Plym Links February/March 2021 issue by Links Magazines

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Protecting the ponies

The Channel Tunnel of its time

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Plymouth Breakwater

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Beavers settle in the Forder Valley

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FROM THE EDITOR

It’s nearly Spring - a cause for hope!

The deadline date for any inclusions in the April/May issue of Plym Links will be February 26th, 2021 For all editorial enquiries please contact me via email at: jane.honey@linksmagazines.co.uk or by phone 07971 917071. THE LINKS TEAM: Publisher: Tim Randell Editor: Jane Honey Design: Julian Rees Advertising: Jane Daniel, Olivia Breyley, Joanne Mallard

To promote your business to 16,100 readers call: ✆ 07450 161929 ON THE COVER: Beaver in the Forder Valley © Chris Parkes www.chrisparkes.photography

As I write, in mid-January, there are white clouds scudding over an increasingly blue sky; a blackbird is pecking busily in the flower bed where snowdrops have appeared, though their buds are still tightly shut, and the green leaves of bluebells are popping up - Spring isn’t far off! And don’t we need that optimism that the longer days and awakening of the garden bring, during a winter that’s been difficult at best? Working to bring you this issue of Plym Links has been a tonic to me personally - interviewing two lovely ladies, albeit via Zoom, reminds you how precious social interaction with other people is! Lou from Glenholt turned to art while recovering from long term illness and now fashions beautiful pictures using fused glass. Sheron, who lives at Newnham, is a passionate collector and up-cycler who creates unique jewellery and all sorts of objets d’art using recycled bits and pieces - even toys! Plymouth Breakwater is a sight we might take for granted when we gaze out to sea - if you read the feature on page 5, you can discover more about what it took to build this incredible structure - and its ongoing maintenance. Thanks to Ron Smith for his article and pictures! Health and hospitals are very much on peoples’ minds

Contents | February & March 5 Feature 8 Local People 12 Noticeboard 22 Education 24 Nature 26 Charity Focus 28 Gardening 33 Health

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36 Food and Drink 38 Business 39 What’s On 42 Music & Art 46 Walk 48 History 50 Technical Help 54 Trade Secrets

at the moment, given the continuing pandemic - the subject of our charity focus on page 26 is Plymouth’s Hospital Hotel, created and run by the Hearts Together charity. The hotel caters for patients, their families and carers in its 27 rooms, but there are plans afoot to extend its offering even further, such is the demand for its service. If, like me, you have started 2021 with the intention of losing weight, the months of February and March are often the time when resolution falters and the scales don’t budge. Dr Rachel re-iterates how important it is to attain and retain a healthy lifestyle on page 33, while adventurer and educator James Dyer has some tips on motivation for success on page 34. With a bumper Noticeboard section in this issue plus all the rest of our regular features, I hope you enjoy reading this edition of Plym Links. Hopefully come summertime, we may be able to begin to include more What’s On listings - fingers crossed. Now how many times have we said that to each other in the last year? Happy reading!

Jane

Jane Honey Editor, Plym Links

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FEATURE

The other side of the Breakwater The view of the Breakwater is impressive from Plymouth Hoe. It stretches a full mile across the entrance to the Sound, protecting us from the worst of the south easterly gales. It was built in the early 19th century, 200 years ago; it still stands effectively unaltered, braving the waves.

owever, the Breakwater itself needs protecting from the waves. This is done by placing 100-ton blocks of cast concrete on a half-tide foreshore on its seaward side. Closely set rows of them, carefully placed to act as wave breakers and thereby to stop the actual material of the Breakwater itself from eroding. These are fully visible at low tide. At high tide they are covered, but still effective. The pictures here also give an impression of the width of the structure. If you are lucky enough to visit, you will be impressed by how very much bigger it is than you might have expected if you have only viewed it in the distance from the Hoe, or even from the Cawsand Ferry. Unfortunately, wave action bumps these blocks around and slowly erodes them. Each one lasts about 30 years before the bits are thrown over the top to the landward side. In fact, every so often, a storm is strong enough to

throw a full block up and over, or indeed to land one on top of the Breakwater. Every year a dozen new ones are cast and taken out to be strategically placed to fill the gaps. This operation is contracted to Babcock Marine and carried out from the quayside at the end of Breakwater Road. You might be able to pop past and see the current status of the process, as I have, by following Breakwater Road from Morrisons at Plymstock to its end and walking on down to the edge of the Plym there, next to the Oreston Marina. Moulds are crane-hoisted out to rest on plastic-covered concrete bases at dead low tide. No less than seven loads of ready-mix concrete arrive and are poured carefully in to fill the mould. Forty-two cubic metres to weigh 100 tons. They are then left for about six weeks to allow full curing, before being taken away. Hairpins

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of steel have been placed so the bends project from the top of the casting, ready to attach to a double-hulled ‘camel’. This is rather like a chunky catamaran. It is floated in at high tide, attached at low tide and as the tide rises its buoyancy lifts the block. It can then be towed out to the chosen placement point on the seaward side of the Breakwater. The block is dropped, it settles to the foreshore; the camel bobs up vigorously causing a humongous splash. How I wish I could get

permission to witness this dramatic moment; alas the dreaded Elfin Safety rules preclude that possibility. History records that Napoleon Bonaparte saw the Breakwater partially built, and was suitably impressed. Did he really say: ‘I thought I could defeat a nation of shopkeepers. Instead, I took on a nation of great engineers and was myself defeated.’ Unlikely, but a nice thought! n Ron Smith The Breakwater Lighthouse and bell

I thought I could defeat a nation of shopkeepers. Instead, I took on a nation of great engineers and was myself defeated... 6

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FEATURE The Channel Tunnel of its time... A study into the construction of Plymouth Breakwater was ordered in the early part of the 19th century, at the looming of the Napoleonic Wars, the intention being to provide a safe anchorage for the Channel Fleet. Work on the Breakwater finally began in 1811. Not surprisingly, the pioneering project to create a mile-long wall in 20 metres of seawater was complicated and expensive - three and a half million tonnes of limestone was quarried locally at Oreston and shipped out to the site before the foundation stone was finally laid on Shovel Rock on August 8th, 1812. The Breakwater follows a line between Panther Rock, Shovel and St Carlos rocks. The massive construction was virtually completed some two years later, but heavy storms damaged the stonework in both 1817 and later in 1824, sparking a change in its design. Scottish engineer John Rennie, commissioned to build the Breakwater along with fellow engineer Joseph Whidby, died in 1821 but his connection with the project continued through his sons, George and Sir John, who completed their father’s plans for a granite lighthouse on the western end of the Breakwater on November 9th, 1843. The lighthouse was put into full service the following summer, managed by Trinity House. At the eastern end of the Breakwater a beacon was built - a spherical ‘cage’ on top of a 17-foot pole which was intended to

provide refuge for unfortunate shipwrecked sailors . A fog signal became operational at the lighthouse by 1867, consisting of a seven hundredweight bell, replaced twelve years later by an even larger one, which sounded four times a minute in foggy conditions. This bell remained in service for another 115 years, when it was replaced by an electronic fog horn in 1994. The lighthouse is now administered by the Ministry of Defence. Despite this lighthouse, many ships have been wrecked by striking the Breakwater and while most have left no trace, the remains of several iron ships and even a Lancaster bomber, which crashed into it while returning from a raid on submarine bases at L’Orient in 1944, are scattered on the seabed in the area. The construction of Plymouth Breakwater has been described as the ‘Channel Tunnel of its time’ and remains one of the largest free-standing breakwaters in the world. It also has become what could be described as a manmade ‘reef’ providing a home for a huge variety of sealife.

Renowned Scottish civil engineer John Rennie

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Sheron King Designer-maker and lover of colour, texture and ephemera!

lthough I was unable to talk to Sheron in her Newnham home due to Covid restrictions, from the glimpses I could make out on my computer screen, it was obvious her studio is jam-packed full of objects - a selfconfessed ‘collector’, this creative lady is obviously not keen on throwing things away! Surrounded by a veritable cornucopia of textiles, china, books, ribbons, beads, papers and buttons etc. Sheron explained that she had arrived at the creative designing and making point of her life via a somewhat surprising series of twists and turns. Originally from Wiltshire and then Cornwall, Sheron initially came to Plymouth to study bakery and confectionery with advanced cake design and decoration at Plymouth City College. ‘Then randomly I went into nursing training,’ said Sheron. ‘I worked as a nurse for a year. I put my heart and soul into what I do, but I knew nursing wasn’t me - I have this desire to be creative, I think that’s probably why I went into confectionery.’ The arrival of children curtailed the nursing career and while her children were young, she completed an

A level in textiles, finding the work inspiring and fulfilling. Creating with textiles, mixed media and later other media such as ceramics made her buzz. Then came a pivotal moment her marriage broke up and suddenly, with two young children, she had to become financially independent. She started running workshops in the community for a variety of projects and schools, eventually working for Cornwall College, teaching low level art and design to students with a range of special needs. She completed a teaching qualification by studying part-time, which fuelled a desire to take her learning experience up a notch, as she completed a degree in 3D Design at Plymouth University. ‘It was a great experience and very interesting going back to full time study,’ said Sheron. Degree completed, with encouragement from one of her lecturers and much appreciated financial support from her parents, she also completed a Masters in Contemporary Design. Sheron said she was ‘really, really chuffed’ to have studied successfully to such a high degree and that it helped her put a very traumatic time in her life behind her while building her confidence and self-esteem. While she would dearly love to make a full-time living out of art, design and making, for the moment, Sheron works part time for a local MP and also as a partner with a network marketing company. However, she has converted the dining room of her Grade II Listed home into a studio, where she works and facilitates workshops. Sheron, whose business is called Mad Hatters Studio, admitted she gets called a hoarder: ‘Actually, I quite

I put a heavy focus on re-use, “ sustainability and up-cycling, because I am passionate about helping improve our environment

”

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LOCAL PEOPLE

forcibly say I am collector! I see the potential of objects, that is why it is very good for me to have this creative space for myself and to share with others through workshops and events. ‘I put a heavy focus on re-use, sustainability and upcycling, because I am passionate about helping improve our environment and one thing we all can do is cut down waste by recycling or upcycling. ‘I have collected lots of old textiles, lace, buttons, beads, even some small vintage toys – these things feed into my work, inspiring intuitive design and using real or imagined narrative. I have made crazy jewellery, cards, mixed media pieces as well as a range of ceramics - I am absolutely addicted to colour, pattern and textures.’ She said she loves offering people the opportunity to enjoy doing something completely different, develop skills or nurture a new-found love of creativity which in

turn can be very therapeutic and empowering. ‘I love sharing a creative space, people who come here say “I just love the vibe, it’s really creative, welcoming and positive”. I get that feedback from a lot of people so I must be doing something right!’ When not working or creating, Sheron loves her garden, which is home to four chickens and a beehive, overseen by a beekeeping friend. She took up foraging during the first lockdown, discovering the delights of making wild garlic pesto and elderflower liqueur. She’s also discovered a love of dogs - never having been brought up with them, she now looks after her son and daughter-in-law’s cockapoo and delights in the unconditional affection offered by a doggy best friend. ‘I just love him,’ she laughed. n Jane Honey

