Tavy Links Feb Mar 16

Tavy Links Tavistock • Mary Tavy • Kilworthy • Moortown Whitchurch • Horndon • Lamerton • Grenofen • Brentor Gulworthy • Peter Tavy • Horsebridge • Milton Abbot

Feb / Mar 2016

Weir Quay Boatyard Who are our Councillors?

A full guide to Easter events

Issue 17 £1.50 where sold

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CONTENTS

Informing others….

Having recently walked my usual circuit on Dartmoor with my two dogs, in what can only be described as ‘biblical’ rain, for which we seem to have seen little else since our last issue at the beginning of December, I for one am truly grateful that the sun is back and the days are growing longer. Often during these walks with time to think, I worry that we’re going to struggle to fill the next issue of the magazine and will run out of information and interesting articles to include. Well the magazines are now into their 5th calendar year, and as ever, I should stop worrying!

All our local organisations seem to have hit 2016 running and we have been inundated with news of some excellent events coming up over the next few months, new clubs for people to join and new ventures being undertaken.

As I’ve mentioned in previous issues, if you have an event or information you would like us to include, do let us know as early as possibly so we can include it in our planning rather than trying to squeeze items in at the last minute. With both Moor Links and Tavy Links being delivered to 15,000 homes across southern West Devon by the Royal Mail, we are a great way of communicating news and information to others!

We are also conscious that occasionally events don’t quite fit within the dates of our magazines and so we are happy to publish these on our facebook and twitter pages. However, in order for this information to be more easily accessible to all, we will soon be launching our new community website www.dartmoorlinks.co.uk.

This website will not only include events but lots of useful local information too. The websiteWE will be DON’T up and running by the end of February, if not before, so keep an eye out.

JUST PUBLISH

If you are planning any events and need any help with designing MAGAZINES! and printing of leaflets, posters, booklets etc., don’t forget that we We are very well known for our magazines - Tavy Links and can help with ouralso Olijam Design & Print service.

Moor Links, but we provide additional marketing support services to many local businesses.

Fingers crossed the sun keeps shining!

Lizzie

From a full-blown magazine to a brochure, leaflet, a new logo or business cards as well as design for your social media sites.

We can provide you with full design, editorial@tavylinks.co.uk 01822 853110 copywriting and print services ensuring you get the right message to your target audience.

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CONTENTS

4. Community News

Water quality, working together and walking for health

10. Local People

Finding out about our local councillors

15. Education

Our jam-packed education and fun section for children

18. Kids What's On

All the activities and events to keep them busy at Half Term and Easter!

20. Charity Focus

An inspirational trip to Zambia to donate school clothing

25. Health & Beauty

A cancer support charity offering a bit of pampering

26. Gardening

Getting our gardens ‘looking good’ for Spring and Summer with Sue Fisher

30. What's On

A full round-up of all our local events for the next two months

44. Music & Art

One ‘Giant’ read and a ska band!

50. Feature

All change at Weir Quay Boatyard

58. History

Tavistock’s Propylaeum

design&print WE’Dfor LIKE HELP… in the February/ TheContact deadline anyTO inclusions Lizzie or Tim for more information 01822 853110 www.olijam.co.uk lizzie@olijam.co.uk March issue is Friday 4th March We would like to take this opportunity to say a big thank you to our many contributors for so kindly giving us their time and expertise, in helping keep our magazine so interesting to all.

ALL Advertising enquiries

THE OLIJAM TEAM: Editor: Lizzie Watt Publisher: Tim Randell Deputy Editor: Rosemary Best Publishing Assistant: Liz Whitwell Writers: Rosemary Best, Nichola Williams Design: Terri Reeves, Julian Rees Advertising: Jane Daniel, Kate McCormick

Please note that the opinions expressed in this magazine do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the editorial team.

We have done our utmost to ensure that all the content is correct and accurate at the time of print, but we emphasise that Tavy Links or Olijam Communications Ltd accepts no responsibility for any mistakes or omissions. All data contained in advertisements are subject to the Advertising Standards Authority guidelines and are accepted by us in good faith at the time of going to press. Reproduction of editorial is strictly prohibited without prior permission from the publisher.

All rights reserved copyright © 2016

Contact Tim, Jane or Kate on 07450 161 929 / 01822 615627 to disuss your advertising enquiries.

Email: advertising@tavylinks.co.uk or visit our website: www.tavylinks.co.uk to view our rate card.

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COMMUNITY NEWS

Working together The National Association for AONBs (NAAONB) and National Parks England (NPE) recently signed an Accord which builds on and strengthens the significant joint working and collaboration that already exists at national and local level.

Through the Accord, we celebrate the distinctiveness of our Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and National Parks; acknowledging their differences; and recognise the strength that comes from a varied family. We believe that together AONBs and National Parks comprise our finest landscapes and share much in common.

Through 9 focused, pragmatic and solutions-orientated statements, the Accord embodies our working together to ensure these special places remain viable and prosper for the benefit of all.

Jim Bailey, Chairman, National Parks England said, “Our National Parks and AONBs are recognised as being our finest landscapes, visited by millions of people every year and home to thriving communities. People are passionate about these beautiful areas and care deeply about their future. Our Accord demonstrates a clear commitment to work together. As long

term custodians of these wonderful places we aim to ensure they continue to inspire and remain special for future generations.“ Philip Hygate, Chairman, National Association for AONBs said, “I am delighted we have agreed this Accord. Together we can make things happen; translating vision and national policy into local action. With this firm commitment to continue our joint work, we will be able to support and promote a sustainable rural community that conserves and enhances the natural environment for the benefit of society”.

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For further information please contact the Westcountry Rivers Trust via email: 3rivers@wrt.org.uk or by phone: 01579 372140. We will be working in the area on a short-term basis, please contact us soon.

COMMUNITY NEWS

Three Rivers Project Did you know that England’s rivers are massively falling behind in terms of recommended water quality?

Even in West Devon, not an area which would normally spring to mind when thinking of pollution, there are issues with our rivers and streams.

The Westcountry Rivers Trust, a registered charity, currently has an action plan to deal with just a few of the watercourses identified as needing help - the rivers Lumburn, lower Tavy and Walkham - through its Three Rivers Project.

The trust is delivering the project in partnership with a number of other organisations, including the Environment Agency, Dartmoor National Park and the Forestry Commission The three rivers waterbodies consist of primarily agricultural land, where multiple sources of pollution, particularly phosphate enrichment, are contributing to failures as reflected in the EU’s Water Framework Directive.

Farming practices may be the cause in some cases, but others are also being identified, such as small rural communities outgrowing old drainage infrastructure.

for support and also anyone who has their own private water supply.’

‘It’s all driven by water quality - the EU set standards and we are massively under what we should be achieving at the moment.

Only something like 17% of our rivers are at good ecological status currently - what the Three Rivers Project is trying to do is help improve the levels of pollution by raising awareness.

‘If anybody would like to get involved in monitoring water quality in this area, we would love to hear from them too,’ said Hazel.

For more information, please call the Westcountry Rivers Trust on 01579 372140 or email 3rivers@wrt.org.uk To find out more about the work of the charity, go to www.wrt.org.uk

With money drawn down through the Catchment Partnership Action Fund, the trust is able to offer free help and advice on all aspects of agricultural practice to farmers and landowners in areas through which the rivers Lumburn, Tavy and Walkham flow.

Free soil sampling is also available through the trust.

The trust says in addition, anyone living or running a business in the area who are not on mains drainage could also be unintentionally affecting river water quality. Even misconnected drainage, such as sinks or washing machines plumbed into surface water pipes, can have impacts on river water quality. The trust is offering free advice on these aspects too.

Hazel Kendall, head of land at the Westcountry Rivers Trust, said: ‘We would be really pleased to hear from any farmers or landowners in this area that are looking

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COMMUNITY NEWS

A prestigious award for Beera Farm B&B A West Devon bed and breakfast business is celebrating after scooping a coveted ROSE award from VisitEngland - one of only 100 recipients from across the country.

The new award was launched recently in recognition of service excellence and Beera Farm near Milton Abbot has proved a worthy winner.

With visitors coming back to them year after year - one couple for more than 20 years - VisitEngland was not only impressed with the standard of accommodation on offer, but the particular attention to detail and the exceptionally warm, welcoming and friendly hospitality that Hilary Tucker and her family provides.

The new ROSE award is designed to showcase those establishments that go that ‘extra mile’ for their customers.

The 100 recipients of the reward include establishments where the owners, managers and staff really know how to delight their customers, irrespective of their star rating, style or type of accommodation.

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COMMUNITY NEWS

New Equine Science – Tavistock College President of the club, has many years' experience of working with children and ponies. The expertise on science is provided by husband Lawrie Harris, Cambridge Natural Sciences graduate and an inspirational Head of Biology at the college for 25 years. Former student at Tavistock Dr David Harris MRCVS is a vet with extensive equine experience, at present lecturing in Higher Education, and he brings the veterinary module to life for the students, who were riveted by his stories of treatments in practice.

Tavistock College has recently introduced a new short course in Equine Science for small groups of high achieving students interested in veterinary and biological science or equine related careers. This unique course has been specially designed to stretch and challenge students, with topics on the evolution of the horse, the history of the horse in human civilisation, functional anatomy compared and contrasted with human anatomy, and finishing with an in depth discussion on common diseases, injuries and treatments.

All lessons are vividly brought to life by the presence of the ponies Fleur and Treacle, enabling students to gain hands on experience of assessing health, finding the heartbeat, and listening to normal gut sounds; concluding with assessment of the relative seriousness of different wounds - illustrated in this case with tomato sauce!

The course has been warmly welcomed by parents and students alike, who feel that it really does give a truly academic perspective - indeed some of the explanations of biochemistry are beyond what is expected at A level Biology.

The course is delivered by a uniquely qualified family trio with long standing connections with the college. Helen Harris, currently Head of Law at the college, District Commissioner of Lamerton Hunt Pony Club and now Our office is open every weekday 10am-3pm for valuations For larger larger consignments consignments or or furniture, furniture aa home visit may be arranged arranged Please telephone for professional advice, or email images to enquiries@eldreds.net

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COMMUNITY NEWS

Walking For Health - Tavistock Walking for Health is a network of 600 health walk schemes in towns and villages across England, backed by the Ramblers and Macmillan Cancer Support. It is completely free so anyone can join in and it is a great way to get some exercise and meet new friends in a safe environment. In West Devon OCRA organises weekly walks in the Tavistock and Okehampton areas, covering three different levels to provide an opportunity for people to get involved even if they haven't done much walking before.

scheme as walkers themselves and found that they got so much from the experience that they wanted to help others enjoy the benefits of walking in a group.

Tavistock level 1 and 2 walks start off together from The Wharf and split partway to allow some people to finish after 30 minutes and others to continue walking for 45-60 minutes.

They cover fairly even ground and are suitable for wheelchairs, pushchairs, people restricted by mobility problems and people not used to walking who want to increase their fitness. Level 3 walks (at places such as Grenofen, Whitchurch Down and Gem Bridge) are approximately 3 miles or 90 minutes in length and can include uneven ground, some inclines and stiles or steps. Adventurous walkers can also take part in Mystery Walks twice a month when participants car share to a mystery location. There are often 20 to 35 people walking each week and the participants walk as much for the camaraderie and friendship as for the health benefits - and of course not forgetting the coffee and cake option afterwards!

Mystery Walks (Level 3) - meet at 10.15am in free car park in Pixon Lane -second and last Thursday of each month

Tuesdays - Level 1 & 2 walks - meet 10.30am outside the Wharf at Tavistock Thursdays - Level 3 walks - meet at 10:00am outside the Wharf at Tavistock

For further information visit www.walkingforhealth.org.uk or contact Sue Doidge (West Devon WFH Coordinator) on 01837 54546 or email sue@ocrasport.org.uk

All the groups are led by trained, competent and friendly leaders who make sure that new walkers join a group at a level appropriate to their ability. Most of the leaders joined the

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COMMUNITY NEWS

Rotary Club – Round Up The Tavistock Club’s main Christmas event was to help CHICKS Charity Santa Sprint. Hundreds of people, all dressed in their free Santa outfits, ran, jogged and walked, around a 1.5 mile course around Tavistock, marshalled by volunteers from 42 Commando, raising over £3500.

Following some fascinating talks about refugees and asylum seekers in the Plymouth area and the Drakelands Tungsten Mine, the Yelverton Club’s year ended with an evening of gourmet seafood and a singalong with the Tavy Tars at the Olde Plough Inn at Bere Ferrers. This raised £450 which, coupled with a matching grant from the Rotary District, will support a project teaching young people in the Bere Peninsula area to cook.

Both clubs have an interesting programme of speakers and events lined up for 2016 and we are always looking for community projects to support both practically or financially. If you would like to help in any way, or if you think we can help a particular project, or if you would like to join either Club, please contact us through our websites, or contact grahamparker1@ me.com.

Tavistock Rotarians Tony Parker and Geri Parlby lead the Tavistock Dementia Action Alliance. During 2016, we will be working with Tavistock Lions and other local organisations to create a Sensory Garden in the Meadows.

Following on from Rotary’s well-established ‘Youth Speaks’ competition, we are holding a Young Photographer of the Year Competition for schools throughout the area. More information to follow in the next issue of Tavy Links.

