Local news snippets

ZOE CURLEY Painting in PAIGNTON

Manypeople will have seen a lone artist painting fabulous designs on the greyhoarding around the Midas site o ce at Paignton Green. is is Zoe Curley – Anita Newcombe drops by to say hello.

Zoe Curley spotted the grey hoarding going up around the Midas site o ce at Paignton Green and instead of seeing dull, functional construction, she envisioned a canvas where she could create some beautiful outdoor art the public could enjoy.

She says, “ I am often asked by passers-by whether I’ve got permission to paint or ‘gra ti’ the boards here.” In fact she approached Midas as soon as the idea came to her and received permission within a couple of hours. Six months on, she’s still ‘freestyling’ here, has attracted a lot of attention from local people and has developed a friendly relationship with the on-site sta . Her work is voluntary but Midas has contributed to the cost of her special art pens.

Zoe uses acrylic paint pens to create her designs – for this project she uses all white, which contrasts beautifully with the grey background. Over the boards she has created a paradise of seaside themes. ere are barrel jelly sh, sh, seaweeds, anenomes, crabs, crab pots and sailboats. She explains, “ I just make it up as I go along – I never sketch the panel in advance.” One day she spotted the patterns a nearby tree made on the hoarding through intermittent bursts of sunshine and decided to add it to the mural. ere’s also a plan to include some beach huts and palm trees. With plenty of grey space still to cover, Zoe loves the freedom to paint and chat to people, nding it enjoyable and therapeutic.

Most of her ideas come from photos and sketches taken on Paignton Beach. Her work has created so much interest from the public that the site managers here have asked her to put up small, laminated information sheets about herself on the installation. So admirers discover that she runs Blue Waters Art & Glass with her husband Shaun who makes stained glass as a hobby. She designed several leaded glass panels, which he has subsequently made up. ey live right here on Paignton Seafront and Zoe loves being able to gather up her simple tools and stroll along to her giant outdoor ‘canvas’.

Zoe moved to Paignton with Shaun a few years ago from Kent and now works part-time as a teacher for a Special Provision School, enjoying the variety of teaching and art. She says, “I’ve always doodled and I was a member of an art group in Kent but it was moving to Paignton that inspired me.” Since arriving she has

Owl at Lupton House

Zoe does have aspirations of exhibiting as a solo artist in the future and being recognised for her unique style

Self portrait

enjoyed some early success with her art telling me, “It was Janet Ventre, mosaic artist at Cockington Court who gave Janet Ventre, mosaic artist at Cockington Court who gave me the con dence to believe in myself as an artist.” me the con dence to believe in myself as an artist.”

Zoe started selling some of her hand-painted prints at Zoe started selling some of her hand-painted prints at local craft fairs and did well at BrixFest but these events have been interrupted by virus restrictions for now. In 2020 she submitted a successful design for the Moor Otter Art Trail 2020. Currently all of the 81 three-foothigh breglass otters, decorated by local amateur and professional artists, are in storage hoping to be ‘released’ to locations across Dartmoor this Easter. Hers is called ‘From e Heart of Dartmoor’.

Zoe’s rst commission as a mural artist was a beach scene that covers the length of a local garden wall. She also has a large mural she’s painted on the bathroom of her own home. Her early career as a graphic designer may have in uenced her work and her three years of day-release at the London College of Printing gave her some formal training. is was before taking her teaching degree and starting her career in education. It’s only since coming to Paignton and having more free time though, that her art has blossomed and developed.

Zoe and Shaun are also volunteers for the Orchard Forest School at Lupton House. She drew a stunning owl on a felled tree stump there in December. Having spotted the stump and gained permission to proceed, she immediately set about painting it, to the surprise and delight of those present. Zoe does have aspirations of exhibiting as a solo artist in the future and being recognised for her unique style. She tells me, “Like many creatives I’ve got lots of ideas and some un nished pieces I am working on.” Completion of the two Midas hotels is due at the end of the year at which point the boards will, no doubt, be removed. However, until then she will continue adding to the murals.