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Lou C

Fused glass artist

ou, whose home backs onto Plymbridge Woods near Glenholt, is originally from the Midlands but came morning!’ said Lou. to live in Plymouth when she was 18 - she says she feels It was through Instagram that Plymouth artist Brian she qualifies as a local now! Pollard got in touch: ‘He said he really liked my work ‘I love it here, I couldn’t live anywhere else, it’s and would I be prepared to meet him? I thought “Is this beautiful, we have everything, with the sea and the real?” and I didn’t answer him for a couple of weeks!’ moors,’ said Lou. Scroll forward and following meetings with Brian, a While her son was young, Lou was involved in the care collaboration of local artists including Lou has been industry - she then started doing voluntary work for formed called Plymouth Colour Collective. Sadly due to the Samaritans which subsequently led to a career as a the Covid pandemic its first exhibition last March didn’t nurse, a role she enjoyed for some 20 years. Then, while take place, but one could be on the cards for this year. suffering with long term health issues, she rediscovered ‘Hopefully it will make people more aware of local a love of art as part of her artists that are out there,’ recovery. About five years ago, she ‘took a she said. ‘Plymouth Colour ‘I’d always dabbled in it, art is very huge leap of faith’ and invested in her Collective but I started looking around colourful, very bright and own kiln, such was her enthusiasm for cheery, it lends itself to at what sort of things I’d like to do and started teaching what’s going on now.’ her new-found hobby myself how to do fused Lou loves creating pictures glass,’ said Lou. About five years ago, she ‘took a huge out of glass, whether they are floral scenes, landscapes or leap of faith’ and invested in her own kiln, such was her buildings, including several well known Plymouth pubs, enthusiasm for her new-found hobby. complete with chirpy seagulls. Created with humour, her Learning through trial and error with designs and firing quirky glass pictures conjure up the atmosphere of our schedules, it wasn’t long before people started to ask ocean city in quite a unique way. her to make pieces for them - her fledgling business had Lou explained that technically, the creative process of begun to take root. fusing glass means every piece will always be different, While she stresses she is ‘very much part time’, she now depending on the firing schedule - and there are plenty has some 2,300 followers on Instagram and sells her of mistakes to be made along the way! work online through the Folksy website. Glass lends itself perfectly to the colourful art she ‘I am absolutely passionate about it - it gets me up in the likes to create: ‘The vibrancy you achieve from glass is

“

”

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LOCAL PEOPLE so much better, also with glass I love the fact you can manipulate it to have texture, it’s contoured, not flat.’ She particularly likes to take on commissions, and said this type of work was good for ‘thinking outside the box’. Since the arrival of the coronavirus pandemic she has also tried to use art in a positive way. ’Because of my health problems I can’t go back to nursing but I wanted to do something, so I made lots of little glass hearts and sent them to Derriford ICU,’ said Lou. ‘It was just a very small thing but I felt I wanted to do something - give them a thank you, a little keepsake. The NHS is suffering but a lot of the charities are too. ‘Last year I made a lot of glass elephants, sold them and gave the money to St Luke’s. It wasn’t a lot, I am only a little one man band, but I’d like to do something again this year for them.’ Lou works maybe ten hours a week on her glasswork, which is available to buy at several South West galleries she’s also a regular at Tavistock Arts Market. ‘When I’m not doing it I am still thinking about it, because it’s a passion, it’s hard not to do it,’ said nature and dog lover Lou. ‘I won’t take any credit for doing the garden but I love to enjoy it when I can,’ she said. ‘We get deer in the

woods, we have badgers, we have foxes - it feels very rural. And probably because I’m surrounded by them, I am fascinated by trees - each season offers a new perspective, each is so beautiful.’ n Jane Honey

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Tree planting survey launched People in the parish of Shaugh Prior are being urged to join thousands around the UK and plant a tree in 2021. The community is hoping to kick start a local tree

planting initiative with a new online survey aimed at identifying areas suitable for tree planting and individuals interested in getting involved. Nick Wassell, chairman, Shaugh Prior Parish Council, said: ‘Planting a tree is an extremely positive move to fight climate change, improve biodiversity and soil quality and enhance the beauty of the countryside. In 2021, we’re looking to work with the local community to plant more trees for the benefit of our area and our planet. ‘The survey is a starting point, allowing us to determine which areas of land in the parish might be suitable for tree planting, whether that’s someone’s garden, field or a public space. ‘Once we have this information, we’ll be looking to identify funding and partner organisations to help us increase the number of trees in the locality.’ Tree planting was one of the key initiatives identified by the Shaugh Prior Climate Emergency Group, which was formed in early 2020 to plan local activities to help address the climate emergency. Anyone wishing to get involved with tree planting in Shaugh Prior parish is asked to complete the survey at bit.ly/ShaughPriorTreePlantingSurvey or using the QR Code to the left. For those without internet access, please call ✆ 01752 698305.

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Female beaver released into Forder Valley

and encouraging more people to connect with nature. As well as being charismatic, beavers are fascinating creatures as they engineer their surroundings by felling trees, damming sections of river and creating a network of canals. They also create wetland habitats which are great for birds, fish and invertebrates and they also ‘slow the flow’ of water during and after rainfall that can help reduce flooding downstream. The Green Minds Project will monitor two very similar rivers – Bircham and Seaton - to see how the beavers are able to make positive impacts. They can be compared with the Seaton stream which has similar characteristics. Beavers’ work can also lead to improved water quality and quantity and store carbon in a really efficient way to help combat the climate emergency. The Green Minds Project has been working with partners including leading beaver experts at Devon Wildlife Trust, re-wilding specialist Dereck Gow and Roisin Campbell–Palmer, the UK’s top beaver ecologist, to ensure the welfare of the beavers. Although the construction of the Forder Valley link road is close to the re-wilding enclosure, experts believe beavers are ‘pretty resilient’ to disturbance and also nocturnal. Their lodges are well insulated to sound and the enclosure is large enough for them to move away from noise. To find out more go to www.greenmindsplymouth. com or www.facebook.com/natureplymouth and www. twitter.com/NaturePlymouth

Photo © Chris Parkes

The first beaver in Plymouth for more than 400 years finally has a companion. The female Eurasian beaver arrived in Plymouth in mid-January and was immediately released in a specially designed re-wilding enclosure near Poole Farm. Remarkable footage shows her meeting with her companion, who was released into the enclosure last November, for the very first time. Having left her cage, she explored the pond for several minutes, before the male emerged from his lodge and the couple swam together. Like her male friend, the new arrival weighs around 20kg and comes from the Tay Catchment in Scotland. The pair will be monitored in the hope their actions will reduce flooding further downstream and create habitats for wildlife in the Bircham Valley. It is hoped they will breed - although around 20% of beavers are solitary, most are sociable and prefer to live in family groups where they build dams, ponds and live in lodges together. The introduction of the new arrival continues the work of the Green Minds project, which is creating more spaces for wildlife and nature in different pockets around Plymouth

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Promoting the ‘farm to fork’ ethos Paul and Sandy McEvoy have come up with a simple yet very effective concept, helping to demystify the secrets of raising hens and enable people to enjoy their own freshly laid eggs. Watching a newborn enter the world is one of the most amazing feats of nature you can witness. The ethos of The Hen House Farm has grown out of a desire to share such experiences with others and help them take time out of busy schedules to reconnect with the wonders of the outdoors. Paul and Sandy have put together a range of hire packages for incubators, coops and hens, allowing complete novices to find out whether this taste of The Good Life is for them. If it isn’t they just hand everything back, but if the experiment goes well and they decide to invest in their own coop, then the farm offers a discount on a starter kit, including a bespoke coop along with

Citizens Advice launches video booth service Citizens Advice South Hams is extending its reach into the local community with a new remote service. Concerned that those most in need of their services were missing out, the local charity has placed five video booths

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everything else needed to get going. They also sell a large range of beautiful, vaccinated hens in large and bantam varieties all year round. As a teacher Paul understood the value of bringing the ‘outside’ into the classroom and offers classroom incubation hire to local schools, helping to educate children on the ‘farm to fork’ concept through hands-on activities. The Hen House Farm incubation hire-package has also popular with families and even care homes, arousing huge interest as residents gathered round to share stories from their youth about keeping hens.

within community centres. These video booths will enable those who have difficulties accessing the internet to use a laptop and be connected directly to a trained Citizens Advice adviser. The video booths are in partnership with local food banks and community organisations and will provide access to free, confidential, and impartial advice while there remain restrictions on face-to-face appointments. There are currently five video booths up and running. Please call or email to make an appointment. The closest one to readers of Plym Links is at the Ivybridge Trussell Trust Food Bank, Wednesdays 10am – noon, call ✆ 01803 659 734 or email reception@southhamscab.org.uk The other video booths are at Kingsbridge, Totnes, South Brent and Dartmouth.

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Not long until local elections On Thursday, May 6 residents in South Hams will go to the polls to have their say on who represents them in the Police and Crime Commissioner, Devon County Council and some parish and town council by-elections, plus Neighbourhood Plan referendums in some areas. There are a number of ways to have your say in the elections in May - you can vote in a polling station, by post, or by appointing someone you trust to vote on your behalf, which is known as a proxy vote. Andy Bates, electoral registration officer for South Hams District Council, said: ‘It’s really important that

NOTICEBOARD you have your say in next year’s May elections. Every vote helps to decide the local representatives who play a crucial role on local issues which affect your everyday lives. ‘With the ongoing Covid 19 pandemic, we need to carefully consider future arrangements so you can vote safely when the time comes. There will be measures in place which adopt the hands, face and space controls. As always, you can also decide to vote by post or proxy, if you would rather not attend in person.” Ailsa Irvine, director of electoral administration and guidance at the Electoral Commission, said: ‘If you’re thinking about voting by post, you can apply now. This will make sure your application is processed early, and your postal vote can be sent to you more quickly.’ For more information visit www.southhams.gov.uk email elections@southhams.gov.uk or call ✆ 01803 861434.