Father Christmas at Tesco in Tavistock, with Princess Ella and Princess Anna Frozen – raising money for Rotary Club

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LOCAL PEOPLE

West Devon Borough Councillors Our elected Councillors are our voice, they act on our behalf, raising issues and fighting our corner. In order to carry out this important role they must represent our views so here at Tavy Links we thought we should learn a little more about some of our councillors.

For contact details of councillors visit: www.westdevon.gov.uk

Philip Sanders Buckland Monachorum Ward and Leader of the Council

I was born into a Devon farming family, attended Tiverton Grammar school and read Agriculture at Nottingham University. I spent 4 years in hotel management before joining the National Health Service in London bashing a stopwatch and installing bonus schemes.

I moved across to managing hospitals before becoming Trust Board Director.

I was the commissioning officer for the first phase of Derriford hospital and was at the front door to welcome our first patient on the 9th of June 1981. Surgeon Captain John Soul persuaded me to stand for West Devon when he stood down in 2007. Two years after this I was elected to Devon County Council.

My family has always served the community and I ran a youth club for many years and trained and assessed young people in the Duke of Edinburgh award scheme a role I still perform.

I served for 26 years in the Tavistock section of the Dartmoor Rescue Group and I am still involved in a number of charitable organisations.

Being a councillor can be very hard work and my role as leader of West Devon Borough Council is certainly challenging but like everything else in life you get out what you put in. It is very satisfying when you are able to help someone sort out a problem and most of the time I really love what I do.

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David Cloke Burrator Ward - Mayor of West Devon since 1972; we have two children and five grandchildren.

I moved to St Budeaux, Plymouth from Portsmouth at the age of eleven and left school at fifteen to take an apprenticeship in HM Dockyard, Devonport. My wife Jackie and I have lived in Horrabridge

I have always been interested in the local community and have been involved with village organisations such as, the Youth Club, Horrabridge Twinning Association, school Governorship and have regularly attended Horrabridge Parish Council meetings. In 1991 I was elected to Horrabridge PC and became Chairman in 2000. I remained as Chairman until 2006 when I stood as Deputy Chairman. I was elected to West Devon Borough Council as an Independent in 2007 and have been returned in 2011 and 2015. I was Deputy Mayor in 2014/15 and was elected Mayor of the Borough of West Devon in May

this year. Jackie is the Mayoress of West Devon and we shall be in office until May 2016. Although performing the dual functions of Councillor for Burrator Ward and Mayor, Jackie and I are still involved with local organisations and attend as many village events as possible.

Cllr Robert Oxborough Tavistock South East Ward community is a natural follow on from his service to country. He strongly believes in community and particularly that we can all pay a part in making life better for all.

His interests include sport, particularly swimming and running. His days as a Rugby player are long gone so it is now a case of supporting from the armchair!

History is another keen interest, particularly in terms of applying lessons learned to today’s problems.

Robert has been a councillor since May 2011 in Tavistock South and now Tavistock South East. His background includes school teaching as a first job before then spending 17 years in the Army. He is now a retired Lt Col running a stationery business from a unit in the Crelake Industrial Estate.

During the transition years between Army and civilian life (he was medically discharged in 2002), Robert became involved in local politics at the Parish level and then 5 years after relocating to Mary Tavy, became an elected member at WDBC. This desire to serve the

Robert’s work as Lead Member for the Economy on the Hub at WDBC presents him with a considerable challenge.

With meagre resources, influencing the economy at the local level is not easy.

There are frequently issues arising from businesses within his ward and within the WDBC area so he is active in seeing these resolved satisfactorily. He has been a consistent driving force behind the initiative to see improvements to the Car parking services and is behind the drive to see Business Voice events focussed on areas that make a difference to smaller local businesses.

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LOCAL PEOPLE

Cllr Debo Sellis Tavistock South East Ward; Devon County Council Tavistock, Lamerton, Sydenham Damerel & Gulworthy & Licensing Committee and sit on the Overview & Scrutiny Committee (Internal) and the Parking Focus Group.

I became a councillor for the Walkham ward in 2007 and knew that I wanted to use the opportunity to make a difference. I am chairman of the Planning

I moved to Devon about 14 years ago, having been born and bred on the Isle of Man. I became a state registered nurse in 1980 and worked in many different aspects of nursing care. I was elected as a County Councillor in 2009 and really enjoy being involved at both borough and county level. I am a member of Cornwall & West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site Partnership, Tamar Valley AONB and Tavistock Heritage Panel. I sit on the Tavistock College endowment trust as a trustee and helped to set up Political Speed Dating with Tavistock

College where students meet cross-party councillors and question a councillor for 7 minutes before moving on to the next councillor.

I am passionate about maintaining Tavistock's heritage as a vibrant market town and keen to support opportunities to create employment, improve disabled access points in Tavistock encourage young people to vote and be involved in local politics and improve youth provision generally. I work hard and play harder, using meditation, music and long walks with my dog Pepper to keep things in perspective. My children are now in their 30s while my husband John has 2 sons and 4 teenage grandchildren.

Cllr Annabel Roberts Ward of Dartmoor For many generations my family have farmed in the area and been very involved in parish life.

Representing Dartmoor ward on West Devon Borough Council is a huge privilege.

WDBC is a dynamic organisation bringing together people from a wide variety of backgrounds, a melting pot of skills, backgrounds and concerns. I am a freelance journalist and over the decades have worked in lots of different places in Britain and overseas, covering everything from daily news, politics, rural issues, business, royals... to the lighter stuff.

I also have three children. My motive for becoming a councillor was simple: to contribute something to the community I live in. This community and the environment we all share is so important to me. Working together, bringing to the table our various skills, seems to me to be the way to move forward. There are many challenges - but that is what makes the role so interesting.

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Cllr Jess Evans Tavistock South West Ward housing sectors and to include vital support for residents of all ages.

I have lived and worked in the Tavistock area since I was a little girl, attending Tavistock Primary and Tavistock College.

It is a great town and I am enthusiastic for its future, especially to see it prosper in the employment and affordable

I have been a Parish Councillor for four years and my desire to expand my knowledge of how my local Government works encouraged me to stand for the Tavistock South West Ward. As a mum of four, I feel that it is important to build on our communities for future generations and in my work at Tavistock College I perceive lots of students learning and developing into adulthood. I think it would be fantastic if we could encourage the younger generation to live and work in the area which would support the local economy, rich heritage and stunning countryside.

In my spare time I enjoy popping down to my allotment to unwind and harvest the fruit and vegetables, this combines well with my love of cooking and baking.

Since becoming a Borough Councillor I have attended various functions from taking part in the Tavy Tidy event to meeting the street and school pastors who do a wonderful job. I look forward to meeting more groups and taking part in more of the excellent events that take place in and around Tavistock.

Along with my fellow Ward Council member, Graham Parker, we aim to work closely together with the residents of the Ward and make their priorities our priorities.

Cllr Graham Parker Tavistock South West Ward the Hub Committee and the Planning & Licensing Committee, and have enjoyed having the opportunity to give help and advice to local residents on housing benefit claims, rehousing issues and planning problems.

I became a councillor six months ago, as I thought I could use my many years of experience in town planning to represent people in the Tavistock area. I now sit on

I grew up in Sheffield and initially took a job at a steel factory before training in town and country planning and working for Bristol City Council for 18 years. I then ran my own planning consultancy where I was involved in numerous developments including the Radisson Hotel in Bristol and leading the planning team on

the first Lidl proposal in Tavistock. I retired from the planning consultancy last year after being diagnosed with Leukemia, for which I am now undergoing chemotherapy treatment. I have been involved in the Rotary Club for 20 years and was President of the Bristol branch in 1998. Walking with my dog Gemma is one of my favourite pastimes. I also enjoy playing the viola and getting together with friends for a bit of country and western music. I am married to Ginny, and have a daughter, Emma, and two grandchildren who live in Boston.

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EDUCATION

Rebecca Martin As interest in children’s activities and education increases, so does the section in our magazine. As such we have recruited the help of Rebecca Martin, who, with her knowledge and expertise, will help us fill our education pages in future issues of the magazine.

It was both astounding yet mildly daunting listening to Rebecca run through her life’s CV with me. Actually just living for Rebecca must require the patience, determination and stamina of a bionic wonder woman of the modern age. She is so full of sparky, inspirational ideas that I spent most of our time together with my mouth agape, completely forgetting to do my usual scribbling of notes! However not to worry, as Rebecca is going to spread her talents to write articles within the educational section of our magazine, so I can continue to catch up with all she is doing.

A local girl, she went to Tavistock College and then read history at Marjons before adding on a fourth year, studying for a PGCE in Primary Education. Rebecca began teaching in Cornwall before moving to Horrabridge Primary in 2008. She became a Lead Teacher in Maths working with a consultancy team conducting research and training teachers throughout Devon. She began a Master’s degree in Education which she hopes to complete shortly and then moved to Kelly Prep (now Mount Kelly) in 2012 as an English specialist. She recently qualified as an Ofsted Inspector, which has given her another insightful string to her educational bow.

Two years ago Rebecca had an idea for a business – an education consultancy firm which would improve educational provision in places such as tourist attractions, the National Trust, museums, and any businesses with an interest in families. She aimed to empower these companies to facilitate and enhance exciting learning opportunities, improving the experience for visiting families. Her ethos: “to inform, enrich

and inspire”.

She now heads up an innovative team of sixteen freelance consultants, with a broad range of specialist fields – special needs, child psychology, business management and art, for example. Her company, “Exciting Education” has recently begun a large research project on educational provision in partnership with parents, schools and tourist attractions with many other projects in the pipeline as well as contracts with a chain of nurseries.

Juggling a young family, a burgeoning business and teaching full time, Rebecca decided something had to give, so sadly gave up teaching last year and now enjoys the flexibility of working from home and the exciting times of a growing business. She writes a very successful blog based on her experiences as a working mother which she describes as “Dahlesque: slightly grotesque, filled with lesser known facts, anecdotes and quirky poems” – certainly worth a regular read, which I guarantee will leave you smiling!

So now she can add ‘Journalist’ to her long list of achievements and I am personally really looking forward to reading her future articles. She certainly has the knowledge, passion and experience to most certainly make education “informative, enriching and inspiring”.

Nichola Williams

We have moved!

Felt Workshops . Children’s Parties . Projects

We have moved to The Ox Yard Studio at Buckland Abbey, Open 7 days a week. opening on Saturday 13 February 2016. Come and explore 10.30am-5.30pm the studio and our range of felting equipment and gifts.

Find us on

/TheWetFeltingCompany 15

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WORD TRAIL Use these clues below to find the name of a shop in Tavistock. When you get there, look in the window for the letter. Once you have collected all nine letters, see if you can work out what our word is. HINT: it is linked to Easter.

1) This place is mainly about stationery.

2) What a rude thing to say about someone’s face!

3) A house made of pasties. What ever next!

4) You are in good company to get fit and active.

5) This is the place to stop and buy a book.

6) Go here for all your photograph of Dartmoor.

7) This has something that you have with biscuits in the country.

8) The only thing this place does not have is the the future!

9) Get all your kit for the ‘Kountry’ here.

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EDUCATION

THE LIBRARY Merely a room full of books- right? Not at all. Our local library in Tavistock is so much more than this. It has kept up with the times; evolving into an important resource for families, with benefits for all. I have been chatting to Chief Librarian, Helen Cooper to find our how the staff work hard to create activities and an environment that ‘invests in the borrowers of tomorrow’.

A Range of Books and More If you have little bookworms who devour books like puddings, it truly can save you a lot of money. They have books for all ages, from teenage fiction to sensory books for babies and you can take up to 12 books out at one time as well as order books for free.

Reading Incentives The popular Book Track and Summer Reading challenges encourages those children over 6 who are not keen to pick up a book as well as rewarding those who love reading. And for under 5s, there is the Bookstart Bear scheme.

Clubs and Community For little ones they have weekly Bounce ‘n’ Rhyme sessions and toys to play with when they come in so that children can build up their reading habits in a relaxed happy environment.

On Saturday mornings, staff read books to groups of young children whilst they sit on comfy cushions and rugs.

The library is keen to work in conjuction with exciting projects and has hosted events such as African drumming, animation mornings and shadow puppet workshops. Helen says they go against the norm telling children that they can make noise and enjoy their time in the library.

More recently, Tavistock Scrapstore has joined the library two days a week. All children can join the library on Friday’s after school and Saturdays 10-12 when they cause creative mayhem with their plethora of crafty resources. For older children there are some rather cool clubs on offer including Lego and Coding Clubs.

Staff For me though the biggest asset to the library are the people who are there to help. They truly enjoy what they do and work hard to establish a positive environment for all. For every child that enters there is a smile and a ‘what have you been up to today’ and the staff become one of the main reasons the children want to attend.

So next time you think about ordering that book from Amazon for the Kindle, think about whether it will give you the same enjoyment as popping to your local library with the children.

Find out about what the library is up to from their Facebook Page or website. www.devon.gov.uk/tavistock_library

Coming Soon - Our new community website www.dartmoorlinks.co.uk

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KIDS WHAT'S ON

HALF TERM EVENTS

PLYMOUTH MUSEUM

LYDFORD GORGE

Saturday 13th to Saturday 19th February Lots of exciting activities including: Colour and Collage, Ugly Bug Ball, Beautiful Boxes and Super Science Saturday.

