Moor Links Magazine February/March 2019

MOORLINKS February / March 2019

Issue 38

182

EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES INSIDE

Virtual Reality with the Dartmoor Society Hill Farm Project Plays, Music, Art and Crafts INSIDE THIS ISSUE: COMMUNITY NEWS • GARDENING • EDUCATION • FOOD • HEALTH • HISTORY • WHAT’S ON LOCAL PEOPLE An award-winning nurse and a dedicated volunteer

COMMUNITY NEWS Listen in to Radio Walkham

FEATURE On the open seas with Trinity Sailing Trips

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Come rain or shine…

The deadline date for any inclusions in the April/May issue of Moor Links will be 27th February 2019. For all editorial enquiries please contact Rosemary via email: rosemary. best@linksmagazines.co.uk

THE LINKS TEAM: Publisher: Tim Randell Editor: Rosemary Best Writers: Nichola Williams, Kaye Rogers Design: Sara Venner, Julian Rees Customer Services: Rachel Rees Advertising: Jane Daniel, Olivia Breyley, Joanne Mallard

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Here we are at February and signs of early spring may be just around the corner. I say ‘may’ as nothing is ever certain at this time of year. However, whatever the weather, it’s a time of year when we are definitely the ‘right’ side of the shortest day and starting to retrieve at least a couple of extra hours of daylight each day, which always gives me satisfaction.

This issue features a number of groups and individuals who, come rain or shine, achieve great things in their day-to-day lives. Kaye had the pleasure of finding out how Tavistock Taskforce provides opportunities for those with learning difficulties, the unemployed and the socially excluded, to work in nature conservation and enhance the countryside. Sue Fisher experienced first-hand what it’s like to sail with the Trinity Foundation which runs residential voyages for school groups, individuals, Duke of Edinburgh Award expeditions, and young people with additional needs. While one of our local people is a nurse who was recently awarded the prestigious and nationally recognised ‘Dr Kate Granger Award for Compassionate Care’ for her work as a nurse specialist in the area of inflammatory bowel disease.

We are also delighted to announce that the winner of our recent competition to win​‘Dinner for Two at The Bedford Hotel’ is Nigel Halford.

Rosemary Best Editor

you spot him too?

6 Contents

32

24

14

5 Community News

29 Farming Diary

58 Food & Drink

11 Trade Secrets

31 Naturalist

60 Outdoors & Active

12 Education

32 Feature

62 History

13 Kids’ What’s On

34 What’s On

64 Tech Tips

14 Local People

38 What’s On Extra

65 Book Review

18 Charity Focus

54 Music & Art

70 Property Update

21 Health & Wellbeing

56 National Trust

24 Gardening

57 Book Review

@moorlinks Cover photo by Richard Fox, www.richardfoxphotography.com See page 55 for Richard’s exhibition at the National Park Visitor Centre, Princetown.

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COMMUNITY NEWS

Radio Walkham In little more than a year, Radio Walkham has metamorphosed from broadcasting two evenings a week in a presenter’s kitchen to a professional radio station with an impressive weekly programme, including a regular breakfast show, sports programme and a full spectrum of music for all tastes including rock & roll, 70s, 80s, modern country music, dancefloor smashers, hardcore trance & house, the latest releases, ‘Sunday Lunchtime Blues’ and ‘The Rich Pickings Show’ - the only south west programme focusing on local music.

Paul ‘Taffy’ Hillier moved to Horrabridge at the end of 2016, quickly settling into the local community. He had previously spent eight years as a local radio presenter in South Wales for Radio Tircoed and was keen to set up a small radio station for the West Devon community. Initially he ploughed his own money into the project, buying equipment to get the project off the ground, and learning the technical aspects as he went along. His smooth, entertaining presenter’s patter soon had listeners tuning in both locally and from further afield, while a steady stream of aspiring presenters got in touch, eager to come on board.

Paul admits to being slightly addicted to Radio Walkham and even though he has recently gifted the radio station to the community, he still plays a major role in keeping it on air. I went along to meet both him and Mel Gregory, vice-chair of the new Radio Walkham committee, at their base above The London Inn in Horrabridge – to their knowledge the only radio station above a pub, courtesy of the landlord, Mike Huda, who has been extremely supportive, providing Radio Walkham with the room, electricity and broadband rent-free. After a quick chat, Paul ushers me into the ‘chair’ and I receive the same treatment as would-be presenters, suddenly finding myself reading the weather live! My performance definitely wasn’t

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going to win an Oscar (leaving my glasses at home didn’t help) but as Paul talks about his experiences and the many and varied programme slots, I can see how he and the rest of the team have got hooked.

Run by an eclectic mix of presenters, ranging from 18 to 70-years-old, this group of fun-loving but passionate people have built a polished radio station, broadcasting from five separate locations with 3500 regular listeners every month, including expats around the world, who send in a constant stream of chat, local news and events to Radio Walkham’s Facebook page. The radio station is also keen to encourage local artists, with musicians and singers frequently playing live in the studio as well as performing at the innovative Party in the Park days held last summer with the aid of OB1. OB1 is the Radio Walkham ‘outside broadcasting unit’, transformed from a £180-caravan with a bit of hard work and some clever graphics from Colourbridge. The radio station is also keen to do its bit for charity – last summer Paul took OB1 to H Fest in Exmouth, and the family music festival, raising funds for the Plymouth Hasler Recovery Centre, was broadcast live on Radio Walkham. The station is also supporting local residents Barry Gray in the Challenge Antartica project, and Lee Spencer, The Rowing Marine.

Rosemary Best

Why not tune in for a listen from 7am to 11pm - just search radiowalkham.net and click on the link or download the TuneIn app. Radio Walkham is always keen to hear from singers and musicians, or potential presenters, so if you think you might have what it takes get in touch on the website contact page or 07925 073602.

5

COMMUNITY NEWS

Buy local lamb Lovers of Dartmoor’s iconic landscape can now ‘taste the view’ by purchasing prime lamb from a number of Morrisons stores in the South West, including Tavistock. The new initiative sources lamb from the Dartmoor Farmers’ Association, whose members farm within the Dartmoor National Park area. The association was formed in 2007 with the support of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales and facilitated by the Dartmoor Hill Farm Project to promote the link between upland livestock production and the benefits it delivers for the area’s landscape and wildlife.

Livestock reared on the farms are predominately native breeds able to withstand the extremes of weather experienced during a typical year on Dartmoor. Many are born on the hill and grazed on semi-natural habitats, producing a wonderfully pure product with a superior flavour and texture to the meat. Studies, including one by Professor Henry Buller at

Exeter University, have proven that livestock fed on natural bio-diverse grass diets results in a leaner meat with higher nutritional value, good fats and antioxidants.

Matt Cole of DFA said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with Morrisons and provide local people with the opportunity to support us by purchasing our lamb, as well as make an investment in conserving the landscape and communities of the national park. Farming in an upland area is challenging but delivers so many benefits in addition to the production of quality meat.”

Members of the association are involved in agri-environment schemes and sign up to reduce food miles and ensure traceability. They also seek to share their skills and knowledge with future generations of farmers to deliver a sustainable farming future and develop opportunities to engage with the public through on-farm events.

Burrator bat project wins award Neil Reeves, head of countryside and recreation for South West Lakes Trust, and Paul McNie, waste water environment manager at South West Water were recently presented with the award for overall winner at the 2018 Pennon Environmental Awards for an eight-year project they have led at Burrator reservoir to install and monitor 120 bat boxes. Volunteers of all ages have provided invaluable assistance and have contributed

at least 4000 hours in helping to carry out the monthly bat box surveys at Burrator over the years.

Paul explained: “Bats are important because they represent over one-third of British mammal species and are indicator species for the health of the environment. Understanding our bat population helps us understand the health of our woodland ecosystem and informs future habitat management decisionst.”

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COMMUNITY NEWS

National award for Dartmoor Junior Rangers Dartmoor National Park Junior Rangers were awarded first prize in the Group category of the National Park Volunteering Awards 2018 at the Kendal Mountain Festival in Cumbria. The awards recognise volunteers’ outstanding contributions to help care for these precious landscapes and inspire others to safeguard them for future generations.

Entries came from the UK’s 15 National Parks.

Helen Jenny, education volunteer, Dartmoor National Park, said: “Dartmoor Junior Ranger programme involves 12 to 16-year-olds in a ten-month commitment to a programme of volunteering opportunities which connect young people with the workings of the Dartmoor Education & Outreach and Ranger Service Teams. In addition to the vast and varied practical skills learnt, these young people have developed personal and interpersonal skills. The past four years have shown a growing sense of responsibility and understanding for the environment and they have all become valued

ambassadors, promoting the message of care, active enjoyment and wise use. Dartmoor is certainly safe in their hands. An award well deserved by all.”

Junior Ranger tasks include spillway repair, leat clearing, coppicing, footpath maintenance, caring for historical sites, recreational issues as well as outreach events at local shows, meeting the public and helping with activities/events. All Junior Rangers work towards completion of their John Muir Explore Award (8 days minimum commitment) and the National Outdoor learning Award (NOLA) which helps them reflect on and record their changes in confidence and self-esteem throughout the programme. All winners received prizes provided by Columbia Sportswear and a £1000 bursary was given to the group and project winners to help their volunteer work.

New look for snooker club The Buckland Monachorum Snooker Club has recently undergone a project to upgrade this valuable community facility after being awarded a grant from The Buckland Monachorum Community Fund. The grant has funded new LED lighting and work to re-clothe the snooker table, fit new cushions and net pockets, carried out by Cornwall Snooker Services. Buckland Monachorum Village Hall also provided extra funding to repaint the room before

the work was carried out. The snooker facility provides a great opportunity for local people both young and old to enjoy recreation and socialising throughout the year, come rain or shine, at a very reasonable cost. Anyone interested in becoming a member or just an occasional player (all equipment can be provided) should contact Phil Bennett on Tel: 07848151379 or visit bucklandmonachorumvillagehall. co.uk.

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COMMUNITY NEWS

Calling all ‘gothic’ writers!

Go Gothic is an exciting new festival running from 12-19 October in Tavistock, culminating in the Go Gothic market and literary event. It is being hosted by Tavistock Library and supported by Tavistock Heritage Trust as part of ‘Tavistock’s 1st Gothic and Neo-Gothic Celebration of Literature, Art, Architecture, Theatre, Film and Creative Fun’. The Tavistock area has a rich folklore with many hauntingly gothic-style legends such as Lady Howard’s Ghost, the Gubbinesses and the Blessed Grimbald’s Tower, and this new celebration aims to promote writing, film, drama and art activities, with a number of ‘gothic’ competitions in the run-up to the festival. A selection of monologue entries will then be performed at the festival with the help of Tavistock Edge.

So if you have a gothic story to tell, get writing before the closing date on 31 May 2019; cash prizes will be presented during the festival. Further details can be found at www. myfanwycook.com or at Tavistock Library or by contacting aaron.wilkins@librariesunlimited.org.uk or myfanwyc@ btinternet.com. Competition categories ‘in the gothic tradition’ comprise:

Buckland Monachorum Parish News Christmas Sparkle Many thanks to Sue Callow and her team from the Rock Inn at Yelverton for lighting up the tree on the roundabout over Christmas - a splendid job and much admired.

Need to spend a penny?

You may have seen articles in local papers about the decision

by West Devon Borough Council to stop financially supporting public toilets. Its funding from central government, has been considerably reduced over the last couple of years and the council simply cannot afford to keep paying for their upkeep.

Recognising how important public toilets are, parish councils were offered the opportunity to take over the running of toilets, and Buckland Monachorum Parish Council has agreed to take on the toilets at Yelverton but not those at Bedford Bridge. The final details are yet to be agreed but we anticipate the transfer will happen in April 2019, with a further update in the next Moor Links.

8

Tavistock Edge, photo and costumes by Alison Wright

•

Monologue: based on ‘real’ or ‘fictional’ characters Poetry: incorporating folklore and myth

•

Flash Fiction Story: incorporating folklore and myth

•

Short Story: incorporating folklore and myth

•

Short Film: storyline incorporating folklore and myth is much more important than gore, blood and violence

New MUGA at Yelverton Play Park Many of you who enjoy the play park at Yelverton may not realise that unlike those at Buckland and Crapstone, this is not managed by the parish council, but by a local charity called Yelverton Community Projects. Through several years of generous local donations, fundraising efforts and a contribution from local development at Briar Tor, we are ready to add a new facility - known as a MUGA (Multi Use Games Area). The MUGA will be located where the current football area is and be an ‘all-weather’ surface with wooden ‘ends’ allowing sports like football, volleyball and basketball to be played all year round and also to be enjoyed by wheelchair users. The current area turns from a football pitch into a giant mudbath during the winter so this new facility should be a great enhancement. Installation of the MUGA will take place at the end of March 2019 so be aware that play park use may be restricted during installation.

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COMMUNITY NEWS

Pudsey Day of Morris Fifteen Morris sides came from all over the South West, including Gloucestershire, to perform for the 5th ‘Pudsey Day of Morris’, organised by Meavy-based Dartmoor Border Morris.

One very special guest, Pudsey Bear himself, also turned up and gave the Morris sides a big boost in their efforts for the BBC Children in Need appeal. In six hours of dancing in and around Tavistock, Pudsey Bear collected £1,552.88 for the appeal. Dartmoor Border Morris would like to thank all the

Morris sides who attended, but also Tavistock Town Council, BBC Radio Devon, Bob`s East End Cafe, Dartmoor Brewery and the staff of the Explorer pub in helping to make this event happen. Next year`s event is already in the planning, so if you would like to be involved, contact dartmoorbordermorris.com or like their Facebook page. It`s Morris! How much fun can we have?

‘Learn, Laugh, Live’ Moor’s Edge U3A meets every month in Woolwell and we welcome anyone who is retired or semi-retired. We finished last year with our Christmas party, including entertainment provided by the Play Reading and Singing for Fun Groups, making it a very enjoyable afternoon. The Wine Tasting group chose fortified drinks to taste for their last get-together of 2018, and white and ruby port were enjoyed along with a dessert wine and a selection of festive nibbles. The Photography for Fun group enjoyed reviewing some of their recent photos taken at Shaugh Bridge, as well as guessing the answers to a photographic brainteaser devised by some of the members.

The Jazz and Music group went out and about to various events. At Plympton St Mary’s, the Plymouth Military Wives Choir performed to raise money for the poppy appeal, with songs ranging from traditional to ‘Sing’, written by Gareth Malone and Gary Barlow. Other members went to St Andrew’s and enjoyed two of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and other music played by the London Concertante Chamber Ensemble. There

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was also a return visit to the Plymouth Jazz Club at the Crownhill RBL where the group thoroughly enjoyed The Drat Pack, playing swing and Latin numbers.

Monthly Meetings are held at the Woolwell Centre 2.30pm on the 2nd Thursday of the month and we look forward to welcoming visitors and new members in 2019. You can find out more about our interest groups at u3asites.org.uk/moorsedge/ home or on our Facebook page. Our U3A motto is ‘Learn, Laugh, Live’ and we do our best to fulfil it!

9

COMMUNITY NEWS

Council supports essential home repairs West Devon Borough Council has a loan scheme, enabling homeowners to fund essential home repairs, keeping people warm, safe and dry in their homes. A variety of works can be considered such as roof and thatch repairs, boiler and other heating system replacement or installation, replacing rotten or draughty windows, structural repairs or electrical or plumbing work to name a few. The scheme has been set up to enable eligible homeowners to choose their own contractor and there are a variety of loan products available to suit individual needs and means. The scheme is delivered through Wessex Resolutions CIC, a not-for-profit, responsible finance provider, in close partnership with the council. The partnership has been running for nearly ten years across West Devon and has helped a huge variety of homeowners. By providing loans, the council is ensuring funds for homeowners are sustainable, meaning that every repayment goes back into the council pot to lend to homeowners in the future. A loan funded by the council can help spread the cost of home repairs but let you enjoy the benefit right away.

For more information, call Wessex Resolutions direct on 01823 461099, visit www.wessexresolutions.org.uk or email enquiries@wrcic.org.uk Loans have a fixed interest rate and typical 4.2% APR and are subject to status. Missing future payments could affect your credit rating and ability to obtain credit in the future. Wessex Resolutions CIC may insist on loans being protected at the Land Registry by a Title Restriction.

Wessex Resolutions C.I.C.: a community interest company limited by guarantee, registered in England, company number 4512225. Registered address: Heatherton Park Studios, Bradford on Tone, Taunton TA4 1EU. Wessex Loans and Wessex Home Improvement Loans are trading names used by this company. Wessex Resolutions C.I.C is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (675263) for credit and debt-related regulated activities.

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A pre-paid funeral plan with Golden Charter gives you and your family peace of mind with a range of plans to suit all budgets from just ÂŁ1950. Your plan will be allocated to Morris Bros here in Tavistock.

We also offer bespoke plans to suit specific requests. Contact us for further details or to make an appointment.

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TRADE SECRETS

TRADE SECRETS Daiga and Matt - M&D Flowers TRADE: FLORIST Why did you become a florist?

Daiga: I was born in Latvia and from a very early age I used to spend my spare time with my neighbour who was a florist. I loved the beautiful displays and smells. Later whilst training to become a primary school teacher I was inspired by a television programme advertising a prestigious school of floristry and swapped professions.

How much training is involved, what qualifications do you need to become a florist?

Daiga: There are many different ways to gain floristry qualifications and many different courses. I studied in Riga for two years and then continued to return to college for further experience and training in a variety of floristry techniques, such as wreath-making, table decorations and wedding bouquets.

