Helipad Winter 2016 Online Edition

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The Official Magazine of

Winter 2016

Touch Down...

after dark!

Our service extended until midnight

Devon Air Ambulance Trust

Groundbreaking achievements! DAA Paramedics raise the bar on pre-hospital patient care

Meet our

Fantastic Fundraisers

Celebrating

2016 Events

Devon’s Literary Connections A TALE OF TWO CITIES EXETER & PLYMOUTH

A Muggle’s Guide to Exeter

Join Our

Weekly Lottery

see inside!

LOTTERY

Harry Potter locations

now available with Direct Debit

www.daat.org

Registered Charity No.1077998 Company No.3855746

Patient Stories - Real People Saving Real Lives


LEGAL EXPERTISE FOR EVERYONE

Everys has been providing quality legal expertise, delivered professionally yet personally to individuals, families and businesses across the region for many years. Residential and Commercial Conveyancing Tax Planning Dispute Resolution Commercial and Corporate Transactions Family and Matrimonial Agricultural Law

Wills, Trusts and Probate Inheritance Tax Planning Inheritance Disputes Employment Law Personal Injury Equestrian Law

For more information please call us on 0800 8840640 email info@everys.co.uk or visit everys.co.uk Exeter • Honiton • Exmouth • Sidmouth • Seaton • Budleigh Salterton • Taunton • London • Dubai Authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority No 49465 and the Financial Conduct Authority No 120379


Welcome el na olt, Chief ecu ve

Celebrating the best in Devon

50,000 copies covering the whole county 35,000+ delivered direct to our supporters Also available online at www.daat.org Contributors David Fitzgerald Debbie Gregory Neil Devons Sarah Chesters Richard Hunt Holly Belcher Photographers e r ett L ey Richard Lappas Sarah Burden Michelle Lovegrove

Diocese of Plymouth Richard Downer Simon Stuart Miller Timehouse Muzeum

Publisher Heléna Holt h.holt@daat.org 01392 466666 Editor Debbie Gregory e d.gregory@daat.org dver sing Sales Julie Hutchins j.hutchins@daat.org 07843 621463 dver sement Copy copy@daat.org Design Print anagement er o e Distri u on er o e

e re o y o er o at night! This is a tremendous milestone for our service, bringing e re o e eo e o e o re r o ere e e e ro e e or o o y e e e orre o acquiring the correct equipment for our crew and helicopter, and o e e e e ry r o e e re r e o e e er or o r er e e know none of this would have been possible without your support. yo o e eryo e o o r e o o r o er o y y e o r or yo r o y e o eer o r o y o r ottery e e e e o r r e o o yo yo r r e re e o save more lives because of your generosity. o re ore o o r r e o y e o e o e r o e r o o

ur uest ditor: ve DiBartolo

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e re r e o e e o e o e oe e y o r e o y o e r e e e o L er ry o e o e o e o much more! Enjoy! r

2016 is drawing to a close, which e e or o r Helipad of 2016! As you can tell, I’m not your usual Helipad editor, so let me introduce myself. I spent two years with Devon Air Ambulance on a Charity Visa from the USA, joining the fundraising team with the occasional dip into e e y o ore er e y ett e e o e r y oe e o e e or o o o e o o r o er o r or re e r or e or e eo o e e er y o ere re y o e er e o e o o re

@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 e ery e or ee e o e re e r yo o r o e e er o e e re o e or y o o error or er o or for the consequences of any reliance on these details; neither can they vouch for the r yo e y y er er e e e re e e re o necessarily those of the publishers.

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In this issue...

nhanced Pa ent Care

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n The Cover ssue o.1 Winter 2016

Tale of Two Ci es

ight me is ight me mouth Community Landing Site ichelle ovegrove Next Issue: 31st March 2017

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Star Prizes

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Contents

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Read All About It!

45 Junior Crew

40

33

No More Jumps For Me...

ee ng our Pa ents

our Pa ents 33 Weeetakenga look at our airbase open days and share the

Crew 45 Junior ro re e

Catalogue of Injuries 34 AFalling from his quad bike and subsequently having it

on Board 46 Business e ee r e e e

ory o ro o year’s Mid Devon Show

ere

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roll over him, Mike Lipscombe found himself in need of Devon’s Air Ambulance

All About It! 35 Read We take a look at just some of the vast number of e o er ry o e o o e r o or or throughout the ages

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r o o

y ro e or

Night Landing

Toby Russell, our Community Helipads Development er e o o y e o r er e e y

Jumps for Me… 40 NorMore tto o ro

y o o a jump gone wrong on his mountain bike that landed him in serious trouble

People 42 Devon r or er o

r e or o o bike, our youngest supporters show us how to get involved

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pera 48 Clinical e re o r e

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Chat 50 Back David FitzGerald learns two new professions: mechanic and diamond smuggler

We Love To Talk!

e re eo y o e or e channels so you can keep up with everything we’re doing between issues. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram, join the Twi er o er o our YouTube

e o re o ey fundraise across the county and beyond. From tea r e o r or r y e o e o r fundraisers have done it all

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Devon_Life_Half_Page _Adaptions_Layout 1 10/10/2016 12:13 Page 1

M A K E YO U R L I FE E A SI E R W I T H M OB I L I T Y A DA P TATION S F OR YOU R C AR Handsfree systems

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We can help and advise you with a wide variety of adaptations for your car

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Wheelchair adaptions

Call Gary Albinson on

01626 855067 Gary.Albinson@gmcoachwork.co.uk

GM Coachwork Ltd | Teign Valley | Trusham | Newton Abbot | TQ13 0NX www.gmcoachwork.co.uk

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The official fuel consumption figures in mpg (l/100km) for the Mazda Range: Urban 30.4 (9.3) - 74.3 (3.8). Extra Urban 51.4 (5.5) - 88.3 (3.2). Combined 40.9 (6.9) - 83.1 (3.4). CO 2 emissions(g/km) 161 - 89. The mpg fi gures quoted are sourced from official EU-regulated test results obtained through laboratory testing. These are provided for comparability purposes only and may not refl ect your actual driving results. Personal contract hire offer on Mazda CX-3 120ps 2WD SE and Mazda CX-5 165ps 2WD SE-L Nav on vehicles ordered between 01.10.2016 and 30.11.2016 at participating dealers, subject to availability and status. Age 18+ only. Mazda CX-3 figures based on a non-maintenance contract hire package with advance rental of £1,134, then 36 monthly rentals of £189 plus VAT. Mazda CX-5 figures based on a non-maintenance contract hire package with advance rental of £1,470, then 36 monthly rentals of £245 plus VAT. Excess miles over contracted mileage of 30,000 over 36 months charged at 15 pence per mile. Excess charges also apply if you breach manufacturer servicing or maintenance guidelines or if the car exceeds BVRLA Fair Wear & Tear guidelines for its age/mileage when it is returned to Mazda Contract Hire. Package includes road fund licence and Mazda Assistance. Guarantee/indemnity may be required. Prices and details are subject to change without notice. For full specification and T&Cs contact your local retailer. You will not own the car. ALD Automotive Ltd, trading as Mazda Contract Hire, BS16 3JA. Models shown: Mazda CX-3 120ps 2WD Sport Nav, OTR from £20,495 and Mazda CX-5 165ps 2WD Sport Nav, OTR from £25,695. Models shown features optional Soul Red paint (£670). OTR prices include VAT, number plates, delivery, 12 months’ road fund licence, first registration fee, 3 year or 60,000 mile warranty and 3 years’ European Roadside Assistance. °Test drives subject to applicant status and availability. Details correct at time of going to print. Not available in conjunction with any other offer unless specified. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

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Star Pri e

inners

Ways To Help

or this edi on, we have chosen star pri e winners who kindly donated their rst new ver to us. Thank you Toni, nna and Ben

Ben and nna win a real ale gi pack from Black Tor Brewery with two steak and ale pies y Cockleshell Deli made with the rewery’s Raven ale

Toni wins a amily Ticket to one of Devon’s Top

rac ons

Thank you to all the usinesses for your kind dona ons.

f you o like t d l u o w your e t a n do sit i v , ’ r e rst v r shops ou any of op it in or p l D T ca your lo ty o chari www.daat.org

Did you know that the Bank of ngland has set up a we site for the new ver ou can learn all a out your rand new note at: www.thenew ver.co.uk

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eaving a gi in your will isn’t always the easiest su ect to talk a out. owever, it’s a wonderful opportunity to cele rate your life y making an invalua le contri u on to saving the lives of others for genera ons to come.

%

ive a i in your Will

Service User Number

4

4

2

7

2

5

Please fill out all boxes in the form with a ball-point pen and send it to:

Devon Air Ambulance Trust, 5 Sandpiper Court, Harrington Lane, Exeter EX4 8NS

Instruction to your bank or building society Please pay PSL re Devon Air Ambulance Direct Debits from the account detailed in this Instruction subject to the safeguards assured by the Direct Debit Guarantee. I understand that this Instruction may remain with PSL re Devon Air Ambulance and, if so, details will be passed electronically to my bank/building society.

