June 2019

WOODBURY NEWS

JUNE 2019

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JUNE 2019 EDITORIAL Our cover picture this month is an intriguing record of a small part of the history of our Parish and one of Woodbury’s old families (see page 30). It’s the bill for a wedding reception that took place in 1905.

A more recent Woodbury resident gives her account of life and times in the village over the past 40 years (see page 29), and we are reminded – by the splendid assortment of commemorative events on offer (see pages 17-19) – of the life and work of another illustrious Woodbury personage, whose prime claim to fame is the recording in his seminal work The Concise British Flora in Colour of the astonishing variety of wild flowers to be found in our country. A copy of this book was on display in St Swithun’s at the Beauty in Bloom concert last month, and it was indeed a very salutary experience to see just how many of the wild flower varieties recorded in the book no longer flourish. Very sadly, we live in impoverished times when it comes to our environment and the hugely detrimental effect we humans are having upon the world we inhabit. Awareness is starting to bloom in our collective consciousness, and at a local level there have been many welcome initiatives to speed this process: the establishment of the Community Orchard and the work of Wild-Woodbury are two good examples.

Life moves on, of course, and we can count ourselves lucky to live in a still beautiful part of the world, within a thriving and supportive community, where there are lively social, sporting and artistic groups, and where the schools provide their charges with all manner of exciting learning opportunities (how the editors often wish their own school days had been remotely similar!).

Which brings us to a timely reminder for groups in the Parish: if you want your organisation to be included in a ‘mini-directory’ (to be published in the September issue of Woodbury News) please email the Deputy Editor — val.arndt@gmail.com — with the name of the group, the meeting time and venue, and a contact name, phone number and email address.

Woodbury News is a Private Company Limited by Guarantee No. 5263356

Secretary: Karen Squires, Willowfield, Oakhayes Road, Woodbury EX5 1JT. 233299 Registered Office: Willowfield, Oakhayes Road, Woodbury EX5 1JT. Tel: 233299 Chairman: Jeremy Boyden, Rosemary, Broadway, Woodbury EX5 1NR. Tel: 233072 Editor: Sue Bury, Mayflower Cottage, 37 Greenway, Woodbury EX5 1LU. Tel: 233753 Deputy Editor: Val Arndt, Castlehaye, Castle Lane, Woodbury. Tel: 233175 Subscriptions: Anna Crafer, 15 Haymans Orchard, Woodbury. Tel: 232007 Circulation: Beverley Simcox, 2 Beeches Close, Woodbury. Tel: 232858

4 ST SWITHUN’S CHURCH, WOODBURY Vicar of the White Cross Mission Community: Reverend Sid Humphries. Tel:01395 274512. email: revsidh@gmail.com Associate Priest: Reverend Nigel Mason. email: revdnigel540@gmail.com SPECIAL SERVICES AND EVENTS Thursday 30 May – Ascension Day. 10.00 Clyst St George, 18.30 Woodbury. Sunday 30 June - Rev’d Sid’s final service as vicar, 11.15 Holy Communion at Farringdon.

ST SWITHUN’S SUNDAY SERVICES - MAY 1st Sunday: 11.15 Holy Communion. 2nd Sunday: 11.15 Holy Communion.

3rd Sunday: 11.15 Holy Communion. 18.30 Evensong. 4th Sunday: 08.00 Holy Communion (Said), 09.30 Breakfast Service. Mondays at 09.15 Morning Prayer.

NEWS AND EVENTS Lych gate stalls 09.30-11.00 from 8 June will be held weekly at the lych gate, weather permitting, otherwise in church.

Woodbury PCC Monthly Draw - Draw made at the Charity Coffee Morning 3rd Tuesday each month. Prize every month ranging from £50 to £500. Details from Ken Crundwell 01395 232826.

