among the older participants such as leadership, planning and organisation.All of this is done through sport. The young adults that take part in the SSP’s are called ‘Young Ambassadors’ and they represent their schools and teach the

primary school children skills using sport. However, despite the SSP’s successes in communities nationwide, the Conservative government have cut the full £162 million funding for the scheme. The Government say that if we want to continue the scheme locally than we at The King’s School must fund it ourselves, despite the fact that the Government have also cut our education budget.Although Devon is the fourth biggest county, its school funding is ranked 148th out of 151. The recent spending cuts have decreased the amount the schools receive per student by 40% Martin Morgan is one of The King’s School Young Ambassadors. He is a national Tae Kwon Do champion and only just missed out on representing the Young Ambassadors at the Beijing Olympics, so he knows a thing or two about the scheme. Like many others involved in the SSP’s Martin was absolutely devastated to hear the news that the Government plans to cut funding for the scheme. He said “School Sports

Partnerships develop and enhance vital skills for the youth of the community; whilst they are being disadvantaged and neglected by the government, we are the future and it is about time that our social superiors invested in it.”

Obviously the Young Ambassadors are not going to take the news lying down. Martin explains how they are trying to reverse the Government’s decision: “We are trying to raise 1 million signatures that we can present to Michael Gove, the education secretary, when we (the 4000 Young Ambassadors from around the country) march on the House of Commons on 6th December.”

The King’s School head teacher, Faith Jarrett, has been trying to raise support for the cause by setting up meetings and spreading the message.

Martin added: “She [Faith Jarrett] doesn’t need the skills that can be obtained from the

SSP’s, she already has them, but the fact that she is showing such support really sends a message to the community about how important this scheme really is and how it can benefit so many people.”

I was under the impression that one of the biggest threats to modern day Britain was how to tackle obesity, so I personally cannot understand the thinking behind cutting a very successful programme that gets children enjoying sport and gaining skills from it.

I think that perhaps Michael Gove and Andrew Lansley (Secretary of State for Health) should consider the fact that perhaps they can fight obesity and provide children with key life skills by keeping the School Sports Partnerships alive.

If anybody is interested in signing the petition to reinstate the SSP’s funding then please contact Martin Morgan at : MMorganTKD@aol.com Joe Willis

Ottery Later Life Forum ‘Birthday Party for Everyone’ On Thursday November 4th. members of Ottery Later Life Forum enjoyed a party at the Institute. Entertainment was provided by magician George Blake and by Bruce Odlin who played the piano to accompany a “Sing a Long”. This was followed by tea, sandwiches, jelly and ice cream and birthday cakes complete with candles! The party ended with a game - Pass the Parcel and the presentation of a prize to the winner of a competition which had kept folks amused before the entertainment began.

Every Sunday at The King’s School main hall at 10.30 For a time of worship, teaching and Sunday School groups for the children.

Also midweek home groups and a Youth Group meets every Friday night at the Chapel in Yonder Street.

All are welcome to come along to any of our meetings.

For more details do contact Bruce and Heather Talbot on 01404 850900 or email info@newlifeottery.org.uk New Life Church is part of Churches Together in Ottery.

www.newlifeottery.org.uk Page 31

Get the balance right!

Supporting the British Heart Foundation

Twenty Four Days to Christmas! I know this as our son has a Christmas countdown board which he chalks on everyday, 45,44,43 and now it’s far too near. However I have to say we love it, and everywhere you go there are beautiful lights and trees shining, giving us the feel good factor. Then again we have that feeling every Monday and Tuesday at our Danceasize classes all year round. So if you want the Christmas feeling as a fixture, come to either of our BHF fundraising dance exercise classes.

2011 is the 50th Anniversary of the British Heart Foundation and we have all been asked to do some extra fundraising.

Here are a few ideas: In February we shall be kicking off in the Institute on Yonder Street with a fun packed evening led by the fantastic

group Thick as Thieves who, at £6 a ticket, are a must for anyone wanting to impress the other half for a great Valentine’s evening. If you are a group of people or a couple of friends it will also be a hoot as it’s on Saturday the 12th of February and all monies raised will be going to the BHF.There will be a well stocked bar on the night with beer, cider, wine and spirits all purchased on a sale or return thanks to Cost cutter Ottery St Mary.

We need as many people to support this event as possible as every penny counts in the fight to make heart problems a thing of the past. As Britain’s biggest killer, one out of every three heart attack victims does not make it. So if you don’t want to come along but still want to support the event, you can purchase tickets from Maggie at the Computer Shop Mill Street, Phyllis at the Tourist Information Ottery or myself on 07984 869498.

The next event will be on the 2nd of April and what a fab one it is too. We will be bringing in a professional drama company (The Candlelight Theatre.co.uk) to the Tumbling Weir for a Murder Mystery Dinner.The drama starts over pre-dinner drinks on arrival in the lounge before moving into the dining room where we will sit down for a

N. Hillman & Son Painters & Decorators Interior/Exterior Family business with over 70 years combined experience.

Clean, Tidy, and Professional Workers. Trustworthy, Reliable with 100s of references

Unbeatable Prices!

Tel Rob on 01404 811139 or 07761 723511 Page 32

sumptuous three course meal.

The actors will lay down clues for us to unravel and the murder will take place during the meal, with little disruption so you can enjoy the meal and try to work out who the murderer is at the same time. There will be a prize for the winner.

The evening will conclude over coffee and mints and at £35.00 per person all inclusive, this is a must for a fun local night out in Ottery St Mary. (Cheap rates available if anyone would like to stay over for the night).

For May/June we have an overnight walk. More information to follow including a Cheese and Wine Dancasize Evening later in the year.

All our danceasize classes are for one hour and are on a pay as you go basis, the classes are building up and the atmosphere is better than ever. If you fancy coming along to see how much fun keeping or getting fit can be, Monday nights in The Victory Hall,Whimple from 7.30 8.30pm and Tuesday at The Old

Boy’s School, Ottery, 8.00pm until 9.00pm. Everyone from 18 to 80 welcome.

Come along in comfy clothes and smooth soles footwear and give us a try. We still have the BHF literature available.We will be re-opening our classes on the Monday10th and Tuesday 11th January. Remember, a little of what you fancy does you good and the more you exercise the more you can consume.

Why not come along to our classes, make an extra challenge for yourself and walk for ten minutes extra each day.You will soon build up extra energy and as we live in one of the most beautiful places on the planet you have the benefit of taking in the beautiful surroundings as you go along.

May I take this opportunity to thank most sincerely all our ladies for supporting our classes and wish you, and everyone reading this, a very Merry Christmas and a Wonderful and Happy New Year.

Michele (07984 869498)

Payhembury Pre-School The Pre-School have been busy making ‘The Payhembury Beast’ for the big Scarecrow Event run by the Payhembury Pre-School and Youth Group where over 40 scarecrows as ‘Fairytale Characters’ and ‘Mythical Creatures’ have been displayed over the last two weeks. We’ve had everything from Peter Pan, to Shrek, Rapunzel to The Big Bad Wolf with a few Mermaids, Fairies and Dragons making appearances too!