How long have you been a florist?

Daiga: For over twenty years. I spent eight years on Guernsey before moving to Plymouth. We opened new premises at the Rock complex in Yelverton last June and are enjoying building up our fledgling business.

What is it like owning your own business?

Matt: Daunting and thrilling. I work at

Plymouth Marjon University but help out with the business in my spare time. I am interested in technology and filmmaking so really enjoyed designing the website and Facebook page and all of the other media – posters, flyers and business cards. I also organise the bookkeeping and help with deliveries, as well as helping on a creative and practical level by upcycling furniture to make unique planters for Daiga.

What is involved in being a florist? How does your day usually unfold?

Daiga: The day starts early and finishes late! We sometimes visit the wholesale flower suppliers to select the best stems. Then I open up the shop and make everything look appealing. I try to devise new displays regularly so there is always something fresh and eye-catching in the shop. Most days are spent fashioning displays for orders or walk-in customers, but I also hold consultations or visit function rooms to get an idea of the spaces I have been asked to decorate. Evenings are often spent on paperwork and online stock orders.

What would you say to someone thinking of this as a career?

Daiga - You have to be able to listen well and translate someone’s wishes into a floral reality. The delight on the

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faces of my customers gives me great pleasure and when they come back again for more flowers, that is real recognition of a job well done. I really enjoy working with flowers, but there aren’t many rich florists – you have to love it.

What is the best thing about your job?

Daiga - Floristry is very varied; you can be creating a beautiful pedestal display for a funeral one day, and elegant buttonholes, bouquets and flower boxes the next; there are joyful birthday celebrations as well as large, striking corporate displays. I really love the workshops and events that we host too. It is great to be so creative, think innovatively about new designs for bespoke occasions as well as traditional seasonal celebrations like Valentine’s Day and Mothering Sunday.

Come and meet Daiga at the shop or visit our website to place an order www.manddflowers.co.uk

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EDUCATION

CAB training on benefits Thousands of people in Devon have been or will be affected by changes to the benefit system including changes to disability benefits, support for housing costs and council tax and the introduction of universal credit. This new benefit replaces six existing benefits for people on low incomes and is the most significant change to the benefit system since the introduction of the welfare state in 1948. It is being rolled out in Devon on a phased basis from 2018 onwards and the changes will affect one in four families.

Local organisations that support people likely to be affected by these changes – which includes disabled people, young people, older people, families with children, people in low paid employment as well those who are unemployed – can book on to our training to keep up to date with the changes and find out what it means for the people you support. You will learn how to help people get the benefits they are entitled to, how to avoid the pitfalls and how to get help to resolve more complex issues.

We are running a series of training courses until March 2019 on the following topics: • Benefits overview

• Benefits for older people • Introduction to universal credit • Universal credit and housing costs • Challenging benefit decisions • with further training being planned from April onwards.

The cost for a full day’s training is from only £50 per person plus a small booking fee. If a lot of people in your organisation need to be trained, it can be more cost-effective to arrange a bespoke course tailored to your specific needs at a venue of your choice. Our training is now delivered in partnership with Devon Communities Together through the Devon Community Learning Academy and may be booked via the Devon Communities Together website. You can also contact info@ devoncommunities.org.uk to request notifications of new courses as they are added or to discuss your requirements if you would like bespoke training. If you are interested in volunteering and actively providing advice to local people please visit your local office: ruraldevoncab.org.uk/offices information on Universal Credit see: www.citizensadvice.org. uk/benefits/universal-credit. Or for any issues, please visit www.citizensadvice.org.uk, call Adviceline on 03444 111 444, or pop into your local office.

Friendship, Fresh Air, New Skills, Excitement Your local friendly club, in a beautiful location with club house and free car parking Green and Club House in rural setting

Social events

Call us on:

Join us just turn up on the day

C LU B

Club competitions

O N B WLI O

G N

Coaching for beginners and experienced bowlers

Y ELV E RT

League and Friendly matches

Open day for new members Saturday 27th April Morning 11am to 1pm Afternoon 2pm to 4pm Sunday 28th April Afternoon 2pm to 4pm

Club nights Thursday at 5.45pm Coaching Fridays at 5pm

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KIDS WHAT’S ON KIDS WHAT’S ON

BUCKLAND ABBEY HALF TERM FUN AT BUCKLAND Saturday 16th to Sunday 24th February, 10am – 4pm

FEEDER OR BAT BOX Saturday 2nd March, 1pm - 2:30pm & 3pm - 4:30pm

HOLIDAY FAMILY DAYS

All equipment and materials will be provided. This event is suitable for girls and boys, but we will be using tools (e.g. drills and saws), so probably not suitable for small children. Free event at Clearbrook Village Hall – booking essential at www. clearbrookwildchild.co.uk - please book 1 ticket per family (not per individual).

Wednesday 20th February, 10am-3pm

LAMBING LIVE AT GREENWELL FARM

Each activity day involves a themed nature trail, woodwork, environmental art and outdoor cooking in and around the Burrator Discovery Centre. Please wear outdoor clothing and footwear. £3 per child, £2 per adult (cash only). For more information call 01822 855700 or email heritage@ swlakestrust.org.uk.

Saturday 23rd March 2019, 10am 11:30am & 11:30am - 1pm

Join the team at Buckland for a variety of fun activities including trails around the estate.

BURRATOR DISCOVERY CENTRE

FAMILY WILDLIFE WATCH Sunday 24th February, Sunday 31 March, 10.30am-12.30pm Take part in a range of wildlife and heritage themed activities followed by hot chocolate and biscuits. Meet at Burrator Discovery Centre (unless alternative advertised). Please wear outdoor clothing and footwear. £3 per child, £2 per adult (cash only) For more information call 01822 855700 or email heritage@swlakestrust. org.uk.

CLEARBROOK WILD CHILD

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ac

A h e t app ob y

...

MAKE YOUR OWN BIRD BOX, BIRD

Preschool for 2-4 year olds • 9am-1pm Monday, Wednesday and Thursday 9am-3pm Tuesday & Friday - Term time only

Buckland Monachorum Village Hall

Contact Jane Beard on 01822 853634

bucklandbeehive@hotmail.com www.bucklandbeehive.com

Join us at Greenwell Farm (PL20 6PY) near Meavy and witness the magic of spring in the lambing shed. You’ll get a guided tour of the sheep maternity unit, hold new born lambs, and maybe see a lamb being born. The farmer will be on hand to answer questions. NOT suitable for pregnant women. Free event but booking is essential at www.clearbrookwildchild.co.uk

COTEHELE HALF-TERM TRAIL AT COTEHELE Saturday 16th to Sunday 24th February, 11am-3pm. Wrap up warm and get out and about on the Cotehele estate on this fun free trail. Free but normal admission charges apply BUSHCRAFT FOR KIDS Monday 18th to Wednesday 20th February, 10am -12pm and 1.30pm - 3.30pm For ages 7-15; build a shelter, light a controlled fire and learn survival skills in the wild. £6, booking advisable on 01579 351346, press 0. Unfortunately, dogs are not welcome. This activity is run by Jack at Serious Outdoor Skills: www. seriousoutdoorskills.co.uk

LYDFORD GORGE BUILD A BIRD BOX Saturday 16th February, 12pm-3pm

a family or make one individually - they can be tailored to suit a variety of different garden birds. Children can earn a sticker for their 50 Things booklet when they make a home for a wild animal. £6 per box.

Booking advisable on 01822 820320.

SENSORY EXPLORER TRAIL Saturday 16th February to Sunday 24th February, 11am-2.30pm Are you up for exploring both Finch Foundry and Lydford Gorge with all five senses? Pick up an explorer sheet and tick off textures, sounds, sights, smells and tastes to collect a sticker at both sites and win your sensory explorer badge. Free but normal admission charges apply.

FUN WITH FIRE Monday 18th February, Saturday 23rd March 12pm-2pm Learn how to light a fire without matches, and then mix up some tasty dough to cook on a stick over the campfire. £2.50 per person. Booking advisable on 01822 820320.

BUG HOME MAKING Wednesday 22nd February, 11.30am1.30pm. Construct a home for all sorts of creepy crawlies and tick off one of the 50 things to do before you’re 11 ¾. £2 per person. Booking advisable on 01822 820320.

THEATRE ROYAL PLYMOUTH HORRIBLE HISTORIES: AWFUL EGYPTIANS/TERRIBLE TUDORS Tuesday 19th to Saturday 23rd February, Various Times Using actors and ground-breaking 3D special effects, these two astounding shows are guaranteed to thrill you and your children. Historical figures and events will come alive on stage and hover at your fingertips! Booking advisable on 01752 267222 or at www.theatreroyal.com

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LOCAL PEOPLE

Swimming in the fast lane In November last year Esther Rookes was named runner up for National Swim England Volunteer of the Year, following on from her success as south west regional winner.

Esther’s award comes in recognition of the commitment and enthusiasm she has brought to Tavistock Swimming Club (TSC) for over ten years. She was presented with the award by Olympic medallist, Leon Taylor and Commonwealth champion and European champion, Aimee Willmott at a glittering ceremony in the Great Hall at Birmingham University. The whole Rookes family has been involved with TSC for over 15 years. Whether swimming, coaching, helping out with voluntary club roles or just multi-task supporting, it has been an all-encompassing exemplary contribution.

Esther Rookes is a Devonshire girl through and through; she grew up on a dairy farm just outside North Tawton near Okehampton, enjoying helping out amongst the cows, tractors and combineharvesters, which perhaps explains her enduring love for steam trains and the great outdoors. She is also a very skilled tapestry maker and has furnished her walls with beautiful countryside scenes and different breeds of cattle in intricate stitch-work.

She married Trevor in 1986, and they had two sons, Nathaniel and Kieran. After the birth of Nathaniel, Esther decided to join the Open University; she had to work hard to squeeze study

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LOCAL PEOPLE

time in between raising her young family but managed to take a variety of courses including ecology and animal physiology which culminated, after seven years, in a science degree. Having joined Meavy Primary School as a meal time assistant (MTA) in 2001, a couple of years later she applied to be clerk of the governors at St Andrew’s Primary School, a position she has held for over 16 years. She soon joined their staff register too as both MTA and teaching assistant. Esther also keeps her farming roots to the fore as secretary and treasurer for the Sheepstor Commoners Association and somehow manages to fulfil all of these roles alongside her voluntary work for TSC. When Nathaniel and Kieran were young, Esther took them to Meadowlands for swimming lessons and discovered the boys had a natural gift. Before long they joined TSC and soon worked their way up through the squads. Ten years ago, Esther was asked to be team manager, supporting the swimmers pool side at the club and before long began training to become a swimming official. She now has a number of qualifications under her belt and continues to expand her knowledge, most recently with a referee exam so that she can continue officiating in advanced level competitions.

She also holds the positions of competition secretary and membership secretary at the club.

Despite being reluctant to participate in swimming competitions initially, Nathaniel and Kieran have both competed at county and south west regional level, achieving excellent results in the sprint events. In 2015 Kieran qualified for the short course 50m breaststroke in the UK winter nationals, where he raced against the best of the best. Nathaniel and Kieran were also part of the relay team, and enjoyed swimming against the big competitive clubs. They have both taken swimming courses in

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teaching aquatics and in coaching swimming, and Nathaniel was delighted to receive the Young Coach of the Year Award 2018 at the Devon Sports Award ceremony in Exeter last summer, beating rivals from across all sporting genres. After three years as men’s vice and club captain, Nathaniel worked hard to achieve the necessary coaching qualifications to become development coach to the young club members and has found his psychology and criminology degree useful in encouraging the youngsters to great success. He has always believed in a holistic approach and his knowledge of swimming both as a competitive swimmer and poolside coach is well respected by his young squad and his peers.

All four members of the Rookes family have devoted much of their time to TSC, achieving personal success in the water alongside being celebrated for their altruistic support for the club.

Esther continues with her voluntary roles, Trevor serves on the committee as the club’s treasurer and Kieran swims competitively, representing Birmingham University where he is studying for a bio-chemistry degree. At the end of last year Nathaniel began a new chapter in his life when he took up a position as head coach for the Dinnaton Swimming Club, near Ivybridge.

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LOCAL PEOPLE

Going the extra mile IBD nurse specialist, Katherine Webb, was recently awarded the prestigious and nationally recognised ‘Dr Kate Granger Award for Compassionate Care’.

Katherine Webb is one of the most reluctant interviewees I have ever had the pleasure to meet. Suggested for our magazine by her husband, she was most reticent to shine a light on her recent award for excellence in compassionate patient care - recognition of the extra mile she always goes for those under her charge.

I found her instantly likable, charming and warm with an easy, approachable manner that I imagine translates as a most reassuring and comforting bedside manner.

Kathy was born in London but moved to Wembury when she was ten. She returned to London to study nursing at The Royal Free Hospital where she specialised in gastro-intestinal care, remaining on the surgical ward as a staff nurse for two years before moving to Derriford Hospital briefly, then on to Guys, London to gain experience within a drugs trial unit. She found the lack of real patients frustrating as the unlicensed medication was trialled on healthy people, and was glad to return to frontline nursing in Tunbridge Wells. There Kathy worked in colorectal theatres in the recovery unit, before moving back to Plymouth in 2000 and working on the colorectal surgical ward at Derriford.

In 2002 she became a nurse specialist in the area of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and has undertaken a number of specialist courses to further her knowledge and experience. In the UK 300,000 people suffer with the two main types of IBD – Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis (UC). Both diseases can be debilitating and life-changing; they usually affect young people and can be aggressive. Some sufferers have manageable symptoms, whilst for others the disease can be devastating, leading to long-term, expensive drug therapy or radical surgery.

IBD is not well publicised and for many it carries a stigma and embarrassment as well as long-term physical and psychological effects. Kathy thinks chronic illness can be overlooked with the pressures facing the NHS and wants to raise the profile of this illness to attract greater resources for research and development of treatments.

Kathy works within a close and supportive team on the IBD ward which aims to provide the very best care on all aspects of the condition. She was instrumental in setting up and developing the service and has remained a key member ever since. She has also completed the nurse-prescribing course which gives her complete autonomy and more freedom to do stand-alone clinics, as well as working inside and outside the trust to find suitable locations for IBD patients to have their regular drug infusions. She could not do her job without the support and knowledge of her three fellow IBD nurses whose roles include working with those recovering from invasive bowel surgery, as well as advising on medication and after-care in the outpatient clinic. Diagnosis usually involves invasive tests such as a colonoscopy and MRI scans and can take a while. The IBD nurse team offers a phone and email advice line which is a real lifeline for those trying to manage their condition at home. Kathy has built up very close relationships with many of her patients while caring for them over the years.

In the summer of 2018 Kathy was humbled to accept the

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LOCAL PEOPLE

prestigious and nationally recognised ‘Dr Kate Granger Award for Compassionate Care’, inspired by Dr Kate Granger who conceived the ‘Hello my name is….’ crusade after she became a cancer sufferer and noted that some staff tended to treat her like a medical condition rather than a human being. Hospital staff are now encouraged to introduce themselves to each patient and ensure everyone feels cared for on a personal, as well as physical level. Sadly, Dr Kate Granger died two years ago at a young age, but her husband continues her work. Kathy was delighted to receive her award from Kate Granger’s husband and Anne James, the CEO of Derriford Hospital, at a special ceremony.

Kathy ran the Plymouth Half Marathon this year raising funds for bowel cancer. She also works very closely with the Crohn’s and Colitis UK charity, which has a very pro-active local group hosting

many fundraising events and also offering a monthly Facebook interactive chat. Whilst Kathy does not seek the limelight, she is certainly a bright beacon of hope for her patients and I for one am glad that her compassionate care has been rightly recognised by this award.

Nichola Williams

The IBD National Awareness Week takes place in the autumn, raising awareness of this debilitating disease. For more information visit www.crohnsandcolitis.org.uk or contact Derriford IBD Advice Line on 01752 439224 or plh-tr.ibd-advice@nhs.net

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CHARITY FOCUS

Tavistock Taskforce CIC Tavistock Taskforce is a Community Interest Company run for volunteers with an interest in working to enhance the countryside, and also provides work opportunities for those with learning difficulties, the unemployed and the socially excluded.

Working mainly for major organisations, including Historic England, English Nature, National Trust, Dartmoor National Park and Cormac, but also for local district and parish councils, Tavistock Taskforce is self-funding through the nature conservation work it does. The tasks undertaken include maintaining sites of historic interest, habitat restoration, tree and hedge planting, woodland management, footpath clearing, dry-stone walling and fencing. Members also work for local schools and churches, small charities and community gardens, doing ground maintenance and, during the summer months, they are kept busy making sure that Dartmoor’s car parks are clean and tidy. Generally, they only work four days a week, Friday being reserved for an ‘office day’, and are happy to travel to jobs within an hour’s drive of Tavistock, mainly covering South East Cornwall and Dartmoor National Park.

Their treasured minibus has become essential for transporting volunteers and all the necessary tools and kit.

Taskforce has undertaken some important and exciting archaeological restoration work, including repairing a section of ground at Plympton Castle motte which had been worn away by visitors. For this, they had to lay 14 tonnes of shillet in over 500 sandbags, cover them with soil and seed the ground. One of the larger projects has been their two-year-long preservation work on the tramway on Dartmoor

(known as Plymouth and Dartmoor Railway), where they have uncovered over 200 of the original granite sleepers at Clearbook, part of the 25-mile stretch of track. The volunteers are currently working on rebuilding a three-mile section of stone-faced deer park walls at Cann Woods, dating from 1699.

