Ottery Gazette

Ottery Gazette ISSUE No116

May 2011

4,000 copies free of charge

WINNER National Parish Magazine Awards 2009/10

Great news for Ottery and West Hill bus users

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Ottery and West Hill bus users are set to get a greatly improved bus service to Exeter and Honiton. This may seem a little odd at a time when Devon County Council has slashed its bus support budget by ÂŁ1.35 million, and many Devon bus services have been cut back.

The improvement is because of the provision of a service to the Cranbrook new community.

The bus service connecting Cranbrook with Exeter will be the 60 and 380 service which connects Exeter and Ottery (the 60 runs between Exeter and Ottery; the 380 runs between Exeter and Axminster via Honiton and Ottery). Virtually all the 60/380 buses go through West Hill.

At the moment there is an hourly service between Exeter and Ottery during most of the

day - this will become half hourly. There is a two-hourly service between Ottery and Honiton and Axminster - this will become hourly. In addition there will be later buses.At the moment the last bus from Exeter to Ottery St Mary leaves at 6.30pm.

The greatly improved services will take effect during the year after occupation of the first dwelling in Cranbrook. This could well be within the next two years. This is good news for Ottery bus users.

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Sainbury’s Building Update Work has now begun in earnest on the construction of the new Sainsbury’s in Ottery. During April we completed the archaeological excavations and vegetation clearance in the Hind Street car park.

We have made good progress with foundations for the new store and anticipate completing this during early May. In the coming weeks the team will also create the permanent pedestrian access through the Hind Street wall to the store.To ensure public safety, temporary hoarding will be erected along a section of Hind Street, however this should not be disruptive for pedestrians.

Temporary toilets will be installed during May on the Land of Canaan as the toilets in the Hind Street car park close. These facilities will remain in place until the store is opened. Over the bank holiday period we will have some of the construction team on site however work will be minimal and anticipate no noisy work will take place.

I would like to thank local residents for their patience during these works; the team are working hard to ensure the programme is completed on schedule and you can begin enjoying Sainsbury’s range of products as soon as possible. The team welcome your

feedback. If you have any questions or comments regarding the work taking place please do contact us on 0800 130 3270 or email the team directly on communityrelations@sainsburysottery.co.uk.

I appreciate your continued co-operation Mike Mackey. Kier Project Manager

Car parking and toilets move to Canaan Way During the Sainbury’s building work there will be an impact on visitors to the town so far as parking and toilets are concerned. EDDC’s car park in Hind Street closed to the public on 17th April the contractors occupied the site the following day. Public parking spaces in Hind Street will be restricted and will be subject to change at short notice.

Alternative parking will be available at the Land of Canaan car park just a short distance

from the town centre. Parking for Sainsbury’s contractors will be provided on a separate site offered by Otter y Town Council in Fairmile Lane.

Access The building works will also have an impact on public toilets in Hind Street. It had originally been planned to retain the existing toilet block until new facilities could be opened inside the store. However, due to the route that construction vehicles must take, the

toilet block will restrict access and so will need to be demolished at an earlier stage.

It is proposed that temporary toilets will be available on a grassed area in Canaan Way opposite the junction with Hind Street.This provision will be in place for the duration of the store building works, with cleaning and security arranged

by Sainsbury’s.

Devon County Council and Ottery Town Council have been notified. Notices informing the public about the car parking changes have been placed on the Hind Street site. A public notice has also appeared in the local press and notices are on display at EDDC’s main office in Sidmouth.

Shoppers There are currently 92 parking spaces in Hind Street, plus four dedicated disabled bays. This will fall to a minimum of 40 bays during building works. Once the supermarket has been com-

pleted, there will be parking for shoppers outside the store.

The contractors recently confirmed to build the new footbridge and cycleway across the River Otter near the Tumbling Weir will also have a small compound in the Land of Canaan car park. EDDC’s officers are satisfied that this arrangement should not interfere with the increased usage of the car park by shoppers who would normally park in Hind Street.

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Otter Valley Dental Laboratory WE REPAIR DENTURES IN A FRIENDLY AND EFFICIENT SERVICE TELEPHONE: 01404 813967 Page 2

COUNCIL MATTERS

The April Town Council Meeting received a presentation from Devon County Council regarding local provision of Youth Services. Budget constraints mean that there will be a reduction in youth workers and restructuring of youth sessions at the Station Youth Centre may have to occur. It was established that the Youth Service has no capacity to put a youth worker into a drop-in facility provided by the Town Council and it was agreed to defer any further action until the Devon Youth Service reorganisation is in place and it is clear what the need is. At the same meeting the Council resolved to express serious concern to East Devon District Council Planning at its decision to fell four Western Red Cedar trees at the Supermarket site in Hind Street, requesting a second opinion regarding the necessity to fell and asking that the Council be consulted on any replanting. Also at the April meeting the PC Thomas gave the information that from 20th May major changes at Ottery Police Station would mean fewer Officers based there and

the more rigid shift patterns could mean that a written report would have to be given to Council meetings.

Many of you attended the Annual Parish Meeting and as well as hearing an update on Council activities during the past year, witnessed the awarding of Grants to various organisations and had your say in the question time period. Ron Berry was made “Citizen of the Year 2011� having received most votes from members of the public for his unstinting work as Caretaker and bookings Secretary for the Institute in Ottery St Mary.The Mayor’s Charity of the Year 2011 (as voted for by those present at the meeting) is “Dance Action for Youth�.

Pat Lane, the driving force behind last year’s Charity of the Year (Ottery and District Help Scheme), was recognised for all she has done for the Parish over many years by the presentation of an inscribed glass bowl and by a heartfelt speech of thanks from one of the scheme’s volunteers.

At the Annual Parish Meeting a report from Ottery in Bloom

Dilly’s Florist FLOWERS FOR ALL OCCASIONS Deliveries Undertaken

explained how its small committee is again endeavouring to ensure a wonderful summer display in the planters but that it needs more help.

Sarah Clarke is standing down as Chairman and was thanked for all of her enthusiasm and driving energy. However, that leaves a gap and this is another plea for anyone who feels they can help. Watering is a particular concern and if you have a planter close to where you live and feel that you can water it regularly please let me know.

All of us can help by taking even a bottle of water out when walking and giving the flowers a drink! Planting up is usually done in early June so look out for thirsty flowers then!

Several Ottery residents have contacted the Office regarding the disappearance of dog bins at the Millennium Green, Higher Ridgeway and Brook Street. These three bins were provided through the group Ottery Dogs through sponsorship by local businesses and by fundraising and their emptying was also to be paid by that organisation. Unfortunately the group was unable to pay the fee for 2010-2011 which left the Council having to foot the bill. This had not been precepted for and as it had not been budgeted for in 2011-2012 either, the District Council was

asked to remove the bins. The District Council has said that dog owners should put their bags of waste into litter bins, preferable double-bagged.

Another matter of concern reported to this Office is that street lighting has been off at night in some residential areas of Ottery St Mary. This is not a fault but is part of Devon County Council’s effort to reduce carbon emissions and to reduce energy costs by introducing part-night lighting.

The Local Elections are on Thursday 5th May. In the Ottery Parish there will be no elections for the Town Council as there were just enough candidates for seats in the Town Ward and Tipton St John. In each of the West Hill Ward and North Ward there remains one vacant seat so the Council will need to co-opt. The main changes have been that Peter Williams has stood down from the Town Ward and Paul Carter has filled that seat. Ray Bloxham has stood down from the West Hill Ward and Janice Aherne from the Tipton St John Ward.

Tipton St John Ward will be represented by John Harding and Lyn Harding. I will give full contact details for all Councillors in the June Gazette.

Because of the Elections, the May Town Council meeting Continued on page 4

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Page 3

Council Matters continued from page 3 (which is also the Annual The website has recently been Meeting at which the Mayor is updated so do please take a elected) will not be until Mon- look at it. day 16th May in the Council Chamber. Please see the notice Judith Reynolds elsewhere in the Gazette. Do Town Clerk remember that lots of infor- Council Offices mation, including Agendas and The Old Convent Minutes for all Council and 8 Broad Street Committee Meetings are to be Ottery St Mary found on the Town Council EX11 1BZ 01404 812252 website shown below. enquiries@otterystmary-tc.gov.uk www.otterystmary-tc.gov.uk

Readers Write Disappearing Dog Bins

Dear Sir, I was bemused to discover whilst walking my dog along Millenium Green this morning, that the dog bin has been replaced by a bag and bucket. The bins along Brook Street and Ridgeway seem to have disappeared as well.

I understand from the Town Council that the bins have been removed because the supporting community group, Ottery Dogs, have been unable to foot this years bill of £720 for emptying the three bins, which I understand were installed by East Devon District Council at the end of 2009 as the result of a community camapign following a town clean-up and businesses coming forward to support the issue.

This is truly a sad day for Ottery, when the community has endeavoured to encourage sustained responsible dog ownership, promoted community spirit, cohesion and addressed health concerns, despite the local authority’s beligerance to address the issue on people’s behalf. Surely, it is time for the ‘Big Society’ of Ottery to yet again club together and take matters into their own hands?

Responsible dog walker of Ottery.

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

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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

Ottery Gardening Club News We thought Mrs Chris Laxton’s talk on April 12th was not only very interesting but informative as well.Thank you to Ann for arranging Chris Laxton to visit us and for the amazing tea which was completely organised by Ann and Sue.The cakes and sandwiches were homemade which makes such a difference. About 42 people came but one or two for various reasons did not make it.

The Highgrove trip was more colourful than when we went before although the Carpet Garden is not open until about June so we missed the rills and mosaics but maybe next time.

We must give Nick our driver a big thank you for suggesting that we stopped off afSaunders World instead of Sedgemoor.A far more interesting eating, drinking and comfort stop.

The next outing is to Endsleigh Garden Centre for Coffee and Lunch, where you will have enough time to spend your

money and then on to Lukesland Gardens. The gardens are usually at their best in the first fortnight of May (we go on May 10th) let’s hope the cold winter has not effected the plants too much.Wear comfortable shoes as the paths can be uneven and slippery. Teas are served in the Old Billard Room.

Our next big event is the Coffee Morning and Plant Sale on Saturday 21st May. It’s a golden opportunity to purchase plants, shrubs, herbs and vegetables at reasonable prices. The doors will be open on Friday 20th May from 6pm to 8.00pm and 8.30am on Saturday to accept any extra plants that you may have for us to sell for club funds.

Selling will NOT take place before 10am on the Saturday.

Do come along and buy plants for your garden.

For more information on any of the above and to join the Gardening Club contact Joan Dalton on 01404815082.

Ottery Flower Club News

Spring had certainly sprung when Pat Penno demonstrated at the Flower Club with a large array of flowers of many different colours. Pat spoke of her recent shows and future events and the pupils she teaches. She shared her infectious enthusiasm with us, especially for tulips.

The next Flower Club meeting will be held on Wednesday 18th May at 7.30pm at Ottery Primary School. Visitors and new members are welcome.

For advertising and editorial enquiries contact the Gazette on 815111 or otterygazette@yahoo.co.uk

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Pixies open another Parlour in centre of Ottery St Mary Fed up with trudging back and forth to their Parlour down by the River Otter, cunning Ottery Pixies have opened ‘Pixie Parlour’, a shop on Mill Street, Ottery St Mary. Could this be a plan to reserve their energy for mayhem on Pixie Day? A small contingent of them, pictured here, persuaded Mayor Glyn Dobson to perform the grand opening ceremony of the shop during April along with their friend Gill McPhee who they have left in charge of the business side of things.

Gill said “ Having moved from Scotland to East Devon in February 2010, I now find myself living in Ottery St Mary and working as a full-time business owner in Pixie Parlour, Ottery’s new children’s wear shop.

“Being a mum of two myself, I realised that there was nowhere locally to buy clothing and accessories for my children, especially when the youngest was potty training! So with a lot of research and even more encouragement from my family

Photo Phyllis Baxter

and friends, I decided to open Pixie Parlour. It was important to me to keep the whole concept local, hence the name, and to ensure that I sourced the right products at affordable prices.

“Currently Pixie Parlour sells children’s clothing from birth to 12 years. The new spring/ summer ranges are beautiful, good quality and very competitively priced. We have a lovely

Dance Action for Youth Showcase Students from Dance Action for Youth will be holding their Annual Dance Show on Sundaay 8th May at The King’s School, Ottery St Mary. Doors open 2.00pm, show starts at 2.30pm.Tickets will be available on the door. Refreshments available kindly provided by Millstone Bakery. For more information on the show or dance classes contact Janet Forbes on 01404 813399.

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

range of hair accessories, jewellery, sunglasses and gifts including ‘Fairy Dust’. We also stock a range of school wear and footwear for summer.

“I hope to be able to expand the current ranges. Thanks to your feed back I am able to find out what you would like to see in the shop. New lines are being added every week so please feel free to pop in for a look.

“We have been very well received and welcomed to Ottery St Mary town centre by locals, visitors and other business owners, which is greatly appreciated. I will continue to work hard and try to make Pixie Parlour a success for all my customers.”

For more information call in to see Gill at 14 Mill Street or call 01404 815008. But watch out for the Pixies!

Countdown to Talent Show Tickets are now on sale for the Ottery and District Talent Show which promises to be a fantastic evening of entertainment brought to you by talented people of all ages living in our local community.The Show will be held on Saturday 4th June at the Institute,Ottery St Mary.

To collect your registration form or for more information, call in at the Ottery Tourist Information Office.

Jess, Cerys and Paige (Ottery Carnival Royalty 2011/12) would like to thank everyone who has come forward to support the show including our performers, those who have

volunteered to help with organising the Talent Show, our host, judges and Phyllis Baxter who has assisted in publicity.

Please remember, if you can spare any time on the evening of Saturday June 4th to help serve refreshments or assist backstage, please call Phyllis Baxter on 01404 813964.

Tickets, priced at £4.50 adult, children £2.50, families £10 are available now from the Ottery Tourist Information Office. A raffle with prizes including family days out will be held and refreshments, kindly donated by Millstone Bakery, will be available.

Pixies plotting to leave their mark on new bridge

It’s not Pixie Day yet but it didn’t stop these two pictured here showing off what they are planning for the new bridge over the River Otter. So when the bridge is open and ready to walk across, you’d better watch out - there’ll be Pixies about!

Pixie Scarers - will yours be scary enough?

Ottery’s first Piggy Ascot Citizens of Ottery St Mary and outlying areas are urged to roll up, roll up, to the Great House at Cadhay at 3 0’clock on Wednesday 1st June for Ottery St Mary’s own “Piggy Ascot.” This unique event, featuring eight Exciting Pig Races, Live Music from the distinguished and much loved band: “Dixiegrass,” a contest for the finest Decorated Hat, a Cream Tea, Raffle and countless other fun-filled events, The whole event to be compered by our very own Master of Ceremonies, Roland Sanders, all for a miserly £5 per adult and a bargain Family Ticket for only £12! The first race will be at 3.30pm.

Tickets are now available from Ottery Tourist Information Office or by contacting Tony Rhodes on 01404 811299. The racing will feature a ‘Tote’

whereby small wagers may be placed on the outcome of each race, or you may become the ‘Owner’ of a pig for the reasonable sum of £3 for each race (those in commerce in the town will be asked to pay £5).To ‘buy’ a pig simply ask at the Tourist Information Office when you buy your tickets.

