Helipad Summer 2014

The OďŹƒcial Magazine of

Summer 2014

an More thFantastic

50

Fundraisers Inside

Devon Air Ambulance Trust

A big responsibility...

Paramedic Nigel Lang

and Learn2Live

Meet

Steph Bridge four-times world champion kite racer

Events, Attractions & Places to Visit

this summer

Take a Swim on the Wild Side... www.daat.orgg

Inside...

Join Our Weekly Lottery Registered Charity No.1077998 Company No.3855746

Patient Stories - Real People Saving Real Lives

Devon Air Ambulance Trust saves lives.

We help rebuild them.

If you have been in an accident you might be entitled to financial compensation.

We can help secure the funding needed to get your life back on track.

█ █ █ █

No win, no fee

Face to face meetings Home and hospital visits One dedicated lawyer assigned to your case

Welcome Heléna Holt, Chief Executive Officer

Contributors Writers Neil Devons Sarah Chesters David FitzGerald Andrew Wilsden Photographers Andrew Wilsden Ian Snell Photography North Devon Journal Cerilian Photography Edge Watersports

Mark Passmore /APEX Carol Sheppard Tim Sandall Mike Sleigh Graham Titchmarsh

Publisher Heléna Holt h.holt@daat.org 01392 466666 Editor Debbie Gregory 01392 466666 ext*135 d.gregory@daat.org Advertising Sales Julie Hutchins j.hutchins@daat.org 07843 621463 Advertisement Copy copy@daat.org Design & Print Management Silver Foxes Publishing 07455 206470 Distribution & Mailing Silver Foxes Publishing 07455 206470 ISSN (Print) 2055-2343 ISSN (Online) 2055-2351 Next Issue 24 November 2014 is published by Devon Air Ambulance Trust Unit 5 Sandpiper Court Harrington Lane Exeter EX4 8NS T 01392 466666 E info@daat.org W daat.org Registered Charity No 1077998 Registered Company No 3855746

facebook.com/devonairambulancetrust @DevonAirAmb © All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or used in any form without prior permission of the publishers. All material is sent at the owner’s risk and whilst every care is taken, Devon Air Ambulance Trust will not accept liability for loss or damage. Every effort has been taken to ensure the accuracy of our content but the publishers cannot be held responsible for any omissions, errors or alterations or for the consequences of any reliance on these details; neither can they vouch for the accuracy of claims made by any advertiser. The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publishers.

www.daat.org

Welcome to another summer and another issue of our Helipad magazine. After a particularly long, wet, winter and a brief and breezy spring, I do hope that the summer months finally bring us all some long, warm, dry days and balmy evenings.

Warm, sunny days encourage many outdoor activities – with swimming being one of them. ‘Wild’ swimming has become a familiar term for an old-fashioned hobby; that of swimming under an open sky, in rivers, lakes or the open sea.

As Robert Macfarlane, Patron for the Outdoor Swimming Society, explains “Every lake is a bathing pool, every river a journey, every tide or wave a free ride.”

In September 2010, I took part in the first Agatha Christie one-mile sea swim for Devon Air Ambulance Trust. This was certainly a challenge for me and, although I didn’t break any speed records, it was with a huge sense of achievement that I reached the end. In this issue you can read how the same swim unleashed an enthusiasm and passion for open water swimming in fellow swimmer Pauline Barker, for whom pushing the boundaries has become the norm. Not content with distance swimming, including a 21-mile ‘there and back’ swim of Lake Windermere, Pauline has also become an Ice Swimmer – swimming one mile in water less than 5 degrees, without a wetsuit!

Brrrrrr...

Meanwhile, back on dry land, to help meet the increased demands on the service from longer daylight hours, our aircrews are now covering 14 hours a day, between 07:00 and 21:00hrs. Whilst we sincerely hope that you never have need of our air ambulances, it’s reassuring to know that we’re there if you do!

Editor’s news Welcome! In this issue, we meet Steph Bridge from Exmouth, fourtimes kite racing world champion, who chats about her passion for the water, the discipline needed for her sport and her ambition to continue on the world kite racing circuit.

You can also find out how to fill the gaps in your summer garden with advice from Sarah Chesters from the Royal Horticultural Society.

Our patient stories include two falls from bicycles, a fall at 30mph from a horse and how Jasper, the black labrador, saved the day when his master collapsed.

Our thanks go to the patients featured in this issue and to our contributors.

To contact me, please email d.gregory@daat.org or telephone 01392 466666 ext *135 Happy reading!

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In this issue...

On The Cover Issue No.8 Summer 2014 Salcombe Ferry Our cover image was taken by local photographer Gary Holpin from Honiton.

Gary’s new book Britain’s Heritage Coast - Exmouth to Plymouth is available from his website at www garyholpin.co.uk

Devon People

7 9

Star Prizes

Meet the winners of three fabulous prizes, kindly donated by First Great Western, The Oxenham Arms and the Virtual Jet Centre

Our Service – Your Support Ways that you can help the Trust

dummy run 16 No Bideford RFC’s game with Clevedon is halted as spectator Tim Law suffers a cardiac arrest

I’ll always wear a helmet 17 Now Kelly Cook promotes the wearing of a cycle helmet

accident at Ugbrooke 10 An A freak accident saw Keith Pike fall from a

the gaps 18 Filling Sarah Chesters offer advice for your gardens

On 15 What’s Activities and events to keep you and your

ng times ahead 21 Exciti Introducing Nick Rous and Jane Walker,

height with the chainsaw still whirring

family entertained this summer

40

Manager and Assistant at our brand new shop in South Molton

38 Seaton

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22 Glazebrook House Hotel

24 18 Filling the gaps House Hotel 22 Glazebrook Take a peek inside one of Devon’s more unusual boutique hotels

24 Meet long distance and ice swimmer, Pauline Just chillin’ Barker

26 “Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the Take a swim on the wild side

wild air”, so said Ralph Waldo Emerson

stumble causes fall 29 Beach Riding on Mothercombe Beach ends in a call out for the Air Ambulance

in the making 30 Olympians Meet Team Bridge from Exmouth; more than just water sports enthusiasts

careful out there” 32 “Go Words of warning ring in Richard William’s ears

Just chillin’

Thomas collapses

ery 35 Lott A surprise win, in less than a month

30

Olympians in the making

38 Seaton Plenty to do in the Victorian seaside town People 40 Devon Another amazing array of fantastic fundraising activities from around the county

ng young 44 Starti Never too young to learn about helping others on Board 46 Businesses We thank just a few of our enthusiastic business supporters

big responsibility 48 ADevon Air Ambulance Paramedic Nigel Lang talks about his support of the Learn2Live initiative

Chat 50 Back David FitzGerald surprises his wife for her birthday

as he falls from his bike

is the hero of the day 33 Jasper Jasper barks to attract attention when Malcolm

Contents

We Love To Talk!

We’re active on many social networks and media channels so you can keep up with everything we’re doing between issues. Follow us on Facebook and Google +, join the Twitter conversation, and watch our YouTube films. Look out for the new website coming soon at www.daat.org

of gymkhanas 37 Dreaming Grace is lucky not to lose her eye www.daat.org

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Devon’s BEST furniture store, since 1990

Visit us, be inspired

01626 830707 www.prestigefurniture.co.uk Battle Road, HeathďŹ eld TQ12 6RY Conveniently situated just 1 minute off the A38 near Bovey Tracey

Keeping In Touch

Star Prize Winners We are always thrilled to hear from our supporters and we are grateful to First Great Western, The Oxenham Arms and The Virtual Jet Centre for kindly donating prizes to these lucky three winners.

Email from Karen after she received her spring issue of Helipad...

“Such an interesting magazine!

Very informative. Dates now on my office calendar for my customers to see.

Inspirational stories.

Wish my teabreak was longer - so I could read the next article too.

Will definitely put £2 in the next collection box that I see for DAAT. Proud to live in Devon.”

Karen of Devon Garden Machinery.

Karen wins two First Class return tickets on First Great Western trains.

Richard Fox@FoxyRider @DevonAirAmb Just donated my surplus Devon landscape postcards and HQ prints to my local shop - glad to do something for charity!

Richard wins a unique experience at The Virtual Jet Centre.

The trainee pilot will be taught the basics of flying a modern Boeing 737-800. Then its time to go to the cockpit and take the captain’s seat.

The flight will start on the airport ‘stand’, where the trainee will start the engines, taxi to the runway, advance the thrust levers and accelerate to take off speed.

Then its time to raise the landing gear, adjust flaps and try some turns. Air traffic control will advise your course to the landing airport. Line up, adjust power, lower landing gear and flaps, land the 70 tonne beast!

Kindly donated by the Virtual Jet Centre at Chudleigh.

Tracey Casburn 21/05/2014 I was in the car accident that was on Sunday. it was on the a-road and was in the north devon journal - I’m the 30 year old female you air lifted to Plymouth. thanks to you I will walk again and I’m alive to be able to write this, you are amazing and I will never forget what you have done for me x Tracey wins a one night stay for 2 adults including breakfast at The Oxenham Arms Hotel in South Zeal near Okehampton.

Fol ow Us!

Join the conversation @DevonAirAmb to find out what we’ve been up to. All the latest news, fundraising and rescues!

Like Our Page!

Like our Facebook page at facebook.com/ devonairambulancetrust to see what Devon people are doing to save lives...

www.daat.org

The Oxenham Arms Hotel is a fabulous former 12th Century Monastery which now has 7 luxury guestrooms, 536 year old bar and restaurants. Constructed around the ancient and massive Neolithic South Zeal Menhir prehistoric standing stone which you can still find inside the building. Nestled on the northern edge of Dartmoor in one of Devon’s most beautiful medieval villages.

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The Official Devon Air Ambulance Trust Magazine

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can you help?

We are looking for extraordinary people to help us.

The Learn2Live partnership has delivered its powerful message to over 100,000 students across Devon and Cornwall since its inception in 2008.

Helen lost her daughter due to a young driver, she tells her story to sixth form students so they may learn from what happened to her and her daughter Jade.

We are looking for people that have been affected by the actions of a young driver at our presentations across Devon and Cornwall.

For more information contact

info@learn-2-live.org.uk

Helen talks about losing her daughter Jade

www.learn-2-live.org.uk 834

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The TheOfficial OfficialDevon DevonAir AirAmbulance AmbulanceTrust TrustMagazine Magazine

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Keeping In Touch

Our Service – Your Support One of the simplest ways to support the Trust this summer is to buy a ticket or two for our Grand Summer Draw. For just £1 per ticket you could be in with a chance to win a fabulous 5-door Mazda TS A/C, kindly supported by Vospers Mazda for the 7th year running.

Second prize is a 2-night break in a luxury lodge for 6 people, including breakfast, at the prestigious Bovey Castle. There will also be a third prize of £100 cash.

Our Grand Summer Draw has brought in funds of over £400,000 in the last few years and our supporters know that not only do they have a chance to win a fantastic prize but their money is also going to a great cause – helping to keep Devon’s two Air Ambulances flying.

