16 minute read
Community News
All creatures great and small
The UK supports over 24,000 species of insects, all of which play an integral part in sustaining the diverse and healthy ecosystems that we humans rely upon for our water, food, energy, clothes, shelter, health, etc. Insects are often overlooked and tarnished with the term ‘pest’ particularly when they sting or bite us - believe me I’m not a fan of midges, mosquitoes and horseflies as they love me, but all insects have a role and are particularly vital for our food industry. They can break down and decompose organic matter to maintain healthy soils, pollinate our crops, fruit and vegetables; they break down livestock dung and provide natural pest control by feeding on aphids. In fact, the economic value of these pollination services to the UK crop industry is estimated at £500 million a year (UK insect declines & extinctions, UK Parliamentary Office of Science & Technology, March 2020). However, we are witnessing huge declines in insect numbers, changes in their distribution and even species extinctions which is threatening the viability of these ecosystems. The loss and fragmentation of species-rich habitats, the increase in chemical use, impacts of climate change and threats from non-native invasive species are all interconnected. Over the summer months we have been out and about across the Burrator catchment recording insects, and have been joined by professional entomologists (insect surveyors) to see whether the site supports any rare Dartmoor species such as: Blue Ground Beetle (Carabus intricatus), Bog Hoverfly (Eristalis cryptarum), Marsh fritillary (Euphydryas aurinia) and Southern damselfly (Coenagrion mercurial). So far we have found Marsh fritillary. The Devon Fly Group have also been out on the ground to record flies, although the unseasonal cold and wet weather during May seems to have affected a few species
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Small Pearl Bordered Fritillary by E. Scotney
this year. By gaining a better understanding of what insects the site supports we can help rebuild these insect populations to ensure healthy ecosystems for humans and wildlife, as birds and mammals also rely on insects for food. Buglife is leading on a project to identify nationally or internationally ‘Important Invertebrate Areas’ and parts of Dartmoor are recognised for their important invertebrates and specialist habitats. More information is available at: buglife.org.uk/ our-work/important-invertebrate-areas I can’t imagine a world without the buzz of a bee as it goes from flower to flower or catching a glimpse of a butterfly or moth as it flutters by, and just learning about their complicated life cycles is so fascinating. We must all take responsibility to ensure that we farm and garden with nature not against it. Just leaving some wild areas in your garden for native flowers and allowing trees and hedges to flower and fruit, can provide food and a safe refuge for insects enabling them to perform these vital services that we all rely on.
Deborah Deveney Burrator Biodiversity Officer, South West Lakes Trust
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Arranging any funeral can be distressing, which is why choosing the right funeral director to ease you through the process can make all the difference. At Morris Bros, we understand the pain of loss and open our doors to you, offering both practical guidance & personal comfort. Simon & Lucie Luke live at the Foundry & are available to you 24 hours a day. Your loved one will stay with us; their care, attention and preparation only provided by us.
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Oxfam’s extraordinary bequest
The Oxfam Books and Music shop in Tavistock was recently left an extraordinary donation, in the will of a regular customer. For nearly 10 years, Andres Nurmela came to Tavistock every Tuesday on the bus from Okehampton, and always popped into the Oxfam bookshop for a long chat with volunteer John Dale. He frequently bought some of the more valuable books in the cabinets and was a real book lover - the older the better!
Andres was relocated with his family as a refugee from Estonia to Hull, England in 1947 and later settled for many years in and around Brighton where he met his late wife, Cornelia. They both shared a passion for antiques and Andres even undertook a leather book binding course there. The couple moved to Okehampton in the early 2000s, and Andres became a regular visitor to local antiques fairs and the Tavistock Oxfam bookshop. He loved the artistry and history of old books and avidly collected over 2800, driven by the ambition to find rare first editions, especially by the poets Tennyson and Byron. He didn’t read them all but worked hard restoring the leather covers using traditional methods and equipment. After lockdown in July 2020, Andres shared with Val Sharpe, the Oxfam shop manager, that he had been diagnosed with cancer and was undergoing chemotherapy. He stated quite clearly on several occasions that he was going to leave his books to the Oxfam bookshop in Tavistock when he died, as he knew the shop would value them. When the shop reopened after lockdown in April 2021, Val was contacted by the executors to Andres’s will, as he had passed away at the end of January and had indeed left his whole book collection to the Oxfam bookshop. He had never divulged the scale of his interest so it was a huge surprise when the executors informed her there were 2,300 antiquarian books, many dating from the 18th and early 19th century - a quite extraordinary and hugely generous bequest. The executors were in Brighton, the books were in Okehampton, and it took a fair bit of organising, a number of volunteers, a fleet of cars and lots of boxes to get the donation to Tavistock! New Oxfam bookshop manager, Robin Neave, is hugely honoured that Andres chose the Tavistock Oxfam bookshop because it was one of his favourite places. She says that although they have only had some books from the bequest in the shop for a few weeks, over £600 worth have been sold. Items of particular interest have been an 1853 first edition of Bleak House by Charles Dickens and a UK first edition of Uncle Tom’s Cabin.
