WOODBURY PARISH COUNCIL cont’d/...

Finance / Audit

Members viewed the Internal Auditor’s Report and confirmed that there were no issues arising in any area that warranted formal comment or recommendations. The Chairman thanked the Clerk for her hard work. The Annual Governance and Accountability Return (AGAR) has been signed off by the Parish Council and submitted to the External Auditor PKF Littlejohn LLP. The period for the Exercise of Public Rights will run from Monday 5 June 2023 to Friday 14 July 2023. Our financial information can be found on our website https://woodburyparishcouncil.gov.uk/parish-council/governance/finance.

Flower Street Car Park

The car park will be closed to all vehicles from Monday 19 June for one week or until the project is completed. The project will see a height barrier installed and resurfacing / lining works to the whole car park. We take this opportunity to apologise for any inconvenience caused.

Other Points

The leaking drain at the entrance to the Community Playing Fields from Town Lane has now been fixed. The contractor pumped it out and cleared a large amount of debris and a camera confirmed it is now clear and free flowing.

Weeds: special thanks to Cllr Richard Ball for clearing the weeds at The Arch, Woodbury. The Parish Council does not use glyphosate, so clearing is by hand. If you would like to help keep the parish looking smart and are interested in joining a general working party to clear weeds in certain public spaces, then please contact the Clerk. The Parish Council has requested a tree survey for all our trees and we are continuing to pursue a 20mph speed limit across the parish. Our next Full Council Meeting will be on Monday 12 June 2023 at 19.30, The Church Rooms in Woodbury.

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 Chris Bowers on 01395 239338 or email chrisbowers88@yahoo.co.uk and she will put you in contact with your local deliverer.

Any queries regarding delivery of Woodbury News within Exton to be directed to Ann Morris on 01392 875666.

Roundandabout A Short Visit To Ukraine

During the week of 15 May, fellow farmer Chris Hunt and I drove our family pickup truck to Ukraine to donate to the troops. In 2007 we bought the Ford Ranger new and it has been a reliable and wellused farm truck ever since. We drove the 1,400 miles from Devon through France, Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany and Poland over the course of two days to Lviv in Western Ukraine.

The back of the truck was fully loaded with donations including 4 new tyres, two generators and numerous power tools, all of which will be used to help the troops. A total of 35 4x4s were handed over to the Lieutenant Colonel of the 24th Mechanised Brigade and will all be sent to the eastern front line as a means of fast delivery of supplies and recovery of injured troops.

Pick-ups for Peace, a charity set up by British farmers to aid the Ukrainian army, has now delivered over 100 vehicles to troops on the war-torn county’s front line. All 4x4s have to be fully serviced and MOT’d prior to leaving to ensure some longevity in an active war zone, and we would like to thank our local garage Rydon Motors and especially Ivan for all their work preparing the Ranger. If anyone reading this is interested in supporting this charity, please type Pick-ups for Peace into your search bar. You don’t need to be a farmer to give, as the charity is happy to receive donations and will buy 4x4s to send over. Philip Glanvill

Great Devon Breakfast

Many thanks to all who supported the Great Devon Breakfast in Woodbury village hall. It was great to see so many people enjoying a full English breakfast which helped to raise £896 for our local cancer charity, FORCE. Thank you for your support and many thanks to the wonderful breakfast team.

Impromptu Open Garden In Woodbury

Chris Lear

Tricia Willey decided on a whim to open her wonderful garden on 8 June so that her friends and neighbours in Woodbury could spend a few hours in pleasant surroundings amidst a colourful and scented display of roses and other early summer flowers. What could be better than sitting in the sun, enjoying tea, coffee and home-made elderflower cordial (and of course delicious cakes and cookies - this is Woodbury after all!) with the opportunity both to chat with neighbours and raise funds for charity? A keen member of the Garden Club, Tricia must spend many hours tending her garden - sowing, planting and propagating - for it to be in such tip-top shape. Her generous hospitality raised some £170 to be sent to Cancer Research UK.

Sue Bury

THE UKULELE: IT’S A LOT MORE THAN GEORGE FORMBY

The most popular musical instrument in the world is the electric guitar. But the most popular acoustic instrument in the world is the ukulele. Some twenty years or so from the start of its current wave of popularity there are still a few people, believe it or not, whose first response on hearing the word ukulele is - “Oh, George Formby!” This unenlightened group includes radio DJ Tony Blackburn. On a recent edition of Sounds of the Sixties that was his reaction to a listener who emailed in mentioning she played in a ukulele group. Tony, you really ought to know better. George F. was a legend and a virtuoso player indeed, but that was one style of music. There are dozens of other styles and the ukulele can handle most of them. Today’s players know that and demonstrate it widely.

I was given a ukulele by my parents at the age of four. I didn’t ask for one, but they knew I was musical and it turned out to be one of their best decisions taken on my behalf. I took to it straight away and taught myself to play (there were no ukulele teachers around in those days) from a tutor book newly purchased if not newly published - most of the songs in it pre-dated even George Formby! And, despite being heavily distracted by the guitar from my teens, I’ve been playing uke ever since. In 1981 I became a full-time musician. Either solo or in bands, playing ukulele and/or guitar, I’ve been lucky enough to play all over the UK and abroad, perform on TV, radio and records and to meet and play with some amazing musicians, including Sir Paul McCartney. I’ve also taught both ukulele and guitar for many years. Earlier this year I ran a ukulele workshop in Sidmouth. It sold out in advance and went very well but I’m looking to run the next one more locally, here in Woodbury, where my wife and I now live. With that aim I’m putting out feelers to anyone in the area who might like to attend a uke workshop for beginners/ improvers (date TBA) with an eventual aim - maybe, if it goes well - of forming a regular local ukulele group. Interested? If so please email info@cliveharvey.net and I’ll look forward to hearing from you. Workshop numbers will be limited so it’ll be first come first served. Over-16s please. Let’s have some summer strumming! For more info visit my website: www.cliveharvey.net. Clive Harvey