Charges apply for some activities.

Phone 01752 304774 for more details

BUCKLAND ABBEY MEDIEVAL BEAST HUNT

COTEHELE BUSHCRAFT FOR KIDS AT COTEHELE

Free February Family Trail

13 – 21 Feb, 10.30am-4.30pm Suitable for ages 3+ Can you uncover the mysterious medieval beasties lurking around the Buckland Abbey estate?

Tuesday 16th – Thursday 18th February Build a shelter, light a fire and learn survival skills.

Booking essential £6 per child 01579 351346

PLYMOUTH MUSEUM PICK UP AND GO

DAFFODIL WEEKEND AT COTEHELE

Saturday 13 February, Friday 19 February and Saturday 20 February 2016, 10am to 5pm Enjoy some fun self-directed activities connected to their collections and exhibitions.

COLOUR AND COLLAGE

Tuesday 16 February 2016, 10.30am to 1pm (last entries at 12.30pm) Use arts and crafts materials to colour and collage your own creations inspired by the thousands of objects in the collections and exhibitions.

UGLY BUG BALL

Wednesday 17 February 2016, 10.30am to 12pm and 2pm to 3.30pm Make insect masks, see specimens from the Museum stores and dance like a bug!

BEAUTIFUL BOXES

Thursday 18 February 2016, 10.15am to 12.15pm and 2pm to 4pm Join guest artist to make beautiful Chinese boxes. £2.50 per child. Booking advised.

BRITISH SCIENCE WEEK 2016 Super Science Saturday 19 March, 11am to 3pm. Discover more about science with some hands on exciting activities courtesy of the ‘Wild About Plymouth’ team!

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Saturday 19 March - Sunday 20 March There will be activities for children.

Normal admission charges apply for nonmembers. 11am-4pm

TAMAR TRAILS ‘KIDS GO WILD IN THE TREES’ ADVENTURE DAY.

EASTER EVENTS MOREWELLHAM QUAY

Easter Sunday and Monday Morewellham Quay bunny hunt.

Make chocolate bunny rabbits, search for pink rabbits as well as all the normal activities, including a trip through the copper mine.

BUCKLAND ABBEY EASTER EGG HUNT SUPPORTED BY CADBURYS 25 – 28 March, 10.30am-4.30pm Inspired by the circumnavigation of Sir Francis Drake, follow in the explorers footsteps as you navigate the miniature world at Buckland to track down your chocolate reward.

Normal admission plus £2 per trail.

FAMILY FELT

30 March and 6 April, 11am-4pm Suitable for ages 3+ Join Claire Packer from the Wet Felting Company. Normal admission plus £3 per person.

Thursday 18th February Offering a combination of the best Tree Surfers have to offer, activities include Tree Surfing, Tree Climbing, The Big Zip, The Leap of Faith & other high wire activities. Charges apply.

To book or for more information please contact Tamar Trails on 01822 833409 or info@tamartrails.co.uk

COTEHELE CADBURY EASTER EGG HUNT AT COTEHELE

MOREWELLHAM QUAY CIRCUS ACTS

COSTUME SUNDAYS AT COTEHELE MILL

Saturday 20th February Roll up, Roll up and try your hand at juggling and stilt-walking.

Friday 25 - Monday 28 March, 11am-4pm Win a Cadbury chocolate Egghead on the annual Cadbury Easter Egg Hunt around the garden. Normal admission plus £2 per child

Sunday 27 March, 11am-4.30pm Come and meet the mill team dressed in Victorian costume. Milling demonstrations and mill tours.

Normal admission charges apply for nonmembers.

LYDFORD GORGE MARCH EASTER TRAIL

Easter weekend and up to 10th April, 10am-4.30pm Cadbury’s Easter trail for families.

Design, Print & Copywriting services - call us to discuss your next project 01822 853110

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KIDS WHAT'S ON BURRATOR BURRATOR’S 1ST EASTER EGG TRAIL

£3 per child.

WOODLAND EASTER BUNNY FACES

31st March 11-1 and 2-4 Learn how to use real tools to create your own wood sculpture.

Book early to avoid disappointment.

There is a charge for this activity.

Saturday 26 March Pop into the Discovery Centre between 10am-4pm and find out more

TAMAR TRAILS GUIDED FAMILY CANOE TRIP

PLYMOUTH MUSEUM PICK UP AND GO

Saturday 26 March 2016, 10am to 5pm Enjoy some fun self-directed activities connected to the collections and exhibitions.

Free. Drop-in. Donations welcome.

COLOUR AND COLLAGE

Wednesday 30 March, 10.30am to 1pm (last entries at 12.30pm) Use arts and crafts materials to colour and collage your own creations inspired by the thousands of objects in the collections and exhibitions.

Free. Drop-in. Donations welcome.

CHESS GAMES

Thursday 31 March, 10.15am to 12.15pm and 2pm to 4pm Use the ‘War Games’ exhibition and ‘Royal Game’ sculpture as your starting point and work with guest artist to make chess shapes, draught pieces and a wonderful chess board to play out your own game of strategy. £2.50 per child. Booking advised.

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Tuesday 29th March at 10.30am Explore the River by canoe with Canoe Tamar from Calstock Quay. Journey under the Calstock viaduct and on upward with the tide towards Morwellham Quay. Enjoy a picnic on the journey when we stop to stretch our legs. Approx 3 hours Charges apply.

‘KIDS GO WILD IN THE TREES’ ADVENTURE DAY

Thursday 31st March Offering a combination of the best Tree Surfers have to offer, activities include Tree Surfing, Tree Climbing, The Big Zip, The Leap of Faith & other high wire activities. Charges apply. To book or for more information please contact Tamar Trails on 01822 833409 or info@ tamartrails.co.uk

OTHER EVENTS IN FEBRUARY AND MARCH PLYMOUTH MUSEUM IMAGINATION STATION

01/07/2015 Each16:16 Wednesday

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6 February 2016, 11am to 12pm and 2pm to 3pm Uncover history as young actors from the Barbican Theatre/Company B take you on a guided tour of the heroes that have shaped the past and present.

Suitable for 4-10 year olds and their adults. £1.50 per person. Booking advised.

BURRATOR

Family Wildlife Watch Programme Meet at the Discovery Centre, 10.30am12.30pm, £1 per person.

Hot Chocolate & Biscuits provided!

Sunday 28 February – ‘Lovely Lichens’

MOREWELLHAM QUAY MOTHERING SUNDAY

March 6th Traditional craft fair, where you can see local artisans demonstrating ancient crafts from thatching to lace-making, weaving and even glass-blowing.

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Tree Surfers course

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12 years to adult

Tree Surfers Junior course

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NATIONAL STORYTELLING WEEK 2016: HISTORY HUNTERS SATURDAY

in February and March

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during term time, 10.30am to 2.30pm Calling all rising fives and their adults This is a self-directed activity enables you to have fun meeting other rising fives as you share activities and play together in the galleries. Free. Drop-in. No need to book. Donations welcome.

4 years upwards 4 years upwards - Brilliant for Birthday Parties!

Book Now: www.treesurfers.co.uk or call 01822 833409

Coming Soon - Our new community website www.dartmoorlinks.co.uk

19

CHARITY FOCUS

School Uniforms to Zambian Orphanage – a dream come true During the October half-term 2015, together with two other students, Rosannah Morel and Bertram Jayarajah, I was lucky enough to go to Zambia on an extraordinary adventure to visit an orphanage for children with HIV/AIDS. I was given the opportunity through my school, Mount Kelly Foundation, and one of our teachers, Mr Mark Tailyour.

Pastor Naphtali (host), Mark Tailyour, Will Bennett, Rosannah Morel, Bertram Jayarajah and Sister Regina (Headteacher. Buyantanshi Community School)

Copper Belt

RHS CHELSEA GOLD MEDALIST 2014

We went out to Ndola, in the heart of the ‘Copper Belt’ region to volunteer at a remarkable place called St Anthony’s Orphanage. The orphanage was originally set up as a home for children with HIV/AIDS, who had contracted the disease from birth from their parents who sadly died of the disease.

However, very recently the orphanage has also taken in children found abandoned and wandering the streets, or babies whose teenage mums have abandoned on the steps of the local hospital. It is now home to about 100 children who are there for a range of reasons, including those with physical impairments, mental illness, and still some with HIV. The small group of Zambians running the orphanage do an exceptional job, and the children are genuinely loved and wonderfully looked after by the staff.

20

School Uniforms – and a dream come true When Mount House School merged with Kelly College in 2014, a new school uniform was created and so the school shops on each site had brand new uniform with the former designs that they could no longer sell. We acquired 8 suitcases and filled them with Mount House uniforms, and took these with us all the way to Zambia.

As it turned out, there was too much clothing for the orphanage, so they passed on the surplus to a local Community School where some of the orphans who are not sick, also attend. But the extraordinary thing is, the Headteacher at this school, Sister Regina, had been given an idea in a dream several months back, to change their school’s dusky brown and orange design, to a brighter black and white check design.

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So you can imagine her surprise and delight as she opened each suitcase to find the black and white kilts of former Mount House uniforms, and enough uniform within those suitcases, to kit out their entire prefect contingent, well.. naturally she was delighted and astonished – this certainly was a dream come true. A very surreal experience, travelling all the way to Africa and finding yourself surrounded by the uniforms that you recognised and wore back home!

Paracetemol for sick children One other heart-felt moment was when we visited a rural village called Fisenge just outside Ndola in the heart of the bush. Here we went to a medical dispensary and clinic for the local village people. We were able to give them a number of reading glasses that we had with us because we knew that for an older person to be able to contribute to the income of a family, would give them back their dignity, and reading glasses enable the women to sew and elderly gentleman the ability to hammer a nail into a fencepost for example. And whereas these things are comparatively cheap over here, they are certainly a rarity over there.

Similarly with paracetamol - a parent with a sick child suffering from the often fatal malarial infection might queue up all day for one paracetamol tablet to help alleviate the fever his or her child is suffering with. And that paracetamol

tablet might cost them a day’s wages. We took out around 480 tablets for the clinic to dispense to these sufferers - but that is another story!

Will Bennett Yr 13 - Mount Kelly Naturally, with this incredible gift of new school clothes, the team were treated as honoured guests and given a special welcome and a tour of Buyantanshi School. It was during this tour that we came across the school’s IT department consisting of six very old stand-alone computers running Windows 98 software. With a student population of over 220, and so as to provide some keyboard training for the students in handling a QWERTY keyboard with this limited provision, the school has a small number of 1950’s typewriters! Buyantanshi Community school runs on a minimalist budget where some students are educated free of charge. Would it not be good to help this school increase their IT provision?

We may have secured six brand new IBM computers (possibly more) all with the latest specifications. Would you be interested in helping in some way?

Contact tailyour@btinternet.com

Coming Soon - Our new community website www.dartmoorlinks.co.uk

Mark Tailyour

21

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• Re-educates facial muscles CACI facials target the underlying muscles as well as the skin itself.

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Stress • Insomnia • Migraine • Constipation Sciatica • Muscle Aches • Depression IBS • Allergies • PMS • Eczema Serena Masoli BSc Dip Acupuncture Trained in China, Australia and New Zealand Concessions available

Serena is available at Neal’s Yard Tavistock

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Reflexology & Holistic Massage Therapist

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Chiropodists & Podiatrists

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HEALTH & BEAUTY

A cancer support charity offering a bit of pampering through beauty workshops.

Facing cancer with confidence Look Good Feel Better (LGFB) is an international charity providing free services for women and teenagers suffering from the visible side effects of cancer treatment. LGFB is dedicated to improving the self-esteem, confidence and well-being of people undergoing treatment for cancer and is achieved through workshops that are run in 81 venues across the UK. For those in West Devon, our local workshops are held at The Mustard Tree MacMillan Centre (level 3, Derriford Hospital) every two weeks on a Tuesday afternoon. In 2015 LGFB workshops reached out to an amazing 15,500 people across the UK. LGFB workshops teach self-help skincare and makeup routines, and are run by trained volunteers from the beauty industry.

Anyone that is undergoing treatment for cancer is eligible to join a workshop. A typical workshop will see twelve women enjoying a two hour workshop that follows a twelve step skincare and makeup routine.

A wonderful goodie bag with beauty products donated by the beauty industry is given to each attending lady, and the workshop focuses on how to use each product provided. Each step of the routine is demonstrated on a willing volunteer, and everything from cleansing and toning to application of natural looking makeup is talked through and demonstrated. Many

women that have lost eye brows due to cancer treatment are keen to see how to recreate the perfect eyebrow, and likewise, ladies that have sparse eyelashes can be shown how to use eyeliner to enhance their eyes. There are many hints and tips exchanged along the way!

The emphasis in the workshops is to relax and have fun. It’s a chance to do something practical, pro-active and positive and to meet people in a similar situation. Many beneficiaries say that LGFB helped them regain a sense of control and normality at a time when diagnosis and treatment had taken over their lives.

“The workshop was outstanding, it’s not just about a bit of makeup, it’s not vanity, it’s about control. It gives women the strength to fight this horrible disease.” Fiona, LGFB For more information on Look Good Feel Better you can watch videos and tutorials on their website www.lookgoodfeelbetter. co.uk or call them on 01372 747500. You can contact the Mustard Tree Macmillan Centre, direct on 01752 763672. If you know someone who can benefit from these free services, please spread the word!