Name(s) of Account Holder(s)

Bank/Building Society account number Branch sort code Name and full postal address of your Bank or Building Society To: The Manager of

Bank/Building Society

Address

e e

er e o y re e e ery e o o e o o eo e e e o ere ore e y e e o r o oo er e e e e e e y re o o re ere r y e o yo r ree ro er e e re o e yo e e er e e ore yo r e e eryo e r e e ere ere re y ere y yo or r y e e o r e yo r

Postcode Signature(s)

Date Banks and Building Societies may not accept Direct Debit instructions form some types of account

Please now complete your details below Name

Address

mportant nforma on yo oo e o o er e y o yo r o r o or

e o

or e o r e e orre or o e e o e re e re e e yo r re re e o o e

eo e r y e o r e r r y re er o r rr o L e e er r y e r o er e ere r y o yo

o e o e e e o

o ore o yo r info daat.org or 01392 466666

Direct Debit Loo or e ree y o e o or e r re ry y e re e y e or o e o o e o r e r er o r rr o L e e er or yo o o ro e or www.daat.org direct-de it www.daat.org

Postcode

Telephone Email

I wish to give Devon Air Ambulance Trust a donation of £ per month/quarter/year (delete as appropriate)

Please take Direct Debits on 6th/20th of the month (delete as appropriate)

We take your personal data seriously and do not sell on or share with any third party. If you would like to receive our Helipad magazine or occasional information about the Charity please tick: Post ¨ Email ¨

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I want to Gift Aid my donation of £ ___________ to Devon Air Ambulance I want to Gift Aid my donation of £ ___________ and any donations I make in the future or have made in the past 4 years to Devon Air Ambulance

Please notify the charity if you: • Want to cancel the declaration • Change your name or home address • No longer pay sufficient tax on your income and/or capital gains

I confirm I am a UK taxpayer and understand that if I pay less Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax in the current tax year than the amount of Gift Aid claimed on all my donations it is my responsibility to pay any difference. ¨ The Direct Debit Guarantee Guarantee is offered by all banks and building societies that accept instructions to pay Direct Debits. • If there are any changes to the amount, date or frequency of your Direct Debit PSL re Devon Air Ambulance will notify you five (5) working days in advance of your account being debited or as otherwise agreed. If you request PSL re Devon Air Ambulance to collect a payment, confirmation of the amount and date will be given to you at the time of the request. • If an error is made in the payment of your Direct Debit, by PSL re Devon Air Ambulance or your bank or building Society, you are entitled to a full and immediate refund of the amount paid from your bank or building society - If you receive a refund you are not entitled to, you must pay it back when PSL re Devon Air Ambulance asks you to • You can cancel a Direct Debit at any time by simply contacting your bank or building Society. Written confirmation may be required. Please also notify us. • This

This guarantee should be detached and retained by the payee

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oliday li Tumble orror A family holiday to a riverside cottage in Newton Ferrers took an unexpected turn just hours after they had arrived.

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n Saturday 30th July 2016, 7-year old Finley Shehean was excited to get out exploring neighbouring woodland on the banks of the River Yealm with brother Noah, aged 5, and granddad, Phil West. Phil told Helipad Editor and Patient iasion cer ebbie regory the following story “We followed a wooded path for about 1/4 mile along the side of the tidal section of the river, along the top of some cliffs, about 20ft high. The boys were excited to find a tree swing still in the same place as it had been when we’d visited the previous year. The boys’ parents, Kate and Paul, caught us up just as Finley stumbled from a tree stump, losing his balance. He gathered momentum on the sloped path, unable to stop and, with arms wind-milling and out of control, he disappeared over the side of the cliff to the horror and screams of the rest of us. “On peering over the edge, Finley was face down on rocks some way out from the foot of the cliff with obvious head injuries and not moving. Our fear was that he was either dead or seriously injured. His dad, Paul, managed to find a place to scramble down to him at which point Finley came to and said the words that we dreaded...‘I can’t move’. “There was no mobile phone signal where we were so Kate ran off, finding an area of mobile coverage en route to call 999. As I took Noah back along the path towards the cottage, we saw a rubber boat with yachtsmen on board heading upstream. On shouting for their help and directing them, Noah and I returned to the holiday property and checked that the 999 call-taker had the location correct; we were aware of the difficulty of access - 1/4 mile from nearest road and down the cliff. “Whilst on that call, Kate came running to advise that Finley had been put on board the rubber boat and was being taken to the landing pontoon in Newton Ferrers, so this was relayed to the 999 dispatcher. We were incredulous that Finley would be moved, having suffered such a fall! On our arrival at the pontoon, we learnt that one of the yachtsmen on the rubber boat happened to be a surgeon from erriford hospital, and he had assessed Finley in situ before getting him into the boat. Although we had not realised it, the tide was rapidly coming in and that had added a further

complication to an already difficult situation. “Much to our surprise, we were delighted to see the air ambulance appear over the river; the pilot, Jesse Konstam, had to make a tricky judgement on descending to a landing location on the decreasing area of foreshore that was surrounded by yacht masts and people on the ground. The aircrew paramedics, Mark Langley and Richard Walker, were quickly at Finley’s side and were briefed by the surgeon and joined by a road ambulance crew. Finley was checked over on the pontoon and secured to a stretcher before being taken, with his Mum Kate, to the helicopter, one skid of which was now in the water of the rising tide. inley was flown to erriford ospital and rushed into the AEU Trauma Unit where they x-rayed him on the stretcher. The drama was still ongoing for Finley, as he was then violently sick, whilst still strapped in with his head secured; necessitating some fast action by the trauma team, just as a octor rushed in to say the -rays were clear and he could be unfastened. After a night in hospital being checked over for latent injuries and signs of internal bleeding, Finley was discharged the following day. “Truly amazingly, Finley escaped his fall with two nasty head wounds that had to be stitched up, and a few bruises. We can only surmise that he somehow fell / rolled down the face of the cliff before being pitched out from the base hitting rocks on the way - it looked sheer, and a potentially fatal drop. Someone above was clearly looking out for Finley that day - what were the chances of the only nearby boat carrying a surgeon too? “The episode has brought sharply into focus the importance and value of the air ambulance in being able to get to accident scenes far quicker than a road ambulance, and to get to inaccessible places. “Finley is very proud of his ‘I’ve been Airlifted’ teddy and wants to thank the pilot and helicopter paramedics for looking after him and taking him to hospital. He is almost back to his old self and even asked his ad to walk back to the accident site so he could find his special stick!” Thanks to Phil and Finley for sharing this story and we are delighted that Finley made such a swift recovery.

Someone above was clearly looking out for Finley that day - what were the chances of the only nearby boat carrying a surgeon too?

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ee

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“Finley is almost back to his old self and even asked his Dad to walk back to the accident site so he could nd his special stick!�

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s t n e v E n i r a e Y A o e e or e

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In July, over 900 motorcyclists took part in our Ride Out, this year following an 85-mile route from Trago ills near ewton ot, over Dartmoor, down to South Devon and nishing at Dawlish Warren where they were entertained with music from four talented local bands: lectric Spank, The Summer des, ive inger Discount and o illow. ur thanks go to the riders and their pillion passengers for coming along. nd congratula ons go to Dan Darch of Cullompton and ar n heeler of Teignmouth who won Best n Show and Best Classic Bike respec vely.

R I D E O U T 2 01 6

DEVON AIR AMBULANCE

Thank you to our sponsor 12

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dragon boat festival er a summer of agricultural and annual town shows around the county, which kept us all out of mischief, our ne t ig event was the Dragon Boat es val in Septem er. Taking place at eter uay, this year saw 11 oats fran cally paddling the course to get to the nal race. ith 1 rowers and a drummer per oat, usinesses from all over Devon took part. lcoa owmet, PS roup and Devon ir m ulance’s own ad D Ters competed in the nal a le, with the ad D Ters declared the overall winners ell done team PS roup came in second and lcoa owmet took home the ron e for the third year in a row. Salcom e stuary Rowing Clu came in rst in fundraising though, with over 3 00 in sponsorship f course we would like to thank all of the par cipants: Daneswood Bluegrass, The eter, issan, The Sparkle arriors, Spare td, the Steiner cademy in eter and Tool ank. e look forward to seeing you all on the water ne t year

Thank you to our sponsor

Thank you to all of the companies who supported this year’s event:

ur last iggie’ of the year was, of course, the Commando Challenge – a whole weekend of mud, sweat and cheers ith teams having a choice of a , 10 or 1 course, there was something for everyone. ver 10 0 par cipants took on the challenge of this uni ue event the only one in the to u lise the Royal arine’s Commando Course at ood ury Common. ur winning team fundraisers this year were ncall edical Supplies of mouth , BB rchitects of Dartmouth 10 and indsight of ympstone 1 . The winning individual fundraisers were eah llen of mouth , ucinda rwin of the S 10 and ark ranklin of Basildon 1 . These winners alone raised well over ,000 for D and the Royal arines Charity

ndy oos D Systems arley Comms Devon Contract aste Signs press ospers regorys asons ings eter Chiroprac c Country Chiroprac c Photo- t enniford arm Radio e PC Thirsty ork Calor

yo re ee o or yo e ee e o eer e e e o o e yo r e o e o e o e e e e o o r r r y e t.owen@daat.org www.daat.org

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A Winter Wonderland..

ur magni cently unreliable weather simply cannot stop the fun if you’re up for it. There are plenty of winter activities to enjoy and new places to see, many of them o ering remarkable value for money and many of them free of charge.

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on’t let the winter rule out a walk on the moors or on the coastal path. Beachcombing can be absorbing in the winter and our wealth of woodlands and nature reserves can make a great day out whatever the weather. However, you must take precautions if you venture into the great outdoors in winter. Check the weather conditions in advance and wear warm and waterproof clothing including hats, gloves and appropriate footwear. Think about the time of day it gets dark and take a torch in case you overrun your schedule. Make sure you read about the places you intend to go and follow any advice or instructions given. Take a map, food and water and always carry a fully charged mobile phone in case of emergencies and always tell someone where you intend to go. Being prudent and planning is just common sense, but don’t try anything that might be beyond your capabilities. Some ideas for a family day out in the open include the fantastic South West Coastal Path, where you can choose the length and challenge of the walk, while enjoying some incredible sea views. Devon’s woods are magical. Take a look at Eggesford Forest in Mid Devon, Timber Woods in Ivybridge, Fingle Woods in the Teign Valley, Bellever Forest near Postbridge on Dartmoor, the undisturbed woodlands around Burrator Reservoir and the very special Wistman’s Wood near Princetown, one of the highest oakwoods in the country. A visit to Haldon Forest Park near Exeter is also highly recommended for a family day out with a choice of gentle strolls around marked trails or a more challenging mountain bike experience. The Discovery Trail is a multi-use, all-ability trail with traditional and natural play features, while the more challenging Butterfly Trail provides the chance of discovering some rare butterflies in the peaceful depths of the forest. Children can also enjoy a treetop experience – ‘Go Ape’. There is some great walking and wildlife to observe in Devon’s 50 nature reserves managed by Devon Wildlife Trust who also 14

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The Official Devon Air Ambulance Trust Magazine

have fascinating visitor centres in Cricklepit Mill in Exeter with its wildlife garden and occasional milling days and the Seaton Jurassic Experience which takes you back through time. (DWT also runs the Wembury Marine Centre near Plymouth, one of the best places to go rock pooling to spot crabs, starfish, anemones and molluscs but you’ll have to save this one for the spring and summer months). You can learn more about the Devon Wildlife Trust’s nature reserves by visiting www.devonwildlifetrust.org There is a wealth of visitor attractions to enjoy across Devon, many accessible for as little as £3-£10 per adult. The quirky Timehouse Museum in Totnes, for instance, is a ‘time-travelling Tardis’ below the town’s historic East Gate Arch and accessed – you guessed it – through the Narnia Gift & Record Store. It’s a unique 4-dimensional interactive, educational art and time travel experience for all ages with 25 individually themed installations; you won’t have come across anything quite like it. Helipad has visited Buckfast Abbey before but it’s worth reminding readers what a wonderful place for a free family visit. It is the only English medieval monastery to have been restored and used again for its original purpose. The monastery, founded in 1018, is home to a community of Benedictine monks who welcome visitors throughout the year. You can visit the beautiful Abbey Church, the fascinating gardens, including those dedicated to lavender, medicine and poisons! The shop sells products made by monks and nuns from all over Europe as well as its own famous tonic wine and honey made from its own bees.