This term our theme has been ‘All About Me!’ We’ve talked about ourselves, occupations and pets, painted self-portraits and even had a stick insect and a parrot came to visit us! The end of term is a busy one and we are looking forward to our Christmas party and a visit from Father Christmas. The children will be performing a nativity play called ‘The Sleepy Shepherd’ at the Parish Hall ‘Tea & Cakes’ on the 4th December at 11.00am there will be some of our delicious home-made chutney and tea towels available for you to buy too! We look forward to welcoming everyone and newcomers back after Christmas for an exciting New Year! We run sessions Monday and Friday: 9.00am to 11.30am, Tuesday,Wednesday and Thursday 9.00 – 11.30am followed by optional lunch club until 12.30pm and a Tuesday after noon session: 12.45-3.15pm.

For more information please contact Gill on 07907584667 or visit www.payhemburypre-school.co.uk

MOVING PICTURES

FILM AND TV REL ATED TOYS, GIF TS, RELA GIFTS, COLLECTIBLES AND CLOTHING Join our Facebook group for all the latest info on our products and events going on in-store.

Find us there at moving-pictures

3 Silver Street, Ottery St Mary EX11 1DB Telephone: 01404 812774 E Mail: moving-pictures@btconnect.com

This firm has a clear vision for Ottery

Opticians Brian Knapman and Eiohn Hayes have joined forces to create Knapman Hayes, opticians specialising in home visits. Brian, who has been in optics in Torquay since 1961, disposed of his practice in 1988 and subsequently started a domiciliary service for patients who are housebound and unable to visit a high street optician.

Knapman Hayes expanded into Ottery St Mary some time ago and even though the firm is based in Torquay,

Eiohn lives in Chudleigh so visits to the town are well within reach.

There is no charge for the eye examination or visit if the patient is over 60 or registered as housebound, and spectacles are free if the patient receives income support or pension credit guarantee credit.

Brian said: “The main problem we find is that people are unaware that this service is available, and seem very surprised when they discover they can have

their eyes tested at home, free.”

“We are not in competition with high street opticians as we only do home visits. In fact, several local opticians already use our services for their own patients.”

Eiohn explained: “We offer a complete service. If spectacles are needed, we supply them from a large selection of modern frames, both metal and plastic, and some designer frames. We deliver and fit all our spectacles so there is no need for the patient to have to leave the house. And if we are unable to visit ourselves, our colleague Kathy will come to visit you for any alterations or adjustments.”

Knapman-Hayes are based at 9a Ilsham Road, Wellswood, Torquay, telephone 01803 294418, and they would welcome any enquiries from people living in Ottery St Mary and environs.

Please contact them soon for further information or for an appointment.

EYE EXAMINATIONS IN THE COMFORT OF YOUR OWN HOME If you are housebound or unable to visit an Optician, Brian Knapman or Eiohn Hayes will visit you.

The visit and sight test are FREE if you are over 60 or on Income Support.

We offer a complete visiting service with a large selection of modern and some designer frames.

Your spectacles are FREE if you receive Income Support or Pension Guarantee Credit

FOR A FULLY PROFESSIONAL SERVICE, PLEASE CONTACT BRIAN KNAPMAN or EIOHN HAYES

Telephone: 01803 294418 (24 hour answerphone) 9a Ilsham Road, Wellswood, Torquay TQ1 2JG

Page 33

COLERIDGE MEDICAL CENTRE NEWS

SEASONAL FLU VACCINATIONS The seasonal influenza immunisation programme is under way. Please book now for a flu vaccination if you fall into one of the following categories: * all those aged 65 years and over * all those aged 6 months or over who suffer from any of the following: chronic respiratory disease and asthma, chronic heart disease, chronic renal disease, chronic liver disease, chronic neurological disease (including stroke, TIA, multiple sclerosis and hereditary and degenerative disease of the central nervous system), diabetes, immunosuppression * pregnant women not in the groups above and who have not already received the H1N1 swine flu vaccine * poultry workers * those living in long stay residential care homes

* those in receipt of carers allowances or those who are the main carer of an older or disabled person whose welfare may be at risk if the carer falls ill.

NEW PARTNERS We are delighted to announce that two new GP partners have joined the practice. Dr Samantha Cole (who did some locum work for us) and Dr Lisa Gibbons will be covering eight sessions per week between them.

DR TIM COX As reported in our summer newsletter Dr Cox has reduced his hours to four sessions per week. To make his list size more manageable it has been necessary to reduce Dr Cox’s list size.

He has written to approximately half of the patients on his list to let them know that from 1st November 2010 they will be looked after by Dr Cole and Dr Gibbons. In addition Dr James’s patients will now be

C H SALTER & SON LTD FRENCH CAR SPECIALISTS

35 years service of French vehicles

AMAZING SERVICE PRICES PEUGEOT CITROEN RENAULT On all C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C8, Piccasso and Berlingo Diesel £148.35 inc VAT Petrol £151.58 inc VAT Please contact us for amazing prices on Peugeot and Renault Cars

Three yearly service on all Diesels £233.82 inc VAT Three yearly service on all Petrols £258.33 inc VAT MOT £45.00 ON ANY CAR (Cars independently MOT’d no re-test fee charged) 10% DISCOUNT FOR ALL OTTERYCARD HOLDERS

OTTERY ST MARY 01404 812054 www.chsalter.co.uk chsalter20032002@yahoo.co.uk

9-11 Alansway, Finnimore Ind Estate Courtesy cars available and a free collection and delivery service available Page 34

looked after by Dr Cole and Dr Gibbons.

EMMA MULLENGER Emma Mullenger, one of our health care assistants, will be starting her maternity leave shortly to have her first baby.

We wish her all the very best.

COMMUNITY NURSING TEAM Welcome to Sharon Stokes, Community Nurse and John Chilton, Community Matron who will both join the community nursing team during November.

PRACTICE NURSE TELEPHONETRIAGE From 6th December 2010, telephone contact with the practice nurses will change.

The practice nurses will be running a new telephone triage service called ‘on the day nurse’. The ‘on the day nurse’ will have allotted time between 10:30 and 12:00 to manage queries from patients. The type of queries the nurse can deal with will remain the same ie travel vaccinations, immunisations, wound care and general health enquiries. A nurse will be available during the afternoons to deal with urgent problems and all other queries will be dealt with during the following morning by the on the day nurse.

To help us please make sure that the contact number you leave is current and if you are not available between 10:30 and 12:00 you let the receptionist know the most convenient time to be called back.

This is a new service and we would welcome your comments and feedback.

GP TELEPHONE TRIAGE On 6th December 2010 the GP telephone triage service will be available every afternoon. All requests for same day appointments will be triaged by

the doctor on the day. The doctor will often be able to sort a problem out on the phone however if you need an appointment to be seen in the surgery or occasionally a home visit the doctor will arrange this for you whilst you are on the phone.

SURGERY CHRISTMAS OPENING We will be closed on Christmas Day 25th December 2010 (Sat), Boxing Day 26th December 2010 (Sun), Bank Holiday 27th December 2010 (Mon) and Bank Holiday 28th December 2010 (Tues). Our repeat prescription ordering service is very busy at this time of year, please allow us at least two working days to process your order.