People of a nervous disposition and lovers of all creatures great and small, may rest assured that no live pigs will be involved.

Here in Ottery we are at the cutting edge of technology and will be using electrically operated pigs, the modern way!

All profits from this event will be shared between Ottery St Mary Carnival and the Cancer Charity ‘F.O.R.C.E’ Don’t miss the first ever Piggy Ascot in East Devon.And it will be fun for all the family!

Flower Festival at the Manor

Ottery St Mary flower arrangement Society will be presenting a Flower Festival at Knightstone Manor, Ottery St Mary (situated on the Sidmouth Road, between Ottery St Mary and Wiggaton) by kind permission of Mr and Mrs J E Ousterlund.

The Festival will be held on Thursday 9th and Friday 10th June 2011 from 3.00pm to 7.00pm.There will be afternoon tea, cream teas and a raffle on offer and wheelchair access will be available.

Entrance tickets, priced at £5.00 in advance and £6 on the day will be availble from Ottery Tourist Information Centre (01404 813964) or from Carol Bennett on 01404 812031. A donation from the proceeds will be made to the Parish Church.

They didn’t like it a previous entry ‘Angel of the West’

There is more to Pixie Day than the day itself. Following its innovation four years ago, we are continuing with the Pixie Scarer competition. Many towns and villages have competitions when people make scarecrows or similar creatures and exhibit them outside their houses. But none can have a theme like ours – so why don’t you set to and make one? Rules and entry forms can be obtained from Phyllis in the Tourist Information Office.

CCA CAR ACCESSORIES 6 MILL STREET, OTTERY ST MARY, DEVON Telephone: 01404 813751

For all your interior & exterior requirements. Wiper Blades, Batteries, Chargers, Tools etc. Far too many to list here!

We also have a varied stock of Oil/Air Filters, Spark Plugs and Bulbs Now also supplying Number Plates Other parts to order

OTTERY ST MARY Ottery St Mary Football Club Washbrook Meadows, Butts Road.

Mondays 7.00pm Tel: Dawn 07545 043059

Open Monday - Friday 8.30am to 6.00pm.

Saturday 8.30am to 5.00pm Sunday 9.30am to 1.00pm Page 7

Ottery & District Association New French classes at the of the National Trust Ottery Council Offices

Cadhay

The Honiton, Ottery and District Association of the National Trust has just ended its winter season of talks with a well-attended lecture on Jane Austen and her West Country Links.This was followed by the annual Wine and Cheese Evening in West Hill Village Hall.

The first outing of the summer was to Oakham Treasures near Bristol.The three hours allowed for the visit was hardly enough to do justice to this wideranging collection of bygones.

There were all sorts of domestic items dating from the middle of the twentieth century and earlier. Groceries, cleaning products, patent medicines, toys, hardware, and advertising signs were there in profusion, and the owner’s interest in farming was indicated by the large collection of vintage trac-

tors and varous veterinary products. Light lunches were available for a very reasonable cost, and there was also a wellstocked farm shop.

The next visit is to Pencarrow, a privately-owned Georgian house set in Grade II listed gardens near Bodmin, on 5th May. Membership of the Association is open to all members of the National Trust, who will also be very welcome at the annual Coffee Morning which is to be held at Cadhay from 10.00am to 12pm on Tuesday 31st May. Apart from the opportunity to buy plants and home-made cakes, visitors will be free to wander round the splendid gardens of this lovely Tudor mansion. Further details are available from the Membership Secretary, Mrs Gill Goodes, telephone 01404 42081.

Parlez-vous français?

Initially a five-week (10 hours in total) informal and friendly Summer course will start on Monday 9th May at Ottery Town Council Offices. Why not join us to learn the language but also to go on a journey to discover the French way of life and what makes the French…so French, from a French national. Classes will carry on throughout the year should you wish for an ‘encore’.

Monday 10.00am to 12.00noon and Wednesday 7.00pm to 9.00pm: ‘Bonjour’: a course for beginners to enable you to learn quickly with a minimum of efforts.

Tuesday 7.00pm to 9.00pm and Wednesday 10.00am to 12.00noon: ‘Déjà Vu’: a course for students at intermediate level who wish to consolidate their knowledge of the language and improve their conversational skills.

Free coffee and tea facilities during the two-hour sessions. We provide all the material necessary during the course. Competitive fees.To book a place or obtain more information please contact Sylvie Leroy at 01823 601059 / 07794957938 or by e-mail at: sylvie.leroy65@yahoo.co.uk

News from the Ottery TIC We have a basket full of tickets to sell for visits to The Devon County Show on the 19th 20th 21st May. Buy in advance and save £££££s. Also included Cadhay Elizabethan Manor on the 1st June to see Ottery’s very own Piggy Ascot, listen to Dixiegrass Jazz Band, with our one and only compere Roland Sanders. Cadhay opens from 3.00pm with the first Piggy Race at 3.30pm raising funds for Ottery Carnival and FORCE. Tickets £5 Adults, Family £12. Family ticket to include a Cream Tea! Jazz Picnic at Cadhay Elizabethan Manor on the 2nd June. Listen to the City Steam Jazz Band. Tickets £5 adults and £12. Bring your own picnic or buy refreshments on site.Tickets from Ottery Tourist Information Centre on 01404 813964 New event this year: Ottery St Mary Flower Arrangement Society present a Flower Festival at Knightsone Manor on 9th and 10th June from 3pm to 7pm. Free car parking. Wheelchair access available.Afternoon Tea, Cream Teas, Raffle. Tickets £5 in advance or £6 on the day, available from Information Centre or from Carol Bennett on 01404 812031.

Also available are vouchers for Crealy, Fleet Air Arm Museum, Woodlands, Paignton Zoo, Living Coasts.The New Offical Town Guide will be available shortly, also new train and bus timetables are now in.

Check out our new website: otterytourism.org.uk.

Foot Health Professional Lorraine Gill - Home Visits 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 8

Normandy House Restaurant and Bar re-opens in style!

April marked the much anticipated opening of The Normandy House.After a year of it being left in disrepair, it is finally open ready for your custom.

After 3 long months of hard work we are finally ready to show off the all new restaurant and cellar bar, which we hope you will enjoy!

Consisting of a mother and daughter team in the kitchen and a father and son team front of house, we are a small family run business. This will be our first venture all together (and perhaps our last!!) Karen and James ran a successful taste of the west award winning deli/ food shop in Gloucestershire for 8 years previously. My brother Nick and I have been

plunged into hospitality life since we were young, both of us going on to become chefs and working within some award winning establishments in Gloucestershire and Bristol.

After finding the property in November 2010 we instantly fell in love with its charm and character. The potential of it was never in question; it was the hard graft of getting it up and running that was to prove a challenge, but with a clear vision in our minds to be able to bring a delicious informal dining experience to Ottery St Mary, we powered on.

Moving to Devon has been a dream for foodies like ourselves.With the county so vast with superb quality produce it’s

been a fun challenge to source the best in local ingredients.We believe the quality is incomparable, it is better for the environment and an ideal opportunity for us to support our local economy.

We are going to be serving lunches and dinners and hopefully Devon cream teas (in our lovely garden) and we will be open from Tuesday lunchtime through to Sunday lunchtime.

The cellar bar will be open in the evening for people who would just like a drink and we have lots of tables outside in our courtyard garden.

We look forward to seeing you soon. For more information and booking queries please call 01404 815007 Robyn Pictured: Top left, the spacious restaurant. Bottom left: The cellar bar.

Page 9

Make sure you feature in the new local Arts Directory Every year, East Devon District Council’s Arts team publishes an Arts Directory with contact details for local groups and societies involved in art, dance, drama, literature, music, photography and much more.

The Directory puts readers in touch with local groups where they can practise their hobbies and meet people who share their interests. There is a section on activities aimed at children and young people, and a section on art and disability.

Last year several new sections were added, including bell ringing and gardening clubs, and there may be more this year if demand is high. To ensure their place in the 2011/12 Directory, which is due to be published in June, anyone involved in the cultural life of East Devon is asked to contact Deborah Smith on 01404 45006 or djsmith@eastdevon.gov.uk with details of their group, festival, event, gallery, society or club. Inclusion in the Directory is free so don’t waste time – get your entry in now!

Sustainable solar powered radios from John Williams

Now we all spend time in our gardens and conservatories at this time of year. If you listen to the radio you can now save money on batteries and buy a new digital radio made by Roberts Radio that need cost you nothing to run.

No batteries to buy. It uses day light and solar power and stores the power within the radio for you to use. It lasts a massive 27 hours on a full charge. If the grey skies arrive or you run out of power you can use a mains charger to give the radio a boost.

I use one of these Roberts radios at home in our bathroom and it lives on the window sill charging up all day ready for use. I only find that in the winter I may have to give it the occasional boost from the mains. If you want to see the solar products and have a demonstration, call into our showroom at John Williams in Mill Street, Ottery St Mary.

Martin Williams

Solar DAB Roberts Radio DAB & FM

Spanish short course classes to suit your needs

We all know that with Spring comes lots of work in the garden, visitors, and many other chores that limit the amount of free time available. Because of that we have planned a whole series of short courses for this term to keep our Spanish going without the commitment of a regular 10 week course. The new Spanish short courses shown below will be held at the Ottery Town Council Offices and will all run for 5 weeks.

Monday: 7.00pm to 9.00pm - ¡Puedo hablar! - One hundred per cent conversational Spanish. Starting date: 9th May Tuesday: 7.00pm to 9.00pm - ¿Como se dice….? - We are not beginners anymore and want to put to practice what we have learnt. Starting date: May 3rd.

Wednesday: 10.00am to 12.00pm - Everyday Spanish - How to deal with day-to-day situations. Starting date: May 4th.

Wednesday: 1.00pm to 3.00pm - Getting by - Five subjects to help us get by when on holiday in Spain. Starting date: May 4th.

Wednesday: 7.00pm to 9.00pm - Digame - Learn the essentials either to get you started with the language or to feel confident during your holidays. Starting date: May 4th.

Spanish Workshops: As we did last year, we are offering two workshops during the summer. Six hours of continuous use of the language plus a lunch at the new restaurant in Ottery included in the fee. Provisional dates: June 25th and August 27th.

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 / 07941459441 or e-mail: osmspanish@aol.com or ftnsy62@aol.com Pictured above: Spanish students enjoying a typical Spanish meal at the end of term.

To place Advertising or free editorial matter for your club or organisation in the Gazette please call 01404 815111

Optional Colours

Solar, Battery or Mains powered

NO BATTERIES TO BUY!

£82

For more information call in or contact

John Williams 8 MILL STREET, OTTERY ST MARY Telephone 01404 812308 e mail: info@john-williams.co.uk Page 10

The Man with Van STEVE Free Quotations Reasonable Rates Near or far - Large or small

Telephone: 01404 812657 Mobile: 07967 170587 e mail: manwithvan@sky.com

Devon and Somerset Gliding Club Open Weekend TAKE A FLIGHT IN A GLIDER FOR JUST £25 Devon and Somerset Gliding Club is a non profit making club, run by and on behalf of its members. Gliding is an affordable, challenging and exciting sport, and we offer you the opportunity to learn to fly in the skies above the stunning Devon countryside.

The club is based at North Hill airfield on the Blackdown Hills between Honiton and Cullompton. We provide training to our members in a modern fleet of two-seater gliders. Once solo, members can fly one of the club’s single seat gliders.We offer launches by winch, and by aerotow using our own Piper Pawnee towplane.

Gliding spans all age groups and our members are drawn from a variety of backgrounds.

Many start before the age of 16, whilst others discover the sport later in life. Our fully qualified BGA (British Gliding Association) instructors can tailor instruction around individual needs according to age and previous experience.

The club will be holding an open weekend on the 28th and 29th May starting at 9.00am.

For just £25 will give you the opportunity to experience this

amazing sport first hand. You will fly with one of our qualified instructors and will even be able to take the controls.

The club has an extensive team of experienced, fully qualified BGA instructors to take members through from their very first flight to their first solo and beyond. The club welcomes members of all ages, and young people can fly solo from the age of 16, and there is no upper age limit.

The clubhouse will be open throughout the weekend, with hot and cold drinks, snacks and light meals available. For more information contact Heather Clarke on 01626 360191.

DIRECTIONSTOTHE GLIDING CLUB From Exeter - exit the M5 at junction 28 and take the road that leads towards Honiton. After the Keepers Cottage pub on the right hand hand side of the road, turn left (you will see a brown sign marked Gliding Club) Follow lane uphill and through the woods.You will pass Forest Glade campsite on the left. Continue on to T junction. Turn right, and the club entrance is just over half a mile on the right hand side.

From Honiton - take the A373 towards Dunkeswell. At the first crossroads past the Wolford Chapel, turn left into Long Lane Carry on to the next crossroads and turn right (signposted towards Sheldon) carry on along this road and the club entrance is approx half a mile on the left hand side. Sat Nav: EX14 4QW

Your Royal Wedding party pics wanted Did you celebrate the royal wedding with an organised event or a street party? If so, the Gazette would like to hear about it for a feature in the June issue. Please e mail your details and a photo to otterygazette@yahoo.co.uk or call in at the office, next door to Ottery St Mary library, opposite the Parish Church.

PSG HOME & GARDEN CARE INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR MAINTENANCE

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

Your friendly local handyman Paul is available for:

Decorating Home Improvements Painting Garden Maintenance NO JOB TOO SMALL

New Life Church is part of Churches Together in Ottery.

call me on: 01404 850 160/07767 099 506 or e mail me at: paulgillard1974@btinternet.com for a free quote

www.newlifeottery.org.uk

Paul Gillard. 10 Mount View, Feniton EX14 3EB Page 11

Busy Otters Pre-School move to new premises OTTERY SILVER BAND DIARY The Band eagerly await our Spring Concert on the 8th May, at The Institute, Ottery St Mary.

Rehearsals have been going really well and this will be our first playout with new Musical Director Andrew Harris.

We will be playing a varied programme of music and the junior band ‘Brass Class’ will be giving a performance also. It is going to be a very good night and we look forward to seeing you all. The concert starts at 7.45pm and tickets are available from the Tourist Information Centre and Stagestruck, Ottery, from members of the band or on the door priced at £4.00, under 16’s free. (Tea/ coffee biscuits will be available in the interval). See you there!!

Well, we have been having lovely weather and we hope this continues for our summer concerts in Connaught Gardens, Sidmouth. We will be

playing there every Thursday evening at 7.45pm from 23rd June through to 1st September.

This is a truly lovely setting and is very much a highlight of the Band’s year. You can come along and relax in the deck chairs provided or bring a picnic and enjoy an hour of free music.

Before that though, we will be playing in our home town at the Ottery Church may Fair on 28th May from 1.00pm and we will also be playing at the Bicton College Open Day in June (date to be confirmed).

We are all really looking forward to getting out and about and look forward to seeing you all.

Should you have any enquires regarding the main band or junior band ‘Brass Class’ please contact Brian(Main Band) or Verity (Brass Class) on 01404 841502.

HONITON U3A Wedneday 18th May - ‘The Art of Deception. Art Fakes and Forgeries over the centuries” with Marilyn Bishop. 2.15pm at British Legion Hall, Dowell St, Honiton. Details 01404 823160.