Further information - Digest available in church. To receive this by email, please send your email address to st.swithuns.digest@gmail.com FLOODLIGHTING ST SWITHUN’S CHURCH (dusk until 23.00) For your special event, contact Mike Jeans 01395 232544. Floodlight dedications are displayed on the church noticeboard at the lych gate.

CHURCH ALTAR FLOWERS - JUNE 2 - Mrs S Huish. 9 and 16 - Mrs J Hann. 23 - Mrs M Mead. 30 - Mrs J Hodge.

IN MEMORIAM Private Thomas H Morrish, Machine Gun Corps (Infantry) Died in India on 31 May 1919, aged 21

WOODBURY NEWS CLOSING DATES 11 JUNE. 16 JULY. 6 AUGUST. 17 SEPTEMBER. 15 OCTOBER. 19 NOVEMBER. 10 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

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6 FoSS (FRIENDS OF ST SWITHUN’S) The concert on 27 April was one of the most successful in terms of interesting content and support. With 200 present in the church, a total of £950 was raised for FoSS funds. Carolyn Keep has written a detailed review: St Swithun’s was filled by an expectant audience for the April FoSS concert. They were delighted by an excellent evening of music in a wide range of styles. The groups performing were equally varied: the Devon County Junior Choir, the Woodbury Whalers and Bel Canto. The Whalers opened the programme with two sea shanties and two songs in a similar style, sung with verve. In contrast, the Junior Choir gave us Captain Noah and his Floating Zoo, a lively and amusing cantata in a version suited to their young voices and skilfully accompanied by Sam Nickels.

Rachel Smith clearly has a wonderful rapport with her singers and their accuracy and discipline were most impressive. The first half was completed by Bel Canto, another Woodbury group, whose four pieces delighted the audience; the younger members particularly enjoyed Old McDonald!

After socialising over drinks and refreshments, the audience returned to hear the Junior Choir again, this time in A Sequence for Devon, composed and then adapted for this choir by Andrew Millington. The use of familiar songs in a new form was very effective and the soloists in this, as in all their pieces, were confident and varied.

Bel Canto then came back with a selection of folk songs and one composed by Elgar, to words written by his wife.

7 A final selection of songs from the Junior Choir, ranging in age from 6 to 13, demonstrated both their stamina and enthusiasm. Altogether it was a wonderful evening and the audience showed their appreciation with a standing ovation.

We look forward to welcoming Exeter University Chapel Choir for a concert on Saturday 20 July at 19.00; tickets (£10) will be available in July. We are very fortunate that they like coming to Woodbury and we anticipate a very enjoyable fourth concert.

FoSS continues to support the maintenance of the fabric of the church and has recently paid £1,500 to Viridor Credits as third party contributor to enable them to provide a substantial grant for the bells refurbishment programme.

Pat Browne WOODBURY TENNIS CLUB Tennis for the summer is well underway. The two men’s teams and the mixed team have embarked on their 2019 campaign. The A team have won both matches and with 22 points are well positioned in Div 6; the B team have registered one win and one narrow defeat and have 11 points, putting the team in 3rd position in Div 7. The mixed team have played four matches, all competitive, and have recorded one draw and three narrow defeats, giving the team 14 points.

The junior coaching is also well underway with experienced coach John Wingate and his assistant Tom Kinch; there are 30 youngsters on court on Wednesday evenings in four sessions. It is hoped that many of them will graduate to club sessions on Sunday mornings.

The club will hold its doubles tournament on Sunday 7 July from 10.00 followed by a barbeque. All members and former members are invited to enter the tournament and to enjoy the social occasion.

This year five lucky members were able to purchase Wimbledon tickets. In the Woodbury allocation there was a double ticket for the men’s finals, which was quickly snapped up by one of our members.

The courts are available for the playing of tennis to all residents of the parish and visitors at a reasonable fee of £4.00 per hour, key available at 5 Escott Cottages (Pat Browne 232805 ruthandpatb@aol.com), but if playing regularly annual membership (£15 junior) is more economical. Pat Browne ROYAL BRITISH LEGION COFFEE MORNINGS WEDNESDAYS, 10.30 - 12.00.