WHEN WE ARE CLOSED If you have a life threatening emergency when we are closed please dial 999. If you have an urgent medical problem that cannot wait until we are open, the doctor on call can be contacted by telephoning the surgery number on 01404 814447. Your call will automatically transfer to the out of hours service. Devon Doctors can also be contacted directly on 0845 6710 270. Medical advice can be obtained from NHS Direct on 0845 4647.

CAR PARK Our car park is continually congested with cars, many of which could be parked in the land of Canaan car park. We are concerned at the number minor bumps and near misses and if you park in our car park, you do so at your own risk.

Please park considerately in the designated parking bays, otherwise you may be asked to move your vehicle before you can attend your appointment.

Thank you for your co operation.

S G Digital TV Solutions A SERVICE THROUGHOUT EAST DEVON Installations & Demonstrations of any makes of: • • • •

HIGH DEFINITION TELEVISIONS & FREEVIEW PRODUCTS. DIGITAL TV RECORDERS, DVD RECORDERS & BLU-RAY. VIDEO EQUIPMENT. HOME CINEMA PRODUCTS & HI FI.

Digital Signal Problems in Ottery area? Phone us first.

Qualified TV Engineer, years of trade experience.

Your problems are our speciality.

Telephone: 07799 303944

Email: digitaltvsolutions@hotmail.co.uk Website: www.sgdigitaltvsolutions.co.uk

WHIMPLE BRANCH SURGERY UPDATE There are now two GP consulting rooms and two Nurse Treatment rooms at Whimple.

All the rooms will be equipped for general use by either a doctor or a nurse.The aim will be to gradually increase the number of surgery and clinic sessions at Whimple to accommodate more patients from the surrounding area, rather than asking them to travel into Ottery.

As a receptionist is not available at Whimple branch surgery, a patient check in screen is in operation. Please check in via the computer screen in the waiting room when you arrive, it is very easy to use, and will alert the GP or Nurse that you are in the waiting room. In due course the Practice Nurses plan to increase the number of appointments they offer at Whimple to include asthma, hypertension, Carers etc.

The Whimple surgery provides an ideal environment for training doctors. The aim of our GP Trainers will be to utilise this facility increasingly in the future.

CARERS As part of our commitment to the Department of Health Carers Project, we are aiming to provide as many Health and Well Being Checks as possible to our patients who are Carers, between now and the March 2011.

You can request a check if you care for a relative or friend but have so far not registered with us as a Carer or received an invitation from us to attend for a check. At the check one of our nurses usually Vikki or PK will offer you help and advice and if you are eligible a vascular check. More details are available from the receptionists A Carers Health Check takes an hour to complete. Once a

Carers appointment has been made, that patient is allocated a block of the Nurses time for their appointment. It is very disappointing therefore when a patient fails to attend the appointment without giving us prior notice. Valuable time is then lost, which potentially could have been used to benefit several other patients.

We would appreciate a call from you if at any time you become aware that you will be unable to attend any appointment that you have made.

DIABETIC PATIENTS Please be aware that Mixtard 30 insulin (made by Novo Nordisk) will be discontinued at the end of this year. If you currently take this product and have concerns about its discontinuation please telephone to speak to Sarah Olive, Practice Nurse.

OTTERY ST MARY MEDICALTRUST The Trust was established in 1990 to provide equipment and facilities that are not normally available from the National Heath Service e.g. nebulisers, heart and blood pressure monitors. Funds are received in the form of donations and bequests usually from patients and their families.

Donations are always welcome and can be made through Anne Maher (Trust Secretary) or any of the GP Partners (The Trustees).The registered charity number for the Trust is 1002091 ORDERINGYOUR REPEAT PRESCRIPTION ONLINE Online ordering is a secure and user friendly way to order your repeat medication via a secure website linked to our clinical computer system. The system is available 24 hours per day, 365 days per year which means you do not have to telephone your order through to the

EASTERBROOK EATON LTD For a friendly and efficient local service contact us on 01404 812555 or call in at 8 Jesu Street, Ottery St Mary (also at Old Fore Street, Sidmouth - 01395 516658) For further information see our website at www.easterbrooks.co.uk We are also agents for the NATIONWIDE BUILDING SOCIETY where we offer an excellent customer service Chartered Accountants - Registered Auditors

pharmacy or write out an order lifestyle and future for you and for us to process. If you are your family. interested to learn more or join SUMMARY CARE the scheme please email RECORDS coleridgemedicalcentre@nhs.net In early 2011 it is planned to or speak to one of our recep- introduce a summary care tionists. record for each patient registered with this practice. This SMOKING CESSATION Giving up smoking is under- record will only contain details stood to be the best thing you of your medication, any allercan do to improve your health. gies you have and whether you Not only will it reduce the risk have had a bad reaction to any of developing cancer, heart and medicines. In the event of an lung disease, you will also save accident or illness away from money, improve your skin, teeth home, healthcare staff treating you will have access to this and feel healthier and fitter.

At Coleridge Medical Centre important information about we offer one to one support to you which could be vital. help you to stop smoking. This The Summary Care Record will is provided by our practice not replace the medical record nurses Lucy, Emma and Helen. that the GPs use here in the You will be given the oppor- Practice, but it can be enriched tunity to meet with the nurse with information that you and to chat about the various op- your GP decide may be tions available to you to help important for others to know you quit. They will help you about create a realistic plan and find In March this year you were the method or combination of sent a letter from NHS Devon methods that will work for you. outlining these plans and giving Regular support is offered you the opportunity to opt out through follow-up appoint- if you don’t wish to have a ments or telephone contact to summary care record. More keep you motivated and talk information can be found at about any difficulties you may www.nhscarerecords.nhs.uk be facing.

Please also look out for posters If we can help you please and publicity; updates will also contact us. You will be taking be posted on our website. the first step to a healthier www.coleridgemedicalcentre.co.uk MEDICINES THAT ARE NO LONGER REQUIRED Please note that we cannot accept any medicines that are no longer required. These should be returned to the pharmacy from which they were obtained.

TRY US FOR AN AWAY DAY AND YOU MIGHT WANT TO JOIN

SIDMOUTH COLLEGE AND

Ottery Visits Club THE CLUB WITH A REAL DIFFERENCE Country houses and gardens National Trust properties when open Trains boats and wildlife excursions Scenic journeys and good places to eat z Wed. Dec 8th LYDIARD HOUSE, Swindon £20

Depart Land of Canaan 8.15am

z Fri. Dec 31st BODMIN & WENFORD RAILWAY £27

Depart Land of Canaan 8. 30am z Wed.Jan 5th 2011 MYSTERY TOUR £15 Depart Land of Canaan 8.30am z Wed. Jan 12th 2011 PLYMOUTH PANTOMIME SLEEPING BEAUTY Jo Pasqually £22.50 Depart Land of Canaan 8.30am z Wed. Jan 19th 2011 CORSHAM COURT,Wilts £22 Depart Land of Canaan 8.15am

Further details and bookings from: ANN FORTH Fluxton Farm 01404 812818 or DOWNS MOTORS 01404 812002 Page 35

Busy Otters Pre-School Busy, busy we have been! A big thank you to everyone who has been involved in fundraising over the past year – we have done extremely well and could not have done it without you.