Director, Peter O’Dell, was instrumental in setting up the Taskforce in 2006 with Geri Laithwaite, who has a great deal of past experience working with charities and now handles all of their administration. Peter has always had an active interest in nature conservation and volunteered for many years as a group leader with the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (BTCV) in the UK and Germany. After serving in the Merchant Navy, he went to Plymouth Polytechnic to do a degree in environmental science and then completed a one-year post-graduate course in countryside management in Bangor, North Wales. His first job was as a ranger in a country park in east London, where he helped to revive an old bluebell wood. He later moved back to Devon and worked as a selfemployed landscape gardener before becoming the assistant ranger for the South West Lakes Trust at Burrator Reservoir. It was here that Peter began helping out with a local volunteer conservation group, working with disadvantaged people. The group sadly folded, but the volunteers and their clients were keen for their work to continue and so, with the support of a

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CHARITY FOCUS

start-up enterprise in Plymouth, a borrowed £1000, a £500 minibus and a set of tools, Tavistock Taskforce was born.

At the end of 2017, the group moved to new premises, which needed extensive renovation to be suitable for their purposes.

This, naturally, required substantial funding. As luck would have it, one of the volunteers, Roger Edmunds, had the perfect skill set for the job. With a background working for the Department for International Development, he was used to applying for finance and after successfully submitting a bid to The National Lottery for a grant, they received a substantial cheque, for which they are extremely grateful.

There are currently 25 volunteers at Taskforce, some of whom either have learning difficulties, are in ‘independent living’, are unable to work, or who are required to do communitybased work. Some volunteers are referred by social workers or unemployment agencies; some come from Duchy College; others approach Taskforce independently. Peter describes them as all being very dedicated and bringing different skills to their work and Taskforce offers them appropriate training, including health and safety, first aid, and chainsaw handling.

Some volunteers eventually move on to gainful employment, which gives Peter a great sense of satisfaction, knowing that

the organisation has had a real impact on their life. One such volunteer discovered by chance that he loved working with people with learning difficulties and went on to work at the Molly Owen Centre. Peter says that the work the volunteers do, has a tangible outcome, a sense of achievement and enjoyment, and provides them with new skills, as well as the benefits of physical exercise. Perhaps most importantly for them, it creates a social bond: a camaraderie.

If you can offer work opportunities or would like to volunteer, or for more information, please contact tavy.taskforce@ btconnect.com or telephone Peter O’Dell on 01822 610071.

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HEALTH & WELLBEING

Falls in the elderly Falls are a much more common occurrence than any of us might think, affecting one-third of people over 65 living in their own homes each year. Yet falls should NOT be seen as a normal part of aging, to be accepted as inevitable and ignored if possible. We can all fall, at any age, but as we get older we naturally get closer to the ‘fall threshold’; however it always takes something else to push us over that threshold. So, in the event of a fall we should be focussing not on the age of the person, but on what happened – on this day, to this person that made them fall. The reasons for falls are varied. Some are serious, for example arrhythmias of the heart. Some are acts of god, for example a tearaway poodle or a freak gust of wind.

Whatever the events, a fall should always prompt examination of the reasons, and an attempt should be made to reduce the chance of something similar happening again.

Falls in the older population have the potential to have much more impact than if a younger person trips over the runaway poodle. Greater rates of osteoporosis (thin bones) mean fractures are more likely, and arthritis and weaker muscles mean ‘saving’ mechanisms are less effective. Half of older people who fall are unable to get back up without assistance and being stranded on the floor for some time can lead to significant injury. An important consequence, and one not as immediately obvious perhaps as broken bones and cuts, is a loss of confidence. Overnight a person’s world can suddenly shrink with all that hard-won lifetime’s independence destroyed. Pavements and steps become something to be avoided, and shopping trips out alone now seemingly impossible.

If you, or a relative has a fall, the reasons for that fall should be assessed, as these events could be a warning sign of underlying illness. Clearly if significant injury has occurred, this will happen in the emergency department, but even if recovery is swift and no immediate help is required, a routine appointment with your GP to discuss the events of the fall could be useful. Your GP will try to establish the balance of causes. Was it something medical, like reduced sensation due to diabetes or poor eyesight causing a tip over a carpet edge?

Was it something in the environment like steep steps into the house that should have grab rails fitted or poor lighting in a hallway? Or was it an event like taking two blood pressure tablets that morning by mistake? Often discussing events, a basic examination and medication review is all that is required. Sometimes further tests can help, for example blood tests or an ECG (tracing of the heart), and occasionally referral to specialist services is required.

done of course as we get older, but we should all be thinking about this while we are still young-ish.

•

Here are some prevention ideas that we know can reduce the risk of falls:

•

Regular medication reviews – many medicines such as sleeping tablets greatly increase the risk of falling, especially as we get older.

•

Regular vision checks and wearing the correct glasses.

•

Thinking about simple things such as choosing wellfitting slippers or putting the light on when going to the loo at night.

•

Fall-proofing your home, for example getting the lighting right, removing trip hazards and installing grab rails.

•

Keeping joints, bones and muscles strong with a good diet and plenty of regular physical activity, including muscle-strengthening activities

•

Improving balance with yoga and tai chi or specialised balance fitness classes.

If you are getting older or you have an elderly relative there are some great resources about how to prevent falls at the following sites: Saga.co.uk/falls; Ageuk.org.uk/falls A huge thanks to Amanda who gave me the idea for this article. She works for the falls clinic and is passionate about her work but would happily put herself out of a job by getting everyone to do tai chi and help to prevent falls.

Dr Jo Coldron Tavyside Health Centre, Tavistock

As GPs we normally see people after a fall. Much better than assessing and treating falls after they’ve happened, would be the prevention of falls in the first place. This can and should be 21

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Tavistock College In addition to this, our team of clinicians Playing Fields includes Wendy our highly experienced BASRaT rehabilitator and exercise trainer. She ÂŁ6 per session (Blockhas worked with Physios in various situations including the Armed Forces and civilian life. As of our team approach, she and Ellie our booking available) part sports and massage therapist, can really

Following the successful opening of our new Leg O Mutton physiotherapy clinic, we have enjoyed meeting and treating new and old clients alike.

As word spreads that we are available to see you here as well as at our Tavistock and Lamerton Clinics, we look forward to helping more of you get your lives back to their full potential.

Our team of six Chartered Physiotherapists have many years of experience. In addition, they will have areas of special interest, so we can always get you to see the best Physio for your condition and get you seen when you need it.

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enhance your recovery, helping you to achieve your full potential and keep you focused on your new fitter, stronger, pain-free self for the long term. This really does help reduce the risk of your old problems re occurring.

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HEALTH & WELLBEING

Worried about the risk of falling?

It is reported that up to 30% of older people may fall in a year.

Up to one in five falls can lead to medical attention being required, though less than one in ten results in a fracture.

However, there is good news! There is strong researchbased evidence that specific exercises designed to improve your muscle strength and postural control, particularly when enjoyed in a group setting and done on a regular basis, are very effective at reducing your risk of a fall.

At our ‘Balance and Mobility’ classes which are chartered physiotherapist led, and run twice weekly, we assess your movement and ensure your exercises are being done correctly, as well as providing you with home exercises to do between classes. In addition to improving your balance and strength, should you unfortunately have a fall at home, we provide training on how to get yourself up from the floor. Also, our physiotherapists can help you think about the provision of compensatory strategies, if needed. This all helps to maintain independent living and confidence to go about your normal life.

Remember it is always easier to maintain than restore, so start your falls prevention exercises early!

Modern living has many benefits; however, some features of modern life, such as excessive time spent sitting, can over many years, gradually, almost imperceptibly affect our bodies, resulting in reduced mobility, poorer balance and weaker muscles. It is no surprise that these changes have been shown to make us more at risk of a fall, as can poor vision and dementia. Our early ancestors abandoned the stability offered by moving with the use of all four limbs. While offering us some advantages, the act of remaining upright while on the move, is only achieved through complex interactions between several areas of our body.

We use our vision to see our environment and any changes to it. We need our proprioceptive sense, which enables our body to know exactly where it is in space and works our reflexes to react to unexpected changes, such as that step you didn’t see. We rely on our vestibular system (inner ear) to give us our sense of balance and spatial awareness, so we can coordinate movement safely. Finally, the strength in our muscles creates the movements required to react effectively to these senses.

This allows us to work the correct muscles at the right time with appropriate force, to complete tasks such as walking, climbing the stairs and even just standing. Our muscles are constantly adjusting, to prevent us from falling over. They give us what we call ‘postural control’, which is the combined effect of our gait, balance, functional tasks, strength, flexibility and endurance.

If you would like more information about our Falls Prevention Services, please contact Tavistock Physio Clinics on 01822 617722 or visit www.tavistockphysio.co.uk Gillespie LD, Robertson MC, Gillespie WJ, Sherrington C, Gates S, Clemson LM, Lamb SE. (2012) Interventions for preventing falls in older people living in the community. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Issue 9. Art. No.: CD007146. DOI:10.1002/14651858.CD007146.pub3.

Sherrington C, Tiedemann A (2015) Physiotherapy in the prevention of falls in older people. Journal of Physiotherapy 61: 54–60

23

GARDENING

Water-wise gardening At times of plentiful rain, we don’t think about water shortages, but with memories of last summer’s lack of rain, it makes more sense than ever to become a water-wise gardener now.

Financially, you’ll save money if on a water meter; looking at the bigger environmental picture, it reduces use of a valuable resource; and time-wise, you won’t spend hours attached to the business end of a hose pipe.

For gardens with free-draining soil or in raised beds and containers, choose plants that are naturally tolerant of drought and your garden will look fantastic even when there’s no rain for weeks on end. Plants have evolved to deal with lack of water in a variety of

ways, like thick, waxy foliage; leaves that are narrow and needle-like or covered in fine hairs; or silvery and lightreflecting. Some plants contain essential oils which evaporate as protection from fierce summer sun, like cistus, rosemary and lavender, creating the gorgeous fragrance of the Mediterranean maquis.

Plan your plantings with a blend of foliage and flowers: create the ‘bones’ of a garden with strong structural foliage such as elaeagnus, bay, rosemary, myrtle and box, which look good all year and make a beautiful contrast to colourful flowers. On the patio, improve drought tolerance by planting in large pots (small ones dry out incredibly fast) and group containers close together so they shade each other.

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gardens’. Designed to gather and reuse every drop that falls, this type of garden incorporates features such as green roofs to minimise runoff; rainwater storage and reuse systems; permeable paving; and low-lying ‘swales’ or waterholding planted areas that are intended to be seasonally dry, along with permanent pools. Planning for extremes means you have a much better chance of being able to sit back and enjoy your summer garden, rather than being a slave to the watering can. You can’t beat getting nature on your side.

Seasonal jobs Deciduous ornamental grasses keep their structure for the first half of winter but are now looking distinctly tatty.

Cut back almost to ground level and, if plants have formed large clumps, make a note to divide come April.

Sowing the first seeds is one of the most cheering milestones of the season, meaning spring is on its way. In an unheated greenhouse, polytunnel or cold frame, sow hardy veg like leeks, Swiss chard, beetroot, winter lettuce and salad leaves, in modular trays for easy transplanting.

Outside, plant garlic, onion sets and shallots. Plant with the tips just below the soil so there’s less likelihood of birds hoicking them out again.

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GARDENING

Looking good Winter-blooming shrubs with fragrant flowers are a real delight of the season, sending out wafts of perfume to cheer the dullest of days. Amongst my favourites are Daphne odora, Lonicera fragrantissima, sweet box (Sarcococca) and Viburnum bodnantense.

Evergreen shrubs really come into their own in the second half of winter.

While variegated and coloured foliage adds extra interest, the lustre of green leaves alone is beautifully structural. As well as shrubs and conifers, there are ‘wintergreen’ perennials and ferns like Sisyrinchium striatrum and hart’s tongue fern that form low-growing clumps of foliage.

Many of the South West’s gardens are famous for spring-blooming ericaceous (lime-hating) plants, which start their magnificent pageant of bloom in late winter with shrubs including pieris, camellias, and the earliest rhodendrons.

Favourite plant Many Hellebore species and hybrids bloom in late winter and these (mainly) easy and shade-tolerant perennials are

ideal to bring colour to awkward spots under shrubs and trees, or to interplant between larger plants in borders.

They’ll often self-seed too, so you can eventually create carpets of colour for no extra cost. And the blooms are an excellent source of food for bees and other insects emerging early from hibernation.

Sue’s top tips Thrifty: Set up water butts (or any other large container) to collect rain water – better for your plants and reduces your water bill. South West Water offers a variety of keenly priced butts and accessories: www. savewatersavemoney.co.uk Wildlife: Birds need a source of fresh

water all year round: for drinking, and to keep their feathers clean and weatherproof. Any container like a large pot, saucer or an upturned dustbin lid will do – doesn’t have to be a smart bird bath. Do change the water every couple

of days and scrub it out with plain hot water (no detergents) once a week, to avoid spreading disease.

‘Green’: If you garden on a slope (pretty common, as Devon isn’t renowned for being flat), design your garden to conserve topsoil in heavy rain.

Cover sloping ground with a tapestry of ground cover plants, and terrace steep slopes into beds – slightly lower at the back than the front, so water is held and seeps through the soil.

Time saving: Set up an irrigation system for pots, window boxes, and particularly hanging baskets which dry out super-fast in hot weather. There’s a good range of watering kits for patios, plus you can add a timer to make your system fully automatic.

Sue Fisher is a garden designer and writer based on the Bere Peninsula: Tel 01822 841895, Email suefisher@talktalk. net, website and gardening blog: www. suefishergardens.co.uk

ALL ASPECTS OF LANDSCAPING AND PROPERTY MAINTENANCE • Decking & Fencing • Dry Stone Walling • Patios & Pathways • Timber Structures • Groundworks

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25

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A little birdie tells me...

A

THIS SPACE COSTS JUST £55 Call Tim, Jane or Victoria on 01822 615627

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GARDENING

Saturday 16 & Sunday 17 March

Tuesday 19 March

RHS Rosemoor Spring Flower Festival

Spring Community Free Day

Focusing on camellias, early magnolias and rhododendrons, in addition to the RHS early camellia competition, the festival will also include classes for ornamental shrubs and a Rosemoor daffodil and RHS hyacinth competition too. Come and view the exquisite displays of top-quality blooms from competitors all over the South West and beyond. There will be trade and advice stands plus a superb range of early spring shrubs and flowering plants available to buy in the plant centre. The competitions are entirely free to enter and open to anyone who wishes to exhibit. Entry forms are available from georginabarter@rhs.org.uk or download them from the RHS website.

Take this opportunity to visit Rosemoor’s inspirational 65-acre garden for free today. Enjoy the beauty and tranquillity of the garden in the springtime as golden drifts of daffodils and spring bulbs carpet the meadows. Discover the advantages of becoming a member of the RHS and find out what exciting events are planned for the year. Already a member? Then why not bring your friends or relatives to discover the benefits of RHS membership. Get to know your RHS and meet some of our horticultural apprentices, students and volunteers and find out how they make a difference to the RHS, Britain’s leading gardening charity.

Tuesday 10am - 5pm, free admission to the garden available if free tickets booked in advance online.

Saturday 11.30am – 4pm and Sunday 10am - 4pm, The Garden Room, normal garden admission applies.

Winter Sculpture Exhibition until 24 February Snowdrop Weekend 2 & 3 February

Spring in bloom

Eco Super Heroes, Half Term Family Fun 16 – 24 February Spring Flower Festival 16 & 17 March South West Alpine Garden Society Show 23 March

Visit us as Rosemoor bursts into a riot of colour Great Torrington, Devon 01805 624067 For tickets and promotions rhs.org.uk/rosemoor Every visit helps support the charitable work of the RHS RHS Registered Charity No. 222879/SC038262

See our community website www.dartmoorlinks.co.uk

27

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28

FARMING DIARY

Swaling on Dartmoor Hill farmers have for generations been custodians of our beautiful upland landscapes and have shaped, managed and maintained it for thousands of years using very simple traditional practices.

Grazing livestock, herds of cattle and ponies, and flocks of sheep have grazed this landscape and shaped the ecology; they also keep the amazing archaeology, geology and landscapes exposed and visible so it can still be seen and enjoyed, whilst breaking up the vegetation so the moors are accessible.

As a result of the wide-ranging grazing where animals can roam free and select where and what they want to eat, sometimes the vegetation which is less palatable gets overgrown and woody, and at certain times of the year can get very dry and burn very easily. So, during the winter and early spring, if we get a dry spell, farmers will selectively swale or burn parts of the moor which have become overgrown. The gorse, heather and long, tussocky molinia grass is very dry and dead through the winter months and burns very easily - this burning clears the dense unpalatable vegetation and the nutrient rich ash then revitalises the soil, feeding new growth.

This practice may seem extreme and it certainly looks dramatic; it can also be dangerous if you aren’t very careful and don’t have the experience, training

or equipment to manage a fire safely.

However, alongside the grazing animals, burning helps to maintain a healthy ecosystem and allows the mosaic of different heights and types of vegetation which the animals and wildlife thrive on, to exist in balance. If the moorland grazing levels are too low, they can become under-grazed. This not only makes them difficult to access but also susceptible to wild fire where potentially large areas could burn and these large uncontrolled burns are much more detrimental and dangerous to public, livestock and wildlife. But equally if they are over-grazed, the surface of a common and moorland areas can be damaged as the mosaic of habitats is reduced to one intensively grazed area, which is also detrimental to wildlife and can increase erosion.