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Out & About

The magical Wistman’s Wood

Kids love Shaldon Zoo with its unique collection of small and endangered mammals, primates, birds and reptiles. Set in an acre of peaceful woodland gardens on the Ness headland, just above the beautiful fishing village of Shaldon, this is the small zoo making a big difference. You can see marmosets, loris’ and lemurs, giant jumping rats, meerkats, javan mouse deer, exotic and colourful birds and reptiles. A lovely visit with convenient parking, Shaldon Zoo also offers the opportunity for youngsters over 8 years of age to spend a day as a junior keeper. What else can you do to chase away those winter blues? How about trying some chilli chocolate at South Devon Chilli Farm, discover the secrets of Devon’s prehistoric past at the Royal Albert Memorial Museum in Exeter, take a steam train ride, find a temporary ice rink, follow the RSPD nature trail at Darts Farm in Topsham, climb the Wall in the Hall at Tiverton or throw a pot at China Blue Ceramic studio in Totnes. If it snows, go sledging. We’ve barely scraped the surface of the wonderful things to do and see in Devon throughout the winter – so what are you waiting for! Before setting out to any attraction please check prices, opening times and dates in advance. Many operate shortened days or weeks during the winter months.

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Did you know?

free nce has a la u b m A t Devon Air pp that can pinpoin one a ncy mobile ph an emerge nd in n o ti a c lo tte your exact ng our aircrew to a le nabli ly as possib situation e k ic u q s a t an inciden arch for Se nce r Ambula Devon Ai

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Haldon

Located just 20 minutes from Exeter in the heart of the Culm Valley, Padbrook Park offers a superb location and extensive facilities for locals and visitors

Forest Punark

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Blue light services work together

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aking up in the major trauma room at erriford ospital in lymouth is the rst memory David White has following an accident last January.

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nexplicably, David lost control of his car whilst driving between Totnes and pplepen and plunged feet o the road, through trees and hedgerows and rolling over a brook. Amazingly the car remained on its wheels but David was unconscious on impact. The driver from a following vehicle called 999 and the blue light services were all swiftly on the scene. Whilst David has no memory of the incident whatsoever, he learned from a policeman the scene presented a variety of issues. Firstly, the fire service had to tie ropes through the trees to access the car before they could remove the roof to reach David. He was finally extricated from his car by the fire brigade and lifted on to a stretcher by paramedics from the land ambulance and Devon’s Air Ambulance, who added a neck brace before placing him in the helicopter. David’s head was bleeding and he was slipping in and out of consciousness. An added concern for those involved at the scene was a child’s car seat and toys found near the car. David was unable to tell them if either of his young daughters had been with him, prompting a further search along the brook and field. Fortunately, a visit by two police officers to David’s home in Totnes, confirmed that both Evie, 6, and Iris, just 2 months,

were safely at home with their mum, Helen. On arrival at Derriford Hospital, David was given a full body scan which revealed various injuries including nerve damage to his leg and a hernia but, amazingly, just a broken finger! Still suffering a headache from the concussion, he was kept in overnight and discharged the following day. While David’s recovery was slow and steady over the following months, daughter Evie decided that she wanted to say ‘thank you’ to Devon Air Ambulance for helping her daddy. Choosing toys to sell and baking cakes, Evie hosted a table top sale outside their house, promoted by self-designed posters. Passers-by to the town of Totnes were impressed and generous, raising a grand total of £436 in a single day! The family recently visited the Air Ambulance airbase at Exeter and David explained, “I am eternally grateful to DAAT and the blue light services and how you all worked together to save me. I don’t have any memory of the day but have been back to the scene since and seen the difficulties everyone would have faced – I am incredibly grateful. Helen and I are also touched and proud that our six-year old daughter has raised funds from her toy and cake sale to say thank you. On behalf of Helen and myself, our daughter Evie and our baby girl Iris, THANK YOU.”

David was unable to tell them if either of his young daughters had been with him, prompting a further search along the brook and eld.

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Out & About

The

of Devon

one he Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling is not solely also but of the most successful book series of all time, sees the gave birth to a franchise worth billions. This year at the opening of the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child play stic Fanta alace Theatre in ondon and the lm release of s storie Beasts and Where to Find Them, the rst of ve new the about the wizarding world set before the events of many and r novels. Rowling attended the University of Exete to back crucial locations in the Harry Potter universe trace her time in Devon… ¨

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The entrance to 10 Cathedral Close will seem familiar to many fans of the series. Situated behind the Cathedral, the entrance bears resemblance to the entrance of the Room of Requirement, which features heavily in the fth book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, appearing only to those who need it.

One of the most well-known locations in the Harry Potter novels, Diagon Alley, is in reality, Exeter’s Gandy Street. Rowling has stated on record that Gandy Street with its narrow cobbled road was a large inspiration for the books. One of the more recognisable buildings in Diagon Alley, the wizarding bank Gringotts, also found its birth on Gandy Street in the form of Exeter’s LGBT bar and nightclub, The Vaults Bar.

Rowling took inspiration from two locations in Exeter for the Great Hall at Hogwarts. to While the building bears no resemblance all reat owling’s ctional creation, the e, at the University of Exeter inspired its nam basis the as d while Exeter Cathedral is note for the Great Hall’s magical interior.

area that ot the only Exeter is n ling; nearby villages ow t inspired R erton and Ottery S lt a S o b h the oks. Budleig cations in lo y d e ir sp read Harr Mary in who have u o y f o u o se y For tho od Prince, e Half Blo erton, Potter and th ber Budleigh Babb r em re rofesso might rem ation whe c lo l a to n d o e ti the c persuad t lived when e Ottery S Slughorn arts. Whil w ge g o la il H v e to e of th return m a n e th ired nce of Mary insp the reside , le o p h tc Ca nd Diggory Ottery St ovegood a L y, e sl a e the W families.

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The Old Firehouse pub in eter influenced J ’s description of The Leaky Cauldron. The venue’s cramped cosy atmosphe re and candle lighting bear a striking resemblance to the wizarding pub’s descript ion in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, though o ering a wide selection of cider instead of Butterbe er.

ved Rowling li at Although e h Halls w il r, in Duryard te e x rsity of E m the Unive o fr spiration she took in . First opened all Mardon H ll ardon Ha in 1933, M rst halls of r’s mon was ete nd the com a , e c n e d resi red place with room’s re wling’s o R spired in r e p a p ll ndor wa of the ry n o ti p ri sc de Room. Common www.daat.org


Keeping Busy

ould your community bene t from a communal Men’s hed F

or generations, men have been known to disappear to their shed in the far corner of the garden, often to escape the family, the dog and assorted domestic chores around the house. ads, grandads, husbands, brothers and sons have all enjoyed the sanctity of ‘the shed’ pottering, tinkering, mending, making and nurturing. ow, however, there is an opportunity for men in a village or a town to meet together on a regular basis sharing skills, knowledge, tools and resources, working on community projects, enjoying social interaction and a sense of achievement, in a communal Men’s hed. AA’s ebbie regory went along to find out more about one thriving and productive group in orth evon. The Men’s hed in evon’s reat Torrington evolved following a trip to Australia by retired , r arry rump, where arry saw the benefits of men coming together around practical tasks, particularly when they have a designated place to meet. r rump and his friend John eer placed an advert in the local newspaper and, such was the response, the Torrington Men’s hed was born. There are now regular members in reat Torrington, known as ‘ hedders’, with a wealth of skills practiced, learned and honed over the years. hilst this particular group are all retired, age is not an issue. ndeed, with the diversity of tools and machinery they now have access to, the group have offered training to anyone, women and students included

The Torrington Men’s hed have been involved in many community projects since they began, including a mud kitchen for the toddler group, reupholstering dining chairs, making scenery for the theatre, planters for the town, painting the changing rooms at the football club where the hedders meet , renovating the benches for their local memorial gardens and for the Tarka Trail, and building a fabulous train engine for the local playgroup. ne enthusiastic member, Alan rawley, e plained the benefits of the group. e meet every Tuesday and Thursday morning and on a ednesday afternoon. ince the group began, my social life has improved greatly. etirement can be very isolating, particularly when one is widowed, and often men suffer from a loss of identity and sense of purpose when they give up work, which can even lead to depression and mental illness. ur Men’s hed provides regular social interaction and banter as well as the opportunity to learn new skills and feel useful again. e’ve been really fortunate to have some great machinery and tools kindly donated, enabling us to create, renovate, refurbish and upcycle all manner of things. hen we retired, my wife was still really busy but felt really redundant and, conse uently, got in her way ow though, have my own social life with the other hedders so it’s winwin. As well as the routine meetings, we also organise other social events and musical evenings sometimes we even let our partners come along ¨

etirement can be very isolating, particularly when one is widowed, and often men su er from a loss of identity and sense of purpose when they give up work, which can even lead to depression and mental illness.

or to start your e, or m t ou d n fi to ssheds.org.uk If you would like en .m w w w t ou k ec own Mens Shed, ch www.daat.org

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The Season to be Jolly is not Far Away!