Keep an eye out for our future fundraising activities advertised around town. Our next event is a Music Quiz at Ottery St Mary Football Club on Friday 5th December, 8pm – 10pm.

Go on, join in the fun!

We hope you saw our ‘Little Miss & Mr Men’ at the carnival.

Many children, parents & staff had much fun and well done to all those who took part. Your efforts were rewarded with a 2nd prize in the Local Walking category. On 5th November we had a walk down to the bonfire to see the guy being put up.

One of our little ones was busy reassuring everyone “it’s only a statue!”

Christmas Celebrations On Thursday 9th December our Toddlers are having a Christmas party at 1.00pm – open to all under 5’s. Please ring 815370 first for details.The Pre-school Christmas Play is on Thursday 16 December where we are sure they will enjoy dressing up. The Pre-school is having its Christmas party to mark the end of Term on Friday

17th December with a children’s entertainer.

We are preparing to say a fond farewell to some of our children who are starting school in January. Good luck; you will be missed. Many thanks to our staff who continue to make Busy Otters the wonderful environment it is for our children. Look out for more exciting news next year when we will be moving into our new home at the primary school.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all!

Busy Otters runs at The Old Boys School in Yonder Street.

We offer pre-school places for children from 2 years 6 months, up until they begin school.

Sessions are Monday – Friday 9.30 – 12 noon. Afternoon sessions are Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday 12.45 – 3.15pm. We also have Lunch Club on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

Toddler sessions for the under 5’s are on Thursday afternoons, 1pm – 2.45pm. £2 per family.

For further information please ring 01404 815370 or email busyotters@googlemail.com.

Check out our new website at www.busyotters.co.uk

To advertise in the Gazette call 815111

Di and Roger Shenton welcome you to

The FiveBells Inn AT CLYST HYDON Telephone: 01884 277288 The Five Bells is one of four finalists in The Publican Magazine’s Classic Food Pub of 2008 award

Special Two Course Lunch Menu available Tuesday to Thursday and Saturday £7.95

LIVE FOLK/JAZZ EVENING On the fourth Friday of the month - a duo of delightful folk/jazz singing with guitar Next session Friday 24th December RECOMMENDED IN THE GOOD PUB GUIDE Page 36

GRANDISSON ARCHERS NEWS

Our annual tribute to the archers of Agincourt took place again this year towards the end of October at the King’s School Sports field. The weather was fine and club members entered into the spirit of the occasion with great enthusiasm.

After the speech from Henry V was delivered by the field captain and the traditional Agincourt salute was given, archers lined up and shot eight rounds of the storm of arrows towards the 200 yards ‘Clout’ marker.The eventual winner of the competition and the ‘Cattigan Vase’ was our club chairman Paul Lowe with a score of 81pts.

RESULT Paul Lowe 81 points John Morgan 73 points Simon Davies 65 points Ken Wilkes 54 points Mark Daborne 43 points Mark Johnson 42 points Marie Lowe 38 points Sue Tallack 24 points Steve Tallack 21 points Other members of the club were unable to participate this year as they were competing in another competition at Ashcombe where they accredited themselves well.

For more information on Grandisson Archers please contact the club Chairman Paul Lowe Tel: 07739 034347.

The PRIORY HOME CARE SERVICE CARING FOR SOMEONE ?

LIVING ALONE ?

NEED A LITTLE HELP ?

We can provide all the help you need.

Call us on 01404 81 55 11

Ben wins 6 Karting Chamionships in a brilliant season Young Ben Pearson, who’s parents Karen and Ian run Pearson’s News in Ottery St Mary, has had a terrific karting season during 2010. His dad Ian said “His last race didn’t finish as we had hoped with a difficult weekend at Clay Pigeon Kart circuit in Dorset. Race day was very wet which made driving conditions very difficult.

Excessive spray and engine failure saw him finish in 3rd place. Luckily for Ben, he had a big enough aggregate points lead to win the Clay Pigeon Championship anyway.”

Over the season Ben has collected 19 podium trophies including 12 1st places. He has also become NRKA Southern Champion, Blue Challenge Champion, Two Counties Champion, Autumn Extravaganza Champion, Dunkeswell Blue Challenge Champion and Clay Pigeon Champion. 6 pres-

6 times Champion Ben on his winning way tigious championships entered August where all the top and won! And he’s only 13! drivers were invited to attend.

Ben also become the 2010 Two This means that Ben can use Counties Grande Champion the number 7 until August next which included the senior year. drivers and was ranked 7th in Ben attended the Two Counties the country at the Grande presentation evening on the Finals In Llandow, Wales in 13th November and received

Free raffle at Community Christmas Market Last minute Christmas shopping and the chance to win vouchers for Christmas produce from selected retailers in Ottery are just two of the reasons to visit Sustainable Ottery’s Community Market on 11 December 9.30 – 12.30 at The Institute in Yonder Street.

Market shoppers will reduce their food miles and ensure that their money stays in the local economy, as well as having a great range of local produce and crafts to choose from.

Penny Hounslow, one of the organisers, agrees and adds, ‘there is such a brilliant atmosphere on the morning; it makes shopping fun again. And you

can buy unique, one-off items that make fabulous gifts and produce that couldn’t be fresher!”

Again there will a full house of stalls, selling a wide variety of products from knitted items to local preserves and chutneys, fresh vegetables to home-made cakes, wooden toys to works of art, Christmas decorations to home made soap, fair trade crafts to one-of-a-kind cards; and more, something for every one. The WI will be serving up Christmas refreshments so shoppers can unwind and soak up the atmosphere.

Please note that there will be no Community Market in January.

5 of the 6 Championship trophies.The 6th will be presented at the Karting Christmas Dinner at Clay Pigeon in Dorset on 3rd December. On the 13th November Ben was also crowned as Grand Champion amongst the Formula Blues having gained even more points than the No1 Senior driver!

Ian added “We haven’t decided exactly what we are doing next year as we may need to change engine class. A Junior Blue doesn’t race in Europe and that may be Ben’s next move if funds and sponsorship can be found. If anyone would like to sponsor Ben and would like to advertise on Ben’s Kart or support van we would love to talk to you.”

If Ben continues like this next year, Sebastian Vettel won’t be winning much more silverware in seasons to come.

Talatones Handbell Ringers We can tell that Christmas is on its way as we have three bookings to play at the Priory, Feniton Bowling Club and Angela Court and then after the NewYear in the United Reform Church in Sidmouth.

Very exciting times.

For anybody who would like to come and see us and have a go, we will not be at the Institute on December 6th, 13th and January 3rd 2011. On behalf of all the Talatones we wish you all a very Happy Christmas and New Year.All are welcome and if you would like any extra information please contact Joan Dalton on 01404 815082.