Coming Soon - Our new community website www.dartmoorlinks.co.uk

Tara Leader (Volunteer for LGFB)

23

GARDENING

Spring

gardening Although spring tends to roll round early in these parts, the topsy-turvy weather of recent years means that gardeners need to be ready for anything from gales to snow or even drought.

But whatever the weather, the delights of seed sowing time start in earnest now – indoors even if conditions don’t allow outdoor sowing. While the ideal covered growing space is a purpose-made one like greenhouse or polytunnel, the well-lit windowsill of a warm room can be a surprisingly productive place to raise frost-tender flowers and vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers, tobacco plants, marigolds and many more. Either sow your own seed now or skip forward one step and get guaranteed results by ordering plug plants to pot up and grow on. Outside, provided the ground is workable and the weather not too cold, there’s lots of different hardy plants that can be sown – and if the weather isn’t favourable, cover bare soil with polythene or landscaping fabric so it warms quicker ready for sowing.

Vegetables to sow now include a range of salad crops, especially lettuce; carrots, beetroot, radish, spinach and kale.

Many hardy annual flowers are wonderfully easy and include lots of bee and butterfly-friendly nectar rich blooms: just some of my favourites are Californian poppy, pot marigold, sunflowers, viper’s bugloss and nasturtium. Just a few pounds’ worth of seed will give months of glorious blooms.

Come and enjoy morning coffee by the roaring log fires Take afternoon tea or a light lunch in the beautiful courtyard Lunch and Dinner are both served in our elegant and relaxed dining rooms A private chefs restaurant for special occasions Please call for a copy of our Diary of Events We welcome non residents and are open all year

A Family Run Hideaway in Devon 24

LEWDOWN, OKEHAMPTON, DEVON EX20 4PN TELEPHONE: +44 (0) 1566 783 22

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Looking good now...

Camellias: a wealth of colours and varieties.

Daphne: tops for spring perfume.

Early spring bulbs: crocus, hyacinths, narcissi, snowdrops and many more.

Primroses and polyanthus

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This month and next, buy and pot up summer-flowering bulbs and tubers for a vibrantly colourful summer display in patios and borders: begonias, dahlias, gladioli and Eucomis or pineapple flower are frost-tender and need starting off under cover, while lilies can be planted outside straight away. Tubs can be filled with spring bedding to cheer up patios and front gardens: primroses, polyanthus, forget-me-nots, double daisies and violas, plus spring bulbs which can be bought ready grown if you didn’t plant last autumn. These early spring flowers are invaluable for bees and butterflies, newly emerged from hibernation and in desperate need of food.

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Once the hard frosts are past, get borders in shape by cutting back dead growth of herbaceous perennials, pruning roses and clearing weeds.

Mulch bare soil between plants with organic matter like garden compost or well-rotted manure, to improve the soil and suppress weeds. No need to dig: worms and other soil organisms gradually take it down.

Deadhead larger bulbs like daffodils, removing the flower head only as the stem still produces food to build up the bulb. Allow leaves to die back naturally. Applying fertilizer helps next year’s display too. Large clumps of snowdrops can be divided and replanted immediately after flowering.

Watch out for birds nesting in shrubs, climbers, conifers and hedges and leave undisturbed as much as possible.

Sue Fisher is a garden designer and writer based on the Bere Peninsula.

Tel 01822 841895.

Email: suefisher@talktalk.net Website: www.suefishergardens.co.uk

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25

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Tel: 01822 852699 M: 07836 576722 www.dartmoorpondservices.co.uk

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FARMING DIARY

Preparing for Spring and a busy time with lambing As the months and seasons roll around and we move into February, the dark days of winter start to give up their grip and the lengthening days mean that Spring is on the horizon. The trouble is, that horizon can feel like a large mountain which will have to be climbed.

As the cows get closer to calving in April, we have a TB test to look forward to again in March which, as you can imagine, is not going to do the heavily pregnant cows much good. The government vets say we have to test on a certain date and within a 30 day window - trying to get them to see any kind of reason or common sense when it comes to timing the test is like pushing water uphill. So we just have to get on with it and go as steady as we can with the girls and hopefully there won’t be too many problems and fingers crossed we get an all clear.

Of all the seasons Spring and lambing in particular stands out.

Lambing is like a juggernaut heading towards you and it has to be tackled, the trick is being prepared! The ewes were scanned in January and they are divided into groups according to how many lambs they are carrying. Their diets are managed with ewes baring two or even three lambs getting the best pastures and supplementary feed to ensure the ewe and her lambs the best chance of survival. We have a lambing shed here at Greenwell and will house the triplets, the older early lambing ewes and our pedigree Whiteface Dartmoors. The rest, and the majority, still lamb outside, but as I said, preparation is the key and if the ewes are looking well with plenty of space they are able to cope with lambing on their own outside as nature intended. Kinder weather and plenty of grass growth in late March and April helps, but I find that there is no point worrying about the things you can’t control, just give the ewes the best chance you can and trust in mother nature.

Now I have waxed lyrical about how hard our lives are through lambing you will be surprised to hear that in late March for a

week we open the doors to our lambing shed and invite the public, colleges and schools in to have a look around. There will be about 400 ewes lambing in the shed and we do a full tour which includes the pregnant ewes and how they are managed, new born lambs and what happens when they give birth, the nursery unit, how they are introduced back into the field and hopefully some ewes giving birth for visitors to experience first hand. This cannot be guaranteed, sometimes we have lots and sometimes they are more reluctant to perform!

It is as hard work as it sounds but it is such a rewarding experience. It is great to see school children that have probably never been on a real farm so engaged and they seem to love every minute. It is also great to see families from the local community coming onto a real working farm and talking to the farmer. As with others in modern life, we are busy people, but we are usually only spotted in the distance and often perceived as the grumpy, smelly, straw chewing cheese roller, who shouts at his dogs too much and blocks the road with his dirty tractor or quad bike on a regular basis! Through Lambing Live we have a great platform to talk openly about what we do on a Dartmoor farm and really engage with the people who live all around us and who are ultimately our customer. We sell our beef and lamb locally and add value to our product by selling sheep and cattle skins from our pedigree Whiteface ewes and Belted Galloway cattle. All of this is made so much easier when you can engage with people who are passionate about a living breathing Dartmoor national park, fantastic produce and sustainable hill farming into the future.

Mat Cole

Greenwell Lambing Live 2016, 21st to 26th March greenwellfarm@gmail.com or 01822 855535

Coming Soon - Our new community website www.dartmoorlinks.co.uk

27

NATURALIST

The joy of... birdsong In 2015 the Robin was voted as Britain’s national bird. Robins sing their wistful song from July/August all through winter and into spring.

The autumn song is a much less rich and softer sound than that sung in spring. Although other birds may sing occasionally in autumn, Robins are the only species which sing consistently.

Males and females each set up separate territories in winter, when both of the sexes sing. However, females stop singing as soon as they are paired with a male. In suburban areas with street lighting Robins may sing regularly at night and may even feed their young by streetlight!

A recent study of birdsong in South Devon found that only three species sang in every month, namely Woodpigeon, Collared Dove and Robin. The first two have very extended breeding seasons, occasionally even nesting in winter; a Collared Dove, shown on ‘Spotlight’, was filmed sitting on a nest in December!

Most birds resident in the UK (as opposed to migrants) start singing in January or February.

The reason why male birds sing is twofold – to advertise their territories to other males, and to attract a female. Singing in birds has been linked with levels of the hormone testosterone; increasing daylight in late winter/spring triggers a rise in levels of testosterone and causes birds to start to sing regularly.

Now that winter is nearly over we can hopefully look forward to that glory of the temperate zone spring, the dawn chorus.

If you have never made a special effort to get up very early, even before dawn, to visit nearby woodland – such as that around Burrator Reservoir – and hear the birdsong, I urge you to try it at least once. The Robin is often one of the earliest songsters, well before first light, together with Song Thrush and Blackbird; then one by one other species start to sing, until the woodland echoes to the rich sound of both resident and migrant songbirds. Some birds sing different variations of their song, similar to dialects, in different parts of their range; for instance, Chaffinches have slightly different songs in Devon, Scotland and Germany.

If you wish to learn more about song, recordings of birdsong can be found on the RSPB (www.rspb.org.uk ) or BTO ( www.bto.org) websites. However, there is no better way than going out into the garden in late winter or spring and listening to the garden songsters. Not only is it free, but it will lift your spirits!

A report by the charity Butterfly Conservation last year, The state of the UK’s butterflies 2015, showed that over half of Britain’s butterflies, some of them previously common and widespread, have declined by over 50%. Volunteers across the country have been counting butterflies annually since at least the 1970s and the results indicated a very worrying decline in many species.

In contrast, the distributions of a few species, such as the Ringlet, Orange-tip, Comma and Speckled Wood, have expanded northwards dramatically, perhaps due to climate change.

Tony John

Seeing beyond the numbers Tavistock 01822 613167 Launceston 01566 772157

www.potterbaker.co.uk

Coming Soon - Our new community website www.dartmoorlinks.co.uk

29

WHAT’S ON

REGULAR

FEBRUARY

LOWER DECK COMMUNITY CAFE

10 February

Every Friday from 10am to 2pm

United Reformed Church Hall, Russell Street, Tavistock Come and enjoy a friendly atmosphere, excellent value fresh home cooked food Including traditional English Breakfasts and home made Cakes and Puddings Free Wi-Fi. We look forward to welcoming you soon.

TALK ON DARWIN AND HMS BEAGLE 'Charles Darwin and the Voyage of HMS Beagle' - a talk by James Taylor at 7.15 pm, Post Graduate Medical Centre, Derriford Hospital.

More information from www.southdevondfas.org.uk 12 February to 18 February

TAVIJIVE CLUB

Every Monday evening in Tavistock Town Hall. Rock n' Roll Jive. £4 entry. Tuition available

BRIDGE OF SPIES (12A) PLYMOUTH ARTS CENTRE

Directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Tom Hanks. Call the box office on 01752 206114, www.plymouthartscentre.org.uk box office open Tuesday-Saturday 1pm to 8.30pm. Tickets from £6.50.

‘we come to you’

The computer repair service that comes to you!

• Trading as CVPC since 2003 • Complete repair service • New PCs & laptops for sale • File transfer & setup, old to new • Email and printer set up • Virus and spyware removal • Windows and Apple expert Home tuition also available - please call for details.

Call: 01822 855822 help@chezvouspc.com

Office Open 9am-5pm Weekdays 30

11 February

PRESERVING HERITAGE BURRATOR

‘Virtual Burrator’ - Preserving the region's rich natural and man-made heritage using advanced technologies, by the Human Interface Technologies Team at the University of Birmingham.

7pm arrival for refreshments, 7.30pm to 8.30pm talk. £3 per person. Please book your place in advance.

11 February

MOORS EDGE U3A

A speaker from the Plymouth Humanists at the Woolwell Centre, Woolwell, starting at 2.30pm.

12 February

INFECTIOUS RHYTHMS BRENTOR

The Balagan Café Band is an eclectic chamber group marrying jazz, classical and related music from all over the world.

Whether it’s gypsy jazz, Medieval music, Balkan folk music or the band’s own atmospheric originals, the Balagan Café Band aim to bring keen musicianship, infectious rhythms and a sense of joy and fire to everything they play, this is music for the ears, heart and feet!

See the band at Brentor Village Hall at 8pm. To book tickets, please call 01822 810425.

13 February

VINTAGE FAIR Tavistock Town Hall

13 February (to June)

HOMES & GARDENS – COTEHELE GALLERY

An exhibition in Cotehele Gallery featuring homemade furniture, bird baths and sculpture for your garden. Normal admission charges apply 13 -21 February

MEDIEVAL BEAST TRAIL

10.30am-4.30pm BucklandAbbey NT Get outdoors this February as you discover medieval beasties hiding around the Buckland estate. Normal admission plus £1 per trail

Design, Print & Copywriting services - call us to discuss your next project 01822 853110

editorial@tavylinks.co.uk

WHAT’S ON 13 February

FABULOUS TRAIL –LYDFORD GORGE Discover and learn all about nature.

10 – 3pm 13 February

ROMANCE AT THE BEDFORD

Valentine’s Tasting Menu at The Bedford Hotel, Tavistock, A romantic evening to include an arrival drink with canapés, fivecourse set menu candle-lit meal, coffee and petit-fours. £50 per person.

Call 01822 613221.

13 February

GUIDED WALK - BURRATOR

‘Landscape around Burrator dams and Sheepstor’ Guided walk lead by Professor James Griffiths, 10am-1pm. £3 per person.

Please book your place in advance on 01822 855700 or heritage@swlakestrust.org.uk 19 February - 25 February

A GENTLE TALE - PLYMOUTH ARTS CENTRE Hector (15) - A gentle and sympathetic study of human frailty, showing at Plymouth Arts Centre. Box office 01752 206114, www.plymouthartscentre.org.uk 20 & 21 February

APPLE GRAFTING – COTEHELE

Come along for a weekend of apple grafting workshops. We'll have more than 20 local apple varieties to choose from and we'll show you how to graft your own apple tree. No need to book. Take away a grafted tree for only a fiver. Normal admission charges apply. 11am – 4pm 20 February

PLEDGES AUCTION – CHSW Raising money for Children’s Hospice South West. See What’s On Extra for more details.