Devon Chef Richard Hunt

Well the summer has well and truly gone with the clear chilly nights and heavy morning mists greeting us as we head out of our front doors to start our working day.

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n the world of food, the season of food festivals has come and gone for another year and our thoughts are turning to that most wonderful time of the year where chefs all start to think about bronze turkey and Christmas pud! We have moved seasonally from the summer bounty of leafy salads, ripe sun-kissed tomatoes and sweet berries to the season of orchard harvest, hedgerow fruits and the earthy root vegetables with dark green leaves of our brassica favourites. There is the joy of picking those wonderful mushrooms from the local fields returning home and simply pan roasting with some Westcountry butter and a good grind of black pepper, nestled beside a rasher or two of crispy bacon and a lightly poached duck or hens egg, a breakfast fit to start any day. I’m sure we have had our fill of pumpkin carving and what to do with the flesh. The squash family is fantastic for turning into warming soups, hearty curries or a rich puree to add a wonderful sweetness to venison and beefy dishes, so have a go; they are worth the effort. The game season is well and truly upon us and I’m afraid to say it gets a bit of a bad rep, with the general consensus that it’s fussy to prepare, overly strong in flavour and expensive, let alone difficult to get hold of. Well the joy of Devon is that we are blessed with great farm shops and independent butchers who can source great game from our moors and farmland already prepared with no fuss.

One myth is that game needs to be ‘hung’ until it almost moves on its own; this is complete rubbish, and pheasant can be eaten the day after its shot, the same as pigeon, with venison only needing about a week to be at its best. Try substituting pheasant for chicken, although please don’t overcook the pheasant; keep it moist and it will reward you in flavour and succulence. Venison is a little more expensive but not anywhere near as pricey as beef. Slow roast a haunch on a BBQ outdoors with a dry herby rub or, as in my recipe, for some indulgence cook some great loin steaks with some fruity and earthy flavours. (Remember venison has very little fat content, so to avoid drying out the meat and finishing up by eating a beer mat, keep it medium rare!) Hopefully the constant westerly storms that battered us last season will keep away and our brave fishermen can go out into the chilled waters of the Atlantic and catch some fab seafood. Whiting is a cheap and tasty fish, if you insist on a 1-2lb fish. Scallops are always a joy now and a bit of a treat, whereas the humble but majestic cod will come into range of our smaller day boats, ready to be lightly cooked either in wonderful beer batter or butter roasted so the large flakes are just done, finish with a squeeze of lime and fresh chopped parsley. Lookout for some good deals on monkfish, brill, oysters and plaice, as they are all at their peak over the next couple of months. Always remember though, please be gentle when cooking your fish. Our orchards have been brimming with pears and apples, and now is the time to indulge in a hearty apple charlotte, or classic blackberry and apple crumble with a toasted hazelnut crumble finish and lashings of clotted cream and custard! Bottle those poached pears with vanilla, orange and cloves ready for Christmas, or even make some great fruit chutneys ready for those Boxing Day cold cuts. For this edition, I have chosen a dish with some great earthy flavours, and although it looks quite complicated, it really is easy and you can do a lot of preparation in advance. I guarantee it will wow your guests!

Well the joy of Devon is that we are blessed with great farm shops and independent butchers who can source great game from our moors and farmland already prepared with no fuss.

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Devon Food

Pan roasted venison medallion with celeriac puree, eld mushrooms, buttered carrots, pancetta, curly kale, pickled blackberries, and sloe gin sauce Ingredients 4 venison loin medallions 160g each 100g butter 25ml vegetable oil Small bunch thyme 1 small celeriac peeled and chopped 250ml milk 100ml double cream 2 bay leaves 300g curly kale picked off stalks and washed 75g diced pancetta 200g field mushrooms or wild mushrooms 5ml truffle oil (optional) 60g fresh blackberries 15ml cider vinegar 10ml honey 250ml beef stock 100ml sloe gin or port 100g carrots cut into sticks, cooked and buttered Method 1. To make the celeriac puree, add the celeriac to the milk, double cream and bay leaves in a saucepan and cook until tender

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2. Spoon the celeriac into a blender and blend with a little knob of butter and a little of the cream and milk mixture until a smooth thick puree is achieved, season to taste 3. In a hot frying pan, place a little oil and cook the pancetta until crisp, followed by the mushrooms, and finally the pieces of kale for a minute or two until tender, season with a little grind of pepper, drain and keep warm 4. Wipe the pan clean and put 10ml of oil into the pan and get very hot, sear the venison medallions on all sides for a minute or so finishing with a generous knob of butter and the thyme, place all of this onto a baking tray and place in a pre-heated oven 220c for 4-5 minutes, remove and rest for 5 minutes in a warm place, and season with salt and pepper. Do not cover otherwise they will continue to cook. 5. In the hot frying pan that you sealed the venison in, add the sloe gin and reduce by half, add the beef stock and reduce to a nice sauce consistency, keep warm 6. Take the blackberries and cut in half, dress with the honey and vinegar and keep aside 7. Place the puree on a warm plate, place the medallions, kale, mushrooms and pancetta on the puree, and finish with the blackberries and the reduced sauce and carrots.

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Volunteers

Time on your hands? Could you spare a few hours a week to join one of our happy teams of volunteers and help save lives?

Devon Air Ambulance is incredibly proud of our volunteers, and we’re always looking for new people to join our team. We currently need volunteer help in ALL our shops and in particular our newest shop in Bideford (See P 30 for more details). According to a national Charity Shops Survey the number of volunteers in charity shops nationally fell by around 6 percent last year; a drop of around 9,000 volunteers. Total hours volunteered in shops also fell for the second successive year.

a flair for fashion or a creative eye and would like to help with shop displays? There are roles for young and old, male and female - whoever you are, you’ll fit in just fine! Laura in Plymouth

We would really like to buck this trend - could you help us? We need volunteers to help with sorting, sweeping, steaming... in fact there’s a role for everyone! If you’re outgoing and chatty perhaps you’d like to help on the till or the shop floor? Or perhaps you’re a little shy and would prefer to beaver away in the background? Perhaps you have Shop volunteering suits anyone who wants to get out of the house, make new friends, do something worthwhile and have fun. As well as that, we offer our volunteers the opportunity to undertake a nationally recognised qualification in either Retail, Customer Service or Team Leading - which would look fabulous on your CV if you’re job hunting. We’re happy to give you a reference too, and you’ll find your confidence and self-esteem will soar - after all, you’re doing something amazing. Our Charity shops make a difference - you could too! Andy at the Sidmouth shop

To view a current list of our shop locations visit: www.daat.org/charity-shop-locations The Honiton team

If you would like to find out more details about volunteering with Devon Air Ambulance, please call 01392 466666 or email fundraising@daat.org 22

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Tale of Cities

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Situated at either end of Devon’s South Coast are two of the UK’s great cities, eter and lymouth. eter is the county town and arguably the nancial centre of the South West, while Plymouth is much larger, more manufacturing and marine oriented. Plymouth has its iconic Hoe overlooking the Sound, one of the world’s great natural harbours, while Exeter has its relaxed quayside where the River Exe meets the historic ship canal. Each is steeped in history and has a wealth of attractions to draw visitors but how do they compare and what do they have in common?

Cathedrals Cities are often defined as any town that has a cathedral, so both Exeter and Plymouth qualify there. The Cathedral Church of Saint Peter at Exeter is an Anglican cathedral and the seat of the Bishop of Exeter. It dates from 1050 with the present building completed around 1400. It dominates the city centre and you can imagine how awe-inspiring it would have been in a medieval landscape where few buildings rose above two stories. It has many notable features including an early set of misericords (a form of carved seating dating back to the 13th century), an astronomical clock, a minstrel gallery and the longest uninterrupted vaulted ceiling in the world.

By contrast, the Cathedral Church of Saint Mary and Saint Boniface in Plymouth is a much more recent building, completed in 1858, it was an outcome of the emancipation of Catholics in the early part of that century. Plymouth Cathedral does not hog the limelight like its Exeter counterpart, tucked away in the Stonehouse area of the city, with its narrow spire jutting above the early-Victorian terraces.

Did you know? Plymouth Cathedral was designed by Joseph Hansom who also invented the eponymous horse drawn cab.

Did you know? In February 2016 Exeter Cathedral embarked on a major project to build a scale model of the building from 300,000 LEGO bricks. www.daat.org

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Retail Therapy Both cities are major retail centres for the entire South West. Until the construction of Drake’s Circus, possibly the last covered shopping mall to be built in the UK, Plymouth’s main shops were accommodated in the wide boulevards and low rise city centre buildings that were a result of the Abercrombie plan to reconstruct the bomb-damaged city after World War II.

Exeter’s main shopping experience is Princesshay, one of the new breed of open air precincts dedicated to retail and dining. Unlike enclosed malls, a stroll around Princesshay reveals a glimpse of distant fields or of the cathedral. Exeter’s Gandy Street is a charming, narrow, alley-like pedestrianised street lined with jewellery, fashion and gift shops and a smattering of wine bars, restaurants and a pub.

The city centre is not the only place to go shopping in Plymouth. There are plenty of small retail parks and the Elizabethan Barbican quarter bristles with independent shops that cater for visitors in particular.

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Did you know? The first Lieutenant Governor of Tasmania, Colonel David Collins RM and George P Harris, the first deputy Surveyor General of Tasmania, were both brought up in Gandy Street, Exeter. The two discovered their common childhood home when chatting in a tent in South Australia.