Caroline Creer, Fundraising Director, said “We would like to extend our grateful thanks, once again, to Vospers Mazda and to Bovey Castle for their support of our Grand Summer Draw. Tickets will be available throughout the summer at all of our 14 shops as well as events throughout the county and the draw will take place after our Agatha Christie Sea Swim on Sunday 21st September.”

Text your donation...

We’ve just started using JustTextGiving by Vodafone which allows us to use text donate for free. Even better every single penny you donate comes straight to us! So if you would like to text donate to us why not do it now? To donate £5 simply text ‘heli01 £5’ to 70070 to donate to DAAT and make a difference today.* If you would like to donate more or less simply change the £5 to your preferred donation (in round pounds only). *You will be charged your donation plus one standard text rate charge.

Other ways to help...

Join our Lottery • Set up a standing order to make a donation • Arrange a fundraising activity • Take part in a sponsored event • Check out our eBay shop • Donate to or buy from our shops • Recycle mobile phones/printer cartridges (not Epson)/stamps

£1350

£135 £135 £50 £50 50 £ 0 5 £ £50 £50 50 £50 ££50 £50 £50

Fol ow Us!

Join the conversation @DevonAirAmb to find out what we’ve been up to. All the latest news, fundraising and rescues! www.daat.org

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An accident at

Ugbrooke

A house has stood in the grounds of Ugbrooke, near Chudleigh, for over 900 years. It has been the family seat of the Clifford family since 1604 and the beautiful grounds and gardens were designed by Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown in the second half of the 18th century.

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Patient Story

M

ore recently, Keith Pike has worked at Ugbrooke for 34 years and, in his role as Head Forester, has loved watching the changes that each season brings. With the many plants, shrubs, trees, grasslands and lakes to manage within the grounds, there is never a dull day.

On 2nd May last year, Keith remembers he was working with Lord Clifford, busily chopping wood on some trees that had been cut down. A freak accident, however, saw Keith fall from a height with the chainsaw still whirring leaving Keith in urgent need of hospital treatment. In extreme pain but still conscious, Keith was aware that an ambulance land crew had arrived and, having assessed his injuries, they requested the Devon Air Ambulance to attend.

Meanwhile, Keith’s wife Karen had just returned from collecting their children from school to hear a telephone message requesting her to call Ugbrooke. Her heart missed a beat as she learned that her husband had been involved in an accident and that the Air Ambulance was in attendance. In just 10 minutes Karen and the children arrived at the scene, to see the aircrew paramedics loading Keith into the helicopter and bound for Derriford Hospital. Keith had suffered a dislocated hip, which in turn had broken part of his pelvis and had also caused sciatic nerve damage to his right leg.

On arrival at Derriford, Keith’s dislocated hip was realigned under anaesthetic and his other injuries were assessed.

Five days after the accident, Keith had surgery to repair

his pelvis, with appropriate plates and screws being fitted.

He spent several days in the Plymouth hospital, undergoing intense physiotherapy, and was expecting to be transferred to Torbay Hospital where Karen works as a nurse. Fortunately, however, the physiotherapy team at Derriford were happy that Keith was making good progress and, knowing that Karen was on hand to continue to help him, allowed Keith to go home with crutches after just one week.

From two crutches to one within six weeks and keeping up a range of exercises (which he still does), Keith finally returned to work part-time after four months and full-time after six months.

One year on, the family are still sensitive about what happened.

Keith explains, “It was a dreadful accident and it’s still difficult to talk about – for us, for our children and for our parents. Happily, I am now well on the way to full fitness although I’ve just been warned by my surgeon that I may have to have a hip replacement in due course. But we’ll deal with that as we have with the accident – head on and when it happens. We take each day as it comes – and have recently booked a family holiday to mark the end of a very hard year!”

By way of thanks to Devon Air Ambulance, Keith’s friends and colleagues donated £200 to the Trust and this was presented at a visit to our airbase, along with £172.50 from a fund-raising tea party to celebrate Keith’s grandmother’s 93rd birthday! o

www.daat.org

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Her heart missed a beat as she learned that her husband had been involved in an accident and that the Air Ambulance was in attendance

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Attractions & places to visit in Devon The long summer days are finally here – hooray! With them comes the anticipation of getting out and about, finding new places and exploring some of the many attractions that Devon has to offer. Whether you are a resident of the county or a holiday maker here for just a short time, here are just a few ideas to help you fill your days.

for a Family Day Out Red squirrels, wild boars, otters, amazing falconry displays, enchanting fantasy woodlands, discovery trails, a knee-trembling forest drop slide, a world-class maze, indoor play barn, summer special events - theatre on the lawn, water wars in the maze, Big Tree Adventure and delicious food from the coach house restaurant. This is Escot - refreshingly different and set in 220 acres of beautiful devon countryside.

A real treat for the whole family.

Escot, Ottery St. Mary, East Devon, EX11 1LU Summer Opening Every day 10am – 6pm

Prices

Adult £9.50, Child and concessions £8.00 Members: FREE

Telephone 01404 822188 www.escot-devon.co.uk

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Bring your herd along to...

The Donkey Sanctuary near Sidmouth.

A registered charity protecting donkeys and mules and promoting their welfare worldwide and which has provided permanent refuge to over 16,500 donkeys since it was founded. Many have been neglected or unwanted, whilst others have come perhaps due to health reasons, for companionship, or due to a change in the owner’s circumstances.

Set in beautiful rolling countryside, visitors are welcome to enjoy the coastal scenery, tackle one of the many walks or simply enjoy the company of the donkeys.

The Donkey Sanctuary Sidmouth EX10 0NU Opening times 9am until dusk, 365 days a year.

Plentiful free parking. Wheelchair accessible No admission charge, donations welcomed.

Telephone 01395 578222 www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk

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KENTS CAVERN PREHISTORIC CAVES Kents Cavern is the award winning prehistoric caves in the heart of the UNESCO endorsed English Riviera Global Geopark. The cave has a remarkable record of ancient human occupation stretching back over 500,000 years. Its most important artefact is a human jawbone dated at 41,000 years old; Britain’s oldest human bone.

Kents Cavern Prehistoric Caves English Riviera Global Geopark 89/91 Ilsham Road, Torquay, TQ1 2JF Opening times

Honiton Agricultural Show A Fantastic Day Out For All The Family (Host to the West of England Hound Show) Main Ring Acts; Jason Smyth’s Adrenaline Tour, Bob Hogg’s Sheepdog, Duck & Geese Display, Grand Parade of Livestock Alpacas, Cattle, Horses & Sheep, Donkey Rides, Vintage Tractors, Dog & Poultry Shows “ The Sheep Show” Professor Twistopher’s Punch & Judy Honiton Showground Stockers Farm, Gittisham Honiton EX14 3AW Opening times Thursday 7 August 2014 Gates Open 8.00am

Prices

Tickets in advance just £13 Children (under 16) FREE when accompanied by an adult.

Telephone 01404 41794 www.honitonshow.co.uk

Ashcombe Adventure Centre is situated in a beautiful Devon valley, not far from the M5. All of our activities are professionally run by a team of enthusiastic, friendly and helpful staff. We welcome groups for all occasions, to participate in one or more activities with us. We also offer home-cooked meals and our accommodation is just a stone’s throw away from our licensed bar.

Ashcombe Adventure Centre Colley Lane (B3192), Ashcombe, nr. Dawlish, EX7 0QD Opening times Monday-Saturday 9am - 5pm (Shooting 10am - 5pm)

Sunday 9am - 1pm

Visit our website

(Shooting 10am - 1pm)

Adult £9.25, Child/Senior/ Student - £8.50

Activities from £10 per person

Prices

Telephone 01803 215136 www.kents-cavern.co.uk

The Official Devon Air Ambulance Trust Magazine

Prices

Telephone 01626 866766 www.ashcombeadventure.co.uk www.daat.org

Attractions

£1

n so rt er ve r P Ad Pe his Off th T i W

SUMMER FUN AT THE DEVON RAILWAY CENTRE! Explore the fun of trains in action with a huge range of activities for all the family. Enjoy unlimited train rides on two different railways, a huge model railway exhibition and Edwardian model village and funfair.

Children will love the indoor play coaches where they can while away time playing with the wooden railways, digging for treasure in the sand pit and having fun in the ball pool.

Enjoy a snack or ice cream in Buffers, the station tea rooms and relax alongside the outdoor play areas, or try the crazy golf.

Devon Railway Centre Bickleigh, Tiverton, EX16 8RG Open daily during school holidays.

Every day 10.30am – 5pm

Telephone 01884 855671 www.devonrailwaycentre.co.uk

Hannahs at Seale Hayne Dame Hannah Rogers Trust, or Hannahs as they are known, is a pioneering charity, located in Ivybridge and SealeHayne, Newton Abbot. It has worked with, and championed, disadvantaged and vulnerable children, young people and adults with a range of disabilities for more than 230 years.

Hannahs at Seale-Hayne is also open to the public 7 days a week with an outdoor pursuits centre, recording studios, sensory music room, farm, gallery, bistro, workshops, learning placements, accommodation and conference facilities, it is a place of true integration and imagination.

Hannahs at Seale Hayne, Newton Abbot, TQ12 6NQ Open to everyone, 7 days a week, Free entry Telephone 01626 325800 www.discoverhannahs.org

The Smugglers and Pirate Experience is an amazing walk-through attraction that takes you back 200 years to when Smuggling was a way of life and Pirates ruled the high seas.

Meet the infamous Blackbeard and local Brixham pirates, see how they lived their lives, made their way and fought their battles for booty.

Fantastic café and gift shop, and pirate parties available to book.

Smugglers & Pirates Experience Harbourside, Brixham, TQ5 9TF Opening times 9am – 8pm 7 Days Per Week Closed Xmas Day

Prices

Adult £7.50, Child 3-16 £5.50, Senior £6.50, Under 3’s free.

Save £1 per person by booking online.

Telephone 01803 855658 www.smugglersandpirates.co.uk

Visit England’s highest waterfall!

Save Pounds on Kids Day Out!

Save, Save, Save at the largest family theme park in the South West. Buy online for up to a fantastic 20% off a day of nonstop fun where all the Attractions, Fun Factories and awesome Rides are included.

Experience adventures for all ages with an incredible variety of indoor attractions. Even Falconry displays, live Entertainers and Big Bug Shows at the Zoo-Farm are Free.

Woodlands Family Theme Park Blackawton, Totnes, TQ9 7DQ Opening times Open Everyday 28 March - 2 November 28 March - 18 July 9.30am - 5pm 19 July - 2 September open 9.30am - 6pm 3 Sept - 2 November open 9.30am - 5pm

Telephone 01803 712598 www.woodlandspark.com

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Situated within Dartmoor National Park, in the heart of the Teign Valley, the waterfalls tumble down ancient rock formations to the tranquil lakes below, offering some of the most spectacular waterfall and woodland scenery in Devon.

Described by one visitor as “one of the most idyllic places on earth”, wildlife thrives in the peace and tranquillity that makes the Falls a haven for all.

Pathways take you to three scenic walks, suitable for all ages and abilities, and our secret garden and fern garden is a fascinating place to learn about wildlife.

Canonteign Falls Christow, Nr Exeter, EX6 7RH Open daily.