EAT OUT from AT THE

£5

TALATON INN Tel: 01404 822214 Menu Changes Weekly 2 COURSE LUNCH SPECIAL Main Course and Pudding or Coffee - £5.00 Sunday Lunch from £5.75 Bookings advisable 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

By the time you are reading this article Busy Otters will be settling in to their new home next to the Primary School after the Easter Holidays.

Everyone is very excited about the move and we are very grateful to the staff who are working hard to ensure a smooth transition for the children.

We must take this opportunity to thank many members of our local community. Firstly we send a huge thank you to Peter and Mary Gosling who have been our landlords for 24 years.

Many children have passed through those Old Boy’s School doors with happy memories.

Secondly, we would like to thank Mr Rylance and the staff and pupils at Ottery Primary School for putting up with so much disruption.

We are also extremely grateful to the architect, project manager, engineers and surveyors who have realised the building and contractors Morgan Sindall who have gone far beyond their remit.

We would also like to thank the following businesses who have given us their continued support over the years:The Nancekivell Family, Halls Estate Agents, Xcalibur Signs & Print,

Alan Todd & Sons Ltd, Millstone Bakery, Pearsons, Dells, Co-operative,Wendy’s,Abbotts D.I.Y., Ottery Carnival Committee, Otter Nurseries, Escot, Joshua’s Harvest Store, Costcutter, Christopher Piper Wines, Eric Reynolds, Roger Dyer, Normandy House and The Good Life Deli.And not forgetting parents and Committee, past and present, for choosing our wonderful Pre-school!

Please note our new contact details and session times.

Busy Otters is located next to the Primary School at Longdogs Lane, Ottery St Mary, EX11 1HY.We offer pre-school places for children from 2 years 6 months, up until they begin school. Morning sessions are Monday to Friday 9.15 - 11.45.

Afternoon sessions are Monday, Tuesday,Wednesday and Friday 12.45 - 3.15pm. We also have Lunch Club on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday11.45 12.45pm.

Toddler sessions for the under 5s are on Thursday afternoons, 1.15 - 3.15pm. £2 per family.

For further information please ring 01404 812442 or email busyotters@googlemail.com.

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

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

Come and enjoy a red squirrel encounter at Escot Park Escot Park is creating a unique, open access Red Squirrel encounter in the heart of the 1100 acre estate near Ottery St. Mary. The encounter will feature a walk-through open air enclosure with a 100metre board walk, which will allow visitors to wander through the trees and see the squirrels at close quarters.

Red squirrels will be supplied by the British Wildlife Centre near Lingfield in Surrey from their own surplus breeding stock. In turn this will ensure that they have remote stock to call on in case of unforeseen losses.

In the semi-captive environment at Escot, it is hoped that the squirrels will breed as freely as they would in the wild. There is, however, the possibility that they will breed more rapidly. In the wild red squirrels may breed twice in a season if sufficient food is available but it is common for their food supply to become less plentiful during the summer, affecting their ability to produce a second litter. This natural food shortage will not be replicated at Escot and therefore two litters per year may be more commonplace.

The project itself is part of a larger ambition of the Red Squirrel Project South West (RSSW) initiative to eventually return reds to the wild in the South West. This is not currently possible as the abundant grey squirrel carries a virus which is fatal to reds but to which greys are immune.

Educating the public about the plight of this iconic native mammal is a top priority of the project. An essential part of this education is allowing the public the opportunity to really get to know this rarely encountered and often misunderstood creature.

So just how much do you know about red squirrels? Red squirrels are often associated with hazelnuts but their diet is amazingly diverse, including seeds and nuts, as one would expect, but they will also dine on

HALF

lichen, flowers, caterpillars and even small vertebrates. Red squirrels build two dreys (nests) per year, one for summer and one for

Escot - the ‘Natural Place’

So the clocks have gone forward an hour and spring is officially here! Regular visitors to Escot Park, however, will have already noticed the arrival of spring - the daffodils have long been hinting at it. Joining the daffodils now are the earliest of Escot’s large collection of Rhododendrons, looking spectacular against a backdrop of just about every shade of green you could imagine.

You don’t have to be an ardent horticulturalist to enjoy Escot though. Escot is also about getting some fresh air, about enjoying the great outdoors (a phrase that could so easily have been coined at Escot). It’s like a concentrated dose of nature, containing a diverse range of habitats, from woodland to wetland and is home to creatures that help to interpret the history of British wildlife. The Wild Boar enjoy their woodland setting as they would have done in days gone by, whilst Escot’s Red Squirrels look forward to their new walk-through enclosure (due to open

CLUES Sounds like a greeting but actually it’s healthy Quite mad for a month If it’s white, it’s probably a pub Leave us a little Pretty and Perky

winter because they don’t hibernate. As well as having the opportunity to learn through observation, Escot has donated space in a large barn adjacent to the enclosure which will become a classroom and interpretation centre. Escot’s expert team includes a full time Nature Ranger and full time Education Ranger who will be responsible for keeping visitors up to date with the squirrels’ progress once the project is completed.

The project is supported by a 50% grant from Making it Local, a locally managed grants scheme in the Blackdown Hills and East Devon AONB areas, incorporating funding from the EU, Defra, South West RDA and Leader.

For more information please contact Project Manager Mr Kennaway on 01404 822188 or info@escot-devon.co.uk

mid-summer 2011) illustrating how our woodlands would look if Red Squirrels were re-introduced to the wild in Devon. These are just a few of the many reasons that have led to Escot being known as “the Natural Place”.

To find out more visit Escot’s website www.escot-devon.co.uk or join us on our social network groups to keep up to date with all of our news and forthcoming events!

Facebook: Escot Gardens, Maze & Forest Adventure or on Twitter: @EscotDevon!

ESCOT’S HALF TERM WORD LADDER

WIN A FAMILY DAY TICKET (2 ADULTS AND 2 CHILDREN) TO ESCOT PARK!

The word ladder is a sequence of words formed by changing just one letter on each step. For example: CAT - COT - DOT - DOG. Using the clues shown, fill in the words between ‘Half ’ and ‘Term’.

Win a Family Day Ticket (2 Adults and 2 Children) to Escot Park! Simply fill in the word ladder left using the clues provided. Then send in your answer together with your name and address either by letter to Lisa Benton, Escot Ltd, Escot Park. Ottery St Mary EX11 1LU, or by email to: escot@escot-devon.co.uk (if you are entering the competition via email, please include your full name and postal address). Answers must arrive by 31st May 2011. The first ten correct answers drawn will each receive a family day ticket to Escot. Conditions apply.

Call 01404 822188 for full details.

Name....................................................................................................................

Hairdo

Address................................................................................................................ ...............................................................................................................................

TERM

Telephone............................................................................................................

Page 13

East Devon Cats Protection Come and try The Good Life The East Devon branch of Cats Protection covers a very wide area of Devon, totaling 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.

Cats are handed in to us for many reasons. One of the most common reasons is when the owner, often elderly is unable to care for his or her cat any more. These cats are generally extremely affectionate and are normally easy to re home.

However, sometimes the cat can

be very timid, especially with strangers.

Tiggy who is staying at our foster home in Sidford is just such a cat. She is a lovely 7 year old black short haired girl who has led a very quiet life with her elderly owner who can no longer look after her. She was very timid when she first arrived but after several months of patient care from her foster mum, she has decided to trust her and is now responding well.

She is a beautiful cat who needs a very special person to reassure her and be her friend.Are you that special person? If so, please speak to Gayle on 01395 515601.

See the accompanying advert for details of more cats waiting for homes.

Youth Art Competition

If you are aged between 10 – 17 and love to paint or draw or if you work in 3D, you could win the opportunity to exhibit your work by entering a local Youth Art Competition organised by Otter Vale Art Society.The exhibition will be held at the Institute, Ottery St Mary on 5th to 14th August 2011.

Alan Cotton, internationally acclaimed artist will be judging and is also offering a unique opportunity for winners to spend a day in his studio learning more about art. There will be great prizes awarded to the first three winners in the 2 following age groups: 10-13 year olds and 14-17 year olds. Parents must accompany children submitting work.

The exhibition will be open to the public daily, but your work is needed by June.....so get painting now! Apply for an application form by telephone on 01395 597221.

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.

These are onbly 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 831166 PATCH (pictured top) and his sister WHISKY are very friendly 6 year old black & white siblings who are staying at our foster home near Tipton St. John.

Tel: 01395 577334 MERLIN is a very affectionate 18 month old semi long haired grey boy who needs a rural home and WOODY is a very friendly 10 month old black & white boy who are also staying here. 01395 577334 TIGGY (left) is a very sweet and gentle 7 year old black girl who is staying at our foster home in Sidford. Tel: 01395 515601 BOBBIE is a friendly 20 month old white, black & tabby boy who is staying in Seaton. Tel: 01297 21610

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

The opening day of The Good Life shop, Broad Street, Ottery St Mary, during April was a great success. There was a queue of people outside on the street before opening time.

When the doors did open at just after 2.00pm the customers were even impatient to wait for the opening ceremony and the handing over of the keys!

Opening was from 2.00pm on the day and the customers just kept coming all day until the doors were closed at 8pm, a very busy, enjoyable and successful day.

The new shop interior, pictured above, was greeted with great delight at the fresh look and spacious feel to the new decor in the store. Customers seemed very impressed with the new lines in the delicatessen and the display of the goods, and very happy at the familiar from the old shop they new, a good integration of past and present.

The ethos of renewable, refillable and local is also well received as the consciousness of shoppers is changing in today’s retail climate. They are happy that they can return with their empty bottles of household

products, vinegars and oils to be refilled and the minimal packaging in the goods on sale prepared at the shop. The general consensus is that it will be well supported by the clientele. There was a lot of good feed back about the deli counter and availability and choices of West Country cheeses and locally baked produce in the store, and many are looking forward to locally produced vegetables once they are back in season.

The practice rooms upstairs are already promises to be a great success. The new look clinic was perused by many on the day with keen interest in the therapies available. There were many compliments on the new decor and clear space available to receive treatments.

Please feel free to come and browse at your leisure and take a look at all we have to offer in store. Come and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee and a piece of cake in the coffee corner, or have a light lunch from the delicatessen. There is always a welcome for you and a world of well being.We look forward to meeting you and greeting you in the Good Life.

D.I.Y. TIP OF THE MONTH

BY CHRIS ABBOTT

Preparing the ground for a Patio Hello and welcome to May’s DIY tip of the month. Now assuming the weather is still warm and sunny I bet you will most likely want to make full use of your garden and you’ll be cracking out the BBQ and spending plenty of time on your patio or decking. However if you don’t currently have either decking or a patio then this month’s tip of the month should be of some use to you, as this month we will be looking at how to lay a patio.

So to start, the first step is to negotiate with your partner quite how much of the lawn you’re going to be losing - this may prove to be the hardest step! Once settled, mark it out.

Next you’ll need to start excavating the site. You’ll need to remove the top soil to an approximate depth of 150mm (6 inches in old money) from finished patio level. Make sure you bear in mind that the finished height of your patio should be no less than 6 inches from your house’s damp proof course.

Once all excavation is complete you’ll need to ensure that the soil you have exposed is well compacted. If it’s not, your finished patio may end up with big dips in it where the soil below has settled over time.

Now unless you have a herd of elephants hanging around

your garden it’s not easy to ensure your soil is well compacted, so it is advisable to use a plate compactor to achieve this.

Once you’re happy the soil is nice and compact you’ll need to lay approximately 100mm (4" inches) of hardcore across the site. It is recommended that you use a MOT type 1 crushed stone for this. Again, once the hardcore is down you’ll need to run across the area with the plate compactor. Now I’m sure you are left thinking yeah, that’s all sounds straight forward enough, but I don’t have a plate compactor or an earth rammer kicking around my garage.Well my simple answer is that any of the equipment I have mentioned in this article can be easily hired here at Abbotts, and hopefully for less than you might expect.

So now you’ll be ready to start laying your patio slabs down on your well prepared site, which we will cover in next month’s Gazette. As usual if you need any advice on a DIY problem, please call in to Abbotts or email Chris@abbottsdiy.com Jeff Abbott

Adventures in the wine trade

Amusing reflections by David Bond At their April meeting in the Institute, members of Ottery Heritage Society were taken on a light-hearted tour of the international wine industry, stopping off here and there for the occasional anecdote about demise of the glass bottle in growers, producers, bottlers favour of plastic; less weight and and distributors in this vast, less protective packaging being the key advantages. truly international business.

Guest speaker David Bond has Heritage Trustee Betty Williams, been purchasing director for herself a wine enthusiast, gave local vintners ‘Christopher the vote of thanks on behalf of Piper Wines’ for the past 18 the society, for a most interestyears, having been in the wine ing and amusing insight into the trade all his working life. He business of wine. described to his audience the Membership of the Ottery St many conditions which contri- Mary Heritage Society is open buted to the production of to anyone interested in furthersome of the world’s best and ing the work of the Charity. most popular wines, which Meetings are held in the Ottery countries’ wines were in the St Mary Institute, usually on the ascendancy and offering some third Tuesday of each month, reasons why others were de- unless advertised otherwise. clining in popularity.

Eminent speakers are invited to Members learned something of talk on their particular areas of the primary wine-producing interest. These meetings are regions, known for particular well-supported social affairs grape varieties dictated by and refreshments are available.

Non members are always welterrrain.

He covered the serious prob- come. lems of contamination in the The next meeting will be on production processes, and in Tuesday May 17th, when guest subsequent storage, cork speaker will be Trevor Roberts. versus plastic stoppers and the His subject is entitled, “The emergence of the screw cap as History for ‘Fields of Sidmouth’ the popular alternative. Looking from 1800.” to the future, he forecast the Robert Neal

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

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 Page 15

LION’S CORNER Well, here we are, back at the Deer Park Hotel,Weston, near Honiton. The hotel has been re-furbished. The hotel still maintains its original basic facilities, but everything has been made more fresh looking which has cheered up the place. Our wheelbarrow raffle took place on Mothering Sunday, 3rd April, and the barrow and its contents were won by a lady from Honiton who had her prize delivered to her house.

We made a presentation of a sum of money to Upottery School in April, to assist them with a project they were involved with.The Honiton Running Club held a race on Sunday 10th April, and we were pleased to supply a number of marshalls to assist them during the event.

I want to draw the attention of parents visiting the Coleridge Medical Centre, not to allow their children to interfere with the ‘Message in a Bottle’ containers, and remove the contents of the bottles. This is a valuable service to the community. Several bottles have been tampered with, and the contents removed, which renders them useless.

Lion Stan, sent 1,000 pairs of used spectacles away to the collection point. These would be sent to the 3rd world where they will be used by providing sight assistance to the residents of those countries. Don’t forget our ‘Friend of the Lions’ scheme which enables you to take a limited part in our activities.

For £5 you will be able to receive a newsletter, and be able to take a non active part in our social functions, skittles etc.

Our website is still being visited regularly, there have been well over 500 visits to the web site www.honitonlions.org.uk.

There are several links which will be of interest to you, with a selection of photographs.

Our annual golf day will take place on Thursday 26th May at Honiton Golf Course. This is usually well attended, and enables us to raise money for our charities, which this year will be in aid of the Devon Air Ambu-lance.We will be holding a Classic Car Rally on 26th July, which will coincide with the Honiton Charter Day celebrations. Then of course we have our annual Duck Race at the Otter Inn, which will be on Sunday 7th August.