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Fine dining Neither Plymouth nor Exeter has been left behind by the nation’s growing obsession with dining out. Fine dining and a booming café culture can be found everywhere. Plymouth’s city centre boasts some terrific places to eat including the award-winning Greedy Goose housed in the Prysten House, the city’s oldest building, while just around the corner is the Treasury bar, café and restaurant which is located in Catherine Street in the City Council’s former – er, Treasury. But it’s at the Royal William Yard, the Grade 1 listed collection of former Royal Navy Victualling buildings, where the culinary explosion is most evident. French flavours at Le Bistro Pierre, a taste of Japan at Wagamama and wine tasting at Le Vignoble are all to be found in the Yard’s New Cooperage building, while the Mills Bakery now houses Seco Lounge café and bar, Prezzo for Italian cuisine and Rocket’s Espresso Bar. Pastas and Pizzas at Wildwood and artisan bread with hearty lunches at the Royal William Bakery can be found in the former Slaughter House, while River Cottage Canteen & Deli and Latin American styled Las Iguanas are in the former Brewhouse.

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Not to be outdone, Exeter is fast gaining a reputation for great food with some top restaurants arriving in the city. Cathedral Yard boasts French, Italian, Moroccan and Thai menus at Cote Brasserie, Ask, Al Farid and the Thai Orchid restaurants, as well as a number of tea rooms, while a walk through to Princesshay reveals Café Rouge, Jamie’s and Coal Grill & Bar. The stylish restaurant at the Abode oyal larence o ered a top class menu until the recent re, which has sadly closed the ’s oldest hotel.

Exeter’s Queen Street project is seeing the Guildhall Shopping Centre’s neo-classical façade on Exeter’s Queen Street transformed as an entrance to dining heaven. New restaurants include the pizza, pie and cider specialists, the Stable, the Caribbean chain Turtle Bay, the rooftop Terrace, a craft brew bar with an e citing menu and the ourmet urger itchen. Absurd ird has also recently opened its rst outlet outside of ondon, omptoir ibanais o ering ebanese and Middle astern cuisine will make an interesting change, as will u ’s candinavian influenced menu.

A look into the past There’s a lot more to attract you to these great cities apart from shopping and eating – there are bags of history and historic sites. Plymouth has its maritime heritage as a port from where so many voyages of discovery and adventure started. The Barbican and Royal William Yard are major attractions and the city has Dartmoor as its back garden. Exeter grew and prospered because of its dominant role in the wool trade in the 17th and 18th centuries, but there was a Roman encampment in 55 AD, and some walls from that period still exist in the city centre. Exeter’s Royal Albert Memorial Museum is well worth a

visit. It took years to refurbish but the wait was worth it, as it has since won Museum of the Year amongst other accolades, while Plymouth’s Museum and Art Gallery has recently closed to make way for a Heritage Lottery funded history centre, which will bring five of the city’s major collections together in a single entity. These include the Plymouth and West Devon Record Office, South West Film and Television Archive and South West Image Bank, as well as the Local Studies and Reference Collection and the City Museum and Art Gallery‘s significant art, human history and natural history collections. The fantastic project is due to open in 2019.

The tale of these two great cities is, indeed, a long and endless one www.daat.org

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Overwintering projects...

Gardens

Sarah Chesters advises on which shurbs and trees give interesting winter colour, structure and fragrance.

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aving recently moved house, I am enjoying planning and planting my new garden, which luckily for me is a blank canvas. It is wonderful to visualise what the plants will look like in years to come, and plant to create vistas, or secluded seating areas, surrounded by scent and with boughs of trees bending over their flower-covered branches. All in the mind at the moment, but exciting nonetheless. Shrubs and trees give our gardens structure throughout the year and it is important to mix deciduous and evergreen so that there is always something interesting to look at. Autumn is the perfect time to plant them, so they can settle in over winter and then get going in spring. Choose specimens which give at least two seasons of interest – Sarcococca is a great evergreen favourite for its fresh winter scent from masses of tiny flowers, followed by shiny berries, always plant by a path or doorway so you don’t miss it. I’ve found it good in a vase too – it’s lovely to pick a few sprays of glossy foliage with scented flowers in the winter time. Fothergilla major is a superb slow-growing shrub for acid soil, its creamy spring flowers are a joy and later the autumn colour is just stunning. Another acid-lover is Stewartia pseudocamellia, a small tree from Japan, which prefers semi-shade and will reward you with pretty camellia-like summer flowers, yellow and red autumn colour, and as it ages, beautiful peeling reddish bark. Hollies are usually thought about at Christmas and forgotten for the rest of the year, but plant a couple of variegated forms now and they will add highlights to your garden all year, provide sprays of berries and foliage for Christmas wreaths, and food for the birds too. To ensure you have berries you need to plant male and female forms in the same area for crosspollination. A good male is Ilex aquifolium ‘Golden Queen’ (male despite its name), and for a female look out for Ilex x altaclerensis ‘Golden King’ (confusing I know!), other good females are Ilex aquifolium ‘Argentea Marginata’ and Ilex aquifolium ‘Handsworth Silver’. Come the winter and early spring, the snowdrops delight us and we can begin to look forward to longer and warmer days. Once the snowdrop flowers start to fade, but while the leaves are still green, lift the clumps and carefully split them into smaller clumps to replant – known as “planting in the green”. Done regularly each spring, you will soon create carpets of snowdrops under your deciduous shrubs and trees. This links nicely to the Snowdrop Tree, would you believe, Halesia monticola and H. carolina. Both need acid soil and flower in May, when their almost bare branches are strung with small snowdrop-like flowers. They grow into small trees, but make sure you plant them where you can sit underneath or close to a path, as they are so delightful that you will want to be able to touch them. And once your Halesia is flowering we will have reached early summer and your next copy of this magazine! ¨

Don’t forget to catch-up with Sarah’s weekly gardening advice on: The Potting Shed every Sunday morning on BBC Radio Devon, 9 – 10.30am r e o Le r er o e oor e r orr o or e o e or

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Retail

We’ve arrived in Bideford!

Our brand new shop welcomed patrons for the first time on 5th November, right along the water’s edge at 8 The Quay, Bideford. With perfect sun-shiny weather, the grand opening day could not have gone better. The shop was bustling and the feedback from customers and local traders was exceptional. Our Bideford location is our 18th shop in the county. Martin Bell, DAA’s Retail Director, says, “We had looked for a suitable location in Bideford for a long time, as it is a well-supported area for the Charity. The retail team are pleased to open doors in such a

stunning spot on the quayside and we look forward to being in the community”. The shop is stocked with clothing, shoes, accessories, handbags, pictures, linen, toys, CDs, DVDs, bric-a-brac and books. If you fancy donating any of your quality goods, please drop them by the shop during opening hours between 9am and 5pm Monday-Saturday. All of the profits will go directly towards keeping our service running. If you would like to lend your time and volunteer in the shop, pop in and speak to Shop Manager Kitty Blackman.

The shop can be reached on 01237 475275 and you can visit their Facebook page for regular updates: Bideford-Devon-Air-Ambulance-Shop 30

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The Official Devon Air Ambulance Trust Magazine

www.daat.org


LOTTERY YOU FLUTTER WE FLY

Lottery

201 will go down as another momentous year for our in-house lottery and we wish to thank all of our playing mem ers for their incredi le contri utions to the Charity

1 ,000,000

Over £1.4 million raised in the rst 3 uarters this year, ringing our life me total to nearly LOTTERY S

e’ve een trialling Direct De it payments. Canvassers can sign up mem ers via a ta let

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ou can oin our lottery y Direct De it y filling out the form overleaf and mailing it to: D T ottery, Sandpiper Court, arrington ane, eter, S f you would prefer to set up a regular Direct De it with the Charity, please refer ack to page 9

www.daat.org

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Lottery Membership Application The sum of (tick one box only) 1 Chance

DAAT Lottery Office, 5 Sandpiper Court, Harrington Lane, Exeter EX4 4NS

2 Chances

£4.34

Monthly

£8.68

Monthly

£13.00

Quarterly

£26.00

Quarterly

£26.00

Six Monthly

£52.00

Six Monthly

£52.00

Annually

£104.00 Annually

The above postal address is all you need when contacting us by post. Staff I/D Number

For Official Use Only

HP1116

Your Details

Official Use Only

First payment due immediately and thereafter on 6th or 20th of each month. PLEASE COMPLETE IN FULL - BLOCK CAPITAL LETTERS

Mr / Mrs / Miss / Other First Name Surname Date of Birth

Instruction to your bank or building society to pay by Direct Debit

Please fill in the form and send to:

PSL re DAAT Lottery Office, 5 Sandpiper Court, Harrington Lane, Exeter EX4 8NS.

Name and full postal address of your bank or building society To: The M anager

Address

Service user number 4

4

2

2

7

6

B a n k / b u ild in g s o c ie t y

Address

Postcode

Postcode Telephone

N ame( s) of account holder( s)

Email I Confirm I am 16 yrs of age or over

B ranch sort code

Cheque Payment - Amount Received £.................. For

entries @ £1 per week per entry

Lottery promoted by Devon Air Ambulance Trust. Devon Air Ambulance Trust is licensed by the Gambling Commission, Number 000-0005032-N-308657-001. Responsible person: C. Creer www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk Please gamble responsibly. For advice visit www.gambleaware.co.uk DAAT is a member of the Lotteries Council and is committed to promoting a responsible approach to gambling. Contact us at : T: 01392 469 886 E: lottery@daat.org www.daat.org

Administration Office: DAAT Lottery Office, 5 Sandpiper Court, Harrington Lane, Exeter EX4 8NS. You will shortly receive a letter from us showing your lucky number/s. There is no need to claim as all prizes are paid automatically. All proceeds go to support the Devon Air Ambulance Trust Charity No 1077998. Your subscription is greatly appreciated as the charity needs to raise £5.5 million a year to keep both helicopters flying. We receive no Government funding nor do we qualify for a National Lottery grant. We rely on your support, to help us to continue our essential life saving service. Results are printed in the Plymouth & Devon Sunday Independent and published every Friday afternoon on our website at www.daat.org. Thank you for your support - you are truly making a difference.