Christine Ashby SOLICITOR

Local solicitor offering a friendly and professional service Wills and probate, Inheritance tax planning, Administration of Estates, Trusts, Powers of attorney, Long term care, Member of Solicitors for the Elderly 61 Mill Street, Ottery St Mary Telephone: 01404 814303 E mail: mail@christineashby.co.uk Regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority

Page 37

Rotary Round-Up NEWS FROM THE ROTARY CLUB OF OTTER VALLEY

October arrived along with the most superb autumn; one which readily compared with those so reputed of New England and Canada. Having put aside the usual Business Meeting, our first speaker of the month was the Reverend Robin Laird, a Queen’s Chaplain and Chaplain to the Royal British Legion in Sidmouth.

Robin’s remit was to talk to us about the role of the Chaplain in todays military. Robin is an Irishman by birth, with their typical Gift of the Gab.Accordingly, he succeeded in keeping the whole club chuckling throughout his talk by illustrating his points with amusing anecdotes. He talked about how army chaplains wore military rank insignia but in fact, had no rank – pay was based on length of service; RAF Chaplains did have a rank which they used but Navy Chaplains wore no insignia other than a shoulder badge of a cross. They too are paid in the same way as their military counterparts. He then went on to talk of their role, both in the field and in bases all over the world, illustrating his points

with examples from his own career – a thoroughly entertaining evening.

The next meeting should have been a Focus Interview of Rotarian John Bryant; instead he gave a presentation, assisted

by Gill Winton, another member of the Sustainable Ottery Steering Group, on Sustainable Ottery. Sustainable Ottery is an organization which highlights the fact that the world’s resources are being depleted rapidly.

Once gone they cannot be replaced, so we, as a society, must develop a more sustainable way of life. The organization argues that as fossil fuels are used up, we need to find alternative fuels or amend our way of living such that we become less resource dependant.

To illustrate this point, John told his audience that his organisation’s ambition was to promote local businesses for local people, based on local produce and services rather than promoting the provision of even more supermarkets. He argued that the provision of such supermarkets merely meant that more fossil fuel was used, both by transferring resources

NEWS Local Company CELEBRATES 37 YEARS IN BUSINESS 1974 - 2010

C & C WINDOWS OTTERY ST MARY

z WINDOWS z ENTRANCE DOORS z STORM DOORS z CONSERVATORIES z INSTALLATION AND REPAIRS

z NO DEPOSITS z

FENSA

z PILKINGTON HIGH EFFICIENCY

GLASS AS STANDARD

z HIGHEST LEVELS OF SECURITY z FREE DETAILED QUOTATION

NO VAT TO PAY

For Friendly helpful information phone RAY z 01404 812707 Mobile: 07966 197938 Page 38

from across the world to the UK and by customers travelling considerable distances across the region to access these supermarkets. Estimates indicate that the new supermarket planned for Ottery, will result in a million extra car journeys to Ottery in a year.

The advantages of solar panels on our roofs for providing electricity were explored. He made the club aware of a commercial scheme initiated by the government which provides financial inducements to the public to purchase such panels and voluntarily become part of the scheme. Although club members found the topic of interest, not all were wholly convinced.

Throughout the presentation, questions from the floor highlighted the difficulties that the organization will have in persuading people that what they are promoting is both viable and feasible.

The final meeting of the month was rather special.The club had invited all the Rotary and 41 Clubs who had assisted in the Sail4Heroes project, plus our long suffering wives, to join us in a wash-up presentation on the subject. As had been the case at the presentation in London, Rotarian Sir John Evans opened the proceedings by introducing the project and then handing over to Rotarian Tim Smith, the overall coordinator. He outlined the sponsorship side and the backup facilities; presentations of shirts were then made to all of the planning committee and the crew. Rotarian Chris Highnam, whose boat was used and who skippered the whole journey, then went through the detail of the voyage. Finally President Ken Chun summed up his thoughts on the project, providing a fitting end to a thoroughly good evening.

Ottery Flower Club News At a recent meeting of the Ottery Flower Club the evening started with the AGM.This was followed by presentations for the winners of the Annual Flower Competition. The winners were: Intermediate Monica Highman, Advanced Maggie Pipe and a joint cup for overall entries going to Carol Bennett and Maggie Pipe. A presentation was made to Betty Oxen for many years of doing the Sales Table and retiring Chairman Joan Wade. Thanks were given to them both.

The meeting was followed by demonstrator Lesley Blay from St Austell who challenged the bad weather and floods to travel to our meeting.We were certainly glad she did as we were delighted with her infectious enthusiasm and inspirational arrangements. Following a day of bird spotting, she kept

the ladies in suspense over one arrangement which transpired to be a bird and she produced what appeared to be an exotic bowl of fruit from flowers containing Gloriosa. The evening proved to be most enjoyable.

The next meeting is at Ottery Primary School on Wednesday 19th January at 7.30pm.Visitors welcome.

CHIROPODIST (PODIATRIST)

The Ottery Foot Clinic DENISE MARTIN

BSC HONS, MS. SCH., DIP. POD. MED.

H.P.C. REGISTERED 16 Mill Street, Ottery St Mary EX11 1AB Telephone: 01404 811234 Mobile: 07722 148511

CONKERED

You had to throw a stone or stick To knock prime conkers down, And take great care to pick When no-one was around.

For the gardener at the Rectory Maintained we’d kill the tree; Which appeared to me unlikely As it seemed OK to me.

While Charlie the smith wouldn’t share The horse nails in his shop, So we had to judge when he wasn’t there And ‘borrow’ from a box.

And where did Dad’s dig up the law; “Leather laces in all boots”?

Plenty of straw-cord up the farm!

I’m sure that would have suit.

After all that you’d sally out To enter in the lists, For a ‘doctored’ job plus fiendish lout, To smash my ‘champ’ to bits.

DERRICK V. RUGG

National Women’s Register The last meeting held on 8th November was the National Telephone Treasure Trail. After a lot of red herrings the clues eventually helped us piece together the theme which meant that we were able to answer quite a few of the questions.

Unfortunately we didn’t win the £100 prize, but this annual event always proves to be great fun.

Our next meeting will be on Monday 6th December. Several new members have joined us in recent months so we are looking forward to a happy and festive start to the Christmas season over some mulled wine, good food and getting to know our new friends.

MEETINGS FOR 2011 Monday 10th January Alternative medicines. Where we all chose to do a small amount of research on one that interests us so that we can then discuss with the group Monday 7th February Play Reading. A murder mystery Monday 7th March History of a Painting. We each share thoughts on our favourite picture, either our own work of one that is famous.

If you would like to join our Group or just find out more, please call Brenda on 01404 814520.

Visit the Reindeer at Cotley Farm

Start your Christmas with a visit to our very special Christmas farm shop at Cotley Farm, Whimple. As the first farm in Devon to introduce real reindeer, old and young alike will be charmed by these magical creatures. It will be just that extra special treat to start off your Christmas preparations. You will also be able to meet our other baby farm animals, while you can take in the panoramic views overlooking Whimple.

We have a great range of top quality traditional and non drop trees in our Christmas tree barn and a large selection of home made wreaths.We pride ourselves on our beautiful fresh, quality trees. We only cut our trees at the last possible minute to ensure they are as fresh as can be.

Come and browse in our beautiful log cabin, filled with delicious locally produced festive foods, hampers and Christmas decorations.We support and source local West country producers for our foodstuffs.