Light show raises charity cash More than £260 was raised by the festive lights at 36 Rose Gardens, Glenholt Park last December. The light display was organised by the Up Your Alley Skittles Club (UYASC) and was officially switched on by Santa Claus. Covid restrictions meant the usual lighting up party could not take place, but hot pasties and mulled wine was handed out to those who came to see the lights. Tom Bunker of UYASC said: ‘The event is held for our skittles club and St Luke’s Hospice and the response has been very successful with donations being put into our collection bucket almost daily.’ Tom said it was difficult to plan events thanks to the ongoing pandemic, but skittles and bingo evenings would

start the instant their normal venue became available and coach trips would start as soon as they could be organised safely. ‘Our Party on the Park is already in the planning with our date being 4th July, Independence Day, and nothing will stop that,’ said Tom. ‘We are considering the idea of having our annual Xmas party, which had to be abandoned for December, sometime around Easter.’

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University Hospitals Plymouth (UHP) has become the first research site in the world to successfully recruit more than 500 volunteers to ENSEMBLE 2, an international Covid-19 vaccine trial. The study, launched in November last year, seeks to recruit up to 30,000 people worldwide in order to test the safety and effectiveness of a new vaccine, which in conjunction with those already approved, aims to tackle the coronavirus pandemic. Dr Claire Bethune, consultant immunologist and principal investigator for the study, said: ‘We were taken aback by the sheer numbers of volunteers who came forward. The Plymouth community and surrounding area have been exceptionally supportive, so much so that we are the first site in the world to hit the recruitment target of 500. It’s amazing - we are incredibly grateful.’ The research team at UHP have also consented, screened and randomised more participants than any other site. Dr Gary Minto, director of research, development and innovation at UHP, added: ‘We have decided to extend our initial target and continue to recruit to this study from the large number of volunteers who have already registered their interest with us. ‘We’d like to thank the people of Plymouth for their fantastic response.’

New website for pony group The Dartmoor Pony Heritage Trust (DPHT) has galloped into 2021 with a fabulous new website making it easier for its valued supporters to keep up to date with and understand the charity’s crucial work in securing the future of native Dartmoor Ponies. At the core of the charity’s work is its desire to inspire and connect people with Dartmoor’s wildlife, landscape and heritage. To do this, it provides innovative education and conservation opportunities so everyone can learn more about the history of moorland ponies and their crucial role in Dartmoor’s ecology and landscape. Charity’s co-founder Dru Butterfield said: ‘Our new website makes things much easier to understand, and clearly sets out everything we do. It’s an incredibly exciting time for the DPHT, with many great ongoing projects, all with the Dartmoor Pony at their heart.’ The revamped site features an updated look that’s easy to navigate and stunning photography by the charity’s patron Malcolm Snelgrove. Opportunities to adopt ponies take centre stage on the new website, including being able to support the 26-strong herd at Bellever through the charity’s Gorse Membership. Individual ponies at the DPHT centre can be adopted for £25 per year, a perfect gift with recipients knowing they are helping to keep Dartmoor Ponies on the moors. The website at www.dpht.co.uk also features free yearround guided walks at Bellever near Postbridge, which can be exclusive to your group or join with others – as long as there are six persons or more.

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A record-breaker

International entries for online show The concept of online shows is not new but two Dartmoor pony lovers have achieved a remarkable success attracting some 100 entries across 14 classes from as far afield as Australia, New Zealand and America as well as Europe, for a ‘Dartmoor Extravaganza’. The show not only gave amateur and professional producers the chance to share photos of their beautiful ponies, it also raised significant funds for organisations representing the Dartmoor breed. Debbie Roberts-Jones, one of the show organisers, said: ‘I saw that Exmoor and Dales Pony Societies had embraced this idea to generate income and wondered if we were able to do something similar for Dartmoor ponies. Lisa Howarth-Podesta already had a platform for online showing with her ‘Giddy Up Online Showing’ Facebook Group and together we tested the water with a Dartmoor Only Online Show, in aid of the Dartmoor Pony Heritage Trust. We raised over £600 for them during the first Coronavirus Lockdown of Spring 2020. ‘This autumn we decided to run another Online Show and donate profits to the Dartmoor Pony Society, as shows were abandoned and any income from events completely wiped out. We expect to donate over £500 to the Dartmoor Pony Society.’ Debbie, a key worker at Morrisons who owns a Dartmoor pony plus two fell ponies, said they were keen to encourage amateur owners to take part. Living in Shropshire she was delighted to have the opportunity of a Dartmoor Pony Society judge assessing her Dartmoor pony favourably, even it was just remotely. She said: ‘Entries poured in, locally, nationally and internationally. How fantastic that a Dartmoor pony from Australia could quite literally ‘compete’ against a pony in the UK!

NOTICEBOARD ‘Whilst it is not ideal and nothing like the real thing, at least we seemed to achieve some of the excitement and joy that a live competition gives and it felt like we had at least got our ponies seen!’ Sue Martin, Chair of the Dartmoor Pony Society, said: ‘Twelve months ago, if you had suggested an online pony show, I would have thought that you were mad! We’re so grateful for the support and say a big thank you to Debbie and Lisa, the judges and competitors.” Debbie added: ‘The camaraderie amongst everyone involved really warmed us over this bleak time and certainly gave us a sense of achievement that we had brought Dartmoor pony enthusiasts together when we couldn’t physically be.’ Ultimately, Lynda Calcutt scooped Supreme with the one and only Shilstone Rocks North Westerly and Reserve with her homebred filly Duradens Sweet Dreams. Shilstone Rocks North Westerly © Allan Brown

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The Rees Centre Wellbeing Hub Helping to connect individuals with organisations, information and activities that improve wellbeing It’s certainly not the New Year that many of us were hoping for, and the third lockdown period will undoubtedly be taking its toll. Everyone is facing their own unique circumstances right now, but we want to reassure you that there is still help on hand, and urge you not to face difficulties on your own. The Rees Centre Wellbeing Hub is located in the centre of Plympton, a short walk from the Ridgeway and close to the Plympton Health Centre. We are part of a growing network of Wellbeing Hubs across Plymouth, having opened our doors in March 2020. Each Wellbeing Hub is being led by a different organisation, each with a different specialism, but we’re all working together to support people right across the city. Plymouth’s Wellbeing Hubs have four main aims - to improve the health and wellbeing outcomes for local people; to reduce inequalities in health and wellbeing; to improve people’s experience of care and to improve the sustainability of the health and wellbeing system. The Rees Centre Wellbeing Hub is led by children’s charity Barnardo’s so our specialism is support for children and families, however, we offer a ‘cradle to grave’ service and are here for all ages and all circumstances. Also resident in the building are the Barnardo’s Children’s Centre; Homestart, who offer support for parents of carers up to 18 years of age and the Plympton Hub, a small charity for residents of

Plympton offering support including for mental health and counselling. Our aim is to connect the people of Plympton and surrounding areas with organisations, information and activities that can help improve your overall wellbeing. Over the past year, this has been a little different to how we imagined it would be, with many services having to be postponed or moving online. However, our community advice service is fully operational and we are here to offer friendly, confidential and non-judgemental information and advice and to link you in with the best organisations to meet your needs. Whatever your circumstances, we can help you access a wide range of support such as: • mental health and physical health support and advocacy • opportunities to volunteer or finding things to do • employment and financial advice • guidance for long-term conditions • support for carers • befriending • signposting of local and citywide providers The centre is open Monday to Friday from 9am until 4.30pm. Please call ✆ 01752 340550 or email enquiriesrees@gmail.com and we will be in touch as soon as we can. Kathryn Hussey Community Advisor The Rees Centre Wellbeing Hub

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Could it be you? Family for Me, a campaign specifically to find families in the South West for children who have been waiting the longest to be adopted, is desperately searching for families for three children where other options have failed. Family for Me need to find a secure and loving adoptive family for Texas-Rose, Gabriella and Kevin. Affectionately known as Rosie, Texas-Rose is a delightfully shy little girl aged three; Gabriella is a lively, loud and fun, warm-hearted five year old and Kevin a charismatic, smart little seven year old who unfortunately returns to the campaign from earlier this year. All these children have varying additional needs both physically and intellectually and require families who are willing to support those needs, one they can call their own. Ruth Marriott, Families for Children CEO, said: ‘Children with additional needs feature highly in the numbers of children considered “harder to place”, or those children who wait the longest for a family. Some of these children have a very high level of medical need but that doesn’t mean that there are not people out there who would have the skills or the will to include them as part of a loving family. ‘Basically you need to NOT just go by a label or a diagnosis - you can’t tell what a child is like by just knowing that they have “special needs” you need to

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know what these needs are and how they feature in the child, and what can be done to support the child in the short, medium and long term. The Family for Me project is looking for families who can look beyond the physical medical needs of the children and see the child needing the support and love of a parent.’ Families for Children can offer support to adoptive parents to meet a child’s individual needs. They work closely with Local Authorities and health professionals to help assess the social, emotional and physical needs of each child, ensuring that their families are aware of their entitlements and services available to them to meet their child’s needs. Families for Children provide ongoing guidance throughout the adoption process and beyond with comprehensive adoption support services right up into adulthood. If anyone would like to discuss the possibility of being considered as adoptive parents for Texas-Rose, Gabriella or Kevin or if you are interested in adoption and wish to find out more please call ✆ 01364 400064 or go to www.familyforme.co.uk

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Iconic birds under risk The distribution and numbers of birds in the UK are changing dramatically with many species experiencing worrying declines, according to a new report. The State of the UK’s Birds 2020 (SUKB) -has highlighted the threats affecting some of our most iconic English species. Turtle doves and grey partridges, nightingales and cuckoos, long thought of as the traditional sounds of spring, are all struggling to breed and thrive in our English countryside. The report shows that some of the species faring the worst are birds that specialise on particular habitats, like particular types of woodland or farmland. In 1970, there were 100 turtle doves for every two found in England today; a staggering 98% population reduction. These once-widespread farmland birds are now restricted to parts of southern and eastern England, with conservation partnerships like Operation Turtle Dove racing to restore habitat in key breeding areas. Willow tits, a woodland specialist species, show the second biggest decline of any common and widespread English bird, with the population falling by 94% since 1970. Recently featured on BBC’s

Turtle Dove

Common Nightingale Autumnwatch at RSPB Old Moor; these small, shy birds suffer from habitat fragmentation and lack of suitable nesting sites. The report does contain better news for some species. In England, stone curlews, cirl buntings and roseate terns are responding well to targeted conservation work. Climate change is predicted to impact UK bird populations in several ways and, for example, is behind the increases in numbers of Cetti’s warblers. Yet sea level rise and increasing spring storm surges now add to the threats already faced by beach nesting birds like little terns and ringed plovers. Despite the survey’s findings, the huge positive impact that volunteers have made through monitoring, surveying and protecting nesting species cannot be ignored. Their time has helped identify declines and enabled quick conservation action to be taken for some species in trouble. Covid-19 had an unavoidable impact on many monitoring projects but also inspired new generations of wildlife lovers to find solace in nature during lockdown. Emma Marsh, director, RSPB England, said: ‘While the data seems daunting, there is still hope for reversing the fortunes of our threatened species. By working together; conservation organisations, partners and communities, supported by government investment in better land management, can really can make a difference. Covid-19 has really bought home how much we rely on nature to lift our spirits and inspire hope. We hope even more people have now been inspired to play a vital part in donating time, resources and funding to help save our most threatened species and habitats.’