RBL ROOM behind Woodbury village hall.

12 AND 26 JUNE Then every other week throughout the year.

8 WOODBURY GARDEN CLUB A very big thankyou to everyone who supported our Plant Sale on Saturday 11 May. The doors opened at 11.00 and by 11.30 most things had been sold!

Just under ÂŁ400 was raised, which will be split between club funds and a charity.

Preparing for the Plant Sale

For our May meeting David Usher, the head gardener at Hestercombe Gardens, gave us an illustrated talk on the restoration of the gardens. Before David began his talk we had a moment of silence to remember one of our members, Judy Bashforth, who, sadly, has died. Judy was a very active member of the club for several years, serving on the committee and helping in so many different ways. We will miss her greatly.

David began by saying that Hestercombe is a walk through history, a mix of three historic gardens. It is a collaboration between Sir Edwin Lutyens and Gertrude Jekyll, who created a formal Edwardian garden within the larger landscape of a Georgian garden created by Coplestone Bampfylde. The gardens stretch to 35 acres and cover three distinct areas: the formal Edwardian area near the house, the Victorian terrace and shrubbery and the Georgian landscape garden. David then went on to describe how, by using old photographs and documents like Edward Knight’s recordings in his notebook from a visit in 1761, they were able to restore the Georgian landscape with its lake and cascades. When restoring the lake, 17,000 tons of silt were removed. Now what do you do with that? Fortunately a local farmer with a ten-acre field used it and was rewarded with some very fine kale.

9 In the Victorian Age flowers were added. There was an explosion of plants coming into the country and flower beds were added to the front of the house.

During the restoration of the area, the fountain was restored and a Victorian shrubbery was created. From 1904 -1907 the Edwardian garden was established, commissioned by the Portman family. After the Portmans’ influence from 1876-1944, the Somerset Fire Brigade took over the property for administrative and training purposes and during this time the restoration of the gardens began. Again, the Edwardian garden could be restored because the head gardener at the time had kept the planting schemes safe.

In 2004, a Charitable Trust was formed for the gardens and a new visitor centre was built, funded by the Lottery. The history of both the house and the gardens is fascinating and Hestercombe is well worth a visit.

Look out for the posters advertising our Open Gardens on Sunday 23 June.

Joyce Jeans DEVON BIG BREAKFAST IN AID OF OUR LOCAL CANCER CHARITY, FORCE SATURDAY 1 JUNE, 08.00-11.00 WOODBURY VILLAGE HALL Come and start the day with a great British Breakfast Tickets are available from Chris Lear 01395 232772 or chrisalear06@gmail.com, or at the door, but it does help with catering if tickets are bought beforehand. Adults £6, under 12s £3.

Many thanks for your support.

WOODBURY TWINNING ASSOCIATION Host families needed to host French twinners 8 - 10 JUNE Please contact Nita Goffron on 232314 for further information.

10 WOODBURY HISTORY SOCIETY On Thursday 2 May the Society was lucky to have a presentation from Simon Fogg from Exmouth, who was born the year that our society was formed 25 years ago. And what a splendid computer presentation it was on the history of Dalditch military camp in the Second World War. Simon has been interested in militaria from the age of 12, and as a boy used to spend most of his spare time on Woodbury Common searching for artefacts abandoned from the camp. He has done a huge amount of research on the weaponry which was used on the Common, both during and after the War. He told us that the camp was the size of Budleigh Salterton; a wartime map showed it to be laid out like a town, with roads, huts, a theatre, a church and a variety of buildings for all the needs of such a large training camp. By 1941 there were over 2,000 Royal Marines training there, living in Nissan huts, each occupied by eight men.