25 February

FELTING WORKSHOP BURRATOR

7pm-10pm. Discover the art of needle felting in a step by step workshop. Limited

places, booking essential. £12 per person including materials. Please book your place with Claire from the Wet Felting Company on 07938 387838.

MARCH

26 February

TALK ON CAMELLIAS - BERE ALSTON

WINE EVENING - BRENTOR Tastings and talks, still and sparkling - a fun evening guaranteed! 8pm, Brentor Village Hall. £8, call 01822 810083 for information.

26 February

CONSERVATION DAY BURRATOR

10am-3pm. Practical conservation volunteer day at Burrator Reservoir with SWLT. Hot drinks and biscuits provided!

Please contact 01822 855700 or heritage@swlakestrust.org.uk

2 March

Bere Alston Gardening Club will stage a talk on Camellias by Lee Stenning from Mount Edgcumbe at Holy Trinity Church Hall, Bere Alston at 7.30 pm.

Entry £2 to include refreshments.

2 & 16 March

IN-DEPTH TOUR BUCKLAND ABBEY NT

Join one of our knowledgeable volunteer guides on an in-depth tour of Buckland Abbey. Normal admission applies, meet at Visitor Welcome. 11.30am

26 February - 3 March

3 March

Gueros - PLYMOUTH ARTS CENTRE

RAILWAY’S DEMISE - A TALK AT BURRATOR

Gueros (15) - The feature debut from Mexican director Alonso Ruiz Palacios, Gueros has won awards at festivals worldwide. Showing at Plymouth Arts Centre, box office 01752 206114, www.plymouthartscentre.org.uk

‘It was Sixty Years Ago Today - The day we

27 February

ANNUAL BALL – LIONS CLUB

Tavistock Lions Club Annual Ball at Tavistock Town Hall. See website for further details: www.tavistocklions.org.uk 27 February

FLY FISHING – ROADFORD LAKE See What’s On Extra section for more details (page 40) 28 February

ALL ABOUT LICHENS BURRATOR

10.30am-12.30pm – ‘Lovely Lichens’ with the Family Wildlife Watch group at Burrator Reservoir with SWLT. £1 per person. Hot chocolate & biscuits provided!

Please contact 01822 855700 or heritage@swlakestrust.org.uk

Coming Soon - Our new community website www.dartmoorlinks.co.uk

31

Hire Tavistock Town Hall…

…for less than you think!

You can run your exercise classes or hold your Wedding in our beautiful Victorian, neo-Gothic Hall.

Whether you’re holding a meeting or planning a dinner dance our flexible facilities, friendly and experienced staff and central location make us the ideal place to hold your event.

For smaller events ask us about the Rundle Room Call Ross and his team today to discuss your needs and reserve your time and date

T. 01822 617232 E. info@tavistocktownhall.co.uk www.tavistocktownhall.co.uk Tavistock Town Hall, Bedford Square, Tavistock, PL19 0AE

Open Tuesday to Saturday

WHAT’S ON lost our local railway line'. An illustrated talk by Brian Poole to commemorate the day the Princetown Railway closed. 7pm arrival for refreshments, 7.30pm-8.30pm talk. £3 per person. Please book your place in advance on 01822 855700 or heritage@swlakestrust.org.uk

or pixie enchanted gardens. Or drop in to make a range of fun characterful sculptures from owl families to bouncing moorland lambs. To book call 01566 784859 or email lakeside@swlakestrust.org.uk

3 March

GUIDED WALK - BURRATOR

6 March

WEDDING OPEN EVENING ROADFORD LAKE A chance to look around the venue and talk to the wedding co-ordinator about organising your perfect day. Open from 6pm to 8pm.

4 March

CHARMING ‘AMALTHEA’ SHEEPSTOR

A Villages in Action performace Amalthea will charm audiences with their unique ability to create a beautiful and unforgettable atmosphere when they perform at St Leonard’s Church, Sheepstor.

Amalthea will be presenting works by Debussy, Mozart, Ravel and Shankar amongst others. The concert begins at 7.30pm (Doors open at 7pm) For more information visit www.amaltheaduo.com To book tickets, please call 01822 853186.

4 March

MURDER AND MYSTERY TAVISTOCK

A night out with a difference as The Bedford Hotel in Tavistock hosts a murder mystery evening, to include a four-course meal. £40 per person, to book call 01822 613221.

5 March

INDOOR GAMES LAMERTON

Indoor games evening at Lamerton Village Hall, starting at 6.30pm. £3 per person, children half price, all proceeds for hall funds.

5 March

NATURE MAKE - ROADFORD A chance to make personal and unique gifts for your mum - just in time for mother’s day - or just for fun! Book on to our morning workshop to create fairy

'Rails Across the Moor’. Guided walk to mark the launching of our new self-guided railway walk, lead by Brian Poole. Meet at the Quarry Car Park for 1030 start. Approx 8.5km. 2.5hrs. Moderate level of fitness required. £3 per person. Please book your place in advance on 01822 855700 or heritage@swlakestrust.org.uk 6 March

TRADITIONAL CRAFT FAIR MORWELLHAM

A traditional craft fair and demonstrations will take place at Morwellham Quay for Mothering Sunday between 10am and 4pm. Admission £8.95 for adults, £7.95 for concessions and £6.95 for children. Book online for 10% discount.

6 March

MOTHER’S DAY CARVERY ROADFORD

A perfect day to get together, enjoy a walk around the lake and a homemade roast. To make a reservation call 01566 784859 or email lakeside@swlakestrust.org.uk

9 March

LECTURE – SDDFAS

'Oscar Wilde and the Cult of Beauty - The Aesthetic Movement' - talk by Anne Anderson.

7:15 pm, Post Graduate Medical Centre, Derriford Hospital.

More information from www. southdevondfas.org.uk 10 March

MOORS EDGE U3A

Paul Ross speaks on the 2012 Olympics, plus renewal of membership for 2016/17, The Woolwell Centre, Woolwell, 2.30pm.

12 March

SCHOOL JUMBLE LAMERTON

Jumble Sale to raise funds for Lamerton Primary School, Lamerton Village Hall, 10am to noon.

12 March

FOLK AT PETER TAVY

Jim Causley is a renowned Devon-based folk singer and musician with a range of solo show options, including a West Country material themed show (traditional and original songs).

Peter Tavy Village Hall 7.30pm. For more information go to www.jimcausley.co.uk To book tickets, please call 01822 810552 12 March

JIVE TIME - TAVISTOCK

Western Union Jive Club meets at Tavistock Town Hall with dancing to The Roosters. For more information go to www.westernunionjiveclub.co.uk

BE TAX SMART

We are a long established local firm of accountants and tax advisers, with over 30 years experience.

Our services are tailor-made for you and include: • Business start up and business succession advice • Accountancy – both year end and management accounts • All aspects of taxation for businesses and individuals • Accounting systems advice • Payroll and VAT

Holmcroft • Blackdown • Mary Tavy • Tavistock • PL19 9QB

Coming Soon - Our new community website www.dartmoorlinks.co.uk

Please contact us for a free initial consultation 01822 810339 diana@dianaheal.co.uk dianaheal.co.uk

33

Care Services for your loved ones Devon and Cornwall Care Services

specialise in providing professional support and care for you, your relatives or friends n Personal

Care service n Meal Preparation n Cleaning Service n We are able to work with any type of care no matter how complex n Sitting

We have packages to suit your needs and we are registered with the Care Quality Commission Free, no obligation initial meeting All managers and Carers are DBS (CRB) checked

Devon and Cornwall Care Services t. 01822 610734/611221 email: pauline_daccs@yahoo.co.uk www.daccservices.com

4 Abbey Place (at the side of the main Post Office)

1st Floor, Tavistock, Pl19 0AA

Caring for People in the Community

Exceptional Residential Care Set in the peaceful and tranquil surroundings of traditional Devonshire life, Redmount is a quaint family Residential care home offering a variety of care services to our local and surrounding communities. Redmount can offer long term permanent accommodation and short term respite stays as well as day care services to people living at home who may require a little extra support and companionship. Here at Redmount we pride ourselves on providing exceptional standards of individually tailored packages of care for all our Residents ensuring that not only do people enjoy a safe and supportive environment but also a continuation of their preferred lifestyles and quality of life.

We welcome people to pop in at anytime for an informal chat and tour of our home or contact us on the details below to request a free brochure. Competitive rates and discounts for couples are available.

We look forward to welcoming you!

Telephone: 01364 642403 Email: fay@yourhealthgroup.co.uk Web: www.yourhealthgroup.co.uk

WHAT’S ON 16 March

ANNUAL TOWN MEETING

Tavistock Annual Town Meeting - Have your say! The meeting takes place in the town hall at 6.30pm.

19 & 20 March

DAFFODIL WEEKEND – COTEHELE

Come and see the wonderful collection of daffodils grown on Cotehele Estate. Enjoy a display of historic and new varieties of daffodil. There will be a guided tour of the garden when you can admire and learn about the daffodils and there will be activities for children. Normal admission charges apply. 11am – 4pm 21, 25, 26 March

LAMBING LIVE – GREENWELL FARM

Lambing Live returns to Greenwell Farm.

See What’s On Extra section for more details.

24 March

FELTING WORKSHOP BURRATOR

7pm-10pm. ‘Hollow forms – mastering the template’ – This workshop gives you the knowledge and skills to create a small bag, but then opens up the world to a whole lot more. Limited places, booking essential. £15 per person, including materials. Please book your place with Claire from the Wet Felting Company on 07938 387838.

27 March

COSTUME SUNDAY – COTEHELE

Come and meet the mill team dressed in Victorian costume. Milling demonstrations and mill tours. Normal admission charges apply. 11am – 4.30pm 30 March and 6 April,

FAMILY FELT – BUCKLAND ABBEY NT

Join Claire Packer from the Wet Felting Company as her popular drop-in family felting workshop returns. Normal admission plus £3 per person 11am – 4pm

INTO APRIL… 13 April

LECTURE - SDDFAS

'Life and Times of the Sundial - A Perspective on Civilisation's Most Enduring Timekeeper' - talk by Kevin Karney. 7:15 pm, Post Graduate Medical Centre, Derriford Hospital.

More information from www.southdevondfas.org.uk 15 April to 3 May

TAVISTOCK FESTIVAL 2016

The 14th annual festival again features concerts of a wide range of musical genres, lectures, art exhibitions and workshops, literary workshops and events, theatrical and dramatic performances and an arts market in Bedford Square, under the presidency Andrew Wilson, new to the role this year.

For further details, see www. tavistockmusic.co.uk, the April/May editions of Tavy Links and Moor Links.

The festival brochures which will be available from the Wharf Arts Centre and other outlets from late Feburary, or email bridgemoorhouse@gmail.com

All event listings are FREE

Send us event details for our next issue (February/ March) by Friday 4th March Please get in touch: editorial@tavylinks.co.uk or 01822 853110

Coming Soon - Our new community website www.dartmoorlinks.co.uk

6 - 8 May

FITNESS WEEKEND

Love Dartmoor Nordic Walking Fitness Weekend with Elaine Sylvester (residential) Learn to Nordic walk for Fitness in a weekend! Enquiries and Bookings www.loveDartmoor.com

Jewellery Repairs Antique restoration Bespoke design & commission Ring sizing Re-shanks & remounts Stones supplied & fitted Restringing Valuations General repairs

professional free advice, quality craftmanship at a reasonable price guaranteed

in house workshop@

John Baldwin Goldsmith Designer & Creator of Fine Jewellery

11 Duke Street Tavistock pl19 0ba 01822 613129 35

A New Holiday Destination Dawns 3 Parks

•

3 Holidays

•

1 Location

www.westdevonholidays.co.uk

V G Av ou if ai ch t la er bl s e

Monday: 12pm to 9pm Tues to Sat: 11am to 9pm Open all bank holidays as normal including Easter Families Welcome • OAP Specials Available To place an order please call

YOUR LOCAL

WHAT’S ON

LUNCHTIME LECTURES TAVISTOCK WHARF Organised by Dr Ann Pulsford, in aid of Friends of the Wharf

Every Monday at 2pm-All Welcome

FEBRUARY 2016 1st February ANDREW THOMPSON TAVISTOCK & THE DUKES OF BEDFORD 8th February NEILL MITCHELL THATCHER THE IRON LADY: BEHIND CLOSED DOORS 15th February BARBIE THOMPSON MILL PRISON PLYMOUTH: HISTORY 22nd February CHRIS BURCHELL DUNTERTON CHURCH HISTORY

29th February DR TOM GREEVES MARY JOSEPHINE BROWNE: VICTORIAN WATERCOLOURIST

MARCH 2016 7th March ROBERT HESKETH DEVON’S PLACE NAMES 14th March PROF. PETER BRINSDEN THE MASAI MARA: WILDLIFE & PEOPLE 21st March CDR.CHARLES CRICHTON SUPPORT TO THE ROYAL NAVY PLYMOUTH

Princetown Community Centre AVAILABLE FOR HIRE.

The Centre provides a choice of large or small halls to suit your requirements.

Also available for hire is a large kitchen and changing rooms with showers.