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Communities invited to ‘take control’

In England the average house price in 2019 was £240,000 and average earnings were £30,667. However, in Devon the picture is very different. The average house price was £253,000 (5% higher) and average earnings were £26,234 (15% lower) making it much harder for the average person to afford their own home here in Devon.* The Diverse Regeneration Company (a not-for-profit CIC) has successfully worked with communities over the past 15 years to help meet the local need for new sports facilities, village halls, playgrounds and more. They are now working with Resonance, a social impact investment company, to continue this work with the launch of a new community asset fund which will put local people at the heart of the decision making process about what their communities need most. The new fund is called Resonance Community Developers (RCD) and its purpose is to help communities design and deliver the assets that they need; bringing local stakeholders together to address local infrastructure needs such as affordable housing, sports and leisure facilities or renewable energy generation. Although this is a new fund with a slightly different set of parameters, Resonance has previously worked with community groups in Devon to successfully deliver affordable homes – in Holsworthy and Broadhempston– through their Affordable Homes Rental Fund (AHRF). RCD is a new, follow-on initiative to AHRF, which invests capital into community groups that will be structured as ‘Community Benefit Societies’ that can issue community shares. It aims to invest multiple times in the same community groups, with small incremental investment in the early stages leading to larger investments as groups Please mention PLYM LINKS when responding to adverts

Images courtesy of Broadhempston CLT

secure land and planning consent and commence the actual construction of homes, sports facilities, or renewable energy. The Diverse Regeneration Company (The DR Company) are experts at working with communities across Devon, from the first initial project ideas through to turning those ideas into reality. The DR Company are now encouraging communities to get in touch even if they’re unsure where to start. Liz Abell at The DR Company said: ‘This is a very exciting opportunity for our local Devon communities to be a part of, allowing them a real say in the type of project they would like for their area. This is also a valuable means of independent funding, during a time when council budgets are greatly stretched. As such we are really keen to hear from anyone (or groups) with ideas they have for their community, either great or small, so we can assess the ideas and help them move forward to a successful outcome.’ Contact The DR Company at community@drcompany. co.uk or go to www.drcompany.co.uk

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Forest School learning A unique way to educate!

haugh Prior Primary School is a small rural village school located on the edge of Dartmoor, just a few miles from the outskirts of Plymouth. The school serves the village of Shaugh Prior, Wotter and Lee Moor and the outlying areas. We enjoy Forest School sessions every Tuesday afternoon in our amazing grounds that overlook the moors and the surrounding areas. I’m often asked… What is Forest School? In one simple sentence it is a unique educational experience using the outdoor environment of the forest as a classroom. Explaining it a little further, it is a child-centred inspirational learning process, that offers opportunities for holistic growth through regular

sessions. It develops confidence and self-esteem through a learning hands-on experience in a natural setting. Contact with the outdoors can be limited for many children in our modern society and the vital experience of using the outdoors and being comfortable in nature is being lost. Education outside can motivate pupils and bring learning to life. I remember being outside when I was young (many years ago!) until it became dark, making dens, climbing trees and I can still smell the vibrant red paint that I used to paint my treehouse with! Memories were certainly made, but growing up today is a lot different than it was 20 years ago.

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EDUCATION Today, technology helps many children keep in touch with their friends and family, but the constant ability for children to need to communicate with others via texting or social media comes with some risks. The benefit that children are always connected and always reachable is certainly something that wasn’t necessarily the case ‘back in the day’. So what do our children at Shaugh Prior Primary gain from Forest School? The social skills that they gain are immense. They learn to understand and gain awareness of the consequences of their actions with their peers, through team activities such as sharing tools, waiting their turn and participating in each other’s play. There is nothing more rewarding than watching a particularly quiet child in the classroom come alive outside - they have the freedom, time and space to learn and demonstrate independence. All children will develop an interest in the natural surroundings and learn to respect the environment. What a life skill to learn! Over the last few months we have certainly been very busy at Shaugh Prior Primary School. Each session starts with a warm-up game, that will involve listening to the instructions, taking turns and being able to show resilience when things don’t always work out their way! Sometimes these games are as simple as which team can make the tallest stick tower. The children are fantastic problem solvers and will come up with some amazing ideas. We then create a learning opportunity and we discuss a topic of the children’s choice - it may be birds, bugs, leaves or trees. With the children taking the lead we continue our afternoon. We have learnt about bugs and insects, for instance, did you know insects do not breathe through their mouths, they inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide via holes called spiracles in their exoskeletons. We have studied many insects, made a wormery, been pond dipping in our school pond, and made all sorts of different bug hotels using our hand tools. The children

understand the safety that is required to use the tools independently and you can certainly see an improvement with their fine motor skills, such as their handwriting. When the Autumn arrives it is a great opportunity to create some wonderful collages with the different coloured leaves. Explaining the process of why the leaves change colour is a truly magical experience. Of course any Forest School session wouldn’t be complete without a campfire and something to toast over it! So please enjoy the outside area that surrounds us. Time in green spaces significantly reduces stress and anxiety. Nature also boosts endorphin levels and dopamine production which promotes happiness. Who doesn’t need a little bit of that at the minute? Go for walks, take in the scenery, find some sticks, count them, measure them. Kick up the leaves and find a big muddy puddle! Mud is good for you . . . scientifically proven. When you are playing in the mud, you are using all of your senses, so playing in the mud results in a highly stimulated and active brain! Just like all our wonderful children at Shaugh Prior Primary! n

Moorsway Moorsway Federation Federation WhereWhere learning learning is is an adventure! an adventure!

Mrs Williams – Forest School Leader

Please visit: www.moorswayfederation.org.uk/topic/shaugh-prior-primary-school or find Shaugh Prior Primary School on Facebook.

Moorsway Federation Where learningMoorsway is an adventure! Federation • Small class sizes • A broad and balancedis curriculum Where learning • Experienced teams of dedicated staﬀ • Weekly Forest School programme an adventure! • Each child is valued and known to all the staﬀ Shaugh ShaughPrior Prior Primary PrimarySchool School

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• Residential opportunities in years 4, 5 & 6 • Outdoor adventurous activity opportunities

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A natural treasure trove! Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so much to discover in the woodland estate

n the Devon bank of the Tamar, south from Horsebridge to the parish boundary of Bere Ferrers and upriver on the Tavy as far as Shillamill, on the Crowndale road, the landscape is dominated by the trees of the Tavistock Woodland Estate. It is part of the Tamar Valley AONB and includes many artefacts that belong to our industrial past, a key part of the World Heritage Site. Visitor attractions at the Tamar Trails Centre and Morwellham Quay are surrounded by the Estate, a commercial woodland owned by the Earl of Bradford. I first explored the Woodlands exactly 50 years ago when I began my career teaching science locally. It was truly private in those days, but access was allowed to interested individuals - I still have my typewritten permit! A ground-breaking system of arboriculture had been developed after the Second World War, the BradfordHutt plan, which avoided clear-felling whole hillsides, replacing it with selective use of individual tress in rotation and allowed native hardwood trees to become

established. Loss of the soil and the life within when forests are cleared is now a major concern worldwide! Mixed woodlands of this kind, rather than the dark serried ranks of many commercial conifer plantations, provide a wider variety of habitats for wildlife and a far more interesting environment for human visitors too. These are the places where our larger mammals hide away during daylight hours, so early mornings and the evenings are when they are most often sighted. Roe and fallow deer are commonly seen, while red deer pass through while travelling between resident herds in other parts of Devon and Cornwall. The woodland badgers were commonly seen until recently, crossing roads at night time, or sadly as roadkill victims. I assume the governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s culling programme has probably been responsible for the current absence of these sightings! Smaller mammals and birds are well catered for, especially where a dense undergrowth has been allowed to develop. Rodents remain hidden from view, leaving

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NATURALIST

evidence of their presence in the form of discarded nut shells and fir cones. In early spring birds are often located by their song - with a pair of binoculars handy, it soon becomes possible to identify the songster and with practice most of the tits, finches and especially the nuthatch can be recognised by sound alone. The rare and elusive nightjar can also be heard or if you are really lucky, seen in the woods on summer evenings. But it is the bats that are one of the star turns of the Tamar Valley, with over a dozen species having been identified. Most are nocturnal, emerging in the evening from their roosts amongst the old mine-workings. They are often seen skimming over the surface of the river and around the trees lining the banks, navigating their way using ultrasound. Each species emits a unique call, catching the reflected echoes in their over-sized ears to â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;pictureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; the locality. At the heart of the woodland around the post-industrial

wastes of the 19th century Devon Great Consols Mine workings, plants still struggle to colonise the dry sandy residues over a century later. These still carry traces of copper, tin and poisonous arsenic extracted from the rocks below. However, on the fringes of this area, a heath-like flora has developed and where conifer needles carpet the ground red wood ants colonies, with a level of sophistication which matches that of the hive-bee, construct extensive ant-hills in which to raise their brood. At the time of writing, there is some concern for the future of the estate with both the ownership and management of the woodlands under discussion. Our hope should be that its value in terms of landscape, protected habitats and species, its history and public accessibility should be taken into consideration for all who live and work in the area. n Pete Mayston

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Providing ‘Plymouth’s best-kept secret’...