So, in short over the past couple of thousand years, upland farmers have cracked it! Trust them to know how to manage the moorlands with the right number and type of livestock to deliver a thriving sustainable moorland which

we are all able to enjoy. And when on a dry, early spring day you see the moor on fire - before phoning the fire brigade, just have a look to see if there is some scruffy bloke on a quad with a water pump and tank on his bike or a long stick with a piece of rubber on the end. Generally, most burns on Dartmoor will be controlled swale burns. We are obliged as commoners to notify the fire brigade, Dartmoor National Park, Dartmoor Commoner’s Council and Natural England if we are burning, and rest assured the minute any fire gets out of control we will be calling the fire brigade ourselves.

Mat Cole, Greenwell Farm

Once again, we hope to see you all at Greenwell Lambing Live. We will be welcoming schools, colleges, groups, families and all who want to enjoy the magic of spring in our lambing shed!

You can contact us at greenwellfarm@ gmail.com or 01822855535. See you there!

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NATURALIST

NATURALIST

What do bats do in winter?

In Britain there are 18 species of resident bats, 16 of which occur in Devon; they feed largely on moths, flies, beetles and other flying insects and are mainly active from spring to autumn. However, from late autumn to early spring their food – flying insects – is too scarce to meet their energetic demands of high body temperature and flight, so during winter, bats have to reduce their energy demands. They do this by reducing their body temperature to that of their surroundings, resulting in slower breathing and a lower metabolic rate. In this state, known as ’torpor’, a bat may breathe less than once an hour.

Different species of bat choose different winter roost sites. They roost in cool, moist or dry places such as caves, mines, tunnels, cellars, cavity walls and tree cavities; they will also roost in unheated buildings and some roost in bat boxes, or in crevices in rocks or trees. Hibernation lasts from late October through to April, so in autumn bats need to feed a lot in order to build up their fat reserves to last them through the winter. By November most bats are hibernating and starting to use their fat reserves. Later in winter bats may leave the roost on warmer nights to feed and drink. In autumn some species of bat may migrate to hibernate on the continent.

During 2018 and for the next two years, Devon Wildlife Trust is running a survey of bats in Devon using bat detectors placed in different locations in the county. Anyone can apply to take part and the detectors pick up bat calls and record them digitally. When the detector is returned to the bat survey workers, the data is analysed and you get a report on which bats are using your garden (or wherever the detector was deployed). I have a small rural garden and took part in the survey last year; during the three nights

it was deployed, the bat detector recorded nine or ten different species of bat. The vast majority of bat contacts were of Common or Soprano pipistrelles, but other bats included Daubenton’s, Noctule, Lesser horseshoe, Long-eared, Serotine and Barbastelle.

The bat detection equipment is very easy to use and there are detailed instructions. If you would like to know more about which bats are using your garden (or park, or meadow, etc.), and how many, see Devon Greater Horseshoe Bat Project – Devon Bat Survey at www.devonbatproject.org and click on ‘Borrow a bat detector’ for further details. It’s free to take part and this year’s bat survey starts again from April onwards.

You can also sign up for newsletters with further details of the survey.

In recent years, bat numbers have declined for a number of reasons. Some of Devon’s bats, such as the Greater and Lesser horseshoe bats, are rare and the numbers found in Devon are of national importance. I know of at least one house in a nearby village which has a summer (maternity) roost of Lesser horseshoe bats in the garage. Might you be lucky enough to have bats using your house or garden?

You may like to know that sharing your home with bats poses no health hazard.

They do not build nests, gnaw wood, or chew cables.

They are also not blind and will not get tangled in your hair!

Anthony John

Photo: Frank Greenaway, courtesy of Dartmoor Wildlife Trust 31

FEATURE

Trying a different tack Brixham in South Devon is home to the Trinity Sailing Foundation, a remarkable charitable organisation which inspires hundreds of young people every year with hands-on sail training.

Experiencing life-changing adventure and challenge at sea has long been recognised as hugely beneficial – the Navy has been doing this for well over a century – but these days there’s no need to sign up to have a taste of life before the mast. The Trinity Foundation runs residential voyages for school groups, individuals, Duke of Edinburgh Award expeditions and gold residentials, and young people with additional needs.

The fleet comprises three beautifully restored Brixham sailing trawlers: Leader, Provident and Golden Vanity.

Trinity also runs separate sailing holidays for adults and the cost helps subsidize the youth trips to make these experiences accessible to all.

So mid-September saw me heading to Brixham for a one-week voyage across the Channel and back, on Provident.

Setting off on any journey is exciting but heading to the sea brings a hugely special frisson of adventure. Following in the footsteps of countless sailors; hefting a kit bag down to the picturepostcard harbour and stepping back in 32

time onto the graceful wooden decks of Provident. Built in 1924 at Galmpton on the River Dart as a fishing vessel and first converted for cruising before WW2, she combines the best of old and new: the 2 and 4-berth cabins had the comforts of good mattresses, bedlinen and duvets, and she carries all the modern navigation and safety equipment required by commercial passenger craft, plus a powerful engine, Sailing is what these vessels were made for, though, and it’s a glorious way to travel: quiet and environmentally friendly, in tune with the sea around us, while learning the skill of setting sails to make the most of the wind. Taking an active part in the sailing is in no way compulsory, but you’d miss out on a lot of the fun and challenge of the trip by taking a back seat. No experience is necessary – three out of eleven guests had never sailed before - as the crew were outstanding at clearly explaining what was required as well as pitching instructions to people’s level of experience. Our crew numbered four: Skipper Ben, the Mate Jo, Bosun Fran, plus Lucy, our cook. Provident is rigged just as when she first went to sea: she has a gaff rig, meaning the large main sail and smaller mizzen are hoisted on a huge wooden spar attached to their upper side. The ketch rig (two masts) gives versatility – she can sail with

as little as two and as many as eight sails. Apart from a hydraulic winch to operate the anchor, everything is done by hand, which is why traditional sailing is such a great team-building activity.

Working together to hoist and lower sails, under Jo’s instructions, using the old techniques of ‘sweating’ (using your body weight to pull up the sail) and ‘tailing’ (taking in the slack and making fast), was a great ice-breaker and our mixed-age group (twenties to seventies) were soon working well together.

Our voyage turned out to be a wonderful week of contrasts. Leaving at first light to cross the Channel to Guernsey, arriving as the last of the setting sun backlit the roofs and spires of St Peter

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FEATURE

Port. Dropping anchor each night in spectacularly beautiful spots and being ferried ashore by dinghy to explore the picturesque islands of Guernsey and Sark. Our return Channel crossing was done overnight, and this turned out to be most people’s greatest trip highlight, despite the challenges of night watches (three hours on, three off), sometimes rather lively seas and occasional rain.

Crossing the busiest shipping lane in the world, past giant container vessels, cruise ships and fishing vessels ablaze with lights, was a real insight into the world that goes on around Britain’s shores. And I’d thought a night crossing would mean no wildlife to watch (we’d had dolphins and countless seabirds on the way out) but far from it. Our wake fizzed with phosphorescence, created by microorganisms that light up when agitated. It was like sailing on an enchanted magic carpet – plus, to our sheer delight, often accompanied by dolphins that were completely lit up by the phosphorescence and looked like magical creatures swimming alongside us. Arriving in Dartmouth in the small hours of the night, in the rain, I saw the port in a totally different perspective from previous visits as a ‘fair weather’ leisure sailor: coming out of the dark to the welcoming lights of a safe haven; a mooring buoy to tie up to so we could fall into our bunks to catch up on sleep; peeling off slept-in clothes and luxuriating in a hot shower next morning

at the yacht club; relaxing over a latte; and fresh provisions. Though the food was outstanding throughout the trip: our cook Lucy conjured up delicious, varied meals and fresh-baked cakes from the compact galley, in all weathers and sometimes very challenging conditions, with unfailing Aussie good humour.

The final couple of days were another highlight in the most relaxing of ways. Anchoring for a tranquil night up the Dart below Agatha Christie’s ‘Greenway’, landing at the pretty riverside village of Dittisham (pronounced ‘Ditsum’) for an excellent pint or two; and a delightful sunny, warm and gentle sail from Dartmouth across Torbay, all our sails flying. Then

See our community website www.dartmoorlinks.co.uk

all too soon, after a week that in some ways had flown by and in others seemed so much longer, crammed as it was with new experiences, we’re back in Brixham to disembark. “Back to the real world”, sighed one of my fellow guests, disconsolately. “No”, smiled Ben, our Skipper. “This is the real world”. I felt truly privileged to have had an insight into it, even just for a week.

Sue Fisher

Trinity Sailing Foundation, The Sail Loft, Brixham TQ5 8ED – for more information visit www.trinitysailing.org or contact Harry or Ben on 01803 883355 or team@trinitysailing.org

33

Tavistock’s main venue for Films, Theatre, Live Music and Live Broadcasts

Welcome to...

live broadcasts.. wharF gallery..

Tuesday 19th February

Why not come along and visit our Art Gallery which is free to enter and open to the public every day except Sundays.

We change exhibitions each month and feature many local and national artists.

The image below is from our recent exhibition FACES FROM FAR OFF PLACES by local photographer Tommy Hatwell www.tommyhatwell.com

DON QUIXOTE

Royal Opera House Live Don Quixote and his servant Sancho Panza set out to have a chivalrous adventure. They meet Kitri and Basilio, a young couple who cannot marry because Kitri’s father is determined to marry her off to the wealthy Gamache.

Don Quixote decides to intervene.

With Don Quixote’s help, Kitri and Basilio convince her father to let them marry. Don Quixote also persuades Gamache that he would prefer to marry the barmaid anyway. Kitri and Basilio celebrate, and everyone cheers Don Quixote on his way.

FILMS........................ COFFEE SHOP........

BEAUTIFUL BOY

Based on the best-selling pair of memoirs from father and son David and Nic Sheff, Beautiful Boy chronicles the heartbreaking and inspiring experience of survival, relapse, and recovery in a family coping with addiction over many years.

8th – 14th February

Did you know that The Wharf has its own coffee shop open 6 days a week (except Sundays) serving a varied menu to suit all tastes and at very reasonable prices.

With an outside seating area running alongside the canal, on a hot sunny day there can be no better place in Tavistock to enjoy a cream tea or slice of cake!

THE LEGO MOVIE 2

It’s been five years since everything was awesome and the citizens are facing a huge new threat: LEGO DUPLO® invaders from outer space, wrecking everything faster than they can rebuild

15th – 21st February HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON

When Hiccup discovers Toothless isn’t the only Night Fury, he must seek “The Hidden World”, a secret Dragon Utopia before a hired tyrant named Grimmel finds it first

FILM & THEATRE COMING SOON FAUST RHO LIVE April 2019

ALL MY SONS April 2019

..............................................

SALLY MORGAN PSYCHIC ROMEO & JULIET RHO LIVE April 2019 June 2019

..............................................

16th – 21st February

LA FORZA DEL DESTINO RHO LIVE June 2019

WITHIN THE GOLDEN HOUR RHO LIVE May 2019

MUSIC.....................................

WHOLE LOTTA LED Saturday 16th February

DIRE STREETS Friday 22nd February

2019 sees the 50th anniversary of the release of one of the greatest albums of all time – Led Zeppelin II, much of which will be performed live at this show.

Dire Streets bring to life the classic songs of one of the world’s greatest guitar bands with a level of musicianship and attention to detail.

KRIS BARRAS Saturday 9th March

DARKSIDE OF THE MOON Friday 15th March

THE TOTAL WHO SHOW Saturday 16th March

ELO AGAIN Friday 22nd March

Kris Barras is one of the U.K’s most exciting Blues-Rock Guitarists. His blend of soul-wrenching melodies with blistering technique has thrilled audiences worldwide for the past 13 years.

More than just an ordinary Pink Floyd tribute band, The Darkside of Pink Floyd entertain audiences with a fantastic light show and passionate performances.

The show is not just an imitation but one of the greatest exponents of the music that defines their generation.

A night of ELO performed by ELO AGAIN brings back the age of Glam Rock to the 21st century and pays tribute to the beautifully crafted songs of Jeff Lynne.

KICK UP THE 80S Saturday 23rd March

UNRAVELLING WILLBURYS Friday 29th March

If you remember New Romantics, Rubic Cubes, Box Jackets, “Frankie Says” t-shirts then Kick Up The 80’s will have you partying like the 90’s never happened!

The Unravelling Wilburys, a band of good ‘ol boys, turn their skills to replicating the sound and songs of the late 80s ‘super-group’ The Traveling Wilburys where five of the greatest names in rock music history came together

MUSIC COMING SOON GLENN TILBROOK April 2019

THE UPBEAT BEATLES April 2019

HI-ON MAIDEN April 2019

THE BON JOVI EXPERIENCE April 2019

................................................ ................................................

WOMEN IN ROCK TUBULAR BELLS FOR TWO May 2019 May 2019 See our community website www.dartmoorlinks.co.uk

STRAIGHTEN OUT STRANGLERS Saturday 23rd February

REBECCA DOWNES Friday 1st March

With an extensive set-list that spans Birmingham-based Rebecca and two solid hours as they re-create her band are a ‘must see’ live act the ‘early years’ sound of The that often leaves newcomers simply Stranglers blown away by the power of the performance.

Online booking available for all music events at...

www.wegottickets.com For full details and how to book events visit our website: www.tavistockwharf.com

Tavistock Wharf Box Office 01822 611166 FACEBOOK.COM/TAVISTOCKWHARF Dates and times shown may vary, so please check our website for all up to date information: www.tavistockwharf.com 35

WHAT’S ON

REGULARS

Richard Slater (Royal Institute). Wildwood arts, Chapel Lane, Horrrabridge, PL20 7SP www.wildwoodartsdartmoor.co.uk; 01822 258529

9 FEBRUARY – 31 MARCH DAFFODIL HUNTER TRAIL AT COTEHELE

FROM 1 MARCH

10am-4pm. Pick up a free trail from reception and see if you can find all the different daffodils that were grown during Cotehele’s past as the heart of the Tatmar Valley’s market garden. Normal admission charge applies, NT members & U5s free

Wildwood arts, Chapel Lane, Horrrabridge, PL20 7SP www.wildwoodartsdartmoor. co.uk; 01822 258529

9 FEBRUARY – 24 MARCH

Another egg-citing and free trail brought to you by Tavistock BID as part of the Spring Festival. Collect your clue sheet and find all the eggs to earn yourself a goody bag.

Collect your sheets from I Love Candy, Kaleidoscope, The Visitor Information Centre and the Toy Cupboard. www.visittavistock.co.uk

SPRING SHOWCASE IN COTEHELE GALLERY 10am-4pm. The new exhibition in Cotehele’s gallery features work from exciting new artists and craftspeople from the south-west as well as some well-established contributors. Normal admission charges apply.

FEBRUARY AND MARCH CHARITY LUNCHES Lunches at Lewtrenchard Manor supporting Devon Air Ambulance on Fridays and Saturdays between 12.00 noon and 2.00pm, 2-course lunch £17.50, 3-course lunch £21.50 - charity envelopes provided for donations.

FEBRUARY & MARCH MOOR THAN TORS EXHIBITION A photographic journey into Dartmoor by local artist, Richard Fox, with 40 images ranging from snowy scenes, colourful sunrises, rolling farmland and flowing rivers. The National Park Visitor Centre, Princetown, Tuesday to Sunday, from 10.00 -15.30, entry is free. www. richardfoxphotography.com UNTIL 23 FEBRUARY IMAGINATION AND ALLEGORICAL ART EXHIBITION Joint-themed exhibition of two of the region’s finest artists - David Brooks and 36

SPRING ART EXHIBITION

30 MARCH – 22 APRIL TAVISTOCK EASTER EGG HUNT

1ST SATURDAY OF MONTH

FIRST SATURDAY OF MONTH TIDY TAVI LITTER PICK-UP Meet outside Meadowlands Leisure Centre. There’s no need to register or signup to take part - just turn up! 10:00am to midday. All necessary equipment provided, but please bring your own gloves and wear stout footwear.

FIRST SATURDAY OF MONTH BOOK GROUP AT PRINCETOWN LIBRARY We are an informal group that meets at 10:30am-12noon each month to discuss a book we have all read. Come along to see what it’s all about, drop into Princetown Library or check the Princetown Library Facebook Page.

2ND & 4TH WEDNESDAY OF MONTH CHARLESTON FRIENDSHIP CAFE

High quality, handmade wares from local artists - unique products not found on the high street and a chance to meet the artists and makers themselves. 9.00am to 4.00pm in Butchers’ Hall, Tavistock

A new initiative meeting from 2.00-4.00 pm in Buckland Monachorum Village Hall, supporting those living with dementia and their carers - join us for a cuppa and a chat. For more information phone Margie (01822) 853152, Mandy 855347, or Trish 852163.

3RD MONDAY OF MONTH

WEDNESDAYS & THURSDAYS

TAVI ARTS MARKET

LEARN TO TURN WOOD Learn to turn wood with Tavistock Turners & Carvers Club! We meet monthly on the 3rd Monday at 7:30pm at the Scout Hall, Pixon Lane, Tavistock - the first two visits are FREE. For details see www. tavistockwoodturners.co.uk LAST TUESDAY IN MONTH PARKINSON’S SUPPORT GROUP Join us at the Anchorage Centre, Tavistock from 10.30am to noon. We also have monthly exercise classes and social coffee mornings. For more information please contact Pam on 01822 614204 or Val on 01822 613992.