10am – 5pm (5.30pm in July & August)

Telephone 01647 252434 www.canonteignfalls.co.uk

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Lundy Island - A Unique Landscape Lundy Island lies in the Bristol Channel approximately 11 miles from the coast of North Devon.

It is a place of outstanding natural beauty, the simple pleasure of just relaxing on this remote tranquil island or adventuring out to take in the breathtaking views with the gentle pursuit of bird watching or walking.

If one day is not enough for you, why not take a short break and stay in one of Lundy’s lovely self catering properties.

Travel to Lundy on the island supply ship MS Oldenburg which carries both staying and day visitors from Ilfracombe or Bideford.

Day Trips - March to end of October Staying Passengers - All year round Telephone 01271 863636 www.lundyisland.co.uk

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Attractions

EST 1888

Explore Haldon Forest Park on 40km of walking and cycling trails to suit all abilities or hone your skills on our cycle skills area and pump loop.

Haldon is also home to Go Ape, Segway Southwest, Forest Cycle Hire and the Ridge Café which is open every day serving a range of delicious, locally sourced food and drink. There is also a Gruffalo trail at Haldon and a life sized Gruffalo sculpture to see.

Haldon Forest Park Buller’s Hill, Kennford Exeter, EX6 7XR Open daily.

April-October 8.30am – Dusk October-April 8.30am-5pm (apart from TuesThurs when gate stays open til 8.30pm)

Telephone 01392 834251 www.forestry.gov.uk

No family trip to the picturesque towns of Lynton and Lynmouth in North Devon would be complete without a ride on the famous funicular cliff lift.

It’s the best and most exciting way to travel between these two historic towns and will be one of the highlights of the day - for Mums, Dads and all the family. Enjoy stunning views of Exmoor and the North Devon Coastline as you glide up and down the 862 foot length of track; from Lynmouth nestling at the foot of the cliffs to Lynton perched 500 feet above.

The Cliff Railway, The Esplanade, Lynmouth, EX35 6EQ Opening times 10am-5pm 7 Days Per Week Longer opening hours during high season.

Located near to the Cathedral City of Exeter just one mile from Junction 28 of the M5. Padbrook Park is set in the heart of the Culm Valley in the small market town of Cullompton, and offers a superb location and extensive facilities for anyone visiting the South West be it for leisure breaks, business, functions, weddings or golf.

Padbrook Special Golf Deal Sunday & Friday nights - 18 holes in the afternoon, three course dinner, overnight stay, full english breakfast and 18 holes in the morning - Just £50 per person (based on two sharing a twin or double room. £20 single room supplement per night).

Padbrook Park Cullompton, Devon EX15 1RU Opening times Driving range from 8am

Prices

Prices

See our website for the latest offers.

Adult £3.50 return, Child 4-13 £2.00

Telephone 01884 836100 www.padbrookpark.co.uk

Telephone 01598 753908 / 753486 www.cliffrailwaylynton.co.uk

Devon Air Ambulance Trust

National Air Ambulance Week – 22-28 September 2014 Calling schools, colleges and businesses ...

why not dress up as yo ur HERO for a day during NAAW and raise money for your LOCAL Air Ambulance?

Be a

HERO

For further information please phone us on 01392 466666, email info@daat.org or log on to www.daat.org Devon Air Ambulance Trust

@DevonAirAmb #NAAW2014

Real People Saving Real Lives 5 Sandpiper Court • Harrington Lane • Exeter EX4 8NS

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Registered Charity No: 1077998 Company No: 3855746

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What’s On

What’s On this summer....

Amongst the many attractions throughout the county, many of which are featured on surrounding pages, staff and volunteers will be found at a number of the agricultural and town shows.

If you’re passing, do come and say hallo to the team at the following events:

9 September – Widecombe Fair

26 July – Mid Devon Show

As part of the Agatha Christie Festival, our 4th one-mile sea swim takes place again at Broadsands near Paignton. If you love swimming and fancy the challenge to support DAAT, register your place via our website.

27 July – Totnes Show

21 September – Agatha Christie Sea Swim

Meet Jennie and Ambrose at a country show near you.

6 August - North Devon Show 7 August – Honiton Show 14 August – Okehampton Show 16 August – Christow Show

27 September – Dragon Boat Racing

Terrific fun and hugely entertaining, this year’s Dragon Boat Racing will take place at Exeter Quay. Why not ask your colleagues, family, friends, suppliers or customers if they want to make up a team?

21 August – Chagford Show 30 August – Exford Show 6 - 7 September – Commando Challenge

This ever-popular annual event offers a unique opportunity to get down and get dirty following the Royal Marine Commando’s assault course on Woodbury Common. With a choice of a 4k or 10k run and obstacles such as The Smartie Tube and The Sheep Dip on offer, what’s not to love? Why not get a team together and book your place now!

19th October – Great West Run

This year’s Great West Run takes an exciting 13.1 mile route through the heart of Exeter. This half marathon has it all; the energy of a city centre road race, combined with pretty country lanes and stunning views across Exeter. Gold Bond places are still available – see our website for more details – and look out for our mascots, Jennie and Ambrose if you go along to support! www.daat.org

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Patient Story

No dummy run Tim Law was considered by all who know him as a fit and active 60 year old with years of amateur sports participation behind him.

F

ollowing many years of competitive rugby including time as Captain of Bideford, where he is currently President Elect, and three seasons representing Devon, Tim still enjoyed a good run-around playing five-a-side football.

It was during a game of indoor five-a-side in August 2012, that Tim had what he described as “a funny turn”. Despite putting the dizzy spell down to the heat of the evening, Tim saw his doctor and had an ECG, which revealed nothing to cause concern.

A similar incident happened again in early February this year, when Tim collapsed and momentarily lost consciousness. This was followed by occasional palpitations but, on the whole, Tim still felt well.

On Saturday 1 March, Tim was invited as a guest to a pre-match reception to watch Bideford v Clevedon. “I didn’t feel brilliant that morning but it was a nice day and as I had a special invitation I decided to go along. Towards the end of the match I felt the same symptoms of dizziness and palpitations coming on. I remember a friend asking if I was OK and telling Linda Buckland, a nurse who was spectating and standing close by, that I was not feeling well. The next thing I knew I was being woken up 24 hours later in the Intensive Care Unit at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital.” Whilst waiting for the emergency services, Tim was given CPR and cared for by Tim Law and family

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friends, including two other nurses, Mike and Vicky, a Police Officer Simon, and his own retired GP, Doctor Dick Ford.

Tim had suffered a cardiac arrest and needed urgent medical attention. The Devon Air Ambulance was called and, by good fortune, was only minutes away. Pilot Dan Smith landed the helicopter on the pitch and paramedics Glenn Birtwisle and Dave Huyton ran to attend to Tim. As soon as Tim was considered stable enough to fly he was whisked down to RD&E and monitored en route as his condition deteriorated.

Fortunately, Tim has made an amazing recovery, thanks both to the speed of his airlift and treatment he subsequently received both in Intensive Care and on Avon Ward.

Bideford RFC has since purchased a defibrillator and many of the staff and players have been shown how to use it. Tim explained “Despite the scare on the day, many good things have come out of it. The Rugby Club now has its own defibrillator, should the need ever arise again. Also, I was taken ill at about 4:15; by 5:00 pm the bar was lined with pint pots collecting donations for DAAT. The guys (aircrew) were brilliant – this was no dummy run, they knew exactly what needed to be done. I’ve been told that the pilot did an amazing job, landing where he did, everyone who witnessed it was hugely impressed.

My family and Bideford RFC are now very motivated and determined to help raise funds to keep this fantastic service going. My thanks go to everyone who helped me on the day.”o www.daat.org

Patient Story

I should have been wearing a helmet!

Kelly Cook from Okehampton was enjoying an afternoon cycle ride on the Granite Way heading for Lydford when she came a cropper and ended up in hospital.

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ut with her husband and a friend, Kelly was attempting to change gear to head up an incline when there was a problem with the bike and Kelly tumbled to the ground. Despite not going particularly fast, Kelly landed awkwardly, hurting her shoulder and hitting her head, knocking herself out.

By good fortune, a fellow lady cyclist who stopped to help was a nurse and, soon after, two other cyclists also stopped, who happened to be surgeons! So Kelly was in good hands while awaiting further medical help – which arrived in the form of a land crew as well as the Devon Air Ambulance.

Kelly vaguely remembers the helicopter landing and being wrapped in a blanket by the crew. The paramedics worked together before Kelly was taken by road to Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital. Her head wound was glued (an alternative to stitching) and, fortunately, xrays revealed that no bones were broken.

Recovering back at home, and still suffering dizzy spells, Kelly knows that she was lucky not to have suffered a more significant injury. “Stupidly, I wasn’t wearing a cycle helmet on the day. I niaively thought that as it was just a gentle ride along the cycle path that I’d be fine.

My accident just goes to show how quickly things can happen. I wasn’t going fast and I didn’t fall far – I just fell badly and hit my head. I certainly hadn’t imagined I’d ever need an Air Ambulance to be called out! In future, I will ALWAYS wear a helmet – and I want to promote the message to anyone going out on a bike, whether they are children or adults and whether they are just out socially or taking it seriously: wear a helmet! I am so grateful to everyone one who stopped; the nurse on holiday, the two surgeons and the gent that called 999. I want to say a massive thank you to them all, and of course your lovely DAAT and the road crew .”o www.daat.org

Kelly on the Granite Way with her new helmet.

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Filling the gaps in your summer garden Sarah Chesters, gardening expert at RHS Rosemoor, offers advice on colourful groundcover and scented borders.

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t’s a good idea to walk critically around your garden every month of the year, or one of the wonderful gardens open for the National Gardens Scheme. Look in your own garden at any major gaps in interest or colour, see what other gardens are growing and visit your local garden centre or plant nursery to buy one or two gap fillers. Here are a few plant ideas to help keep colour and interest in your garden through the seasons...

Summer Summer beds and borders should be filled with scent as we are likely to spend more time outside, so think of honeysuckle – Lonicera periclymenum ‘Graham Thomas’ – pale yellow and white flowers, or ‘Serotina’ for a beautiful combination of pink and white.

Roses can be bought in flower, but they establish better if bought bare-rooted in winter, so during the summer, make a note of the best scents, colours and flower forms. Check they are suitable for the south-west as our usually mild climate and damp atmosphere encourages mildew and black-spot, so buy resistant forms. Current favourites of mine are climbing “Goldfinch’ – sprays of small, pale yellow to amber flowers with a delicious scent, and the shrub rose ‘Rosemoor’ (of course !) – tightly packed pale pink double flowers, with a dreamy, heavy scent.

Colourful groundcover can be provided by hardy geraniums which form neat mounds of leaves, and then flower throughout the summer. They are also good as under-planting for large shrubs and as path edging; the single flowering forms will buzz with insects too.

For a sweet honey-scented large shrub or small tree, try Elaeagnus ‘Quicksilver’- its small silvery leaves are attractive in themselves, but during June and July it will be covered with tiny, acid yellow star-like flowers with a heady perfume. You

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can plant Astrantia underneath it as they will not mind a little shade, or some irises which prefer a cooler spot, also Matteucia struthiopteris, the shuttlecock fern is good with its fresh green providing a good contrast.