Following the EDDC’s decision to cut back on services, including the maintenance of flower beds in the town, our Lions Club has undertaken the servicing of one of the flower beds in Caanan Way, near to the Fire

Station. This should help to brighten up the road when entering the town.

For more information on the Lions call 01404 813513 or lion.bill@btinternet.com Bill King

Have fun at the May Fair!

The May Fair to be held on Saturday 28th May from 11.00am to 4.00pm promises to be a wonderful day out for all ages in the wonderful surroundings of Cadhay House, by kind permission of R.Thistlewaite.

The May Fair will provide great family entertainment with Nutty Noah, an entertainer with unusual skills - a performance not to be missed! Jonathan Marshall Falconry - a firm favorite at the May Fair where Jonathan will be showing his unique relationship with these great birds of prey. There will also be entertainment from the Taiko Drummers, Ottery St Mary Silver Band, Ferret Racing and a Bouncy Castle.

With many stalls including the Cadhay Food Hall, Ancient and Modern, Plants and Produce, Books, Jewellery and Hats plus

many more.The great Draw will take place with over thirty fabulous prizes and tours of historic Cadhay House. Come and enjoy the barbecue and scrumptious Devon cream teas, as well as O’Hanlon’s beer.

A free bus service will be provided by kind permission of Downs Garage. Entry £2 adults.

Children and car parking free!

Come and enjoy all the fun of the Fair - and bring your friends along.

Sean Harris z WINDOW CLEANER z GUTTERS/FACIAS CLEANED z HOUSE/PATIO PRESSURE CLEANING UNDERTAKEN (Excellent references if required)

For that personal service call 01404 814963 or Mobile: 07737 419077 75 Slade Close, Ottery St Mary, Devon EX11 1SY Page 16

‘Whimple Folk for Whimple Folk II’ with Gordon Giltrap Victory Hall, Whimple Sunday 10th July 2011 Show starts 7.00pm For our second wF4Wf event, Handsome Dicks Records and Mister Fixer are thrilled to announce that Jim Causley and Denbury Folk will be providing a warm-up to the legendary guitarist Gordon Giltrap.

Advance tickets are only £7.50 (£9.00 on the door), and are available from Whimple Post Office, Ottery St Mary Tourist Information Centre, or online from the website shown below.

Over the past forty years, Gordon Giltrap has graced the music business with his dedication to his craft and his affection for his audience.As one of the UK’s most respected guitarists, he has consistently proved the adage that respect cannot be bought. It must be earned.

In the late Seventies, Gordon enjoyed a brief spell as a pop star, with a hit album (Perilous Journey) and two hit singles (‘Heartsong’ and ‘Fear of the Dark’). ‘Heartsong’ was nominated for an Ivor Novello award, and is fondly remembered as the theme tune to the BBC’s Holiday programme.

In 2008 Gordon received a Life Time Achievement award from the Newtonards Guitar Festival

in Northern Island. Gordon regards this as his most treasured possession coming as it does from the land of his grandfather’s birth and a country with a musical tradition close to his heart. Indeed Ireland has taken him to their heart. The largest guitar store in Belfast, The Guitar Emporium has engravings of some of the world’s greatest guitar players on their front window. If you visit you will see engraved images of Jimi Hendrix, Rory Gallagher, Jimmy Page, Brian May and in amongst these greats there is...Gordon Giltrap.

Needless to say the self-effacing Mr Giltrap feels very humbled by this superb gesture!

Many of you may already know Jim Causley, either from last year’s ‘whimple Folk for Whim-

ple folk’, the annual Whimple Wassail, or his nomination for the Radio 2 Folk award.Always amusing and very talented, Jim has kindly agreed to come back for this year’s event and run the stage for us, so I’m sure he will be as entertaining for his ‘home crowd’ as he was last year.

Denbury Folk had their first public performance at this event last year.They went down a storm, particularly with the audience sing-alongs. Check out their rendition of ‘Blooming Heather’ from last year’s event on YouTube. They are back again this year by popular demand, with a new selection of ditties for your delectation.

See you there! – Alex & John

For more Whimple Folk details visit the website: www.handsomedicksrecords.co.uk/gordon

The Gallery @ Hind Street Collectable works of art are exhibiting this month with inspired work from new artist

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.

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!!

Page 17

First Coffee Morning at Have you broken down any St Andrew’s Church Feniton barriers recently?

The first coffee morning since the re-opening of the church following the 2008 flood was held in the church itself. The new servery and the movable pews allowed the layout of the church to be changed into café style seating which made the space very user friendly and suitable for the occasion.

It was held in aid of Water Aid which was the churches adopted Lent charity.The organiser, Mrs Lanning said it was an appropriate charity not only in its own right but appropriate as the church had found itself with too much water whilst so many people find themselves with too little.All the proceeds were given to the charity and this amounted to £318.

The church intends to have charity Coffee Mornings every

other month to alternate with those run by the Village Hall so that the events do not clash.

Already the date for the next one has been set for the 11th June where the charity will be Help for Heroes.

The church building is now complete with versatile seating, improved heating and lighting, toilets, baby changing facilities so it will now become another village resource. Already an annual meeting of Church Architects has been booked to take place in the church where the work of re-ordering can be viewed. Visitors to the church have also come from many parts of the diocese who wish to see what has been done and how their churches can be made adaptable for present day needs.

Spot the Easter Egg and Lucky Square competitons Well done to all of you who took part in the Spot the Easter Egg and Scrambled Faces Competition over Easter. The winners will be drawn on May 1st and announced in next month’s Gazette.

Many thanks to all of the local shops who made this competition possible by displaying the eggs in their windows. We appreciate your willingness to support our Carnival Royalty. The winners of the Lucky Square Competition which was held at a cake stall in the Square were Zoe and Jean.

Toni Hiscocks

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Do you have an idea about making your neighbourhood a better place to live and are red tape, rules and regulations of national government getting in your way? East Devon District Council is encouraging its communities to make use of a new website that can help. Called Barrier Busting, the website is run by the Department for Communities and Local Government and is designed to help you get things done for your local community by getting rid of barriers that only central government can lift.

If you have done everything you reasonably can to resolve the issue at a local level, by talking to your neighbours, other community groups and to your local Councillors, but you still need help to get things done, you can fill in a simple form on the website: http://barrierbusting.communities.gov.uk/ Here you can see examples of other proposals that have already been submitted. Let the barrier busting team know what bureaucracy, regulations or lack of information are stopping you from achieving what you want to achieve in your area.

The team will investigate your concerns and do what they can to get rid of the barriers in your way. This could include reexamining policies, getting rid of unnecessary requirements or changing the way government departments work. If things can’t be changed, they will let you know why.

So if you have great ideas about making your community a better place to live, but you need some barriers removed, please go to the website – you never know, government policy might be changed as a result!

New Hatha Yoga classes in Ottery St Mary and Feniton Hatha Yoga - the practice of yoga is much more than a system of physical exercise for health. The postures called asanas in the ancient Sanskrit language are actually just a small part of the whole yogic system.

The benefits of an holistic yoga practice helps calm the active mind and reduce stress and tension - a result of our our fast, modern pace of life. It promotes relaxation, improves fitness levels and flexibility and improves posture, muscle tone, health and wellbeing. Yoga can also improve health conditions such as asthma, hypertension, back pain etc and help you

experience the connection of the mind, body and spirit. The yoga practice will include relaxation postures, guided meditation and breathing exercises.

Mixed ability classes will be held at The Institute, Ottery Sy Mary on Fridays from 10am to 11.30pm. Feniton Village Hall on Tuesdays from 6.30pm to 8pm and Wednesdays 9.15am to 10.45am. Cost £6 per class.

Please call Lesley prior to starting the classes on 07791 563674 or 01404 812577. You will need to bring a yoga mat and blanket to class although I could provide a mat to begin with.

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Payhembury Pre-Schoolers enter Village Flower Show

Along with other local groups, Payhembury Pre-School were busy making an array of multicoloured doiley flowers and baskets for their display for the 48th Village Spring Bulb & Flower Show which was held at the end of March. After all these years it is now more popular than ever with nearly 500 entries. Over 150 villagers attended to see all the amazing exhibits and who the winners of the 9 cups would be!

Classes ranged from bulbs and plants, cut flower arrangements, cookery and preserves, handicraft and a children’s section which included a garden in a

seed tray, a painted thumb print pattern and a face on a slice of bread! What a lovely afternoon we all had. Pictured above: PreSchoolers with their lovely displays.

For more information about Payhembury Pre-School please contact Gill on 07907 584667 or visit www.payhemburypreschool.co.uk

Coleridge Playgroup News Coleridge Pre-school would like to congratulate the Busy Otters Playgroup on their new building and wish them all the very best of success in their new premises.

April was started with a Mother’s Day Celebration party on Friday 1st a great morning had by all.With the Easter holidays just round the corner we were busy getting ready for Coleridge Easter Coffee Morning and table top sale. A big thank you for all the support we have been given.We hope everyone had a good Easter Holiday and is ready for the New Term.

Congratulations to Prince William and Katie on their marriage 29th April.

Coleridge would like to say a welcome to the new children, Alesha, Peyton, Miles, and Happy Birthday to Thomas. A reminder that we are currently collecting Sainsbury and Tesco vouchers, so if you are not sure what to do with these we will be grateful for your support.

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).

Coleridge pre-school playgroup is an Ofsted registered, committee run playgroup based in the centre of Ottery St Mary. It is run by professional and friendly staff that have had many years experience in providing early years education.

The playgroup is open 9.15am - 3.15pm on Monday to Friday except Tuesday when it closes at 11.45. Morning sessions run from 9.15am - 11.45am, lunch club is held from 11.45am 12.45pm, and afternoon sessions commence at 12.45pm. A toddler group is held at the school on Tuesday afternoons, 1.15pm to 3pm.All parents and carers with children aged 0-5 are welcome.

Coleridge takes children from 2½ up to school age. Funding is available for 3 and 4 year olds. For more details please call 01404 812663 and ask to speak to Sharon Cake or Sue Scott. You can look for Coleridge Pre-School on Facebook.

There is also the opportunity for wrap-around care from 8.00am - 6.00pm daily for parents who choose to also use Happy Days - the out of school provision that operates independently from our premises.

Details can be obtained by ringing 01404 812663 asking for Lynda Hole.

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FROM THE CHURCHES FROM THE CHURCHES IN OTTERY Easter has been celebrated for another year: Alleluia, and now we are into that period when we continue to follow the principles put before us in the Bible about how to lead our lives all through the year and work towards the next important festival. Each of our denominations emphasises these in their own way so look at the notice boards to see what each church offers and remember that you will be welcome to join in any of these.

WE’RE BETTER TOGETHER: Remember that Christian Aid Week is May 15th – 21st although the work goes on every day of the year.There will be opportunities for you to contribute and to learn more about the work that Christian Aid does across the world. Most of the information will be on display in the Parish Church.

ST ANTHONY’S CATHOLIC CHURCH Ann Hunt, Catholic Womens League says at St Anthony’s we are delighted to welcome back Father Francis ( Frank) Umendia OAR as our Parish Priest. He was here some years ago and since that time has spent several years in London and a year in the USA. We are pleased too that we will still see Father Denis Caddle, who has been taking such good care of us. He will still be at St Rita’s as the Parish Priest at Honiton.

On Mothering Sunday there was a beautiful Family Mass at which the children preparing for their First Holy Communion took starring roles: preparing prayers, singing for us, taking the collection and handing beautiful flower sprays to all the ladies in the congregation.

On April 1st the CWL organised a frugal lunch at the home of member Carol Russell and her husband Patrick. The soups and the venue were wonderful and what has really captured our interest is the work of their daughter Dr Helena Russell. She is an oncologist working at the International Hospital in Kampala.

We raised over £300 for her work in Hope Ward where patients who could not otherwise afford it are treated. We look forward to hearing from Helena about her work when she visits during the Summer and hope donations will enable us to present a much bigger cheque.

Page 20

NEW LIFE CHURCH The church continues to meet at the King’s School main hall at 10.30 am on Sundays where we enjoy lively worship, biblical teaching and Sunday School groups for the children.

Our kids club ‘Groundbreakers’ has now been running for a year. We have seen our numbers increase from about 5 to 25 children in the last year, which may mean a move to larger premises soon. In the meantime we will still be meeting at the New Life Chapel on Friday evenings during term time, between 6pm and 7.25pm.The Youth Group, for 11 – 18 yr olds, also meets every Friday from 7.30pm to 9.30pm.

For the fitness freaks among you a date for your diary is July 3rd for our annual ‘Iron Man’ and ‘Junior Iron Man’ competitions. The event, held in Alphington, consists of a swim-run-cycle-run-swim and is hotly contested by men, ladies and teenagers in the church – anyone is welcome to enter. We also run a ‘Junior Iron Man’ which is thoroughly enjoyed by children aged between 7 and 11 yrs who undertake a short runswim-run.

On May 13th and 14th a number of people from the church will be going to Exeter to hear Mark Marx speak about ‘Healing on the Streets’ – a simple ministry where the church becomes active ‘on the streets’, offering prayer for healing and extending the love of Jesus to anyone in need.

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.

THE SALVATION ARMY The coming month promises to be busy as I prepare for The Salvation Army display in the Churches Tent at the Devon County Show. The Church tent is located in Avenue L of the show ground. If you are visiting the show please come along and see what different Christian traditions are doing in Devon. The tent also hosts the Pennywell Farm stand which usually includes some piglets. It is well worth a visit.

Towards the end of May I will celebrate fifteen years of ministry as a Salvation Army Officer. During that time I have been appointed in the South-West. I arrived in Bristol in 1996 before moving to down to the tip of Cornwall, up to Somerset and back down to Devon. It is anyone’s guess where next (but don’t worry, not just yet, the Salvation Army is keeping me here a bit longer).

On Sunday May 29th we are holding a café style worship event in place of our normal worship meeting.This will commence at 3pm and will be very informal. Anyone is welcome to join us. It is worship like you have never experienced before.

THE PARISH CHURCH We will have started our stewarding duties from the end of April and the new shop will be open on a temporary basis in its new area as we are waiting for the cupboards to be finished. We had to alter the design to fit in with the appearance of the whole shop concept which has meant applying for another faculty...the church‘s answer to planning permission and that takes time! Do come in to see how we are doing with the reordering. The Dorset Aisle is now free of pews and the floor in a light shade and constructed from Portland Stone gives it a light and spacious feel. The annual parochial church meeting was held there and it proved a very good space for that.

The Men’s Breakfasts are always very popular; the next one is on May 21st at the Tumbling Weir, 8am for 8.30am. Marion Davies,Team Reader based at Harpford, will be speaking about the charity Vision and Victory working in a very poor part of Kenya. Donations will be welcome as well as the cost of the breakfast. You will need to book early of you wish to come: contact John Masters on 010404 851121 or email: jcr_masters@hotmail.com Soup lunches for Christian Aid will be in the church on Sunday May 15th and in the Loft on Friday May 20th...tickets from the church office or just turn up. Collecting tins will be rattles in the Square on Saturday and street collections will take place during the week of May 15th – 21st. If you would like to help please contact Anitra 812317.

The soup lunch NETS was well supported and the Mothers’ Union is pleased to announce that around £400 was raised for the mosquito nets and more that Katie and her family will be taking to Melanesia later in the summer. We will keep you posted with their news of this exciting missionary venture.