B ank/ building society account number

I nstruction to y our bank or building society Please pay Devon Air Ambulance Trust Direct Debits from the account detailed in this Instruction subject to the safeguards assured by the Direct Debit Guarantee. I understand that this Instruction may remain with The Air Ambulance Lottery Society and, if so, details will be passed electronically to my bank/building society. Signature(s)

Date

• All customer funds intended for the use in future gambling and or lottery subscriptions will be held in a separate bank account or accounts relating to the relevant affiliated charity lottery and will be completely separate from the Charity’s trading income. • We are required by our licence to inform customers about what happens to funds which we hold on account for you, and the extent to which funds are protected in the event of insolvency. www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/consumers/protection-of-customer-funds.aspx We hold customer funds separate from Charity’s funds. This means that steps have been taken to protect customer funds but that there is no absolute guarantee that all funds will be repaid. This meets the Gambling Commission’s requirements for the segregation of customer funds at the level: medium protection. • The licensee operates a strict no ‘cash policy’ to prevent the risk of crimes such as money laundering, to avoid the giving of illicit credit and to provide assurances that gambling activities are being conducted fairly. Banks and building societies may not accept Direct Debit Instructions for some types of account.

By signing this form you agree to the lottery terms and conditions. For a copy of the terms and conditions please call 01392 469886.

This Guarantee should be retained by the payer.

The Direct Debit Guarantee This Guarantee is offered by all banks and building societies that accept instructions to pay Direct Debits If there are any changes to the amount, date or frequency of your Direct Debit PSL re DAAT Lottery will notify you 5 working days in advance of your account being debited or as otherwise agreed. If you request The PSL re DAAT Lottery to collect a payment, confirmation of the amount and date will be given to you at the time of the request If an error is made in the payment of your Direct Debit, by PSL re DAAT Lottery or your bank or building society, you are entitled to a full and immediate refund of the amount paid from your bank or building society – If you receive a refund you are not entitled to, you must pay it back when PSL re DAAT Lottery asks you to. You can cancel a Direct Debit at any time by simply contacting your bank or building society. Written confirmation may be required. Please also notify us.

DAAT would like to keep you informed about our work, how your support has helped keep our helicopters in the air and how you can be involved in the future. I do not wish to receive information by post, by telephone about DAAT’s work. Using email and text messages helps us to be more cost effective. Please tick here if you are happy to receive communications about the DAAT’s work by email by text . We promise to never share your information with any other organisation for their marketing purposes. Please see our privacy statement at www.daat.org for detailed information about how we use your data. 32 Helipad www.daat.org The Official Devon Air Ambulance Trust Magazine White Copy = Office Yellow Copy = Customer WE DO NOT ACCEPT CASH


Meeting Our Patients We are always delighted to host open days at our airbases. These visits give our guests an opportunity to meet the duty aircrew and other colleagues, to see the helicopter up close (often in much more relaxed circumstances than their previous encounters!) and a chance to learn more and ask any questions they may have about our service. Our guest list will include patients, fundraisers, business supporters and volunteers – if you would like to come along, please contact d.gregory@daat.org

One patient who joined us at Eaglescott this autumn was David Brock from Tiverton.

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avid was airlifted on 23rd July this summer, from a very public place. He, along with his daughter and her boyfriend, had been enjoying a stroll through the avenues and stands at the busy Mid Devon Show when he was aware of chest pains. Feeling the pain spreading across his chest and into his arm, he reluctantly went to see the St John Ambulance team. They recognised that David was indeed suffering a heart attack and administered pain relieving medication, while calling for a land ambulance. Knowing that speed was of the essence it was necessary for David to be conveyed to RD&E in Exeter as quickly as possible, so Devon’s Air Ambulance was also requested. As David’s condition deteriorated, organisers cleared the show ground in order for the helicopter to land. David was attended at the scene by aircrew paramedics before being placed in the aircraft for the swift journey to Exeter, where he was taken straight through for immediate surgery to insert a stent into his artery. With a very positive attitude, David was determined to follow strict instructions for his rehabilitation and considers himself very lucky to be so well again now. He explained how he felt, “I think that, in many ways, the patient has the easy bit. All the professionals are looking after them and they are in the best possible hands. The knock on effect, however, is the impact on all the family members, friends and colleagues; the ripples are so far reaching. I am so grateful to everyone who supported me and my family at the time, and to everyone involved in my care.” David is now back at work as an engineer and busy with his six horses in his ‘spare time’! He and his daughter, Daisy, thoroughly enjoyed their day at the airbase, expressing their gratitude to all at the Air Ambulance. We look forward to seeing more of David when he joins our team of volunteers! The Official Devon Air Ambulance Trust Magazine

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Catalogue of injuries from quad bike accident Another visitor to join us at our airbase pen ay last month was Mike ipscombe from ockwood near awlish.

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ne July afternoon this summer, Mike had been out on his uad bike in a eld that borders his home when an accident caused him to fall o and his uad bike to roll over him. ying face down in the grass, Mike knew immediately that he was unable to move but he was also in a far corner of the eld, down a hill, out of sight of anybody and yards or more from the nearest country lane. ometime later, a neighbour was aware of the constant buzz of the quad bike engine and realised that something may be wrong. ocating Mike and seeing the danger, she ran to alert Mike’s wife and family and to call the emergency services. evon Air Ambulance pilot, ichie Tate, saw the location from the air as he approached and was aware that there were several large trees and overhead cables to consider before he could safely land. ichie first put the aircraft down further up the field to off-load the paramedics before navigating the obstacles and finally landing closer to the incident. Aircrew paramedics assessed Mike’s injuries along with a land ambulance crew who arrived shortly after the helicopter. Mike’s wife, aren, their three sons and neighbours could only watch as Mike was carefully strapped to a board for the -mile flight to erriford ospital in lymouth, a

journey that took just minutes. cans and tests revealed that Mike had broken his neck in two places, broken his ribs and punctured his lung as well as having a broken wrist. e spent days in hospital before being discharged with a medical collar to stabilise his neck. enturing out shopping while still wearing his neck brace Mike and aren met a evon Air Ambulance ottery canvasser and were, unsurprisingly, motivated to join encouraging other shoppers to do the same ontacting the Trust a few weeks later, Mike e plained that it would probably take about si months before he was fully recovered. e e pressed his gratitude, “We are all so grateful for the ambulance service and evon’s Air Ambulance. t’s only when you need them you realise how indispensable they really are. e couldn’t believe the skill of the pilot landing the helicopter where he did and the paramedics were all so reassuring and comforting. e can’t thank you enough.” aramedic ick atcliff also remembers the job well, am so glad to hear that Mike is making such a good recovery he really did suffer uite a catalogue of injuries in the accident. t’s always good to hear that our work has helped.

cans and tests revealed that Mike had broken his neck in two places, broken his ribs and punctured his lung as well as breaking his wrist.

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Read all about it!

Literary Devon

Devon is known the world over for its wonderful land and seascapes, its moorlands, fishing ports, country villages and a robust role in the UK’s great history. However, this great county is not always identified as a hotbed of literary endeavour - but there is more to Devon’s literary heritage than Dame Agatha Christie and here is just a sample.

Oscar Wilde – Babbacombe, Torquay

For Wilde, Babbacombe Bay outside Torquay would always hold a special place in his heart. Staying at Babbacombe Cliff, a residency borrowed from his wife’s distant cousin Lady Mount-Temple, Wilde completed his plays A Woman of No Importance, Salome and Lady Windermere’s Fan. It is also where he fell in love with Lord Alfred ‘Bosie’ Douglas, which led to the allegations of homosexuality against Wilde that saw him sentenced to hard labour in Reading jail. Despite this, Babbacombe Cliff remained one of the most treasured places of Wilde’s life. www.daat.org

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RD Blackmore (Lorna Doone) - North Devon, Exmoor

Exmoor serves as the basis for Lorna Doone, a romantic novel written by Richard Doddridge Blackmore in the 1860’s. Though Blackmore was born in Oxfordshire, he spent the majority of his childhood in North Devon where he sets his famous adventure in Doone Valley around five miles from Lynton. The novel was set in the late 17th century in Devon and Somerset, particularly around the East Lyn Valley area of Exmoor.

Hilary Mantel (Wolf Hall trilogy) - Budleigh Salterton

Hilary Mantel is a double winner of the Man Booker Prize for her historical fiction novels Wolf Hall and Bring up the Bodies, set during the reign of Henry VIII. Having first visited her current home of Budleigh Salterton as a teenager, Mantel has often spoken of her love for the East Devon town. A passionate supporter of the literary arts, Mantel is president of the annual Budleigh Salterton Literary Festival.

Elizabeth Barrett Browning - Sidmouth and Torquay

One of the most prominent poets of the Victorian era, Elizabeth Barrett Browning was 26 years old when she moved to Sidmouth and spent four years there with her family before moving to London. A sickly woman often battling with illness, Barrett-Browning later returned to Devon to spend time in Torquay on her doctor’s orders, before moving back to London in 1841. Barrett-Browning is perhaps most well-known for her 1844 volume Poems, which made her one of the most popular authors of the time, and also marked the beginning of her relationship with Robert Browning, who upon reading her collection was inspired to write to her.

Arthur Conan Doyle - Dartmoor

The Hound of the Baskervilles is undoubtedly one of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s most celebrated Sherlock Holmes novels and takes its inspiration from Devon’s often intimidating Dartmoor. Written while Doyle was living in Princetown, the moor served as the backdrop for the terrifying tale of murder inspired by supernatural hounds. The tale is thought to be based on the legend of the ‘evil’ squire Richard Cabell of Buckfastleigh, whose death in the 1670s was allegedly marked by black dogs breathing fire and howling around his tomb.

Samuel Taylor Coleridge - Ottery St Mary

Coleridge was an English poet, literary critic and philosopher, and a founder of the Romantic Movement best known for his poems, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Christabel and Kubla Khan. Born in Ottery St Mary to Reverend John Coleridge, the vicar of St Mary’s Church, and Anne Bowden, Coleridge spent the first eight years of his life in Devon before his father died and he was sent to Christ’s Hospital in London.

Charles Dickens - Exeter and Alphington

While the proclaimed English novelist never lived in Devon himself, he has several ties to the county. Dickens would often stay in the city of Exeter with his friend Thomas Latimer, where they first met in 1835 as reporters on the Exeter City Council elections. Here, Dickens sought inspiration from the Exeter pub the Turks Head, whose customers would become characters in his novels, such as The Fat Boy in The Pickwick Papers. Exeter is also where he met his wife Catherine, marrying in 1836 and having 10 children. Dickens also has loose ties with Alphington, having leased Mile End Cottage for his parents and their youngest son, where they lived for three and a half years. Dickens possibly wrote the opening chapters of Nicholas Nickleby there, and the cottage is now marked with a commemorative blue plaque.