Melianthus major – despite being a great favourite of mine, I have a mental block when I see it and have to go through the alphabet to remember the name. It’s a stunning architectural plant for full sun and good drainage but must be sheltered from cold winds and the worst frosts. The leaves are fleshy, a lovely grey-green and shaped rather like large rose leaves. Once established it will produce long spikes of dark red flowers and is then even more eye-catching - a real plantsman’s plant.

Autumn Moving into autumn we are desperate to keep the colour going as long as possible, not wanting to accept that the nights are getting darker and that winter is on its way. There are many wonderful herbaceous perennials, which survive our winters very well underground and reward us with rich autumn colours – Helenium ‘Sahin’s Early Flowerer’ and ‘Moerheim Beauty’, Gaillardia, Kniphofia, Monarda, Canna, Coreopsis, Rudbeckia, Lobelia x speciosa ‘Vedrariensis’- the list just goes on.

If you’ve not tried ornamental grasses before, give them a go, they associate well with flowers and foliage alike. So many of them have such graceful flower heads, and although not brightly coloured they give movement to a border when the wind blows.

Good ones are Miscanthus sinensis, Molinia caerulea, Panicum, Stipa tenuissima, Calamagrostis and Carex.

In August, September and October, think ahead and plant spring bulbs. There are many short daffodils and tulips around which are very attractive and less likely to be flattened in a wind.o

www.daat.org

Gardens

Advice Line...

Roses – deadhead continually through the summer to encourage more flowers, apply a rose feed in July to give them an extra boost, mulch in autumn with well-rotted garden compost or manure, and prune out some old stems each winter to regenerate healthy, new growth.

Herbaceous perennials and ornamental grasses – cut back herbaceous perennials to a few centimetres from the ground in late autumn, or leave the seedheads for the birds a little longer.

Ornamental grasses - with their light-beige seedheads they will be lit up by the low winter sun and are also popular with the birds. Cut them to the ground in late winter and new shoots will emerge in spring.

Hellebore Leaf Blotch – this fungal disease causes black spots on the leaves during damp weather which may join together but can be pruned out with secateurs to reduce the spread.

Make sure you sterilise the blades in between the plants or you will spread the disease further.

Listen in to BBC Radio Devon every Sunday morning from 9.00 – 10.30am, when Sarah Chesters, from RHS Garden Rosemoor, will answer your gardening questions on Pippa Quelch’s programme.

Magnolia stellata ‘Centennial’

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Impressive Local Coverage We are proud to support Devon Air Ambulance Trust’s new premises in South Molton.

Making a Will is important for the future security of your family and can also provide an opportunity to help your favourite charity.

Like them we understand the need to have great local knowledge along with extended coverage.

For every aspect of property contact our Sales and Lettings offices in South Molton, Honiton and Tiverton.

During National Air Ambulance Week (22-26 September) Tozers are offering to waive their fee for single or joint basic Wills and to ask instead for a donation to be made to DAAT.

To secure your appointment in advance please contact our specialist team today on 01392 207020. enquiries@tozers.co.uk

www.tozers.co.uk

Broadwalk House, Southernhay West, Exeter, EX1 1UA

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www.daat.org

Retail

Exciting times ahead Part of DAAT’s long term strategy is to increase the number of Devon Air Ambulance Trust shops in High Streets throughout the county. We currently have 13 retail outlets, with one in Exmouth specialising in selling almost every item for £1.00 and one in Topsham specialising in all things Vintage and Variety.

We are delighted to announce that, very soon, we will have 14 shops, with the latest one opening in South Molton on Saturday 19th July. As the shop is currently being refitted and stocked, Manager Nick Rous and Assistant Manager Jane Walker are looking forward to meeting locals from the town and surrounding area.

DAAT’s Retail Director, Martin Bell explained, “We were looking for a suitable location between Tiverton and Barnstaple for some time

and the situation of our new shop in South Molton is perfect. We know that local people are very well aware of the service that the Air Ambulance provides, particularly in this most rural part of the county and already we have been so well received in the town. I would like to thank everyone for their kind words and warm welcome.”

Manager Nick Rous continued, “Jane and I are excited about the opening of DAAT’s new shop in South Molton! As with any new shop, we would be grateful for all donations of quality goods including clothing, footwear, bric-a-brac, small electrical items and books. We will also be looking to recruit an enthusiastic team of volunteers to join the DAAT family so do call in to see us if you’re interested or contact my colleague, Rosey Oakes on r.oakes@daat.org.”

Jane Walker and Nick Rous at the South Molton shop

Talking of volunteers...

Our volunteers come in all shapes and sizes and range in age from 14 to over 90. Many of our volunteers have been with us for a number of years and we are delighted to have presented them recently with their Long Service certificates.

From students working towards their Duke of Edinburgh Awards to retired folk with just a little more time on their hands; some help us on a regular basis and others help just occasionally.

However, we know that we couldn’t run the Devon Air Ambulance service without them and we are grateful to everyone who helps us out in any way.

Why not keep in contact with your local DAAT shop by liking their Facebook page ie South Molton Devon Air Ambulance shop! www.daat.org

Ambrose with our volunteers at Pecorama

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Straight out of Alice in Wonderland There have been so many times when I have walked into a property, looked at the design, décor and layout and said to myself….I wish I had thought of that. David FitzGerald visits the newly refurbished Glazebrook House Hotel.

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he Glazebrook House Hotel on the outskirts of Ivybridge and South Brent falls into that category. Under the new ownership of Pieter and Fran Hamman, the country house hotel has taken a step back to a style and degree of comfort so rarely found these days in a business where hotels are becoming a franchised, mass produced experience. The Hamman family have let their imagination soar and so have their designers. They have taken an idea from the pages of Alice in Wonderland and have released a monster; a monster which could have gone on a rampage but it has been carefully and cleverly checked to produce a smile inducing interior which has you peering round each corner like Alice, wondering what will happen next. What does happen is that you meet the creations and designs of Timothy Oulton, a man who has seemingly looked at furniture through the eyes of Lewis Carroll and has given us practical comfort, yet a reflection of the past with a hint of the absurd. And why not, if you want to nod off on a bed emblazoned with a Union Flag or slump into a stainless steel winged chair and place your feet on a pop riveted trunk, then do so.

Pieter unfolds the story. ‘My wife fell in love with the gardens and commented that they were ideal for a Mad Hatter’s tea party. The designers ran with the idea and now the Alice in Wonderland theme runs throughout the house.’

Originally from South Africa, having lived in the U.S. and with a background in Hong Kong and Australia, Pieter draws down on a worldly influence that is reflected in the wine cellar. He has put aside a room dedicated to tasting a range of new and old world wines where a sommelier can take you on a journey of discovery before you sit down to dinner.

‘We think the tasting room will enhance the dining experience,’ said Pieter. ‘An experience lead by our chef, Ben Palmer, who was a quarter finalist in the BBC’s Masterchef in 2011. He has a strong Devon based pedigree, having worked for many of the quality establishments including the Tanner Brothers, and is now controlling the kitchens at Glazebrook House using and utilizing local produce, following the seasons and serving realistic food.’

By realistic, Pieter means both in construction and presentation. A simple menu which offers a delightful dining experience which does not leave a bad taste in the wallet.

Walking away from the Glazebrook House Hotel you have a feeling that you have been in someone else’s mind, that you have relaxed and laughed with a designer who, if not actually in the room, you have smiled at and experienced light-hearted fun and a love of life.

As Alice would have said ‘Curiouser and curiouser…’

For the curious why not experience it for yourself. o www.glazebrookhouse.com

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www.daat.org

‘My wife fell in love with the gardens and commented that they were ideal for a Mad Hatter’s tea party.

The designers ran with the idea and now the Alice inWonderland theme runs throughout the house.’ www.daat.org

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Chillin’ with Pauline Barker

The Agatha Christie Sea Swim sparks a great new adventure for Plymouth wild swimmer Pauline Barker.

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ow old were you when you started swimming and when did you discover a love a long distance/open water swimming?

I can’t remember a time when I couldn’t swim. I was brought up in Newquay and swam in the sea with my grandad so it’s something I’ve always been able to do as second nature. For 10 years I was a marathon runner but when I gave that up I turned back to swimming as my main sport. This was about four years ago just as the resurgence of open water swimming as a sport and pastime was really taking off. The Agatha Christie One Mile Sea Swim was one of my very first swims back in 2010 and the camaraderie and sense of achievement I gained from that set me off on what has been a great adventure.

Where do you train most regularly?

I live in Plymouth and the sea is right on my doorstep. During the winter I’m in the pool four times a week plus two or three sea or lake swims so my house is permanently full of cossies and towels hanging up to dry! Now that the water is warming up the pool swims are being replaced by longer outdoor swims and I can be found in the sea or lake most days. I have a couple of big challenges coming up so I’m often off doing my own thing in order to do the amount of training I need.

Last winter I became an Ice Swimmer which involved swimming one mile in water below 5 degrees so I was swimming in the sea twice a week as well as once a week swimming in a freshwater lake and putting in time in the indoor pool focussing on technique and speed. The sea temperature over the winter only goes down to 7 degrees so to get below 5 degrees I swim in freshwater lakes which are much colder than the sea in the winter.

What has been your biggest challenge to date?

The biggest challenge is always changing as I constantly push the boundaries. When I started in 2010 the Agatha Christie Swim was a huge milestone for me and from there I have gone on to do the Dart 10K twice, The Henley Bridge to Bridge (14K of swimming in the River Thames ) and have swum the length of Coniston Lake in the Lake District. I have also been introduced to the world of Channel Swimming and in 2013 took part in three relays across the English Channel from Dover to France; including one that I was team leader for, made up of members of Devon and Cornwall Wild Swimming.

What has been your favourite swim or challenge?

My favourite swims are those that go from point to point.

Burgh Island is fantastic to swim around on a sunny day and swimming under the arch at Thurlestone and over the reef is stunning. There’s also a stretch of the River Avon from Aveton Gifford to Bantham which is lovely. The biggest challenge was organising and taking part in the Team Selkie Devon and Cornwall Wild Swimming English Channel Relay as the English Channel was not particularly kind to us that day.

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What future challenges await?

2014 is going to be very challenging for me and I’m really looking forward to pushing the limits. In July I’m part of a 4-person ladies team who will swim a relay of Loch Ness in Scotland. That’s 23 miles of very deep, dark and cold water.

On completion, we will be the first officially recognised (by The British Long Distance Swimming Association ) 4-person team to achieve this. In August I am swimming the 2 Way Windermere, which is a there-and-back swim of the 10.5 mile lake. That’s a total of 21 miles – the same distance as my big, big challenge for 2015!

I’ve also got some fun stuff lined up like a swim and walk around The Scilly Isles and The Breakwater swim in Plymouth as well as helping to co-ordinate the volunteers helping out at the Outdoor Swimming Society’s Dart 10K this year. The Loch Ness and Lake Windermere swims are being done to raise funds for DAAT in memory of my friend Jonathan Joyce and you can sponsor me via my JustGiving page https://www.justgiving.com/ account/your-pages/PaulineABarker What would keep you away from training/swimming?

