April 2015

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WOODBURY NEWS

01392 873865

APRIL 2015

2 ALL BUILDING JOBS CONSIDERED

R. Miller & Son Painters and Decorators THORNS COTTAGE, WOODBURY

Tel: Woodbury 233773 All work expertly carried out under personal supervision.

Woodbury Salterton Village Hall Hall –Tables and Chairs, Well equipped kitchen with cooker and fridge, crockery and cutlery inclusive in hire.

Modest Rates.

For bookings please contact:

Pat or Gill Bricknell 01395 232463

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Woodbury Village Hall Hall and two Meeting Rooms, Fully equipped Kitchen Available for: Dances and Parties Wedding Receptions Meetings and Classes Jumble Sales and Craft Fairs Badminton, Plays, Business Lettings For bookings please contact: Robin or Marian Lennox Tel: 01395 232126 email:- woodburyvh@gmail.com www.woodburyvillagehall.org.uk

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DustAway All Work and no play, We are here to help Friendly Efficient Cleaning Service.

Weekly, fortnightly, monthly, one-off Cleans.

Moving house, holiday lets, end of tenancy cleans, spring cleans.

We also offer an Ironing service.

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WOODBURY NEWS APRIL 2015 EDITORIAL The coming month includes the greatest Christian festival celebrated by the pagan spring symbol of eggs. Calls for a fixed date for Easter cannot be met as this depends on a lunar calculation, plus the requirement to celebrate on a Sunday. By chance, the late Spring bank holiday coincides with Pentecost this year.

The season of new life will see a new House of Commons and a new Parish Council. We are grateful for those willing to take on the often thankless task of local government. Their opinion is sought, but not always followed, especially in matters of planning. We should not forget that our councillors are democratically chosen, whether we choose to vote or not, and that they have greater influence than any pressure group set up for specific aims.

We all resent change, but we need to realise that without it the community will stultify. Before Fulford Way was developed, Woodbury School sank to 42 children and only one baby was expected in the practice. We need younger families and we hope they will form friendship groups and establish fresh activities in our communities. We hope they will take heed of their older neighbours as well. There are positive signs in our community with new initiatives like the Woodbury Community Orchard, improvements to the Village Halls and plans for improvement of Woodbury playing field.

OUR COVER PHOTO As we approach Easter, the editor felt it appropriate to have the four churches in our Parish on the front cover.

They are, of course, clockwise from top left: St Swithun's and Christ Church at Woodbury, Holy Trinity at Woodbury Salterton and St Andrew's at Exton.

Woodbury News is a Private Company Limited by Guarantee No. 5263356 Secretary: Karen Squires, Willowfield, Oakhayes Road, Woodbury EX5 1JT. Tel: 233299 Registered Office: Willowfield, Oakhayes Road, Woodbury EX5 1JT. Tel: 233299 Chairman: Peter Payne, ‘Harsley’, Toby Lane, Woodbury Salterton. Tel: 232394 Editor: Mrs Sue Bury, Mayflower Cottage, 37 Greenway. Tel: 233753 Deputy Editor: Mrs Val Arndt, Castlehaye, Castle Lane, Woodbury. Tel: 233175 Subscriptions: Mrs Anna Crafer, 15 Haymans Orchard, Woodbury. Tel: 232007 Circulation: Mrs Beverley Simcox, 2 Beeches Close. Tel: 232858

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ST SWITHUN’S CHURCH, WOODBURY Vicar: Reverend Karen Spray. Tel:01395 488178 Email: church@revdkaren.org.uk Associate Minister: Reverend Christopher Cant. Tel: 01395 488178 Email: chriscant@tiscali.co.uk SPECIAL SERVICES - Maundy Thursday, 2 April, 7.00pm Meditative Service with Eucharist at Farringdon. Good Friday, 3 April, 9.30 ‘The Cross of Christ’ (a meditation in words and music) at Clyst St Mary, 2.30 Service of meditation at St Swithun’s, Woodbury. Easter Sunday, 5 April, St Swithuns 8.00 Said Eucharist, 11.15 All age Eucharist with Baptism.

USUAL SUNDAY SERVICES - 1st Sunday 11.15 All Age Eucharist. 2nd Sunday 11.15 Eucharist. 3rd Sunday 11.00 Sunday Club, 11.15 Eucharist, 6.30pm Evensong. 4th Sunday 8.00 Said Eucharist, 11.15 Morning Prayer.

Morning Prayer every Monday at 9.15.

NEWS AND EVENTS Lych gate stall in Church on 28 March (No stall 4 April).

Woodbury PCC Monthly Draw February’s winning ticket – Pam and John Rose‑ Casemore, March’s winning ticket – Cindy Stratton. Draw made at Coffee Morning third Tuesday each month. See Church Digest for details.

Prize every month ranging from £25 to £500.

Sunday Club Meets every 1st Sunday for All Age Eucharist at 11.15, and on the 3rd Sunday in Church Room 11.00-12.00, then into church to show what has been made/done.

CHURCH ALTAR FLOWERS - APRIL 5 & 12 - Easter Lilies. 19 & 26 Mrs C Keep. We will decorate church for Easter on Saturday 4 April.

FLOODLIGHTING ST SWITHUN’S CHURCH (dusk until 11.00pm) Dedications: 10 March - "Happy Birthday Joyce, from all the family".

For your special event, contact Mike Jeans 01395 232544, or see the details and book it online at our website - www.whitecrossdevon.org.uk/woodburywith-exton/flood lighting-form.php.

Further Information: Digest available in church or from website www.whitecrossdevon.org.uk.

SEE WOODBURY NEWS ONLINE www.woodburynews.co.uk

T.D. BUILDERS

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5

Woodbury Dance Studio

RAD BALLET Grades and Majors

Children from 2½ years Principal: Mary Griffiths ARAD, MA(Oxon) Tel: 01395 271249 marygriffiths@hotmail.com www.woodburydance.co.uk All classes at Woodbury C of E Primary School

6 FoSS (FRIENDS OF ST SWITHUN’S) There are definitely signs that spring is here and with it we think of the FoSS Spring Concert which will take place on Friday 24 April in Church at 7.30pm. As always there is a full programme featuring Exeter School’s cello, string and saxophone quartets, plus vocal ensembles with star soprano soloists! To complement the youthful voices we have our own Woodbury choirs, The Whalers and Bel Canto singers; there will be a glass of wine and nibbles at the interval. Tickets £7.50 will be on sale at Rowsell’s at the beginning of April. This is an event open to everyone, so please come along and support; all funds raised go to FoSS. We have planned an afternoon tea in Church on Saturday 18 July, from 3.00pm; details to follow.

We also hope to host an Autumn Concert featuring Exeter Singers in Church in early October, on an evening which does not clash with World Cup rugby.

The acoustics in St Swithun’s are excellent, making it an ideal venue for musical events, which the FoSS committee hope will continue to be held for many years.

David Keep at Heatherdene, Broadway, Woodbury welcomes new and renewal of subscriptions (£25 per annum, which may be gift aided). This income provides financial assistance for the maintenance of the fabric of the Church, and is a useful way for non-churchgoers to ensure that the Church and grounds remain a public space open to all.

NEW BEAVER SCOUT LEADER AND ASSISTANT NEEDED! We are very lucky in Woodbury to have thriving Scouting and Guiding Groups. However, these rely on volunteers who give their time to provide a fun, safe and stimulating environment for the children of this village and its neighbours.

Donna, one of our current Leaders, has been involved with our Cubs and Beavers for 10 years. She is able to continue running the Cub Scouts (8-10 year olds) but, due to work commitments, can no longer lead our Beaver Pack (a fun group of 6-8 year olds).

Are you, or anyone you know, interested in joining this amazing team? We need a Leader and an Assistant in order for the Beavers to continue in Woodbury. If no one steps up, the colony will close. Full support and training will be provided.

Please contact Donna Gover (07916 127366 or email donnagover33@ gmail. com), or Sarah Hales (01395 232631 or email sarich301@gmail.com) for more information.

Our Woodbury Beaver Scouts Need You !

43 NEW TIME FOR PILATES CLASS IN WOODBURY! Tuesdays 5.30-6.30pm Woodbury Village Hall Pilates is a safe form of exercise suitable for everyone and is recommended by medical practitioners.

Pre-booking is essential as there are limited spaces Contact Grace 07500112646. info@redbaypilates.co.uk www.redbaypilates.co.uk

Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning

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For advice or a quotation without obligation - phone Mervyn on:

01395 272428

Hedge Trimming Lawn Care and Grass Cutting Clearance Minor Soft Landscaping

Call Will on 07478 669 012 Friendly and Professional service

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7 WOODBURY CRICKET CLUB NEEDS YOU!

Single lady in her 50s seeking self-contained annexe or similar to £500pcm all-in.

Happy to discuss companionship for an elderly person thereby providing loved ones with peace of mind. ¨ Honest ¨ Reliable ¨ Clean and tidy ¨ Excellent references ¨ Solvent ¨ Employed ¨ Car owner If you know of anyone to whom this might sound interesting, please pass on my telephone number:

07751 133693

Join our weekly classes during term time Learn traditional and modern French rhymes and songs Effortlessly learn useful French phrases through games and repetition Classes in Woodbury with Frances For more details go to www.thelanguagetortoise.com or call me on 07977 917493

Caretaker/Cleaner Required.

Woodbury Village Hall is looking for a Caretaker/Cleaner to join our Team.

Good hourly retainer/rate for 1 hour a day, 4 days a week.

Contact: Gordon Cameron W 232145 for further details.

Woodbury Cricket Club would like to open this year's first post to Woodbury News by inviting anyone interested in playing cricket to get in touch with us.

Over the winter there have been a number of exciting developments in Woodbury Cricket Club and in Devon cricket as a whole. These developments make the coming season a particularly exciting proposition, and in this article we outline a few of them.

League cricket in Devon has undergone a significant programme of restructuring that aims to increase the overall levels of participation in cricket.

As part of this restructuring, Woodbury now play 1st XI league cricket in D (West) Division. There are two key benefits to this. Firstly, this represents promotion to a higher league and, as a result of this, Woodbury will be playing a higher standard of cricket this season. Any aspiring (or lapsed) cricketers who fancy playing some good competitive cricket this season will be welcomed into the club, and will be able to enjoy a good run in the side. Secondly, this restructuring has minimized the distance between Woodbury and the other clubs in our division. This means that we will be spending less time travelling to and from fixtures away from our home ground at Town Lane, which will allow players to get home to Woodbury and the surrounding area in good time.

We will be playing a number of teams that are new to us this season, which will be a challenge, as well as an opportunity to expand our experience of cricket in this county. Woodbury's league campaign opens this year on 2 May, in a hotly anticipated fixture away to nearby Clyst St George. Our first home game of the new season is on 9 May, and we will be hosting Topsham St James at Town Lane. We hope to see as many of you as possible cheering us on from the benches surrounding our home ground, and hopefully in the pavilion with a cup of tea, beer or wine, basking in early summer sun following the match.

Woodbury Cricket Club has a new 1st XI league captain this year. The man chosen to lead us into our new division and through the coming season is Jimmy Jones, who enjoyed a prolific 2014 season opening the batting.

Woodbury Cricket Club is extremely grateful to Ian Hughes, who led the side through 2014, and who will continue to play and provide advice to our new skipper this year. Woodbury Cricket Club also has a new website, http:// woodburycc.hitscricket.com, which already has our fixtures uploaded. Please do check this website in the coming months as we add new information.

Finally, if you are interested in playing cricket this year, please do not hesitate to get in touch either with Ian Hughes (email: hughes7591@hotmail.co.uk; phone: 01395 223780), or with Kevin Miller (email: Kevinmiller07 @btinternet.com; phone: 01395 232995). We look forward to seeing many new faces this season!

SEE WOODBURY ONLINE www.woodburydevon.co.uk

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WOODBURY GARDEN CLUB To Bee or not to Bee was the title of a talk given by John Eustace of Lympstone. We were given what John said would be a brief history of the honey bee, but it was more than that. It was a really interesting insight into the life of the honey bee and beekeepers and it taught us all something new about this fascinating insect. A honey bee is a member of the genus Apis, Aphis mellifera, and is primarily distinguished by the production and storage of honey and the construction of perennial colonial nests from wax. Honey bees are often confused with wasps, hornets, bumble bees, hover flies and, John added, ‘goodness knows what else’. He listed the benefits of honey bees. This included pollination and hive products and their estimated financial value, which is considerable. The fact that they can sting, swarm and love sweet things seems a minor nuisance in comparison.

John continued by describing the three castes of honey bees in a colony: the queen, the workers and the drones. The colony's ethos is communal. It acts as a super organisation and each of the castes is expendable. He went on to discuss the part we play in their lives, how we provide a home for them, take their surplus stores, poison them with pesticides and swat them when they are near food! We were given a month by month insight into a year in the life of a beekeeper; how the bees are fed, prepared for winter, when honey is collected and how the hives are checked regularly, especially for varroa, a disease caused by a parasitic mite that can destroy a colony.

John finished by saying there is no medicine for bees, currently under threat, so how can we help? We can help by planting the correct plants (www.bee friendlygardenplants.co.uk) and have plants that cover the whole year. We can also be careful with sprays and wood treatments and remember that bees need water. An interesting talk and delivered with humour!

Members wishing to attend the Behind the Scenes Tour of Otter Nurseries should give their names to Judy Bashforth (233041) and be in the WVH car park at 4.30pm on 1 April. £4 per head. Our next meeting is on 14 April, VH, 7.30pm, when Mr Michael John Kennaway will present The Rise and Fall of a Country Estate.

TIME FOR A NEW LOOK? Qualified Hair Stylist. Appointment to suit.

Not mobile. Call Heather Anne on 01392 876830 (12/12) ACCOUNTS AND TAX SERVICE Sole Trades, Partnerships, Limited Companies and Personal Tax. Full range of advice. Fixed fee plans and free initial consultation/quotation. Wheelers Accountants Tel: 233184 (16/24) MATHS TUITION: Experienced, female Maths teacher available to teach primary to GSCE level maths, 11+ and SATs preparation. Reasonable rates.

Telephone: Jane Moffatt on 01395 279952 (5/12)

25 April 7 May

WOODBURY COMMUNITY ORCHARD Volunteers needed to weed, mulch and label new and older trees.

2.00-4.00 Town Lane orchard site.

White Hart 8.00pm: come and meet the committee, help decide what events you want in the orchard and how to shape its future.

WOODBURY NEWS for 2015 remains at £5 for the year, with subs payable to the person who delivers your copy.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

9 April Woodbury WI Brooch & attach button, 7.30, WVH. 9 April Exton Ladies Group One Woman, a Harem and a Thousand Cows.

13 April Police Surgery, 3.00-3.30, Parish Council Offices.

14 April Garden Club. The Rise & Fall of a Country Estate. WVH. 7.30.

14 April A year at Minsmere, Suffolk with the RSPB. 7.30 Christ Church.

18 April CVCS St Margaret’s Church, Topsham. (Tickets 232318).

19 April CVCS Holy Trinity, Exmouth. (Tickets 232318).

24 April Exton Garden Club Amazing Plants by Chris Allen.

24 April FoSS Concert, 7.30pm.

25 April Woodbury Community Orchard 2.00-4.00 Town Lane orchard site.

2 May St Swithun’s lych gate stall. 9.00-11.00.

4 May RBL Table Top Sale. Woodbury Village Green. 11.00-3.00.

7 May Parish Council and EDDC Elections.

7 May Woodbury History Society Shipping on the Exe. 7.30 Exton Church 7 May Woodbury Community Orchard. White Hart, 8.00pm.

11 May Police Surgery, 3.00-3.30, Parish Council Offices.

14 May Exton Ladies Group Stained Glass - Medieval to Modern.

15 May Charity Quiz. WVH. Tel: 07831 121268.

16 May Exton Garden Club Plant Sale.

11 June Exton Ladies Group Summer Outing: details to be confirmed 13 June Fun Day on the Green. 2.00-6.00.

14 June W/Salterton Scarecrow Judging Day and Fete 2.00. Glebe Field.

19&20 JuneWood(bury)stock Festival of Folk, Roots and Blues. The Malsters.

20 June Exton Fete.

23 July Woodbury History Society – outing to Glastonbury Abbey & town.

18 July FoSS afternoon tea in Church.

3 Sept.

Woodbury and Branscombe History Societies ‘HEAP Project’ 7.30 WVH 20 Sept.

Woodbury 10K Fun Run. 10.00. (232992) 5 Nov. Woodbury History Society The East Devon Pebblebeds. 7.30 WVH

40 BUSINESS ADVERTISEMENTS Cont’d/…

TWO HOLIDAY COTTAGES TO LET 1 Castle Cottages & Waverley are in the centre of Woodbury Village. 1 Castle Cottages sleeping 7 guests, Waverley 4/5. For bookings please phone Michelle 01395 232917 (2/6) FOOT HEALTH PRACTITIONER Nail Cutting and Treatment of Corns, Callus and Verrucas - Home Visits. Contact Lindsey Waddell MAFHP 01395 263496. (4/12) ROOFING Woodbury based RWI Roofing Specialising in Slating, Tiling, Re-Roof, New Roof, Repairs, Guttering. For a friendly, reliable service call Ray 232926, or 07988 691051 (As recmd in OurLocalExpert.co.uk) (11/12) SQUIRREL COTTAGE Self catering 16th century property full of character, available for weekly holidays and short breaks. Sleeps 5. Graded 5 Star. www.thecottagecompanydevon.co.uk Tel: Kay 0776 9975557 (2/12) COMPUTER SALES, HARDWARE REPAIRS AND UPGRADES Based in Woodbury for over 18 years - Broadband and wireless connections.