An aerial photograph taken by the Germans shows a runway laid out at one end of the site. This runway was a path made out of flattened grass with lights along the length of it to trick the Germans into thinking it was Exeter Airport – Dalditch was one of three decoy runways in the area which successfully kept the Luftwaffe away from their main target. There is evidence from a few craters still extant that bombs were dropped on this area. Most of the camp has disappeared, though Simon was able to show us pictures of some ruined structures that can be found, including a wall (which has been listed) that was used for practising climbing over enemy walls and structures. He had also acquired photographs of what the camp looked like during the War including pictures of some of the troops training. There were several rifle ranges, and areas for grenade throwing and other necessary wartime skills.

Amongst his collections are huge numbers of cartridges of all sorts fired from different types of guns – he could identify where they were made, their dates and the guns that would have fired them. Some of his finds are simple domestic items, either broken or lost, that soldiers would have used during their time at Dalditch. His searches have also uncovered earlier military items, since Woodbury Common has been used for military manoeuvres and training since the Napoleonic Wars. Simon’s talk was greatly enjoyed by an enthusiastic audience who asked many questions and kept him in conversation afterwards.

11 He has written an illustrated book on the camp, all the artefacts he has uncovered and the research he has done. This book we now have in the History Society Archive Room – anyone wishing to borrow it should contact Gill Selley on 233208 or gselley100@ gmail.com.

The next meeting of the Woodbury History Society will take place on Thursday 5 September, at 19.30 in Woodbury village hall.

John Allan, the eminent Exeter archaeologist and scholar, will make a return visit to the Society to tell us about the present state of archaeology in Exeter, both current and recent excavations, including, we hope, what was found in the ruins of the Clarence Hotel. Visitors are very welcome to attend any of our meetings.

Gill Selley

WOODBURY AND DISTRICT ROYAL BRITISH LEGION COMMEMORATIONS FOR D-DAY, THE NORMANDY LANDINGS THURSDAY 6 JUNE, 11.00-16.00 Laying of Commemorative Wreath, 10.55 Pop-up Poppy Shop, Cake Stall, Assistance Dogs display, and memorabilia display.

The Church Rooms, Woodbury Light refreshments available all day.

All proceeds to the Poppy Appeal.

WOODBURY COMMUNITY LONG TABLES SATURDAY 6 JULY, 17.00 WOODBURY VILLAGE GREEN Tables £15 for six people. Bring your own chair, gazebo, food, wine.

Decorate tables with flowers, candelabra etc, but please take all rubbish home.

Draw prizes, music, entertainment, ice cream van.

To reserve a table contact Chris Lear 01395 232772 chrisalear06@gmail.com Once paid, you will be allocated a number for your table(s) This is going to be a great community event raising funds for FORCE.

12 MAYTREE PRE-SCHOOL IS FUNDRAISING The Pre-School Committee have been really busy since we last posted in Woodbury News. Our main focus has been on funding in preparation for our move to the scout hut. We’ve been organising lots of activities, some of which are coming up very soon. In the last few months we have raised over £500 from different activities and events. The committee want to thank the local community for the fantastic support we have received so far.  Woodbury Twinning Association gifted a significant sum of money, which got us off to a great start with our project.  The Parish Council are continuing to support our project in a number of ways, including offering help and advice.  We have additionally had a good response to our appeal for clothes for donation, which has raised nearly £100. Many of these clothes have been donated by people who are not associated with the Pre-School at present, testament to community spirit.  The Maltsters pub have made Maytree their chosen charity for a number of their monthly quiz nights.

The Pre-School also recently held a spring fair at the Maltsters pub raising nearly £400. It was a great family day and the weather was really kind. We had a bouncy castle, stalls, crafts, cakes and a fun scavenger hunt.

In the next few months we have a quiz night planned for late June. The Maytree annual sausage sizzle will be held on 7 July. Both of these events are open to the entire community - you don’t need to have children at the school. Keep an eye out on Facebook and noticeboards for more information.