I swim all year round, without a wetsuit; I love the camaraderie and meeting new swimmers and seeing their confidence grow.

I love a challenge. It’s a rare day when I fall out of love with swimming.

What advice do you have for ‘new’ open water swimmers?

Give it a go!!! I organise a couple of regular weekly group swims off The Hoe where we swim all year and lots of ‘newbies’ join us if they’re in training or want the chance for a social swim with friends. I also run a website, devonandcornwallwildswimming.co.uk and there are many swimmers in the Devon and Cornwall Wild Swimming group who are very welcoming. You don’t have to have a wetsuit or any special kit to start with, just come along and join in. We don’t have any safety cover but do look out for each other and we’re all there because we simply enjoy swimming.

Whether you just like to bob and chat or get your teeth into something more challenging; ‘wild’ or ‘open water’ swimming is nothing new - it’s just good old-fashioned swimming in the sea or rivers or lakes.

What safety factors should they bear in mind?

Open water swimming has its dangers the same as any other sport but the water can be very unforgiving if you get it wrong.

Never swim alone and always tell someone where you are going.

There’s a SwimSafe page on the DCWS website giving you an idea of what to look out for but the golden rule is never to swim beyond your ability and never if the conditions aren’t right. If you’re going for a swim somewhere and when you arrive it’s too rough or windy or the weather has closed in just go to the pool or go home and have a cup of tea instead. The sea will still be there another day so there’s no need to swim when conditions are bad. o www.daat.org

Swimming

“...Oh! And that challenge in 2015 that I mentioned earlier.

That’s me and the English Channel.

Just me and 21 miles from Dover to France.

July 15 2015 – watch this space!”

Caroline Muggridge, Andrea Hawkins and Pauline Barker - in training for their Loch Ness swim

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A swim on the wild side

“Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

E

ver thought about wild swimming? What other sport offers so much – it is free to take part, year round and in all weather; it takes less kit than playing football; there is always a place near to you where you can do it; it is highly sociable (if you want it to be) and open to all ages and abilities; it has an unending choice of venues; it takes you to places you (or anyone else for that matter) might never have seen and what’s more it’s good for you. For most wild swimmers, however, there is another dimension to it – it’s wondrous and inspirational.

Wild swimming is about breaking away from the self-imposed confines of indoor swimming pools and exploring outdoor swimming places – lakes and lochs, caves and coves, rivers, waterfalls, estuaries, tidal pools, lidos and the ever-changing and challenging sea. It is experiential, combining the joy of physical exercise and the thrill of being in natural water with a vast range of new sensations – touch, sights, smells and noises.

Gone, or at least fading fast, are the days when we laugh at television images of members of the Serpentine Swimming Club having to break the ice on Christmas Day before plunging in and racing the 100 yards for the Peter Pan Club. Wild swimming is a high growth activity with a growing number of clubs and an Outdoor Swimming Society which has expanded from 300 members in 2006 when it was established to over 16,000 newsletter subscribers today.

There are some do’s and don’ts regarding precautions and safety including avoiding canals and urban stretches of rivers because of uncertain water quality. You can get detailed advice on all aspects of safety and the best places to start your new experience, especially if you intend swimming with children, by visiting www.wildswimming.co.uk where you’ll also get heaps of tips about places to swim and other people’s experiences and stories.

There are wild swimming possibilities all across Devon and Dartmoor. Try Cullever Steps, a small plunge pool in a narrow rocky valley below Scarey Tor or Meldon Quarry, both near Okehampton. There are the Salmon Leaps on the River Teign below Castle Drogo and Spitchwick Common on the River Dart near Widecombe-in-the-Moor is a popular spot. In South Devon, you can take the plunge in places such as Shoalstone Pool in Brixham or the Weirfields in the Dart at Totnes, while there are coves and remote beaches to explore in the north of the county including Wild Pear Beach, near Combe Martin and Broadsands, near Watermouth Cove, Ilfracombe.

For the competitive there are open swims such as the Topsham to Turf near Exeter, the proposed Bovisand Wild Swim near Plymouth and, of course, the Agatha Christie Swim in aid of Devon Air Ambulance Trust in Paignton this September.

Wild swimming is clearly more than just a sporting activity. It is one of those things you try once and you’re hooked. As an anonymous author once wrote – “H2O: two parts Heart and one part Obsession.”o

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Broadsands

Hartland Quay Good swimming at high tide, when you can enter the water from the slipway and swim beneath the dramatic high cliffs.

Woolacombe Bay Can be busy but is much quieter in the evenings when you can watch some stunning sunsets and is an ideal spot for a long swim parallel to the beach. Combesgate Beach around the corner can be a bit quieter for shorter swims and Barricane can be very sheltered when the tide is up.

Broadsands Near Watermouth Cove, Ilfracombe. A hidden but ideal swimming spot for all abilities and generally very sheltered.

There are caves to explore around to the left which you can swim into at high tide.

Wild Pear Beach Near Combe Martin. This is a very wild and often quiet beach, accessed via a steep walk along the coast path, with good swimming beneath the high, vegetated cliffs.

Lee Bay Near Lynton. At low tide a sandy beach is exposed in a sheltered bay and depending on the height of the tide you can swim around to a hidden beach on the left.

Long Pool Watersmeet, near Lynmouth. The pool isn’t as long as the name suggests, but it is cold and deep, so is good for jumping and quick dips on warm days as you explore the stunning East Lyn Valley.

www.daat.org

Wild Swimming

Hartland Quay

Lee Bay

Long Pool

Wild Pear Beach

www.daat.org

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Sea Swimmers do it to save lives... you could too!

One Mile

Entry Fee*

Broadsands, Paignton. 21 September 2014

*With minimum of £30 sponsorship

Sea Swim

£20

Enter now at www.daat.org 01392 466666 devonairambulancetrust Torbay SLSC

@DevonAirAmb @TorbaySLSC

Registered Charity No: 1077998 Registered Charity No: 101566

Why not run for Devon Air Ambulance Trust?

We are delighted to be the 2014 Official Local Charity Partner for Exeter’s Great West Run on Sunday .

19 October.

To find out more about running for us simply email fundraising@daat.org or call 01392 466666

If you’re already signed up why not support us by raising sponsorship for us?

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www.daat.org

Patient Story

Beach stumble causes fall A beautiful day for riding on the beach turned sour for Debbie Cooke when her horse encountered soft sand under foot.

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ith our paramedics bound by patient confidentiality, we have to wait to hear from the people we help before we know the details of their incident. It’s always rewarding to learn when our service has made a difference. Letters, emails or phone calls with the details of where and when the incident took place also allows us to let the attending aircrew know the outcome. Debbie Cooke from Plymouth sent an email to say thank you and, subsequently, told us the following story...

“It was the 14th April this year and my friends and I decided to take the horses on a beach ride on the beautiful Mothercombe Beach not far from where we live. Since it was a lovely day my family also decided to come and take photos.

I galloped on Miller down one side of the beach then turned him around to gallop him back up. As we were galloping back up the beach, unfortunately, my horse hit some wet sand that wrong footed him. As he was on a tight rein he pulled me forward and when his head came back up he knocked me out. His back legs kicked up for him to right himself thus throwing me out of the saddle and onto the wet sand, where I landed heavily on my left hand side. We were travelling at about 30mph at the time!! Unbelievably, my partner had been snapping photos and, despite being over

100m away, actually captured the moment I fell!

I was in and out of consciousness with a lot of pain in my hip and pelvis. We were unable to get a telephone signal down on Mothercombe beach so my friend galloped off to the nearest house to call for help. We knew that time was of the essence as the tide was rising rapidly.

Coincidentally, the first people to come to my aid were a retired doctor and his wife, a retired nurse, who happened to be walking their dog! I remember a lot of pain but I also remember the Air Ambulance crew, paramedics Paul Robinson and Richard Walker, with pilot Rob Mackie, reassuring me and my family and explaining everything they were doing.

The crew were fantastic and the journey from the beach to Derriford Hospital was really smooth and seemed to take just minutes. I lost a lot of blood and my injuries were a fractured pelvis and dislocated hip.

A few days later I had a 4-hour operation which entailed having a metal plate at the front of my pelvis and a bolt in my hip. After a 2 week stay in hospital I am now convalescing at home and moving around with the aid of crutches. I would like to thank your crew so much for rescuing me and I’m sure saving my life! I will be forever grateful."o

Debbie’s fall caught in motion by her partner.

Picturesque Mothercombe Beach

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Olympians

in the making...

In a summer that is jam-packed with events and competitions in the kitesurfing world, Helipad Editor Debbie Gregory caught up with Exmouth’s Steph Bridge.

Steph is a four-times kite racing world champion and she has set the world record with Richard Branson for crossing the English Channel on a kiteboard.

S

teph was born and raised with her three siblings in Exmouth, spending her childhood years ‘on the water’.

Inspired by her father, a professional racing dinghy builder, Steph started sailing dinghies at the age of eight. From local competitions on her own patch, Steph was soon competing around the country before representing the UK on the international circuit. As a well-travelled teenager, her favoured locations for sailing included Bombay, Holland and Argentina.

Steph was introduced to the world of kitesurfing soon after the sport began, in 2001. Also known as kiteboarding, kitesurfing combines aspects of wakeboarding, windsurfing, surfing, paragliding and gymnastics. The disciplines include freestyle, freeride, downwinders, speed, course racing, wakestyle, jumping and waveriding. As the kites glide ethereally overhead, they belie the physical strength, skill and precision of the riders below.

For Steph, the natural discipline to follow had to be kiteracing, much more akin to sailing; with speed and accuracy around a marked route determining the winners. Clearly, this was an excellent move as she became the Professional Kite Racing Association World Champion in 2006, 2007 and 2008, followed by International Kiteboarding Association World Champion in 2009. Her sport continues to take her around the world as the competition circuit includes such far flung locations as Iceland, New Zealand, Australia, Brazil and China. When it comes to training, however, Steph admits that there’s still nowhere quite like her home town of Exmouth. “Every day is different; it’s my home patch and it really is a very special place.”

Having met her husband, Eric, when they were both 18 teaching watersports in Minorca, they married in Littleham Church in Exmouth with their ‘water-themed’ reception taking place at the Exe Sailing Club. They successfully ran Spinnakers Sailing Club together for many years and now

run Edge Watersports. The couple are also parents to three teenage boys, Olly (16), Guy (14) and Tom (13) – who have all inherited their parents’ love of watersports and their competitive nature.

All three boys, known affectionately as The Bridgelets, also compete at the highest level and all are regulars on the podium. In the recent French International Kite Foil Championships on Cote d’Azur in the South of France, while Steph competed in the Women’s races, all three of her boys were tackling their own challenges; with Steph finishing 2nd and Olly and Guy also taking podium spots in the freestyle discipline. Olly is currently European Men’s Champion and 3rd in the world – with the mantra “You’re only as good as your last race”, it’s clear that he has lofty ambitions!

“Team Bridge” is a unique family of kite surfers competing internationally in freestyle and racing, with many world and European titles between them.