Data recovery and backup. Windows upgrades. Parental control. Free virus/ spyware removal & prevention. No fix no fee – All costs agreed in advance – evening visits to suit you. Mark Doyle Tel: 233694 (10/12) WE ARE POSH NOSH! With over two decades of experience in the catering industry we are at the forefront of special occasion and event catering in Devon and the West Country. We are committed to providing first class cuisine with outstanding levels of service. Phone:- 01392 444877 or email: info@posh-nosh.co.uk (12/12) ECZEMA - HOT, ITCHY, SORE. Homeopathy - natural, safe, nonaddictive. Phone Libby Clapham BA, RSHom, Registered Homeopath 01392 412767 / 07986 157854; libbyclaphamnaturalhealth.co.uk (9/12) BED AND BREAKFAST - Awarded a Certificate of Excellence by Trip Advisor. 4 Star Silver 16thC Devon Longhouse on a working dairy farm.

Sally Glanvill, Rydon Farm 232341 www.rydonfarmwoodbury.co.uk (11/12) RUBBISH REMOVALS Domestic and Commercial. Environment Agency licensed. No job too small. Tel: 0800 335 7610 / 07979 841376. www.rubbishremovalsexeter.com (*) WOODBURY HOLIDAY HOME TO RENT in centre of village. Luxury accommodation for 4 people, 2 en-suites, parking, courtyard garden.

Weekly holidays & short breaks. www.woodburyholidays.co.uk 01579 350365. (10/13) BED & BREAKFAST APARTMENT with Continental breakfast, or Traditional Farmhouse B&B, twin and double rooms. 01392 877710. Jenny Broom, Courtbrook Farm, Clyst St George. www.courtbrook.co.uk (9/12)

9 1ST WOODBURY GUIDES On Friday 13 March, Woodbury Guides decorated and sold biscuits and hot drinks at the Scout Hut, raising money for Comic Relief. The guides’ task was to decorate each biscuit with a funny face using sweets and buttercream.

At the end of the evening friends and family were invited in for a drink and all enjoyed a funny face biscuit. The total raised for Comic Relief was £40.

WOODBURY ROYAL BRITISH LEGION VE Day 1945 - 2015 Celebrating the 70th Anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe.

Table top sale for RBL Poppy Appeal funds Monday 4 May, 11.00-3.00, Woodbury Village Green (Will be cancelled if wet) £5 per 6ft table or space (pay on day).

Refreshments will be available.

Bring a picnic, help us celebrate, enjoy the stalls.

Enquiries - Sandra Huish 232696

ROYAL BRITISH LEGION COFFEE MORNINGS 10.00 - 11.30.

2, 16 & 30 APRIL. 14, 28 MAY. RBL ROOM behind WOODBURY VILLAGE HALL All are invited to join us on alternate Thursdays.

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WOODBURY LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY

SMALL ADVERTISEMENTS

AGM The AGM of the Society took place on Thursday 5 February, followed by a buffet and drinks. The event was very well attended and was enjoyed by everyone, for which thanks must be given to Bryony Giles, Suzie Austin and Anna Eyres, who organised the food, those members who organised the drinks, and the helpers in the kitchen.

The committee remains the same as the previous year, apart from the resignation of one member, leaving a vacancy for anyone wishing to be part of that committee. For further information on membership please contact the chairman, Professor Nick Burgess (232458) or the treasurer, David Bowers (239338).

March Meeting The title of this talk, held on Thursday 5 March, was The Sharland Family of Woodbury. Tony, and his wife Carol, gave us a fascinating insight into ordinary life in the parish where his father, Percy, worked for most of his life, and of Tony’s upbringing as a lad in the village. The audience was shown photos of Percy, obviously a great character from his son’s stories of his working life on farms, and of Tony as a boy. This agricultural life resulted in Percy being awarded a bravery medal for fighting off a fierce bull and enabling his fellow worker to escape the menacing animal – Percy ended up in hospital with a broken arm and bruises after the animal attempted to gore and toss him.

Life for a lad in the village seems to have been fun, with no ‘health and safety’ restrictions preventing boys having adventures and getting into mischief. Tony’s talk was given in a broad Devonshire voice, lovely to hear, but occasionally rather difficult to understand. The Society was very grateful to Tony for agreeing to give this talk, as it was the first one he had ever attempted, and everyone thoroughly enjoyed it.

The next meeting of the Society will be on Thursday 7 May in Exton Church at 7.30pm, and will be given by David Clement on the subject Shipping on the Exe from Roman Times. This should be an informative and absorbing lecture as David is a very knowledgeable member of the Southwest Maritime History Society, as well as an experienced speaker.

An outing to Glastonbury and a tour around the Abbey has been arranged for Thursday 16 July. A 34-seater coach will be booked and will leave Woodbury at 9.00 am, returning in the late afternoon. Details of the outing will be sent to members and published in Woodbury News. If there are any parishioners, who are not members of the History Society but are interested in an outing to Glastonbury, please contact John Treasaden (232738) to enquire whether there are any spare seats on the coach.

7 May Woodbury History Society - Shipping on the Exe. 7.30 Exton Church.

23 July Woodbury History Society – outing to Glastonbury Abbey and town.

3 Sep. Woodbury & Branscombe History Societies – ‘HEAP Landscape Project’. 7.30 WVH. 5 Nov Woodbury History Society – The East Devon Pebblebeds. 7.30 WVH

FOR SALE Straw Bales – I have approx. 50 x small straw bales - £2 each.

Delivery can be arranged at a small charge. Contact Dave Moore 07970 886994 Woodbury Salterton.

FOR SALE Kelvinator small chest freezer in good condition (height 33" x 21" x 21") £30. Tel: 233208 FOR SALE 3 seater brown leather sofa - 2 seats manual recline - length 220cm x width 95cm approx. Excellent condition £300 ono - buyer collects from Woodbury. Telephone 07775 582725 to arrange to view.

FOR SALE Wood Turning Lathe and Tools. Lathe Nu-Tool 37” with manual. £80. Tel: 232584 (1/2) FOR SALE TP Spiro Hop Bouncing See Saw. Bounces up and down on specially designed balls and also spins round and round. Can be used indoors and outdoors. Age recommendation 4 to 8 years. £25. Tel: 233299

BUSINESS ADVERTISEMENTS BABYSITTER Experienced (mother of 2), mature, local babysitter available seven evenings a week. £8 per hour. Call Rebecca Honey on 07824707192.

GUITAR TUITION Acoustic and electric lessons for all ages and abilities by a local, experienced tutor. Great rates! Call Daniel Honey on 07595344243.

LITERACY TUTOR Qualified teacher and specialist in Special Needs offering 1:1 private tuition for children and adults to support learning in literacy and language skills. See www.katecoldrick.com for further information or phone Kate Coldrick BMus (Hons), BSc (Hons) Psych, PGCE on 01395 232472 (2/12) MATHS TUITION Qualified teacher and experienced maths tutor. I can offer tuition to a wide range of ages and abilities, from key stage 2 through to A level. Call Dave on 07587 187521. (2/2) B&B LUXURY at The Dairy Loft, Woodbury Common. Need extra space for family & friends over the festive period or B&B anytime. Call Rob or Annie 01395 568411 see http://www.thedairyloft.co.uk/ (5/12) QUALIFIED BOOK-KEEPER AVAILABLE for book-keeping work, year end accounts, self-assessment, VAT returns. Tel: 01395 263280 (5/12) PROPERTY MAINTENANCE – James Waddell Interior & Exterior, Carpentry, Flooring, Fencing & Gates, Plumbing, Decking, Bathrooms & Kitchens, General Repairs. Free Advice & Estimates. 01395 263496 (12/12)

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NATIONAL PLANT MONITORING SCHEME Woodbury News has recently been informed about the National Plant Monitoring Scheme, the first of its kind, which is seeking volunteers across the United Kingdom to visit a kilometre square local to them and record the plants they find there in several different plots. The scheme will show how plants in different habitats are responding to changes in the environment.

Some readers may like to become involved in this government-backed scheme which is being delivered by a partnership comprising Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland; Centre for Ecology; Joint Nature Conservation Committee and Plantlife.

All volunteers registering for a square on www.npms.org.uk will: ¨ receive a survey pack (survey guidance; species list; species guidebook); ¨ be able to access telephone and email support provided by the volunteer coordinator; ¨ be able to access free training courses.

Squares have been randomly selected across the UK and it is possible to see if there is a square in your area by visiting the website above. Volunteers are asked to record up to 30 plant species in any one square or linear plot as long as it fits into one of the 28 NPMS habitats. Volunteers, who may be individuals or small groups, carry out the survey of their plots twice a year.

Further information can be found displayed on flyers in the Parish Council office window.

WILL WRITING FORTNIGHT 11 - 22 MAY In aid of Hospiscare - book from 20 April.

A great opportunity to make or update your Will and support your local hospice. For further information please contact Elizabeth on 01392 688020 or e.bevan@hospiscare.co.uk. Go to www.hospiscare.co.uk for the full list of solicitors taking part.

11 WOODBURY TENNIS CLUB The summer season will be underway at the end of March. The winter league programme has successfully concluded with points gained and relegation avoided. All ten matches were completed, Diane Macleod doing a magnificent job ensuring that four players were on court for each match. We are now preparing for the summer leagues, with Russell Gibbs captaining the A team, Phil Moores the B team and Diane Macleod the mixed team; matches start on 7 April.

For Club members and those wishing to join, we are holding the start of season club session and social (tennis from 5.30pm) at the White Hart from 8.00pm on Friday 27 March. There will be a tidy-up of courts working party on Sunday 29 March from 10.00. The annual Doubles tournament and Barbecue will be held on 6 June.

There will be a full junior programme operating as in previous years on Wednesday evening, with top coach Steve Wood in charge. The Club is delighted that Diane Macleod has stepped in to take over the co-ordinator role from Glenis Pewsey. The programme will start on Wed 29 April and, weather permitting, will take place every Wednesday until 8 July with a break at half term. The juniors should be members of the club (£15 or £10 for under 10s) and a coaching fee of £22 is payable for the sessions. To ensure that you are included please contact Diane (tennismacleods@gmail.com, 01395 232573, 07528004400).

As always the Club is seeking new and former members to come and play; club sessions will continue throughout the year on Sunday mornings from 10.30am and will start again on Friday evenings from 6.00pm in late March.

The Club is delighted to announce that we have secured funding (50% of requirement) from The Follies, Parish Council community grant and from Devon LTA (loan and grant) for the refurbishment of the lighting project. We are most appreciative of this support; the work will take place at the end of the summer season.

The Club has been awarded 4 pairs (two more than last year) of Wimbledon tickets to distribute to members; a ballot for the lucky paid-up members will take place at the Club session on 12 April.

Details of membership from Pat Browne (232805 ruthandpatb@aol.com) or Jackie Clarke (232832).

CHARITY COFFEE MORNINGS EVERY TUESDAY, 10.00-12.00 CHURCH ROOMS, WOODBURY Coffee/tea and a homemade cake £2 on vintage china.

All profits to local charities. Everyone welcome.

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WOODBURY C OF E PRIMARY SCHOOL Everyone at Woodbury School had a fantastic time raising £220 for comic Relief. Everyone came to school looking funny. Year 4 had a raffle to decide who would decorate their teacher’s face – Ewen and Joe won and had a great time turning Mrs Sparks orange! School council decorated cakes for everyone and we finished the day with a special assembly thinking about all the people we were helping.

Some nutrients are returned to the soil as ash, but there is a net loss to the smoke.

We try to use a variety of management techniques to maintain plenty of slightly different habitats, but sometimes the winter weather is too wet or windy for swaling, which can only be done in winter. So remember: any fires after 31 March are unintentional and need to be reported to the fire brigade.

RECIPE OF THE MONTH TARTIFLETTE This is supreme Alpine comfort food using lardons and flavoursome Reblochon cheese. It contains simple ingredients producing a filling dish. All it needs is a crisp green salad and a glass of wine.

Serves 4-6

Last week the year 6 children had a fantastic time on a four-day residential trip to Dartmoor. They stayed at Pixies Holt, a converted house, which is situated near Dartmeet. They had the opportunity to participate in activities that they might not normally meet, such as, orienteering, archery, shelter building and bush craft. The children also spent a day at Hound Tor and Greator Rocks scrambling over and weaselling through holes! They experienced ‘Dartmoor in the dark’ by going on a night hike to Yar Tor. The weather was kind and, with delicious home-cooked foods and exciting evening activities, the children had a wonderful time and have come away with many happy memories. Many thanks to Mr Ellis, Miss Pyle and Mrs Butland for accompanying the children on this trip.

Editor’s Note : In order to maximise submitted copy and photographs into Woodbury News, it may be necessary to reduce the size of some items. The Editorial team will attempt to do this as carefully as possible.

INGREDIENTS ¨ 6 medium waxy potatoes, skin on, medium sliced ( I use Desiree) ¨ 2 onions sliced into half moons ¨ 4 cloves of crushed garlic ¨ 200g lardons or smoky bacon chopped ¨ 1 Reblochon cheese (about 400g) cut into slices ¨ splash of olive oil ¨ generous seasoning ¨ splash of white wine (optional) ¨ 150ml double cream METHOD 1. par cook the potatoes in boiling water for 5-10 minutes until tender then drain.

2. meanwhile heat the oil in a frying pan and add the sliced onion and lardons and fry for about 5 minutes until golden.

3. add the garlic and wine and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated.

4. layer the potatoes in an oven proof dish with the lardons and onion mix. Season as you go.

5. pour over the double cream and layer the cheese on top.

6. bake in a medium hot oven (185℃) for about 15 minutes or until the cheese is golden and bubbling.

Serve with a crisp Salad.

Our thanks once again go to Stephen Leger who can be contacted at: stephenleger55@gmail.com Tel: 01395 233549 / 07977 422164 Secret Gourmet. www.secretgourmet.co.uk

36 RSPB AYLESBEARE COMMON RESERVE March Well, Spring has definitely sprung now: the snowdrops are over and being followed by wild daffodils on Venn Ottery Common and primroses just about everywhere. The early purple orchids are starting to appear, though not in flower quite yet.

The birds are all gearing up for the new breeding season and some familiar calls are greeting the dawn. Birders sometimes use a string of words to remember the calls, for example the great tits are shouting “teacher, teacher”, while the yellow hammers are demanding “a little bit of bread and nooooo cheeeeese”. Some just do what it says on the tin, like chiffchaffs or jackdaws or cuckoos (none of those around yet!). Others, like the dunnocks and linnets have sweet little songs that are more difficult to characterise, and house sparrows make plain old “cheep” work hard.

All the butterflies which overwinter as adults have been seen on the wing during recent sunny periods: comma, small tortoiseshell, red admiral, peacock and (my favourite) the brimstone. Some of them will be sunning themselves on handy stones, but the brimstones always seem to be busy flying very deliberately … somewhere.

Bumblebee queens are active now: the first ones out in my garden were the white-tailed, but now buff-tailed and tree bees are more in evidence, while the appearance of smaller worker white-tails show that those queens have already found nest sites and raised young. Up on the reserve the heath bumblebees will emerge later to make the most of the heather flowers. A winter-flowering shrub in your garden can be a huge benefit for bumblebees early in the year when the queens emerge from hibernation in desperate need of nectar for energy and pollen to bring themselves up to egg-laying fitness. I have a winter honeysuckle which flowers reliably from January to March, and can watch bees whenever the weather is good enough. If you want to know more, and see what else you could add to your garden to help bumblebees, visit the Bumblebee Conservation Trust website: http://bumblebeeconservation.org/ The little herd of ten ponies is still roaming freely across Aylesbeare and Harpford Commons. We can now track them remotely, as one of them is sporting a rather tasteful collar with a gps transmitter. So at least Vlad (our stockman) now has some idea where to look when he wants to check on them.

The winter work programme is now drawing to a close, as it must all be finished before the breeding season really gets underway. This year the weather was kind and we managed to swale (controlled burn), with the help of 30 Bicton students. Burning the older heather and gorse rejuvenates it by making space for new seedlings (whereas mowing causes regrowth from old roots).

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Year 6 children on their residential trip to Dartmoor

CLYST VALLEY CHORAL SOCIETY 18 APRIL - ST MARGARET'S CHURCH, TOPSHAM 19 APRIL - HOLY TRINITY, EXMOUTH Carter: Benedicite. Mendelssohn: Hymn of Praise. Tickets: 232318 FoSS CONCERT - FRIDAY 24 APRIL, 7.30 ST SWITHUN’S CHURCH, WOODBURY Featuring Exeter School Chamber Choir, string, sax and cello quartets, Woodbury Whalers and Bel Canto choir.

Tickets £7.50 to include a drink and nibbles at the interval.

Tickets on sale from Pat Browne (232805) or Rowsell’s Hardware Shop.

WOODBURY NEWS CLOSING DATES 2015 21 APRIL.

19 MAY.

16 JUNE.

14 JULY.

ALL MATERIAL FOR THE MAGAZINE SHOULD BE SENT TO KAREN SQUIRES, WILLOWFIELD, OAKHAYES ROAD by 7.00pm on the Closing Date, with a name and telephone number, or e-mail to karensquires100@gmail.com

14 WOODBURY TWINNING ASSOCIATION I will say this only once - if you missed our 'Allo, 'Allo Evening on 28 February, you certainly missed a treat! Guests were invited to Café Rene for a 5-course French meal where they were entertained by the wonderful singing of Rene's wife, Edith, and other characters from the well-known TV comedy show, including Michelle, the Resistance leader who donned a most fetching disguise to confuse Herr Flick! It was a brilliant evening - great food, wine, music and much laughter. Our thanks to Moonstone Theatre Company for the entertainment, and to the very hard-working committee.

WOODBURY WOMEN’S INSTITUTE The President, Margaret Edwards, opened the meeting by welcoming everyone and introducing Jo Hunter who was back at Woodbury WI by popular demand, this time to teach us the art of Button Making.

This activity was entered into with much enthusiasm and amusement and, by the end of the evening, we had all produced a selection of buttons, some of which will be added to a corsage and decorated further at the next meeting.

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Supporting Our Local Airport From Richard Bartlett Readers of the Woodbury News may be surprised to know that it is now possible to fly more cheaply than previously from Exeter Airport to many interesting destinations both in the UK and abroad. The Summer 2015 programme is very well presented in these two websites: www.exeterairport.co.uk and www.flybe.com.

Our local airport is under new ownership and Flybe is a totally different company. Scheduled fares are now substantially cheaper and there is a good selection of sunshine holidays on offer. I want to bring this fact to the attention of our residents because so much local employment depends on the success of these two companies. Over 1,200 people work at Flybe and the Airport and many more at suppliers and sub-contractors.