Pork, Lamb and beef are all produced on our own farm plus locally reared turkeys are available to order. You can enjoy the benefits of selecting and pre-ordering your own vegetable box for your Christmas dinner already packed for you to collect, courtesy of Culm Valley vegetables.

We hope your visit to us will remind you of a more traditional Christmas time and if you join us at the weekend we will treat you to free mulled wine & mince pies!

We look forward to welcoming you to our family run farm from November 27th until December 24th. Only 1 mile from the Daisymount Junction, our opening hours are from 10 am to 6 pm, closing at midday on Christmas Eve. Credit card facilities.

Page 39

OTTERY FOOTBALL CLUB NEWS Looking back at November The First team are still bewilderingly inconsistent. One week pulling off a great win against Newton Abbott Spurs and the next losing big time to Crediton.

How the same bunch of players can vary in performance so much one week to the next is a mystery. Still, much improved on the last couple of seasons though!

All our Youth sides are having up and down season’s too.

Every point seems hard to come by at the moment for all our teams. Keep working at it all, things will come good at some point.

On the social front we really enjoyed being in the Carnival procession, both kids and the coaches and parents who came along to support or help out.

We collected loads of coins on the Float and in the buckets for Carnival, and it was nice to see so many people out, despite the drenching we got whilst waiting for the parade to set off.When done to all who took part and thanks to all who donated.

Upcoming Events Dates for the diary. December 3rd is Carnival and Hospice

Auction night. Come along and see what you can bid for. I’m sure there’ll be some interesting items up for grabs. December 5th is Busy Otters Quiz night.

I’m looking forward to winning this one so usual suspects, I will see you on the night!! December 12th is Carnival Bingo.

As I always say, get there early to make sure you get a table.

December 19th is the OSM FC Youth Section Christmas Party.

We’ll be giving out further information on that one to the players when the details have been confirmed. We will be having a New Year’s Eve disco with prize games and finger buffet included too. Families will be welcome and tickets will be available soon.The cost will be Eight pounds for adults and Four pounds per child under 12. Tickets will be on sale in advance from the Club and now from ‘Moving Pictures’ too.

How to contact the Club Come along and visit, whether you are into Football or not.

The Club has Pool Table, Darts Board & Bar. If you have young kids, bring them along if you want somewhere to relax in a child friendly atmosphere.

Better still get them involved in their Youth Age group if they

The Court

Retirement Residence .

DAY CARE RESPITE CARE RESIDENTIAL CARE ROCKBEARE

like the idea of playing.The Club is open from Wednesday to Friday from 7.00pm, and on Saturdays is open all day from 12.00 midday. Sundays the Club is open from 12.00 midday till 6.00pm.

The Football Club has two rooms available for Private Parties, Christenings, Wedding Receptions, Events or Business Meetings daytimes or evenings.

To enquire on availability, and discuss your requirements for catering or bar contact us ring Colin on 01404 813539.

If you wish to advertise via the Club, or sponsor a team or match, then see the website at www.otterystmaryfc.co.uk/ ottery_st_mary_afc.htm And Finally Nobody has been in touch to tell me I’m wrong so, the Ottery St Mary Veterans are still the only unbeaten football team in Ottery and possibly East Devon. We are two from two at the moment though we are at that point in the year when games start to get cancelled due to the weather. We’ve already had one postponed fixture but hopefully we’ll be able to get another game in before Christ-

mas. We play once a month on a Sunday afternoon but train every Sunday. Come on down to the Club and cheer us on.

Better still if you want to get involved in playing just ask one of the guys to point out Bill or Paul and we’ll get you registered.You have to be 35 or over to qualify to play. We have a VeteransTour down to Cornwall booked in March next year.We already have about 20 players travelling but with two games in two days we have room for another couple if you’re interested in getting involved before then.

Anyone who is interested in getting involved behind the scenes, get in touch by ringing the Club or by asking to talk to a committee member if you are down at the Club itself.We are always looking to welcome new social or committee members to the Club and there is always more than enough work to keep us all happy!!

If you are interested then ring us on 813539 or just come down and ask Colin behind the bar to grab a committee member for you to talk to.

Bill Hayes

Ottery Youth Football Club

Ottery St Mary Youth Football Club has formed four new teams for the current season. The under 8s who will be coached by Ben Smit. Two under 10s teams called the Ottery barrelers and the Ottery canons who will be coached by Matt bull, all three will be playing in the Exeter and District Youth league. Also a new girls under 11s team coached by Holly Daly, who will be playing in the Devon Girls league. There are spaces at most age groups and anyone wanting more information on any of the Ottert St Mary Youth teams please check out the website at www.otterystmaryfc.co.uk/youth.

West Hill Wasps Junior Football Club wants players West Hill Wasps Junior Football Club is a friendly and welcoming youth football club which runs teams from U8’s to U16’s.We are currently looking for new players for the U11’s and U12’s teams. Home games are played at the Kings School or West Hill School. For details contact Steve Berisford on 07831 387115.

Eunice Weddell MCFHP. MAFHP.

FOOT HEALTH PROFESSIONAL Member of the British Association of Foot Health Professionals

The Court is a gracious caring home providing warmth, companionship, and safety.

Call 01404 822632 for more information Page 40

VISITING PRACTICE

Telephone: 07949 660 624 (OTTERY ST MARY)

Ottery Tennis Club achieve L.T.A. Tennis Clubmark Georgina Loosemore, LTA Tennis Development Manager (Devon and Cornwall) congratulated Ottery St Mary Tennis Club who have recently achieved Tennis Clubmark, the LTA’s seal of approval for quality tennis clubs. This was the result of the hard work of the committee and club coach. By achieving Tennis Clubmark clubs can be confident that they have a great tennis programme in place and off court policies and procedures that are in line with best practice.

The Club was presented with a plaque from Mr David Kirkness of the LTA. A club committee member said “A year of hard work and dedication from the committee has made this possible. It seemed daunting at first but with some time and effort it became less complicated. The Club has a bright future with Clubmark status, recognising us as a great club that is contributing towards British Tennis. It highlights the fact that Ottery Tennis Club is working safely with players and parents and that we are delivering a quality on-court programme.”

“Our thanks go to Georgina Loosemore (LTA Devon & For Gazette Advertising Call 01404 815111

Cornwall), David Kirkness (Devon LTA), Rob Gammon (Deputy Head at The King’s School) and coaches Jason Wood and Ray Puttick for all their support during this process.”

Pictured above (left to right): Val Stringer (Club Chairman), Helen Ogborne, Rob Gammon, Jason Wood (coach), Roger Bigwood (Club Treasurer) David Kirkness (LTA), Georgina Loosemore (LTA) along with club youngsters.

Successful year for Tennis Club 2010 has been a successful year for Ottery Tennis Club with a growing Junior coaching programme and also encouraging results in the tennis leagues. The Ladies Summer Team finished 3rd in division 2 in the Exeter & District League and the Mixed Team finished 4th in division 3 in the East Devon League. For the second year running we have entered a Ladies team in the Winter League.