lymouth-based charity Hearts Together is due to celebrate its 20th Anniversary this coming summer. Over the past two decades, the charity has provided in excess of 200,000 patients, carers, relatives and healthcare professionals with accommodation and support - and they are set to continue for at least the next 20 years, as the need for these services grows year on year. Often described as ‘Plymouth’s best kept secret’, Hearts Together’s Hospital Hotel is primarily called upon by patients, carers and relatives who live outside of Plymouth, but who are required to travel to the city from areas such as North Devon, Cornwall, The Scilly Isles, Torbay and further afield, to access the care and treatment that they need at our local specialist healthcare centres. People often ask ‘how long do people stay?’, ‘what sort of people stay with you?’, ‘why would someone stay with you?’ ‘who pays?’ and what is the difference between Hearts Together and other ‘normal’ hotels?’ So let’s take it from the top! People stay with us for varying lengths of time; some overnight before an early start at the hospital the

following day, others for a week or two while their loved one receives treatment and recovers before returning home. Some people stay with us for much longer periods such as parents of neo-natal babies, transplant and cancer patients and individuals undergoing treatment at DDRC Healthcare (hyperbaric centre), these guests may be with us for three months plus. When it comes to answering, ‘what sort of people stay with us?’ the simple answer is all sorts of people, from all over the country and further afield. It is important to remember that while a patient may be local, their loved ones may live in other parts of the UK or abroad and patients and their relatives/friends are of all ages young and older, people stay as whole families or alone, some guests are friends offering moral support daily visits, in short everyone with a health-related need is welcome. So why would someone stay with us? If a patient lives in North Devon (as an example) and they are required to undergo treatment as an out-patient three times a week, it is often more beneficial for them to stay at Hearts Together than to have to travel the long

CHARITY distance, after what can be very exhausting treatment. circumstances are individual to them, there is a shared It also allows their loved ones/carers to have a break connection, in that they are all there for similar reasons and to get some much-needed rest. Similarly, if a and as such, the guests often find comfort and support in patient would need to leave home at 4am to be at the talking with one another. Similarly, the Hearts Together hospital for 7am, staying at Hearts Together the night team get to know their guests and do all they can to before enables then to be just a two minute drive from provide the support and services they need throughout the hospital and they are able to have a good night’s their stay, from extending room bookings at short notice rest, in readiness for their treatment. For relatives, to organising prescriptions, to supermarket shops, being close by when someone they love is very poorly arranging transport and providing a listening ear and a or having complex kind word when it It is important to remember that while a patient is needed most. treatment can significantly reduce may be local, their loved ones may live in other parts Hearts Together their stress and of the UK or abroad and patients and their relatives/ Hospital Hotel has anxiety, being on 27 rooms, but at friends are of all ages young and older, people stay times, the demand hand to visit at a moment’s notice is as whole families or alone, some guests are friends can be for twice as a huge comfort for offering moral support daily visits, in short everyone many rooms and many. more. In response with a health-related need is welcome Who pays? A to this, the charity good question and one that depends on the individual has exciting and ambitious plans to expand over the circumstances. There are times where the hospital or coming years to better meet these growing needs and other healthcare provider will pay for the room. Often ensure everyone who has need of the charity’s services guests will pay for themselves but the rates the charity has a place to stay and the support that is required when charges are subsidised, as it is essential that the service they need it most. n is affordable for all. With that in mind, there are more Liz Harding heavily subsidised rates for those on a low income and in Hearts Together certain scenarios we do not charge at all. The donations the charity receives allows for these subsidies and the More Information: ability for guests in difficult circumstances to stay at no If you would like to find out more about these plans or how you cost. could be involved with volunteering or fundraising for Hearts The difference between the Hearts Together Hospital Together, please contact a member of the team either by email to: Hotel and other ‘normal’ hotels is that no-one is staying info@heartstogether.org.uk or by phone on: ✆ 01752 315 900 with us on a holiday/short break. While each person’s

“

”

Late winter

Winter garden at RHS Rosemoor

in the garden... Sue Fisher explains the importance of forward thinking

s winter draws to a close, this year it is more vital than ever to steal a march on the year and get ahead in the garden. I’m not talking about the usual jobs of weeding, soil prep and sending the mower for servicing – although these are always worthwhile. This year, a combination of stock shortages and delays due to Covid, along with increased demand (almost 3 million people discovered gardening in lockdown), means it’s a very good idea to get your skates on with advance planning and ordering, with everything from seeds and plants to materials for garden projects. So, have a think about what you’d like to do this year. Adding features is a great way to make your garden more useable and attractive, such as a paved seating area, surrounded by raised beds to create a more intimate feel: make wide tops to the beds and they can double as informal seating and somewhere to park a glass or plate. In a sunny spot, add a beamed pergola or arbour, planted with wisteria or a grape vine to cast leafy dappled shade and recreate that feeling of the Med. A pond or water feature brings a whole new dimension to

the garden and can be made to almost any size to match the site and your garden style. A simple submersible pump creates the soothing splash of moving water, which not only focuses the attention on the feature but also helps mask intrusive background noise. Water is wonderful to attract wildlife of all kinds too. A covered area for growing is a real asset, so if you’ve been debating whether to get a greenhouse, now’s the time to treat yourself – especially as some manufacturers are already quoting lead times of months rather than weeks. Greenhouses come in many shapes, sizes and designs, from space-saving little leanto models (a bit like a large cupboard) to walk-in houses from 6 x 4 ft upwards, in metal or wood. Do go as large as your site and budget permits, as once the growing bug bites, a small one will soon be outgrown, and into your budget, add accessories like staging (benches) and automatic roof vents. With indoor socialising likely to remain out of bounds for some time, making the garden more decorative and personalised is a big trend. If your budget permits, a piece of garden art from one of the many talented artists in this part of the world will give many years of pleasure. For a cheap and cheerful garden facelift, use coloured wood stain to transform wooden furniture and features and recycle all kinds of throwaway items into plant containers. The increased awareness in sustainability is becoming a way of life, not just a trend, which is one cause for optimism in 2021.

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GARDENING

Gardening jobs for the season

Order bare-rooted plants as soon as possi ble, as they can only be supplied while dormant, during the

winter months. Trees, shrubs, roses, hedgi ng plants and fruit are cheaper and often bigger and better

than container grown plants, and more susta inably produced too without plastic pots.

Boost bulb displays for next year by feedin g with a general fertiliser. Remove dead ﬂower heads and do allow the leaves to die back naturally as this is how

the bulb builds up energy for next year.

Grow a patch of ﬂowers for cutting and never

feel guilty about raiding the borders to ﬁll

again

a vase. Annuals like sweet peas and cosmos can be sown

now

and dahlia tubers potted up and started into

growth under cover, and perennials like Michaelmas daisy divided to make more plants for free. Many veg and ﬂower seeds can be sown now, in a propagator if you have one, or on a well-lit windowsill if not. Re-use old plant pots but wash ﬁrst in hot

water to avoid pest and disease problems. Food containers like yoghurt and margarine pots, and

mushroom punnets are great to grow in so long

holes are made for drainage.

For a cheap and cheerful garden facelift, use coloured wood stain to transform wooden furniture and features and recycle all kinds of throwaway items into plant containers.

Easy ways to grow your own! Vegetable growing soared in popularity during lockdown one last year and with more restrictions with us, it’s a great way to do something positive. There’s the delight of sowing seed and watching a crop grow to maturity; the incomparable taste of produce picked and eaten in minutes; the knowledge what you eat is packed with nutrients with no harmful chemicals; food metres rather than miles...the list of positives goes on.

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Design and Installation Waterfalls and Streams Planting and Stocking Water Features Renovation Leak Repair

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GARDENING Many gardeners are keen to expand their veg growing this year and by far the easiest way is to grow on a bed system that is no-dig: far less work, easy on the back and good for the environment too, as the soil structure is undisturbed, and carbon remains locked in the soil. The principle of no-dig is that beds are a maximum of 1.2m (4ft) wide and worked from a path either side rather than being trodden on and compacted, plus the organic matter (garden compost or well-rotted manure, ideally) is spread in a layer on top to be taken down by worms and soil organisms. Beds can be made at ground level, but if you want to ease

wear and tear on backs and knees, or want to convert grass into veg beds, the simplest and most labour-saving way is to go up. Use a wooden frame – from 15cm high upwards depending on your budget – and cover the grass with flattened brown cardboard boxes (lots of them around with all the internet shopping going on). The grass underneath is killed by the cardboard which then rots down and adds more structure to the soil. Then simply fill with soil mixed with organic matter, then get sowing and planting. Garden centres and nurseries remain open at the time of writing so there should be plenty of seeds and ready-grown plants to choose from. n

GARDEN DESIGNER & HORTICULTURAL SPECIALIST Inspirational ideas to transform your garden Sue continues to be available for garden advisory visits and design work, operating according to Covid-19 social distancing guidelines. Gift vouchers available for garden advisory visits. Contact Sue for more details.

Sue Fisher

01822 841895 | sueﬁsher@talktalk.net | www.sueﬁshergardens.co.uk

Fulfilled living

in later life

Bethany Christian Home offers wonderful care for older people, inspiring and encouraging fulfilled living in later life. For Christian care in Plymouth call 0300 303 8440 or visit pilgrimsfriend.org.uk/Bethany

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Obesity - a growing concern

HEALTH

Dr Rachel Tyler points the spotlight on excess weight

ardon the pun but obesity is a weighty problem. It is estimated that over half of hospital admissions are related to excess weight and the problem is set to continue, with nearly a third of children reported as being overweight by the time they leave primary school. As a GP, I certainly know how much it contributes to poor health: Joint pain, cancer, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, infertility and diabetes to name just a few conditions. Obesity has also been identified as a risk factor for poorer outcomes with Covid 19 infection. So what is obesity? Most people are familiar with term Body Mass Index (BMI), which is calculated by dividing your weight in kilograms by the square of your height. A normal BMI is in the range 20-25, a reading of 25-30 indicates you are overweight and a BMI of more than 30 is officially obese. It is not a perfect measurement, but it certainly gives us an approximate measurement of risk. Many studies have shown however, that waist to height ratio is a better indicator of cardiovascular health, as carrying fat around our middles is an indicator of visceral fat stores. This is the fat that collects around our liver, kidneys and other internal organs. High levels of visceral fact are strongly associated with cardiovascular disease. Ideally, our waist circumference divided by our height should be less than 0.5. Our modern lives are time poor and calorie rich. Portions are bigger, food more readily available at any time of the day or night and unlike smoking or alcohol, food is not something we can give up altogether. The fact the population is getting bigger and bigger also means we have adjusted to a new ‘normal’. As the extra weight creeps on stealthily over time, we reassure ourselves things aren’t too bad as we see people around us who are bigger – but don’t be fooled. If your BMI or waist/height ratio is more than it should be, take action sooner rather than later. Here are my top five tips for shedding those pounds: 1) Diets don’t work - or rather they do, but they stop

working once you stop doing them. Instead of thinking of yourself as ‘on a diet’, change to a healthier way of eating permanently and accept that this is just how you eat now. 2) Exercise is very important for fitness, strength and mental health, but it only contributes a small amount to weight loss. Most studies show exercise alone does not lead to significant weight loss. So while it’s important to exercise for all kinds of reasons, the biggest effect on weight will be through changing what you eat. 3) Keep a food diary – people who eat more consciously are more successful at losing weight. Writing up everything you have eaten or drunk in a small diary (or online app) every day can be very revealing and help you spot where there’s room for improvement. 4) Ditch the empty calories – Aim to eat food that satisfies your hunger and gives you nutrition as well. There are lots of foods like crisps and sweets that are calorie dense but have little nutritional value and leave you feeling hungry. Also look out for drinks like lattes, fruit juices and fizzy drinks, which can be surprisingly high in calories. 5) Find support – making any big change to your life is hard on your own. Whether it’s through friends, family, slimming groups or online apps and forums, try and get some support to help you when you are wavering. n

