WOODBURY GARDEN CLUB cont’d/...

Rob Hutch is passionate about house plants! This was evident during his talk at our meeting in March. He accompanied his talk with a wonderful display of house plants from his shop in Bampfylde Street, Exeter. He created a ‘jungle bursting with exotic foliage’ right in the middle of the village hall and this is the aim of his shop, but in the centre of a bustling city! Rob established his shop in 2017. He said ‘I live and breathe house plants and I have them from all over the world.’ As he said ‘a house plant is a plant that will not live outside’ and he went on to give us tips about care, potting, pruning and propagation. I have to admit that I have always thought that house plants did not need as much care or attention as garden plants but, as the evening progressed, I realised how wrong my thinking was.

To be successful with your indoor plants the right position for them is vital: choose the right spot for the right plant if it likes arid conditions, make sure it has light and sun. Using plants from his display Rob illustrated ideal places in the home for them to live. When it comes to watering, everything should be watered from the top. Don’t sit them in a pot of water which encourages the roots to rot. Hold the pot over a sink and water until the water runs out of the bottom. Obviously plants need different amounts of water and this you need to know. Rob believes you can get to know this by observing your plants carefully. Misting is done with plants that like a humid atmosphere and feeding is generally done between the end of March until September as most indoor plants are dormant during the winter. When it comes to re-potting, choose a pot approximately one inch in width and depth more than the one it is already in. You can use house plant potting compost, multipurpose compost, coir, grit and perlite. Treat your plant to the best potting mix you can afford. Make regular checks for ‘nasties' moving in the compost or for aphids, whiteflies, spider mites etc and prevent them from spreading. One tip Rob gave for treating pests in the compost was to cover the compost with a layer of sand and compress it down firmly. He finished by telling us how to propagate. You can do this by using stem or leaf cuttings, by division, using seeds and by layering. The process for each is a little different and some work better for particular types of plants.

Rob finished the evening by answering questions from members about their indoor plants. If you are reading this and you have a problem with an indoor plant, you would be welcome to visit his shop and discuss it with him. Indoor plants are becoming very popular and they are being given a more equal status within gardening magazines, which you may have realised if you read Gardeners’ World or The Garden. Our next meeting is on 11 April when Jenny Short will be talking about Ponds and Water Features for the Small Garden (Woodbury village hall, 19.30).

Joyce Jeans

Great Devon Breakfast

SATURDAY 20 MAY, 08.00 to 11.30

WOODBURY VILLAGE HALL

Tickets £6, children 12 and under £4

Tickets can be bought at the door but it does help with the catering to buy tickets before the day. Tickets available from Chris Lear. Thank you for your support for our local cancer charity FORCE.

01395 232772 / 07941045918 chrisalear06@gmail.com

Woodbury History Society

A large audience gathered in Woodbury village hall on 2 March to hear Charlotte Hodgson, the Archivist of Clinton Devon Estates, welcomed by the society’s Chairman, Nick Burgess.

Charlotte’s topic was Change in the Otter Estuary - a Historical Perspective. In her part-time role, Charlotte has care of the historic documents covering the Devon holdings of both the Baron Clinton and Rolle families. Her talk outlined the changes in the Otter valley brought about by trade, agriculture and the leisure industries.

Compared to the present day, the 1765 Benjamin Dunn map of the region shows the Otter valley to be sparsely populated, with few roads linking East Budleigh and Otterton as the main settlements. These two villages were made up mostly of farmhouses gathered together along a main street.

Charlotte explained that Otterton at that time was at the head of a tidal estuary lined by a number of quays and wharves where activities such as boat-building, lime-making and salmon farming were carried out. Salt pans near the estuary mouth gave their name to the present day Budleigh Salterton, which in 1765 was a mere dot on the map. The gradual decline of trade in the estuary was brought about by strong storms extending the shingle bank at the mouth and the silting up of the navigable river.

Charlotte went on to say that war with France in the early 19th century improved local farmers’ fortunes for a while and more importantly, it was at this time the Rolle family were able to buy out the Duke family who held the Manor of Otterton.

The Rolle family changed the farm lease system which under the Dukes could be as long as 1,000 or even 5,000 years. They introduced a system of secure tenancies for three generations (father, son, grandson or granddaughter in some cases).