Steph confesses that juggling her home life and her business with training and competing, alongside travelling to competitions with her three boys doesn’t leave much time for anything else. “I limit the competitions I enter now to four major events, often with Olly, and if I’m travelling with my younger two sons I concentrate on helping them. For Eric and me, it’s really special that we do our sport as a family – and that we compete at such a high level.” With this year’s national championships taking place in Exmouth, World Championships taking place in Turkey, the Europeans in Poland and the Formula Kite African Championships in Egypt, this summer is certainly going to be as busy as ever for the whole family.

They are undoubtedly ambassadors for their sport, working with developers at the IOC to ensure that kitesurfing is recognised in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. If their current record is anything to go by, it’s fair to suggest that Exmouth may well be welcoming future Kiteboarding Olympians in due course...o

Devon People

Team Bridge is a unique family of kite surfers competing internationally in freestyle and racing, with many world and European titles between them.

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Patient Story

“Go careful, it’s icy out there”

Richard Williams of Ottery St Mary set himself a challenge last year - to lose at least six stone in weight!

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t the ‘lofty’ height of 6’7”, retired policeman Richard hadn’t worried too much while he was busy with work but, since retiring he’d noticed that his weight had crept up and needed to be addressed.

Motivated and determined, Richard achieved his aim by October and, thus, was delighted that he could now ‘get back in the saddle’, a hobby that he had loved but not felt able to do whilst overweight.

On Saturday 28th December 2013, Richard was up and out early on his bike – enjoying the crisp, cold, winter weather as he cycled along the lanes towards Cullompton. He remembers his wife calling as he left, “Go careful, it’s icy out there.” Just 30 minutes later, a farmer found Richard lying unconscious in an icy country lane with his bicycle lying right on top of him.

Fearing the worst, the farmer frantically called the emergency services.

The Devon Air Ambulance arrived and paramedics Mark Langley and Richard Walker assessed Richard; acknowledging that as well as broken bones, he had also suffered a head injury.

As Richard dipped in and out of consciousness, the farmer contacted Richard’s wife and family, who made the dash from their East Devon home to meet Richard at hospital in Plymouth.

Richard’s condition was monitored closely during the flight to Derriford Hospital, where tests revealed that, despite having been wearing a cycle helmet, he had a bleed on the brain, plus a broken shoulder and collar bone as well as broken ribs.

Richard has no memory of the accident or the first four days of his stay in Derriford but was transferred to Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital on 2nd January for surgery to rebuild his shoulder. With bed rest recommended to help the broken ribs, Richard was finally released from hospital on 11th January, some two weeks after he’d set out on his cycle ride!

Visiting the Devon Air Ambulance airbase in April, with his wife and daughter, Richard was well on the way to recovery.

Whilst looking forward to getting back out on his bike in due course, he now walks regularly and was proud to confirm that his weight loss now totalled over 6½ stone! o

Richard with his wife, Abigail, and daughter, Emma

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Patient Story

Jasper is the hero of the day

A much-loved family pet became the hero of the day when he raised the alarm to help his master at their home in Bridford near Exeter. a big black Labrador, became Jasper, distressed when his owner, Malcolm

Thomas, collapsed whilst washing his car, hitting his head as he fell. Jasper barked incessantly until he attracted the attention of a neighbour who, realising that Malcolm needed urgent medical help, telephoned the emergency services.

As the Devon Air Ambulance helicopter landed nearby and paramedics Nigel Lang and Paul Robinson rushed to the scene, they were aware that Jasper may well still be distressed. Paul explains, “When we arrived at the scene Jasper was with Malcolm and his neighbour. The dog was very well behaved and very calm, which is unusual for patients’ pets as they can become extremely protective of their owners and often think that we are trying to harm them instead, of course, to help them! This particular dog behaved himself impeccably and did not in any way hinder us looking after its owner.”

Nigel continued, “Jasper played a vital role in the recovery of his master as, without his barking, no-one would have known that Mr Thomas had collapsed and was unconscious.

His barking raised the alarm and a quick thinking neighbour realised the seriousness of the situation. On our arrival Jasper was clearly worried about Mr Thomas and I realised he may see us as a new threat, but he’s cleverer than that and stood by whilst we attended to his master. Well done Jasper!”

Such was the gratitude of Malcolm and his wife, Laura, they nominated their pet for an award. Some weeks later, when Malcolm was fully recovered, they learned that the “PDSA were delighted to award Jasper a Commendation for Bravery and Devotion, in recognition of his potentially lifesaving actions when his owner, Malcolm Thomas, collapsed unconscious outside the family home. Jasper’s incessant barking attracted the attention of a neighbour, who was able to tend to Malcolm and call for the urgent medical care needed.”o www.daat.org

Laura and Malcolm with Jasper and his Commendation for Bravery and Devotion

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Devon Air Ambulance Trust

Saturday 27 September 2014

This is a fantastic event either for team building or just for fun!

Exeter Quay

Each boat takes 16 rowers plus a drummer. But you can have up to 20 in your team, so you can mix and match.

There are two options on how to enter a team: 1. Team members pledge to raise a minimum sponsorship sum of £60 per person (includes boat hire) 2. Alternatively why not get your company to sponsor your boat at £300 plus VAT. Team members pledge to raise a minimum sponsorship of £40 per person.

If you are a small team why not ask your key customers, suppliers or other companies you know to boat share with you. A great way to cement relationships. Or register your interest with us and we may be able to match you with another small group.

devonairambulancetrust

@DevonAirAmb

Registered Charity No: 1077998 Company No: 3855746

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Lottery

Who’d have thought...

When Mrs Patricia Ingram from Torquay joined the DAAT Lottery on 4th May she was delighted that her weekly membership would help to keep the two helicopters flying. “I know that the Air Ambulance needs donations and I was happy to join. My own grandson needed to be airlifted from Torbay Hospital to Derriford when he was a toddler after he lost the top of his finger in an accident. We’ve never forgotten how grateful we were that they were there to help him.”

It was less than a month later, however, on Friday 30th May, when Mrs Ingram took a call from DAAT’s Lottery Team Leader, Tracy Owen, informing her that she had won first prize of £1,350. “I was so surprised,” Pat explained. “I’ve never won that much in my life! You join up, very willing to have a go, but never expecting to win. I was absolutely delighted.”

To celebrate their win Mrs Ingram, along with her husband, Brian, invited their family of three children, six grandchildren and thirteen great grandchildren to a local hotel for Sunday lunch. “It was such a lovely opportunity to get the family together and, with the exception of just two who couldn’t make it, we had such a lovely time.”

Devon Air Ambulance Lottery grows week on week.

We are proud to have over 29,000 members playing our in-house lottery, with numbers growing weekly thanks to your support.

Our canvassers (pictured below) are working throughout the county and may well be in a town or street near you. They will always have identification with them and will be wearing DAAT clothing.

It only costs £1 per entry per week to pledge your support, and you can have as many entries as you want. You can pay quarterly, half yearly or annually by cheque or standing order with your bank. Every week the first prize is £1,350, with second and third prizes of £135 and 10 further cash prizes of £50. For each £1 entry, over 70p in the £1 is donated back to the Charity - in 2013 sales equated to £1.35 million and over £900,000 was donated back to the Charity.

Less than 30p in the £1 is used for the prize fund, and overheads. www.daat.org/Lottery

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Lottery

Devon Air Ambulance Trust Lottery Form Please complete this form, plus Section A or B to advise us how you wish to pay.

Please return this form to: DAAT Lottery, FREEPOST SEA14647, Exeter EX4 8ZY NOT YOUR BANK I confirm all members are 16 years of age or over.

Signed

Date

Mr/Mrs/Miss/Other

First name(s)

Surname

Address Postcode Tel

Email

Why not double your chances with two numbers? Tick here for a second number The second number will be in your name unless you wish to assign the number to someone else. If so, please enter their name below: Mr/Mrs/Miss/Other

First name(s)

Surname

SECTION A - PAYMENT BY CHEQUE I wish to join the DAAT Lottery and pay by cheque

One Number Half yearly £26

Yearly £52

If you pay by cheque you will receive a reminder Two Numbers Half yearly £52 by post prior to your subscription running out Please find attached my cheque payable to DAAT Lottery for £

Yearly £104

SECTION B - STANDING ORDER FORM

To The Bank

I wish to join the DAAT Lottery by standing order

Please ensure you quote the following number on all correspondence

To (your bank/building society) Address Postcode Name(s) of Account Holder(s) Sort Code

Account Number

Signature(s)

Date

Please debit my/our account until further notice - I wish to pay the sum of: (tick one box only) One Number

Two Numbers

Monthly

£4.34 per month

Monthly

£8.68 per month

Quarterly

£13 every 3 months

Quarterly

£26 every 3 months

Half yearly

£26 every 6 months

Half yearly

£52 every 6 months

Yearly

£52 every 12 months

Yearly

£104 every 12 months

I wish my standing order to start on:

DD/MM/YYYY

Please debit my account and pay to: DAAT Lottery, HSBC Bank Plc, St Thomas, Exeter Sort Code: 40 20 29 Account No. 11377566

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HP0714 #

We would like to use the winners names and location in promotional material. If you do not want your name to be used, please tick this box Responsible person, C Creer of the Devon Air Ambulance Trust, 5 Sandpiper Court, Harrington Lane, Exeter, EX4 8NS. The Devon Air Ambulance Trust is the official Lottery promoter and is licensed by the Gambling Commission, no: 000-0005032-N-308657-001 www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk

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Patient Story

Dreaming of gymkhanas Grace Dibbens, 11, from Kingsteignton is ‘horse mad’. Given a chance, she would happily spend all day at the local riding stables and dreams of gymkhanas and competitions in her sleep.

I

n her school half-term holiday, earlier this year, Grace was thrilled that she could go to Pony Club and was looking forward to spend time with her beloved horses. What Grace hadn’t bargained on, however, was that her horse, Alfie, would attempt to kick off his boots – kicking Grace in the face.

Grace was knocked unconscious to the floor, with a hoof print and hole in her helmet. Alfie’s hoof had caught Grace’s eye socket, shattering the bone. As the emergency services were alerted, mum Sue rushed to the scene.

The Devon Air Ambulance helicopter soon arrived and paramedics, Mark Langley and Dave Huyton assessed Grace. It was clear that their patient needed urgent treatment for her facial injuries and Grace was airlifted to Derriford Hospital where, by good fortune, a leading eye surgeon was on hand. He explained to Grace’s parents that the bone around the eye socket had splintered but, despite Grace temporarily losing the vision in that eye, the bone would eventually grow back and, reassuringly, he was confident that Grace would make a full recovery.

Grace stayed in hospital for four days and returned one week later to have the stitches around her eye removed. Two months later, after further consultation with her surgeon, she was finally allowed to start riding again and is now happily back in the saddle.o

Grace was airlifted to Derriford Hospital where, by good fortune, a leading eye surgeon was on hand.

Grace back in the saddle after her accident, and in hospital (right).

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Seaton The seaside resort and gateway town with a real soft spot for the Devon Air Ambulance

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ith red cliffs to one side of the town and white cliffs on the other, a mile long beach, a pretty harbour and a railway line that once connected the town to the Waterloo to Exeter mainline, it’s not surprising the Victorians took a shine to Seaton and established it as a sought after tourism destination.