Ideal for those special events or for regular weekly or monthly events.

ballEt, taP & StREEt DaNCE classes for children

aDult taP

classes from beginner to advanced

aDult ballEtbEFit ClaSSES this intense, low impact workout has been expertly choreographed to strengthen core muscles, tone legs, firm buttocks and develop elegant and confident posture

NEW for 2016

aDult StREEtFit

Only £10 per hour or £7.50 for residents of Princetown

Call Wendy Stones on 01822-890345 or Ian Morgan on 07812-023642

Coming Soon - Our new community website www.dartmoorlinks.co.uk

www.misstrudi.co.uk

or contact trudi Massey (Principal A.N.A.T.D Ballet and Tap)

01822 618137

37

Get your bike ready for spring! ÂŁ5 off workshop prices (valid (valid until until 31st 31st March March 2016) 2016)

RENTALS . REPAIRS . CLOTHING . ACCESSORIES

nce a n i F % 0 e availabl ATLAS HOUSE, TAVISTOCK, DEVON, PL19 9DP

01822 618178

dartmoorcycles@gmail.com www.dartmoorcycles.co.uk

WHAT’S ON EXTRA

Tavistock Hockey Club ‘Coaching Camp’ 29th to 31st March

Tavistock Hockey Club will once again be staging one of its hugely popular coaching camps for young players this Easter holiday.

The camp, run by qualified coaches in partnership with Mount Kelly and WASP Hockey, takes place at Mount Kelly astro pitch just outside Tavistock from 29th March to 31st March.

The three-day event is aimed at developing the skills of junior hockey players in school years 2 to 11 and encouraging new players to the sport - all abilities are welcome. The camps provide top class coaching and are the “must do” events for

youngsters in the hockey calendar in this area, providing great sport - and great fun too!

The camp costs £20 per day including lunch and a coaching camp T-shirt - you can book for single days or all three. The day starts at 10am and ends at 4pm. Children will also have the opportunity to go swimming during the camp.

For more information call Simon Fenwick on 07989 400504, email thc-coachingcamps@outlook.com or visit the club website www.tavistockhockeyclub.co.uk

Three new holiday experiences Three local holiday parks are working together to offer three new holiday experiences for locals and visitors to Devon

of the storytelling sessions. This is a pure wellbeing escape and skills learning retreat.

Harford Bridge, the park “down by the River” Tavy, are collaborating with a local activity breaks company taking holiday makers and explorers onto rivers canoeing, out onto the moors rock climbing and flowing through the Devonshire Countryside along the cycle routes. This is for the outdoor active enthusiasts!

Langstone Manor, the perfect recluse for the outdoor explorer.

With the park located within the Dartmoor National Park and Pew Tor in the distance, this is the perfect base to explore what the world class landscape has to offer. Ramble, trek or ride across the plains from Tor to Tor and experience some of the most diverse eco-systems, views and environments in the UK.

Rejuvenate with Woodovis Park, its boutique relaxed nature and skills workshops. Woodovis is a calming sanctuary in a wooded escape. Choose Test your accuracy with Archery classes, have a ball with the Circus Skills workshops, or get lost in the magic

For more information visit the website www.westdevonholidays.co.uk or follow West Devon Holidays on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram

GET MAKING THIS SPRING Creative learning for adults

From Book Binding, Hat Making and Willow Weaving to Software and Photography — enjoy inspiring, expert tuition on our daytime workshops and evening short courses, taught in our specialist studios this March - May. No prior experience required.

Coming Soon - Our new community website www.dartmoorlinks.co.uk

FIND OUT MORE plymouthart.ac.uk/shortcourses 39

WHAT’S ON EXTRA

Fly Fishing Fair, Roadford Lake Saturday 27th February 10am – 5pm Jardine. There will be fly-tying demonstrations from both local and nationally renowned experts, with a chance to ‘have a go’, as well the opportunity to pick up useful tips and valuable advice. Other activities throughout the day include casting demonstrations, fly casting lessons and clinics for both newcomers to the sport and experienced anglers feeling a little rusty after the closed season, as well as casting competitions and the opportunity to try float-tubing or kayak fishing!

The South West Fly Fishing Fair, the only one of its kind in the South West, will be held at Lakeside, Roadford Lake for its fourth consecutive year on Saturday, 27th February.

This event has become a regular fixture in the West Country’s angling calendar, as anglers prepare for the start of a new fishing season. Each year the event has built on the success of the previous Fly Fair and the 2016 show will be bigger and better again!

The show will be opened at 10am by one of the country’s most respected fly-fishing gurus and patron of the show, Charles

There will be trout cooking demonstrations and a variety of live trout for people to view including brown trout, rainbow trout and blue trout. Trade stands will be selling tackle and equipment at bargain prices, rod making demonstrations and the bar will be open for refreshments all day.

It’s a terrific event and the only one of its kind in the South West!

Entry is £3 for adults and under 18s go free. Parking will also be free on the day. For more information please contact Ben Smeeth by calling South West Lakes Trust on 01566 771930 or emailbsmeeth@swlakestrust.org.uk.

Afternoon tea - all for a good cause There’s an opportunity to spoil someone special in West Devon during February and March - and raise charity cash to boot.

This year, Tor Royal near Princetown will be sponsoring Vicky Terry from Actifit for her participation in the Exeter ‘Rock Solid’ 10k obstacle race, in which she will be raising money for the Devon Air Ambulance on the weekend of March 19.

The hotel is hosting special teas on Valentine’s Day, February 14 – for that special person in your life – lots of hearts and roses, chocolate and cream, romance all the way!

Why not spoil Mum or Grandma on Mother’s Day, March 6, with a special afternoon tea in the Royal Suite at Tor Royal.

Homemade cakes and a selection of fresh sandwiches will be on offer, served on vintage china.

Or come to a special Easter weekend afternoon tea with Easter bunnies and Easter chicks for children of all ages, from March 25 to 28.

40

To promote your business to 15,000 homes - call 01822 615627

editorial@tavylinks.co.uk

WHAT’S ON EXTRA

Lambing Live 21st & 25th March, 5.30pm-7.30pm 26th March, 1pm-4pm

The hugely popular ‘Lambing Live’ event returns to Greenwell Farm near Yelverton this March, providing families with an opportunity to get up close and personal with the newest arrivals of spring.

Visitors can take a guided tour of the sheep maternity unit, see the heavily pregnant ewes awaiting their time and the tiniest new-born lambs.

The farmer and his team will be on hand to answer your questions, providing a brilliant insight into the magic of spring in the lambing shed that’s guaranteed to fascinate young and not-so-young visitors alike.

Visits cost £5 for adults and £2 for children aged three and over.

Tours during the day for groups and schools are also available, costing £100 per tour for up to 30 people.

Larger groups also welcome with small additional cost Numbers are restricted for Lambing Live visits and need to be booked in advance by calling 01822 855535 or emailing greenwellfarm@gmail.com Greenwell Farm is at Meavy, near Yelverton, postcode PL20 6PY - you can find the farm on Facebook too, at Lambing Live Greenwell Farm.

Lambing Live takes place during 21st and 25th March between 5.30pm and 7.30pm and on Saturday, 26th March between 1pm and 4pm.

Roadford Lake explore • discover • challenge • relax

re

tu Create your own adven • café & gift shop • carvery • walking • cycling • children’s play area • sailing • canoeing • windsurfing • rowing • paddleboarding • high ropes • climbing • archery • camping • fishing

Don’t miss any of our events - www.lakesideroadford.org.uk or check out our Facebook page.

Near Okehampton, PL16 0RL • Activity Centre: 01409 211507 • Café: 01566 784859

Coming Soon - Our new community website www.dartmoorlinks.co.uk

41

NATIONAL TRUST

Wildlife wake-up Late winter/early spring is a great time to take a walk through Lydford Gorge. The trees are starting to come into bud, the birds are singing in the trees and woodland plants poke their noses above ground. On bright crisp days the water can glisten as the sunlight penetrates into the gorge further due to the lack of leaf cover. On wetter days the river and waterfall roar through the gorge.

See the new bridge crossing the river at the base of the White Lady Waterfall. There has been a bridge at this crossing point for many years right back to Victorian times. The new bridge has been built in-situ due to limited vehicle access into the gorge. It is very different to the Victorian version of just a log and some rope!

We have exciting events over the February half term and Easter break for families from Cadbury’s Easter egg hunts to building bird nest boxes. For more information visit www.nationaltrust. org.uk/lydford-gorge

FABULOUS FEBRUARY TRAIL 13 February + 8 other dates 10 - 3pm Discover and learn all about nature EASTER EGG TRAIL From Friday 25th March Easter trail all around the Orchard WOODLAND EASTER BUNNY FACES Thursday 31st March 10 - 4pm Come and create your own woodland sculpture to take home.

Led by our Ranger, learn how to use tools.

BIRD BOX DAY Thursday 7 April 1pm - 4pm Come along and build your own bird box with help from our Ranger Team.

walking Lydford Gorge

Waterfall walks, shop and tea-rooms open February half term. Full gorge walk open from 5 March 2016.

Members and under 5s go free.

42

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NATIONAL TRUST

Calling all volunteers…

Buckland Abbey wouldn't be the special place that it is today without the help of volunteers who dedicate their time to help us protect, conserve and to share our love of Drake’s home.

This year we’re hoping to achieve even more and to give more people the chance to explore the property. To help Buckland Abbey achieve its ambitious aims its volunteer family needs to grow – and with a team of over 200 people already gifting their time to the house, garden and wider estate, you’d be joining a team with a passion to make every visit special.

We’re currently looking for help by becoming a room guide or buggy driver – but there’s plenty of other opportunities available.

If you’re keen to get involved and want to find out more please contact the team here at Buckland on 01822 853607 or bucklandabbey@nationaltrust.org.uk.

Buckland Abbey reopens daily from 13 February. For details on opening times and upcoming events visit our website nationaltrust.org.uk/buckland or by liking Buckland on Facebook or Twitter.

MEDIEVAL BEAST TRAIL 13 -21 February, 10.30am-4.30pm Get outdoors this February as you discover medieval beasties hiding around the Buckland estate. Normal admission plus £1 per trail.

EASTER EGG TRAIL SUPPORTED BY CADBURYS 25-28 March, 10.30am-4.30pm Follow in the footsteps of Sir Francis Drake as you circumnavigate the estate to find your Cadbury chocolate reward. Normal admission plus £2 per trail.

FAMILY FELT 30 March and 6 April, 11am-4pm Join Claire Packer from the Wet Felting Company as her popular drop-in family felting workshop returns. Normal admission plus £3 per person.

Buckland Abbey

F O O

PR

Open daily from 13 February Members and under 5s go free.

01822 853607 nationaltrust.org.uk/buckland

Coming Soon - Our new community website www.dartmoorlinks.co.uk

© National Trust Images. Registered Charity Number 205846.

Discover tales of Drake, explore the woodland walks, marvel at our Rembrandt and find your place of peace and tranquility and Buckland Abbey this year.

43

MUSIC & ART

One GIANT Read!

An exciting new reading initiative went live back in December in time for Astronaut Tim Peake’s stay on the International Space Station.

Created by charity Literature Works, in partnership with the RNIB and the UK Space Agency, and supported by Gollancz, The Poetry Archive and the Plymouth Literature Project at Plymouth University, the project offers easy to access reading materials (audio books, poems, interviews and short films) all with content themed around the Principia Mission and British Astronaut Tim Peake’s stay on the International Space Station.

The site brings film, audio books and recordings of writing, poetry and scientific commentary in order to be as accessible to as many readers as possible. With only 7% of all readable materials in formats accessible for blind people, the One Giant Read project is working with the RNIB to develop materials that will be as accessible as possible to their members. The initiative aims to raise funds to enable Literature Works and RNIB to develop more reading and writing initiatives, with 40p of every £1 donated to go directly to RNIB in support of their work.

44

For every month Tim circles the Earth, the One Giant Read website offers a series of themed writing and reading challenges showcasing the very best of science fiction writers and exploring the influence science fiction has had on science fact.

Professor Kevin Jones, Executive Dean in the Faculty of Science and Engineering at Plymouth University, said: “Space exploration is one of the greatest scientific achievements of our time, and consistently inspires people to think beyond the boundaries of what might be possible. I hope the One Giant Read project can capture that spirit, using a combination of science fact and fiction to educate audiences about the impact science and the arts can have on their daily lives. It provides a unique opportunity for us to use our world-leading expertise to enthuse people about the STEM subjects.”

You can support this Space Adventure by texting READ71 followed by 1 to donate £1 to 70070 or donating through the One Giant Read website www.onegiantread.org.

Please follow @OneGiantRead on Twitter to keep up-to-date with the latest project news.

To promote your business to 15,000 homes - call 01822 615627

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MUSIC & ART

The Kingstons The Kingstons are a fresh and original nine piece ska band who have been making a big noise for themselves in the South West. Based locally the group formed six months ago after three founding members met at an online website designed to get musicians together. With a full horn section they create a genuine ska and two tone sound with foot tapping rhythms and beats you can’t resist.

Taking their name from a “Toots and the Maytals” track “Funky Kingston”, the band are passionate about all forms of ska and their playlist includes Madness, Selecter and Bad Manners. They also write their own music which is influenced by the original Jamaican ska sound with a modern twist.

The Kingstons have been building a great reputation as a live band with an infectious sound. Their first gig at the Old Mine Family Festival in Horrabridge was a relatively short set but further acclaimed appearances have led to private bookings, functions and festivals and they have begun to build a loyal fan base, especially amongst mods and the Southern Templer Scooter club in

Plymouth.