LAUGHTER YOGA ‘Laughter is the Best Medicine’, so join our fun sessions for about half an hour of light exercise and laughter with deep yogic breathing. All adult ages and people of most abilities welcome. 7pm Wednesdays and 1.45pm Thursdays at Tavistock Guide Hall on the Wharf. £3 per session including tea/coffee. 07845932597 for details.

EVERY WEDNESDAY THE CITY OF PLYMOUTH CREDIT UNION OFFICE Savers can obtain loans at 2% or less.

Children can save too. All savers are covered by a free life insurance. Call in for more information or ring 01752 201329.

11.00am - 1.00pm in the Princetown

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WHAT’S ON

Community Centre, Tavistock Road, Princetown, PL20 6Q

FEBRUARY 13-16 FEBRUARY GOATFINGER A tale of intrigue, espionage and goats….

Meavy Amateur Dramatics (MAD) presents Goatfinger performances Wed to Sat at 7:30pm, plus Saturday matinee at 2:30pm.

14 FEBRUARY

Tekkie Brekkie on EID tags for sheep at Harford, 10 – 12.30am, £5

01579 351346 for details or visit www. nationaltrust.org.uk/cotehele

15 FEBRUARY

16 FEBRUARY

DEVONSHIRE ASSOCIATION

BUILD A BIRD BOX

“Rebuilding Castle Drogo”, an illustrated account by Paula Clarke, Community Engagement Officer at 7.30 pm at the Tavistock Parish Centre, Plymouth Road.

For further details contact Barbara Edwards edwardsbobbarbara@btinternet. com, 01822 852 636 or visit www. devonassoc.org.uk

Make your own bird box at Lydford Gorge, materials and guidance provided by the ranger team. £6 per bird box, booking advisable on 01822 820320, 12-3pm

16 & 17 FEBRUARY

MOOR’S EDGE U3A Family History – Speaker Graham Naylor at the Woolwell Centre 2.30pm 14 FEBRUARY DARTMOOR HILL FARM PROJECT

APPLE GRAFTING WEEKEND AT COTEHELE 10am-4pm. Learn how to graft your own apple tree with more than 20 local apple varieties to choose from. No need to book, just drop in and take home a grafted tree. £5 per grafted tree, admission applies. Call

16 - 24 FEBRUARY

‘ECO SUPER HEROES’ Half Term Family Fun at RHS Rosemoor - get your hands dirty with a range of family themed activities, whatever the weather! Including a garden trail and drop-in family craft workshops. Drop-in workshops, 11am 1pm and 2pm - 4pm, Learning Centre South

TAVISTOCK’S AWARD-WINNING VENUE VOTED AS ONE OF THE ‘BEST TOWN WEDDING VENUES’ IN THE SOUTH WEST

Tavistock Town Hall a perfect, flexible setting for your event.

Whether you’re holding a gala dinner, a wedding, sales fayre, or even an exercise class, our facilities and friendly and experienced staff make our elegant Gothic building at the heart of Tavistock the ideal place for your event.

• Fully Licenced Bar • Licensed for Civil Ceremonies• Capacity from 2 – 400 people• Full disabled access • Modern kitchen facilities • Full days hire from £85.00* *depending on event and room requirements

Call the team to discuss your needs and reserve your time and date 01822 townhall@tavistock.gov.uk

•

www.tavistock.gov.uk

See our community website www.dartmoorlinks.co.uk

•

617232

Tavistock Town Hall Bedford Square Tavistock PL19 0AE 37

WHAT’S ON

17 FEBRUARY

17 FEBRUARY

20-21 FEBRUARY

DRAWING FOR BEGINNERS

BUILD A BIRD BOX WORKSHOP

Cheri Hunston’s workshop for absolute beginners or those wanting a refresher to brush up their drawing skills. focusing on materials, line, form, shape, texture, proportion. Materials provided. 10am -4pm, £70 at Wildwood Arts, Horrabridge

As part of National Nest Box Week, the Mary Tavy Jubilee Group, along with Dartmoor Park Ranger Rob Taylor, is holding an all-day workshop at Coronation Hall, Mary Tavy to make bird boxes – mostly for public areas, but also for individual gardens. 08455 193812 or mail@mtjubileegroup.co.uk

GAMES ON THE SQUARE, TAVISTOCK

What’s On Jazz Sunday Lunch Sunday 3rd March Sunday 7th April A delicious 3-course Sunday Lunch, with a generous helping of live jazz. £25

Come along and enjoy a free day of traditional games on Bedford Square, including mini crazy golf and Beat the Buzzer, from 10:30am-3:30pm courtesy of Tavistock BID. www.visit-tavistock.co.uk 21 FEBRUARY MAKING THE INVISIBLE VISIBLE

17 FEBRUARY THE RIVIERA RAMBLERS A relatively new six-piece band featuring great trumpeter John Shillito with sax and clarinet ace Zoe Lambeth. Hot rhythm & timeless tunes! 7.30pm at the Royal British Legion Club, Tailyour Road, Plymouth.

Tickets on the door £10 (members £8, full-time students £5) information 01752 721179, plymouth-jazz-club.org.uk 18 FEBRUARY

Five superb courses by candlelight. £55

AGM followed by a talk on `Garden Tools their history and how to care for them` by Steve John from Abbey Garden Machinery - includes a quiz and time for questions about garden machinery. 7.30pm Meavy Parish Hall. Enquiries 01822 852672 and 01822 852984

3 delicious courses, in the stylish setting of The Bedford Hotel. £26

01822-613221 bedford-hotel.co.uk

21 FEBRUARY YELVERTON LADIES OPEN GROUP

Valentine’s Dinner Thursday 14th February

Mother’s Day Lunch Sunday 31st March

A virtual reality presentation by Professor Bob Stone based on a number of local high-tech projects, including the reservoir bed at Burrator, the old Burrator and Sheepstor Halt, and the tor outcrops and quarries at Haytor. 2pm - 5pm at Meavy Parish hall. Advance booking essential.

Contact Tanya Welch on 07850 120230.

MEAVY GARDEN SOCIETY

Bring a sock…!!! With Sarah Scott.

7:45pm at Yelverton Memorial Hall 23 FEBRUARY TAVISTOCK MEMORY CAFÉ Looking at nature, thinking of spring and helping our feathered friends !

19 FEBRUARY

for the carers – chat & optional ipad support with June & Helen

YELVERTON & DISTRICT LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY

24 FEBRUARY

‘Morwellham: Tavistock’s Port’ - a talk

by Rick Stewart at Meavy Parish Hall at 7.30pm

abigail’s

FAMILY WILDLIFE WATCH 10.30AM-12.30PM Come and take part in a range of wildlife

@ The Knightstone Tea Rooms Serving freshly prepared hot lunches and light bites, selection of home-made cakes, cream teas, high teas and Prosecco afternoon teas Roast dinners served every Sunday (booking recommended) 1940’s weekend, 3rd weekend of every month, serving a selection of

“Wartime Specials”

Now taking bookings for Mother’s Day, with prices starting at just £12.50 for 2 courses Also available for private functions

The Bedford Hotel

OPEN EVERY DAY BETWEEN 10AM AND 4PM DOG FRIENDLY AREA • FULLY LICENSED • FREE WIFI

1 Plymouth Road | Tavistock PL19 8BB

01822 853386/07447744427 • modwan@sky.com

In the heart of Tavistock

38

Crapstone R0ad, Yelverton PL20 6BT

To promote your business to 13,800* readers - call 01822 615627

editorial@moorlinks.co.uk

WHAT’S ON

and heritage themed activities at Burrator Discovery Centre followed by hot chocolate and biscuits. £3 per child, £2 per adult. Please wear outdoor clothing and footwear. No booking needed.

24 FEBRUARY WINTER JAZZ EVENT Lunch accompanied by jazz music from Kimberly Oram-Penfold at Lewtrenchard Manor from 12.00 noon to 2.00pm. £35.00 per person.

25 FEBRUARY WHAT’S INVOLVED IN BEING A COUNCILLOR? An open evening for residents at Killworthy Park, Tavistock at 6.30pm, including information about the role of borough councillors, the workload involved, and how to put your name forward.

27 FEBRUARY

Neurone Disease Association. For further information please contact, Rosalind Wiggins 01822 612440.

IS DARTMOOR WORTH CROSSING?

What’s On

Join members of Tavistock Edge at the Two Bridges Hotel for a 3-course dinner, along with an evening of Dartmoor stories, myths, legends, scriptures and poems, performed by Dartmoor characters including the late William Crossing - the great moorland author and guide. 7pm, £30, call 01822 892300 to book.

2 MARCH

DISCOVER THE BEDFORD HOTEL Join local historian Alex Mettler for an illustrated talk on the history of The Bedford Hotel, and an exclusive guided

Wine Tasting Dinner

Thursday 4th May A tutored wine tasting session by Charles Steevenson followed by a superb five-course dinner with Valentine’s Dinner 1 MARCH Thursday 14th February matched wines.

WORLD DAY OF PRAYER courses in the SERVICE £45Seven per superb person utterly romantic setting of the

MARCH

What’s On

Everyone of all faiths and religions is Tors Restaurant. welcome at this special service which is £59 taking place in over 120 countries around Wine Tasting Dinner the world on the same day. The service Keeping SundayThursday special, with a 2nd May for this area will be at 2pm in the United delicious, traditional three-course Reformed Church, Russell St. Tavistock.

Sample a selection of seasonal For those unable to attend this date, wines, partnered with aweek. superb Sunday Lunch served every dinner menu using the finest local, an alternative service is being held at Three courses £25 Christchurch, Brentor on Sunday 3 March seasonal ingredients.

Two courses £19.50 £59 including dinner and wines at 6pm. Contact - Anne Snook 01822 614801.

Winter Warmer Breaks

Sunday Lunch

27 FEBRUARY INTRODUCTION TO TRADITIONAL DEVONSHIRE RURAL SKILLS “Introduction to traditional Devonshire rural skills including hedgelaying, stone walling, cobblestoning and much more”

by Don Gaskins and Richard Finnemore from Devon Rural Skills Trust. Burrator Discovery Centre, 7:30pm-9:30pm, £4 per person (including refreshments). Please book your place on 01822 855700.

Until 28th February

Stay from £70 per person, per 01822-892300 night, including dinner and LAMERTON QUILT EXHIBITION breakfast.(Minimum 2 nights) twobridges.co.uk/whatson Exhibition of local quilt-making skills at 1-2 MARCH

St Peter’s Church, Lamerton, PL19 8QR. Open 11am-4pm, free admission and parking. Refreshments and raffle. Proceeds to be divided between the church, Brain Tumour Research Campaign and Motor

01822-892300 twobridges.co.uk

ANTIQUES VALUATIONS TAVISTOCK 14th February & 11th April The Bedford Hotel Plymouth Road 10.00am - 1.00pm

John Piper (1903-1992) Saltash Bridge. Sold for £1,250

St. Edmund’s Court, Okehampton Street, Exeter EX4 1DU T: 01392 413100 W: www.bhandl.co.uk E: enquiries@bhandl.co.uk

See our community website www.dartmoorlinks.co.uk

In the heart of Dartmoor

Two Bridges | Dartmoor PL20 6SW In the heart of Dartmoor 39

WHAT’S ON tour of the hotel to uncover some of its little-known secrets. Including coffee and set two-course lunch, £30. 10am, booking essential on 01822 613221 3 MARCH ‘1959, THE GOLDEN YEAR OF JAZZ’ The Neil Maya Quartet celebrates one of the great years in jazz history covering the release of iconic albums by Miles

AMBER & MALLOW

Lifestyle

Davis, Dave Brubeck, John Coltrane, Bill Evans and others of the period. 7.30pm at the Royal British Legion Club, Tailyour Road, Plymouth. Tickets on the door £10 (members £8, full-time students £5) information 01752 721179, plymouth-jazzclub.org.uk 5 MARCH PRINCETOWN HISTORY CLUB David Lemon - Building the Kariba Dam 7:30pm at Princetown Community Centre www.princetownhistoryclub.weebly.com 7 MARCH LEVERET Three of England’s finest folk musicians, Andy Cutting (button accordion), Sam Sweeney (fiddle) and Rob Harbron (concertina). Doors and bar open 7.00pm, performance 8.00pm at Calstock Arts, PL18 9QX. Tickets: £8- £14 at calstockarts. ticketsolve.com, 01726 879500 or Limekiln Gallery, Calstock.

7 MARCH CS RETIREMENT FELLOWSHIP PRINCETOWN Are you retired? Then join us for a friendly chat and a cuppa (or something a bit stronger perhaps) at 12.30pm in the restaurant of the Prince of Wales Hotel, Princetown. Meet old friends and make new ones. Our guest speaker will be George Blake with his talk entitled ‘Memoir of a Prison Officer’.

An exciting new lifestyle store in the heart of Tavistock Well Considered Gifts Interior Accessories Interior Styling & Design Service Extensive Fabric Library

The Barn, 5 Market Rd 01822 617853 Open Tuesday to Friday 10.00 to 16.00 Saturday 10.00 to 17.00

40

7 MARCH YELVERTON LADIES OPEN GROUP Willow Weaving – try your skill with Windrush Willow. 7:45pm at Yelverton Memorial Hall 8 MARCH ‘IT IS NOW’ Theatre company, Anonymous is a Woman, welcomes you as actual wedding guests to the show - charming, funny, fully and gently immersive night of theatre, with sounds of the swinging sixties.

7.30pm at Clearbrook Village Hall. Tickets: Adult £9, Child £7, Benefits £7, Family £25 - call 07812 116345 or book online at www.clearbrookvillagehall.co.uk 9 MARCH TAVISTOCK MEMORY CAFÉ Poslips - John and Jill are back to get your feet tapping or even dancing, with tunes old and new (plus the odd corny jokes!)

10 MARCH BUTTERFLIES AND FLOWERS A workshop in acrylics with Laure Bury.

10:30am- 1:30pm, £75 at Wildwood Arts, Horrabridge 12 MARCH MED THEATRE - ‘ROCKS’ MED new community play ‘Rocks’ is a futuristic comedy written by playwright

Tavistock Festival 2019 Tavistock Festival 2019 builds on the 15year legacy established by our retiring chairman, Christopher Kirwin, with an exciting programme including a variety of daytime and evening arts events and exhibitions in a number of local venues.

Within the festival period we will hear the South West Chamber Choir, Mount Kelly Choral Society, Devon County Youth Brass Band, a concert for children, as well as instrumental

lunchtime concerts and talks, an artists’ market and a singing workshop. This year’s festival is just after Easter and welcomes a new chairman, Dr Sean Sweeney, who spent many years as a music director of schools, orchestras and choirs, as well as twenty years as a headteacher. For more festival details see our April/May issue or contact Dr Sean Sweeney on 01822 610769.

To promote your business to 13,800* readers - call 01822 615627

editorial@moorlinks.co.uk

WHAT’S ON Mark Beeson set on Dartmoor around the year 2050, looking at issues such as artificial intelligence, surveillance and nuclear waste, as well as charting Dartmoor’s geological history down the ages. Cornwood Village Hall at 7.30pm.

Tickets from www.medtheatre.co.uk or info@medtheatre.co.uk or 01647 441356.

Other venues also available.

14 MARCH FREESTYLE FELT A workshop with Hilary CharltonWoodgate. 10am-4pm, £70 at Wildwood Arts, Horrabridge

director Alice Dennis BEM: J.S. Bach: Magnificat, Handel: Zadok the Priest, Handel: The King Shall Rejoice. 7.30 pm at The Minster Church of St Andrew, Plymouth. Tickets £16 (U26 £6) from 01752 585050 or theartsinstitute@plymouth.ac.uk 16 MARCH PAINT THE TOWN, TAVISTOCK

MOOR’S EDGE U3A AGM with a talk by a speaker from Jeremiah’s Journey at the Woolwell Centre 2.30pm 15 MARCH DEVONSHIRE ASSOCIATION ‘Mad, bad and fascinating to know’, an illustrated talk by Dr Geri Parlby on the ancestors of the Duke of Bedford at 7.30 pm at the Tavistock Parish Centre, Plymouth Road. For further details contact Barbara Edwards edwardsbobbarbara@ btinternet.com, 01822 852 636 or visit www.devonassoc.org.uk 16 MARCH UNIVERSITY OF PLYMOUTH CHORAL SOCIETY

BLACK CAT JAZZ A welcome return for this great and very popular traditional jazz band. 7.30pm at the Royal British Legion Club, Tailyour Road, Plymouth. Tickets on the door £10 (members £8, full-time students £5) information 01752 721179, plymouth-jazzclub.org.uk

Local businesses, in conjunction with local primary schools, will create bright and wonderful window displays for the Spring Festival, with an award for the best display. www.visit-tavistock.co.uk 16 MARCH

14 MARCH

17 MARCH

SPRING PUDDINGS AT THE EDGCUMBE 7-8.30pm. Join us for an evening of sweet treats inside the historic Edgcumbe tearoom on the banks of the river Tamar on Cotehele Quay. £20, includes soup and four desserts. National Trust Cotehele, St Dominick, PL12 6TA. Booking essential, call 01579 351346 for details.