A Men’s Curry and skittles night will be at the Lamb and Flag on Thursday May 12th at 8pm. Thai Curry or vegetarian or other alternative on the menu plus either a glass of wine or a pint for £8.95. More information and booking : John Masters 8121: jcr_masters@hotmailcom May 28th is our MAY FAIR to be held again at Cadhay, by kind permission of Rupert Thistlethwaite. There will be a good selection of entertainment and amusements with the regular stalls and food and drink outlets. £2 admission for adults and a guarantee of an enjoyable good day so do come along. The stall holders will be in Elizabethan costume which will add to the beauty and interest of Cadhay itself. There will be posters in the town and around giving more details. A grand raffle will be on offer as usual; tickets available beforehand or on the day.

CHRISTIANS TOGETHER IN OTTERY Our next service to celebrate this will be in Taizé style led by ADORAMUS in the Parish Church on Sunday May 22nd at 6.30pm.

ADORAMUS is a group of singers and musicians who lead worship in local parishes and church groups, principally through the use of the music and prayers of the Taizé Community. They work with local congregations and their singers and instrumentalists, as well as their own, to explore and experience together this contemplative approach to prayer and worship.

Do you enjoy singing? If so, please do come along to the Parish Church between 5pm and 6pm when Nigel Walsh, Adoramus’ leader, will help everyone to practise the music which will be sung in the service at 6.30pm. Between 6pm and 6.30pm there will be a break and a cup of tea. Everyone will be very welcome at the service or beforehand at the practice.

The Community of Taize. Taizé is a tiny village hidden away in the hills of Burgundy, in the eastern part of France, not far from the town of Cluny. Since 1940 it has been the home of an ecumenical community of brothers whose prayer, three times a day, is at the centre of their

of all ages and backgrounds come to participate in international meetings of prayer and reflection.

The Music of Taize. The music of Taizé has grown out of the prayer life of the community and the need to enable the vast numbers of mainly young visitors from many countries to share in it. A simple style has evolved; repetitive structures exploring short musical phrases with singable melodies and harmony which can be readily memorised by everyone. Solo singers and instrumentalists provide variation and ornamentation on the basic vocal line. The music, while having a contemporary impact, is deeply rooted in tradition.

The singular style of worship is appreciated by people of all traditions and gives another way of joining in prayer and worship.

This is one of the monthly services that we celebrate as Christians Together in Ottery and where we try out a variety of worship styles. Please do not hesitate to join any of our congregations: you are always assured of a warm welcome.

THE METHODIST CHURCH Our Tuesday coffee morning goes from strength to strength, with each team of helpers bringing its own special expertise to the task. Home made cakes are often - but not always - available, and the TraidCraft fair trade stand is always open. However, if anyone has a charity which would benefit from facilities in which to hold a fund-raising event then please get in touch with Colin Opie (currently our bookings officer 01404 815933) to arrange an opportunity to use our premises.

A small hardy bunch joined the Walk of Witness on Good Friday and was pleased to be part of the continuing ecumenical cooperation that exists in Ottery. Our services are open to all, and are held on Sunday mornings at 10.30am.

SERVICE OF PRAYER FOR HEALING Sunday 8th May 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.

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Does any reader remember John Bradburne?

Does any reader remember John Bradburne? He lived in this area between the late 1940s and early 1960s. He was the son of Rev’d Thomas and Mrs Erica Bradburne who, on their retirement, came to live in Fir Grove,West Hill, and are buried in the Parish Church graveyard.

After his father’s death he lived in the Ottery area helping to run a hostel for ‘people down on their luck’. Can you remember this hostel and where in town it was? At some time he The first quarter of the year has got off to a great start, with interesting and stimulating meetings taking place in the comfort of our homes. In January we discussed alternative medicine and each member give a brief overview of one that they had done some research for.

In February, our play reading was a hoot! Only those that felt comfortable with doing so took the parts in a very funny ‘play within a play’, whilst a few of us took care of ‘noises off’ and props. A great time was had by all and we were surprised to find how many talented actors we had in our group.

At our March meeting each of us discussed what we knew of

‘dossed down’ in the adjacent annex of Raleigh House (then the Marist Convent) in a tiny room under the stairs. He was also to be seen ‘busking’ in Cathedral Close, Exeter, playing music to raise money for much needed repairs to the Parish Church.

He ended up in Zimbabwe where he devoted the last ten years of his short life to caring for lepers in a deprived and neglected colony in Mutemwa.

Refusing to abandon them when his life was threatened,

National Womens’ Register

plained and practiced. A very satisfying evening.

OTTERY ST MARY BRANCH

Our May meeting will be a little more light-hearted with a ‘Swop Shop’ for plants, and useful things to know about ‘before it happens’. If you would like to join us, or learn about our Group and the NWR, please call Brenda on 01404 814520.

the history of our favourite painting. For those of us who go no further than Beryl Cooke, it was a real eye opener. Also in March, a couple of our Members went to an NWR South West Regional Lunch at the Thurlestone Hotel to hear the guest speaker, Peter Stafford, talk about “The Lost Gardens of Heligan – the years ahead” which they reported was very interesting and enjoyable.

In April we discovered what other hidden talents we all had. Our President, Chris, who is herself a published author, took us through the process of learning to write and how to

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he was captured and shot. A French Deacon, Rev’d Didier Ranee, came here on two occasions recently to collect material for the Ottery St Mary chapter of the first full biography of John. It is at his request that this appeal goes out.

If you have any snippet of information please contact either Paula Parkyn on 01404 812676 (paula.parkyn@btinternet.com) or Jo Holloway on 01404 812999 (jo.holloway@btinternet.com).

get published. Those of us who didn’t think we could manage much more than a letter or email were surprised to find that we could indeed write something worth reading once a few simple techniques were ex-

Reminding everyone of the evening of slides called ‘Memories of Exeter’, to be given by Alan Dolley at the Village Hall, Tipton St John, at 7.00pm for 7.30pm start on May 6th. Alan is well known for supporting Hospiscare throughout the area with his very interesting talks. He will start the evening with slides of the walk from the Turf Locks along the canal to Exeter Quay.There will be a break for coffee, followed by his talk ‘Nostalgia’. Ticket price £3.00 to include coffee, are available from the Hospicscare Shop, West Hill Post Office or telephone Jill on 01404 814366 or Wendy on 01404 813316.

A Reminder the Ladies Midnight Walk, Exmouth on 21st May. This is a great fundraiser for Hospice, a brilliant fun night rounded off about 2.00pm with bacon butties and a hot drink. You can register by telephoning 01392 688020 or on the website at womensmidnightwalk.co.uk To whet your appetites there will be our extremely popular Pudding Club event at the British Legion, West Hill, on Saturday18th June and a Tea Dance at Otter Nurseries, on 6th July. Finally, from July 25th to 30th the New Ottregians are again supporting Hospiscare with their new musical ‘Witchfinder’.This show was premiered in Manchester with terrific reviews so make sure you buy your tickets early.

Horseshoe Taxis now open Full steam ahead to Cadhay! in Ottery St Mary As part of their planned expansion, family operated Horseshoe Taxis have chosen Ottery St Mary to be the centre of their first operating base outside Honiton where their service has been renowned for the past 30 years. Sheila Huffer, the owner of Horseshoe Taxis, said “After much research we have chosen Ottery St Mary because we see the town starting to become vibrant and upbeat again and we feel now would be the right time to offer a proper and proven taxis service within the town.”

The benefit of Horseshoe being an Ottery based taxi, providing both a local and national service, means local people and visitors to the town and surrounding villages will no longer have to pay a premium for out of town taxis travelling in to collect customers.

All the companies’ drivers are licensed by East Devon Council and are required to pass an enhanced criminal records bureau (CRB) check to enable them to drive young and vulnerable people. The company also insist that all drivers undertake an advanced Driving Standards Agency approved course annually to maintain the

highest professional standards as passenger safety is of paramount importance.

The company operates a fleet of 9 well maintained and modern saloon and estate cars which include both 4 and 6 seat vehicles, 2 of which are new executive level estate cars aimed squarely at the long distance and corporate sectors.

John Huffer summed up the company philosophy by saying “As the oldest licensed taxi service in the area and having had 3 generations in public transport for over 100 years we have much to live up to. In the last 30 years we have undertaken over 650,000 journeys locally and nationally gaining us a reputation of which we are fiercely proud, and which is Ottery St Mary’s guarantee of our service. Our reputation has been hard won and can so very easily be lost. We are very excited about our service becoming part of Ottery St Mary’s thriving and friendly community.”

You can contact Horseshoe Taxis on 01404 850800 to discuss any travel plans that we may be able to help you with.

People or packages, local or national - please give us a call.

Now that Spring is well and truly on its way, we can allow our thoughts to turn to picnics, gardens, music and all the good things of Summer. With this in mind, here’s a date for your diary: Thursday June 2nd at Cadhay House, near Ottery St Mary, for our annual Jazz Picnic.

Following the great success of last year’s picnic, the owners of this lovely Tudor country house have offered the use of their beautiful gardens to the Ottery St Mary and District Help Scheme to raise funds.Working out of the Coleridge Medical Centre, the Help Scheme provides fantastic support for patients, carers and relatives when they need it most. The Scheme volunteers provide transport, meals, visits and many other essential services for local people.

You can help the Scheme and have a brilliant time enjoying some great music and a look around one of the loveliest gardens in the South West.You are invited to bring your own picnic, the grander the better, or you will be able to buy food and drinks on site. As before the music will be provided by the joyous City Steam Jazz Band, our much loved local band who are familiar to patrons of the Five Bells, Clyst Hydon, and The Golden Lion, Tipton.

Tickets will shortly be available direct from the Help Scheme at the Coleridge Medical Centre (01404 816700) or from Ottery Tourist Office (01404 813964). The price will be £5 for adults or a bargain Family Ticket for just £12.

Don’t miss it!

Tony Rhodes

Page 23

Inner Wheel Club News March is our ‘Birthday’ month at Otter Valley Inner Wheel and this year we celebrated our 24th year. It doesn’t seem any time at all since Renee Perkins became our very first Club President and we commenced our Club activities.

For our special meeting we were joined by auctioneer Jim Rowe of Symonds & Sampson at Axminster, he entertained us with tales of an auctioneer and some of the ‘characters’ (both animal and human!) that he has met over the years. Jim followed his father, Frank Rowe, into the family business and seems to have sold everything from spring lambs to large farm estates and equipment.

Our attention is now turning to the busy months of April and May and the recent good weather has encouraged us all to ‘spring’ into action. By the time you read this some of our members will have attended our National Conference in Cardiff and will be bringing back information and suggested fundraising projects from our friends and colleagues throughout the Inner Wheel ‘family’ – it is always amazing to see what other ideas and projects come forward and the

various charities. both large and small, who need assistance.

May will see us assisting at the Devon County Show – mainly on the various entry gates – with Ottery Valley Rotary Club.

We always look forward to the Show which enables us to be actively involved with a key local event whilst providing an opportunity to keep in touch with our traditional Devon roots.

We are often asked “What is the purpose of Inner Wheel?” , well officially it is to promote true friendship, encourage the ideals of personal service and to foster understanding but in reality being involved with this great organisation gives us a chance to make long lasting friendships with people from all walks of life whilst at the same time raise money for various local groups and charities…a chance to ‘give something back’.

So if you see a group of ladies in bright yellow safety jackets on the gate at Devon County Show this year please stop and say “hello” or maybe find out a little more about us!

More news next edition.

Sue Hulley Club Correspondent

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Six of the best at Talaton Open Gardens Weekend

The Parish of Talaton has excelled itself again; thirteen ever-keen gardeners will be opening on Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th May from 2-6pm and this year six for the first time.

These include the re-designed gardens of the former 18th century Rectory at Talaton House, a small garden with a ‘fedge’, smokery and a letterbox water feature, and a steam garden railway at Lashbrook.

These are just some of the new amongst the many old favourites. Hidden in each garden you may spot a small Ladybird, special to these parts. With plant sales from two of the gardens you will barely have time to tear yourself away for a homemade Cream Tea in the Parish Hall. Proceeds of which go towards the Parish Church and Hall. £4 entry ticket and map (under 17’s go free) may be purchased from most of the participating gardens, identified by a large

green card at the entrance, or they can be bought from the Church Car Park in the centre of the village, post code EX5 2RL, where parking is available within easy walking distance of six of the gardens.

The Talaton Inn serves good beer and food, so why not arrive early in time for lunch and call into The Village Shop, run by volunteers, before visiting the gardens. If you cannot get round them all on the Saturday please come back and finish them on the Sunday, the entry ticket covers both days.

There is a Talaton Open Gardens Crossword especially compiled for the weekend.

Completed entries must be sent in by 4th June to The Village Shop or to the compiler at Amara Cottage, Talaton.

If you would like more information please contact Peppi Shaw on 01404 822482 or by email: peppishaw@aol.com or visit the Talaton village website www.talatonparishcouncil.co.uk

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TALATON OPEN GARDENS CROSSWORD PUZZLE Find an 8-letter word hidden twice (going down) in the completed grid and circle its letters (both times). This is the start of a well known saying (8,8,3,4,4) which is completed by 6Ac, 9Dn and 23Dn. Apart from the top four rows, all squares must be coloured the correct colour so as to make a picture of our friend.

Entries to The Talaton Village Shop or Amara Cottage, Talaton, Exeter EX5 2RL by Saturday 4th June 2011.

Prize: The first winning entry pulled out of the hat will receive a gift token. The solution will be published from Monday 6th June on www.talatonparishcouncil.co.uk and in the July issue of The Ottery Gazette and The Talaton Calendar.

Name....................................................................................................................

Address................................................................................................................ ...............................................................................................................................

Telephone Number...........................................................................................

© Chris Poole 2011

ACROSS 2 Gosh! Call of a dove (3) 5 Everyone’s included in ballot (3) 7 Right and step back, go over again (5) 8 Elite squad’s a laugh for LADY (5) 10 One of the bathtaps stopped just past halfway in Fawlty Towers say? (3) 11 What’s happening in meeting? In confusion managed to remove leader (6) 12 When lacking energy, sad idea to run back to get brand of trainers (6) 13 Briefly, could be Time or - Hello!? (3) 15 Racing from Epsom, a local comp (5) 17 Important editor used keyboard? (5) 19 see 7 down (5) 21 Fruit to put in the earth we hear (5) 25 Filthy piece of turf in which dirt mostly decomposed (6) 26 Sight of six from Rome - a lot of racket when returning (6) 27 Flying saucer for all to see next to Foreign Office (3) z Knife & Scissor Sharpening 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

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

28 Arab rulers, leaders of Egypt, mention Isis, Ramases and sphinxes (5) 29 Not sensible form of paving (5) 30 Where plants are horribly dried at bottom of garden and unable to rise (9) DOWN 1 No calf troubled by this BIRD (6) 2 Common part of London to show appreciation for poor actor ... (7) 3 ...Staff with ego messed around in the wings perhaps (3-5) 4 Harry is moving East in Scots county (8) 7,19 Lychnis floscuculi teased BIRD (6) 14 Like taking centre stage? (4) 16 After start of breakdown maybe verges to harsh criticisms (10) 18 LADY bringing verve to New York (6) 20 In earth mostly attempt hard work (8) 22 Trapped cuckoo nears end (8) 24 A sort of pear cava drunk with duck before party (7)

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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 25

COLERIDGE MEDICAL CENTRE NEWS

BANK HOLIDAYS APPROACHING We will be closed on Friday 22nd to Monday 25th April and Friday 29th April to Monday 2nd May. Please order your repeat prescription so that you do not run out of medication over the bank holiday period.