Their frontman extraordinaire, Steve Capel explains that “ska has its roots in story based folk music. Our set is fun and entertaining, the music is rousing and appeals to everyone - if you’re not tapping your foot or nodding your head to the beat you must be dead”. So make sure you catch the new and exciting sound of The Kingstons before their infectious music goes global!

You can follow them on Facebook or find out more about the band on their website www.thekingstons.club

Piano Tuition

• 15 years experience • One-to-one to all ages and abilities • Music theory up to Grade 5 • 2 pianos and full resource library Good technique through enjoyable repertoire is the key to success.

Improves self-discipline, determination, motor skills, memory and non-verbal reasoning.

Eleanor Jones DipABRSM 6 Glanville Road, Tavistock PL19 0EA 01822 616 704 / 07850 683 383 www.tavistockpianoteacher.com

Coming Soon - Our new community website www.dartmoorlinks.co.uk

Tavistock Piano Teacher 45

Don’t leave it too late to Family Break Down? make your Will.

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This may not be what you want for your family and problems.you We would are caring, understanding, the only way to ensure that friendly and fully qualified to help youyour wishes are adhered to is to make a Will. reach a full and final settlement to your At Drake Legal we have the experience and knowledge to ensure that your matrimonial issues.

Call us visit requests are met and your loved ones are provided for. today, Our expert team can writing a Will, existing Will, planning, office orestate email us At help Drakeyou Legalwith we operate a clear andrevision of anour Powers of Attorney, etc.

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Unit 3, Kilworthy Park, Drake Road, Tavistock, Devon, PL19 0BZ T. 01822 619230 E. enquiries@drake-legal.co.uk www.drake-legal.co.uk

BOOK REVIEW

The Last Asylum,

by Barbara Taylor Review by Simon Church, Book Stop, Tavistock Barbara Taylor’s description of her experience with mental illness is open, honest and eye-opening.

As a reader, I felt as though I was joining her through much of it, empathising with her struggles before, during and after her stay in Friern Hospital shortly before it closed for good. The author clarifies in her prologue that the book portrays the misery she went through, but “…what this emphatically is not is a tale of victimhood”. It is essentially a book about the gruelling but rewarding road to healing.

I felt her hitting rock bottom with drugs and alcohol, her reliance on her psychoanalyst, low self-worth and subsequent ascent to living life in the world again. Her connection to other people played a valuable role throughout her experience: parents, lovers, psychotherapists, doctors, nurses and friends. She writes “We become who we are through relationships. The ‘I’ is born at the interface between self and other, the helpless and help-giver,

infant and parent”. She takes responsibility for her life choices and is clear about her own path of self-destruction and the way this has impacted on others.

She depicts her experience at the hospital with overall gratitude, aware of its history and the many shortcomings in the healthcare system, and she identifies with her fellow inmates, rather than viewing herself as an outsider who doesn’t belong there.

Unpretentious, informative, humorous at times and quite compelling.

Penguin paperback £9.99

A Dog’s Guide To Happiness How often have you looked at your dog snoozing away on the sofa or playing happily in the park, while you’re racing around stressed. Then you’ve probably caught yourself thinking ‘the dog has a better life than I do! They know how to enjoy every moment and live their life to the full’. This book originated from just that thought, ‘the dog knows how to enjoy life more than I do’.

A Dog’s Guide to Happiness came about when Jenny was at her sister’s house in Sydney, Australia and was introduced to Tracey, ‘a fellow dog lover’. Tracey writes the popular dog blog Wagging World and after she saw some of Jenny’s illustrations for her sister’s cookery website she had the idea of a book of illustrated ‘dog’ quotes. Jenny is a talented illustrator who has always loved drawing dogs from a young age and many of her humorous illustrations in the book are based on the antics of her own dog, such as the time she consumed chocolate cake! Jenny and Tracey are hoping that the book will ‘make

people smile’.

A Dog’s Guide to Happiness is available locally at Bookstop (Tavistock), Drake Vets (Tavistock &Yelverton) and Liquorice (Tavistock) or online at adogsguidetohappiness.co.uk (price: £5.99) For wholesale enquiries please contact Tormark, Gardners or Bookspeed.

SOUTH WEST WILLS & PROBATE • Will writing tailored to your needs • Home visits • Will storage • Lasting Power of Attorney • Living Wills Contact Robert Cumming 01822 860281 / 07958 669541 swwillsandprobate@btinternet.com Robert Cumming is a Member of the Society of Will Writers

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Coming Soon - Our new community website www.dartmoorlinks.co.uk

47

DOG WALK

Pork Hill to Pew Tor

with Angus & Sennen This walk offers the opportunity (on a clear day) for 360° views across Dartmoor and over to Bodmin Moor in the far distance. A relatively easy walk, with a few short climbs. Sturdy walking boots and OS Map ‘OL28’ recommended!

1. Park in the large Pork Hill car park on the right just after the cattle grid on the B3357 between Tavistock and Merrivale. Head up Barn Hill in the direction of Feather Tor

taking the furthest left of the tracks from the car park. At the brow of the hill continue straight ahead until you reach the stone cross next to Grimstone and Sortridge Leat.

2. Walk to the left along the leat until you come to the stone bridge and then cross the leat. Take the track which goes down towards Vixen Tor for a short distance until there is an opportunity to take a track to the right which skirts around the base of Feather Tor . The track descends and then rises again to meet the wide track running along by the wall.

3. Turn right when you reach the track and walk up the hill.

As you come over the hill you will see Pew Tor ahead and

Sales are held at Parade Business Park, Tavistock, fortnightly on Mondays.

Viewings held from 12 - 5pm on the Sunday preceding sale.

See our website for the full auction calendar.

Antiques • Collectables • Jewellery • Quality Furniture • Household Appliances • Garden Furniture • Tools & Machinery We offer house clearance and valuation services, and take in goods at our office, every Monday to Thursday 9.30am - 4pm and Saturday 9am - 12 noon.

For more information call us on: 01822 616992

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Pewtor Cottage nestling below to the left. You can either take the track to the right which leads straight up to the top of Pew Tor (go to number 5) or for a more photogenic approach follow the track below Pewtor Cottage and join the stony track.

4. As you reach the end of the Pewtor Cottage hedge and the track veers left down the hill, continue straight ahead on the narrow grassy track which skirts around the lower edge of Pew Tor. After you pass Downfield Cottages on the left the track crosses another track. Turn right and continue walking around the tor - there are a number of tracks at this point but follow the same contour around the tor (you should pass the disused quarry) until you meet the broad grassy track leading up to Pew Tor. Turn right and walk to the top of the tor.

5. After you have finished enjoying the view from Pew Tor take the track straight ahead leading to the top of Feather Tor. From Feather Tor head down to the leat and cross at the same stone bridge(2) you used earlier and then turn right to walk along the leat. As the path gets near to the B3357 it turns to the left and runs parallel with the road until you get back to the car park.

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Coming Soon - Our new community website www.dartmoorlinks.co.uk

49

FEATURE

‘It’s my passion’ - looking out on a rain-sodden, wind-swept boatyard in the half-light of a late December afternoon, you have to ask why a successful fund manager would take on such an enterprise. But that’s exactly what Andy Higgins and his wife, Vicki, have done.

The proud new owners of Weir Quay Boatyard see beyond the puddles and banks of flotsam swept in on the 60mph winds of a post-Christmas storm and are looking forward with enthusiasm to a new era at the yard.

Andy, who lives at nearby Tuckermarsh, said: ‘I’ve always wanted to buy this yard. I’ve been wanting to buy a boatyard for donkey’s years. Even when Brian Tankard owned this place, back in the day, I used to hanker for it. I’ve always loved boats, messing about in them, so owning a place like this has always been my dream. And we just love the river here - it’s so beautiful and on a nice day, it’s absolutely wonderful. It’s also really underutilised - the place is just a gem.’

The boatyard came into existence some 50 years ago when ‘a chap from the village’ bought a patch of land on the River Tamar at Weir Quay in order to drag out local boats from the water.

The fledgling yard was bought in the 1970s by Essex boatbuilder Brian Tankard, who developed it to become a commercial business. Successful London photographer Chris Nation bought the yard in 1990 and it was sold to the last incumbents, Michael 50

and Lisa Hooton in 1999.

Both Andy and Vicki first started sailing as children with their parents, who both kept boats near Chichester. Andy’s family moved to Devon and he began sailing dinghies at Weir Quay, while his Dad worked on a boat at Tankard’s yard.

‘When Vicki and I were courting, we kept a boat where we were living in Essex on the River Crouch and then during two working periods in Hong Kong we owned various boats, including a 41ft double ender, modelled on a Colin Archer design,’ said Andy, whose sailing career has also included the Fastnet in 2006.

There are around 110 moorings at Weir Quay Boatyard ranging from deep water to drying moorings and space on the hardstanding for winter storage for up to 50 boats. There are also a limited number of winter mud berths best suited for timber boats that should not fully dry out.

‘We can cater for the full suite of marine related trades at the yard with the 5 full time yard staff including Saul Thomas who has been been working on and off at the yard ever since Brian’s days. What we are trying to create is the ease of a marina in a traditional boatyard. The yard has tried very hard not to have abandoned old boats lying around, which you will often find in a traditional place. People who want river moorings want a tranquil and unspoilt environment and I am developing a free service to get owners out to their boat should they want it.

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New hands on deck at Weir Quay Boatyard

“I’ve always loved boats, messing about in them, so owning a place like this has always been my dream.”

There is always the option of rowing out yourself if you want a good workout.

‘We are also putting in new pontoons and a new landing jetty, and intend to develop the shop and make a bigger chandlery.

We’ve got new showers and loos and a new tractor and transporter for hauling boats in and out. We are installing a CCTV system and webcam, so owners can check up on their boat with their mobile phone - we are just trying to make the place as smart and user-friendly as possible!’

Andy said the majority of craft kept at the yard and on the moorings are sailing yachts although he was keen to encourage diversification in the types of boats kept at Weir Quay. Additionally, they would like to develop closer ties with the sailing club and the local community including the yard’s neighbours.

‘We are also thinking of doing bird watching and sight-seeing river trips on Ocean Ranger, a classic wooden-built boat, during the spring and summer.’

The new yard owners are currently celebrating their investment with a special offer to new customers, and are developing a loyalty program for existing customers along with a range of free services all designed to enhance the Weir Quay experience.

‘We will bend over backwards to help people, we really want this place to work and evolve, while at the same time we are very conscious of the unique setting in which we are situated, and the passion, which we share, of the community that lives here to see such a special place protected.’

Jane Honey

For more information about Weir Quay Boatyard, call 01822 840474, email info@weir-quay.com or go to www.weir-quay.com

Coming Soon - Our new community website www.dartmoorlinks.co.uk

51

The

RACEHORSE INN A gastro-pub with rooms on the eastern edge of Bodmin Moor Sunday Lunch at the Race Horse Gastro INN is different: Firstly, our lunch is not Carvery but a choice of two specially prepared roasts using Warrens locally sourced meat, freshly produced on a hot plate with several roasted vegetables and superb roast potatoes and gravy on the side.

The food tastes as it should, exquisite, with fresh flavours attacking the taste buds.

Served all day but please book to be sure of a table!

Winter Themed Dinners Valentines Weekend 12th – 14th February: Romantic Menu all weekend- Book now!

Italian Night Dinner Thursday 25th February: Pasta la Basta St. Piran’s Night Saturday 5th March: Cornish Food and Cornish Piper Irish Night - St Patricks Thursday 17th March

Please make a reservation by phone, or message us via our Facebook page to ensure a table is available DOGS WELCOME IN THE BAR

CLOSED MONDAYS

01566 786916 (after midday) • North Hill Village PL15 7PG

www.racehorseinn.co.uk • www.facebook.com/racehorseinn.launceston • email: info@racehorseinn.co.uk 4 miles off the A30 and 5 miles past Launceston

To obtain further information contact:

Modern Facility Wifi, projector Seating for up to 30

with various layout options

Full Catering or Self Catering Available in attached dedicated kitchen facility

Real Coffee and Quality Teas Delegate Package New Prices for 2016

Tavyside Training & Conference Centre Tavyside Health Centre Abbey Rise, Tavistock Devon PL19 9FD

01822 616199

10% discount for Feb/March (Quote: ‘Links’)

enquiries@tavysideconferencecentre.org • www.tavysideconferencecentre.org

FOOD & WINE

Mussels in a Saffron Sauce This is a quick dish to prepare, with mussels served in a slightly different way from how we normally find in them restaurants.

Saffron is popular in this part of the country as an ingredient for cakes or buns but it is a great way to accompany any seafood. It goes well with a lot of ingredients, and its delicious, intense Middle Eastern aroma can bring out flavours from the surrounding ingredients. The best saffron comes from Iran and the best way to purchase saffron is in threads; if you don’t find threads, you may buy powder, but this is normally lower quality.

Ingredients (serves 6) ½ Kg / 1lb fresh mussels shell on 1 chopped onion 1 bay leaf 1 glass white wine 4tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 1 bunch of parsley, chopped and washed 1 pinch of saffron threads

Method Carefully scrape the mussel shells, rinse thoroughly under cold running water, scrape to remove any debris on the outer

shell and de-beard them. Tap a few times any mussels that are open and if they do not close, discard them: they are probably dead.