Charlotte expanded on the most significant change in the nature of the Otter valley which was implemented by James Green in 1815. His scheme drained the marshland, built drainage channels and straightened the course of the river. She said that over the years more plans were proposed for building a harbour at the mouth of the river Otter, but these were never implemented. As the nineteenth century progressed Budleigh Salterton became a fashionable seaside resort with 288 houses in 1850.

Lastly, to bring us up to the 21st century, Charlotte briefly outlined what has been achieved so far with the Lower Otter Restoration Project. At this point she was joined by Dr Sam Bridgewater, Clinton’s Head of Biodiversity and Conservation, who was in the audience. Sam was able to go into more detail and answer questions about the project.

At the end, both Charlotte and Sam were warmly thanked with a round of applause and as a thankyou, a donation was made to the East Devon Pebblebed and Heaths Trust on behalf of Woodbury History Society.

Image Extracted from1765 Benjamin Dunn Map

The next meeting of WHS is on Thursday 4 May at 19.30 in Woodbury village hall. Robert Hesketh will give a talk entitled Curiosities to be Found in Devon Churches. He will explore the wealth of artistic and historic treasures to be discovered in our parish churches, taking in green men and tinners’ rabbits to name just a couple. Joyce Peachey

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.

Puppy Training At Woodbury

Congratulations to the following puppies with their handlers on achieving the Kennel Club Puppy Obedience Award:

 Charles and Freya Putnam with Milo (West Highland terrier)

 Jo Burt with Margot (Cocker Spaniel/Labrador)

 Lesley Walton with Lilly (Cavapoo)

 Kit Wilson with Claud (Golden Retriever)

 Malcolm Worth with Reggie (English Cocker Spaniel) who unfortunately missed the presentation.

The next training session starts on 19 April in Woodbury village hall at 19.00. Enquiries to Margaret Edwards at edwardsm22@sky.com or phone 01395 233653.

Margaret Edwards

Hospiscare

COFFEE AND CAKE MORNINGS FIRST TUESDAY OF EVERY MONTH

WOODBURY CHURCH ROOMS

10.00 - 12.00. All very welcome.

Woodbury Tennis Club

The club is gearing up for summer play. Membership is up for renewal with 60% uptake two weeks before the deadline. The winter league fixtures have been completed with both men's and mixed teams finishing mid-table. We now await the summer league season with four teams, two men’s, one ladies and one mixed playing in the local leagues. We will again have a sociable triples tournament on Friday evenings. Normal club sessions on Sunday mornings and ladies on Tuesdays continue through the year. As we resurfaced them last April, no major work is required to maintain our top quality courts. The intention is to replace our 50-year-old hut/pavilion with a purpose-built wooden pavilion in September after the summer season. We hope to be able to resume our junior coaching programme during the summer term. However we are still seeking a coach to cover for our normal one, who is not available until after half term. Enquiries on juniors to Christine Sheward (christinesheward58@gmail.com).

For any information on Woodbury tennis and enquiries on membership contact Pat Browne (01395 232805 ruthandpatb@aol.com), or come up to club sessions on Sundays from 10.00 to 13.00.

Woodbury Twinning Association

On 15 February, a group of twinners visited The Norman Lockyer Observatory in Sidmouth. Luckily for us, the sky was initially clear so we were able to observe the sky through their amazing telescopes, seeing stars of Orion's sword normally not visible with the naked eye. We were then treated to a lovely warming cuppa whilst having a most informative talk on the history of the Observatory, and our trip ended with an amazing visit to the Planetarium. Jan Owen

Pat Browne

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).

Scouts And Guides In Woodbury

Woodbury has an active group of Guide and Scout Sections that meet at The Hive in the playing fields weekly during term time. Below is what we have on offer in the village:

Scouts (boys and girls)

(also see www.scouts.org.uk for more information)

Beavers – ages 6 to 8, meet on Tuesdays 16.20-17.20.

At risk – temporary Leader in place, new Leader and Assistant Leader required.

Cubs – ages 8 to 10½, meet on Tuesdays 17.30-19.00.

Scouts – ages 10½ to 14, meet on Tuesdays 19.15-21.00.