WHEN WE ARE CLOSED If you have a life threatening emergency please dial 999. If you have an urgent medical problem that cannot wait until we are open, the emergency duty 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. Alternatively Devon Doctors on Call can be contacted directly on 08456 710 270. Please note that for your safety Devon Doctors record all calls. Medical advice can be obtained from NHS Direct on 0845 4647 or from your local pharmacy.

Page 26

If you require a routine appointment or have a general enquiry please contact us during our usual opening hours.

DR JEAN BROWN Dr Brown has reduced her hours. To make her list of patients more manageable it has been necessary to reduce Dr Brown’s list size. Patients who are affected by these changes have been informed that they will be transferred to the care of Dr Cole and Dr Gibbons.

NEW SURGERY TIMES From 19th May 2011 Dr Cole and Dr Gibbons will change their work patterns. Dr Cole will see patients on Monday afternoons, Wednesday mornings and Thursday mornings and afternoons. Dr Gibbons will see patients on Monday mornings, Tuesday mornings and afternoons and Friday afternoons. Dr Stuart will move her Whimple surgery to Monday mornings and Dr Cole will be at Whimple on Wednesday mornings.

STAFF NEWS We are very pleased to announce that our healthcare assistant, Emma Mullenger gave birth to a baby boy ‘Max’. We recently welcomed Pippa Loescher, Office Assistant and Julie Jones, Receptionist. Congratulations to Teressa Allen who has been promoted to Receptionist.

FUNDRAISING The practice team regularly raises funds for charity. Beneficiaries of this year’s efforts are Cancer Research, Children in Need, Zambia Appeal, Devon Community Foundation, Hospiscare, Help Scheme and Comic Relief.We would like to thank everyone who has generously donated prizes, baked cakes, invented all sorts of ingenious ways to get us to part with our money and of course all those who give so generously to such worthwhile causes. In addition we would like to thank patients, visitors and staff who donated to the Poppy Appeal.You raised £82.23.

REQUEST FROM RECEPTIONISTS We have had a few prescription requests posted in our repeat prescription box that have been held together with a dress pin. Please ask patients to use paperclips or tape as we don’t want to be stabbed with a pin!

TRAVEL ADVICE If you are going to travel abroad please plan your health requirements as soon as you book your trip. We prefer not to give travel advice by email or phone. Instead we ask that you to visit the website www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk, print out the travel advice for each country you intend to visit and then make an appointment in our travel clinic. Please bring your print out with you. The nurse will discuss your health

requirements and start treatment as required.

CARERS PROJECT The Carers Project in its current form ended on the 31st March 2011. We joined this Pilot Project in the first stage in July 2008 providing support and advice appointments for Carers. In the second phase starting in March 2010 the appointments became more structured, with a preparatory workbook for Carers to complete, and the option of a vascular check when indicated. Both pilots have been subject to an evaluation study carried out by the University of Plymouth, and direct feedback to the NHS, to support the development of new policies focusing on the welfare of all Carers.

When we started in 2008 we had very limited awareness of how many of our patients were Carers. To date we have now identified 302 Carers and provided 194 of them with Carers check appointments and ongoing support and advice. For the future we await details of the new specification for Carers Support in Devon.

More details on this when available, will be posted on our website and included in the next Practice Newsletter.

MESSAGES TO PATIENTS USING EMAIL AND TEXT (SMS) We have had a good response from patients who would be happy to receive electronic messages from us, but we would like to encourage more of you to consider this option. With your permission we can now arrange to contact you via email or Text message (SMS) We will only text or email you with messages that are relevant to your ongoing health care e.g. appointment confirmation and reminders, test results, health screening opportunities etc. If

you would like to receive messages from us via email or text (SMS) please complete a consent form so that we can record your agreement on your patient record. Forms are available on the Reception and Prescription desks, and in the Branch Surgeries and also on our website.

ORDERING REPEAT PRESCRIPTIONS The most efficient and secure method for ordering repeat prescriptions is to take advantage of our online ordering system. You can have direct access to your own repeat medication list, tick what you would like to order, click send and the order comes directly to our prescription order desk.

If you would like to sign up to access this service, please ask one of our receptionists. You will need to come into the practice with ID to obtain a password. It is hoped that in the future, patients with access to this system will also be able to take advantage of online booking for routine follow up appointments. More details of this will follow.

COLERIDGE ONLINE The new name for all our online services. Join us on Twitter.

Follow us on our blog.

RESEARCH It has been a busy year for our research team and we are grateful to the sixty people who have agreed to take part in a wide range of studies. Thank you to those who may have volunteered but did not quite fit the required criteria for a study.

Last year we recruited patients to the ‘SNIFS’ (Steam Inhalation and Nasal Irrigation For recurrent Sinusitis) research project run by the University of Southampton.We have just started a pilot study organised by the University of Warwick called ‘DDELPHI’ (Doctor Delivered Physical activity Intervention) in which a select group of six people are given a pedometer and measure the number of steps they take in a week.These studies are long term, but eventually we will be able to report results in our newsletter.

We also work with our local researchers at the RD&E Hospital and Peninsula Medical School. The Diabetes department is particularly active and diabetic patients get regular invitations to take part in studies. This research is very useful in developing treatment in the long term but there is no pressure on anyone to take part. Please let us know if you would prefer not to be contacted.

www.coleridgemedicalcentre.co.uk

Karen Hall’s 10k Run

Karen Hall’s Ottery 10k Race The entry fee is £8.00 or dishas now become a fixture in counted to £6.00 for EA licenthe diaries of many amateur sed competitors - pre entry by athletes from an ever widening post. £2.00 extra for entries on area.This year’s event will start the day, numbers permitting. and finish as usual at Ottery St (Last entry 10am). Fun Run Mary Cricket Club, Strawberry £3.00 Closing date for postal Lane, on Sunday 15th May at entries Saturday 7th May 2011.

10.30am. There will also be a Entrants must be of amateur One Mile Fun Run for the less status. The minimum age for athletic!

10k competitors is 15 years.

The race will be run under UK Entry forms available from athletics rules (licence 2011 Hall’s Estate Agents, 15 Broad 101702) and Course MeasureStreet, Ottery St Mary, Devon ment Certificate 2007002.

EX11 1BY (Tel: 01404 812000), There will be prizes for the first 3 men and first 3 women. (First Millstone Bakery, Colin Tooze men M40/M50/M60, first ladies Sports Centre or from Ottery F40/F50/F60).There will also be Tourist Information Centre, a T shirt for each runner com- Broad Street, Ottery St Mary pleting the course. Medical (Tel: 01404 813964). support will be provided by St All proceeds to be donated to Force and local organisations.

John’s Ambulance.

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Get the balance right!

Supporting the British Heart Foundation

Hi to all my regular readers and to anyone who is reading this article for the first time. My name is Michele and I run a fundraising dance exercise group “DanceasSize” for the British Heart Foundation. I have been running these classes in Ottery for over 3 years and in Whimple for two and a half years, along with the help of Nicole and Maggie (to whom I am ever indebted).

Each class is one hour long and we do different routines each week which makes it easy to fit into our ever so busy lifestyles.

And as the classes are Pay as you Go there is no worrying about being tied into 6 or 8 week courses and not being able to attend them. We have recently introduced Cha Cha and it is proving to be a big hit alongside Salsa and Charleston. The fun element is the key.

One of our ladies said “The

hour passes so quickly it is such good fun and you know that you have had a good workout”.

Each class brings different steps and fabulous music ranging from modern to twenties Michael Jackson to Los Gatos, Michael Buble to Amy Winehouse and so many more. So if you want to keep fit or get back to fitness, why not come along and give us a try. Have a giggle and a wiggle. Keeping fit and healthy is easier than you think.

There are so many forms of exercise from simply walking, swimming, running and dancing. All forms of exercise done in moderation (within your own individual level) can help, with a balanced diet, to maintain a good and healthy figure.

The fund-raising murder mystery dinner held at the Tumbling Weir Hotel in Ottery was a huge success being well attended with over 80 people. It was a brain teaser and kept all onlookers minds ticking over whilst the event took place. I had such good feedback with people asking when the next one is.We have already booked the our next one for the 12th November at the same venue but this time we have an optional theme of the Twenties Era.The choice will be yours. If you would like to get right into the swing of things and don your flappers or Charleston dresses (The Ladies that is) or

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 now available Tuesday to Saturday £8.50

LIVE JAZZ EVENING

On the second Wednesday of the month - a duo of delightful evening of jazz Next session Wednesday 11th May 2011 RECOMMENDED IN THE GOOD PUB GUIDE Page 28

Guests at the Murder Mystery dinner at the Tumbling Weir Hotel put on your boaters and jackets Hope you had a lovely Easter – it’s up to you. However, once and we hope to see you at our again, I do have to say that the classes when we return to places are limited and we can Whimple, Victory Hall on only take bookings for 70 of Monday the 9th May at 7.30pm which we have already secured and Otttery Old Boys School 38 definite places. So although on Tuesday 10th May at 8pm. it may seem along way away, I For any further information would book early to avoid please contact Michele on disappointment.

07984 869498.

Side by Side Open Day We are a small Project offering a variety of supported volunteering opportunities for people recovering from mental ill health. We will be having an Open Day at our Offwell Garden & Craft Centre on Wednesday 6th July from 10.00am to 2.00pm. Our service users have been working hard to put together the Show Garden.

The theme is the four seasons represented by 4 small gardens.

These will also represent the process of recovery to mental wellness.

The Open Day will provide an opportunity to show the local community, health professionals and press their dedication and hard work. It will also promote the Project and the valuable work we do to a wider audience. For more information contact: Ellen Hunt, Side by Side Project,Telephone: 01404 549045, Mobile: 07729 177095 or email: ellen.hunt@edvsa.org.uk

New Ottregians ‘Witchfinder’

The New Ottregians are busy polishing their broomsticks in readiness for this year’s show ‘Witchfinder’. Rehearsals are now in full swing in the United Reform Church hall in Jesu Street, Ottery St Mary.As Toni Williams-Pugh has mentioned previously, it’s a musical adaptation of the incident involving the witches of Pendle in 1612. There is stirring music, strong duets, love, hate, prejudice and fear - all the usual ingredients.The show premiered in Manchester to rave reviews. More news next month.

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 29

Rainbows, Brownies and Guides celebrate Centenary Ottery District Rainbows, Brownies and Guides celebrated their Centenary year by planting a tree in the Land of Canaan. Gill Slocombe, at present South West Region Chief Commissioner, but soon to become the new UK Chief Guide, gave them a helping hand in planting the white double-flowering cherry tree.

Local Rainbows, Brownies, Guides, Leaders and their parents were joined by Ottery Mayor Glyn Dobson and his wife, Judith Reynolds, the town clerk and Sarah Clarke from Ottery in Bloom, herself a former Guide, who all came to support the event.

Gill Slocombe then went on to present Tracy Levallin, a Leader with 1st Ottery Brownies, with her Leadership Certificate, and Catie Dixon and Rebecca

Young of Ottery Guides with their Baden Powell Certificates.

Ottery Guides then returned to the Scout HQ for the remainder of their meeting, where Gill enrolled a new Guide and a Young Leader and

presented other Guides with badges.

Ottery District Guides would like to thank everyone for their support, especially Robert and Pam Joy of Rainbow Plants who supplied and brought the tree to its resting place and building firm Kier, who are currently

constructing the new Sainsbury’s, who came to the Guides aid by digging the large hole required.

Pictured top: The tree planting ceremony at The Land of Canaan. Left: Gill concludes the event with presentations to the Guides.

Can Beavers really be quiet?

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Well the answer is yes (well for a short period) Ottery and Whimple Beavers joined together for an enjoyable evening at Escot, ably organised by one of our young leaders.

Slightly delayed, waiting for the late arrivals, one leader thought he could easily find the Beavers from the excited voices. He set off to search them out and was amazed at how quiet the area was. He then came upon the Beavers standing looking though a fence into a pen in awe.

They were looking at the wild boars and their piglets which the Beavers described as looking like “humbugs” with legs. There was absolute silence from the Beavers because they did not want to disturb the wild boar. This state of affairs did not last long and the young people were soon back to their noisy selves playing on the slides, balancing along logs and in the maze.

Great FUN was had by all and they safely returned, suitably tired to their parents.

Do you have a son or daughter interested in joining Beavers? If the answer is YES then please visit our web site at www.otteryscoutsuk.org.uk and complete the membership application form. If your child is not yet old enough to join but would like to secure a place when available you can still complete the application form.

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Twelve of Ottery’s older Guides started the Easter holiday on a residential weekend with a mythical theme to Girlguiding Devon’s newly refurbished Bowermans Cottage, on the outskirts of Manaton. Sophie Chalmers one of its leaders was being assessed for her Indoor Licence which she is doing as part of her Queens Guide Award. The girls had a full weekend enjoying the perfect weather and taking part in a variety of activities including Survival badge, a specially arranged letterbox walk on Dartmoor where on Hound Tor Catie and Rebecca received their badges to go with their certificates, a visit to Princetown to its very interesting visitors centre and to the nearby Foggintor Quarry, craft activities including felt making, games and quizzes.

Residential weekend for 12 Ottery Guides

Everyone on the top of Hound Tor.

Guides attend unveiling of Centenary Mosaic While older Ottery Guides enjoyed their weekend on Dartmoor, six of the slightly younger Guides revisited Woodlands Family Park near Dartmouth for the unveiling of the Centenary mosaic.

Last September over 1100 Guides, Senior Section and Leaders camped at the park for a weekend. During the weekend as well as visiting the park for a couple of hours the girls took park in an amazing variety of activities, games and challenges. Everyone also had the chance to put their piece or pieces into the mosaic.

On Saturday, as well as spending several hours in the park, the six Ottery girls joined over 60 other Guides from across the County to see the mosaic finally unveiled by the County Patron the Rt Hon Lady Clinton DL.Afterwards everyone went into the Empire Building for refreshments.

Picture shows the six girls with Guider Julia Roberts with County Commissioner Mrs Sue Bullock left and County President Mrs Mary Jones.

WEST COUNTRY EMBROIDERERS OTTERY ST MARY

EMBROIDERY EXHIBITION

Friday 6th and 7th May 2011 from 9.30am to 3.30pm At The Institute, Ottery St Mary.

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

Finally, with the start of March came the first vestige of spring; apart from the odd shower that was how the month progressed with ever increasing temperatures more like those of May/ June. The first of March fell on a Tuesday, a club day, so it being St David’s Day it was decided that our Business Meeting could wait, and we would celebrate with a Welsh evening.

Accordingly we needed a Welsh speaker; for this occasion it was Simon Hardy, a Welsh Lawyer, from Stones Solicitors. The Tumbling Weir went to great lengths to provide an excellent meal with Welsh Cakes, Lamb and other typical ingredients from Wales. Simon spoke about his association with The Lords Taverners, the organisation that does so much for Children and provides Buses/Transport throughout the UK. When answering questions, in typical Lords Taverner mode, he fielded all the jibes about England beating Wales in the 6 Nations this season!!