Pour the resulting sauce over the mussels and serve immediately.

Transfer to a large stew pan. Add the parsley, bay leaf and onion. Pour in the white wine and allow to evaporate. Cover and cook the mussels on a high heat until they open. Discard any shells that do not open.

Drain the mussels, divide among serving plates and keep warm. Filter the cooking liquid, put it back into the pan on a high heat; emulsify with olive oil, add the saffron and infuse for a few minutes while the liquid reduces and the saffron turns the emulsion into and amazing redgolden, delicious sauce.

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Cyclists and Walkers welcomed as we are alongside the Drakes Trail/Route 27 Family friendly Dogs welcomed Free Wifi OPEN 8am - 5pm, 7 days

Coming Soon - Our new community website www.dartmoorlinks.co.uk

53

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FOOD & WINE Early spring foliage on an established vine

Wines that are kind on the pocket….

There is no doubt that after the inevitable Christmas over-indulgence in all things liquid, not to mention bruised and stretched bank balances, one is eager to welcome not only lighter, more restrained wines, but also wines that are kind on our pockets.

It is at this time of year that Wine Merchants are constantly in touch with our favoured wine producers and attending critical wine tastings as we scrutinize the latest wines and vintages.

Ever mindful of the trends and fads that help shape the wine markets, the real pleasure for an independent Wine Merchant is to unveil quality and intriguing wines from innovative producers or little known regions of production. With the imminent arrival of spring, there is a real feeling of optimism in my trade.

So, what are these wines that will stimulate such interest? We continue to witness high sales of both Chilean and Argentinean wines, with both South Africa and Australia still seeming to struggle to maintain their market share. The real winners are in general, the wines of Europe. France, Italy, Spain and even Germany seem to be on a roll. In general, lighter in alcohol, less concentration and more food biased.

It is with the thought of lighter wines that we instinctively seem to pair such wines with events as Easter, Mothering Sunday and general spring drinking. It never seems to surprise me that many customers only drink Rosé wines when the sun shines.

With Rosés coming in varying depths of colour and degrees of dryness or sweetness there really are Rosés to suit all palates; dry Spanish Garnachas at under £5; clean, aromatic and scented Provence Rosés, the ultimate in elegance, or even the sweeter Californian Zinfandel Rosés. Diversity is the key judging by our sales.

As the summer beckons, and the appeal of big robust reds starts to wane, many are eager to re-familiarise themselves with pleasures of clean, invigorating white wines. There is one wine that seems to gain in popularity, our 2015 Picpoul de Pinet, Domaine des Lauriers is possibly the best example of this very fashionable wine I have tried. From a small appellation on the French Mediterranean coast, this ultra-fresh, aromatic white bursts with honeysuckle, honey and a twist of lemon, yet gentle on the finish .... some say this is the new Pinot Grigio, I do hope so! A credible alternative ... then try Los Coches Viognier from Chile. The Viognier grape is known for peach, apricot fruit and a pleasing creamy texture (and not too dry), at £6.95 this wine does not disappoint.

Ever mindful of price sensitivity it is essential that we offer a great range of wines at prices below the crucial £6.99 price point. That said, one of our best recent introductions is proving to be a new Rioja .. Bozeto de Exopto 2014 at £9.95, not a budget beater, made by a French winemaker. Whilst made from traditional red Rioja grapes those being Tempranillo, Garnacha and Graziano, the key to this wine’s uniqueness is the use of French oak, than vanilla-coconut styled American oak. In short, a wine more akin to a Rioja-Rhone blend; ideal with spring lamb, ham and many Italian dishes too!

Coming Soon - Our new community website www.dartmoorlinks.co.uk

Charles Steevenson

55

BUSINESS

IT FAQs

Gidon from The Technology Company answers your technology questions

Q. There’s a confusing choice of devices available to stream content to my TV. Please could you help me choose?

Streaming media players allow a vast array of content to be played through your TV. For example: iPlayer, Netflix, Amazon Instant Video and YouTube. Nearly every content provider has their own device: Apple have Apple TV, Amazon have Fire TV and Google have Chromecast, to name a few.

Unfortunately, no one device does everything, so your choice depends on what you mainly want to watch. For example, if you have an Amazon Prime account, the Fire TV makes a lot of sense, since much of Amazon’s content is included for free within this subscription. If you don’t want to be tied to any content provider, also consider the very capable Roku units.

Q. What’s your favourite smartphone app this month?

Stocard (iOS and Android) stores all your loyalty cards on your smartphone, so there’s never a reason not to collect points. The app uses your smartphone’s camera to scan the barcode of hundreds of supported cards, which then get added to your personal card wallet.

You can add cards manually too if they aren’t listed.

A very nice feature if you’re using an iPhone 6 or above, is that the app integrates with Apple Wallet. So you can access your

most used cards with a double-click of the home button, and then complete the payment from the same screen with Apple Pay. See my complete article: http://goo.gl/kW0Ybh. Q. My smartphone or tablet has slowed down significantly since I bought it. How can I speed it up?

All smartphones and tablets can be reset back to their factory defaults very easily. There should be a significant speed improvement doing this, but you must ensure you have a complete backup.

Firstly, make sure you have your photos and videos backed up.

Connect your device with its USB cable to a PC or Mac and use the camera import features built into your computer. Then, make sure everything else is backed up to the cloud: iCloud for Apple devices and Android Backup Service for Android devices for example. From the Settings menu, perform the reset which will only take a short time.

When you restart the device, login with the relevant account and choose to restore the most recent backup. See my complete article for (iOS devices): http://goo.gl/82KUe0.

Gidon Reid

If you have any questions now or for a future column, and for all previous articles, please visit thetechnologycompany.co.uk/linksqa.

For all your technology needs

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BUSINESS

An Understanding of Rural Issues News from Geoffrey Cox MP With Dartmoor on our doorstep, and the nearest coastline just a short drive away, we are lucky here in West Devon to be able enjoy the outdoors at its very best.

Our children are in the enviable position to be able to learn about nature and the British countryside first hand, without having to rely on textbooks or trips to neighbouring counties, an opportunity, which I think every child, should have. Great Britain is a “green and pleasant land”, where you are never more than 70 miles from the coast, and I want all children to leave school knowing about the diverse environments of the UK. The Government clearly recognises the positive contribution that learning outside the classroom can make to pupils’ study and development as part of a broad and balanced curriculum, and is therefore doing all it can to give more and more children the opportunity to undertake such trips as part of their early education.

That said, it is down to individual schools to decide how to teach, including what trips to take their children on. Every school will have different needs, and I believe this is a better approach than a centralised requirement. Rural schools such as ours will, for example, have no need of an excursion to ensure their pupils learn about the countryside, when they can simply step outside to enjoy the stunning beauty of Dartmoor.

It is, however, vital to encourage all children to develop an understanding of rural issues more broadly, to help essential industries such as fishing and farming to continue long-term, and the Government has therefore introduced the subject of food into the curriculum. This has included teaching about where food comes from and how it is produced, as well as more practical lessons in cookery.

Food to feel good

In addition, agriculture and horticulture have been brought into the design and technology curriculum, which will help children who eventually go on to work in food and agriculture to develop the skills they need to excel in these vital British industries.

The Conservative party is committed to protecting our natural environment, keeping development sustainable and giving everyone the opportunity to access and enjoy the great British outdoors, and I will most certainly continue to do what I can in support of this.

Geoffrey Cox MP

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HISTORY

The Propylaeum: Tavistock’s Classical Library Building Dr Ann Pulsford and Dr Mary Freeman

In 1819, twenty years after its foundation, the Library had amassed the resources to have its own building, rather than a hired meeting room, above a book shop in the town. A suggestion was made to the Duke of Bedford’s steward that the library might be relocated to a converted room over Court Gate in December 1820, but the estate office took so long to reply that the library members decided to fund a new building.

demolished. At the time John Russell, the 6th Duke of Bedford, did not express any misgivings about the library being built in what was later to become Bedford Square. Later he objected to its position, which interfered with his wider plans for the development of the town centre.

The previous year John Foulston, Plymouth’s leading architect, had built Park Wood House in a classical style for the Reverend William Evans, to use as a school. Foulston had previously designed a meeting room, known as the Athenaeum for a learned society in Plymouth, in a similar style. However, Foulston did not design the new library premises in Tavistock. Instead, James Kellaway Colling, a local builder based in Bedford Street, was put in charge of implementing the design and construction of the building, and produced plans for a detached neo-classical structure.

The library was completed within one year, making use of some of the materials from the demolished Bedford inn, and opened on 1st July 1822. It had cost double the original £500 estimate, and the furnishings included shelves to accommodate the book collection, a table to display journals and newspapers and there was a room for the librarian. The building was top-lit and ventilated from a glass dome, and the entrance fronted by four fluted Doric columns, beneath a triangular pediment. The small front court was surrounded by brightly painted railings. Due to its classical portico, and because it was near the gatehouse of the old Abbey, it was soon nicknamed the Propylaeum, after the original Propylaeum, the entrance to the Acropolis in Athens.

In January 1821 the Bedford office gave permission for the building to be erected in the grounds of the derelict Bedford Arms Inn, beside the Gatehouse, which was about to be

Two antique prints from 1830 show distant views of the distinctive façade of the Propylaeum in the town. The building was much admired by architects and artists with classical

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Tavistock Subscription Library is now housed in Court Gate, adjacent to the museum, but between 1822 and 1831 it had its own elegant classical building in the centre of the town. tastes, although not everybody liked it. Mrs Bray, the vicar’s wife, came to the defence of the building, saying that it was an elegant addition to the town. She added that the juxtaposition of different styles of architecture was admired by people of taste in towns in France and Italy, where she had travelled.

However, some people of Tavistock thought the classical design, with the brightly painted railings, did not fit in with the gothic architecture near the Abbey ruins in the town centre. It was also claimed that the library had not been well built and had become cracked and fragile.

Tavistock’s vicar, the Reverend Edward Bray, one of the founders of the Subscription Library, wishing to appear diplomatic on the matter, suggested to the Duke that it was a matter of taste but that at least a good drawing of the building should be made before the site was cleared. A contemporary oil painting of the lost building now hangs in the present Subscription Library, as one if its treasures. The artist is unknown but may have been the vicar’s wife Anna Eliza Bray. A drawing from this painting

by Victor Gregory, headmaster of Tavistock primary school, was published in the Transactions of the Devonshire Association in 1946.

The classical building was in use as a library for only nine years.

From 1822 the 6th Duke had begun making improvements Tavistock from Fitz Ford

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to the town centre, starting with new markets for cattle and sheep in the Abbey Great Court, now Guildhall Square. The Propylaeum stood in the way of building the new Plymouth Road and other redevelopments that he had planned.. In 1829 he therefore offered to provide new accommodation for the library, on favourable terms to compensate the members for the loss of their building. The rooms over the arch of Court Gate and additional space was provided, at a rent of one shilling a year for fifteen years.

Foulston, who had been employed to oversee the rebuilding of the Court Gate area, had already reroofed the gatehouse and modified it to provide offices for the Stewards, with a new entrance, stairway and landing. A two storey extension to the east was added for the library. Foulston had made a drawing in 1819 showing how a room in Court Gate might accommodate a library, but does not show how it appeared in 1831. When the library moved in that year there were two upstairs rooms, one was used to accommodate the books and the other for lectures and reading. The Subscription Library has remained in the Court Gate building since 1831, but since 1964 occupies only one room on the ground floor, which it leases from the Tavistock Town Council.

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TRADE SECRETS Claire Gent - Jewellery Designer Rhiannon from Tavistock Enterprise Hub has recently put together a new Women’s Networking Group. As part of this new group, she has been finding out more about some of its attendees.

Why did you become a jewellery designer/maker?

I used to work as a lighting designer and always loved handmade jewellery, but couldn’t afford it. I decided to learn how to make it, did a course and for the first five or six years it was a hobby.

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How much training is involved, what qualifications do you need to become a professional jewellery designer/maker?

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How long have you been a professional jewellery designer/maker?

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

You need to be very comfortable about working alone, because it can get lonely. The work itself can also be quite repetitive.

Running your own business means being prepared for all of the other stuff such as admin, photography, marketing, customer service, sales as well as basic book-keeping and ensuring your cash flow is under control.

What is the best thing about your job?

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Which galleries have you worked with?

Where do you see your future career going?

I had some pieces in the Natural History Museum earlier this year, and I’ve been with Made in Bristol, NH2 (Nicola Hurst, Plymouth), Baxters (Dartmouth) and Franny & Filer (Manchester).

Who else works with you?

My only colleagues are my cats, and they’re not especially helpful ! I really enjoy the Ladies Networking Group (held at Tavistock Enterprise Hub). It’s great to chat with others who are also often working alone or from home and gain their input/perspective of my business.

Well, I love Orla Kiely and I’d love to get involved in designing my own homewares, using patterns and illustrations.

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What is involved in being a jewellery designer/ maker? How does your day usually unfold?

I walk my son to school, walk back up the hill and then usually check my emails before heading into the workshop. Some days I don’t even stop for lunch as I need to get as much done as possible before it’s time to go and pick him up again. I tend to spend my evenings packing things up for posting, doing social media, marketing, sales and sometimes ironing resists onto cuffs.

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