Oxfam Books and Music is taking donations daily - if anyone wishes to donate books or music could they please phone first on 01822 613901 to confirm a drop-off time.
Whoever you are, wherever you are on your journey, you are welcome here!
Worship at 10.00am every Sunday Halls available for hire
Russell Street Tavistock PL19 8BD tavistockurc.org.uk 07982 622949
Minister: Revd Robert Weston tavistockurcminister@gmail.com
After 18 months of uncertainty within our communities, the pandemic has shown the importance of coming together and supporting the local independent businesses that take centre stage within our small towns.
Tavy Links, Moor Links, Oke Links and Plym Links magazines have joined forces with neighbouring magazines including Launceston Life, Bude Life, English Riviera magazine (Torbay) and By the Dart (Dartmouth) to form the South West Independent Publishers’ Alliance. The Alliance will work to ensure that quality, reliable publications will continue to serve their communities, promoting a range of fantastic independent businesses, reporting on local news and supporting businesses, organisations and groups within their communities.
The Alliance will cover Bude, Launceston, Tavistock, Okehampton, Yelverton, North Plymouth, and the South Hams including Dartmouth and Torbay. Tim Randell from Links Magazines said: ‘This is a great opportunity for local businesses to use neighbouring magazines and be guaranteed that the quality of publishing is of the highest level.’ In total the Alliance will cover 60,000 homes and businesses across North Cornwall and West and South Devon.
Tim added: ‘I am really excited to have helped create the formation of this Alliance, which is the first established independent publishing alliance spanning the Cornwall-Devon border. The Alliance is all about local people publishing local community magazines for local people.’
For more information contact Tim Randell on tim.randell@ linksmagazines.co.uk
PLYM LINKS June/July 2021 | Issue 10 WALKS | ARTS | EVENTS | PEOPLE | HERITAGE | LOCAL FOOD & DRINK | HOMES | BUSINESS Beryl & Brian spearhead a rewilding project Gr n Minds SAILGP comes to Plymouth
10 YEARS PUBLISHING LOCAL MAGAZINE S
NATURE The wonder of warblers GARDENING Plants to soothe and stimulate HEALTH
It’s hay fever time
MEET the locals
A Glenholt couple loving life on the park A Plympton nurse and talented artist
N ESS I BUS COMMUNIT Y BUY LOCAL & SAVE
JOBS £3.50 | WHERE SOLD CHERNOBYL CHILDREN’S LIFELINE Providing vital respite time
Delivered FREE by your postman to PL6 - 7 and PL7 - 5. Guaranteed Circulation of 7,000 homes
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OKE LINKS TAVY LINKS MOOR LINKS PLYM LINKS
This year is our 10th anniversary of publishing local community magazines and we asked our advertisers what they thought of our service – here’s what a few had to say: I have been using Links magazine for a number of years, and have found it much the most useful publication… Philip Hartnoll DO FSCCO, Osteopath We have been advertising with Links magazines for nearly a year now and have been very impressed with the service from Joanne and the team. Jessica Sampson, Alliance Garage Doors Ltd
We have been advertising with them for a while and we fi nd them to be informative, high quality and a great vehicle for our advertising. Will Giles, Woollcombe Yonge Solicitors
Our family of local magazines are delivered to more than 32,000 homes and businesses by the Royal Mail
Rotary Round-up
Tavistock Rotary Club hit the ground running in July when it welcomed new president Nigel Ellis at the start of its new year. Having started to emerge from Covid restrictions, members have been able to get cracking with projects such as garden clearance, Tavy Fridge support, Music Mends Minds, refurbished computers for schools and the Francis Drake educational programme. Working with schools, the club is also planning a whole range of youth projects including Youth Speaks, Young Photographer, Young Environmentalist and Young Artist - along with the annual Rotary Youth Leadership Award, where the club sponsors a young person (18-28 years old) to attend a residential course with an intensive programme of activities, tasks and lectures aimed at building individual leadership skills. Club members are also gearing up to run their annual Goose Fair ‘This and That’ bric-a-brac stall, and planning for December’s Santa Sleigh visits, the highly popular Christmas Day Lunch and next year’s Golf Day. There will also be other events over the year raising funds towards providing support in the community via a new 75th Anniversary Community Fund, together with the president’s three chosen charities: Tavistock Memory Café, Tavistock Hospital League of Friends and Wingletang Animal Rescue. For more details about Tavistock Rotary Club visit rotarytavistock, Rotary Tavistock Facebook page, or contact Judy Hirst on judyhh@btinternet.com. Tavistock Camera Club was formed in 1971 by a group of 12 enthusiasts. Evolving rapidly over the last 16 years or so it is now thriving with 30 to 40 members. We have come a long way from the days of traditional, wet photography where those with dark rooms spent hours hovering over trays of chemicals, to today where the club has embraced all that modern digital photography can offer - the club now has a new laptop computer and digital projector courtesy of £5000 from the ‘Grants for all Scheme’. Membership varies between experienced and novice photographers, and we pride ourselves on being a friendly and helpful club, providing advice, tips and general information to help everyone develop their skills. Potential new members are welcome to use our ‘taster system’ and come along to get a feel for the club and enjoy meeting like-minded people. Our programmes feature guest speakers who are often experts in their particular field of photography, and our competitions include varied subject matter to encourage members at all levels to challenge themselves. Competition judges are constructive in their comments which can be a useful learning vehicle for members whether they enter competitions or not. Tavistock Camera Club is approaching its 50th anniversary. To celebrate this and regenerate after the Covid shutdown, the club is relaunching with a new name - the Tavistock Photography Club – as well as a new logo and website with members’ images and details of forthcoming programmes at www.tavistockphotographyclub.com.