The Business Meeting took place on the 8th, and followed its usual pattern. On the 15th, the Club moved to The Kings

School again for the second half of “Youth Presents Music”.This time it was the turn of the senior classes to perform.

Among the performers were King’s School students Lily Pearson and Maddy Roberts on the piano, fellow King’s School student, Emma Dickson, singing and playing guitar and former Tipton St John pupil, now an Exeter College student, Alice Greenwood on the cello.

The event also featured a collection by the Rotary club, for the Japanese earthquake and tsunami disaster with proceeds going to Shelterbox along with monies already raised in street collections.

Rotarian Keith Spittlehouse said: “The performers gave the audience a wonderful example of how young people make music. The quality of the performances was as good as it’s ever been, if not better, and the quality of the singing, in particular, was exceptional. It was one of the best events that we have held and we shall continue to hold it every year”.This is a brief summary of the article which appeared in the last edition of the Gazette.

Our speaker on the 22nd March was George Williams, a man who had walked around the coastline of the British Isles raising funds for charity. This was the first of three visits that he intends to make to the club; on this occasion, he covered the stretch from Topsham to Hull. He entitled his talk “Walking with Jack”, Jack being his mongrel dog which he had secured especially for the walk.

It was George’s view that without Jack he would probably failed in his endeavour.

George’s style was both amusing and riveting. He spoke without notes and kept his audience totally absorbed for 45 minutes. His anecdotes and stories included the tale of an early morning visit from a milkman whilst he slept on the steps of St Paul’s Cathedral in London; a near death experience when he chose to ignore local advice not to try to beat the tide below cliffs near Cromer in east Anglia and an even nearer death experience when he chose to sunbathe amongst the dunes on a Lin-

colnshire R.A.F firing range whilst the R.A.F were conducting exercises!!!.Throughout, his audience was transfixed, amused and impressed. We all look forward to his return for part two.

For our meeting on the 29th March, our speaker was Pat Lane from the Ottery Help Scheme. Many local residents will have benefited from the service provided by this outstanding local community group. Pat regaled members with instances of the hard work provided by volunteers both as drivers and as friends of local patients, about bereavement support and about the work of the Memory Cafe.

Pat’s easy going style kept members absorbed and gave us assurances that any support that we, as a club, might choose to provide to the organization, would be money well spent. Pat is soon to retire from her coor-dinating roll in this excellent organization; we all wish her well and congratulate her on a job well done.

Want to meet other people?

Do you Knit, Crochet, Embroider, Sew, Paint, Make Cards, Scrapbook?

We are starting a Meet & Make once a month on Tuesdays for 2 hours from 10.00am to 12.00pm for anyone who enjoys knitting, crocheting, sewing, embroidery, paper-crafting and any other sort of “mobile” crafting.The Idea is for this to be a completely informal time to have a natter and a cuppa (and, of course a biscuit or two!!) and to share hints and tips on your particular craft, or maybe learn a new one, or even just watch!!

We hope that the age group will be wide with, perhaps, the seasoned crafters (note I didn’t say “old”!!) sharing their craft with others. So. whether you’re 99 or 19 this could be for you.

We know that many people in this area would really enjoy meeting others for a relaxing, friendly time.Why not give it a go?

We really hope you can come. The first session is Tuesday 1st March 2011 from 10.00am - 12.00pm and will be held in The Salvation Army Hall, Ottery St Mary (opposite Hind Street car park). Phone Stella on 07515 798568 if you want more details.

To advertise in the Gazette call 815111

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Dartmoor map reading excercise for Ottery Scouts The Ottery St Mary Scouts have recently returned from Bellever Youth Hostel on Dartmoor.We left on Saturday morning and reached Bellever just before noon – lovely weather to start the first activity of a mapreading exercise! Four groups of Scouts were dropped off in different locations with a Leader per group and were instructed to find their way back to the Youth Hostel within 2 hours – using points of reference in their surroundings and comparing them to a map they were given. I’m pleased to report that all the groups managed to find their way back on time – a great testament to their mapreading skills.

Upon returning to the Youth Hostel, the Scouts had time for a quick lunch and then it was back out onto Dartmoor again for an orienteering exercise,

trying to find poles with coded punches to gain points. It was then back to the Youth Hostel for a well-deserved rest and meal! The next morning, we went for a 13km hike over the moors from Bellever to the Warren House Inn. The scenery during the hike was

fantastic and we couldn’t have asked for better weather.Again, we were all impressed by the Scouts’ map-reading skills during the hike. Once at the Warren House Inn, we all piled back onto the minibus and went home, all tired but happy after a brilliant weekend on

Dartmoor. If you are aged 10 ½ - 14 and would like to join Scouts please complete the online membership application form shown on our web site www.otteryscoutsuk.org.uk Chris Davies Assistant Scout Leader

The countdown has started Talatones Handbell Ringers for Scouts Dutch adventure A group of Scout Leaders have just returned from a recent visit to Holland.The visit was to prepare the way for the contingent of 48 Explorers, Scouts and Leaders.

The group will leave Ottery on 31st July for a 9 day adventure.

Based in Delft, the young people will have a packed programme of activities both land and water based.

The advance party went out to visit the accommodation the group will be based in, as well as sorting out the arrangements for the visits to places such as Gouda, Amsterdam, Arnhem and Delft itself.

Chris Evans – Scout Leader commented “It was a hectic visit with much to do and so

little time to do it in. Since we returned we have had some very good news with regard raising the necessary funds to help cover the cost. We have received 2 significant donations in excess of £2,000 each from The Pains Trust and The Gibbons Trust. In addition we also received a donation from the Otter Valley Rotary Club.

These will make a huge difference to the whole adventure and we thank these donors”.

Chris also added “We are planning some additional fund raising events – Bag Packing at Tesco Exeter on 21 May and a Family Quiz night in Ottery on 24 June (more details to follow in the Gazette) which will be open to anyone.”

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

Tonight (19th April) something different, we are off RockbeareVillage Hall to play for the Golden Years, I think that includes us as well but we shall see. Our next invite is to Whimple, somewhere we have been to a few times before and is one of our favourite venues, so let’s hope we play at our best.

We hope that everybody had a happy and enjoyable Easter and please pop hi and see us at anytime between 1.30pm and 3.30pm on Mondays hi the Institute. For any extra information please contact Joan Dalton on 01404 815082.

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 33

OTTERY WALKERS NEWS On a dark cloudy morning we met at the car park of The Great Western Canal,Tiverton.

After booting up we were pleased that the dark clouds had rolled away and the sun was putting in a very welcome appearance.The first part of the canal, eleven miles to the Somerset border, was completed in 1814 and twenty years later was extended to Taunton.

It was used until the 1920s when it went into decline but was later revived to its present state.

We followed the canal towpath past many neat and colourful gardens. On the water were ducks, moorhens and even two scullers from the local rowing club. Along the path is a plaque and information board relating to a tragic event in 1961 when a R.A.F plane from Germany on a low level exercise over Devon developed a problem over Tiverton.The pilot and navigator managed to fly the stricken plane away from the town where it crashed into the canal killing both of the crew but saving many lives in the town.

Leaving the canal at Manley Bridge we followed high banked lanes and tracks. We passed fresh green hedgerows and banks covered in primroses to reach the 17th century Butterleigh Inn for our lunch break, which was enjoyed in the garden beneath a cloudless sky and warm sunshine.

After lunch we took paths and tracks across lush fields where lambs enjoyed the warm sun.

We followed the Burn River where the banks were covered with flowers. Leaving the river we had to climb a 1 in 8 hill before descending past Bickleigh church. There is an interesting story regarding the son of the Rector of Bickleigh,who

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made a living as a beggar, not only in Devon but also in America. He is buried in the churchyard.We then walked on to Bickleigh Mill, a beautiful old water mill which is now a series of shops and a working Pottery with a tea garden by the river.

After a short stop we joined The Exe Valley Way following the River Exe back to Tiverton for our journey home. A very pleasant walk in warm and sunny spring weather enjoyed by our 14 walkers.

Why not join us for one of our forthcoming walks. All walks meet at the Land of Canaan Car Park, Ottery St Mary at 9.00am and we share cars to the start of the walk. For further information and a programme of walks, please contact Trevor

on 01404 811830 or Barbara on 01404 814204.

Saturday Walks (about 10 miles) 7th May - Start Lambert’s Castle car park SY 366988. Via Hawk-church then parts of Monarch’s way, Liberty Trail and Wessex Ridgeway.

Thursday Walks (5 to 6 miles) 5th May - Start at Land of Canaan CP. Walk along the Otter and fields to Feniton and back via Taleford.

19th May - Start at Kersbrook.

Walk to Shortwood Common and return via the old railway line and coastal path.

2nd June - Start at Bickleigh Mill CP. Walk along lanes and rolling hills. Two options for drinks or lunch afterwards.

Chorale Singers wanted!

Ottery Chorale is a community choir looking for new members, especially tenors and basses, to join and take part in a concert to be performed at Ottery St Mary Parish Church on Saturday 25th June 2011. Rehearsals are held at the United Reformed Church 7.30pm - 9.30pm on Fridays 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 abilities are welcome.

If you would like to join us, please call Sandra Chapman on 01404 814528 or 07863 325415.

CHIROPODIST (PODIATRIST)

The Ottery Foot Clinic DENISE MARTIN BSC HONS, MS. SCH., DIP. POD. MED. H.P.C. R EGISTERED 16 Mill Street, Ottery St Mary EX11 1AB Telephone: 01404 811234

New - Living and Mobility Aids from Roberts At Roberts we always like to solve problems for our customers, whether it is a nasty stain on a carpet; keeping the flies at bay, or simply a single nut and bolt to repair the lawn mower.

We take pleasure in doing our utmost to help.

Therefore, when we were looking for an additional product range to ensure our future success, living and mobility aids seemed a natural extension to the thousands of other useful products we stock.

We know our customers are a determined lot and won’t give up their independence easily.

Our new range will help with everyday tasks and save them a trek out of town or carriage charges incurred with catalogue shopping. I also believe our customers trust that we would never sell them something they don’t need and will offer a cheaper alternative if at all possible.

Roberts will be stocking the products most frequently required, that are not available elsewhere in the town. We will also have an in store catalogue containing thousands of lines, which can be ordered in.

Alternatively we can provide a free ‘Ways and Means’ cata-

logue to be perused at leisure.

Customers eligible for VAT exemption will be welcome.

Roberts has served the local community for over a hundred years and Adrian and I would have celebrated our fifth anniversary as proprietors in August last year. I am very optimistic about the new range and believe this initiative will secure my future and the future of Roberts in Ottery for many more years to come.

I would like to thank Alastair and Sharon Keen for their enthusiasm for this venture and sharing the headache and backache of shifting stock to make room.

Rosalind Browne Roberts.

ROBERTS

TRADITIONAL HOMEWARE/ HARDWARE GENERAL STORE

Ottery Children’s Centre events for Summer term

A new Timetable of Events for children up to 5 years old

NON-BOOKABLE SESSIONS Thursdays: Alfington Stay and Play, at Alfington Village Hall.

May 5th, June 2nd, and July 7th. 10:00 - 11:30 a.m.

Childminders Sessions (joint with Sidmouth) at Ottery Children’s Centre.

May12th, June 9th and July 14th. 10:00 - 11:30 a.m.

Feniton Stay and Play, at Feniton Youth Centre.

May 12th and 26th, June 9th and 23rd, July 7th and 21st.

1:30 - 3:00pm.

BOOKABLE ONLY SESSIONS Thursdays: Here’s Looking at You Baby – 9 week course for parents and babies up to the age of 6 months. Sidmouth Health Centre Starting 19th May (excluding 31st May) 10:00 - 11:30am.

Tuesdays at Ottery Children’s Centre Parenting Programme - 10 week course. Starting 10th May (excluding 31st May) 9:30 - 11:30am.

Music and Movement - 4 weeks course. May 3rd – 24th 1:30 - 2:30pm.

Baby Massage - 4 week course. June 7th - 28th. 1:30 - 2:30pm.

Play Workshop - 4 week course. July 5th - 19th. 1:30 - 2:30pm.

If you would like to book a place on any of the courses or if you would like to register with the centre please contact the Ottery Children’s Centre by telephoning 01404 813642 or by emailing:East.devon@actionforchildren.org.uk

Learn to play Taiko Drums

Otter Taiko are now looking for new members to come along and learn to play Taiko Drums. Rehearsals will start after Easter at the Parish Church on Wednesday evenings. If you are interested, please contact Sandra Chapman on 07863 325415. We will be performing at the May Fair at Cadhay on May 28th and at Pixie Day on June 11th. Come and give it a try!

A good old fashioned shop, with good old fashioned service

BROAD STREET, OTTERY ST MARY Telephone: 01404 813240 email:robertsottery@btconnect.com

INTRODUCING OUR MAJOR NEW PRODUCT RANGE

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Then we have just the item for you!

Open every day 9.00am to 5.00pm except Sunday

Page 35

OTTERY FOOTBALL CLUB NEWS Looking back at April The First team’s up and down season carried on in April with a defeat at home to Alphington one week followed by victory away at Teignmouth the next.

A great win according to those who travelled to watch. The season is drawing to a close and our Youth teams are still having mixed fortunes. Our U12s suffered another defeat this weekend and I have to commend the lads for putting themselves forward each week, and for turning up for training regularly. All our teams will be looking forward to a few weeks rest when the season closes in a couple of weeks.

The Veterans had a great weekend down in Cornwall at the end of March. We travelled down on the Friday evening and played matches against Bodmin Veterans on the Saturday, and St Agnes Veterans on the Sunday. We did plenty of socialising, which probably contributed to the two defeats we suffered, and picked up one or two injuries. A great weekend though.At the moment we are waiting to find out when and where we play our final fixture against Barnstaple in the

league title decider. We are pushing for Wembley or St James’s but we have to wait and see!!

Upcoming Events There are lots of end of season activities coming up in May. On Thursday 5th May there is the main club AGM. On Tuesday 10th May we have the Youth Section AGM. Tipton will be having their end of season dinner and presentations on Saturday 14th May. The Youth end of season tournament and presentation day will take place on Sunday 22nd May. First team and Veterans end of season dinner date is still to be finalised.

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

The Club has Pool Table, Darts Board and 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 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.

Plumb It are a local, family run plumbing business established in Ottery St Mary. We are Water Regulations approved plumbers, Gas Safe registered and Oftec Registered Technicians.

All of our friendly and highly experienced staff are all City and Guilds trained and fully insured.

• Installations and servicing • Heating systems and combi boilers • Heating upgrades • Boiler exchanges No. 552664 • Power flushing • Landlord certificates, testing and inspection • Gas Safe registered • Free Estimates. All work guaranteed

Telephone: 01404 813141 Mobile: 07704 896796 5 Sunnyhill, Ottery St Mary, Devon EX11 1DZ Page 36

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 on 01404 812781.

If you wish to advertise via the Club, sponsor a team or match, then see the website for details at http://www.pitchero.com/ clubs/otterystmaryfootballclub/ And Finally Two major changes to the Club this month have been the departure of Colin from behind the bar and the arrival of a new caterer. Best wishes to Colin and to Anne-Marie for the future and best wishes to Dave in his new catering venture.We have breakfasts being served on Saturdays and Sundays. Sunday roast is on the menu and Dave is also doing evening meals

Wednesday to Friday at very reasonable prices.