WE ARE NOW CATALOGUING OUR SPRING AUCTION CALENDAR COLLECTORS’ ITEMS, BOOKS & TOYS, STAMPS, COINS & MEDALS

Live steam locomotive & tender SOLD £420

16 & 17 MARCH RHS ROSEMOOR SPRING FLOWER FESTIVAL Focusing on Camellias, early Magnolias and Rhododendrons, plus trade and advice stands and a superb range of early spring shrubs and flowering plants available to buy. Saturday 11.30am – 4pm, Sunday 10am - 4pm. Normal Garden Admission applies.

Trafalgar medal SOLD £20,000

ANTIQUES & ART, SILVER & JEWELLERY

The choir and Sinfonia perform a selection of baroque masterpieces with musical

Computer Problems?

01822 600105 or 07768 852555 help@berecomputing.co.uk www.berecomputing.co.uk

The local I.T. Guy - providing support for small business and home users • PC and Mac set-up and installation • Virus and spyware removal • Networking and broadband set-up and troubleshooting • Affordable websites for small businesses and the self-employed • CCTV supply and installation

Bere Computing

KEEPING YOU SAFE ONLINE AND AT HOME See our community website www.dartmoorlinks.co.uk

Pink sapphire & diamond Omega “Chronometre” necklace & earrings c1950’s SOLD £15,000 SOLD £1,800

Please contact our Roborough office for free valuations to consign items for these sales

Valuations for auction, probate and insurance purposes Regular specialist auctions with live online Internet bidding

For professional advice and valuations, please call 01752 721199 email: enquiries@eldreds.net

www.eldreds.net

1 Belliver Way, Roborough, Plymouth PL6 7BP 41

WHAT’S ON

18 MARCH MEAVY GARDEN SOCIETY Spring Fun Show 7.00pm at Meavy Parish Hall. See www.meavy.org.uk for details, enquiries 01822 852672 and 01822 852984. Visitors very welcome.

18-23 MARCH ‘LAMBING LIVE’ AT GREENWELL FARM The magic of spring in the lambing shed with Mat Cole and his team. Booking essential on greenwellfarm@gmail.com or 01822 855535: adults £5, children aged 3 and over £2, £100 tour for up to 30 people.

18th-22nd: 5.30pm – 7:30pm; 23rd: 1pm 4pm. Greenwell Farm, nr Meavy, Yelverton, PL20 6PY 19 MARCH

Peter Mason (+AGM) at Meavy Parish Hall at 7.30pm

21 MARCH

19 MARCH

Have you ever wondered how the height of a dam is decided and why the overflow spillway is a certain size? An introduction to dams and reservoirs and some hydrological aspects of their design,

by Les Hamill. Burrator Discovery Centre, 7:30pm-9:30pm, £4 per person (including refreshments). Please book your place on 01822 855700 or heritage@swlakestrust. org.uk

PRINCETOWN NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH MEETING 8.00pm in the restaurant of the Prince of Wales Hotel, Princetown. All residents of the Dartmoor Forest Parish Council area are welcome to attend. Did you know that some insurance companies offer a discount on your home and contents insurance policy if you belong to a Neighbourhood Watch scheme. Membership of the Princetown Watch is free. If you would like to receive information from Action Fraud via the Devon & Cornwall Police Neighbourhood Alert Intitiative, contact mikeandkate3@talktalk. net

BURRATOR DISCOVERY CENTRE EVENING TALK

21 MARCH YELVERTON LADIES OPEN GROUP ‘Shoplifting’ with Julie Turner. 7:45pm at Yelverton Memorial Hall

YELVERTON & DISTRICT LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY

22 MARCH

‘Life on Dartmoor in WW1’ - a talk by

A Pint Sized Conversation is an uplifting, moving and often humorous performance about depression made by those with close family and friends who suffer from it. 7.30pm at Milton Combe Village Hall.

Tickets: £12, including a light supper. Call 01822 854865 to book.

DYLAN FRANKLAND

23 MARCH BERE FERRERS SPRING FLOWER SHOW

naturally nourishing skincare, soaps & shampoo bars

A host of flower, plant & veg categories at the show in Bere Ferrers Church Hall, plus the Art and Craft Fair in Bere Ferrers Social Club. Plant and cake stalls, as well as tea and refreshments. See what’s on extra for details on entering. Doors open to the public from 1.15 pm 23 MARCH TAVISTOCK MEMORY CAFÉ

made in Devon visit our online shop at

01822 855331• 07795 057397 WWW.FOURWARDHEALTH.CO.UK

c fourwardhealth 42

dartmoorskincare.co.uk 07522 866614

Pam’s springtime poems - it’s got to be ‘daffodil’ time – poems old and new to share for the carers – meet David Martin, your local Alzheimer’s Society support worker

ft To promote your business to 13,800* readers - call 01822 615627

editorial@moorlinks.co.uk

WHAT’S ON 23 MARCH THE BIG SALE Over 30 exhibitors selling off goods at rock bottom prices! The perfect chance to grab a bargain. 10:30 - 16:00 at Butchers’ Hall, Tavistock. Entry £1.50 (under 16s free) www.missivyevents.co.uk 23 MARCH SW ALPINE GARDEN SOCIETY SHOW Show by the Exeter branch of the Alpine Garden Society at RHS Rosemoor, combined with an excellent plant sale with south west nurseries offering a wide range of good and often unusual plants for sale.

11am to 4pm. Normal Garden Admission applies.

24 MARCH TAVY 13 Considered one of the best-value and wellorganised half-marathons in the country - entries from £9. Plus 1-mile fun run at the Tavistock track. www.tavy13.co.uk

A special extra gig featuring Britain’s multiple award-winning leading jazz saxophonist with one of the finest backing trios in the UK. An exciting evening of swinging mainstream to modern jazz on this rare visit by Alan to Plymouth! 7.30pm at the Royal British Legion Club, Tailyour Road, Plymouth. Tickets on the door £10 (members £8, full-time students £5) information 01752 721179, plymouth-jazzclub.org.uk

ALAN BARNES WITH THE CRAIG MILVERTON TRIO

MAKING SHEEP 3D stumpwork embroidery workshop with Jay Hooper. 10am-4pm, £60 at Wildwood Arts, Horrabridge

25 MARCH DOWSING - CAN IT HELP IN YOUR GARDEN? Talk by Nigel Twinn at Walkhampton Memorial Hall at 7:30pm. Dowsing is an age-old craft, still practiced widely in the countryside, but also quietly by utility companies, engineering firms, archeologists and the general public. £3 per person includes refreshments. Reserve a ticket at www.growalkhampton.weebly. com

BERE FILM GROUP Bere Alston United ChUrCh, Fore street

1st & 3rd wednesdAy eACh month

1.15 REFRESHMENTS 1.45 FILM

£2 FOR REFRESHMENTS & TRANSPORT (IF NEEDED)

24 MARCH JEWELLERY MAKING WORKSHOP

24 MARCH

28 MARCH

Learn how to make jewellery with Xuella Arnold. 10am-4pm, £75 at Wildwood Arts, Horrabridge

20th February

THE HUNDRED FOOT JOURNEY

FRIENDS OF WHARF LUNCHTIME LECTURES

(Helen Mirren)

ORGANISED BY DR ANN PULSFORD, 2PM TAVISTOCK WHARF​

WHAT WE DID ON OUR HOLIDAYS

6th March

FEBRUARY

MARCH

11 February Frances Howard, Poisons from the garden

4 March Malcolm Hart, Mass extinctions and evolution of life on earth

18 February Trish Hodge Not just chocolate: the Fry family of Plymouth and their famous relatives

4 March Laura Quigley, Crossing the North Atlantic before The Mayflower

(Kirsten Dunst, Kevin Costner)

4 March Simon Dell, Tavistock Subscription Library history 4 March Geri Parlby, From magic lanterns to Metro Goldwyn Mayer: the birth of the silver screen and the art that surrounded it

this project is supported by tASS. If you would like transport to and from the film tASS will try to provide it for you. contact tASS on either 01822 617525 or transport@tasstavistock.org.uk

25 February David Lemon More about elephants

See our community website www.dartmoorlinks.co.uk

(Billy Connolly, David Tennant) 20th March

HIDDEN FIGURES

contact either 01822 841021 or 01822 841185 if you would like to know more.

43

Mother’s Day gifts from our range of exclusive brands including Powder, Vera Tucci and Rosie Fox. Jewellery and accessories from £5 Quirky Boutique

A family run business who specialise in laser cut items and bespoke orders. Quote MD19 for 10% discount Wilson Designs of Devon Tavistock Pannier Market PL19 0AL 07977002493 wilsondesignsofdevon.com

Treat your

Mum

to something special on

Rosie Fox dragonfly brooch/hair clip £19

© Lucy Jones Photography

Mother’s Day

Unit 3, Pannier Market Tavistock PL19 0AL 07711 317598 info@qisforquirky.co.uk c Q is for Quirky

Give your mum something really special this Mother’s Day M&D Flowers Unit 3, The Rock Inn Yelverton PL20 6DS 01822 735220 manddflowers.co.uk

We offer gift vouchers and bespoke packages for that special Mother’s Day pampering gift.

Visage First Floor, 13 Duke Street Tavistock PL19 0BA 01822 614797 aestheticsandbeauty.co.uk

Traditional 2 or 3 course Sunday Lunch for the family, including Flowers for every Mother. £20.00pp - 3 Courses £15.00pp - 2 Courses The Olde Plough Inn Fore Street Bere Ferrers PL20 7JL 01822 840358 theoldeploughinn.co.uk

16th Century Free House

WHAT’S ON 28 & 29 MARCH

4, 5 & 6 APRIL

DARTMOOR HILL FARM PROJECT

THE CAPERS AT CRICKETERS’ COPSE

Learn ‘Stone Faced Earth Bank Repair’ at Okehampton, £60.00 (Inc. VAT)

The Brentorians present ‘The Capers at Cricketers’ Copse’ by Richard Coleman.

A tale of intrigue and double cross in the village of Fritton-upon-Sewer. Brentor Village Hall, doors open at 7.00pm, curtain up at 7:30pm. Tickets £5.00, available on 01822 810412.

29 MARCH TEA TASTING & COCKTAIL MAKING Love your ‘cuppa’? - how does tea tasting and tea-based cocktail making sound as a way to start your weekend? 6:00pm at Moorland Garden Hotel, canapes, talk about tea, tea tasting, cocktails. £20 per person, book on 01822 852245.

APRIL 2 APRIL PRINCETOWN HISTORY CLUB Megan Lowe - Butterflies of Dartmoor7:30pm at Princetown Community Centre www.princetownhistoryclub.weebly.com

5 APRIL

at 7.30 pm at the Tavistock Parish Centre, Plymouth Road. For further details contact Barbara Edwards edwardsbobbarbara@ btinternet.com, 01822 852 636 or visit www.devonassoc.org.uk 16 APRIL YELVERTON & DISTRICT LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY ‘The History of the Plymouth Naval Dockyard’ - a talk by Commander Crichton at Meavy Parish Hall at 7.30pm

MURDER MYSTERY DINNER High intrigue, dark secrets, and supersleuthing at The Bedford Hotel. Enjoy a delicious dinner, while a dastardly plot unfolds. 4-course Murder Mystery Dinner: £44. Call 01822 613221 to book 12 APRIL DEVONSHIRE ASSOCIATION Annual General Meeting, followed by an illustrated talk by Richard Finamore on the work of the Devon Rural Skills Trust

See our community website www.dartmoorlinks.co.uk

We have included as many events as possible here in the magazine but for a full and comprehensive list please see our new community website: .dartmoorlinks.co.uk All event listings are FREE. Send details to editorial@tavylinks. co.uk or upload directly to our website by pressing the SUBMIT button

45

W hat’s O n Until 3 March

19 to 23 February

27 to 30 March

20 polar bear cubs have been set loose across Plymouth’s waterfront, each with a bear fact on how single-use plastics affect the envinment. Take this fun, free and educational challenge to become a Polar Bear Explorer and a chance to win great prizes.

Download a map from visitplymouth.co.uk.

1692 in Salam, Massachusetts, 14 women, 5 men and 2 dogs were executed for witchcraft.

1947-1956, hundreds of Americans were accused in McCarthy’s anti-communist investigations. The Tamaritans present Arthur Miller’s dramatic version of events in The Crucible.

The Red House, PL1 3EG at 7.30pm. Tickets at WeGotTickets. com or 01752 291309.

She stole the heart of a nation.

Evita, with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice, follows the life of Argentine political leader Eva Perón, the second wife of Argentine president Juan Perón. 7:30pm at Devonport Playhouse, tickets at plymouthgilbertandsullivan.com/ box-office or 01752 842197

Polar Bear Explorer Trail

16 to 24 February

Sea the Difference – Explore the Shore

The National Marine Aquarium welcomes ocean organisations, watersports companies and conservation organisations to showcase the amazing ways people can connect with the ocean and explore the local area.

Meet marine heroes and take part in activities, games and adventures!

The Crucible

Evita the Musical

30 March 9 March

London Mozart Players

Three contrasting works by Mozart: Seranata Notturna in D major; Piano Concerto No.20 in D minor, with pianist Dr Robert Taub; Symphony No. 41 in C major ‘Jupiter’. 7:30 pm at the Minster Church of St Andrew, with an informal pre-concert talk at 7:00pm. Tickets: £5-£12, U18 free - from theartsinstitute@ plymouth.ac.uk or 01752 585050.

www.visitplymouth.co.uk @visitplymouth @visitplym

St Luke’s Men’s Day Out

Thousands of men will be raising vital funds for St Luke’s with a 12km sponsored walk, before a pasty and a pint while watching Plymouth Albion RFC take on Birmingham Moseley. Walk kicks off at 10:00am, starting and finishing at Plymouth Albion RFC, PL1 4NE. Register at www. stlukes-hospice.org.uk/ mensdayout 29 July

WHAT’S ON EXTRA

Thursday 21st February

Making the Invisible Visible Devon-born Professor Robert Stone returns to give a virtual reality (VR) presentation based on a number of local high-tech projects, including developing a VR model of the reservoir bed at Burrator, the old Burrator and Sheepstor Halt, and the use of drones and special sensors to 3D-map the radiation from radon over the tor outcrops and quarries at Haytor. Bob is Professor of Interactive Multimedia Systems, as well as a Director of the Human Interface Technologies (HIT) Team, at the University of Birmingham.

There will also be an opportunity for attendees to experience the latest VR headsets and related technologies, and to see some of the aerial and underwater drones the team uses to support its research. Recently Bob and his team obtained permission to dive their new Blue ROV2 and Trident unmanned submersibles in Burrator Reservoir to search for the remains of WWII anti-torpedo nets and buoys. Evidence of these remains were detected a couple of years ago when the team carried out an underwater sonar survey in the reservoir and backed up by photographs of previous reservoir droughts provided by local villagers.

family adventures

2:00pm – 5:00pm at Meavy Parish Hall. For all details and to book (by 15th Feb) visit www.dartmoorsociety.com - the event is hosted by The Dartmoor Society & The Yelverton and District Local History Society. All are very welcome and the cost is £5 for non-members and £4 for members.

tree surfing archery canoeing café mountain biking family trails

tamartrails.co.uk 01822 833409 10 minutes from Tavistock 48

To promote your business to 13,800* readers - call 01822 615627

editorial@moorlinks.co.uk

WHAT’S ON EXTRA

February & March

Welcome distractions Thankfully when you make a living from the land there is always a task to act as a distraction and help you to focus on reality. So if you are looking for a distraction, the Dartmoor Hill Farm Project (HFP) provides a year-round training programme for farmers and local residents. Supported by the Princes Countryside Fund, the Duchy of Cornwall and the Dartmoor National Park Authority, the HFP is involved in a range of initiatives to support upland farming. In addition to core agricultural training the project is working with the Heritage Lottery funded Moor than Meets the Eye Landscape Partnership Scheme, to develop a new programme of heritage skills.

February sees our sheepdog course for novices gain momentum at Postbridge, under the watchful eye of master shepherd Kenny Watson. This course ends in September with a mock sheepdog trial, putting the class on best behaviour!

On the topic of sheep, we are also hosting a ‘tekkie brekkie’ on Valentine’s day, looking at electronic identification tags and recording systems. This event with Shearwell Tags involves a breakfast and kitchen table discussion with some hands-on

practical work. What better way to treat your loved one than to learn how to keep tabs on them at all times…

Or you may wish to learn about traditional Devon banks in March when we have a stone-faced earth bank restoration course. This will cover the principles of building a traditional Devon bank and arm you with the confidence to complete your own project.

If you are interested in any of these events or wish to find out more details then please contact the office on hfp@ dartmoor.gov.uk or call 01822 890913.

February: Novice Sheepdog Training Course (6 sessions) in Postbridge, £120.00 (Inc. VAT) 14th Feb (10 – 12.30am): Tekkie Brekkie on EID Tags at Harford, £5 28th & 29th March: Stone Faced Earth Bank Repair at Okehampton, £60.00 (Inc. VAT)

Antiques • Collectables • Jewellery Quality Furniture Architectural Salvage Garden Furniture & Ornaments • Tools & Machinery We offer house clearance and valuation services, and accept goods at our office weekly, please contact us for more information.