I am the Woodbury Parish Council’s representative on the Exeter Airport Consultative Committee of which I am the current Chairman. It acts as an impartial interface between the Airport Operator and the local community.

Each member represents either a local business or some part of the administration of East Devon. The Department for Transport requires every airport in the United Kingdom to support a Consultative Committee as part of their Civil Aviation Authority Operator’s Licence.

We closely monitor the impact of aircraft noise and commercial activity on the local community. Its effect on proposed large-scale residential developments in the vicinity of the airport must also be considered. In addition, good employment prospects are a vital part of our local economy and we encourage the use of Exeter Airport as a low cost gateway to other parts of the United Kingdom, Western Europe and the Mediterranean.

ADVERTISING RATES SMALL ADS.: (3 lines) Private £2.00. (3 lines) Business £5.00 (£50.00 per annum). DISPLAY ADS. £17 quarter page To: Karen Squires, Willowfield, Oakhayes Road, Woodbury EX5 1JT Tel: 233299 (e-mail karensquires100@gmail.com).

The Woodbury News accepts no liability for:- i) Any claims made by the advertiser; ii) Any errors or omissions in the advertisement as submitted by the advertiser; iii) Any legal action as a result of the advertisement.

34 CONGRATULATIONS Congratulations to Vera Stokes, whose Woodbury born and bred miniature smooth haired dachshund Webbers Swansong (kennel name Daisy), attained 2nd place in her breed class of 15 entries at Crufts at the NEC in Birmingham on 7 March.

Crufts is the world’s largest dog show, and Daisy had to compete with other entries from as far afield as Russia and many other European countries, plus other top UK breeders. Crufts is the culmination of the 'dog year' in the UK, where in total over 20,000 dogs are shown over four days.

If you can get a placing here, it makes all the hard work that has been put in throughout the year very worthwhile.

2015 FESTIVAL OF FOLK, ROOTS AND BLUES In its third year we're finally bowing to pressure and renaming the festival Wood(bury)stock. The festival will take place over Friday 19 and Saturday 20 June at the Maltsters Arms. The line-up includes a range of artistes from upcoming youngsters to performers who've been around for years. Once again this will be in support of Force Cancer Charity.

The Friday evening line up includes Hooper & Mills, Bicton Street Blues, Sugar Shakers and Junkyard Angels.

Saturday evening features the no-nonsense Doctors Orders, The Travelling Bluesburys, while we wait for other bands to confirm.

All musicians and organisers have once again agreed to perform free for this worthwhile charity.

Saturday afternoon events are planned to feature a number of community groups, choirs, local talent and one or two more established performers.

News of which groups will be taking part will be announced as soon as confirmations are received.

Admission will be by ticket, available after 1 May, priced at a modest £7 for Friday evening, £7 for Saturday evening or £10 for a weekend ticket. For the Saturday afternoon event, entry will be free, but buckets will be rattled vigorously. Information and latest announcements on www.bluesbury.co.uk, click on the Festival 2015 tag.

15 After the refreshments and a good catch up with friends, Margaret ran through some of the forthcoming events that are available to WI members.

Amongst these is a special Centenary WI Royal Garden Party in the presence of the Duchess of Cornwall.

The Centenary Celebrations have got under way locally with three of our members, Sue Bury, Margo Crundwell and Ann Garland attending a Centenary Lunch in St Frances Hall, Sidmouth where they listened to a talk by the Town Crier of Honiton and passed around the Centenary Baton.

The pompoms from the Christmas tree have found a good home and are going to the South West Children’s Hospice following their request for wool for ‘Yarn Bombing’. Lin Milson was very pleased to announce that the Book Group has this month donated £15 to Hospiscare and £15 to Woodbury Community Playing Fields.

The Flower of the Month was won by Rosemary Foster and the raffle winners were Pauline Wratten, Eileen Coleman and Lin Milson.

The Saturday following our meeting six members took part in the Annual Clyst Group Whist Drive. There was some very keen competition but Woodbury WI ‘came up trumps’ with Jo Lovejoy being the clear winner.

Well done Jo. We meet on the second Thursday of the month at 7.30 in the Village Hall; new members and guests are always welcome and our programme for the next twelve months is looking very interesting.

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WOODBURY SALTERTON NEWS

THANKS David Keep would like to thank all those who sent greetings and offered help after he broke his leg on 23 January, and especially Carolyn who had to wait on him. It was good to find he was not indispensable! He would also like to commend the A & E and Orthopaedic departments at the RD & E for their excellent and efficient care. We are very fortunate to have such a hospital.

HOLY TRINITY CHURCH In Memorium The funeral took place in church on 16 February of Laurence Bertie Chudley. The esteem and affection in which Lar or Lars, as he was generally known, was held was shown by the number of mourners who filled not only the church but also the gallery. We extend our sympathy to Mavis, his wife of almost fifty years (they would have celebrated their Golden Wedding on 6 March), and his son Stuart and pray for them in their loss. Mavis and Stuart would like to express their thanks to their wonderful neighbours, friends and family, especially Tracey and Phil, for their invaluable help and to all whose support at the funeral was so appreciated. Donations for the Gateway Club at Exmouth totalled just over £600.

Isabel Mitchell The funeral of Isabel, who had gone back to her maiden name (formerly Isabel Gratton) took place at Holy Trinity church, Woodbury Salterton on 23 February. Revd Karen Spray conducted the service and the burial afterwards in the grave of her parents William and Annie. Isabel was their sixth child, born in 1924, and lived here at St Anthony’s Cottages and then at Melford Rise, before moving to Park Close, Woodbury, in 1990.

Isabel’s working life comprised many jobs, some actually in the village – at the school, delivering school meals, at the village shop and driving the local taxi. She loved cars and it was her wish to travel to her funeral in a Daimler.

She had a great love for the village and even kept a scrapbook of village events. We are indebted to her for the wooden seat by the bus stop and for many of the trees which beautify the village and which she planted in memory of family members. She planted a horse chestnut on The Plantation for her parents William and Annie. She was proud of her brothers and wished to record that they had served their country in the Second World War. She gave lilies in their memory to the church at Easter and always attended the wreathlaying at the lych gate on Remembrance Sunday. Another tree on The Plantation records Reginald Mitchell, Royal Navy, killed in World War II aged 23 years. Isabel had always believed that his body was lost at sea and was delighted that family research carried out recently revealed that he had been buried in Edinburgh, where he had married and had a family. She gave two trees on the corner of Bonds Lane with the inscriptions Leonard Frances Mitchell Royal Artillery 1915 - 1975 and Leslie Mitchell Royal Air Force 1922 - 1973.

Isabel was very much part of the village scene in Woodbury Salterton and friends from this village and from Woodbury came together to mourn a good neighbour and friend.

Doris Harvey, Vanessa and Mandy would like to thank their many friends for the words of sympathy and the great support they received following the sudden and unexpected death of Tony on Sunday 22 February and to everyone who attended the funeral on Thursday 5 March.

Jean Carpenter: “To all the many friends who sent me Get Well cards and who have brought me ‘welcome back’ gifts after my fall – my grateful thanks. I am now home – a bit painful, but it is good to be able to do what I want and when I want! I am gutted that I was unable to attend my dear friend Maggie Connell’s funeral but offer my thanks to those who brought me copies of the Order of Service - I shall treasure them. If anyone wants to come in for a cuppa and a chat I should love to see them.”

CONGRATULATIONS Rebecca and Emily Vater competed at the British Indoor Rowing Championship at the olympic velodrome in London.

Rebecca was against 67 juniors in the year ten event; Rebecca rowed 1270 metres in five minutes finishing 17th. Emily battled against 42 juniors in the year eight event; she rowed 780 metres in three minutes finishing 2nd - 2 metres short of gold!

Congratulations to Woodbury Surgery staff, doctors and friends who raised £1687.13 by taking part in last year's Hospiscare's "Jolly Jaunt" to raise funds towards East Devon Day Hospice Appeal. And huge thanks to the many family, friends and patients who supported them. The new Hospice will provide a much needed local facility for the community of East Devon.

32 DEATHS Cont’d/...

Sadly John ‘Jack’ Ellis of Woodbury passed away on Tuesday 10 March in Exmouth Hospital. Betty, John’s wife of 69 years, would like to say ‘thank you’ on behalf of her family to all the doctors, nurses, pharmacy and reception staff of Woodbury Surgery for the care and support they have shown. Multiple thanks also go to the staff on Doris Heard Ward at Exmouth Hospital, to Jenny and Susan of The British Red Cross and to Mobile Support Officers Val and Steven. Finally, Betty sends a huge note of gratitude to her neighbours for their kindness, especially Kath and Carol for their continuing friendship and support during this difficult time.

WEDDING Phil and Beverley Simcox are pleased to report the recent marriage of their son, Matthew, to Claire Edmonds at Fanhams Hall in Hertfordshire.

Claire’s sister, Helen, was Matron of Honour and Matthew’s friends from Woodbur y School da ys, Tom Wakefield and Matthew Perry, were best men.

WELCOME Welcome to Jarda and Gina Chlapik who have moved to 4 Gilbrook Close from Thames Ditton in Surrey. Jarda is a retired electrical engineer and Gina used to work in admin at Kingston Hospital. They have a son and daughterin-law living in Woodbury with their two children and, as well as helping with the grandchildren, they hope to immerse themselves in village life.

Jarda and Gina are both interested in gardening and look forward to working in their new garden. Jarda particularly enjoys growing vegetables; he gave up a very large allotment in Surrey and is hoping to obtain another one in Woodbury. They are both keen walkers too and would like to join one of the walking groups in the village.

17 Family Services Fiona Vessey conducted the Family Service in February.

She talked about Lent, starting with Shrove Tuesday. The children were very knowledgeable in answering her questions, Finlay Webb telling her exactly why we have pancakes! Fiona told how other countries celebrate this day, such as Mardi Gras in France and similar festivals in Brazil, Sweden and Germany. In Iceland their name for this day translates as ‘Bursting Day’ – which some of the children might appreciate as hands were raised to answer ‘How many pancakes could you eat?’ – several thought ten! The original Carnival was held on Shrove Tuesday, carnival meaning removal of meat. Graham Gerdes read a modern interpretation of the parable of the sower, and prayers were written and read by Alice and Eliza Rooke and Libby Windle.

The March Family Service was on Mothering Sunday and attracted a large congregation of about thirty adults and twenty-three children, the increase being mainly due to the School participation. Mark Lovett led the service and talked to the children about the meaning of Mothering Sunday and the story of Moses being saved by his mother. The schoolchildren acted out the story of The Prodigal Son and sang worship songs under the direction of their Headteacher, Duncan Nelmes. They had also written down what most annoyed their mothers and what made them happy and Mark read these out.

Some children had also written their own prayers. Those taking part in the play and the prayers were Finlay and Lola, Alice and Eliza, Max and Lucie, Megan and Sam, Olivia and Morgan and Libby. Sheila Mills had kindly given flowers and Sheila Gerdes had made these into bunches. Both were thanked by Mark. The schoolchildren had all contributed some lovely written work about their mothers and these were on display in the church porch and on the school notice board at the back of the church. Mark thanked the School for their valuable input which contributed to a lovely service.

Church Coffee Morning The April Coffee Morning, with bacon butties, will be held on Saturday 4th from 9.30 until 10.30.

WHIST - TUESDAY 21 APRIL, 7.30 WOODBURY SALTERTON VILLAGE HALL GET IN TRAINING FOR THE WOODBURY 10K SUNDAY 20 SEPTEMBER, 10.00 Money raised to support the Woodbury Community Playing Fields.

Details to follow. Any enquiries for entry or to help in the event.

Contact Barbara Woolley 01395 232992.

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WOMEN’S INSTITUTE Laura Board, Community and Corporate Fundraiser for the Exeter Royal Academy for Deaf Education, was the speaker at the March meeting. She talked about the problems which deaf children face and read out a very appreciative letter written by a mother about the amazing impact the Academy had had on her eleven-year-old son, and on his family. Although the students are funded by their local authority, the Academy remains a charity.

The present Academy is not fit for purpose as the building is expensive, difficult to maintain and keep secure, and the site is fragmented. It is the only specialist residential home in the West of England.

A new building has been designed, which will provide school premises and accommodation for the pupils who have to reside there as some come from as far away as Scotland. At present the Academy has 75 students aged 4 to 24 years but the new building will have places for 180.

A public appeal is shortly to be launched to raise £2-3 million.

Lis Appleton thanked Laura for giving us such an interesting insight into the wonderful work they are doing for deaf children.

The 8 April meeting, at 7.30 in the Village Hall, will be a workshop on Floral Posies led by Jane Butler.

The monthly coffee morning on 16 April at 11.00 will be at The Diggers Rest.

He always worked hard and used to have to hoe all the turnips by hand. As well as his ploughing, John always enjoyed making good hay and continued to do this until about 1988.

He also thoroughly enjoyed laying a good hedge, which he found very therapeutic, and this he was doing up until about seven years ago. John and Ruby established a local milk round in the village and installed a small bottling plant in the dairy at Woodbury House. Later, the bottles were phased out and the equipment had to be adapted for Tetra John’s herd of cows were one of about 5 herds Pak packaging. Ruby drove which used to traverse Woodbury roads every day the van and did all the up until the 1970s. deliveries, and later Anthony Something which will never happen again! helped out.

John worked on the farm until he was 57, when he semi-retired.

In the mid 70s he started a small caravan site and many good friendships developed between the caravanners and him. Many came back year after year and became lifelong friends. Like many farmers, John never had a chance to take holidays away – in fact, the only time he and Ruby left the county was to go to the Isle of Wight for a Taking part in a ploughing match c.1950 wedding, and unbelievably they returned the same day!

John’s familiar figure outside Woodbury House will be sadly missed.

CROCUSES This year the crocuses on The Plantation have been exceptionally beautiful and many people have admired, enjoyed and commented on them.

Did you know how they came to be there? Many years ago Alan and Kay Nixon won a competition for the best window-boxes. The prize was a cash sum and they went to St Bridget’s Nursery and spent it on crocus corms.

Alan was a School Governor at the time and asked the Headteacher, Geoff Dearnley, if he could enlist the help of some schoolchildren to plant the crocuses.

Alan has photos of the window-boxes which won the competition – those particular boxes had later to be replaced – and thinks the year in question could be 1982, the year after he and Kay moved to the village.

The crocuses therefore could have been there for well over thirty years, and have spread to create the colourful carpet we appreciate today.

WOODBURY NEWS to your door …

If you are a new resident to the area, or would like your Woodbury News to be delivered to your door monthly, just call Beverley Simcox on 232858 and she will put you in contact with your local deliverer.

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ROUND AND ABOUT DEATH Gerry Southard from Woodbury Salterton passed away on 16 February.

Grateful thanks go to Dr Crawford and all at Woodbury Surgery. His funeral was held at East Devon Crematorium on 27 February. Donations collected for Friends of Woodbury Surgery.

We were sorry to report the death in March Woodbury News of John Stamp, one of Woodbury's oldest residents. John was born at Woodbury House on 14 May 1923, to Bert and May Stamp. He was the youngest of three children and had two older sisters, Bertha and Violet. He went to school in Exeter and on leaving school worked for his father. In his younger days he was a member of the Young Farmers’ Club and a keen John’s familiar pose ploughman, taking part in local ploughing matches, especially at Colaton Raleigh. He also enjoyed playing tennis in his spare time with his sisters. He enjoyed going for walks with his friends on a Sunday afternoon, calling in at a handy pub to quench their thirst. That was how he met Ruby, who was to be his wife. John was 21 when they married. It was a wartime wedding, and it seemed as if the whole village managed to produce something to help out, to make it a special occasion.

Ruby had been bombed out in Plymouth, where they ran a pub, so the brewery found them the Salterton Inn as it was then, now known as the Diggers Rest. John and Ruby started their married life living there with Ruby’s mother, while John continued to work for his father on the farm in Woodbury. During the war, as farming was a reserved occupation, John became a member of the Home Guard from 23 September 1940 to 31 December 1944, and received a certificate of appreciation for his service. John and Ruby had their only son Anthony in October 1946, while still living at the Salterton Inn. When John’s mother died, he and Ruby moved to Woodbury House to look after John’s father Bert, at which time Anthony was about three years old. John built up a small herd of milking cows that could often be seen being driven back through the village after milking.

Picture c.1960

19 WOODBURY SALTERTON C OF E SCHOOL Chinese New Year Pupils celebrated the Chinese New Year – the year of the goat (or sheep) in the Chinese Calendar. Class 4 made goat mobiles and, as the school was focusing on Generosity as part of its Lent observance, gave them to Classes 1 and 2. Class 1 also brightened their classroom with Chinese lanterns.

The Great Education Debate On a Friday in February Class 4’s room became a great debating chamber.

Schoo l jumpers were exchanged for jackets and ties and sides were taken over key education issues including whether there should be homework in primary schools and whether there should be some choice of subjects in KS2. The children were brilliant, making clear arguments to explain their standpoints and listening respectfully to the speakers. Mrs Turner said afterwards, ‘While we may not have been able to solve all the current issues in education, the future is bright for a generation of children able to participate fully, intelligently and courteously in an interesting debate.’

World Book Day Pupils celebrated this by wearing a variety of outfits to school, dressing as some of their f a v o u r it e book characters.

20 A Snow White Afternoon The children acted out the story, icing apple-shaped biscuits and going on a treasure hunt to find the seven dwarfs.

The afternoon ended with enjoying toffee apples which were fortunately not like the poisoned one which Snow White ate.

Buckfast Abbey Visit Classes 1 and 2 attended the ‘Threads at Easter’ event at Buckfast Abbey. They went round the Abbey exploring the Easter Story from Palm Sunday to Easter Day. At each stop on the story journey they added beads to a thread which they were able to take home and reflect on the various symbols.

WOODBURY PARISH COUNCIL VACANCY FOR AN ASSISTANT/PA TO THE CLERK The Clerk to the Council requires an Assistant to help her with the day-today running of the Parish Council. The successful candidate must be computer literate, fully conversant with Microsoft Office and be prepared to work flexibly. Hours will be 12 per week over two or three days and will include attending some evening meetings which usually fall on Mondays.