For more help with weight loss and other health advice, check out The One You Plymouth website www.oneyouplymouth.co.uk/eat-well

Dr Rachel Tyler is a doctor at Stirling Road Surgery, St Budeax

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Visit our community website www.dartmoorlinks.co.uk 33

HEALTH

Motivate for Success! Some words of advice from adventurer and educator James Dyer James Dyer

ave you ever dreamed of running a marathon? How about climbing Kilimanjaro or doing the Three Peaks Challenge? Have you set ambitious plans to get fitter, lose a few pounds, then after a few weeks in the gym you felt unrewarded, or unsure if you are making the fitness gains that you wanted? Goals are great, having something to aim for in life and in fitness can be the motivation that we need to make the changes that we want to see in ourselves. When it comes to fitness, every year people set themselves goals and challenges with the aim of keeping themselves motivated, but unless these are really strong and meaningful, and their training is purposeful and intentional, and they are focused and dedicated in their training it is highly unlikely they will achieve them. How do we create meaningful goals? And then how do we go about crafting a training programme for them, which limits the risk of dropping out? Try this... Ask yourself some questions (and be honest) What do you want? Do you want to look better? Not breathe so hard walking up a hill? Complete a triathlon? Climb a mountain? Or keep just up with the kids? Think about your dreams as a child, what sort of person did you want to be? Answering some of these questions starts to make your

goals meaningful. Achieving any goal is about maintaining motivation, so making your goals strong and committing personally to them and what it means to you to achieve them, will ensure that when things get tough, or you feel that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not getting close to your goal you will have the resilience to get through that and keep pushing forwards. Once you have a meaningful goal (pick 1! Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t go mad and have multiple goals going on at the same time, you will never achieve all of them, like juggling balls you can only hold so many before you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t hold any!) you will need to then break this goal down into training aims. Training aims outline the next stage of designing a training programme that is based on the real components of your goal. For example, there is no point doing lots of heavy weight training if your goal involves running a long distance - you will need to do some, but you need to be...running! This is what we mean by purposeful and intentional training, training that is right and incremental, that builds you gradually to your training goals. The last component of success is down to you! Your levels of commitment and dedication to the training, your resilience to keep going (even if your brain is trying to tell you to quit!) and your real desire to achieve your goals. So set yourself strong and meaningful goals Design and undertake training that is purposeful and intentional, and be dedicated and focused to keep with it! n James Dyer

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Why consider a Pre-Paid Funeral Plan? You wouldn’t buy a holiday from a man in the street. And you certainly wouldn’t buy a car from someone who knocks on your door. So why buy a funeral plan from anyone other than the experts in their industry, local independent Funeral Directors? Funeral Plans allow holders to pay for a funeral at today’s prices that may not take place for decades, without ever having to pay more for a funeral director’s services. A funeral plan is also not considered as a financial asset when seeking financial assistance for care costs from the local authority.

If an individual were to invest the cost of a funeral plan, eg £3,500, in a savings account, the interest returned would be far less and would certainly be unable to keep up with the rising costs of funerals, which have soared by more than 90% since 2004. However, by taking out a funeral plan with a trusted funeral plan provider, regulated by the Funeral Planning Authority, this £3,500 is pooled together with millions of pounds from other plan holders to provide the opportunity to gain a much greater return on investment. What this essentially means is that a funeral, which may cost £3,500 today but £7,000 in five years, is covered no matter how much the national average cost of a funeral rises. When comparing local independent funeral directors with larger, national corporations, it can be much better value to look local for a funeral plan too. National direct sellers have enormous overheads and marketing budgets to pay, whereas local funeral directors can afford to sell local funeral plans at local prices.n

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The Walter C. Parson Group has offices at Crownhill, St. Judes, Plympton, Ivybridge, Tavistock, Callington, Saltash, Torpoint, Newton Abbot, Torquay and Exeter. To discuss the benefits of purchasing a pre-paid funeral plan, with no obligation on your part, or to request a brochure, please telephone ✆ 01752 767676 or visit www.wcpltd.com for further details.

Visit our community website www.dartmoorlinks.co.uk 35

New range of Dartmoor pies A new pie range showcasing local ingredients has been launched by Dartmoor Farmers’ Association. DFA has launched a beef and stilton pie and, with Dartmoor Brewery, a beef and Jail Ale pie. They are being sold across 19 Morrisons stores throughout the South West and in a growing number of local independent retailers across Devon and Dartmoor. Anyone interested in ordering online can use Dart Fresh who deliver the full range of the Association’s products to your doorstep. A donation from every pie sold goes to Dartmoor National Park’s ‘Donate for Dartmoor’ scheme which supports conservation work across a range of areas. DFA is a co-operative of over 100 farmers established in 2007. It already supplies lamb to Morrisons following an initial pilot inspired by the Duke of Cornwall and has now expanded its range of beef products too. DFA director and farmer Mat Cole said: ‘We are delighted that Morrisons and local independent retailers alike continue to support our members. ‘Like most businesses, 2020 has been a challenge for farmers but also an opportunity. It’s great to be working with other local businesses such as Dartmoor Brewery and with the ongoing support

of His Royal Highness, the Duchy of Cornwall, Dartmoor National Park Authority and the Dartmoor Hill Farm Project. ‘Every time someone buys one of our products they are helping to support farmers and contribute to conserving Dartmoor for future generations too. ‘What we do is support the local economy and the environment which makes Dartmoor such a special place. Working together we can achieve much more and we are always keen to welcome new members into the Association.’ The Duchy of Cornwall’s Tom Stratton said: ‘Both His Royal Highness and the Duchy of Cornwall are delighted that Dartmoor Farmers’ Association continues to develop so successfully, with farmer membership having increased and opportunities developing, not only to add to the meat being derived from grazing the Dartmoor landscape, but also to build farm resilience and to share skills and learning.’ DFA is keen to promote the role that members play as custodians of the National Park and to explain the benefits that livestock production delivers for the area’s landscape and wildlife. Dartmoor National Park Authority chief executive Kevin Bishop said: ‘Making the link between food and the environment has never been more important. We are delighted to be associated with this initiative and to help support the farms which deliver the landscape of the National Park. ‘Every time you eat a pie you will be helping to generate pounds for the Park. All of the donations received through the sale of the pies will go towards practical conservation projects.’

GLOBALLY RECOGNISABLE PROVENANCE

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Quality wine - or not?

Dave Anning has some clues about what’s in your wine rack

FOOD & DRINK ‘lay down’ wine you know will age, and know what to expect. Place names can confuse. It’s all to do with ‘terroir’ - the growing conditions. Generally a wine labelled by country eg ‘Wine of Australia’, will be basic. A regional name e.g. Chianti, is a step up and an individual village name is likely to be high quality. In Burgundy, producers may put their name next to the village name. The more specific, the less wine produced and the greater the price!. For Johnny English fans, a bottle of Romanee-Conti costs thousands (over £400,000 for a 1945 bottle!). Perhaps you should just check those new bottles once more... Dave Anning

Ordinary wines usually come in “ mass-produced bottles as every penny

counts, so thicker/heavier glass often indicates quality. And consider the label’s quality and printing - is it bare essentials or does it ooze quality? Because you’re lovely people you’ll probably have received the odd bottle of wine during the festive period - so there will be newbies in your wine rack. But are they any good? When should you drink them? Where are they from? It might feel impolite to check prices, but price is a pretty good start. You see, wine is a product with a direct link between quality and price - within reason! If a wine is made from one grape variety, bottled and sold immediately it’ll probably be cheap. If it’s a blend of several grapes and gets aged in oak barrels for years before sale, it will cost more. But is it better? Well, if it wasn’t, people would just buy the cheap stuff! Dearer wines survive because generally they’re better! Many German wines grow on steep slopes, so have to be hand-picked. Labour is expensive and the climate is ‘marginal’, meaning grapes might not ripen. But when they do the effort is justified! The world’s quality-classification systems are too complex for this article, so here are some clues! Ordinary wines usually come in mass-produced bottles as every penny counts, so thicker/heavier glass often indicates quality. And consider the label’s quality and printing - is it bare essentials or does it ooze quality? Look for initials indicating quality standards - AOC, DOCG etc. Terms like ‘Reserve’ may indicate wines that are aged to improve quality, though impressive-sounding terms aren’t always valid. ‘Grand Vin’ on a bottle of Bordeaux means … absolutely nothing! It may mean it’s a Chateau’s top wine, but it’s not a legally recognised term. Ageing wine is often misunderstood. Most should be drunk within a year or two, but there are both reds and whites that will age for a century. The grape alone means nothing. Age-worthy wines require skill and the right ingredients - they are rare and expensive! Wine changes as it ages and usually becomes more complex. Bordeaux may develop flavours of leather, tobacco and earth. If you’re not expecting this you could be unpleasantly surprised! Only Please mention PLYM LINKS when responding to adverts

”

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BUSINESS

Quick decisions can be the best decisions!

Marc and Chloe Williams, both 32, and a local couple from Tavistock, found their dream home within the first day of their house hunting journey! The couple, along with their children and pet dog Vinnie, moved into The Burrows last year and since then they have made it very much their home.