For more information call: 01822 616992

www.drakesauctions.co.uk cdf

Unit 6 Parade Business Park, Pixon Lane, Tavistock PL19 9RQ

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WHAT’S ON EXTRA

Friday 8th March

‘It Is Now’ Imagine every wedding you’ve ever been to; the frantic mother of the bride, the one relative who’s had a little too much to drink, a day filled with ‘A Groovy Kind of Love’, at the wedding of Laura and Joe … only this time it’s the day of the 1966 World Cup, and everyone has an ear to the radio while no one keeps an eye on the groom and his bride’s best friend. Chaos ensues…

Rising star theatre company Anonymous is a Woman draws you into the centre of this brilliant new show and welcomes you in as actual wedding guests. A charming, funny, fully and gently immersive night of theatre, with superb period details. Whether you’re on the side of the bride or the groom, of England or (dare we say it?) Germany, you can expect an

evening of romance, drama and the sounds of the swinging sixties, from Dusty Springfield and The Supremes, to The Beach Boys and The Beatles.

7.30pm at Clearbrook Village Hall. Tickets: Adult £9, Child £7, Benefits £7, Family £25 - call 07812 116345 or book online at www.clearbrookvillagehall.co.uk

18th-23rd March

‘Lambing Live’ at Greenwell Farm Come and see the magic of spring in our lambing shed with a guided tour of the sheep maternity unit to see the ewes and new-born lambs. Mat Cole and his team will be on hand to answer any questions. Numbers are restricted so booking is essential: adults £5.00, children aged 3 and over £2.00. Group and school tours are also available - £100 per tour for up to 30 people. Larger groups are also welcome at a small additional cost. To book please email greenwellfarm@gmail.com or call 01822 855535.

18th-22nd March: 5.30pm – 7:30pm Sat 23rd March: 1pm - 4pm Greenwell Farm, nr Meavy, Yelverton, PL20 6PY Find us on Facebook at ‘Lambing Live Greenwell Farm’

Paul Mills RELIABLE LOCAL TRADESMAN

PAINTING & DECORATING SERVICES

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On tour 1st-16th March

Humble Boy Tavonians Theatre Company will be on tour with Humble Boy, an award-winning comedy by Charlotte Jones, which takes inspiration from Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Alan Ayckbourn among other influences, particularly in a hugely funny lunch scene. The story is based around Felix (Tim Sutton), a research fellow in theoretical astrophysics, who returns to his Cotswold family home after his father’s death. The irony is that, while the unhappy Felix’s personal life is fragmenting in front of our eyes, he is seeking a supersymmetry that is to be the theory of everything. Felix’s mother, Flora (Tessa Skola), fails to understand her son and her dark glasses conceal both her anger and the bruises of her recent nose job. Her lover and now her suitor George Pye (Frank Woodcock) is anxious to marry her. George’s daughter Rosie (Jeni Boardman) once loved Felix and was abandoned by him for the greater cause of science. Jim (Mike Rendle) a gardener, and Mercy (Ali Fife Cook) a rather sad busybody neighbour, weave in and out of the action bringing extra dimensions to the turmoil of relationships.

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Science is only one of many threads running through the fabric of this play about families, gardening, beekeeping, and the value of words. Above all the play sets out to entertain and make you laugh as much as it wants you to think and to feel. Humble Boy won the Critics’ Circle Best New Play Award following its premiere at the National Theatre. Reviews of it include ‘Very very funny... this is a seriously wonderful play.’ Sunday Times, and ‘Rich, original, intelligent, funny and touching... I can’t recommend this lovely play too highly.’ Daily Telegraph.

Performances will be in Mary Tavy, Tavistock, Meavy, Okehampton, Callington and Upton Cross between 1st and 16th March. For full details visit www.tavonians.org.uk, or phone 08455 196592.

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WHAT’S ON EXTRA

Saturday 23rd March

Bere Ferrers Spring Flower Show Recalling Tamar Valley’s days as a thriving flower and fruitgrowing area, the flower show fills Bere Ferrers Church Hall with a riot of colour, and also coincides with the Art and Craft Fair in Bere Ferrers Social Club. As ever, daffodils will take centre stage at the 71st show with 35 classes of daffodils making a superb display. Besides the exotic ‘triandrus’, ‘tazetta’ and ‘poeticus’ classes, there are also two novice classes - so why not give it a try this year? There are also many other flower categories, or perhaps you fancy your chances with leeks, rhubarb, herbs or any seasonal vegetables - you must have grown them yourself of course!

Photographers can demonstrate their skills with ‘A Coastal Perspective’, ‘Bere Peninsula Heritage’ and a ‘Single Spring Flower Stem’, while children can enter a ‘Garden in a Seed Tray’, a ‘Picture Made of Buttons’ and a ‘Super Hero Potato’, as well as daffodil and cookery sections. Inspiring themes for the flower arrangement classes include: ‘The life of Nancy Astor’ (MP for Plymouth in 1919, the first woman elected to

Parliament), ‘A Walk by the Tavy’ and a ‘Crescent Moon’, or try your hand at baking a jam-filled Victoria sandwich or spiced apple cake, as well as bread, cheese scones, quiches, jams and chutney. There will also be plant and cake stalls, as well as tea and refreshments to relieve hunger pangs caused by the sight of all this food.

Full details on entering and exhibiting can be found in the flower show booklet available at Margaret Willmott’s shop and hairdressing salon in Bere Ferrers or the chemist’s shop in Bere Alston. Entry forms must be received on or before 22 March.

Doors open to the public from 1.15 pm on 23 March.

Clive Charlton Bere Ferrers Spring Flower Show Committee

Monday 25th March

Dowsing - Can it help in your garden?

This talk by Nigel Twinn explains the age-old craft of dowsing, which is still practiced widely in the countryside, but also quietly by utility companies, engineering firms, archeologists and the general public. It has a wide range of potential uses - both in your garden and your home. Most people can pick it up fairly quickly. It just requires an open mind and not too many distractions! Former Walkhampton resident, Nigel

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Twinn, has helped to run The Tamar Dowsers since 2002, and is a long-standing member of the British Society of Dowsers (britishdowsers.org) Walkhampton Memorial Hall at 7:30pm, £3 per person including refreshments. Reserve a ticket by visiting www.growalkhampton.weebly.com

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Friday 22nd March

Dylan Frankland – A Pint Sized Conversation A piece about mental health and offering support. About not getting it right all the time. But trying. A Pint Sized Conversation is an uplifting, moving and often humorous performance about depression made by those with close family and friends who suffer from it. Combining personal experiences with ‘beautiful and highly stylised moments’ (Upper Circle) such as live song, physical storytelling and even a psychedelic, glowing tour of the brain, the Pint Sized team create a relaxed communal and conversational atmosphere. Just like grabbing a pint down your local.

7.30pm at Milton Combe Village Hall. Tickets: £12, including a light supper Call 01822 854865 to book.

Sunday 24th March

Tavy 13 Sunday 24 March will see the 10th Tavistock half-marathon - the Tavy 13. The course runs to the north and east of the town, around the western edge of Dartmoor. Runners start on the Tavistock track and then pick up the cycle trail at Crease Lane and run to Harford Bridge. It’s then that the long climb starts up onto the moor via winding lanes up around Batteridge Hill and across the Princetown Road at Moorshop.

The beautiful lane past Langstone Manor takes them to the highest point of the course (800feet) at the base of beautiful Pewtor. Time for a quick drink at the waterstation and then almost 5 miles of flat and downhill across Whitchurch Down and Down Road, through the Meadows and around the college to finish on the track. The course is well marshalled and has 4 water stations. All finishers receive a medal and there is an option to buy a commemorative T-shirt.

With entries starting from just £9 it’s no surprise that the event is considered to be one of the best-value and well-organised half-marathons in the country.

Whilst runners are out on the course there is also a fun run at the Tavistock track with a course of just 1 mile.

TAVY 13 Sunday 24th March 2019

Entries from just £9

www.tavy13.co.uk

www.tavy13.co.uk

To find out about...

Chapel Lane Horrabridge Yelverton Pl20 7SP

A DARTMOOR’S ART GALLERY Representing the region’s finest artists www.wildwoodartsdartmoor.co.uk email: info@wildwoodartsdartmoor.co.uk 01822 258529

Art, felting, jewellery, embroidery workshops & classes

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WHAT’S ON in your local area VISIT

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MUSIC & ART

Plymouth Jazz Club Plymouth Jazz Club was formed by a group of jazz enthusiasts in April 1984 to promote live jazz in Plymouth and the surrounding area. There are members in Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and Dorset. Right from its inception it has promoted more than 15 gigs per year (currently around 24) featuring local, regional, national and international jazz artists and groups. The programme for February and March is an example of this, although it is somewhat biased towards local bands in the winter months.

February starts with the Plymouth-based Martin Dale Quartet plus trombonist Roger Marks. Both Roger and Martin are widely known to jazz fans across the UK. The Riviera Ramblers is a Devon band led by formerly London-based trumpeter John Shillito, who has strong connections with New Orleans musicians. In March the Neil Maya Quartet, a Devon band, presents a themed programme relating to a seminal year in jazz history. This is followed by a South Wales & Westcountry band, Black Cat Jazz, which gigs from South Wales to the Isle of Wight. Finally, there is a special event in March with

54

a rare opportunity to present the leading UK jazz saxophonist, Alan Barnes, possibly the most popular jazz instrumentalist in the UK. Later in the year there are more national bands and international musicians including Greg Abate from the USA and, at Tavistock Town Hall in July, one of the finest of the UK’s traditional bands, Savannah, from the North West.

Admission to gigs £10 (members £8, full-time students £5) - unless stated otherwise gigs are held at The Royal British Legion Club, Tailyour Road, Crownhill, Plymouth PL6 5DH starting at 7.30pm, tickets on the door from 7.00pm; information 01752 774343 or www.plymouth-jazz-club.org.uk

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MUSIC & ART

February and March

Moor than Tors This exhibition celebrates a photographic journey into Dartmoor by local artist, Richard Fox, with a collection of 40 images ranging from snowy scenes, colourful sunrises, rolling farmland and flowing rivers.

Richard says: “I have been an obsessive-compulsive landscape photographer since 2012. Living on the very edge of Dartmoor has meant that I have spent most my spare time, when not at work as a vet, or trail running, scouting the park for new locations or compositions. Dartmoor is very much a working landscape with much of it devoted to, or relying on farming in one way or another, and although best known for its tors, and

perhaps its prison, there is much moor to this national park than meets the eye.

“I guess I put myself in the category of a traditionalist landscape photographer. I have dabbled in the odd seascape, a bit of astrophotography and the odd bit of long exposure but we often gravitate to what we find most visually pleasing, and for me this is golden light, a captivating vista or nice atmospheric optics like rainbows or the odd fog bow. This often means getting up very early or going to bed very late.

Having an intimate knowledge of a locality, and understanding of its unique weather patterns, helps me acquire a greater variety of compositions and situations. Of particular interest to me are misty and foggy conditions, perhaps not only for their visual splendour, but also for the challenge, to be in the right place at the right time. I also enjoy capturing many scenes as panoramics.”

Prints of Richard’s photographs are also on sale both at the exhibition and online. The National Park Visitor Centre, Princetown, is open Tuesday to Sunday, from 10.00 -15.30, entry is free. www.richardfoxphotography.com

Peter Tavy Inn on the edge of Dartmoor

Charming 15th century pub in the village of Peter Tavy. Renowned for good food & well-kept real ales.

Walkers, cyclists, children and dogs are welcome.

Mon-Fri Midday-3pm & 6pm-11pm Sat-Sun Midday-11pm (Sun 10.30pm)

Peter Tavy, Near Tavistock PL19 9NN www.petertavyinn.co.uk • 01822 810348

BEAUTIFUL DARTMOOR IMAGES MOOR THAN TORS EXHIBITION - PRINTS

Currently exhibited and on sale at the Dartmoor National Park Visitors Centre in Princetown these images are available both framed in stylish black frames or can be purchased mounted without a frame (15” x 10”). If you are interested in larger or smaller sizes, or any others in the portfolio, then please visit the website. They can be placed on bespoke media and can be posted direct to you.

See our community website www.dartmoorlinks.co.uk

www.richardfoxphotography.com 55

NATIONAL TRUST

Spring at Cotehele The estate at Cotehele covers 1300 acres, with woodland, fields, industrial ruins, riverside and quay. Pull on your boots, wrap up warm and come and explore the miles of footpaths here. The garden is full of the joys of spring too, with snowdrops, crocuses, hellebores and daffodils in flower, to name but a few.

After your walk you could warm up with a hot drink, snack or meal in the Edgcumbe tea-room on the quay or the Barn restaurant by the house. Both are open daily from 10am-4pm and well-behaved dogs on leads are welcome to join you for a break in both.

The shop and gallery re-open on 9 February and our new children’s trail begins then too. Cotehele house and mill open for our Daffodil Festival on 9 March. See our website for more info on these and other events: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ cotehele.

APPLE GRAFTING WEEKEND AT COTEHELE Saturday 16 & Sunday 17 February, 10am-4pm.

Learn how to graft your own apple tree with more than 20 local varieties to choose from. No need to book, just drop in. £5 per grafted tree, usual admission applies

BUSHCRAFT FOR KIDS AT COTEHELE Monday 18, Tuesday 19, Wednesday 20 February, 10.30am12.30pm and 1.30-3.30pm each day.

Build a shelter, light a fire and learn how to survive in the wild with our partner Jack, at Serious Outdoor Skills. £6 per child (suitable for ages 7-14), booking essential on 01579 351346.

DAFFODIL FESTIVAL AT COTEHELE Saturday 9 to Sunday 24 March, 11am-4pm.

Join us for a fortnight celebrating all things daffodil! There’ll be displays, ID tours, sculptures by NAFAS, children’s trail and more. Normal admission charge applies, NT members free.

Awaken senses Add someyour colour to at Cotehele your weekendthis thisspring Take in the vibrant colours of spring autumn at Gibside with a walk around the Cotehele garden and estate. It's the perfect way to clear your mind andand recharge your Go crunching through fallen leaves discover a forest teeming with wildlife and autumn colours, with walking batteries. routes for all ages and abilities. nationaltrust.org.uk/gibside

nationaltrust.org.uk/cotehele When youvisit, visit,donate, donate,volunteer volunteer National Trust, When you or or joinjoin thethe National Trust, youryour support helpsus ustotolook lookafter after special places Tavistock support helps special places <inaround the region> <like such as Cotehele, and Lydford Gorge for everyone. property X,Buckland property YAbbey and Proeprty Z> in for ever,for forever, everyone. © National Trust 2019. The National Trust is an © National Trust 2016. The National Trust is an independent independent charity, number 205846. © National registered charity,registered number 205846.

Photography Trust Photography © National Trust Images\Chris Lacey.

Images.

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#nationaltrust #nationaltrust

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NATIONAL TRUST

Adventures at Buckland Abbey Dust off the cobwebs at Buckland Abbey this winter, as throughout February, the estate, garden, restaurant and shop will open up on Saturdays and Sundays from 10am-4pm. This is an excellent time of year to fulfil that new year’s resolution of getting outside and exploring the outdoors. Why not find a place of peace and tranquillity in the Cider House garden? Or perhaps bring family and friends for an afternoon of fun in the higher paddock play area as you zoom down the zip wire? And of course no visit would be complete without a hot chocolate or two in the Ox Yard Restaurant.

The whole property fully reopens daily from 16th February; including the abbey, just in time for February half-term. There’s lots for families to do during the school break, from family crafting sessions to the return of the popular Naturemake.

half-term at Buckland Abbey. From crafts to trails, walks to dressing up, it’s a great place for an adventure.

VOLUNTEER RECRUITMENT DAYS Saturday/Sunday 2nd-3rd March Have you ever wanted to start volunteering, but weren’t sure where to begin? We can help! Drop in between 11:30-2pm to hear more.

FEBRUARY HALF TERM FUN Saturday 16th- Sunday 24th February There’s so much for all the family to enjoy this February

Discover world filled Add somea colour to with your adventure weekend this Buckland Abbey autumn atof Gibside Discover stories life on the high seas and beautiful collections that bring Buckland to life. Explore one of our woodland trails Go crunching through fallen leaves and discover a forest or let off some steam in the play park. teeming with wildlife and autumn colours, with walking Come create your adventure today. routes forand all ages and abilities.

Call 01822 853607 for details nationaltrust.org.uk/gibside nationaltrust.org.uk/buckland-abbey When you visit, donate, volunteer join the National When you visit, donate, volunteer or join theor National Trust, your support your helps us to look after special places <inafter the region> <like Trust, support helps us to look special places property X, property Y and Proeprty Z> in for ever, for everyone.

National Trust South West for ever, for everyone. © National Trust 2018. The National Trust is an © National Trust 2016. The National Trust is an independent independent registered charity, number 205846. © National Trust registered charity, 205846.

Photography ©number National TrustPhotography Images\495867 NT image Images. library.

#nationaltrust #nationaltrust

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57

FOOD & WINE

Wine trends and all that malarkey Dry January... What’s that all about? As a wine enthusiast, importer and someone who has spent their life promoting wines, I feel I must voice my opinion on this ‘trendy fad’. Wine is fundamentally a product for pleasure, so why choose what is usually the gloomiest time of the year to deny yourself what is one of life’s most natural and accessible pleasures. Drinking in moderation surely has to be the key. Can I suggest that if the followers of this ‘trendy fad’ are truly concerned about their wine intake, then why not abstain routinely for a number of days a week. Alcohol, since the year dot, has been valued for its ability to help us relax. With all the pressures and uncertainties of modern-day life, surely an aid to relaxation is not such a bad thing?

On a more serious and wine focused note, fads and trends are always going to Influence our drinking habits. Whether deliberately or unconsciously we are all influenced and susceptible to the pressures of what we read, hear and see.