Ted Hughes - North Tawton, Mid-Devon

Poet Laureate Ted Hughes lived in North Tawton in Mid Devon for 37 years. Hughes spent much of his time farming and walking in northern Dartmoor, the beauty of which inspired many of his poems. Upon his death in 1998, Hughes requested that a memorial stone be placed in Dartmoor at the sources of the rivers Teign, Dart, Taw and East Okement, which was granted by Prince Charles, a friend of the poet. In 2006 Hughes’ second wife Carol Hughes opened the Ted Hughes Poetry Trail at Stover Country Park in South Devon, a trail featuring 16 of his poems which relate to wildlife found in the local area.


Agatha Christie - Torquay

Agatha Christie was born in Torquay at the end of the nineteenth century (1890). Although her childhood home was demolished in the Sixties, a blue plaque marks the spot. Her famous holiday home, Greenway on the River Dart, is managed and preserved by the National Trust attracting around 90,000 visitors every year. Many Torquay locations serve as places of interest in her novels, including a clifftop in St Marychurch, believed to be the setting for Why Didn’t They Ask Evans?, and the Princess Gardens which feature in her novel The ABC Murders. Burgh Island, an island hotel at Bigbury-on-Sea, inspired the backdrops to her novels And Then There Were None and Evil Under the Sun. Christie also spent time on Dartmoor, writing her first novel The Mysterious Affair at Styles’ at the Moorlands House Hotel in 1916.

Literary Devon

Jane Austen - Upton Pyne and Lyme Regis

Austen’s novel Sense and Sensibility is thought to be based on the Exe Valley village of Upton Pyne. The novel is largely set in Devon, and many believe that the novel’s made-up village of Barton and country house Barton Park are based on the real life village of Upton Pyne and Pynes House, a grade-II listed home set in a 37-acre park. Austen herself enjoyed many visits to the Devon coast, with holidays at Sidmouth, Dawlish and Teignmouth. Her novel Persuasion also features the coastal town of Lyme Regis, where the principal character Anne Elliot negotiates her way through a love life troubled by her susceptibility to persuasions from family and friends.

Henry Williamson - Georgeham, North Devon

A veteran of the First World War, Henry Williamson moved to Georgeham near Croyde in North Devon in 1921, where he began a prolific writing career publishing his best known work, Tarka the Otter, in 1927. His fictional otter and its life around the rivers Taw and Torridge are now synonymous with North Devon, with the Tarka Trail and the Tarka line railway route being significant tourist attractions. Of his many other books, Williamson also wrote several volumes about his adopted county including Life in a Devon Village and Tales from a Devon Village, both published in 1945.

Alfred Tennyson - Salcombe

Tennyson visited the Devon coast a number of times during his lifetime, but perhaps the most meaningful was his 1889 trip to Salcombe to stay with historian James Froude. It was on this visit that he wrote his final poem before his death, Crossing the Bar. The bar in question is probably Salcombe sandbank, with the poem referencing the sounds of the sea across the bar as he contemplated a final voyage that symbolised his approaching death.

Beatrix Potter - Exeter, Sidmouth, Teignmouth, Ilfracombe

Beatrix Potter used the Devon area in many of her tales, including The Tale of Little Pig Robinson. In the story, the market town Stymouth is a fictional blend of Sidmouth and Teignmouth, where she made many sketches of the shipping and fishing fleets. Along with Devon’s coastal towns, Beatrix Potter was also apparently very fond of Exeter city and its high street. She visited the county many times during the 1880s and 1890s including a holiday in Ilfracombe in 1882, and many of her experiences are recounted in her journals and letters to family and friends.

Charles Kingsley - Dartmoor and Clovelly

Charles Kingsley was a broad-church priest of the Church of England, a university professor and a historian, as well as the author of several popular novels including Westward Ho! and The Water Babies. Born in Holne, Devon, to Reverend Charles Kingsley and Mary Lucas Kingsley, he was the elder of two sons. At age 11 his family moved to the north Devon village of Clovelly, where Kingsley continued to live before studying at King’s College London and Cambridge. Though his novels cover vast geography, including South America and Egypt, Devon also served as inspiration for his lesser-known 1857 novel Two Years Ago. The village of Clovelly now hosts the Kingsley Museum in his honour.

This short journey through some of Devon’s literary heritage is by no means exhaustive. We could have included Daniel Defoe who loved Plymouth; Prime Minister Benjamin D’Israeli who was also an author and a frequent visitor to Torquay; R.F. Delderfield, the author of To Serve Them All My Days and A Horseman Riding By, who lived most of his life in Exmouth and Sidmouth. Poets Shelley and Keats stayed at Lynmouth and Teignmouth respectively, Thomas Hardy has many Devon connections including Plymouth, the home of his first wife, while J.K. Rowling used many Exeter locations in her magical books (See P.18).

These great literary links confirm that Devon is truly an inspirational place. www.daat.org

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orking with communi es to develop a network of night landing sites s our service is now opera onal un l midnight every day, Devon ir m ulance would like to say a massive thanks to all those communi es who are suppor ng us y developing their own night landing site. ndeed, with over a hundred communi es either looking for suita le landing sites or fundraising towards putting in place their ligh ng solu on, to those who have already got their landing site opera onal, there is an ever growing network of community landing sites we will e a le to access during the hours of darkness. e have seen so much great work eing carried out y communi es in Devon that we thought it would e a good me to share some of things that might help your community, no ma er what stage you are at in developing your own landing site.

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case study: Halwill community landing site

to develop a night landing site. Following District and one of the first communities Halwill is a small rural village in Torridge for the lighting solution which was pulled together to get the funding in place a first meeting in April, the community really installed in early September. their community has gone about the ell, Halwill Parish Councillor, to find out how We recently caught up with Mr John Russ football pitch. process of developing a landing site at their ment and knew the potential costs, the specifications for the lighting equip ved recei had we e As John explained: “Onc much we needed to raise. This was hioners know about the project and how the Parish Council set about letting paris rds, the ‘Halwill.org.uk’ website and the shops and the Parish Council noticeboa accomplished with posters in the local ‘Halwill Noticeboard’ Facebook page. started appearing - from individuals to at the Post Office; and immediately they The posters asked for donations to be left hioner- a retired lady, Mrs Jane SpencerCouncillor, Mr Barry Parsons. One paris local clubs and groups, and our County us off to a splendid start. h managed to raise £1,220 and launched offered to undertake a sponsored walk whic ed to underwrite the project in case ment order early, the Parish Council decid So that we could place the lighting equip r before we were even halfway to the t we were able to place the equipment orde we fell short of donations, and this mean required target. the groundworks required for laying the le came forward with offers of help with Early on in the fundraising, several peop ting professional labour, specialised column. A team was quickly formed, dona electrical cable and installing the lighting the volunteer team’s skilled effort and rapid setting concrete mix. By the end, machinery and materials such as ducting base - had enabled us to save many of cable and set the column in its concrete - totalling a day’s work to lay 50 metres hundreds of pounds. up until the lights were in place and and donations continued coming in right Everyone has been incredibly generous s of just a few hundred pounds. cil had to cover a shortfall in donated fund working. By completion, Halwill Parish Coun ill community was asked by DAAT if to have their own night landing site, the Halw As one of the first communities in Devon promote these familiarisation flights. The Parish Council duly put up posters to they could use the facility for night training. at all hours up until midnight, but we a few landings in the centre of the village Over the following month this meant quite the residents who live nearby. have not received a single complaint from it’s proved what a close-knit and goodthe easiest to fundraise for. Once again, We have found this project to be one of unity works together. Halwill Parish h - and what can be achieved when a comm hearted community we have in our paris ved”. Council would like to thank everyone invol

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No more jumps for me... As a keen and experienced mountain bike rider, Marcus Mattocks, 44, from West Hill near Ottery St Mary, knew all about the risks of spills and falls. Nearing the end of a ride in Haldon Forest with friends however, back in October 2014, Marcus suffered a tumble far worse than anything he had known before.

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e was approaching a jump of approximately 30’ when he realised that he was going far too fast. As he struggled to control his bike, he flew through the air and su ered a high impact landing, falling on his handlebars as they hit the ground. Marcus explained his immediate reaction, “I’ve had lots of falls in my time, but I knew this one was bad!” Unable to move and with unknown but extensive internal injuries, Marcus had difficulty breathing. One friend rushed to locate a mobile signal to call the emergency services while others stayed with Marcus and waited for help. A land ambulance crew were swiftly on scene and, with Marcus already spitting up blood, he was gently carried to the ambulance for a lift to the landing site of the waiting Devon Air Ambulance, crewed by paramedics Dave Huyton and Chris Saunders with pilot Damian Irving. Marcus had suffered a number of internal injuries including broken ribs, a punctured lung, shattered kidney and swelling of the stomach. He also had impaired vision and had broken several bones in his wrist. Once assessed and stabilised on scene, he was conveyed to the Major Trauma Centre at Derriford Hospital and spent five days in the High Dependency Unit. With the risk of internal bleeding from

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his damaged kidney still a concern, Marcus spent a further week on the ward before being allowed home on complete bed-rest. In the weeks following the accident Marcus lost a stone and a half in weight. As his eyesight returned and his internal injuries started to heal, Marcus underwent reconstructive surgery at Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital over the following months to mend his shattered wrist and torn tendons. It was several months before he could return to work. Marcus often thinks about the incident, “I really felt for my wife, Rachael. She was there when I woke up in hospital and she really went through it. When I was well enough, I spoke to my children on the phone, but I didn’t want them coming to the hospital. It was a scary time for everyone. I am so grateful to everyone who helped me, from the friends who were with me, particularly Adam, to the land ambulance crew who attended me at the scene and of course to the aircrew. My flight to Derriford was about 12 minutes and would have been nearer an hour by road during which I would have lost far more than the 2litres of blood I did!” As Marcus recovered, he was keen to build up his fitness again but he explained, “I’ve stuck to road cycling since the accident – no more jumps for me!”