The railway line closed in 1966 but part remains in use for the famous Seaton Tramway which operates narrow gauge heritage trams between Seaton, Colyford and Colyton in East Devon’s glorious Axe Valley, travelling alongside the River Axe estuary through two nature reserves and giving an unrivalled view of the abundant bird life on the river mudflats.

Located tight to the Dorset border at the mouth of the River Axe, the town remains popular as a destination for visitors with a wealth of other attractions and outdoor pursuits to choose from. There are heritage centres and museums, the famous Esplanade, pretty seafront Jubilee Gardens and the Cliff Field

Gardens affording magnificent views across Lyme Bay. The South West Coastal Path passes along Seaton seafront taking walkers to Beer to the west or eastwards through the unique ‘Undercliff Nature Reserve’ to Lyme Regis. It is billed as a gateway town for the UNESCO World Heritage site more familiarly known as the Jurassic Coast which was featured in the Spring 2013 Helipad.

The town also revels in a lively events programme which includes a flamboyant Carnival Week starting on August Bank Holiday and featuring an illuminated procession of floats.

In March, there is the infamous Grizzly run which attracts 2,000 runners tackling what the organizes call,” “twentyish muddy, hilly, boggy, beachy miles of the multiest-terrain running experience you will find this side of the end of time!”

There are also plays, musical theatre, opera, farmers’ markets, a ‘Natural Seaton Festival’ and plenty of live music as well as nearby events such as Lyme Regis Lifeboat

The Seaton Air Ambulance Week is a real community event driven by some great DAAT supporters

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Devon Towns Week, Beer Regatta, Branscombe Festival and Colyford Goose Fayre (For a full round up of events in Seaton, Beer and the Axe Valley, visit www.evento.seatonbay.com) Late July and early August also sees Devon Air Ambulance Week, a festival of events now in its 5th year which raises a lot of money for the charity. There is a Bikers Day out with hundreds of motorcycles parking up on the Esplanade (July 27th); a ‘Pooh Sticks Race at Axmouth harbour (July 27th); Pirate Day including a parade, children’s fancy dress, treasure hunt, disco and a temporary rebranding of the Seaton Tramway to the “Seaton Pearl” (August 1st); a Street Market (August 3rd) and Dog Show (August 3rd); There will also be a Mad Hatters Tea Party, Punch and Judy Shows, a zumbathon and a children’s seafront chalkathon, cheerleaders and Bollywood dancers, the Red Sparrows, a week long music festival in the town’s pubs as well as skittles, darts, and cribbage competitions and a pub quiz.

The Seaton Air Ambulance Week is a real community event driven by some great DAAT supporters (see inset).

Local businesses join in with discounts and special offers and a special wristband can be bought for £10 enabling free entrance to all the week’s events with all the proceeds going to the charity. It’s a breathless, frantic and wonderfully entertaining week of fun in a good cause. o

Supporting Devon Air Ambulance Seaton’s Devon Air Ambulance Week, which raised almost £10,000 for the charity in 2013, is the brainchild of retired couple Ian and Janine Barradale who settled in the town some 10 years ago but they are the first to acknowledge that Seaton support of DAAT goes back farther still.

It started around 17 years ago with a local man, Brian Hole and his daughter Cilla Webb who organized pub competitions and collected around the local hostelries in fancy dress. After Colin died Cilla asked his friend Colin Pearce to lend a hand and the retired butcher and holiday camp bar manager took to it with relish. In turn, Colin praises the huge contribution made by the Barradales in dreaming up and then staging this wonderful series of events. He said: “They work fantastically hard in order to raise money for DAAT. So many people look forward to it and without Ian and Janine it wouldn’t happen.”

Colin Pearce, Janine and Ian Barradale

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Devon People

Our thanks go to all the amazing fundraisers throughout the county who help keep our service going... here are just a few.

Real people saving real lives On June 22nd, Claire Healy from Shebbear achieved her goal of losing over 6 stone in weight AND swimming in the Bude Triathlon and raised over £800 for DAAT. Claire, who was featured in our Spring Helipad, suffered serious injuries in a car accident in December 2010. u

Freya McLeish, aged 17, was inspired to raise funds for DAAT when her Grandad was airlifted following a heart attack. Freya, who raised nearly £1,400, described the experience of her 15,000’ tandem skydive as ‘the thrill of her life’.

Landlady Sally Thomson of the Highwayman Inn at Sourton, on the edge of Dartmoor, has transformed her archaic Ladies’ loo, a vestige from the 50s, into a veritable Art Deco delight.

Sally is raising money for Devon Air Ambulance by charging a £1 for her male clients to use it. ‘Ladies can wee for free but for the chaps it is £1 a pee for Devon Air Ambulance. I wanted to create a nice loo for the girls that was both theatrical and a little decadent. I think with a little help from my friends we have achieved that. We will have to do the Gents next! Do come in for a pie, a pint and a pee!’ she says with a chuckle.

Freya with her Grandad

Parents Andy and Lynne Woodward from Shebbear, along with team-mate Andrea Rideout, were inspired to take part in the Bude Triathlon after their daughter Chrissy was airlifted. Thanks to the fabulous support from their families and friends, they raised over £1,000 for DAAT. q

DAAT’s Finance Director, Steve Tupper, was delighted to receive a cheque for £2,500 from Graham Kirby of Exmouth Rotary following their evening of entertaining patriotism at Exeter Cathedral for the Last Night of the Proms Centenary Concert in March. u

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Fundraisers

What could you do to save a life?

Queues formed along the road in Redwood Close, Honiton, as Roger & Barbara Stimpson welcomed visitors to their gardens to take a look at the large ‘G guage’ model railway and smaller tracks throughout their home. The railway enthusiasts have been building and maintaining the tracks for 15 years and their Open Day raised £1,060 for DAAT. q

p An evening of songs, comedy and dance was enjoyed by all at this year’s Tiverton Variety Show, organised by Rosemary Chanin. The event raised over £2,300. Pictured are youngsters from the Exe Valley Gymnastics Club.

At the beginning of the year, Johnnie Lloyd set himself two challenges: the first was to lose a significant amount of weight and the second was to organise and take part in a charity horse race, riding Smithy, prior to this year’s Holnicote Point to Point. He succeeded in both and raised an impressive £4,400 in the process – thanks Johnnie!

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Magazine

Real people saving real lives Rob Conabeer recently took part in the Taunton to Windsor challenge, cycling 70 miles each day. He is now planning another cycle challenge, this time across Dartmoor – go Rob! q

North Devon 100 – organisers donated £2,500 from funds raised from their first event of cycling 100 miles or 100 km around the North Devon countryside. Big thanks to all who took part. q

p Ian Stoneman recently jogged and walked to complete the London to Brighton challenge. He set off at 11.00am on Saturday 24th May and, some 19 hours later, his wife and family were at the finish line to meet him at 06.00 the following morning. Ian raised over £800 for DAAT.

Volunteer Doug Langley was delighted to collect £714.72 from young Joe Thompson at The Boathouse in Instow in North Devon after customers donated £714.72 in their super-size champagne bottle. q

When new owners, Juliet and Steve Freeman of took over The Old Inn, in Halwell near Totnes, in September 2013 they decided to continue the traditional fundraising activities for Devon Air Ambulance Trust and recently donated funds of £674.30 following a series of regular Quiz Nights. u

Juliet Freeman, Sue Tweed (Devon Air Ambulance Trust volunteer) and Steve Freeman

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Fundraisers

What could you do to save a life?

Our volunteer, Dennis Bater, went along to the Bridgerule Open Gardens and received a cheque presented to Daat for £1,385.50. Thank you to all the participants who showed off their beautiful gardens this year. q

Rob Woods is an award winning fundraiser, having won the ‘Malcolm Beacham Memorial Charitable Award 2013’ from his employer, Calor. He was delighted to be presented with a cheque for £2,000 and explained, “I was honoured to be recognised for my charitable work and support of the Commando Challenge and Devon Air Ambulance Trust. I believe the service DAAT provides is integral to the community, especially to the rural, remote areas where vital seconds count in getting to incidents. I firmly support and salute all the staff, crew and volunteers of Devon Air Ambulance Trust.”u

p East Devon Artists for Charity joined Branscombe Art Exhibition and raised £2,800 from their Easter exhibition, organised by Ursula Pratt MBE, featuring work from over 60 artists. Arts included paintings, pottery, driftwood mirrors and glasswork from local artists. www.daat.org

If you would like to find out more details about how you could support Devon Air Ambulance, please call 01392 466666 or email info@daat.org

Get in touch!

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Starting young...

It’s never too early to learn about helping others and these four youngsters are great examples of getting stuck in! From running to reading and raffles to flapjacks, we send massive thanks to Dante, Matthew, Abbey and Benji. Their support of the Trust is brilliant and, we hope, will inspire others to follow their example...

Ten miles on and hardly out of breath While his friends were enjoying their Easter holidays from school, nine-year old Dante Oakley from Milton Abbot near Tavistock ran ten miles around Burrator Reservoir to raise funds for Devon Air Ambulance, in memory of his baby brother, Indiana, who died in April 2013 aged just four months.Dante was accompanied by his dad, Steve, who cycled the route behind the youngster. Dante was cheered on around the course by friends, family and onlookers with encouragement and ‘high fives’ all the way.

It was Dante’s idea to run ten miles for ‘Indi Day’, on the anniversary of the day his little brother had died. His parents, Ally and Steve Oakley, suggested raising funds for Devon Air Ambulance Trust, and Steve explained, “We want to do something

every year to commemorate Indiana and this was our first opportunity. The night we lost our little boy the Air Ambulance wasn’t available, so we chose the charity as, particularly for when the Trust can offer the service in the hours of darkness, we hope we can help make a difference to someone else in the future.”

Mum, Ally, added “The Devon Air Ambulance is such a great charity and although it wouldn’t have saved Indiana, it may help others in the future. Dante did so well - he completed the ten mile run in just 1 hour 40 minutes and was hardly out of breath!

That’s not bad for a nine-year old – we’re all very proud of him.”

The whole family are supporters of the Trust with Dante’s brother, Vincent and sister, Wenzday, also involved in fundraising activities at their schools.

Dante’s run raised the fantastic sum of £723.50!

Dante with his family

Dante on his 10 mile run

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u Raffle raises funds for DAAT Abbey Harwood lives in Landkey near Barnstaple and attends South Molton Community College. The 13 year old is also a keen fundraiser for Devon Air Ambulance since they airlifted her grandfather. Abbey recently organised a raffle by visiting all the local businesses to ask for prizes then sold tickets to school friends, staff and family. The raffle raised £160.80 and Abbey was proud to be nominated as Young Citizen of the Year.

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Junior Crew

Jeremy with youngsters

Matthew and Rosey

p Horrid Henry inspires Matthew Seven year old Matthew Elston from Cheldon near Chulmleigh is an avid reader.

After a slow start to reading, Matthew was motivated by achieving the Gold Book Track award at his local library. His mum, Vicky, was keen to keep up the momentum and

suggested her son undertook a ‘sponsored’ read. Matthew was delighted to accept the challenge and, before long, was ploughing through book after book. He devoured stories about the mischeivous Horrid Henry by Francesca Simon and loved the antics in Dinosaur Cove by Rex Stone. Matthew discovered a love of reading aloud by reading to his little brother, Harry – and even read to the family dog!