There is no doubt that we are prone to be weak-willed and gullible as we mimic those who inspire and influence us. The power of advertising. Music also has been proven to not only seduce us into a fantasy frame of mind but also influence us in our shopping habits. A leading market research company in the 80s was able to prove that by playing a music of a specific country down the aisle of a supermarket, it could inadvertently influence the sale of wines that related to that country’s music – with Germanic oom-pah music, up went the sales of German rieslings; the clatter of castanets and the vino of Espana flew off the shelves - you get the picture.

For those of a certain age, cast your mind back to the late 70s with the BBC’s hit series Brideshead Revisited. A hugely popular insight as to how the other half lives. Remember too the two leading characters with their insatiable thirst for sancerre. As a consequence, sales of this wine went through

58

the roof, as indeed I am sure did the sales of teddy bears.

If statistics are to be believed, when villain JR Ewing and his family ruled Dallas the total sales of chablis outstripped the actual amount of chablis produced. Our friends across the pond could not get enough of this wine, and the French producers were not going miss an opportunity. Currently we seem to be experiencing a fascination with ‘the housewife’s ruin’, namely gin. High profile and slick marketing has seen sales of gin rocket. Mark my words the next big thing will be rum - now we are talking.

There can be no doubt that the greatest tangible factors when monitoring our wine fads is food. Whilst the classic styled wines will always be sought by their loyal devotees, many of today’s foodies are eager to find wines that complement their food. With access to foreign travel and endless food programmes on the telly, one is so aware that food and wines are intrinsically linked. As an importer we continue to see ever-growing growth and demand for the wines of Europe.

Wines that are appreciated for their restraint and elegance, wines that tend to complement rather than overwhelm the modern style of international cuisine. Whatever your personal preferences are in wines, people like me are always happy to help and advise, admittedly with our own bias. Whatever pressure you might feel is there to coax and influence your buying habits, try as many of the options as you can and draw your own conclusions. You are always right.

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Charles Steevenson

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FOOD & WINE

Friday 29th March

Tea tasting and cocktail making Love your ‘cuppa’ but don’t know much about this beautiful drink? Looking to try out new teas but not sure which one is for you? Time to change that!

How does tea tasting and tea-based cocktail making sound as a way to start your weekend?

•Canapes on arrival

6:00pm at The Moorland Garden Hotel, Yelverton, PL20 6DA. £20 per person, pre-payable at the time of booking. To make your booking please contact Laura and Karen on events@ moorlandgardenhotel.co.uk or 01822 852245. For more details visit our website at moorlandgardenhotel.co.uk

•Talk about tea •Tea tasting •Cocktails made with tea •Talk on tea by Hannah from Hannah Ruth Tea.

SPRING EVENTS Valentines – 14th February

Bring your loved one for a relaxed evening and dinner, £29.95 per person, bookings from 6.30pm til 9.00pm. Why not stay over for a real treat!

Wedding Open Evening – Thursday 28th February 4.00pm till 7.00pm If you have made the commitment to the next stage of your lives together come and visit to see how the Crystal Room looks and to discuss how we can help make your day.

Tea Tasting and Cocktail Making – 29th March How does tea tasting and tea based cocktail making sound as a way to start your weekend? £20 per person

Mothering Sunday – 31st March Make Mum’s Day – Lunch or Afternoon Tea in our fabulous Crystal Room, lunch is between 12.00 and 2.00pm at £24.95 per adult and afternoon tea between 3.30pm and 5.30pm at £18.95 per adult. Children £15 each for both events

To book any of these do please call our Events Team on 01822 852245 or email events@moorlandgardenhotel.co.uk Full details of these and other offers are available on our website moorlandgardenhotel.co.uk Moorland Garden Hotel, Yelverton, Plymouth PL20 6DA

See our new community website www.dartmoorlinks.co.uk

59

MUSIC & ART OUTDOORS AND ACTIVE

Out and About with Tavistock Ramblers A 4-mile walk around Bere Ferrers with John Brewer of Tavistock Ramblers.

This is a varied walk with stunning views of the Tamar estuary, along tracks, quiet lanes and footpaths. The walk has some ups and downs, but not steep, and may be muddy in places after rain. There are eight stiles. It starts from the war memorial close to the Old Plough Inn in Bere Ferrers (SX459635) The war memorial commemorates not only those from Bere Ferrers who gave their lives in the two World Wars but also ten New Zealand soldiers who died in a tragic accident at Bere Ferrers station in 1917. Walk down the hill past the Old Plough Inn. Follow the road past the old chapel around to the left to reach a junction.

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Turn left, signed to Shutecombe. Pass the farm on the left and continue ahead up the slope and through a gate at the end of the lane into a field. Keep the fence on your left until coming to a stile in the corner. After a second stile turn immediately left at a waymark towards a ladder stile and the road. Take care here as it may be muddy.

Turn right along the road for 30m and take the footpath on the left across a field. Exit the field by a small gate, bear right

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OUTDOORS AND ACTIVE

through the garden, follow the footpath up the tarmac drive until you reach the road.

Turn right, passing the railway station on the left. (If time allows, the Tamar Belle & Heritage Centre would be worth a visit at the station). Otherwise follow the road for about 750m.

There are great views before the road drops down to Tuckham Bridge.

Just before a sharp corner take the footpath on the left beside a stream. After 20m go through the gate and turn left. Follow the footpath over two stiles keeping the stream on the right until you reach the gate at Liphill Quay.

Pass through the gate, turn right and after 30m turn left at the waymark over a boardwalk which may be slippery. With the river on the right go through a metal gate. Proceed along the footpath passing through two gates until you reach a stile into a field. Follow the field boundary, still with the river on the right, until you reach the turning for Thorn Point.

Turn sharp left here following the wire fence uphill to a field gate. Pass through the gate, still keeping the wire fence on the right. Go through another gate and straight ahead to a metal gate. Go over the stile onto a track. {

Why not join Tavistock Ramblers for more walks in West Devon, the Tamar Valley or Dartmoor? Walks vary from short strolls to all-day treks and everything in between. We have short walks in the Tamar Valley on 27th February and 2nd March and several on Dartmoor in the next few weeks.

Go to www.tavistockramblers.org.uk for further details of walks on offer

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Bear right downhill and under the railway bridge into Bere Ferrers. At a road junction continue straight ahead walking down hill to a T-junction opposite the Social Club. Turn right and walk back to the war memorial.

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OPEN HOURS Morning Coffee From 10am Tue-Sat

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Lunch 12-3pm Tue-Sun

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Dinner 6pm â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;til late Tue-Sun Last food orders 9pm

We only use the freshest ingredients from local suppliers and farms from fish to meat and game lovingly created into mouth watering dishes by our Michelin Chefs Malcolm and Andrew. Booking highly recommended.

Breakfast Sat & Sun 9-10.30am

BOOKINGS & RESERVATIONS 01837 82247 . WWW.NEWINNSAMPFORDCOURTENAY.CO.UK

SAMPFORD COURTENAY . OKEHAMPTON . EX20 2TB

See our community website www.dartmoorlinks.co.uk

Closed Mondays

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HISTORY

Tavistock Guildhall An abbreviated article from Tavistock’s Yesterdays Vol 13 written by the late Gerry Woodcock and published with the kind permission of Norma Woodcock.

In one of his acts of generosity, the last Abbot of Tavistock, John Peryn, made a gift of property and money to a Philip Williams, “in consideration of his good and trew services to us”. The property was “our howse, next to the Yeld Halle”. The year was 1537. The mention of the “Yeld Halle”, or Guildhall, is possibly the first documentary reference to a building which, at that time, was a novel addition to the Tavistock landscape.

Built by one of the town’s guilds, probably the prestigious Jesus Guild, it occupied a prominent position in what is now the middle of Bedford Square. Escaping the fate that befell most of the nearby monastic buildings after the dissolution of the abbey in 1539, the Guildhall survived until the middle of the nineteenth century. Its primary function was that of a courthouse. Justice in the town had been traditionally dispensed under the skies. The Guildhall was to provide it with its first identifiable, permanent home. The building was, however, over its life of more than three centuries, to offer also facilities for a range of public and civic activities during a period when the town lacked suitable meeting places other than the churches.

The role played by the Guildhall over the years in the history of Tavistock receives occasional mention. For example, in 1644, in the middle of the Civil War, prisoners-of-war from the parliamentary army were confined there, and, reportedly,

treated badly and half-starved. Later in that turbulent century the building featured as the civic headquarters of the town during the brief period in the 1680s when Tavistock was an incorporated borough. Here, in state, sat the mayor and corporation, exercising their powers of local self-government.

An oaken panel displaying the arms of Tavistock and dated 1684, which originally formed part of the mayor’s seat, remained in the Guildhall, and was later transferred to the town hall, from where it sadly disappeared at some point in the middle of the twentieth century.

By the beginning of the nineteenth century, the inadequacies of the Guildhall were the subject of growing concern. In an age when public interest in a range of political and social issues was heightened, the need for an adequate venue for meetings became more pressing. The Guildhall was small and inconvenient. Moreover, the state of the fabric, of the pavement around it, and of the gutter running under it, were the subjects of frequent complaint. The recipient of such grumbles was the Duke of Bedford’s steward, as the Duke owned the building. For a conscientious steward like John Benson, the state of the old edifice provided him with a succession of headaches throughout the 1830s and 1840s. The magistrates were concerned about the state of the attached prison, familiarly the ‘Clink’, and they highlighted that ‘there

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HISTORY

The cells

is no provision for warming it in winter, and that the privy is in a corner of the apartment’. Benson wearily responded: “I am not aware that the prison at the guildhall is any worse than it has been heretofore. The building altogether is so, certainly, from the effects of time, but if within any moderate number of years a new guildhall and prison is to be built it would be very injudicious to expend much in making an alteration of the present building”. In 1841 he noted that, after a storm, ‘The old guildhall has got several large holes in it’.

In April 1845 the clerk to the Tavistock magistrates, Robert Luxton, was requested by the Home Office to furnish details of the Guildhall as part of a national survey of the condition of local courthouses. He observed that the building was the property of the Duke, and that no rent was payable. Of the state of repair, he wrote: ‘The Guildhall comprises one room only, and is very inconveniently constructed for the purpose of holding petty sessions, as the magistrates can scarcely deliberate upon a case without being heard by some of the spectators. It is also in a very dilapidated state’. It was now clear that the building was inadequate in each of its three roles, as courthouse, assembly room, and prison. Benson pressed his master to agree to a replacement. The seventh Duke accepted the argument. A careful search was made to try to identify an existing building that could be adapted to serve as the new Guildhall, and the town mill at Parkwood was examined with this in mind, but it was finally decided that a new purpose-built construction was unavoidable. The Duke thereupon signed a cheque for £4000*. The old Guildhall was demolished. For many years thereafter two surviving features, iron cell-doors could be found doing useful service, one in the oven of William Johns’ Duke Street bakery and the other guarding Kilworthy House’s wine cellar. The old site was cleared and, a few yards away, a new Guildhall was built, and formally opened on Thursday 28 September 1848.

It occupied a site where, for centuries, from the eleventh

century onwards, the monks had operated their mill. The new construction was described at the time as comprising ‘an extensive room in which the court is held, a magistrates’ room and other apartments, under which is the Bridewell comprising six cells, a dwelling for the police superintendent, a fire engine station etc’. Contemporaries also noted that it was erected, not only on the site, but ‘in imitation of the style’, of the old monastic buildings. A few years on, and it was to provide both a backdrop to the statue of its creator and a complement to another part of his architectural legacy to Tavistock, the town hall.

In the twentieth century ownership was transferred to Devon County Council. As the century drew to a close the centurieslong tradition of locally administered justice was ended with the abrupt closure of the court in 2000. The Guildhall, a fine and proud building and a significant part of our community heritage, was left to await its twenty-first century fate.

Alex Mettler Tavistock Heritage Trust

In March 2018 the Heritage Lottery Fund awarded £817,800 towards a total project cost of £1,645,007 to conserve the Guildhall and provide a World Heritage Site Interpretation Centre. The centre (scheduled to open in July 2020) will be run

by Tavistock Heritage Trust in partnership with Tavistock Town Council. *On an ‘average wages’ basis, the £4,000 paid by the Duke is equivalent to c.£2.5 million today.

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TECH HELP

Tech tips from ChezvousPC If you are frustrated by the time it takes your machine to do things, then maybe it’s time to consider a Solid State Drive.

SSDs operate very much more quickly than standard spinning drives and make a real difference to any machine. It is a relatively straightforward process to upgrade and is not that costly. To upgrade a laptop to a 240gb SSD will cost just £116.

For a PC it is a little more as a bracket needs to be added so that would make it £123.50. If 240gb is not enough capacity for you, a 480gb SSD would be a further £10 to the prices above. The process means leaving your machine here for a couple of days to do the work but you won’t regret it!

Firefox was just about the only ‘mainstream’ browser still being updated on the Vista system, but it is now no longer suitable for Vista PCs or XP. Also, Norton Security (our preferred anti-virus) will not update to the latest version – never a good sign. If you are still using a Vista Windows PC or XP, then you should really consider getting it changed now.

We can help with that; we understand there is a lot of ‘bad press’ regarding Windows 10, but we can make it really easy to use and you won’t find it so bad after all.

Windows 7 users - are you no longer getting Windows updates? Usually if you have ‘a n other antivirus’, the Windows Defender gets turned off. If that is the case, the Windows Update will not be working and your PC will be going out of date, which we all know is undesirable. Turn on Windows Defender and update it, then go to the Windows update program and get it to check and then it WILL work. If you cannot do this, then we can do it while we tidy up your computer TIM, Tim and Carol – ChezvousPC For help with any home or business IT needs, give us a ring on 01822 855822 or visit chezvouspc.com

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BOOK REVIEW

Book Review Notes on a Nervous Planet by Matt Haig

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PROPERTY UPDATE

How to sell your home in 2019 We met up with Andrew and Sue Kirby, directors of Kirby Estate Agents in Tavistock and Yelverton, who have been selling properties for over 30 years.

Tavistock, Yelverton and surrounding villages all have one thing in common, they are vibrant, thriving communities where people want to live. In many respects they form a ‘golden area’ where house prices have held up remarkably well compared to other areas of the country. People move here from all over the UK, and overseas, as the area has so much to offer Dartmoor, shops and markets, healthy leisure activities e.g. walking, running, cycling, bowls, cricket…fresh clean air!

Proximity to Plymouth and Exeter keeps prices stable There are many reasons people move house such as: employment, upsizing and downsizing, releasing capital, family changes, retirement, access to amenities in town/countryside.

The trend in ‘buying to let’, has seen a decline since government stamp duty changes; buying a property for investment purposes is now more for the long-term investor. Many people move to jobs in the cities but prefer to live in commutable rural towns and villages, so our proximity to Plymouth and Exeter keeps prices stable.

Choosing an Estate Agent Firstly, stay local – choose a local agent, who knows the local housing market and understands the real value of properties. Secondly, you need an agent who will spend time with you; this is a people business and sellers want to deal with people they like. Some might be

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tempted by national online agents who appear to offer low, but upfront fees (there is usually more to pay than you think). At Kirby Estate Agents we only collect a fee when the house is sold (no sale, no fee). There is no incentive for online agencies to work hard for you or get you the best price if you pay them upfront.

A key to selling houses is keeping the process moving. Check if your estate agent offers a dedicated sales progressor, one person focused on progressing your house sale who will liaise with your solicitor, chase your buyer’s solicitor, talk direct to your buyer, keep you informed every step of the way and ensure the whole process runs as smoothly as possible.

Property walkthrough videos can bring a property to life and offer the prospective buyer a real sense of what the house is like to live in. Although a traditional estate agent, Kirby Estate Agents also has a very modern approach, now offering drone technology to capture aerial views of the property and gardens.

Prospective buyers don’t want to be rushed when viewing a house

viewing a house, and won’t ask the questions they want to ask when the owner of the property is present. During a viewing an agent can find out what the buyer likes and dislikes about the property, answer all their questions and allow them time to experience what it is like to live there.

Watch out for agents who come in and overprice your house just to win your instruction! Ask the agent about the valuation evidence and do your own research online - ‘sold house prices’ are available on most property portal menus (e.g. Rightmove, Zoopla and Primelocation).

First impressions count Clutter! Get rid of your clutter and present your rooms as light, spacious areas. The approach to your house is important as first impressions influence buyers, so sort out flaking front door and window paint and overgrown paths.

If rooms are full of ‘stuff’ people just remember the mess and clutter; if you have empty rooms, give them a purpose.

If you’re thinking of moving this year call us for a chat, we are always happy to give free advice.

Choose an agent who offers accompanied viewings. Prospective buyers don’t want to be rushed when

To promote your business to 13,800* readers - call 01822 615627

Andrew and Sue Kirby Kirby Estate Agents, 01822 612010

editorial@moorlinks.co.uk

Thinking of buying or selling?

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Independent Family-Run Business « Experienced Dedicated Team Dedicated Sales Progressor « On All Major Property Websites Appointments At A Time To Suit You « High Quality Photography and Video Plus Drone Technology

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Francesca Sawyer Sales Co-ordinator

Andrew Kirby MNAEA Director

Donna Warr Sales Progressor

Sue Kirby Director

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Our customers like our personal approach... ...they never get lost in the crowd!

Please call us now for a FREE no-obligation valuation on 01822 612010 Main Office: Market Road, Tavistock, Devon PL19 0BW sales@kirbyestateagents.co.uk • www.kirbyestateagents.co.uk

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