The Club’s achievements have been reflected in an increase in membership which means we are able to enter a Men’s Team in the Exeter & District League in 2011. Visitors are welcome on Saturdays at 2.00pm for social tennis at the Colin Tooze Sports Centre. The club continues to seek new membership and Val Stringer will be pleased to receive enquiries on 01404 850124 or visit www.ottery-st-mary-tennis-club.info

When Will You Need A Taxi?

PEAK TAXIS

7 DAYS A WEEK

01404 815-200

Airports, Anniversaries, Bus and Coach Stations, Business Trips, Churches, Cinemas, Deliveries, Dentists, Doctors, Garages, Hair Dressers, Hen/Stag Nights, Holidays, Hospitals, Prom Nights, Pubs, Restaurants, School Runs, Sea Ports, Shopping, Sightseeing, Theatres, Train Stations, Visiting Friends and Family, Weddings...

And now.....

We offer an Emergency Delivery ServiceDocuments, Tickets, Parcels, etc...

ANYWHERE IN THE UK TO ARRIVE ON THE SAME DAY Page 41

Tree of Light Service For the first time Ottery St Mary Parish Church is working in partnership with Hospiscare to hold a Tree of Light Service on Monday 6th December 2010 at 7.00pm. Christmas time is a time for friends and families to get together and celebrate, but in the hustle and bustle of getting ready for Christmas some of the important things get forgotten. The Tree of Light Service gives us the time and opportunity to reflect, remember and celebrate the people who have brought a light into our lives in the past and to help people who have been bereaved, through what can be a difficult time of year.

This service aims to reach out to the whole community to people who have lost loved ones in the past as well as recently and is not just for those people with loved ones who have been cared for by Hospiscare. After the service there will be refreshments and an opportunity to talk with Hospiscare’s Community; Nurses Jayne and Sue and also members of the bereavement team.

What’s On at Otter Nurseries

Family Late Night Shopping Wednesdays Open Until 9.00pm. Restaurant open until 8.00pm. Starting on Wednesday 17th November we will open late every week until Christmas.

Come along and enjoy the relaxing festive atmosphere. Make an evening of it and have dinner in our restaurant. Having the time to wander the amazing Christmas displays will really get you into the spirit of the season. Christmas shopping has never been so stress free.

Otter Nurseries Christmas Luncheon Christmas lunch will be served in our restaurant weekdays between 29th November and 24th December. 3 courses plus coffee £17.95. Booking essential - please call 01404 816 814 (if possible before 11.00am or after 3.00pm).

Ottery Silver Band: Sun 5th December Free event. Join in with the festive atmosphere of Ottery Silver Band as they play your favourite Christmas carols and tunes whilst buying your fresh Christmas tree from our plant centre. A great afternoon for all the family to enjoy.

Exeter Guitar Group: Sun 12th December. Free event. 2pm - 4pm. New to Otter Nurseries! Listen to the authentic sounds from this local talented group as they play your favourite tunes.

The PRIORY

R ESIDENTIAL C ARE H OME * Professionally trained, genuinely caring staff * En-suite rooms - Lift to all floors * Special diets catered for * Short stays / Respite or long term care * Your favourite furniture welcomed

Why not drop in for a friendly chat and speak to our manager Margaret?

Call us on 01404 812939 10 Paternoster Row, Ottery St Mary Page 42

What’s On in December Ark Pottery. Open daily from 10.00am to 5.00pm. 01404 812628 Cadhay House & Gardens. Open each Friday in May and late Spring Bank Holiday, on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. From 2pm to 5.30pm. For more information contact 01404 813511 Escot Gardens, Maze & Park Open all year. See the Otters, Red Squirrels, try the Drop Slide. Watch the Falconry displays. Contact 01404 822188 for more information about a great day out.

2nd Thurs Christmas Bingo at Ottery St Mary Football Club Eyes Down 8pm 3rd Fri Ottery St Mary Farmers’ Market Hind Street Car Park 9.00am to 1.00pm 3rd Fri Christmas Fair at The King’s School. 7.00pm. With good quality Christmas gifts – cakes toys, books etc 3rd Fri Hospiscare – Gifts & Promises Auction at Ottery St Mary Football Club. 7pm. All proceeds to Hospiscare and Ottery Carnival. Contact Steve Pearcy 01404 8113 or Jill White on 01404 814366 for more information 3rd Fri A comedy by Michael Frayn ‘Noises Off’ at Meadow View Chapel Honiton 7pm. Also on Saturday 4th. Tickets on sale at Ottery Information Centre £5. Call 01404 813964 4th Sat Coffee & Mince Pies at the Institute. 10.00am to 12 noon 5th Sun Ottery St Mary Silver Band Christmas Carols Concert Otter Nurseries. 1.00pm to 3pm 6th Mon Tree of Light Service. Ottery Parish Church at 7.30pm 8th Wed Ottery & District Men’s Forum meeting The Institute 3.00pm. Speaker Mr D Baldock subject National Trust Gardens of the South West 9th Thurs Art appreciation workshop. Council Offices 10.00am to3.30pm. The Impressionists and Post Impressionists Contact Annie Pollard on 01297 444719 for more information before 7pm weekdays 11th Sat Ottery Community Market.

At The Institute 9.30am - 12.30pm 11th Sat Ottery St Mary Silver Band Christmas ConcertThe Institute. At 7.45pm 11th Sat Ottery St Mary Choral Society Concert. Ottery Parish Church at 7.30pm 13th Mon The King’s School Carol Service.

Ottery Parish Church at 7.00pm 18th Sat Christingle Service. Ottery Parish Church at 6.00pm.

19th Sun Carol Service. Ottery Parish Church at 6.30pm 22nd Wed Carols at Otter Nurseries. 7.00pm 22nd Wed Ottery & District Men’s Forum meeting. The Institute 3.00pm Speaker Dr A Saunders First World War 24th Fri Crib Service. Ottery Parish Church. 6.00pm 24th Fri Midnight Communion. Ottery Parish Church 11.30pm 25th Sat Family Communion Service at Parish Church. 10.00am 25th Sat Christmas Day Community Lunch. The Institute 12 noon. For more information on this new event contact the Rev Simon Franklin 01404 812062.

CHRISTMAS DAY AND BOXING DAY SWIMS: Christmas Day Exmouth 11.00am Boxing Day Sidmouth 11.00am

R.J. GOMM I

CARPENTR Y AND JOINER Y ARPENTRY JOINERY AIRS AND MAINTEN ANCE REPAIRS MAINTENANCE REP Wardrobes and Bedroom Furniture Vanity Units and Bathrooms. Kitchens Fitted Doors and Windows supplied and fitted Book Cases made and fitted FREE ESTIMATES GIVEN Telephone: 01404 811420 Mobile: 07775 700535

SITUATIONS VACANT

TOWN COUNCIL MEETING NOTICE

OTTERY ST MARY TOWN COUNCIL Requires a

The next meeting of

Part - Time Cleaner for further details contact the Town Clerk Mrs Judith Reynolds on 01404 812252

Ottery Mens’ Forum

December. On Wednesday 8th December Mr D. Baldock will give a talk entitled ‘National Trsut Gardens of the South West’ illustrated with slides. This is an open meeting when ladies are welcome. On Wednesday 22th December Dr A. Saunders will give a talk on ‘The First World War’.