Occasional cover may also be required during periods of the clerk’s holiday and/or sickness.

Starting salary will be £5,373pa. Four weeks’ holiday (pro rata) will be included following completion of the probationary period of 13 weeks.

Please contact the Clerk in the first instance for further details, including an application form and person and job description. woodburyparishcouncil@gmail.com Mrs Belinda Price, Clerk to the Council, Greenleigh, Greenway, Woodbury EX5 1HL

29 LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS All District and Parish Councillors must stand down this year and an election will take place on 7 May 2015. Anyone wishing to stand for office must complete a nomination form (available from East Devon District Council Offices – 01395 516551). A timetable is shown below. Parish Councillors are hard-working individuals who have the general good of the community at heart and are committed to keeping the Parish a good place to live and work. Woodbury Parish Council meets on the second and fourth Monday of every month except August and December with occasional committee meetings in between. If you are interested in working for your community (on all matters – not just planning!) and would like to know more about it please attend one of the Parish Council surgeries in February (dates on page 21) or contact the Clerk or one of the current Councillors whose names and contact details can be found on the noticeboards and on the website (www.woodbury devon.co.uk).

LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTION TIME-TABLE Timetable of Proceedings for Thursday 7 May 2015 Publication of Notice of Election Not later than Monday 30 March 2015 Start of Nomination Process On the day following publication of Notice of Election Deadline for Receipt of Nominations 4.00pm Thursday 9 April 2015 Withdrawal of Candidate 4.00pm Thursday 9 April 2015 Appointment of Election Agents Thursday 9 April 2015 Publication of Notice of Election Agents Thursday 9 April 2015 Publication of Statements of Persons Nominated 4.00pm Friday 10 April 2015 Last Date for Registration to vote Monday 20 April 2015 Deadline for Receipt of Postal Vote Applications 5.00pm Tuesday 21 April 2015 Publication of Notice of Poll Tuesday 28 April 2015 Deadline for Receipt of Proxy Vote Applications 5.00pm Tuesday 28 April 2015 Appointment of Poll and Count Agents Wednesday 29 April 2015 First Day to Issue Replacement Lost Postal Ballot Papers Thursday 30 April 2015 Receipt of Emergency Proxy Vote Applications 5.00pm Thursday 7 May 2015 Last Day to Issue Replacement Lost/Spoilt Ballot Papers 5.00pm Thursday 7 May 2015 Day of Poll 7.00am to 10.00pm Thursday 7 May 2015 Declaration of Candidates Expenses Thursday 11 June 2015

WOODBURY PARISH COUNCIL Agendas for future meeting, and minutes of meetings of Woodbury Parish Council can be found on www.woodburydevon.co.uk

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WOODBURY PARISH COUNCIL NOTICES

WOODBURY SALTERTON - DUMBUTU LINK Although the charity is registered in Woodbury Salterton’s name, many newcomers to Devon are unaware of our existence, so please publicise our events and efforts, especially if you or your organisation can hold any event for us.

We would support you.

All West Africa is in financial crisis due to the negative publicity of Ebola, which has NOT touched The Gambia. Many adults now can eat only on alternate days.

The sponsorship scheme continues to provide education for 83 students at just £25 per year (cost of midday meal and basic stationery.) Stopping educational support may mean that school stops completely for a 5 to 14 year old pupil.

Our new solar-pumped well project is to be sited in the middle of Dumbutu’s vegetable gardens. Penny Price has visited Dumbutu this year and has photos to share of the women’s attempts to run a small co-operative for their vegetable garden, giving them both cash benefits for surplus crops, and a positive feeling of self-worth and new status in their village. Our efforts for their training and the fencing of the garden in past years have literally grown fruit! The women continue to work on the gardens watering from the old well by hand pump throughout each day and up to 10.00 pm at night (with no lights), because there are so many plots to water and the pump is slow. Each woman has several plots, some near and some far from the well (to be fair about their efforts.) If we succeed with the solar pump they will still carry water throughout the half kilometre square plot, but to be able to collect water from a reservoir tank as they arrive would save both enormous time and physical effort.

Another £4000 could help us to achieve this freedom for the 150 women involved. (Next time you turn on a tap, please think about this.)

Leo Wilson (chair)

WOODBURY NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN Following the distribution of 1348 copies of the Woodbury Neighbourhood Plan Visions and Policies consultation document, 212 responses have been received, a response rate of almost 16%. The Parish Council wishes to thank all of those who have taken the time and made the effort to work through the long and complex document and who have responded.

The Steering Group has managed to collate about two thirds of the responses and this initial analysis indicates that: ¨ The vast majority of the community states that it agrees with the plan aims and vision statement (about 80%). ¨ Disagreement with objectives for housing and development (7%) community and economy (5%) environment (2%) and infrastructure (5%) is low. ¨ Disagreement with the objectives for Woodbury Village (10%), Woodbury Salterton Village (6%) and Exton Village (4%) is varied across the villages. ¨ Results across all of the policies are quite variable and each policy needs to be looked at individually, although of the 25 policies only 4 have more than 15% disagreement.

It is interesting to note that of those who responded 89% are over 45 and 87% have lived in the parish for more than 5 years – where are the younger generations and is it only the long-term residents who want to exercise some element of control over the development of their community?

The results of the consultation will be examined in great detail and the Visions and Policies re-edited accordingly.

The next stage of the process will be to produce the Draft Neighbourhood Plan which will be submitted to EDDC and to the community for further consultation. It is hoped that this will take place in the summer this year but this may be affected by the progress of the EDDC Local Plan.

Do email your photos of local people or events to Karen on karensquires100@gmail.com The editorial team still need a wider spread of news, particularly about our younger people. What are you all up to? Why don’t YOU write an article or send in a photo?

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27

EXTON NEWS

COMMUNITY POLICE REPORT

ST ANDREW’S CHURCH, EXTON SUNDAY SERVICES 1st Sunday Easter Day, 9.30am Family Eucharist with Hymns. 2nd Sunday, 9.30am Eucharist Service with Hymns. 3rd Sunday, 9.30am Lay-led Service with Hymns. 4th Sunday, 9.30am Eucharist Service with Hymns.

HOLY WEEK SERVICES For the Whole of Whitecross Mission Community: Maundy Thursday 2 April, 7.00pm Meditation and Eucharist at Farringdon. Good Friday 3 April, 9.30am Meditation on Cross of Christ at Clyst St Mary - taken by Revd Chris Cant. 2.00pm Meditation on the Cross at Aylesbeare - taken by Revd Karen Spray. 2.00pm Meditation on the Cross at Clyst St George. Lay-led Service. 2.30pm Meditation Service at St Swithun’s Woodbury - taken by Revd Tim Hudson.

EASTER DAY Please note 5 April is Easter Day when we shall be having a Family Eucharist Service at 9.30am taken by Revd Geo. Wrayford. This is instead of the usual 1st Sunday evening Service.

EXTON GARDEN CLUB In February we held our AGM. The Chairman opened the meeting by paying tribute to Tony Harvey, and all he had done for the club. She said he would be greatly missed and sent thoughts and sympathy to Doris. There followed a few minutes of reflection for members to remember Tony.

The Chairman said that despite falling membership the Club had enjoyed a good year. It had been Doris’ last year as programme secretary and she had produced a good and varied programme as always. Sadly we have lost two of our main plant producers since Christmas, Tony of course and John Balding. They will be greatly missed this year at the plant sale but hopefully everyone will do that little bit extra. It was suggested and agreed that the sale would be dedicated to Tony and John, and the proceeds will be donated to their chosen charities.

The committee were all prepared to stand again and were re-elected en bloc.

The members had been asked if they would prefer the meetings in the winter months to be held in the afternoon. Such a change couldn’t take place until 2016/17, but is up for discussion.

The chairman and committee were thanked for their work for the Club and after the meeting everyone enjoyed a sociable evening with refreshments supplied and served by the committee.

24 April Exton Garden Club Amazing Plants by Chris Allen.

20 June Exton Fete.

PCSO Donna Baker Tel 08456569412 Donna.baker@devonandcornwall.pnn.police.uk There were 3 crimes reported during the month of February as follows – Some time between 22 and 23 January and again between 4 and 5 February unknown person(s) have interfered with vehicles parked on Pound Lane, removing and loosening wheel nuts. This is a very dangerous thing to do and it was very lucky that no accident occurred as a result. I would ask residents to report any suspicious activity to the police immediately.

On 26 February a resident in Woodbury Salterton received an international scam call. Persons were pretending to provide a service to block nuisance calls and attempted to get bank details from the victim. These scam calls continue to occur with varying subject content but always with the aim of extracting bank details from the potential victim; please remain vigilant.

Have Your Say, Police Surgery – held on the second Monday of the month at the Parish Council office, opposite The Green.

To date there have been no callers to the surgery which is possibly an indication that residents in the parish enjoy a relatively crime-free life.

I will continue to hold the surgery for the next two months on 13 April 3.00 to 3.30pm and 11 May 3.00 to 3.30pm, and then review the idea.

FEBRUARY WEATHER We had a lovely spell of sunny weather during the first week of February with Easterly winds and sharp overnight frosts; as usual the latter did a lot of damage to early flowering shrubs. I do not keep records for hours of sunshine but the Met Office said we had record amounts of it this winter.

The wind then backed to North and West with cloud and light rain till the last day of the month. Rainfall was 55.6 mm (2.18 ins and 69 % of average) and max/min temperatures were 15C/-2C. As I write this the daffodils are bursting out, it is practically broad daylight at 6.30pm and the trout fishing season opens tomorrow; so all is well with the world. PJH SPRING LYCH GATE IN ST SWITHUN’S CHURCH 9.00-11.00 SATURDAY 28 MARCH, 2 MAY Helpers needed. Do come along to meet old and new friends, enjoy a cup of coffee and bacon butties.

There will be home-grown and home-made produce for sale.

We look forward to seeing you.

26

23

Exton Ladies cont’d/...

Angela amused us with her tales of killing the geckos she found climbing the apartment walls until she realised that they at least ate the mosquitoes that would otherwise eat them. The geckos may have had a reprieve but not the cockroaches which not only lurked in the least hygienic areas but seemed to be armour-plated and very crush resistant. Snakes were dealt with cautiously and usually by calling the Government Snakeman who captured them and removed them alive … possibly to the family cooking pot.

Although Angela was happy to come home in 1996, she obviously enjoyed her time in Hong Kong. She always felt safe, there was plenty to do and the public transport system was excellent. She has returned twice in recent years and the biggest change in her eyes has been a massive increase in pollution.

The stunning views from The Peak across the bay to Kowloon which she and John so enjoyed are much diminished, the declining regional air quality means visibility has decreased dramatically. In fact, Hong Kong is approaching the record of being the darkest capital city in the world with the least amount of sunlight hours (just after Edinburgh).

Exton Ladies thoroughly enjoyed Angela’s talk. Her humour, style of delivery and visual aids held everyone’s interest and many enjoyed talking to her during the customary end-of-meeting tea and scrumptious home-made cakes perfectly cooked by Bridget and Judy, for which many thanks.

EXTON LADIES GROUP February meeting As in previous years Exton Ladies Group held its Annual General Meeting at the beginning of the February meeting. Reports were received from the Chairman and Treasurer. Chris Bilyard has kindly offered to continue as Chairman for one more year with a small group of members working closely with her to fulfil the demands of running the group.

Members were asked for help in finalising the 2015/16 programme.

Members were reminded that for the group to continue everyone should contribute as they are able. Sincere appreciation (in words and flowers) was expressed to Chris for the outstanding work she does to ensure the smoothrunning of the group. At the end of the AGM we welcomed our speaker.

I expect most of us thought we knew about the Eddystone Lighthouse, knew where it was and knew that its presence had saved countless ships which might otherwise have foundered on the treacherous rocks of the Eddystone Reef. But it wasn’t until we had the pleasure of listening to David Hole and ‘the lovely Christine’ (aka Mrs Hole!) talking about its history that I realised how little I actually did know about this Great British icon!

The importance of coastal markers was recognized as early as 1512 when Henry VIII established Trinity House to ensure the safety of shipping and the well being of seafarers, particularly on the Thames. However, it wasn’t until 1694 that permission was given to build a lighthouse on the Eddystone Reef.

Permission was one thing; inclination and finance another (some things never change). The following year saw the loss of two ships both belonging to Henry Winstanley. Winstanley was the ‘Del Boy’ of his day! He’d made a lot of money through various schemes and thought it might be ‘fun’ to build a lighthouse despite knowing nothing about the sea in general or the Eddystone Reef in particular. Sometimes ignorance really is bliss, and had he known the difficulties he would encounter (including being kidnapped by the French) he would never have started. In 1698 the first Eddystone Lighthouse was complete and the first candle lit atop the Winstanley Tower.

For five years this light served as a warning to ships to steer clear of the rocks, until the tower was washed away by a winter storm taking the lighthouse men and a visiting Winstanley with it. Two days later the merchant ship Winchelsea hit the rocks with massive loss of life, and a cry for a new lighthouse went up.

Rudyerd’s Tower was completed in 1709. The base was made of layers of oak and granite and fixed to the rocks with thirty six posts. The upper parts were made of wood providing a smooth surface which helped to withstand the ravages of the sea, but not woodworm. In 1755 the lamp room caught fire.

More details about the Exton Ladies Group can be found on the Exton village website http://www.extondevon.org.uk/. We usually meet in Exton Village Hall at 2.15 on the second Thursday of the month and you would be most welcome to join us. Please just come along.

Future meetings 9 April Jane Brunt - One Woman, a Harem and a Thousand Cows.

14 May Brian Ridge - Stained Glass – Medieval to Modern.

11 June Summer Outing: details to be confirmed.

EXTON CRAFT GROUP We shall be resuming our monthly Craft meetings on Thursday 23 April at 2.30pm in St Andrew’s Church. Everyone is welcome to come along for an enjoyable afternoon. Bring your own choice of craft, or not, and relax with friends over a cup of tea or coffee and biscuits.

The Woodbury News attempts to represent a variety of views within the Community, but does not accept responsibility for anything but Editorial comment. While it may publish unacknowledged material, nothing is included unless the Editor knows the name and address of the author(s).

24

25

Exton Ladies cont’d/...

Despite their valiant efforts to douse the flames the lighthouse was destroyed. At one point Henry Hall, one of the keepers, looked up to shout a warning to his colleagues and a blob of molten lead dropped from the burning roof into his open mouth. The alarm was raised by local fishermen and all three keepers were saved. Hall survived 12 days; an autopsy removed a 7.5 ounce lump of lead from his stomach which can still be seen in an Edinburgh museum.

And now it was John Smeaton’s turn to accept the challenge of building a new lighthouse. At least he was a trained architect who also had considerable experience of the sea. His design was based on an oak tree with an enormous base. For both the base and the tower he used Portland stone blocks machined to fit together with minimal use of cement. Building started in 1756 and the tower went into service in 1759. In 1807 the 24 candles used as the light source were replaced with an argon lamp.

Smeaton’s Tower was so reliable that its image was put onto the one penny coin. In 1878 a new state-of-the-art lighthouse designed by James Douglass was built alongside this national icon. Now unmanned and with updated lamps and equipment Douglass’s Tower stand to this day still warning sailors of the dangers of the Eddystone Reef. For some years the towers stood together until Smeaton’s Tower was removed and re-erected on Plymouth Hoe where it is still open to visitors prepared to climb the 93 steps to the lantern room. It acts as a memorial to John Smeaton in particular but also to all the other inspirational people who strive to keep our coasts safe for shipping.

David’s presentation was humorous, dramatic and superbly illustrated. It was enjoyed by all. The afternoon culminated with tea, cake and conversation.

up, rented out their house in Plymouth and moved to Hong Kong on a twoand-a-half year contract. They returned fourteen years later together with their daughter.

The HK Government had agreed to provide apartments for all recruited employees. On arrival John and Angela found that there was a major shortage of this promised accommodation and instead they, and many others, were allocated a hotel room in the incredibly busy area of Causeway Bay. A culture shock is probably an understatement!

The ever resourceful Angela soon located the YWCA which, with its cosmopolitan clientele, quickly became a life-saving source of friends, information and classes of various kinds which helped her to find her way into her new life in Hong Kong. She learnt Cantonese which meant she could negotiate in the market place and not pay the top rate routinely charged to tourists, she could recognise foodstuffs by their labeling and she could ask for and give directions. She was starting to understand her new home. Other classes allowed her to cook a meal that she could reheat in their hotel room; real home cooking at last!

John and Angela lived in that one room for over three months before being offered an apartment. At that time apartments were allocated according to a points system; being newly arrived and having no children John and Angela did not have many points so their first apartment was on the first floor of a block that stood alongside the railway. Each night a train bringing live pigs and other livestock from China stopped below their window. To our horror (and amusement) Angela conjured up the smells and noise associated with this to justify the flat’s nickname ‘Pig Train Mansions’.

Some two years later, following the arrival of baby Jenny, they had accrued enough points to move to a bigger and better apartment with a spectacular sea view and a maid. Their final home was on Mansfield Road, half way up The Peak. This was a spacious older building set in lovely gardens … they had arrived! Interestingly (and usefully) this apartment had a ‘hot room’ which had a heater and dehumidifier. Not only could it be used to dry clothes but it was a perfect area to store flour, cereals, rice, leather goods, books etc which would otherwise suffer by exposure to the all encompassing high humidity.

March meeting To the surprise of many, almost 20% of the Exton Ladies who attended our March meeting raised their hands in answer to Angela White’s question as to whether anyone in the audience had lived/worked abroad and been an expat. Angela had come to share with us her experiences living in Hong Kong.

Back in the eighties the Hong Kong Government was keen to employ professionals able to contribute to its massive building programme.

Angela’s husband John was one of those recruited and so it was that in 1982 the just-married couple packed

24

25

Exton Ladies cont’d/...