The kitchen has been revamped and the Club interior is also being decorated over the closed season.There’s plenty of activity planned to freshen up the Club for the future, and as always we will need to rely on people putting in some volunteer time to make it happen.

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 things to do.

If you are interested then ring us on 812781 or just come down and ask behind the bar to grab a committee member for you to talk to.

Bill Hayes

BOWLING CLUB CAR BOOT SALE Ottery St Mary Bowling Club will be holding a Car Boot Sale on Sunday 15th May at the club grounds, Strawberry Lane, EX11 1RG. Open 8am to Sellers, £5 per car, £7 per van. Free Entry at 9.00am for buyers. Refreshments and parking available. For more information telephone: 01404 811195.

Ladies Netball Players Wanted Do you wish to join us to play netball? We are a small group of ladies looking for more players for a fun, not serious, 1 hour session for anyone aged 11-100. We play on Wednesdays at 7.00pm at the Colin Tooze Sports Centre, Ottery St Mary. Come and join us! For more details phone Caroline on 01404 815910.

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

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Ottery Bowling club welcomes new members Did you know that Ottery has a lawn bowling club just 200 yards down Strawberry Lane, just past the cricket club?

It has a green in a beautiful setting with a fine clubhouse and a large parking area for cars and coaches. Our membership is largely retired people who have the time to enjoy our wonderful sport, but we have also been very successful in attracting younger people who have given up the more active sports, such as rugby or football, but still want a competitive sport. It’s a very sociable game, and men and women compete on level terms.

The cost of membership is just a fraction of what one may pay to a golf club.

West Hill Short Mat Bowling Club News West Hill Short Mat Bowling Club held their annual dinner and prize-giving at the Tumbling Weir Hotel, Ottery, on Friday April 8th. Normally held in January, the wintry weather forced the evening to be cancelled.The move to spring proved very successful, good company, good food enjoyed by everyone.

The prizes were presented by Chairman, David Tarr. Ian Williams won the Wyatt Cup, setting a new record having now won the competition six times; Ann Edwards was runner-up.

Ann also won the Acorn Trophy, with Terry Herd runner-up.

The ‘Mixed Pairs’ was won by Wyn De’ath and Terry Herd – runners-up Sheila Duncan and Jeff Bellworthy. Margaret Neal won the ‘Ladies Singles’, runnerup June Juett.

Fred Harland won the ‘Men’s Singles’, David Tarr runner-up.

Fred with his partner Ann Ward won the ‘Pairs Knockout’ competition, runners-up Tricia Tarr and Phyllis Bellworthy.

The club also organises various social events throughout the year and our licensed bar is busy on these occasions and on all bowling days.

We are fortunate in having qualified coaches who give their time free to help members improve their game. Our club is a particularly friendly one, as shown by the return year after year of touring clubs, many of

whom write to compliment us on our hospitality. This is also reflected in our expanding membership. We have a good mix of couples, singles, widows and widowers with little sign of the cliques which can spoil the atmosphere.

If you would like more details, please ring Gerry Beighton on 01404 814132, but don’t miss out on an opportunity to discover an interest which gives many people much pleasure.

So, what should you do if this is of interest to you? Well, you are very warmly invited to come and have a look at us at the club on Friday evening 20th May from 6.00pm when you will, if you wish, be able to try your hand at bowling without charge, using our equipment.

All we ask is that you bring a pair of flat-soled shoes or trainers. Refreshments will be available.

Not too late for plants at Sustainable Ottery’s Community Market!

There will be still plenty of garden plants for sale at this month’s Community Market in Ottery St Mary to fill the empty spaces in your garden, as well as the usual full house of locally grown vegetables, locally produced preserves and chutneys and home baked goodies.

Shop locally, meet your friends for coffee and treat yourself to the famous WI goodies at this month’s market on Saturday 28th May 9.30am - 12.30pm at the Institute in Yonder Street.

West Hill will host their Annual Triples Competition on Saturday June 4th.Teams from all over East Devon will attend the daylong event. A donation will be made to Devon Air Ambulance from the proceeds.

The club are looking to recruit new members, so why not give it a try? Contact Tricia Tarr, Secretary on 01404 822681.

Photo: Ian Williams, winner of the Wyatt Cup.

The Court

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VISITING PRACTICE

Telephone: 07949 660 624 (OTTERY ST MARY)

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

Call 01404 822632 for more information Page 37

Stroke Awareness Day 2011 What’s On at Otter Nurseries On Saturday 16th April, in common with many other Rotary clubs around the country, The Rotary Club of Otter Valley organised its annual Blood Pressure testing session at the Coleridge Playgroup, Ottery St Mary in conjunction with Stroke Awareness.

Two local retired doctors and two nurses measured the blood pressure of 84 people and, as a result, referred 23 for further examination. Again it was noticeable that the 40/50 age group were reluctant to be tested, yet are in an at-risk group.

Terry Blackler, the local organiser, commented, “If our actions have helped to save just one person from the disabling effects of a stroke, the exercise will have been well worthwhile”.

Memory Cafe moving to Ottery Cricket Club Memory Café has been meeting successfully for a year now. From 26th May 2011 the venue will be changing. We are moving to Ottery Cricket Club, Strawberry Lane, Ottery St Mary, where we will continue to meet in a friendly and informal café with a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere for people with memory problems and their families.

We offer support and information, together with access to Health and Social Care staff with support for carers. For information please contact the Ottery St Mary Help Scheme on 01404 816700 or email us at info@helpscheme.eclipse.co.uk.

Otter Vale Art Society News This time it was finger on the button rather than on the paintbrush as ‘old friend’ artist Ray Balkwill gave us his power point presentation including some lovely work of reflected water scenes with boats. He continued to encourage us the next day at a workshop in his Exmouth Studio.

On Friday May 6th at 7.30pm Vince Peterson will be demonstrating with oil and watercolour. All are welcome at the Ottery St. Mary Institute Yonder Street. For more information call Membership Secretary Ann Brown 01404 814192.

The PRIORY

R ESIDENTIAL C ARE H OME * Professionally trained, genuinely caring staff

Tea Dance Wednesday. 4th May 4pm - 6pm. Come to Otter for a fun-filled afternoon of music and dancing! Enjoy the sounds of live music from “Dance with Elaine”, back by popular demand. Ticket price £3.95 each, including delicious refreshments. Tickets must be booked in advance and are available from the main shop tills.

Watering week. 9th - 15th May. With a hot summer forecast this could be the ideal week to visit Otter for help, advice and tips on watering the garden. From micro-irrigation to the trusty old watering can and hose pipe, this week will specialise in showing the great offers on all watering equipment and how to keep your plants thriving!

British sandwich week. 15th - 21st May. Join in a nationwide celebration of the sandwich.All sandwiches will be celebrated, including essential accompaniments such as pickles and chutneys to make this favourite quick bite even more tasty!

Waterside planting week. 16th - 22nd May. This week has been dedicated to promote the benefits of waterside planting. Experts will be available to offer help and advice on both the plants to choose for the best results, and how to achieve them, to enhance your pond or water feature.

Barbecue time! Wednesday 18th May 3.30pm - 8pm. If you are in the market for a new barbecue, or simply need inspiration, then Otter is the place for you on this date.

With cookery demonstrations and advice, why not pop along and sample the delights on offer whilst learning just how much versatility is offered when cooking on a barbecue? This event will prove invaluable to help guide you through the ‘maze’ of barbecues available to ensure you purchase exactly the right one for you.

Alpine week. 23rd May - 29th May. This week profiles the vast range of alpine plants available at Otter Nurseries, including offers on certain selections with. Again help and advice will be readily available to get you started or even if you are a seasoned gardener looking for extra inspiration.

Wednesday 25th May There will be an alpine planting demonstration from 5pm - 6pm, giving customers the chance to sit and watch the experts, followed by a questions and answers session.

Christian Aid Week

May 15th - 21st 2011 Plans are going ahead to raise lunches on Sunday 15th in the money for Christian Aid this Parish Church and on Friday year, the needs around the 20th in The Loft. Tickets for world seem greater than ever the soup lunches can be and even a small amount of obtained from the church office targeted aid can help needy 01404 812062 (helpful so that people. Throughout the week we neither run dry nor are left street collections will be going swimming in soup). If you would on, with envelopes into which be able to help, either by holdyou can put your gift and sign ing a tin or doing street collecfor Gift Aid if you are a tax tions or having a coffee mornpayer. There will be collecting ing or whatever then please tins in the square on Saturday contact Anitra Lockwood on 21st. There will also be soup 812317.

PLEASE SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL SHOPS SHOPPING IN OTTERY SAVES TIME AND FUEL!

* 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 38

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

What’s On in May 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.

6th Fri

Otter Vale Friends of Hospiscare Talk & Slides at Village Hall Tipton St John 7.30pm 7th Sat Otter Vale Friends of Hospiscare Bridge Tournement West Hill Village Hall 7th Sat Cameo Singers at Gittisham Village Hall from 7pm 8th Sun Ottery St Mary Silver Band Spring Concert at the Institute at 7.445pm Tickets £4 under 16’s Free Tickets available from Stagestruck, Ottery TIC. 9th Mon Ottery St Mary WI Meeting at the Roman Catholic Church Room at 7.30pm Resolution Meeting followed by Bingo 10th Tues Ottery St Mary Gardening Club Coach Outing to Endsleigh Garden Centre and Lukesland Gardens – from Land of Canaan at 10.00am contact Joan on 01404 815082 14th Sat Coffee Morning & Plant Sale at Gittisham Village Hall from 10.00am 14th Sat Honiton Festival Concert at The Parish Church 7.30pm With Crispian Steele-Perkins, tickets on 01404 43716 14th Sat Guided with the Ottery Path Walkers at Escot and East Hill Strips Book with Information Centre 15th Sunday Karen Hall’s Ottery 10K Race & 1 Mile Fun Run at 10.30am Starting at Ottery St Mary Cricket Club 17th Tues Ottery St Mary Heritage Society evening meeting at the Institute Yonder Street speaker Brian Phelps Subject “The Horsedrawn Romany Vardo” at 7.30pm 21st Sat Coach Outing with Yonder Close Social Club to Lynton/Lynmouth Coach leaves 9.00am from Yonder Close. Book with Downs Motors on 01404812002 Continued next column

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

21st Sat 27th Fri to 30th Mon 27th Fri

Coffee Morning & Plant Sales at the Institute at 10.00am Flower Festival At Gittisham Church.

Theme ‘Favourite Books’ Refreshments daily National Garden Scheme Gardens open at Cadhay Elizabethan Manor and house 2pm to 5.30pm 28th Sat Ottery Community Market at the Institute From 9.30am to 12.30pm 28th Sat The Parish Church May Fair at Cadhay, Elizabethan Manor from 11.00am onwards Stallholders in Elizabethan Dress.

Attractions include: Birds of Prey, Nutty Noah, Beer Tent, Cafe, Food Hall, Grand Draw with £1000 of prizes.

29th Sun Cadhay Elizabeth Manor House and Gardens open from 2pm to 5.30pm 30th Mon Cadhay Elizabethan Manor House and Gardens open from 2pm to 5.30pm 31st Tues National Trust Fund raising event Coffee Morning at Cadhay. 10.00am to 12 noon- selling plants and cakes.

TOWN COUNCIL MEETING NOTICE The next meeting of

OTTERY ST MARY TOWN COUNCIL will be held at 7pm on Monday 16th May 2011 in the Council Chamber, The Old Convent, 8 Broad Street, Ottery St Mary The following meeting will be held on Monday 6th June 2011 at the same 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.

VOLUNTEERS WANTED

HOSPITAL LEAGUE OF FRIENDS NEEDS STEWARDS

Ottery St Mary Hospital has been open for 16 years. A Stewarding Scheme has been in place since then to welcome anyone who has a reason to visit. We need to keep our numbers up and are seeking new Volunteers between 4.00pm and 7.00pm. If you can help please contact Mandy on 01404 816000 during weekday office hours.

VOLUNTEERS are wanted to help escort elderly people to and from Ottery St Mary Day Centre on the hospital mini-bus.

No driving or training necessary. For more information telephone Alison or Karen on 078133 23750.

DEADLINE FOR THE JUNE EDITION OF THE OTTERY GAZETTE FRIDAY 20TH MAY, 2011 (at the latest)

A Christian unity god made

Is the Apostles’ Teaching from 1 Corinthians 12 for a gathering of the Reformed Church at The Old Boy’s School, on Sunday 29th May at 6.30pm.

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 39

Independent Financial Advice

During May a new series will be starting on BBC2 presented

by Dan Cruickshank called ‘The Country House Revealed’.

To accompany the series the BBC have published a beautiful hardback book packed with colour photographs of the houses featured. Dan shows how the story of each house is inseparable from the social and economic history of Britain.

Each one’s architecture and design is therefore expressive of the ambitions, strengths and frail-ties of those who built them. Together they plot the psychological, economic and social route map of our country’s ruling class in a rich new telling of our island story. The book has a cover price of £25 but we have £10 off to make it just £15.

In fiction we have books just in from two big names. Firstly Robert Goddard’s new novel is ‘Blood Count’ which is des-

‘Dig For Victory’ enamel gardeners mugs, flasks, passport holders, key rings bearing the classic Penguin ‘On the Road’ logo.

cribed as mysterious, dramatic, intricate, fascinating and unputdownable. It is only just out in hardback but we have it on offer at the bargain price of just £9.99. Second up we have ‘The Troubled Man’ from Henning Mankell featuring his world famous detective Kurt Wallander. This brand new story marks the return of Wallander for his final case.The investigation not only leads him down dark and unexpected avenues but it also forces him to look back over his own past and consider his hopes and regrets, as he comes to the unsettling realization that even those we love the most can remain strangers to us. In hardback with a cover price of £17.99 we also have this on offer at just £9.99.

As all those of you who visit the bookshop will know we now offer a lot more than just

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books, stocking notebooks, diaries, Sheaffer Pens and gifts.

During April we have just taken delivery of several new gift ranges from an innovative design company based in Bath called ‘Wild & Wolf ’. These products are grouped in themes based on iconic designs and we now have their ‘Penguin Travel’,‘Ridley’s House of Novelties’, ‘Thoughtful Gardener’, ‘Ladybird’ and ‘Beano and Dandy’ ranges. We can’t possibly do justice to the products on offer in this column – you really do need to come and look. Just to give you an idea though we have enamel gardeners mugs with ‘Dig For Victory’ on them, flasks, passport holders, key rings and more bearing the classic Penguin ‘On the Road’ logo.

There are activity kits in tins with Ladybird cover designs covering, learning to sew, magic

tricks, things to make and craft ideas. On top of that there are mugs, water bottles, travel bags and much more with fantastic iconic designs on them. Last but not least Ridley’s House of Novelties is a range of traditional toys and games in retro packaging to help get your kids off the computer or out from in front of the television and enjoying something traditional.

There are flying planes, kites, magic tricks, whoopee cushions, yo-yo’s, slinky springs, marbles, boules, card tricks and much more. Come and give them a look!

The Curious Otter is available for orders and enquiries on 01404 814469 To place advertising and editorial matter in the Gazette please call 01404 815111

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 510007 07522 998989 www.otteryplumbing-heating.co.uk

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.

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