January. On Wednesday 5th January Mr B. Hughes will give a talk on ‘Devon Fire and Rescue’. This is an open meeting when ladies are welcome. On Wednesday 19th January Mr B. Carlyon will give a talk on ‘Jersey’.

Meetings are held at The Institute, Yonder St, Ottery St Mary.

Doors open 2.30pm for 3.00pm meetings. Further information from the Secretary Harry Phillips, Telephone: 01404 814524.

Christmas Greetings from Martin at Bay Tree Shoe Repairs I would like to wish all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the people for their support. I will have been trading for a year in February and hope to continue for a long time to come. Just a reminder that knife and scissor sharpening are now on offer at Bay Tree Shoe Repairs. The success of the watch batteries and watch straps means that I will be continuing to supply and fit these as well, using only top quality batteries. Cheap ones not only last a fraction of the time but they may leak and damage the watch! Prices £4 for the vast majority of the watches, £6 for Lithium batteries and £4.99 for basic leather straps.

Thank you all, Martin.

MP

Property Maintenance

Roofing, Guttering, Plumbing, Painting and Decorating, Drainwork, Gardening.

House/General Repairs and Maintenance.

No call out charge, FREE Estimates 24 hour call out service

Telephone: 01404 813253 07891 124025

OTTERY ST MARY TOWN COUNCIL

will be held at 7pm on Monday 6th December 2010 in the Council Chamber, The Old Convent, Broad Street, Ottery St Mary The following meetings will be held on Tuesday 4th January 2011 and Monday 7th February 2011 at the same time and venue The Agenda for these meetings will be displayed on Parish notice boards and on the Council website www.otterystmary-tc.gov.uk at least three clear days before the meeting Members of the public and the Press are welcome to attend as observers

VOLUNTEERS WANTED

HOSPITAL LEAGUE OF FRIENDS Ottery St Mary Hospital has been open for 15 years now and during the hours of 5.00pm to 8.00pm a stewarding scheme has been in place to welcome anyone who has a reason to visit us. We need more volunteers to keep our numbers up. It is only once a month and provides a much valued service.To find out more please telephone Margaret Ford on 01404 813841 for the immediate few months.

SKIP DATES The Skip will be available at The Land of Canaan Car Park on the second Sunday of each month during 2010.

Next dates: December 12th, January 9th, 2011.

OTTERYCARD OFFERS FOR DECEMBER DOWNS MOTORS - 10% discount on new Unipart batteries.

TUMBLING WEIR HOTEL - Special discounts.

MILLSTONE BAKERY - Draw every month for a voucher for a 8” round celebration cake valid for 3 months. Watch the blackboard for other great Otterycard offers.

C H SALTER - 10% OFF servicing on all Citroen, Peugeot and Renault Cars.

OTTERY HEALTHSTORE - Come and see our store promotions DILLY’S FLORISTS - 10% OFF Glassware.

COLES FURNISHERS - Free Single Knitting Pattern with Wool purchase over £15.

OTTERY OFFICE & COMPUTER - 10% OFF Jet Tech Cartridges

DEADLINE FOR THE FEBRUARY 2011 EDITION OF THE OTTERY GAZETTE THURSDAY 20TH JANUARY, 2011

THE BIBLICAL PRINCIPLE OF HEADSHIP Is the teaching from 1 Corinthians chapter 11 which will be given over a few Sundays in early 2011 to a local gathering of Christians in Ottery St Mary.

If you are serious about God why not join us?

Further info: telephone 813417 after 6pm or visit www.otteryreformed.freeola.net The Reformed Church has no connection with Churches Together in Ottery

Page 43

Independent Financial Advice

Christmas is nearly here and we have a fantastic range of books on offer this year so if you need to find someone special the perfect book come along and have a look – we are sure you will be able to find something that is just right.

Don’t forget that if we don’t have a particular book in stock we can usually order it in within 48 hours so please just ask.The same applies to DVD’s, we now have several hundred in stock but we can also order specific titles in at no extra charge so if you know what you want just let us know and we will see if we can get it for you.

To give you some idea of what is available this year here are some of our current bestsellers Jamie’s 30 Minute Meals Nigella’s Kitchen The Fry Chronicles A History of the World in 100 Objects

Life & Laughing by Michael Macintyre The Confession by John Grisham Heartstone by C.J.Sansom Wait For Me by Deborah Devonshire Lego Star Wars Lego Atlantis All these books have their prices reduced with some of

Dancing with Stones

Dancing with Stones is a new book of poetry written by Margery Forester, Brenda Leeming, Jim Morgan and Audrey Stenton, collectively known as Four-Square Poets. They describe themselves as ‘Four pensioned-off poets, originally from Northern England, London and New Zealand, now living in East Devon, who have been brought together by a love of poetry.’ The 92 page book contains a wide mix of stlye and subject matter and would make a very thoughtful Christmas gift. It is on sale now at The Curious Otter Bookshop, Ottery St Mary, priced at £7.99.

Other books by local authors stocked at Curious Otter include ‘The Pixiekin - Rainbows End’ a tale of Ottery Pixies by Jenny Strong, and ‘Goodbye Old Chap, A life at sea in peace and war’

by Philip Algar. Call 01404 814469 or call in.

S W F

P

South West Financial Planning Ltd

3 3 3 3 3 3 3

them half price so do come and give them a look. We also have around 4,000 other titles in stock including a wide range of local books, biographies, history, fiction and much more besides.

On top of all that we have a great range of diaries and notebooks that make really great gifts.We also sell Sheaffer pens so you can buy a notebook or

diary together with a beautiful pen to make a great gift. The pens come as gift sets or you can buy an individual gift boxed Sheaffer 100 fountain pen for just £23.99 (normal price £29.99) which we think is a bargain.

We also have a lovely range of gift wrap in the shop this year from the Museums and Galleries collection so you can get everything you need to buy and wrap the perfect gift in one place.

If you still are not sure what to buy don’t forget we sell the new Gift Cards that are redeemable at any bookshop in the UK so these can provide the ideal gift solution for any book lover.

We look forward to seeing you in the shop.A Merry Christmas to you all!

Savings and Investments Protection Planning Wealth Management Retirement Planning Mortgage/Equity Release Inheritance Tax and Trusts Share Dealing Service Helping successful people to make the right financial decisions

Need a Plumber?

Local plumber/gas engineer offers a reliable and efficient service.

Services include: z Bathrooms and Kitchens z Tiling and Maintenance z Boilers and Central Heating z Gas Appliances z Gas Safety Certificates z Emergency Repairs z Solid Fuel and Renewables For quotations and fair rates Call Paul Kent on:

01404 815551

07522 998989

2 Cornhill, Ottery St Mary, Devon EX11 1DW

www.otteryplumbing-heating.co.uk

(Ottery St Mary)

The Ottery Gazette is typeset, printed and published by the proprietors: John Gaffney Design and Print, The Old Town Hall, The Flexton, Ottery St Mary Devon EX11 1DJ Telephone 01404 815111 email: jongaffney@hotmail.com The newspaper title ‘Ottery Gazette’ and all artwork contained therein is protected by copyright, 2009.

515282