Despite their valiant efforts to douse the flames the lighthouse was destroyed. At one point Henry Hall, one of the keepers, looked up to shout a warning to his colleagues and a blob of molten lead dropped from the burning roof into his open mouth. The alarm was raised by local fishermen and all three keepers were saved. Hall survived 12 days; an autopsy removed a 7.5 ounce lump of lead from his stomach which can still be seen in an Edinburgh museum.

And now it was John Smeaton’s turn to accept the challenge of building a new lighthouse. At least he was a trained architect who also had considerable experience of the sea. His design was based on an oak tree with an enormous base. For both the base and the tower he used Portland stone blocks machined to fit together with minimal use of cement. Building started in 1756 and the tower went into service in 1759. In 1807 the 24 candles used as the light source were replaced with an argon lamp.

Smeaton’s Tower was so reliable that its image was put onto the one penny coin. In 1878 a new state-of-the-art lighthouse designed by James Douglass was built alongside this national icon. Now unmanned and with updated lamps and equipment Douglass’s Tower stand to this day still warning sailors of the dangers of the Eddystone Reef. For some years the towers stood together until Smeaton’s Tower was removed and re-erected on Plymouth Hoe where it is still open to visitors prepared to climb the 93 steps to the lantern room. It acts as a memorial to John Smeaton in particular but also to all the other inspirational people who strive to keep our coasts safe for shipping.

David’s presentation was humorous, dramatic and superbly illustrated. It was enjoyed by all. The afternoon culminated with tea, cake and conversation.

up, rented out their house in Plymouth and moved to Hong Kong on a twoand-a-half year contract. They returned fourteen years later together with their daughter.

The HK Government had agreed to provide apartments for all recruited employees. On arrival John and Angela found that there was a major shortage of this promised accommodation and instead they, and many others, were allocated a hotel room in the incredibly busy area of Causeway Bay. A culture shock is probably an understatement!

The ever resourceful Angela soon located the YWCA which, with its cosmopolitan clientele, quickly became a life-saving source of friends, information and classes of various kinds which helped her to find her way into her new life in Hong Kong. She learnt Cantonese which meant she could negotiate in the market place and not pay the top rate routinely charged to tourists, she could recognise foodstuffs by their labeling and she could ask for and give directions. She was starting to understand her new home. Other classes allowed her to cook a meal that she could reheat in their hotel room; real home cooking at last!

John and Angela lived in that one room for over three months before being offered an apartment. At that time apartments were allocated according to a points system; being newly arrived and having no children John and Angela did not have many points so their first apartment was on the first floor of a block that stood alongside the railway. Each night a train bringing live pigs and other livestock from China stopped below their window. To our horror (and amusement) Angela conjured up the smells and noise associated with this to justify the flat’s nickname ‘Pig Train Mansions’.

Some two years later, following the arrival of baby Jenny, they had accrued enough points to move to a bigger and better apartment with a spectacular sea view and a maid. Their final home was on Mansfield Road, half way up The Peak. This was a spacious older building set in lovely gardens … they had arrived! Interestingly (and usefully) this apartment had a ‘hot room’ which had a heater and dehumidifier. Not only could it be used to dry clothes but it was a perfect area to store flour, cereals, rice, leather goods, books etc which would otherwise suffer by exposure to the all encompassing high humidity.

March meeting To the surprise of many, almost 20% of the Exton Ladies who attended our March meeting raised their hands in answer to Angela White’s question as to whether anyone in the audience had lived/worked abroad and been an expat. Angela had come to share with us her experiences living in Hong Kong.

Back in the eighties the Hong Kong Government was keen to employ professionals able to contribute to its massive building programme.

Angela’s husband John was one of those recruited and so it was that in 1982 the just-married couple packed

26

23

Exton Ladies cont’d/...

Angela amused us with her tales of killing the geckos she found climbing the apartment walls until she realised that they at least ate the mosquitoes that would otherwise eat them. The geckos may have had a reprieve but not the cockroaches which not only lurked in the least hygienic areas but seemed to be armour-plated and very crush resistant. Snakes were dealt with cautiously and usually by calling the Government Snakeman who captured them and removed them alive … possibly to the family cooking pot.

Although Angela was happy to come home in 1996, she obviously enjoyed her time in Hong Kong. She always felt safe, there was plenty to do and the public transport system was excellent. She has returned twice in recent years and the biggest change in her eyes has been a massive increase in pollution.

The stunning views from The Peak across the bay to Kowloon which she and John so enjoyed are much diminished, the declining regional air quality means visibility has decreased dramatically. In fact, Hong Kong is approaching the record of being the darkest capital city in the world with the least amount of sunlight hours (just after Edinburgh).

Exton Ladies thoroughly enjoyed Angela’s talk. Her humour, style of delivery and visual aids held everyone’s interest and many enjoyed talking to her during the customary end-of-meeting tea and scrumptious home-made cakes perfectly cooked by Bridget and Judy, for which many thanks.

EXTON LADIES GROUP February meeting As in previous years Exton Ladies Group held its Annual General Meeting at the beginning of the February meeting. Reports were received from the Chairman and Treasurer. Chris Bilyard has kindly offered to continue as Chairman for one more year with a small group of members working closely with her to fulfil the demands of running the group.

Members were asked for help in finalising the 2015/16 programme.

Members were reminded that for the group to continue everyone should contribute as they are able. Sincere appreciation (in words and flowers) was expressed to Chris for the outstanding work she does to ensure the smoothrunning of the group. At the end of the AGM we welcomed our speaker.

I expect most of us thought we knew about the Eddystone Lighthouse, knew where it was and knew that its presence had saved countless ships which might otherwise have foundered on the treacherous rocks of the Eddystone Reef. But it wasn’t until we had the pleasure of listening to David Hole and ‘the lovely Christine’ (aka Mrs Hole!) talking about its history that I realised how little I actually did know about this Great British icon!

The importance of coastal markers was recognized as early as 1512 when Henry VIII established Trinity House to ensure the safety of shipping and the well being of seafarers, particularly on the Thames. However, it wasn’t until 1694 that permission was given to build a lighthouse on the Eddystone Reef.

Permission was one thing; inclination and finance another (some things never change). The following year saw the loss of two ships both belonging to Henry Winstanley. Winstanley was the ‘Del Boy’ of his day! He’d made a lot of money through various schemes and thought it might be ‘fun’ to build a lighthouse despite knowing nothing about the sea in general or the Eddystone Reef in particular. Sometimes ignorance really is bliss, and had he known the difficulties he would encounter (including being kidnapped by the French) he would never have started. In 1698 the first Eddystone Lighthouse was complete and the first candle lit atop the Winstanley Tower.

For five years this light served as a warning to ships to steer clear of the rocks, until the tower was washed away by a winter storm taking the lighthouse men and a visiting Winstanley with it. Two days later the merchant ship Winchelsea hit the rocks with massive loss of life, and a cry for a new lighthouse went up.

Rudyerd’s Tower was completed in 1709. The base was made of layers of oak and granite and fixed to the rocks with thirty six posts. The upper parts were made of wood providing a smooth surface which helped to withstand the ravages of the sea, but not woodworm. In 1755 the lamp room caught fire.

More details about the Exton Ladies Group can be found on the Exton village website http://www.extondevon.org.uk/. We usually meet in Exton Village Hall at 2.15 on the second Thursday of the month and you would be most welcome to join us. Please just come along.

Future meetings 9 April Jane Brunt - One Woman, a Harem and a Thousand Cows.

14 May Brian Ridge - Stained Glass – Medieval to Modern.

11 June Summer Outing: details to be confirmed.

EXTON CRAFT GROUP We shall be resuming our monthly Craft meetings on Thursday 23 April at 2.30pm in St Andrew’s Church. Everyone is welcome to come along for an enjoyable afternoon. Bring your own choice of craft, or not, and relax with friends over a cup of tea or coffee and biscuits.

The Woodbury News attempts to represent a variety of views within the Community, but does not accept responsibility for anything but Editorial comment. While it may publish unacknowledged material, nothing is included unless the Editor knows the name and address of the author(s).

22

27

EXTON NEWS

COMMUNITY POLICE REPORT

ST ANDREW’S CHURCH, EXTON SUNDAY SERVICES 1st Sunday Easter Day, 9.30am Family Eucharist with Hymns. 2nd Sunday, 9.30am Eucharist Service with Hymns. 3rd Sunday, 9.30am Lay-led Service with Hymns. 4th Sunday, 9.30am Eucharist Service with Hymns.

HOLY WEEK SERVICES For the Whole of Whitecross Mission Community: Maundy Thursday 2 April, 7.00pm Meditation and Eucharist at Farringdon. Good Friday 3 April, 9.30am Meditation on Cross of Christ at Clyst St Mary - taken by Revd Chris Cant. 2.00pm Meditation on the Cross at Aylesbeare - taken by Revd Karen Spray. 2.00pm Meditation on the Cross at Clyst St George. Lay-led Service. 2.30pm Meditation Service at St Swithun’s Woodbury - taken by Revd Tim Hudson.

EASTER DAY Please note 5 April is Easter Day when we shall be having a Family Eucharist Service at 9.30am taken by Revd Geo. Wrayford. This is instead of the usual 1st Sunday evening Service.

EXTON GARDEN CLUB In February we held our AGM. The Chairman opened the meeting by paying tribute to Tony Harvey, and all he had done for the club. She said he would be greatly missed and sent thoughts and sympathy to Doris. There followed a few minutes of reflection for members to remember Tony.

The Chairman said that despite falling membership the Club had enjoyed a good year. It had been Doris’ last year as programme secretary and she had produced a good and varied programme as always. Sadly we have lost two of our main plant producers since Christmas, Tony of course and John Balding. They will be greatly missed this year at the plant sale but hopefully everyone will do that little bit extra. It was suggested and agreed that the sale would be dedicated to Tony and John, and the proceeds will be donated to their chosen charities.

The committee were all prepared to stand again and were re-elected en bloc.

The members had been asked if they would prefer the meetings in the winter months to be held in the afternoon. Such a change couldn’t take place until 2016/17, but is up for discussion.

The chairman and committee were thanked for their work for the Club and after the meeting everyone enjoyed a sociable evening with refreshments supplied and served by the committee.

24 April Exton Garden Club Amazing Plants by Chris Allen.

20 June Exton Fete.

PCSO Donna Baker Tel 08456569412 Donna.baker@devonandcornwall.pnn.police.uk There were 3 crimes reported during the month of February as follows – Some time between 22 and 23 January and again between 4 and 5 February unknown person(s) have interfered with vehicles parked on Pound Lane, removing and loosening wheel nuts. This is a very dangerous thing to do and it was very lucky that no accident occurred as a result. I would ask residents to report any suspicious activity to the police immediately.

On 26 February a resident in Woodbury Salterton received an international scam call. Persons were pretending to provide a service to block nuisance calls and attempted to get bank details from the victim. These scam calls continue to occur with varying subject content but always with the aim of extracting bank details from the potential victim; please remain vigilant.

Have Your Say, Police Surgery – held on the second Monday of the month at the Parish Council office, opposite The Green.

To date there have been no callers to the surgery which is possibly an indication that residents in the parish enjoy a relatively crime-free life.

I will continue to hold the surgery for the next two months on 13 April 3.00 to 3.30pm and 11 May 3.00 to 3.30pm, and then review the idea.

FEBRUARY WEATHER We had a lovely spell of sunny weather during the first week of February with Easterly winds and sharp overnight frosts; as usual the latter did a lot of damage to early flowering shrubs. I do not keep records for hours of sunshine but the Met Office said we had record amounts of it this winter.

The wind then backed to North and West with cloud and light rain till the last day of the month. Rainfall was 55.6 mm (2.18 ins and 69 % of average) and max/min temperatures were 15C/-2C. As I write this the daffodils are bursting out, it is practically broad daylight at 6.30pm and the trout fishing season opens tomorrow; so all is well with the world. PJH SPRING LYCH GATE IN ST SWITHUN’S CHURCH 9.00-11.00 SATURDAY 28 MARCH, 2 MAY Helpers needed. Do come along to meet old and new friends, enjoy a cup of coffee and bacon butties.

There will be home-grown and home-made produce for sale.

We look forward to seeing you.

28

21

WOODBURY PARISH COUNCIL NOTICES

WOODBURY SALTERTON - DUMBUTU LINK Although the charity is registered in Woodbury Salterton’s name, many newcomers to Devon are unaware of our existence, so please publicise our events and efforts, especially if you or your organisation can hold any event for us.

We would support you.

All West Africa is in financial crisis due to the negative publicity of Ebola, which has NOT touched The Gambia. Many adults now can eat only on alternate days.

The sponsorship scheme continues to provide education for 83 students at just £25 per year (cost of midday meal and basic stationery.) Stopping educational support may mean that school stops completely for a 5 to 14 year old pupil.

Our new solar-pumped well project is to be sited in the middle of Dumbutu’s vegetable gardens. Penny Price has visited Dumbutu this year and has photos to share of the women’s attempts to run a small co-operative for their vegetable garden, giving them both cash benefits for surplus crops, and a positive feeling of self-worth and new status in their village. Our efforts for their training and the fencing of the garden in past years have literally grown fruit! The women continue to work on the gardens watering from the old well by hand pump throughout each day and up to 10.00 pm at night (with no lights), because there are so many plots to water and the pump is slow. Each woman has several plots, some near and some far from the well (to be fair about their efforts.) If we succeed with the solar pump they will still carry water throughout the half kilometre square plot, but to be able to collect water from a reservoir tank as they arrive would save both enormous time and physical effort.

Another £4000 could help us to achieve this freedom for the 150 women involved. (Next time you turn on a tap, please think about this.)

Leo Wilson (chair)

WOODBURY NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN Following the distribution of 1348 copies of the Woodbury Neighbourhood Plan Visions and Policies consultation document, 212 responses have been received, a response rate of almost 16%. The Parish Council wishes to thank all of those who have taken the time and made the effort to work through the long and complex document and who have responded.

The Steering Group has managed to collate about two thirds of the responses and this initial analysis indicates that: ¨ The vast majority of the community states that it agrees with the plan aims and vision statement (about 80%). ¨ Disagreement with objectives for housing and development (7%) community and economy (5%) environment (2%) and infrastructure (5%) is low. ¨ Disagreement with the objectives for Woodbury Village (10%), Woodbury Salterton Village (6%) and Exton Village (4%) is varied across the villages. ¨ Results across all of the policies are quite variable and each policy needs to be looked at individually, although of the 25 policies only 4 have more than 15% disagreement.

It is interesting to note that of those who responded 89% are over 45 and 87% have lived in the parish for more than 5 years – where are the younger generations and is it only the long-term residents who want to exercise some element of control over the development of their community?

The results of the consultation will be examined in great detail and the Visions and Policies re-edited accordingly.

The next stage of the process will be to produce the Draft Neighbourhood Plan which will be submitted to EDDC and to the community for further consultation. It is hoped that this will take place in the summer this year but this may be affected by the progress of the EDDC Local Plan.

Do email your photos of local people or events to Karen on karensquires100@gmail.com The editorial team still need a wider spread of news, particularly about our younger people. What are you all up to? Why don’t YOU write an article or send in a photo?

20 A Snow White Afternoon The children acted out the story, icing apple-shaped biscuits and going on a treasure hunt to find the seven dwarfs.

The afternoon ended with enjoying toffee apples which were fortunately not like the poisoned one which Snow White ate.

Buckfast Abbey Visit Classes 1 and 2 attended the ‘Threads at Easter’ event at Buckfast Abbey. They went round the Abbey exploring the Easter Story from Palm Sunday to Easter Day. At each stop on the story journey they added beads to a thread which they were able to take home and reflect on the various symbols.

WOODBURY PARISH COUNCIL VACANCY FOR AN ASSISTANT/PA TO THE CLERK The Clerk to the Council requires an Assistant to help her with the day-today running of the Parish Council. The successful candidate must be computer literate, fully conversant with Microsoft Office and be prepared to work flexibly. Hours will be 12 per week over two or three days and will include attending some evening meetings which usually fall on Mondays.

Occasional cover may also be required during periods of the clerk’s holiday and/or sickness.

Starting salary will be £5,373pa. Four weeks’ holiday (pro rata) will be included following completion of the probationary period of 13 weeks.

Please contact the Clerk in the first instance for further details, including an application form and person and job description. woodburyparishcouncil@gmail.com Mrs Belinda Price, Clerk to the Council, Greenleigh, Greenway, Woodbury EX5 1HL

29 LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS All District and Parish Councillors must stand down this year and an election will take place on 7 May 2015. Anyone wishing to stand for office must complete a nomination form (available from East Devon District Council Offices – 01395 516551). A timetable is shown below. Parish Councillors are hard-working individuals who have the general good of the community at heart and are committed to keeping the Parish a good place to live and work. Woodbury Parish Council meets on the second and fourth Monday of every month except August and December with occasional committee meetings in between. If you are interested in working for your community (on all matters – not just planning!) and would like to know more about it please attend one of the Parish Council surgeries in February (dates on page 21) or contact the Clerk or one of the current Councillors whose names and contact details can be found on the noticeboards and on the website (www.woodbury devon.co.uk).

LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTION TIME-TABLE Timetable of Proceedings for Thursday 7 May 2015 Publication of Notice of Election Not later than Monday 30 March 2015 Start of Nomination Process On the day following publication of Notice of Election Deadline for Receipt of Nominations 4.00pm Thursday 9 April 2015 Withdrawal of Candidate 4.00pm Thursday 9 April 2015 Appointment of Election Agents Thursday 9 April 2015 Publication of Notice of Election Agents Thursday 9 April 2015 Publication of Statements of Persons Nominated 4.00pm Friday 10 April 2015 Last Date for Registration to vote Monday 20 April 2015 Deadline for Receipt of Postal Vote Applications 5.00pm Tuesday 21 April 2015 Publication of Notice of Poll Tuesday 28 April 2015 Deadline for Receipt of Proxy Vote Applications 5.00pm Tuesday 28 April 2015 Appointment of Poll and Count Agents Wednesday 29 April 2015 First Day to Issue Replacement Lost Postal Ballot Papers Thursday 30 April 2015 Receipt of Emergency Proxy Vote Applications 5.00pm Thursday 7 May 2015 Last Day to Issue Replacement Lost/Spoilt Ballot Papers 5.00pm Thursday 7 May 2015 Day of Poll 7.00am to 10.00pm Thursday 7 May 2015 Declaration of Candidates Expenses Thursday 11 June 2015

WOODBURY PARISH COUNCIL Agendas for future meeting, and minutes of meetings of Woodbury Parish Council can be found on www.woodburydevon.co.uk

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ROUND AND ABOUT DEATH Gerry Southard from Woodbury Salterton passed away on 16 February.