Zoe may only have been here for a few years but she loves Paignton and Torbay and believes that she has found her place in the community through her art and employment. As regulars on Paignton Beach, Roundham and Goodrington, Zoe and Shaun have got to know many local people through their cheeky rescue lurcher Jack and they all adore their new life in the Bay.  @BlueWatersArtandGlass

Brendon Prince Paddleboard Adventurer

Local resident Brendon Prince is training intensively for a world record attempt to circumnavigate intensively for a world record attempt to circumnavigate mainland Britain on a stand up paddleboard, starting out mainland Britain on a stand up paddleboard, starting out in April 2021. Anita Newcombe caught up with him on a blustery day at Paignton Sands.

Brendon’s o cial record attempt is called e Long Paddle 2021 and will start and nish right here on the English Riviera. He anticipates waving goodbye to his friends and family from Torquay’s Abbey Sands at about 5am on 24th April. is early start is because he needs to travel with the tides and thus will be paddling a routine of six hours on and six hours o throughout the challenge. It also means that he will be paddling during night hours as well as during the daytime.

He will have a full-time, land-based support team following him day and night. ey’ll be tracking his movements from their van-based ‘mission control’ and will catch up with him at the end of each 6-hour shift. Once he comes o the water he’ll need sleep and food but will probably need to catch up with messages, press requests and admin as well. A minimum of two volunteers will be in the van at all times as support crew with duties that include sorting out wet kit, cooking, driving and tracking and bringing lots of jolly good humour to the proceedings.

Brendon will not have a boat traveling alongside him – he’s doing this alone. However, interest and support for this world record attempt has been huge. Lots of locals along the route are likely to paddle out to see him, to accompany him ashore at his stopping points and to give him a friendly wave as he paddles into the history books. However, he will regularly have a photographer and videographer working from a boat and even from the water to capture fabulous photos and video footage of the trip.

So what will Brendan wear and what will he have with him aboard his paddleboard on his 6-hour shifts? Surprisingly (to me) he doesn’t wear a wetsuit – he says that it restricts the arm movement and can chafe. So if it’s warm he could be wearing shorts and a t-shirt but if it’s really cold he has a special kind of dry suit to wear. He’s also bristling with safety equipment including his GPS sailor’s watch, which seems to do everything, a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB), a GPS tracker, a VHF radio, a knife, a whistle, a waterproof camera and a phone. ere’s also a big beacon light so that he can alert other craft to his presence at night if he thinks they haven’t spotted him. His paddleboard will be carrying the same navigation lights as a yacht including the port and starboard red and green ones. He’ll also carry water and some high-energy snacks including lots of nuts.

His mission control van will be tracking him and can phone him as needed. One of his support crew will be driving and the other will be following his movements at all times. A home-based admin person will also be phoning ahead to National Coastwatch stations on the route and tracking the weather for him. Brendon can pick up calls on his watch – “a great piece of kit” he says. Of course these amazing electronics all have to be charged once he comes o the water for his 6-hour break – quite a task.

Brendon has been training 6 days a week and

this includes gym work and running as well as paddle to get across. And what is he most looking forward boarding for hours most days. He will ramp up the to? He says, “De nitely the wildlife including seals, mileage signi cantly as the challenge approaches. I ask dolphins and sea birds.” He also expects to see basking him if he’s scared he won’t make it. He laughs and says, sharks and whales in Scotland. He’s often spotted tuna “terri ed!” en there’s a brief chuckle before he grins o Dartmouth; these can be the size of a small car – and says he feels tremendously con dent and hugely they’re really fast and often breach the surface with huge well prepared splashes. He and supported. expects to see a Nevertheless there have been at least 20 failed record “ Brendon has set aside 90 days as the time he can a ord to be away from his work and he’s con dent this will be enough even if weather delays him fabulous array of birds, especially in Scotland but also on the attempts to Severn Crossing circumnavigate and near Lundy Britain on Island where a SUP so pu ns can be it’s a huge seen. challenge but Overall he tremendously anticipates exciting for him, completing his family, his about 80 supporters and kilometres a day. his sponsors. After leaving If he succeeds, Torquay he will it will be a hope to make national news Port Wrinkle on story for sure as the western end Brendon makes of Whitsand SUP history. Bay on day Sometimes one, then down weather to the Lizard, conditions are on to Sennen against success and around and sometimes Land’s End time runs before carrying out on such on clockwise challenges. around Brendon has set mainland aside 90 days Britain. He’s as the time he looking forward can a ord to to visiting be away from PHOTO © : Will Reddaway WR Photography di erent his work and he’s con dent this will be enough even if communities en route and raising awareness of local tidal weather delays him a few days (world record attempts of races and other key features of the area. He hopes to alert this kind do allow limited weather breaks if big storms people who aren’t usually reached by sea safety messages. roll in). Various paddle and surf clubs will be taking to the water