“I really felt for my wife, Rachael. She was there when I woke up in hospital and she really went through it.”

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Devon People

Real people saving real lives - what could you do to save a life? There are always loads of events and activities taking place around the county and our thanks go to ALL our fundraisers. Here are just a few… Ali Miller raised over £500 at her vintage tea party

p Alan and Jennifer Gill raised over £2000 in celebration of their wedding anniversary and Alan’s 75th birthday

Chris and Natalie PinkHines held a collection for Devon Air Ambulance on their wedding day u

Alice Breitmeyer and Simon Donovan conquer the 100k Peak District Walk in 24 hours raising over £900 Dan Cook takes on the London Triathlon and places 143rd out of 1474 participants q

p Charlotte Singleton presents a cheque to volunteer Colleen Moon from her coast to coast cycle. Her son-inlaw (2nd from left) was airlifted by DAA

Devon Revolution 300 mile 24 hour cycle raises £780 q

p Dartmouth Free Masons, Hauley Chapter No.797 present a cheque to DAA volunteer Val Gibbons 42

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Exeter’s Isca Petanque group raises £1554 in four years. If you would like to give Petanque a try, visit their website for details: www.iscapetanque.btck.co.uk q

Fundraisers

p Everys Solicitors present a cheque to DAA volunteer Martin Clook for £776.50 from their sponsored Jurassic Coast walk and Leap Year Will Scheme Jade Rainey takes on a skydive in memory of her step father, Steven Tolly, and raises £1178.92

p Izzie, Verity and Andy Potts raised over £1000 running the Great West Run in memory of their brother Duncan p Hawkchurch Village Fete raises over £400 Steve Clook tackles the Fan Dance Endurance Race

Miriam Poulsom raised over £600 cycling from London to Paris q

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James Danaher swam the English Channel and raised an incredible £3426.64 q

p Naomi Hurrell and 29 other cyclists travelled over 1000 miles in memory of her mum raising over £1500 Organisers of the Devon & Cornwall Beard and Moustache Championship present cheques to DAA and CAAT volunteers q

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p Organisers of the Glitter & Gold Ball. The event raised £1515.30 for DAA

p R&N Breaking School held a beach party in their sandpit and raised over £250

p The Crabb Family Fun Day raises a stunning amount for DAA! Organisers presented the cheque to volunteer Don Waterhouse

p John Druett, Proprietor of Dartmoor Garage organised a Tractor Run over Dartmoor and raised £295

Stan Hacking presents £1500 to Louise Newbery. Over the years he has raised well over £6000 for DAA! He retires this year after more than 40 years at the head of his band q

p The annual MSC Motorcycle Ride raises over £400 Vapormatic Tractor Run raises over £4,400! q

Val and Adrian Nursey of the Tamar Valley MG Owners Club organised a Classic Car Run raising £535 q

Did you know: if you are planning an event for Devon Air Ambulance you can download our Fundraising Pack, it’s full of great advice and tips! Go to www.daat.org/fundraising-for-us Or email the team: fundraising@daat.org

Get in touch!

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Hot on the heels of the adults! Some of our younger supporters are proving that there are many ways to get involved and make a difference to the Charity and their communities.

p Mia with her new bike pq Reuben Gillbard took on a sponsored 5 mile Exmoor terrain challenge raising £343.45. The challenge included walking, cycling and quad biking!

Junior Crew

From our Heavitree Shop Manager, Nikk i Evans: “Today we had a litt le girl come to the shop with her grandad wanting to donate her bike, as she had outgrown it. Sh e wanted her first bik e to go to a good home, and specifically to a child wh o did not have access to a brand new bike. I showed her some pictures of ou r helicopters and ex plained that by donating he r bike, she is keeping them flying and saving liv es. She was in tear s, bu t she felt proud. I gave he r a pin badge of th e he lic opter and she said she wi ll treasure it and ev er y tim e she looks at it, she will think of her fir st bike. True to her word, the litt le girl took the best care of her bike, and the story has a happy endin g! A man phoned in to pay for the bike an d requested that it go to anothe r little girl named M ia. Mia’s grandparents brou ght her to the shop , ke ep ing her new bike a complet e surprise to her. Sh e sh ed a few tears and was ecstatic to hop on her new ride for the first time”.

p Sebastian Lamon ran a lengthy 10 miles in aid of DAA. He proudly presented his £150 raised to paramedic Dave Huyton at our Eaglescott Airbase.

Update!

Emily May Frost and a fellow member of the Dartmouth Girl Guides organised a charity bingo evening on 16th September in Dartmouth. They raised £870 and split the proceeds between DAA and Rowcroft. u

q You might remember 11 year old Josh Withey from our last issue of Helipad, where his fundraising efforts totalled an incredible £1,150! Josh has now been shortlisted for the Outstanding Young Person Award as part of the Association of Air Ambulances Awards of Excellence. Best of luck Josh!

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Business on Board

s always, a huge thank you to all usinesses, rotaries, clu s, schools and organisa ons that support us throughout the year our contri u ons to our service are invalua le

Cornish Mutual e e e o e o e r ree o e r e of the year for all of their South West branches. They held various r e e o y e o o o r e e ere e e o ee e o r e o r or o ye r

Raising nearly ÂŁ7000 so far, Thomson Airways, based at Exeter Airport, fundraised all year and have chosen to extend their support into 2017! From a family y o o e o ee o er e o y contributed greatly to our service. One of their employees, Emma McKay, was one of our early r Exeter College have chosen to support DAA for their 2016/2017 e ye r er r or e e e r ro o er e er e r o e e er or ore or o visit the event page on our website: www.daat.org/event/exetero e e e o ro

If your business is interested in supporting DAA call Tracy Owen on 01392 466666 ext. 134 or by email on t.owen@daat.org

Get in touch!

Congratulations to our Grand Summer Draw winners: r e 46

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Holding a charity ball that raised close to 11,000 (with more to come!), Bideford Rug y Clu o e o or re y of ways. Not only are they focused on fundraising, but they are also working closely with us to provide a community landing site at their club as we begin to operate at night. This is thanks to member Tim L o r e ro e re e

Business Support

regory Distri u on td’s Head of Business Support and Compliance, re e e r er r y e 1 00 cheque from the North Devon sub region of the Road aulage ssocia on r o Lorry ee e ro ee ere ro their annual dinner and dance. Thomas estco have supported us over the past four years at their stands at the annual Honiton, Okehampton and Holsworthy shows. To date, their fundraising totals over 000.

Bideford Round Ta le held a Golf Day this year raising 3 .2 ! e er r o e ere o r e o o o r e o er tte e o o o r r r or e o er e r e e o e

Suppor ng the ssocia on of ir m ulances Charity

llian oo o e e e England raising over 1 ,000 ey e o o e r o o r ey e o e e

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e o e o R B td! This leading e e e er e o o er and operator has chosen to support air ambulances throughout the country. They o er e e ro o e o

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Signi cant enhancement to pa ent care introduced e o r er e o e r e o

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ith our pa ent’s needs at the forefront of our strategic development we recognised that even with this e tended clinical prac ce availa le on our air am ulances, if we could develop the right suppor ng infrastructure, we could enhance our service’s clinical a ili es even further - raising them to a level in the pre-hospital setting which has not previously een availa le to pa ents throughout Devon. e re e o e eo o r e r re ro r e e e ro o e er e e e e o er e e er y e o o r e e e re e re e o o er e or y re e e or or o r r e ro e o o or r ro e o e e er e y e r e o er e re r o o r ro r e e e e eo e o or o y o er y e er e ree re o r re e r e r er e e o re or o o o er e o e y o r r e e o er e o e o e e y o ee e o r e er e e o e e ree o r e re e o e e e er e e o

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This has ena led us to introduce new advanced treatments and interven ons that the team are a le to deliver and this is undou tedly e ec ng the outcomes of our pa ents. o r

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e e e e o o e e e o r e or or e e o r e eo e o e o or e r o o e ero y or o e r r e e ro r e o e o or o r r e e o e eo er o e e e e ee o o ye e o r er e o e o e er e ee or o re o e e r e e o e o ro e re or o r e re e o e ye e o or o r e e o e e er e e e o e ore

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Back Chat

What car? What diamonds?

Well-known broadcaster and DAAT Patron, David FitzGerald, tells of his inherited traits and how he’d make a good mule... As the bronzed and golden leaves tumble around our feet and the chill wind ra les my false teeth, seem to e heading for the winter of my life as gently lose my sense of reality and grasp of the situa on. few weeks ago the enemy, the good lady wife, arrived in the front room and announced she had a slow puncture. o ro y e oor o r o e e ore re e er re r r er e ee o eo e e o e o oo e o e r or y er yre e oo o y e r e or e er or or orr or yo e er o e e e o e y o o e re o e e otte o e e e e e e o ore r re e e e y re e e e o e e ore r e more or less the same reading. What e e eo o e mean the other side or even the ro oo e o r yre ee e er e y OK to me. Then I realised that it was y e o r r er e e was in fact behind me on the drive! o e tter or e er r white and the one I was vandalising was black. e e o o e o o ere ry r o y er e r y er r ro r o e ro o Lo o er e r o y eer e e r e ree e e ry o e o e r ro e o y e o e or e r er o e o e e e o ee e o e e o e e er e re e e o r e o e e e e e e e e

e e ery y ey oe o e e er e o o e y e e or ere oe on his windscreen from the owner of the vehicle he had driven to Lo o oo or r o o e o e ee an inconvenience. o o y e e o Air Ambulance! A few weeks ago tte e o e r y e o o ery e or e r e y e or e e e tter o y diamonds and in an idle moment I e o e e y e e e e o o e o r o yo ro e r o e ere or o e e ro e o L e or o o er y o r e ey e ro o o r e ey ere e o e e e e o e y e r y e e e r re o y o e ere orry or y o or

The next morning there was a note on his windscreen from the owner of the vehicle he had driven to London apologising for parking so close and hoped it hadn’t been an inconvenience.

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