Grateful thanks go to Dr Crawford and all at Woodbury Surgery. His funeral was held at East Devon Crematorium on 27 February. Donations collected for Friends of Woodbury Surgery.

We were sorry to report the death in March Woodbury News of John Stamp, one of Woodbury's oldest residents. John was born at Woodbury House on 14 May 1923, to Bert and May Stamp. He was the youngest of three children and had two older sisters, Bertha and Violet. He went to school in Exeter and on leaving school worked for his father. In his younger days he was a member of the Young Farmers’ Club and a keen John’s familiar pose ploughman, taking part in local ploughing matches, especially at Colaton Raleigh. He also enjoyed playing tennis in his spare time with his sisters. He enjoyed going for walks with his friends on a Sunday afternoon, calling in at a handy pub to quench their thirst. That was how he met Ruby, who was to be his wife. John was 21 when they married. It was a wartime wedding, and it seemed as if the whole village managed to produce something to help out, to make it a special occasion.

Ruby had been bombed out in Plymouth, where they ran a pub, so the brewery found them the Salterton Inn as it was then, now known as the Diggers Rest. John and Ruby started their married life living there with Ruby’s mother, while John continued to work for his father on the farm in Woodbury. During the war, as farming was a reserved occupation, John became a member of the Home Guard from 23 September 1940 to 31 December 1944, and received a certificate of appreciation for his service. John and Ruby had their only son Anthony in October 1946, while still living at the Salterton Inn. When John’s mother died, he and Ruby moved to Woodbury House to look after John’s father Bert, at which time Anthony was about three years old. John built up a small herd of milking cows that could often be seen being driven back through the village after milking.

Picture c.1960

19 WOODBURY SALTERTON C OF E SCHOOL Chinese New Year Pupils celebrated the Chinese New Year – the year of the goat (or sheep) in the Chinese Calendar. Class 4 made goat mobiles and, as the school was focusing on Generosity as part of its Lent observance, gave them to Classes 1 and 2. Class 1 also brightened their classroom with Chinese lanterns.

The Great Education Debate On a Friday in February Class 4’s room became a great debating chamber.

Schoo l jumpers were exchanged for jackets and ties and sides were taken over key education issues including whether there should be homework in primary schools and whether there should be some choice of subjects in KS2. The children were brilliant, making clear arguments to explain their standpoints and listening respectfully to the speakers. Mrs Turner said afterwards, ‘While we may not have been able to solve all the current issues in education, the future is bright for a generation of children able to participate fully, intelligently and courteously in an interesting debate.’

World Book Day Pupils celebrated this by wearing a variety of outfits to school, dressing as some of their f a v o u r it e book characters.

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WOMEN’S INSTITUTE Laura Board, Community and Corporate Fundraiser for the Exeter Royal Academy for Deaf Education, was the speaker at the March meeting. She talked about the problems which deaf children face and read out a very appreciative letter written by a mother about the amazing impact the Academy had had on her eleven-year-old son, and on his family. Although the students are funded by their local authority, the Academy remains a charity.

The present Academy is not fit for purpose as the building is expensive, difficult to maintain and keep secure, and the site is fragmented. It is the only specialist residential home in the West of England.

A new building has been designed, which will provide school premises and accommodation for the pupils who have to reside there as some come from as far away as Scotland. At present the Academy has 75 students aged 4 to 24 years but the new building will have places for 180.

A public appeal is shortly to be launched to raise £2-3 million.

Lis Appleton thanked Laura for giving us such an interesting insight into the wonderful work they are doing for deaf children.

The 8 April meeting, at 7.30 in the Village Hall, will be a workshop on Floral Posies led by Jane Butler.

The monthly coffee morning on 16 April at 11.00 will be at The Diggers Rest.

He always worked hard and used to have to hoe all the turnips by hand. As well as his ploughing, John always enjoyed making good hay and continued to do this until about 1988.

He also thoroughly enjoyed laying a good hedge, which he found very therapeutic, and this he was doing up until about seven years ago. John and Ruby established a local milk round in the village and installed a small bottling plant in the dairy at Woodbury House. Later, the bottles were phased out and the equipment had to be adapted for Tetra John’s herd of cows were one of about 5 herds Pak packaging. Ruby drove which used to traverse Woodbury roads every day the van and did all the up until the 1970s. deliveries, and later Anthony Something which will never happen again! helped out.

John worked on the farm until he was 57, when he semi-retired.

In the mid 70s he started a small caravan site and many good friendships developed between the caravanners and him. Many came back year after year and became lifelong friends. Like many farmers, John never had a chance to take holidays away – in fact, the only time he and Ruby left the county was to go to the Isle of Wight for a Taking part in a ploughing match c.1950 wedding, and unbelievably they returned the same day!

John’s familiar figure outside Woodbury House will be sadly missed.

CROCUSES This year the crocuses on The Plantation have been exceptionally beautiful and many people have admired, enjoyed and commented on them.

Did you know how they came to be there? Many years ago Alan and Kay Nixon won a competition for the best window-boxes. The prize was a cash sum and they went to St Bridget’s Nursery and spent it on crocus corms.

Alan was a School Governor at the time and asked the Headteacher, Geoff Dearnley, if he could enlist the help of some schoolchildren to plant the crocuses.

Alan has photos of the window-boxes which won the competition – those particular boxes had later to be replaced – and thinks the year in question could be 1982, the year after he and Kay moved to the village.

The crocuses therefore could have been there for well over thirty years, and have spread to create the colourful carpet we appreciate today.

WOODBURY NEWS to your door …

If you are a new resident to the area, or would like your Woodbury News to be delivered to your door monthly, just call Beverley Simcox on 232858 and she will put you in contact with your local deliverer.

32 DEATHS Cont’d/...

Sadly John ‘Jack’ Ellis of Woodbury passed away on Tuesday 10 March in Exmouth Hospital. Betty, John’s wife of 69 years, would like to say ‘thank you’ on behalf of her family to all the doctors, nurses, pharmacy and reception staff of Woodbury Surgery for the care and support they have shown. Multiple thanks also go to the staff on Doris Heard Ward at Exmouth Hospital, to Jenny and Susan of The British Red Cross and to Mobile Support Officers Val and Steven. Finally, Betty sends a huge note of gratitude to her neighbours for their kindness, especially Kath and Carol for their continuing friendship and support during this difficult time.

WEDDING Phil and Beverley Simcox are pleased to report the recent marriage of their son, Matthew, to Claire Edmonds at Fanhams Hall in Hertfordshire.

Claire’s sister, Helen, was Matron of Honour and Matthew’s friends from Woodbur y School da ys, Tom Wakefield and Matthew Perry, were best men.

WELCOME Welcome to Jarda and Gina Chlapik who have moved to 4 Gilbrook Close from Thames Ditton in Surrey. Jarda is a retired electrical engineer and Gina used to work in admin at Kingston Hospital. They have a son and daughterin-law living in Woodbury with their two children and, as well as helping with the grandchildren, they hope to immerse themselves in village life.

Jarda and Gina are both interested in gardening and look forward to working in their new garden. Jarda particularly enjoys growing vegetables; he gave up a very large allotment in Surrey and is hoping to obtain another one in Woodbury. They are both keen walkers too and would like to join one of the walking groups in the village.

17 Family Services Fiona Vessey conducted the Family Service in February.

She talked about Lent, starting with Shrove Tuesday. The children were very knowledgeable in answering her questions, Finlay Webb telling her exactly why we have pancakes! Fiona told how other countries celebrate this day, such as Mardi Gras in France and similar festivals in Brazil, Sweden and Germany. In Iceland their name for this day translates as ‘Bursting Day’ – which some of the children might appreciate as hands were raised to answer ‘How many pancakes could you eat?’ – several thought ten! The original Carnival was held on Shrove Tuesday, carnival meaning removal of meat. Graham Gerdes read a modern interpretation of the parable of the sower, and prayers were written and read by Alice and Eliza Rooke and Libby Windle.

The March Family Service was on Mothering Sunday and attracted a large congregation of about thirty adults and twenty-three children, the increase being mainly due to the School participation. Mark Lovett led the service and talked to the children about the meaning of Mothering Sunday and the story of Moses being saved by his mother. The schoolchildren acted out the story of The Prodigal Son and sang worship songs under the direction of their Headteacher, Duncan Nelmes. They had also written down what most annoyed their mothers and what made them happy and Mark read these out.

Some children had also written their own prayers. Those taking part in the play and the prayers were Finlay and Lola, Alice and Eliza, Max and Lucie, Megan and Sam, Olivia and Morgan and Libby. Sheila Mills had kindly given flowers and Sheila Gerdes had made these into bunches. Both were thanked by Mark. The schoolchildren had all contributed some lovely written work about their mothers and these were on display in the church porch and on the school notice board at the back of the church. Mark thanked the School for their valuable input which contributed to a lovely service.

Church Coffee Morning The April Coffee Morning, with bacon butties, will be held on Saturday 4th from 9.30 until 10.30.

WHIST - TUESDAY 21 APRIL, 7.30 WOODBURY SALTERTON VILLAGE HALL GET IN TRAINING FOR THE WOODBURY 10K SUNDAY 20 SEPTEMBER, 10.00 Money raised to support the Woodbury Community Playing Fields.

Details to follow. Any enquiries for entry or to help in the event.

Contact Barbara Woolley 01395 232992.

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WOODBURY SALTERTON NEWS

THANKS David Keep would like to thank all those who sent greetings and offered help after he broke his leg on 23 January, and especially Carolyn who had to wait on him. It was good to find he was not indispensable! He would also like to commend the A & E and Orthopaedic departments at the RD & E for their excellent and efficient care. We are very fortunate to have such a hospital.

HOLY TRINITY CHURCH In Memorium The funeral took place in church on 16 February of Laurence Bertie Chudley. The esteem and affection in which Lar or Lars, as he was generally known, was held was shown by the number of mourners who filled not only the church but also the gallery. We extend our sympathy to Mavis, his wife of almost fifty years (they would have celebrated their Golden Wedding on 6 March), and his son Stuart and pray for them in their loss. Mavis and Stuart would like to express their thanks to their wonderful neighbours, friends and family, especially Tracey and Phil, for their invaluable help and to all whose support at the funeral was so appreciated. Donations for the Gateway Club at Exmouth totalled just over £600.

Isabel Mitchell The funeral of Isabel, who had gone back to her maiden name (formerly Isabel Gratton) took place at Holy Trinity church, Woodbury Salterton on 23 February. Revd Karen Spray conducted the service and the burial afterwards in the grave of her parents William and Annie. Isabel was their sixth child, born in 1924, and lived here at St Anthony’s Cottages and then at Melford Rise, before moving to Park Close, Woodbury, in 1990.

Isabel’s working life comprised many jobs, some actually in the village – at the school, delivering school meals, at the village shop and driving the local taxi. She loved cars and it was her wish to travel to her funeral in a Daimler.

She had a great love for the village and even kept a scrapbook of village events. We are indebted to her for the wooden seat by the bus stop and for many of the trees which beautify the village and which she planted in memory of family members. She planted a horse chestnut on The Plantation for her parents William and Annie. She was proud of her brothers and wished to record that they had served their country in the Second World War. She gave lilies in their memory to the church at Easter and always attended the wreathlaying at the lych gate on Remembrance Sunday. Another tree on The Plantation records Reginald Mitchell, Royal Navy, killed in World War II aged 23 years. Isabel had always believed that his body was lost at sea and was delighted that family research carried out recently revealed that he had been buried in Edinburgh, where he had married and had a family. She gave two trees on the corner of Bonds Lane with the inscriptions Leonard Frances Mitchell Royal Artillery 1915 - 1975 and Leslie Mitchell Royal Air Force 1922 - 1973.

Isabel was very much part of the village scene in Woodbury Salterton and friends from this village and from Woodbury came together to mourn a good neighbour and friend.

Doris Harvey, Vanessa and Mandy would like to thank their many friends for the words of sympathy and the great support they received following the sudden and unexpected death of Tony on Sunday 22 February and to everyone who attended the funeral on Thursday 5 March.

Jean Carpenter: “To all the many friends who sent me Get Well cards and who have brought me ‘welcome back’ gifts after my fall – my grateful thanks. I am now home – a bit painful, but it is good to be able to do what I want and when I want! I am gutted that I was unable to attend my dear friend Maggie Connell’s funeral but offer my thanks to those who brought me copies of the Order of Service - I shall treasure them. If anyone wants to come in for a cuppa and a chat I should love to see them.”

CONGRATULATIONS Rebecca and Emily Vater competed at the British Indoor Rowing Championship at the olympic velodrome in London.

Rebecca was against 67 juniors in the year ten event; Rebecca rowed 1270 metres in five minutes finishing 17th. Emily battled against 42 juniors in the year eight event; she rowed 780 metres in three minutes finishing 2nd - 2 metres short of gold!

Congratulations to Woodbury Surgery staff, doctors and friends who raised £1687.13 by taking part in last year's Hospiscare's "Jolly Jaunt" to raise funds towards East Devon Day Hospice Appeal. And huge thanks to the many family, friends and patients who supported them. The new Hospice will provide a much needed local facility for the community of East Devon.

34 CONGRATULATIONS Congratulations to Vera Stokes, whose Woodbury born and bred miniature smooth haired dachshund Webbers Swansong (kennel name Daisy), attained 2nd place in her breed class of 15 entries at Crufts at the NEC in Birmingham on 7 March.

Crufts is the world’s largest dog show, and Daisy had to compete with other entries from as far afield as Russia and many other European countries, plus other top UK breeders. Crufts is the culmination of the 'dog year' in the UK, where in total over 20,000 dogs are shown over four days.

If you can get a placing here, it makes all the hard work that has been put in throughout the year very worthwhile.

2015 FESTIVAL OF FOLK, ROOTS AND BLUES In its third year we're finally bowing to pressure and renaming the festival Wood(bury)stock. The festival will take place over Friday 19 and Saturday 20 June at the Maltsters Arms. The line-up includes a range of artistes from upcoming youngsters to performers who've been around for years. Once again this will be in support of Force Cancer Charity.

The Friday evening line up includes Hooper & Mills, Bicton Street Blues, Sugar Shakers and Junkyard Angels.

Saturday evening features the no-nonsense Doctors Orders, The Travelling Bluesburys, while we wait for other bands to confirm.

All musicians and organisers have once again agreed to perform free for this worthwhile charity.

Saturday afternoon events are planned to feature a number of community groups, choirs, local talent and one or two more established performers.

News of which groups will be taking part will be announced as soon as confirmations are received.

Admission will be by ticket, available after 1 May, priced at a modest £7 for Friday evening, £7 for Saturday evening or £10 for a weekend ticket. For the Saturday afternoon event, entry will be free, but buckets will be rattled vigorously. Information and latest announcements on www.bluesbury.co.uk, click on the Festival 2015 tag.

15 After the refreshments and a good catch up with friends, Margaret ran through some of the forthcoming events that are available to WI members.

Amongst these is a special Centenary WI Royal Garden Party in the presence of the Duchess of Cornwall.

The Centenary Celebrations have got under way locally with three of our members, Sue Bury, Margo Crundwell and Ann Garland attending a Centenary Lunch in St Frances Hall, Sidmouth where they listened to a talk by the Town Crier of Honiton and passed around the Centenary Baton.

The pompoms from the Christmas tree have found a good home and are going to the South West Children’s Hospice following their request for wool for ‘Yarn Bombing’. Lin Milson was very pleased to announce that the Book Group has this month donated £15 to Hospiscare and £15 to Woodbury Community Playing Fields.

The Flower of the Month was won by Rosemary Foster and the raffle winners were Pauline Wratten, Eileen Coleman and Lin Milson.

The Saturday following our meeting six members took part in the Annual Clyst Group Whist Drive. There was some very keen competition but Woodbury WI ‘came up trumps’ with Jo Lovejoy being the clear winner.

Well done Jo. We meet on the second Thursday of the month at 7.30 in the Village Hall; new members and guests are always welcome and our programme for the next twelve months is looking very interesting.

14 WOODBURY TWINNING ASSOCIATION I will say this only once - if you missed our 'Allo, 'Allo Evening on 28 February, you certainly missed a treat! Guests were invited to Café Rene for a 5-course French meal where they were entertained by the wonderful singing of Rene's wife, Edith, and other characters from the well-known TV comedy show, including Michelle, the Resistance leader who donned a most fetching disguise to confuse Herr Flick! It was a brilliant evening - great food, wine, music and much laughter. Our thanks to Moonstone Theatre Company for the entertainment, and to the very hard-working committee.

WOODBURY WOMEN’S INSTITUTE The President, Margaret Edwards, opened the meeting by welcoming everyone and introducing Jo Hunter who was back at Woodbury WI by popular demand, this time to teach us the art of Button Making.

This activity was entered into with much enthusiasm and amusement and, by the end of the evening, we had all produced a selection of buttons, some of which will be added to a corsage and decorated further at the next meeting.

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Supporting Our Local Airport From Richard Bartlett Readers of the Woodbury News may be surprised to know that it is now possible to fly more cheaply than previously from Exeter Airport to many interesting destinations both in the UK and abroad. The Summer 2015 programme is very well presented in these two websites: www.exeterairport.co.uk and www.flybe.com.

Our local airport is under new ownership and Flybe is a totally different company. Scheduled fares are now substantially cheaper and there is a good selection of sunshine holidays on offer. I want to bring this fact to the attention of our residents because so much local employment depends on the success of these two companies. Over 1,200 people work at Flybe and the Airport and many more at suppliers and sub-contractors.

I am the Woodbury Parish Council’s representative on the Exeter Airport Consultative Committee of which I am the current Chairman. It acts as an impartial interface between the Airport Operator and the local community.