Here is their story: ‘Our house hunting experience was a quick one! On the first day of house hunting, The Burrows was just the second development we visited. And that was it, we fell in love with our house and within a week we had paid our deposit! ‘We had both lived in Tavistock all our lives and know the area well. For us, we really wanted to move out of the main town but stay within a short distance of our families. Buying a house in Tavistock can be expensive, so moving out of town was more of an affordable option for us. ‘Marc’s commute to work took him past The Burrows development. We kept an eye on how the site was shaping up and as soon as we could, we went to take a look. From our experience looking at new build homes, we found that for the price, you got a lot more as standard in the specification, appliances, turfing and flooring, compared to many developers, this was perfect. ‘From our first visit, to signing the reservation paperwork and moving in, throughout the whole process we were reassured and 38

made to feel important. Nothing was too much trouble and we felt valued. The service from the Harrington Homes team was brilliant, we cannot fault it. Even when we turned up unannounced, they always spent time with us and made everything so exciting! We love how quiet it is during the evening and how much of community spirit there is here, the house really fits in with the look of the village. ‘Would we recommend Harrington Homes? Yes! We did, and it resulted in another house on the same development being sold!’ The Burrows is home to 19 beautiful new homes, ranging from 2, 3 and 4 bedrooms and is located in the village of Mary Tavy. The development is proving popular with homebuyers, there are a limited amount of homes for sale, so if you are looking to move, don’t hesitate a book your appointment to view today. Prices from £135,000 to £449,500. Ask for details on Help to Buy – which is available to help you make your move sooner. Contact Kirby Estate Agents in Tavistock for a viewing on 01822 612010.

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WHAT’S ON

February 27 (restrictions permitting) March 10 & 27

Bellever conservation and work parties

Tavistock Local History Society

The society, founded in 1984, exists to advance the education of the public in relation to the history and heritage of Tavistock and the surrounding area. In normal times, the society meets monthly on the second Tuesday from September to April, and during the summer, external visits to places of local historic interest are organised, including an all-day coach trip. However, due to the pandemic, meetings have had to go online, using Zoom to host talks. The programme for 2021 has been planned with Zoom meetings from January to April, outdoor meetings from May to August, and (hopefully) meetings back in Tavistock Parish Centre from September to December. The next Zoom meeting will be on Tuesday, February 9th at 7.30pm - ‘Understanding Landscapes – Archaeology at Calstock, Cothele & Bere Alston’ with Chris Smart, a landscape archaeologist specialising in the heritage of Roman and medieval in Devon and Cornwall. The annual meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Tuesday March 9th via Zoom, followed by ‘A History of the Census’ with Tony Vigars. The census will happen again on Sunday, March 21st March and will be online. The 1921 census is the next one due to be released to public view in 2022. The April Zoom meeting will take place at 7.30pm on Tuesday, April 13th – ‘White Horse Hill’ with Dartmoor National Park Authority archaeologist Dr Lee Bray. All are welcome to try out the history society Zoom meetings by using the ‘contact us’ link at tavistockhistory.co.uk and requesting a link for a particular meeting. Membership comes from all over West Devon and beyond, and anybody with an interest in local history is welcome. Annual membership is £16.

Volunteers are needed for the regular Bellever conservation work parties that are held throughout the year. They take place on the second Wednesday and fourth Saturday of the month (Covid restrictions permitting). Dartmoor expert Paul Rendell leads the wonderful team of conservation volunteers on Bellever carrying out a range of work to protect the moorland site, encouraging biodiversity and managing our treasured archaeology. The team also maintain the stone wall boundary and non-native species of trees that spread onto the moorland so there is always plenty to do. More information: If you would like to find out more about volunteering at Bellever, please email Paul on paul.dartmoor@gmail.com or ✆ 01837 54727 to have a chat and find out more. All are very welcome! Please mention PLYM LINKS when responding to adverts

More information: Visit the website, or for general enquiries, contact the secretary, Tony Vigars, on ✆ 07746 577598 or tony.vigars@hotmail.com Visit our community website www.dartmoorlinks.co.uk 39

Rambling with friends

March 27 - April 11

National Parks Fortnight

It is lovely to walk in interesting places, chatting as you go, enjoying stretching your legs The smile says it all! and absorbing the scenery. Of course you may have existing friends who love to join you; but perhaps you would like to meet more folk? If so, come along to try out one of these two local Rambling groups. Do please note that both groups are official charities and the rambles count as sport - they are therefore fully permitted under all but the most stringent lock-down rules. Tier three is just fine, so hopefully by the time you read this article we will be looking forward to getting out and walking once more . . The Plymouth Ramblers is a group under the umbrella of the National body, The Ramblers. Enter this in your computer: plymouthramblers.org.uk Call up the latest programme of walks and think about it; then act! This January the varied programme was due to include no less than ten walks, mostly on Wednesdays and Sundays, but also one short one on a Saturday morning. With no forward knowledge of future restrictions we are not programming more than a month ahead. The Dartmoor Rambling Club is a smaller and less ambitious group, in that we offer just two Wednesdays a month and have no website. We always use public transport, bus or train from Plymouth. You need to contact me: ronaldfwsmith@gmail.com or phone 07780 913546. I also belong to the Plymouth Ramblers. It is worth mentioning that for most walks need you to wear walking boots for comfort and safety. We do avoid tussocks and bogs when we can, but Dartmoor can be a bit uncompromising. We are totally friendly and welcoming and we very much enjoy ourselves; as you can see in the photograph ‘the smile says it all!’ Both groups are fully insured and Covid-compliant on the actual walk and we keep a track-and-trace list of phone numbers.

Plans are being put in place for people to celebrate National Parks Fortnight which is scheduled to take place from March 27th to April 11th. Covid-19 restrictions permitting, it is hoped people will take the opportunity to enjoy the Dartmoor safely during ‘Discover National Parks’ fortnight. Dartmoor National Park Authority is monitoring the latest coronavirus advice and responding accordingly. It is hoped that, should restrictions lift or change, some events can be put on for people to enjoy safely within the rules. For the time being, people are encouraged to keep an eye on the national park’s social media pages and website as information will be updated on a regular basis. Alternatively, sign up to receive newsletters with the latest updates at dartmoor.gov.uk.

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WHAT’S ON

Until end of March

Hunting for harvest mice nests In autumn 2016, Devon Mammal Group began a pilot project looking for harvest mice in Devon. It came to our attention that this charismatic species is under recorded in our county. With just a handful of records we wanted to change this and we would like to survey as many tetrads (10 x 10 km grid squares) as possible in Devon. Devon is a large county, and with more than 90 tetrads, this is no small challenge. However, we offer training sessions for anyone who wants to learn, in the hope that the new found knowledge will be put to use and more records will come flooding in! We have been running a number of dedicated training days, as well as smaller training sessions across the county, plus Zoom training sessions during lockdown. We have also made a 3-minute YouTube video showing how to look for them, but please don’t forget to let us know if you find any. Between now and the end of March 2021, while the harvest mice aren’t nesting, it’s a great time to look out for evidence of their nests. If you would like to take part in this year’s search and training,

or sign up to the mailing list for updates on how the search is progressing, contact Sarah Butcher at harvestmouse@ devonmammalgroup.org. We also have a Twitter feed and Facebook page @HarvestMiceDVN. How to look for Harvest Mice: youtube.com/watch?v=nhttOGQriY0&feature=youtu.be Devon Mammal Group

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MUSIC & ART

March to June

Wildwood Arts Exhibitions Organising exhibitions during lockdown is difficult. However, Wildwood Arts will be holding a ‘shared exhibition’, combining a joint exhibition of Michael Hill and Shirley Kirkcaldy’s work, together with the annual Spring Exhibition. A ‘Shared Perspective’ brings together the works of Michael Hill and Shirley Kirkcaldy, in an exciting collaboration that promises a fascinating insight. With their individual styles bridging the gap between abstraction and realism, they both remain authentic to their subject matter, focusing on the mood it evokes and their unique perspectives. From seascapes to landscapes, painted in oil and mixed media, the exhibition will encompass the true essence and energy of the southwest Michael Hill Evening Stroll

A Shared Perspective & Spring Exhibition: March 6th 2021 Featuring new work from Michael Hill & Shirley Kirkcaldy and other Wildwood artists. View on-line from 06/03/2021 at:

www.wildwoodartsdartmoor.co.uk

Michael Moss - Sea Trout

environment: its changing light, alternative weather conditions and different yet common viewpoints. The Spring Exhibition will comprise of Wildwood artists and an array of work bringing the promise of brighter times, with a spectrum of colours representing the South West and spring. The exhibition catalogue and virtual exhibitions can be viewed online at www. wildwoodartsdartmoor.co.uk from March 6th until June, or in the gallery should Covid-19 restrictions be lifted. You can also find details of all our artists and their work on the website. In addition, Wildwood is offering a ‘click and collect’ or local delivery service. Promote your business in

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Funding lifeline for cinema Plymouth Arts Cinema was awarded more than £45,000 through the Government’s £1.57billion Culture Recovery Fund at the end of last year, helping the cinema operate through to March 2021. It’s one of more than 200 independent cinemas across England being supported through the fund. Anna Navas, director and film programmer, Plymouth Arts Cinema, said: ‘Plymouth Arts Cinema is a long established beacon for culture in Plymouth, and the whole team is incredibly relieved and grateful for this investment, and pleased that independent cinemas have been recognised by the UK government as cultural lifelines for the communities that we serve. ‘We re-opened in September to sellout (socially distanced) screenings, welcoming not only familiar faces but brand new audiences through the door. After such a difficult and uncertain year, there is nothing like the sense of occasion, communality, and boost to mental wellbeing that is gained from coming together to escape into a story on the big screen.’ Prof Andrew Brewerton, trustees’ chair, said the grant of £47,419 was a significant outcome for Plymouth Arts Cinema. ‘PAC is the home address for people who love

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independent cinema in Plymouth and the surrounding area,’ he said. ‘We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all those in our community who continue to support us through thick and thin.’ Cinemas will be able to apply for another £14 million in grants in the new year as part of the second round of the Culture Recovery Fund.

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MUSIC & ART

When life returns to normal...