50th year for Tavistock Photography Club
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Win a £100
Tavistock Gift Card TAVY LINKSwi
Check out where to spend at: www.tavistockgiftcard.co.uk to spend with our fabulous independent shops in Tavistock. More than 50 local businesses have signed up to the Tavistock BID Gift Card initiative.
How to Enter?
Tell us the name of the advertiser who is selling Books and Music in this issue by: Sending a postcard to - Tavy Links Gift Card Competition, The Sanctuary, Kilworthy Hill, Tavistock PL19 0EP Or emailing your answer to - advertising@linksmagazines.co.uk WIN! £100 Please ensure you include your full contact details so we can inform you of your win and send you your prize. Closing date for the competition: 1st October 2021 The winning entry will be drawn by the Mayor of Tavistock, Cllr A Hutton and the winning entry will be notifi ed by 10th October 2021
LOCAL MAGAZINES FOR LOCAL PEOPLE BY LOCAL PEOPLE
Enjoy Tavistock this summer!
There are lots of reasons to visit your local town this summer and you can be assured of a safe visit, with all the open spaces to escape to and explore, plus plenty of ways to continue being COVID-secure. The hanging baskets around the town look blooming marvellous and there are a number of new businesses to discover.
Our brand new and exciting summer trail – Tavistock Time Traders – is a family adventure for all. The Duke of Bedford needs help finding items for Goose Fair – located on trader cards throughout the town. Everyone receives an exclusive Tavistock Trader Card and goody bag plus 5 lucky participants will find prize-winning golden cards! In collaboration with Learn Devon, there will be workshops to design your own family coat of arms, and rounding off the holiday, the amazing Bubbleman and Bubble Faerie come to town on Monday 30 August. Moving into September, the town will be hosting a Cream Tea Festival on Sunday 12 September. Set to become an annual event, this is an occasion not to be missed with our very own Tavy tuff taking centre stage in the town’s first ‘Tuff-off’!
Funding for farming in protected landscapes
Farmers and land managers in England’s areas of outstanding natural beauty (AONBs) and national parks will be given grants to make improvements to the natural environment, cultural heritage and public access on their land – the next step in the government’s landmark plans for a renewed agriculture sector. The new programme is open for applications until 31 January 2022. It has been developed by Defra with the support of a group of AONB and national park staff from across the country, following its announcement as part of the Agricultural Transition Plan. The programme will provide funding for one-off projects which allow farmers and land managers in protected landscapes to: • Support nature recovery – such as increasing habitats to improve biodiversity or greater connectivity between habitats
• Mitigate the impacts of climate change – such as reducing flood risk or storing more carbon
• Provide opportunities for people to discover, enjoy and understand the landscape and its cultural heritage • Support nature-friendly and sustainable farm businesses Now is also a great time to redeem those Tavistock gift cards from Christmas! Or pick one up for that special occasion from any participating business – using the ‘load this card’ scheme. Find out more and where to spend at: tavistockgiftcard.co.uk
Family Coat of Arms workshops
Tuesday 10 August & Monday 23 August, 10:30-12:30 Workshops with Learn Devon - free entry but tickets must be reserved: 10 August at The Alexander Centre, Tavistock: eventbrite. co.uk/e/family-coat-of-arms-workshop-tickets-163021466595 23 August at Bedford Square, Tavistock: eventbrite.co.uk/e/ family-coat-of-arms-workshop-tickets-163024690237
Bubbleman and Bubble Faerie
Monday 30 August, 11:00-15:00 The amazing Bubbleman and Bubble Faerie face-painting in Bedford Square, Tavistock
Tavistock Cream Tea Festival
Sunday 12 September ALL DAY festival in Tavistock
Kit Hill in distance Tobi O’Neill
Projects could include creating ponds or other wetlands to support a variety of wildlife; conserving historic features on a farm, such as lime kilns or mining heritage; improving access; or even action to reduce carbon emissions or use of plastics on farms. The Farming in Protected Landscapes programme is open to all farmers and land managers (including from the private, public and charity sector) in an AONB or national park in England – or where activity on the ground can bring benefit to one or more of those areas. It is a programme of funding for one-off projects rather than an agri-environment scheme. The Tamar Valley AONB has significant funding to award to farmers over the next three years, subject to formal approval. For more details visit tamarvalley.org.uk, and click on Our Work, Current Projects. Farmers and land managers can also find out more at dartmoor.gov.uk.