Each member represents either a local business or some part of the administration of East Devon. The Department for Transport requires every airport in the United Kingdom to support a Consultative Committee as part of their Civil Aviation Authority Operator’s Licence.

We closely monitor the impact of aircraft noise and commercial activity on the local community. Its effect on proposed large-scale residential developments in the vicinity of the airport must also be considered. In addition, good employment prospects are a vital part of our local economy and we encourage the use of Exeter Airport as a low cost gateway to other parts of the United Kingdom, Western Europe and the Mediterranean.

ADVERTISING RATES SMALL ADS.: (3 lines) Private £2.00. (3 lines) Business £5.00 (£50.00 per annum). DISPLAY ADS. £17 quarter page To: Karen Squires, Willowfield, Oakhayes Road, Woodbury EX5 1JT Tel: 233299 (e-mail karensquires100@gmail.com).

The Woodbury News accepts no liability for:- i) Any claims made by the advertiser; ii) Any errors or omissions in the advertisement as submitted by the advertiser; iii) Any legal action as a result of the advertisement.

36 RSPB AYLESBEARE COMMON RESERVE March Well, Spring has definitely sprung now: the snowdrops are over and being followed by wild daffodils on Venn Ottery Common and primroses just about everywhere. The early purple orchids are starting to appear, though not in flower quite yet.

The birds are all gearing up for the new breeding season and some familiar calls are greeting the dawn. Birders sometimes use a string of words to remember the calls, for example the great tits are shouting “teacher, teacher”, while the yellow hammers are demanding “a little bit of bread and nooooo cheeeeese”. Some just do what it says on the tin, like chiffchaffs or jackdaws or cuckoos (none of those around yet!). Others, like the dunnocks and linnets have sweet little songs that are more difficult to characterise, and house sparrows make plain old “cheep” work hard.

All the butterflies which overwinter as adults have been seen on the wing during recent sunny periods: comma, small tortoiseshell, red admiral, peacock and (my favourite) the brimstone. Some of them will be sunning themselves on handy stones, but the brimstones always seem to be busy flying very deliberately … somewhere.

Bumblebee queens are active now: the first ones out in my garden were the white-tailed, but now buff-tailed and tree bees are more in evidence, while the appearance of smaller worker white-tails show that those queens have already found nest sites and raised young. Up on the reserve the heath bumblebees will emerge later to make the most of the heather flowers. A winter-flowering shrub in your garden can be a huge benefit for bumblebees early in the year when the queens emerge from hibernation in desperate need of nectar for energy and pollen to bring themselves up to egg-laying fitness. I have a winter honeysuckle which flowers reliably from January to March, and can watch bees whenever the weather is good enough. If you want to know more, and see what else you could add to your garden to help bumblebees, visit the Bumblebee Conservation Trust website: http://bumblebeeconservation.org/ The little herd of ten ponies is still roaming freely across Aylesbeare and Harpford Commons. We can now track them remotely, as one of them is sporting a rather tasteful collar with a gps transmitter. So at least Vlad (our stockman) now has some idea where to look when he wants to check on them.

The winter work programme is now drawing to a close, as it must all be finished before the breeding season really gets underway. This year the weather was kind and we managed to swale (controlled burn), with the help of 30 Bicton students. Burning the older heather and gorse rejuvenates it by making space for new seedlings (whereas mowing causes regrowth from old roots).

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Year 6 children on their residential trip to Dartmoor

CLYST VALLEY CHORAL SOCIETY 18 APRIL - ST MARGARET'S CHURCH, TOPSHAM 19 APRIL - HOLY TRINITY, EXMOUTH Carter: Benedicite. Mendelssohn: Hymn of Praise. Tickets: 232318 FoSS CONCERT - FRIDAY 24 APRIL, 7.30 ST SWITHUN’S CHURCH, WOODBURY Featuring Exeter School Chamber Choir, string, sax and cello quartets, Woodbury Whalers and Bel Canto choir.

Tickets £7.50 to include a drink and nibbles at the interval.

Tickets on sale from Pat Browne (232805) or Rowsell’s Hardware Shop.

WOODBURY NEWS CLOSING DATES 2015 21 APRIL.

19 MAY.

16 JUNE.

14 JULY.

ALL MATERIAL FOR THE MAGAZINE SHOULD BE SENT TO KAREN SQUIRES, WILLOWFIELD, OAKHAYES ROAD by 7.00pm on the Closing Date, with a name and telephone number, or e-mail to karensquires100@gmail.com

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WOODBURY C OF E PRIMARY SCHOOL Everyone at Woodbury School had a fantastic time raising £220 for comic Relief. Everyone came to school looking funny. Year 4 had a raffle to decide who would decorate their teacher’s face – Ewen and Joe won and had a great time turning Mrs Sparks orange! School council decorated cakes for everyone and we finished the day with a special assembly thinking about all the people we were helping.

Some nutrients are returned to the soil as ash, but there is a net loss to the smoke.

We try to use a variety of management techniques to maintain plenty of slightly different habitats, but sometimes the winter weather is too wet or windy for swaling, which can only be done in winter. So remember: any fires after 31 March are unintentional and need to be reported to the fire brigade.

RECIPE OF THE MONTH TARTIFLETTE This is supreme Alpine comfort food using lardons and flavoursome Reblochon cheese. It contains simple ingredients producing a filling dish. All it needs is a crisp green salad and a glass of wine.

Serves 4-6

Last week the year 6 children had a fantastic time on a four-day residential trip to Dartmoor. They stayed at Pixies Holt, a converted house, which is situated near Dartmeet. They had the opportunity to participate in activities that they might not normally meet, such as, orienteering, archery, shelter building and bush craft. The children also spent a day at Hound Tor and Greator Rocks scrambling over and weaselling through holes! They experienced ‘Dartmoor in the dark’ by going on a night hike to Yar Tor. The weather was kind and, with delicious home-cooked foods and exciting evening activities, the children had a wonderful time and have come away with many happy memories. Many thanks to Mr Ellis, Miss Pyle and Mrs Butland for accompanying the children on this trip.

Editor’s Note : In order to maximise submitted copy and photographs into Woodbury News, it may be necessary to reduce the size of some items. The Editorial team will attempt to do this as carefully as possible.

INGREDIENTS ¨ 6 medium waxy potatoes, skin on, medium sliced ( I use Desiree) ¨ 2 onions sliced into half moons ¨ 4 cloves of crushed garlic ¨ 200g lardons or smoky bacon chopped ¨ 1 Reblochon cheese (about 400g) cut into slices ¨ splash of olive oil ¨ generous seasoning ¨ splash of white wine (optional) ¨ 150ml double cream METHOD 1. par cook the potatoes in boiling water for 5-10 minutes until tender then drain.

2. meanwhile heat the oil in a frying pan and add the sliced onion and lardons and fry for about 5 minutes until golden.

3. add the garlic and wine and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated.

4. layer the potatoes in an oven proof dish with the lardons and onion mix. Season as you go.

5. pour over the double cream and layer the cheese on top.

6. bake in a medium hot oven (185℃) for about 15 minutes or until the cheese is golden and bubbling.

Serve with a crisp Salad.

Our thanks once again go to Stephen Leger who can be contacted at: stephenleger55@gmail.com Tel: 01395 233549 / 07977 422164 Secret Gourmet. www.secretgourmet.co.uk

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NATIONAL PLANT MONITORING SCHEME Woodbury News has recently been informed about the National Plant Monitoring Scheme, the first of its kind, which is seeking volunteers across the United Kingdom to visit a kilometre square local to them and record the plants they find there in several different plots. The scheme will show how plants in different habitats are responding to changes in the environment.

Some readers may like to become involved in this government-backed scheme which is being delivered by a partnership comprising Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland; Centre for Ecology; Joint Nature Conservation Committee and Plantlife.

All volunteers registering for a square on www.npms.org.uk will: ¨ receive a survey pack (survey guidance; species list; species guidebook); ¨ be able to access telephone and email support provided by the volunteer coordinator; ¨ be able to access free training courses.

Squares have been randomly selected across the UK and it is possible to see if there is a square in your area by visiting the website above. Volunteers are asked to record up to 30 plant species in any one square or linear plot as long as it fits into one of the 28 NPMS habitats. Volunteers, who may be individuals or small groups, carry out the survey of their plots twice a year.

Further information can be found displayed on flyers in the Parish Council office window.

WILL WRITING FORTNIGHT 11 - 22 MAY In aid of Hospiscare - book from 20 April.

A great opportunity to make or update your Will and support your local hospice. For further information please contact Elizabeth on 01392 688020 or e.bevan@hospiscare.co.uk. Go to www.hospiscare.co.uk for the full list of solicitors taking part.

11 WOODBURY TENNIS CLUB The summer season will be underway at the end of March. The winter league programme has successfully concluded with points gained and relegation avoided. All ten matches were completed, Diane Macleod doing a magnificent job ensuring that four players were on court for each match. We are now preparing for the summer leagues, with Russell Gibbs captaining the A team, Phil Moores the B team and Diane Macleod the mixed team; matches start on 7 April.

For Club members and those wishing to join, we are holding the start of season club session and social (tennis from 5.30pm) at the White Hart from 8.00pm on Friday 27 March. There will be a tidy-up of courts working party on Sunday 29 March from 10.00. The annual Doubles tournament and Barbecue will be held on 6 June.

There will be a full junior programme operating as in previous years on Wednesday evening, with top coach Steve Wood in charge. The Club is delighted that Diane Macleod has stepped in to take over the co-ordinator role from Glenis Pewsey. The programme will start on Wed 29 April and, weather permitting, will take place every Wednesday until 8 July with a break at half term. The juniors should be members of the club (£15 or £10 for under 10s) and a coaching fee of £22 is payable for the sessions. To ensure that you are included please contact Diane (tennismacleods@gmail.com, 01395 232573, 07528004400).

As always the Club is seeking new and former members to come and play; club sessions will continue throughout the year on Sunday mornings from 10.30am and will start again on Friday evenings from 6.00pm in late March.

The Club is delighted to announce that we have secured funding (50% of requirement) from The Follies, Parish Council community grant and from Devon LTA (loan and grant) for the refurbishment of the lighting project. We are most appreciative of this support; the work will take place at the end of the summer season.

The Club has been awarded 4 pairs (two more than last year) of Wimbledon tickets to distribute to members; a ballot for the lucky paid-up members will take place at the Club session on 12 April.

Details of membership from Pat Browne (232805 ruthandpatb@aol.com) or Jackie Clarke (232832).

CHARITY COFFEE MORNINGS EVERY TUESDAY, 10.00-12.00 CHURCH ROOMS, WOODBURY Coffee/tea and a homemade cake £2 on vintage china.

All profits to local charities. Everyone welcome.

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WOODBURY LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY

SMALL ADVERTISEMENTS

AGM The AGM of the Society took place on Thursday 5 February, followed by a buffet and drinks. The event was very well attended and was enjoyed by everyone, for which thanks must be given to Bryony Giles, Suzie Austin and Anna Eyres, who organised the food, those members who organised the drinks, and the helpers in the kitchen.

The committee remains the same as the previous year, apart from the resignation of one member, leaving a vacancy for anyone wishing to be part of that committee. For further information on membership please contact the chairman, Professor Nick Burgess (232458) or the treasurer, David Bowers (239338).

March Meeting The title of this talk, held on Thursday 5 March, was The Sharland Family of Woodbury. Tony, and his wife Carol, gave us a fascinating insight into ordinary life in the parish where his father, Percy, worked for most of his life, and of Tony’s upbringing as a lad in the village. The audience was shown photos of Percy, obviously a great character from his son’s stories of his working life on farms, and of Tony as a boy. This agricultural life resulted in Percy being awarded a bravery medal for fighting off a fierce bull and enabling his fellow worker to escape the menacing animal – Percy ended up in hospital with a broken arm and bruises after the animal attempted to gore and toss him.

Life for a lad in the village seems to have been fun, with no ‘health and safety’ restrictions preventing boys having adventures and getting into mischief. Tony’s talk was given in a broad Devonshire voice, lovely to hear, but occasionally rather difficult to understand. The Society was very grateful to Tony for agreeing to give this talk, as it was the first one he had ever attempted, and everyone thoroughly enjoyed it.

The next meeting of the Society will be on Thursday 7 May in Exton Church at 7.30pm, and will be given by David Clement on the subject Shipping on the Exe from Roman Times. This should be an informative and absorbing lecture as David is a very knowledgeable member of the Southwest Maritime History Society, as well as an experienced speaker.

An outing to Glastonbury and a tour around the Abbey has been arranged for Thursday 16 July. A 34-seater coach will be booked and will leave Woodbury at 9.00 am, returning in the late afternoon. Details of the outing will be sent to members and published in Woodbury News. If there are any parishioners, who are not members of the History Society but are interested in an outing to Glastonbury, please contact John Treasaden (232738) to enquire whether there are any spare seats on the coach.

7 May Woodbury History Society - Shipping on the Exe. 7.30 Exton Church.

23 July Woodbury History Society – outing to Glastonbury Abbey and town.

3 Sep. Woodbury & Branscombe History Societies – ‘HEAP Landscape Project’. 7.30 WVH. 5 Nov Woodbury History Society – The East Devon Pebblebeds. 7.30 WVH

FOR SALE Straw Bales – I have approx. 50 x small straw bales - £2 each.

Delivery can be arranged at a small charge. Contact Dave Moore 07970 886994 Woodbury Salterton.

FOR SALE Kelvinator small chest freezer in good condition (height 33" x 21" x 21") £30. Tel: 233208 FOR SALE 3 seater brown leather sofa - 2 seats manual recline - length 220cm x width 95cm approx. Excellent condition £300 ono - buyer collects from Woodbury. Telephone 07775 582725 to arrange to view.

FOR SALE Wood Turning Lathe and Tools. Lathe Nu-Tool 37” with manual. £80. Tel: 232584 (1/2) FOR SALE TP Spiro Hop Bouncing See Saw. Bounces up and down on specially designed balls and also spins round and round. Can be used indoors and outdoors. Age recommendation 4 to 8 years. £25. Tel: 233299

BUSINESS ADVERTISEMENTS BABYSITTER Experienced (mother of 2), mature, local babysitter available seven evenings a week. £8 per hour. Call Rebecca Honey on 07824707192.

GUITAR TUITION Acoustic and electric lessons for all ages and abilities by a local, experienced tutor. Great rates! Call Daniel Honey on 07595344243.

LITERACY TUTOR Qualified teacher and specialist in Special Needs offering 1:1 private tuition for children and adults to support learning in literacy and language skills. See www.katecoldrick.com for further information or phone Kate Coldrick BMus (Hons), BSc (Hons) Psych, PGCE on 01395 232472 (2/12) MATHS TUITION Qualified teacher and experienced maths tutor. I can offer tuition to a wide range of ages and abilities, from key stage 2 through to A level. Call Dave on 07587 187521. (2/2) B&B LUXURY at The Dairy Loft, Woodbury Common. Need extra space for family & friends over the festive period or B&B anytime. Call Rob or Annie 01395 568411 see http://www.thedairyloft.co.uk/ (5/12) QUALIFIED BOOK-KEEPER AVAILABLE for book-keeping work, year end accounts, self-assessment, VAT returns. Tel: 01395 263280 (5/12) PROPERTY MAINTENANCE – James Waddell Interior & Exterior, Carpentry, Flooring, Fencing & Gates, Plumbing, Decking, Bathrooms & Kitchens, General Repairs. Free Advice & Estimates. 01395 263496 (12/12)

40 BUSINESS ADVERTISEMENTS Cont’d/…

TWO HOLIDAY COTTAGES TO LET 1 Castle Cottages & Waverley are in the centre of Woodbury Village. 1 Castle Cottages sleeping 7 guests, Waverley 4/5. For bookings please phone Michelle 01395 232917 (2/6) FOOT HEALTH PRACTITIONER Nail Cutting and Treatment of Corns, Callus and Verrucas - Home Visits. Contact Lindsey Waddell MAFHP 01395 263496. (4/12) ROOFING Woodbury based RWI Roofing Specialising in Slating, Tiling, Re-Roof, New Roof, Repairs, Guttering. For a friendly, reliable service call Ray 232926, or 07988 691051 (As recmd in OurLocalExpert.co.uk) (11/12) SQUIRREL COTTAGE Self catering 16th century property full of character, available for weekly holidays and short breaks. Sleeps 5. Graded 5 Star. www.thecottagecompanydevon.co.uk Tel: Kay 0776 9975557 (2/12) COMPUTER SALES, HARDWARE REPAIRS AND UPGRADES Based in Woodbury for over 18 years - Broadband and wireless connections.

Data recovery and backup. Windows upgrades. Parental control. Free virus/ spyware removal & prevention. No fix no fee – All costs agreed in advance – evening visits to suit you. Mark Doyle Tel: 233694 (10/12) WE ARE POSH NOSH! With over two decades of experience in the catering industry we are at the forefront of special occasion and event catering in Devon and the West Country. We are committed to providing first class cuisine with outstanding levels of service. Phone:- 01392 444877 or email: info@posh-nosh.co.uk (12/12) ECZEMA - HOT, ITCHY, SORE. Homeopathy - natural, safe, nonaddictive. Phone Libby Clapham BA, RSHom, Registered Homeopath 01392 412767 / 07986 157854; libbyclaphamnaturalhealth.co.uk (9/12) BED AND BREAKFAST - Awarded a Certificate of Excellence by Trip Advisor. 4 Star Silver 16thC Devon Longhouse on a working dairy farm.

Sally Glanvill, Rydon Farm 232341 www.rydonfarmwoodbury.co.uk (11/12) RUBBISH REMOVALS Domestic and Commercial. Environment Agency licensed. No job too small. Tel: 0800 335 7610 / 07979 841376. www.rubbishremovalsexeter.com (*) WOODBURY HOLIDAY HOME TO RENT in centre of village. Luxury accommodation for 4 people, 2 en-suites, parking, courtyard garden.