Girl Guides

(also see www.girlguiding.org.uk for more information)

Rainbows – ages 4 to 7.

Currently not operating as Leaders required

Brownies – ages 7 to 10, meet on Wednesdays 18.00-19.30.

At risk – temporary Leader in place, new Leader and Assistant Leader required

Guides – ages 10 to 14, meet on Thursdays 18.00-19.30.

Guides and Scouts are run by volunteer leaders supported by a volunteer committee. The groups organise a wide range of activities including skills and interest badges, outdoor activities, camps and trips, all tailored for the individual age range of the section. Children can join at any age - you don’t need to start as a Rainbow or Beaver - and all the groups offer the chance to be part of a worldwide organisation that offers a huge range of activities at great value.

At present most of the groups in Woodbury are recruiting new members. We are also looking for enthusiastic people to join us as leaders, assistants, young leaders and as committee members. You don’t need to have been a Scout or Guide yourself; full training and support is provided. To find out more, please contact Helen Ellis email h.ellis142@hotmail.co.uk for Guides, or Donna Gover email Donna@1stwoodburyscouts.org.uk for Scouts. Megan Rimmer

The Mobile Library In Woodbury

Until now we have had monthly visits in the village from our mobile library van, but now, because we are such avid readers in Woodbury, we have been rewarded with an extra visit each month! The usual Friday visits for the next few months will be on:

14 April. 12 May. 9 June. 7 July.

4 August. 1 & 29 September. 24 November. The van stops near The Arch bus stop on the opposite side to the garage from 14.00 to 15.30.

In addition, the van will now stop at the same place at 15.10 on the following Tuesdays:

25 April. 23 May and dates to be announced later.

There is a wide choice of books available, and our friendly librarian Mike is always willing to help. You can contact the Devon Libraries Service at info@librariesunlimited.org.uk or by phone at 0345 1551001 for more information.

Woodbury News Closing Dates

17 APRIL. 15 MAY. 19 JUNE.

17 JULY. 7 AUGUST. 18 SEPTEMBER.

16 OCTOBER. 13 NOVEMBER. 11 DECEMBER.

ALL MATERIAL FOR THE MAGAZINE SHOULD BE SENT TO KAREN SQUIRES, WILLOWFIELD, OAKHAYES ROAD by 19.00 on the closing date, with a name and telephone number, or email to karensquires100@gmail.com

Woodbury C Of E Primary School

Celebrating Science

To get a buzz about Science we decided to celebrate National Science Week. On Monday 13 March the children came into school to find a crime scene because the prayer tree had been stolen! All they knew was that it was one of the teachers and there had been seven clues left to solve and find out who was guilty of the crime.

That week we also had a visit from Mrs Randle who spoke about her career as a nurse. The children from Beech, Willow, Oak and Cherry were very inspired, and the children in Beech class enjoyed listening to each other's heartbeat with the stethoscope.

Willow Class

Willow class have been enjoying testing materials to find out which material would be the best to make an umbrella for their class teddy. They secured materials onto the top of plastic cups and placed 20 raindrops using pipettes on the top. The children soon realised paper and fabric are not waterproof and tin foil and plastic are. After some discussion, they decided plastic would be the best material to use for his umbrella. They look forward to designing teddy's umbrella before the end of the term.

In Maths they have been measuring and comparing weight using balancing scales. They found lots of different objects to measure around the classroom and have recorded their findings in a table. They discovered that the biggest object does not always mean that it is the heaviest.

Ash Class

Spring has been a very busy term for Ash class; with crucial assessments drawing ever closer, we have found that focusing on creative, adventurous and peaceful projects have been just as important. In January, the children began to explore a new History question 'How has crime and punishment during the last 1,000 years changed?' which has led to many sources being analysed, from photos to graphs to statements, in addition to a trip to Bodmin jail in Cornwall. The children had a fantastic time being immersed into a world steeped in history, in order to learn about the gory, the scary and the punishment - if you stole a stick of celery, you would have a minimum 10-day sentence. They designed and made a fairground ride in Design Technology with the assistance of Crumble - a programming system used in computing - to enable their ride to rotate and light up as fairground rides do. cont’d/...