By February this year, Matthew had read over 100 books – and raised £105 in sponsorship in the process. Seeing the air ambulances flying regularly over their home made Devon Air Ambulance Trust a natural choice for the proceeds and the family enjoyed meeting the aircrew and seeing the helicopter when they presented their funds at our Eaglescott Airbase. t Flapjacks a big hit for Benji Four year old Benji Mungall from Exeter is one of our youngest fundraisers. Benji made scones and flapjacks and raised £13.99 by selling them in his local area in St Thomas. Prior to his busy morning of baking and selling, Benji called in to our shop in Cowick Street (with his dad, James) to ask if he could have his own collection box – we were happy to oblige!

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Business Support

Business support We are always excited when a business suggests that they would like to support the Trust. There are so many different ways to help and one idea can quickly lead to another, often allowing the company to engage with staff, customers, suppliers and other business contacts in original and inspiring ways.

One of the more unusual initiatives this spring was from the Co-operative Food Store in Chudleigh. Whilst a total of nine local Co-op Foodstores are currently supporting us, the Chudleigh branch has come up with two different fundraising ideas. The first is that customer services team member, Terry Davison, donated a painting of our helicopter at Hound Tor to raffle or auction.

Another colleague, Rachel O’Riordan, has organised a sponsored slim – with an aim to go down three dress sizes by the end of the year and customers paying £1 to guess the weight loss!

Staff at the HSBC bank in Teignmouth were inspired to support DAAT for a second year after colleague, Emma Oxley, was airlifted to Derriford Hospital following an accident. Emma suffered five broken ribs, a punctured lung, damage to her liver and damaged to her eye socket after being thrown from her horse and kicked in the face. Emma has since organised a variety of fundraising activities including a car boot sale and the auction of a Burberry handbag, which raised £500. A big thank you to all at South West Highways for their continued support and we look forward to seeing their team(s) at our Dragon Boat event this September!

Bringing hoardes of keen motorcyclists together every month is how Bridge Motorcycles support the Trust. Recognising that our Air Ambulance is often called to attend road traffic incidents involving motorcycles makes their support of the Trust a natural match.

The Exeter office of Francis Clark , Chartered Accountants, nominated DAAT as their Charity of the Year for the second year running and organised a charity Golf Day on May 1st. They are holding a number of other activities and also entering a team into the Three Peaks Challenge – we wish them all well!

There are five Wilkos stores across Devon and they have all nominated to support DAAT for a second year. Following a variety of different initiatives involving staff and customers, they raised over £21,000 last year! A team from Kier Construction recently took part in a 500 mile challenge, so Ambrose and Jennie went along to meet their mascot, Kieran!

Popular East Devon attraction, Pecorama, in Beer, has invited DAAT to go along to various events that they are hosting throughout the summer. From face painting to donations from their wishing well, we are grateful to all at Pecorama for their support in 2014.

And now for a completely different way to raise funds, a big thanks goes to Bampton Surgery near Tiverton for selling second hand books in the practice in support of DAAT. What a great idea!

Ambrose and Jennie meet Kier mascot, Kieran

If your business is interested in supporting DAAT call Ambrose thanks Masons Kings Caroline Creer on 01392 466666 Ext.*133 for their support. or by email on c.creer@daat.org

Get in touch!

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Business Support

Ambrose at Pecorama Bikers supporting DAAT at Bridge Motorcycles, Exeter

South West Highways

HSBC Bank in Teignmouth Francis Clark Golfers Sta at Wilko stores pledge their support

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The Honest Truth

A big responsibility

Did you know that almost a third of our missions are to road traffic collisions and, nationally, 17 to 24 year olds are more likely to be killed or seriously injured than any other age group? Young women are particularly vulnerable, with more dying in the passenger seat than behind the steering wheel; often caused by young men trying to impress.

Devon Air Ambulance paramedic Nigel Lang is one of the speakers at an initiative called Learn2Live; a partnership between Devon County Council and the emergency services.

It’s an extremely Devon Air Ambulance Trust Paramedic Nigel Lang powerful 90 minute presentation that’s delivered to young adults across Devon.

Nigel explains, “Being an aircrew paramedic is a high profile job; sometimes people ask me if it’s exciting. I tell them it’s the best job in the world, and that I’m in the privileged position of being able to help people when they are at their most vulnerable; I tell them we can relieve suffering, bring hope and make a difference to the quality of someone’s life. I’ll explain that sometimes when we arrive at the scene of a road traffic collision (RTC) you can see from the look in peoples’ eyes they’re relieved to see us; they have an expectation we’re going to make everything okay and ‘save’ the injured it’s a big responsibility.

What I don’t normally do is speak frankly and tell people my perspective tell people my thoughts and feelings, today I have been asked to do so.

“Sometimes the 999 caller will tell us the casualty is dead before we get there - only to find signs of life; other times we’re told “the caller doesn’t know the

casualty’s condition” and find the casualty is obviously already deceased. Serious RTCs are common, far too common and I’m going to briefly walk you through just one.

“The Red Phone rang, our Pilot and my Paramedic colleague went out to the helicopter to start the engines; I took the details over the phone – it was a serious RTC involving two cars. We got priority clearance from Air Traffic Control and made good time getting to the scene.

We found a male driver helpless and unconscious, he was totally reliant on us and I wondered if he could still hear the noise around him.

“Within a moment we were battling to deliver immediate life-saving procedures as quickly and effectively as possible. He had horrific injuries, his limbs were moving in directions they shouldn’t, bones were sticking out through his skin and the shape of his chest wasn’t normal. I saw him stop breathing and witnessed his cardiac arrest, we attempted resuscitation but we failed at the most important and most basic thing – to save his life. We agreed to stop the resuscitation, it was futile to continue … I looked into his lifeless gaze and apologised.

“Within a moment we were battling to deliver immediate life-saving procedures as quickly and effectively as possible”

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Operations It was difficult to put an age on him – he looked old, not from age but from the condition he was in; I guessed he was probably between 40 and 60. Thankfully, this unknown man was the only person in his car. On other occasions I’ve found myself in a similar position to that which I have just described, but with relatives and friends present – can you imagine what that’s like?

“This man had done nothing wrong. Who was he? Did he have family, a wife, a partner, or children? I started to think of these things – as I always do.

“Today, like so many other days, someone overtook and got it wrong – they didn’t kill on purpose; they made a selfish and stupid decision. They were uninjured, I looked across and saw them in the Police car, they were under arrest; I wondered if they had a family as they would be affected by this too.

“We carried on and finished the shift - quieter than before, reflecting on how fragile life is. At home I try not to let my work affect my family – after all, it wasn’t their fault I had a bad day. I did what I usually do and kept the events of the day to myself. As another day drew to a close I knew once again that so many people’s lives have been shattered, and for me the images of the day would stay. It was so avoidable and I was certain that the offending driver would, if they could – go back in time and change the way they drove.”

How is 2014 stacking up so far?

Operations Director Nigel Hare brings us up to date.

Learn2Live also supports other road safety initiatives that could help save lives on our roads.

My Red Thumb is an idea from Colorado, USA – painting your thumbnail red acts as a reminder for not using a mobile phone whilst driving. It’s the same three fatal factors whether you live in deepest Devon or USA… phone, human and vehicle.

The Red Thumb Campaign is a Road Safety campaign to help raise awareness about the risks of distracted driving – especially when using a mobile phone.

The campaign involves a number of local and national organisations including Devon County Council, Torbay Council, Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue and the Highways Agency. Devon’s road users may also spot the campaign’s message – “What colour is your thumb” on electronic road signs around the county.

www.daat.org

I.H.T. - Inter Hospital Transfer RTC - Road Traffic Collision DSH - Deliberate Self Harm

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Happy Birthday, Karen!

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A 50th birthday must be celebrated in style and in a fashion which cannot be forgotten so I came up with an idea which was cunning and had a subplot worthy of any Agatha Christie novel. ‘What about dinner at Greenway?’

I suggest to the good lady wife. ‘Your closest friends all together in Agatha Christie’s dining room.’

I

had done it. My wife, Karen, is a Christie fanatic and to add a little ‘Agatha’ touch to the event, I made it 13 at dinner! For non-Christie readers, this was the alternative title for her novel, Lord Edgware Dies… as ever, the Americans had to change the title but, for me, it had come in handy.

And so I got in touch with the team at the National Trust property and discovered that prices were very reasonable, the menus were excellent and wine could be brought by the crate if you should so wish. The only stipulation was that personal liability insurance must be organised which, on reflection, I might put on standing order for the next 20 years considering the way our friends drink and behave.

Now, as soon as I had mentioned this at the BBC, fellow Radio Devon presenter David Sheppard offered to take us there in his 1962 bus. This was a fantastic idea as he could also make up the 13th person. But how do you choose 10 other friends? In short, I didn’t. But on the day itself, 13 set out but as we drove through Ivybridge we pulled up in Friends Garage and walking down the street just happened to be Simon Weston and his wife Lucy and Frank Kelly and his wife Bairbre. There were a few tears but at last the great secret was out and so on to Greenway.

We had packed a fair amount of wine for the dinner but, as I mentioned, we were carrying some semi-professional drinkers who had worked up a thirst on the back seat so we had to stop at Totnes to take on supplies. The image of a Falklands veteran, a BBC presenter and ‘Father Jack’ in dickie bows and dinner jackets, staggering out of an off-licence didn’t even turn a head in Totnes…..well, what would?

It must be said that the bus is the same age as me and moved with the same grace and ability so we were a little late for dinner but the staff at Greenway took everything in their stride. Carpaccio of beef for starters with herb infused tender lamb for main course plus a selection of sweets and cheese.

Nobody was poisoned, stabbed or found drowned in the garden and, although it would have been most welcome, Poirot did not burst in to point the finger of blame. After ‘Black Coffee’, I reflected that it had been difficult to keep quiet but the task didn’t compare to ‘The Labours of Hercules’. The journey home brought this ‘Endless Night’ to a perfect conclusion but I will put my ‘Cards on the Table’, next year it will be a simpler celebration. Taxis arrived at about midnight ‘And then there were None’. Happy Birthday Karen.

The image of a Falklands veteran, a BBC presenter and ‘Father Jack’ in dickie bows and dinner jackets, staggering out of an off-licence didn’t even turn a head in Totnes… well, what would?

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Fitz

www.daat.org

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The mpg figures quoted are sourced from official EU-regulated test results obtained through laboratory testing. These are provided for comparability purposes only and may not reflect your actual driving results.

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At Wilkinson Grant & Co we believe that businesses have a responsibility to support the local community they serve.

As property agents dealing with all aspects of buying, selling and letting property with specialists in land, planning, new homes, acquisitions and surveys we are uniquely placed to help raise awareness and support for local charities and community groups.

We encourage all of our colleagues, customers and associates to do the same.

WORKING FOR PEOPLE, DEALING WITH PROPERTY

Broadwalk House Southernhay West Exeter EX1 1TS Tel: 01392 427500

property@wilkinsongrant.co.uk

Proud to be supporting Devon Air Ambulance Trust