Mary Johnson - Plymouth Philharmonic Choir

When watching TV programmes produced in the preCovid 19 era, do you do a double take and wonder why the actors are taking such risks, standing so close to each other without wearing masks? It’s just beginning to dawn on me that we have all of this, but in reverse, to look forward to in 2021! What else is there to look forward to? Is your diary decidedly empty and did you even give New Year resolutions a second thought? With the roll out of the largest vaccination programme in the history of mankind it’s time to dare to think about picking up our lives. The question is, do we want to ‘pick up’ from where we left things in March 2020? In the race to be able to shop till we drop, to meet friends in one another’s homes and ‘party like it’s 1999’, will we forget the joy we found in the small things that previously we were too busy to notice, those things that got us through the dark times of 2020? We’ve been challenged, to say the least, but we’ve learned new skills and have adapted. We have become adept at internet shopping, Zoom meetings and figuring out our

children’s or grandchildren’s Maths school work! Maybe the question is, what will we now choose to learn for our own enjoyment and fulfilment and to boost our health and mental well-being? With not a note sung in any of the four planned performances in Plymouth Philharmonic Choir’s 50th Anniversary Year, how is it that they have recruited new members in recent months? Small acts of kindness have kept spirits buoyant and further strengthened the bonds of support and camaraderie. Projects such as a Desert Island Discs series, a recording of a new version of The Twelve Days of Christmas and an online Carol Concert have enabled members to share their love of music. While they don’t yet know when or what they will be singing, the choir is nonetheless excited about the prospect of performing beautiful music with the exhilaration and sense of achievement that comes from this. To be part of their even more joyous 51st Year celebrations, why not consider joining this choir? For further details please contact membership secretary Pat Brodie on ✆ 01752 330337 or pat.brodie@outlook.com or see their website www.plymouthphilchoir.org

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Discover ancient sites at

Burrator Reservoir By local historian Paul Rendell

Clapper Bridge across the Devonport Leat

START: Norsworthy Bridge car park, SX 569 692, far end of Burrator Reservoir DISTANCE: Approximately 4 miles TIME: Approximately 2 hours

A circular walk in woods and open moorland - can be muddy and wet after heavy rain.

ith your back to Norsworthy Bridge, take the stony track up the hill in front of you. The track soon forks, go left and follow the track which is above the River Meavy. Soon you will see a stile over the fence on the left, if you go across and head down beside the river, you will see the remains of a tinnerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mill. Many years ago they would have crushed tin within this building. Carry on the track and you will reach Leather Tor Bridge crossing the river. Do not cross over but carry on the same track and where it forks again, keep left beside the river. Keep going along this track until you come out of the woods and on to open moors, with Black Tor in front of you. The wide track now disappears and you follow a small path which at first takes you away from the river and then takes you back again. Now follow one of the small 46

paths, keeping the River Meavy to your right and make your way over the rough ground. The piles of rocks are known as tin streaming, where miners would search for tin in the river bed, possibly in the 13th century. It can be a little boggy in places. You will soon reach a bank, climb this and you will find yourself beside the Devonport Leat, which was built in the late 1700s as a water supply to Plymouth Dock, now known as Devonport Dockyard. Cross over the leat and turn left, walking across the viaduct with the River Meavy below. You should follow this man-made water course until you reach a gate into the woods. Just outside of the woods and to the left lie the ruins of Stanlake Farm. A dwelling place here was first recorded in 1281 and this building was last lived in during the 1920s. The farm was abandoned due to the building of Burrator Reservoir, as the pollution from the humans and animals was going into the reservoir - eventually all the farms here had to be to abandoned. Go through the gate and keep following the leat. When you reach a granite seat on the other side of the leat, you should also see a finger post on this side and a clapper bridge over the leat. Turn left and follow the wide track down through the woods. After a while you will reach the ruins of Leather Tor Farm. There

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WALK



View to Sharpitor

are records of a farm being here in 1511 - by the early 1800s, there were two farmsteads here, East and West. It closed down in 1924 and the tenants moved to live in nearby Walkhampton. After reading the information board, climb the stile and turn left downhill and you will see a big hole in the hillside, this was a potato cave. The local farmer would store his root crops such as swede and potatoes here, which were grown in the fields during the winter months. At one time the cave would have had a gate across it. Now go back up the hill, past the stile you have just crossed and follow this track until you see a gate on the left into the woods, it is a little hidden. Go through the gate and follow the path through the conifer plantation and through the bottom gate and turn left on to the road back to Norsworthy Bridge. n



Enjoy your walk!

Start: Norsworthy Bridge car park

Ordnance Survey

DARTMOOR GUIDED WALKS

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with

Enjoy a guided walk with local historian Paul Rendell. Theme walks include wildﬂowers, history and longer walks.

01837 54727 • paul.dartmoor@gmail.com www.paulrendelldartmoor.co.uk Visit our community website www.dartmoorlinks.co.uk 47

Dartmoor Leats Showcasing human ingenuity By Rosemary Best and Keith Ryan (Dartmoor Preservation Society)

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eats have been in use on Dartmoor since medieval times and were originally constructed to provide power for local industries, before later being used to channel Plymouth’s municipal water supply. Dartmoor Preservation Association volunteers have spent several years clearing gorse and scrub from the dry leats on Roborough Common so that Plymouth Leat and Devonport Leat are now clearly visible again. The word ‘leat’ comes from the Old English word ‘gelaet’ meaning a conduit or a trench and is particularly common in the South West to describe the proliferation of manmade channels built to transport water. Waterwheels were an essential part of mining operations, providing power to drive stamps for crushing ore, bellows for the smelting furnaces and pumps. Early medieval blowing houses usually sourced their water as close as possible and short leats were often constructed to divert water from the nearest river to the operations site. However in later centuries, longer leats were constructed, such as the Grimstone and Sortridge Leat which still carries water from the River Walkham, west of Great

HISTORY although Drake also had a vested interest in helping to get the bill passed as he was granted a lease to build and work six mills along the leat, at a time when corn mills were extremely profitable. Over time public ‘conduits’ were also constructed to supply water free of charge to the population; the sides of the leat were lined with stone or slate, and sections were roofed to prevent pollution. In the 1820s, reservoirs were built in Plymouth at Drake’s Place and North Road and the city’s water supply system was considerably updated during the 19th century. When a dense snowfall during the ‘Great Storm’ of 1891 brought the leat to a standstill for several days it was obvious that an alternative solution needed to be found. The Plymouth Corporation Act of 1893 authorised the construction of a reservoir at Burrator Gorge and water ceased to flow along Drake’s leat in 1898. In the 1790s Devonport was a separate town with a busy port and an increasing requirement for water. Plymouth was unwilling to share its water supply so a bill was lodged with Parliament proposing a new leat

In the 1790s Devonport was a separate town with a busy port and an increasing “ requirement for water. Plymouth was unwilling to share its water supply so a bill was lodged with Parliament proposing a new leat for Devonport ”

Mis Tor, and was used to supply the waterwheels at Sortridge Consols, as well as a number of farms and houses. Powdermills gunpowder factory in Postbridge was one of the more unusual local mills to make use of a leat. It was built in 1844 to provide gunpowder to local tin mines and granite quarries and used waterwheels to power the grinding machinery until it closed about 1900. Leats from the River Walkham serviced various mills in Horrabridge from the 14th century until the 20th century. A leat still flows to the site of Phoenix Mill in Horrabridge which was used as a paper mill very briefly towards the end of the 18th century, and then later for fulling, leather and wool before it became a flour mill in the 20th century. Plymouth Leat, also known as Drake’s Leat, was built between 1589 and 1591. Drake became Mayor of Plymouth in 1581 and was also a Member of Parliament when the Water Bill proposing a leat to supply water to Plymouth was presented to parliament in 1584, receiving royal assent the following year. The leat started under the present site of Burrator Reservoir, diverting water from the River Meavy and continuing for approximately 17 miles, following the contour lines to allow a steady flow along the leat to Plymouth. It was originally planned to provide water for naval and merchant shipping, as well as fire-fighting in Plymouth, Please mention PLYM LINKS when responding to adverts

for Devonport which was approved in 1792, with the leat eventually being completed in 1801. Considerable engineering skill was employed in building the leat which starts just north of Wistman’s Wood and takes water from the West Dart, Cowsic and Blackbrook rivers along aqueducts, a tunnel at Nun’s Cross and even a waterfall at Raddick Hill, using sluice gates, weirs and ‘bullseye’ stones to control the flow as required. The leat originally ran for 28 miles and terminated in a reservoir in the site of Devonport Park. More reservoirs were built around Devonport as the town expanded, then in 1878 a large one was built at Crownhill and water was piped from there into the town. Devonport Leat now supplies a nearby waterworks site that distributes water as far away as Plymouth, Tavistock and surrounding areas, with excess water flowing into Burrator Reservoir via a waterfall. Remains of the continuing dry section, as well as sections of the dry Drake’s Leat can still be seen between Burrator and Plymouth, particularly between Yelverton and Clearbrook where the two leats run close to the cycle path. In addition to Devonport Leat, there are still a number of leats on Dartmoor that carry water, including Grimstone and Sortridge Leat, Wheal Friendship Leat, Wheal Jewell Leat, Hamlyn’s Leat, Holne Town Gutter and Gidleigh Leat. n Visit our community website www.dartmoorlinks.co.uk 49

TECH HELP

Mac v Windows PC? A thorny question – but why buy a machine that’s time limited when you can buy a Windows PC that is not. With the advent of SSDs, Windows machines are now almost as good and in some cases better than a Mac. A Mac will last ten years and a Windows machine can easily last 15 years without too much modification – and cost 2/3 less! If you subscribe to Microsoft 365 – what used to be called Office 365 and you have multiple users, you will have noticed that you see each other’s documents. In order to change this, the owner of the subscription needs to ‘share’ Office with you rather than

you ‘using’ one of their installs. From their Office account they ‘share’ with you to an email address. Once the email is received, the new user needs to have, or create, a Microsoft Account. That will then enable you to use their share in your own right and separate the files from each other. Winzip and WinRAR are programs that I regularly see on computers. They are third party programs that do the job of software already on your computer to compress a folder and it’s contents for transmission usually by email. Folder compression was built in to Windows a long time ago – simply right click on the folder you want to compress and choose ‘send to’ then ‘compressed (zipped)

folder’ and Windows will do it for you. When you receive a compressed folder just right click on it and choose ‘extract all’ then follow the wizard. Wifi printers – very useful, but can be really frustrating. First issue is where to put it? My rule of thumb is quite simple – same room, no problem. Unfortunately the transceivers in printers are not ever as good as might be in our computers, so it does not always follow that ‘my computer works so why not my printer?’ You can always set it up in the same room as the router and then move it to where you would like it to be. There are repeaters and extenders you can employ to improve the wifi if necessary. n

For help with any home or business IT needs call ✆ 01822 855822 or email help@chezvouspc.com

PC, Tablet & Mac Help for home or business - visit or remote Got a computer problem at home or office? The LOCAL help you have been looking for! Advice on PCs, laptops, tablets, printers, etc. New equipment setup – data transfer etc. Maintenance and help with Macs and iPads. Networking, cabling, broadband issues, email, etc. Solid State Drive upgrades Remote Access to system if preferred

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Plym Links February/March 2021 issue

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