I ask Brendon which the most di cult part of the to welcome him in or see him o on the next leg so it challenge will be and he explains that the west coast could be sociable on the water at least some of the time. of Scotland has a section with a 60-kilometre stretch Brendon has been Chair of Torbay Surf Life Saving where there are no ‘get-outs’ in the event of a problem. Club for nearly 10 years and was Head of Outdoor Also certain beach landings will be tricky with big surf Education at Torquay Boys’ Grammar School for

25 years. Since a terrible experience as an o -duty lifeguard on the north Cornish coast when he battled but ultimately failed to save three souls from drowning, he has dedicated himself to providing vital water safety education for children. In 2017 he set up Above Water, a charity that educates teachers how to deliver water safety messages in schools (Water Safety teaching is actually part of the National Curriculum). His work for Above Water is entirely voluntary and unpaid but he also owns Ocean Water Safety Consultancy, which provides services to water-based events around the UK. Brendon has already visited hundreds of schools and communities, teaching over 100,000 children water safety and drowning prevention. His challenge will spread the water safety and awareness message even further.

Half of the funds raised through this awesome expedition will go to a range of charities including Above Water, the RNLI, Surf Life Saving GB, Surfers Against Sewage and e Wave Project. e rest will be put towards ‘game ed’ apps to make the learning of water safety messages immersive and fun. ese apps would be speci c to the features of particular beaches would be speci c to the features of particular beaches such as Croyde so that water-users can fully familiarise such as Croyde so that water-users can fully familiarise and understand the dangers of the local scene. Initially and understand the dangers of the local scene. Initially Brendon plans to start with 10 key beaches then build Brendon plans to start with 10 key beaches then build on this base. He needs to raise £100,000 for this with on this base. He needs to raise £100,000 for this with the game maker providing the balance with a further the game maker providing the balance with a further £150,000.

Brendon has already completed many adventures and Brendon has already completed many adventures and challenges including paddling the 280 kilometres from challenges including paddling the 280 kilometres from Sennen Cove at Land’s End to Torquay with his friend Sennen Cove at Land’s End to Torquay with his friend Noah on rescue SUPs, completing the trip in just over 3 Noah on rescue SUPs, completing the trip in just over 3 days and raising substantial funds for charity. With his days and raising substantial funds for charity. With his love of the water he’s really happy to be based in Torbay love of the water he’s really happy to be based in Torbay telling me, “Tor Bay is an amazing water facility and telling me, “Tor Bay is an amazing water facility and really stands out as the best place to be. I’ve paddled in really stands out as the best place to be. I’ve paddled in so many places and the Bay really has ‘wow factor’ – it’s so many places and the Bay really has ‘wow factor’ – it’s very sheltered and a wonderful haven for wildlife with very sheltered and a wonderful haven for wildlife with lots of things to see including incredible sea caves. ” lots of things to see including incredible sea caves. ”

When he leaves from Torquay at the crack of dawn When he leaves from Torquay at the crack of dawn on 24th April Brendon’s family will be there to see him on 24th April Brendon’s family will be there to see him o . His wife Helen is a keen open water swimmer and o . His wife Helen is a keen open water swimmer and their three children Kitty (16), Roo (14) and Jonah their three children Kitty (16), Roo (14) and Jonah (11) are surfers and surf lifesavers. He says, “I couldn’t (11) are surfers and surf lifesavers. He says, “I couldn’t do it without their support – they love the water too do it without their support – they love the water too so they understand my commitment.” So do his many so they understand my commitment.” So do his many supporters and sponsors and we wish him huge success supporters and sponsors and we wish him huge success for this amazing challenge!   thelongpaddle2021.com