Weekly holidays & short breaks. www.woodburyholidays.co.uk 01579 350365. (10/13) BED & BREAKFAST APARTMENT with Continental breakfast, or Traditional Farmhouse B&B, twin and double rooms. 01392 877710. Jenny Broom, Courtbrook Farm, Clyst St George. www.courtbrook.co.uk (9/12)

9 1ST WOODBURY GUIDES On Friday 13 March, Woodbury Guides decorated and sold biscuits and hot drinks at the Scout Hut, raising money for Comic Relief. The guides’ task was to decorate each biscuit with a funny face using sweets and buttercream.

At the end of the evening friends and family were invited in for a drink and all enjoyed a funny face biscuit. The total raised for Comic Relief was £40.

WOODBURY ROYAL BRITISH LEGION VE Day 1945 - 2015 Celebrating the 70th Anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe.

Table top sale for RBL Poppy Appeal funds Monday 4 May, 11.00-3.00, Woodbury Village Green (Will be cancelled if wet) £5 per 6ft table or space (pay on day).

Refreshments will be available.

Bring a picnic, help us celebrate, enjoy the stalls.

Enquiries - Sandra Huish 232696

ROYAL BRITISH LEGION COFFEE MORNINGS 10.00 - 11.30.

2, 16 & 30 APRIL. 14, 28 MAY. RBL ROOM behind WOODBURY VILLAGE HALL All are invited to join us on alternate Thursdays.

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WOODBURY GARDEN CLUB To Bee or not to Bee was the title of a talk given by John Eustace of Lympstone. We were given what John said would be a brief history of the honey bee, but it was more than that. It was a really interesting insight into the life of the honey bee and beekeepers and it taught us all something new about this fascinating insect. A honey bee is a member of the genus Apis, Aphis mellifera, and is primarily distinguished by the production and storage of honey and the construction of perennial colonial nests from wax. Honey bees are often confused with wasps, hornets, bumble bees, hover flies and, John added, ‘goodness knows what else’. He listed the benefits of honey bees. This included pollination and hive products and their estimated financial value, which is considerable. The fact that they can sting, swarm and love sweet things seems a minor nuisance in comparison.

John continued by describing the three castes of honey bees in a colony: the queen, the workers and the drones. The colony's ethos is communal. It acts as a super organisation and each of the castes is expendable. He went on to discuss the part we play in their lives, how we provide a home for them, take their surplus stores, poison them with pesticides and swat them when they are near food! We were given a month by month insight into a year in the life of a beekeeper; how the bees are fed, prepared for winter, when honey is collected and how the hives are checked regularly, especially for varroa, a disease caused by a parasitic mite that can destroy a colony.

John finished by saying there is no medicine for bees, currently under threat, so how can we help? We can help by planting the correct plants (www.bee friendlygardenplants.co.uk) and have plants that cover the whole year. We can also be careful with sprays and wood treatments and remember that bees need water. An interesting talk and delivered with humour!

Members wishing to attend the Behind the Scenes Tour of Otter Nurseries should give their names to Judy Bashforth (233041) and be in the WVH car park at 4.30pm on 1 April. £4 per head. Our next meeting is on 14 April, VH, 7.30pm, when Mr Michael John Kennaway will present The Rise and Fall of a Country Estate.

TIME FOR A NEW LOOK? Qualified Hair Stylist. Appointment to suit.

Not mobile. Call Heather Anne on 01392 876830 (12/12) ACCOUNTS AND TAX SERVICE Sole Trades, Partnerships, Limited Companies and Personal Tax. Full range of advice. Fixed fee plans and free initial consultation/quotation. Wheelers Accountants Tel: 233184 (16/24) MATHS TUITION: Experienced, female Maths teacher available to teach primary to GSCE level maths, 11+ and SATs preparation. Reasonable rates.

Telephone: Jane Moffatt on 01395 279952 (5/12)

25 April 7 May

WOODBURY COMMUNITY ORCHARD Volunteers needed to weed, mulch and label new and older trees.

2.00-4.00 Town Lane orchard site.

White Hart 8.00pm: come and meet the committee, help decide what events you want in the orchard and how to shape its future.

WOODBURY NEWS for 2015 remains at £5 for the year, with subs payable to the person who delivers your copy.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

9 April Woodbury WI Brooch & attach button, 7.30, WVH. 9 April Exton Ladies Group One Woman, a Harem and a Thousand Cows.

13 April Police Surgery, 3.00-3.30, Parish Council Offices.

14 April Garden Club. The Rise & Fall of a Country Estate. WVH. 7.30.

14 April A year at Minsmere, Suffolk with the RSPB. 7.30 Christ Church.

18 April CVCS St Margaret’s Church, Topsham. (Tickets 232318).

19 April CVCS Holy Trinity, Exmouth. (Tickets 232318).

24 April Exton Garden Club Amazing Plants by Chris Allen.

24 April FoSS Concert, 7.30pm.

25 April Woodbury Community Orchard 2.00-4.00 Town Lane orchard site.

2 May St Swithun’s lych gate stall. 9.00-11.00.

4 May RBL Table Top Sale. Woodbury Village Green. 11.00-3.00.

7 May Parish Council and EDDC Elections.

7 May Woodbury History Society Shipping on the Exe. 7.30 Exton Church 7 May Woodbury Community Orchard. White Hart, 8.00pm.

11 May Police Surgery, 3.00-3.30, Parish Council Offices.

14 May Exton Ladies Group Stained Glass - Medieval to Modern.

15 May Charity Quiz. WVH. Tel: 07831 121268.

16 May Exton Garden Club Plant Sale.

11 June Exton Ladies Group Summer Outing: details to be confirmed 13 June Fun Day on the Green. 2.00-6.00.

14 June W/Salterton Scarecrow Judging Day and Fete 2.00. Glebe Field.

19&20 JuneWood(bury)stock Festival of Folk, Roots and Blues. The Malsters.

20 June Exton Fete.

23 July Woodbury History Society – outing to Glastonbury Abbey & town.

18 July FoSS afternoon tea in Church.

3 Sept.

Woodbury and Branscombe History Societies ‘HEAP Project’ 7.30 WVH 20 Sept.

Woodbury 10K Fun Run. 10.00. (232992) 5 Nov. Woodbury History Society The East Devon Pebblebeds. 7.30 WVH

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7 WOODBURY CRICKET CLUB NEEDS YOU!

Single lady in her 50s seeking self-contained annexe or similar to £500pcm all-in.

Happy to discuss companionship for an elderly person thereby providing loved ones with peace of mind. ¨ Honest ¨ Reliable ¨ Clean and tidy ¨ Excellent references ¨ Solvent ¨ Employed ¨ Car owner If you know of anyone to whom this might sound interesting, please pass on my telephone number:

07751 133693

Join our weekly classes during term time Learn traditional and modern French rhymes and songs Effortlessly learn useful French phrases through games and repetition Classes in Woodbury with Frances For more details go to www.thelanguagetortoise.com or call me on 07977 917493

Caretaker/Cleaner Required.

Woodbury Village Hall is looking for a Caretaker/Cleaner to join our Team.

Good hourly retainer/rate for 1 hour a day, 4 days a week.

Contact: Gordon Cameron W 232145 for further details.

Woodbury Cricket Club would like to open this year's first post to Woodbury News by inviting anyone interested in playing cricket to get in touch with us.

Over the winter there have been a number of exciting developments in Woodbury Cricket Club and in Devon cricket as a whole. These developments make the coming season a particularly exciting proposition, and in this article we outline a few of them.

League cricket in Devon has undergone a significant programme of restructuring that aims to increase the overall levels of participation in cricket.

As part of this restructuring, Woodbury now play 1st XI league cricket in D (West) Division. There are two key benefits to this. Firstly, this represents promotion to a higher league and, as a result of this, Woodbury will be playing a higher standard of cricket this season. Any aspiring (or lapsed) cricketers who fancy playing some good competitive cricket this season will be welcomed into the club, and will be able to enjoy a good run in the side. Secondly, this restructuring has minimized the distance between Woodbury and the other clubs in our division. This means that we will be spending less time travelling to and from fixtures away from our home ground at Town Lane, which will allow players to get home to Woodbury and the surrounding area in good time.

We will be playing a number of teams that are new to us this season, which will be a challenge, as well as an opportunity to expand our experience of cricket in this county. Woodbury's league campaign opens this year on 2 May, in a hotly anticipated fixture away to nearby Clyst St George. Our first home game of the new season is on 9 May, and we will be hosting Topsham St James at Town Lane. We hope to see as many of you as possible cheering us on from the benches surrounding our home ground, and hopefully in the pavilion with a cup of tea, beer or wine, basking in early summer sun following the match.

Woodbury Cricket Club has a new 1st XI league captain this year. The man chosen to lead us into our new division and through the coming season is Jimmy Jones, who enjoyed a prolific 2014 season opening the batting.

Woodbury Cricket Club is extremely grateful to Ian Hughes, who led the side through 2014, and who will continue to play and provide advice to our new skipper this year. Woodbury Cricket Club also has a new website, http:// woodburycc.hitscricket.com, which already has our fixtures uploaded. Please do check this website in the coming months as we add new information.

Finally, if you are interested in playing cricket this year, please do not hesitate to get in touch either with Ian Hughes (email: hughes7591@hotmail.co.uk; phone: 01395 223780), or with Kevin Miller (email: Kevinmiller07 @btinternet.com; phone: 01395 232995). We look forward to seeing many new faces this season!

SEE WOODBURY ONLINE www.woodburydevon.co.uk

6 FoSS (FRIENDS OF ST SWITHUN’S) There are definitely signs that spring is here and with it we think of the FoSS Spring Concert which will take place on Friday 24 April in Church at 7.30pm. As always there is a full programme featuring Exeter School’s cello, string and saxophone quartets, plus vocal ensembles with star soprano soloists! To complement the youthful voices we have our own Woodbury choirs, The Whalers and Bel Canto singers; there will be a glass of wine and nibbles at the interval. Tickets £7.50 will be on sale at Rowsell’s at the beginning of April. This is an event open to everyone, so please come along and support; all funds raised go to FoSS. We have planned an afternoon tea in Church on Saturday 18 July, from 3.00pm; details to follow.

We also hope to host an Autumn Concert featuring Exeter Singers in Church in early October, on an evening which does not clash with World Cup rugby.

The acoustics in St Swithun’s are excellent, making it an ideal venue for musical events, which the FoSS committee hope will continue to be held for many years.

David Keep at Heatherdene, Broadway, Woodbury welcomes new and renewal of subscriptions (£25 per annum, which may be gift aided). This income provides financial assistance for the maintenance of the fabric of the Church, and is a useful way for non-churchgoers to ensure that the Church and grounds remain a public space open to all.

NEW BEAVER SCOUT LEADER AND ASSISTANT NEEDED! We are very lucky in Woodbury to have thriving Scouting and Guiding Groups. However, these rely on volunteers who give their time to provide a fun, safe and stimulating environment for the children of this village and its neighbours.

Donna, one of our current Leaders, has been involved with our Cubs and Beavers for 10 years. She is able to continue running the Cub Scouts (8-10 year olds) but, due to work commitments, can no longer lead our Beaver Pack (a fun group of 6-8 year olds).

Are you, or anyone you know, interested in joining this amazing team? We need a Leader and an Assistant in order for the Beavers to continue in Woodbury. If no one steps up, the colony will close. Full support and training will be provided.

Please contact Donna Gover (07916 127366 or email donnagover33@ gmail. com), or Sarah Hales (01395 232631 or email sarich301@gmail.com) for more information.

Our Woodbury Beaver Scouts Need You !

43 NEW TIME FOR PILATES CLASS IN WOODBURY! Tuesdays 5.30-6.30pm Woodbury Village Hall Pilates is a safe form of exercise suitable for everyone and is recommended by medical practitioners.

Pre-booking is essential as there are limited spaces Contact Grace 07500112646. info@redbaypilates.co.uk www.redbaypilates.co.uk

Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning

Jackman Fabric Care · · · · ·

All Carpet Types Oriental Rugs Curtains (in-situ) Upholstery (inc Leather) Headboards

We combine good old fashioned service with contemporary technology to bring you superb results at reasonable prices.

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A Local Family Firm

For advice or a quotation without obligation - phone Mervyn on:

01395 272428

Hedge Trimming Lawn Care and Grass Cutting Clearance Minor Soft Landscaping

Call Will on 07478 669 012 Friendly and Professional service

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5

Woodbury Dance Studio

RAD BALLET Grades and Majors

Children from 2½ years Principal: Mary Griffiths ARAD, MA(Oxon) Tel: 01395 271249 marygriffiths@hotmail.com www.woodburydance.co.uk All classes at Woodbury C of E Primary School

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ST SWITHUN’S CHURCH, WOODBURY Vicar: Reverend Karen Spray. Tel:01395 488178 Email: church@revdkaren.org.uk Associate Minister: Reverend Christopher Cant. Tel: 01395 488178 Email: chriscant@tiscali.co.uk SPECIAL SERVICES - Maundy Thursday, 2 April, 7.00pm Meditative Service with Eucharist at Farringdon. Good Friday, 3 April, 9.30 ‘The Cross of Christ’ (a meditation in words and music) at Clyst St Mary, 2.30 Service of meditation at St Swithun’s, Woodbury. Easter Sunday, 5 April, St Swithuns 8.00 Said Eucharist, 11.15 All age Eucharist with Baptism.

USUAL SUNDAY SERVICES - 1st Sunday 11.15 All Age Eucharist. 2nd Sunday 11.15 Eucharist. 3rd Sunday 11.00 Sunday Club, 11.15 Eucharist, 6.30pm Evensong. 4th Sunday 8.00 Said Eucharist, 11.15 Morning Prayer.

Morning Prayer every Monday at 9.15.

NEWS AND EVENTS Lych gate stall in Church on 28 March (No stall 4 April).

Woodbury PCC Monthly Draw February’s winning ticket – Pam and John Rose‑ Casemore, March’s winning ticket – Cindy Stratton. Draw made at Coffee Morning third Tuesday each month. See Church Digest for details.

Prize every month ranging from £25 to £500.

Sunday Club Meets every 1st Sunday for All Age Eucharist at 11.15, and on the 3rd Sunday in Church Room 11.00-12.00, then into church to show what has been made/done.

CHURCH ALTAR FLOWERS - APRIL 5 & 12 - Easter Lilies. 19 & 26 Mrs C Keep. We will decorate church for Easter on Saturday 4 April.

FLOODLIGHTING ST SWITHUN’S CHURCH (dusk until 11.00pm) Dedications: 10 March - "Happy Birthday Joyce, from all the family".

For your special event, contact Mike Jeans 01395 232544, or see the details and book it online at our website - www.whitecrossdevon.org.uk/woodburywith-exton/flood lighting-form.php.

Further Information: Digest available in church or from website www.whitecrossdevon.org.uk.

SEE WOODBURY NEWS ONLINE www.woodburynews.co.uk

T.D. BUILDERS

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DustAway All Work and no play, We are here to help Friendly Efficient Cleaning Service.

Weekly, fortnightly, monthly, one-off Cleans.

Moving house, holiday lets, end of tenancy cleans, spring cleans.

We also offer an Ironing service.

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Please call Jill 07818484864 or Tracey 07727168817

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3

WOODBURY NEWS APRIL 2015 EDITORIAL The coming month includes the greatest Christian festival celebrated by the pagan spring symbol of eggs. Calls for a fixed date for Easter cannot be met as this depends on a lunar calculation, plus the requirement to celebrate on a Sunday. By chance, the late Spring bank holiday coincides with Pentecost this year.

The season of new life will see a new House of Commons and a new Parish Council. We are grateful for those willing to take on the often thankless task of local government. Their opinion is sought, but not always followed, especially in matters of planning. We should not forget that our councillors are democratically chosen, whether we choose to vote or not, and that they have greater influence than any pressure group set up for specific aims.

We all resent change, but we need to realise that without it the community will stultify. Before Fulford Way was developed, Woodbury School sank to 42 children and only one baby was expected in the practice. We need younger families and we hope they will form friendship groups and establish fresh activities in our communities. We hope they will take heed of their older neighbours as well. There are positive signs in our community with new initiatives like the Woodbury Community Orchard, improvements to the Village Halls and plans for improvement of Woodbury playing field.

OUR COVER PHOTO As we approach Easter, the editor felt it appropriate to have the four churches in our Parish on the front cover.

They are, of course, clockwise from top left: St Swithun's and Christ Church at Woodbury, Holy Trinity at Woodbury Salterton and St Andrew's at Exton.

Woodbury News is a Private Company Limited by Guarantee No. 5263356 Secretary: Karen Squires, Willowfield, Oakhayes Road, Woodbury EX5 1JT. Tel: 233299 Registered Office: Willowfield, Oakhayes Road, Woodbury EX5 1JT. Tel: 233299 Chairman: Peter Payne, ‘Harsley’, Toby Lane, Woodbury Salterton. Tel: 232394 Editor: Mrs Sue Bury, Mayflower Cottage, 37 Greenway. Tel: 233753 Deputy Editor: Mrs Val Arndt, Castlehaye, Castle Lane, Woodbury. Tel: 233175 Subscriptions: Mrs Anna Crafer, 15 Haymans Orchard, Woodbury. Tel: 232007 Circulation: Mrs Beverley Simcox, 2 Beeches Close. Tel: 232858

2 ALL BUILDING JOBS CONSIDERED

R. Miller & Son Painters and Decorators THORNS COTTAGE, WOODBURY

Tel: Woodbury 233773 All work expertly carried out under personal supervision.

Woodbury Salterton Village Hall Hall –Tables and Chairs, Well equipped kitchen with cooker and fridge, crockery and cutlery inclusive in hire.

Modest Rates.

For bookings please contact:

Pat or Gill Bricknell 01395 232463

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Woodbury Village Hall Hall and two Meeting Rooms, Fully equipped Kitchen Available for: Dances and Parties Wedding Receptions Meetings and Classes Jumble Sales and Craft Fairs Badminton, Plays, Business Lettings For bookings please contact: Robin or Marian Lennox Tel: 01395 232126 email:- woodburyvh@gmail.com www.woodburyvillagehall.org.uk

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WOODBURY NEWS

01392 873865

APRIL 2015