We still need lots of help to raise enough money to convert the existing scout hut into a building that will benefit not just the children attending Maytree but also those who attend the various Scout and Guide groups at the hut. We are appealing to everyone to continue to help us to raise funds by:  Donating clothes. These can be left at 9 Orchard Close or the Pre-School.  Making an online donation at www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/ maytreepavilion  Making a cash or cheque donation by contacting Cat Luke, Chair of Maytree Pre-School, 07787 527715, chair@maytreepreschool.com.

Once again, we would really like to thank everyone for their support so far and look forward to keeping you up to date with our plans.

Martin Goddard, Maytree Project Lead

13 WOODBURY WOMEN’S INSTITUTE Members of Woodbury WI met on 9 May for their annual meeting. The main business was introduced by our president, Lin Milsom-Ashby, who told members that the committee and principal officers were all prepared to stand for one more year. Members voted unanimously to re-elect the committee and officers en bloc. After Lin encouraged members to join the committee and to consider taking on officer roles in the future, she thanked Jenny Champion who stepped forward and offered to join the committee.

Courses and trips were discussed and seven ladies heard that they have got a place on a 4-day DFWI holiday to Yorkshire in October. Jean Batten won the competition for a decorated wooden spoon.

Pauline introduced the speaker, Liz Swan, a community art teacher. She explained what the job involves and showed us a short video about the work of community art tutors.

Some tutors work in care homes and others with dementia sufferers.

Liz works with young adults with mental health problems, mums and babies in special units in hospital, and groups of primary-aged children. She explained the benefits of art activities to many vulnerable people. She then let members loose with the art materials! They were encouraged to create a simple picture using tissue paper, water and black paint. The results were amazing and everyone had a most enjoyable time. Victoria gave the vote of thanks, and members talked about the possibility of holding a workshop session with Liz in the future.

Jonathan Boxall will talk about Osteopathy at the next meeting on Thursday 13 June, when the competition will be for a limerick.

Lin Milsom-Ashby PHOTOGRAPHY SEMINAR AND WORKSHOP SATURDAY 8 JUNE, 10.30-16.00 WOODBURY VILLAGE HALL The workshop is ideal for enthusiastic photographers looking to improve their skills at taking and editing photos. ÂŁ12 for all day if pre-booked.

Buy tickets at www.exmouthphotogroup.com

WOODBURY NEWS is available online via Facebook and Twitter.

14 WOODBURY C OF E PRIMARY SCHOOL School News Our penultimate half term of the school year is flying by and has already seen lots of exciting learning taking place along with some fantastic visits.

As a school we have been focusing on our school value of Trust. Rev’d Nigel visited us recently to lead collective worship under this theme and demonstrated to the children how trust can be gained and how it is rewarded.

The school has been a hive of activity with Year 6 pupils completing their Key Stage 2 SATs. The effort our oldest pupils have put into their learning and the commitment that their teachers have shown in enabling each child to reach their full potential is outstanding and very much appreciated.

Rehearsals for our May Day celebrations are also well underway, with classes practising their maypole and country dances ready to present to parents and friends on Thursday 21 May. This is always a wonderful day in our school calendar and a tradition that pupils and parents remember for many years.

Class News Willow class enjoyed a fun-filled trip to Pennywell Farm at the beginning of May. They planted a seed which they brought back to school to grow. The children had the chance to bottle-feed the lambs and to feed deer, pygmy goats and sheep. They also had the opportunity to spend time in the cuddle corner with the smaller animals, including guinea pigs, rats, mice, piglets and rabbits.

15 Maple class enjoyed performing their dramatic interpretation of Firebird by Saviour Pirotta to a captivated Beech class.

They planned, rehearsed and performed each chapter as a group and were so excited and motivated by the text that they provided their own props and costumes to enhance the performance. One pupil has composed her own sequel to the story, aptly named The Firebird's Revenge. Beech class thoroughly enjoyed the show and were keen to talk about it afterwards!

Chestnut class visited the Eden Project to extend their understanding of their topic about the Amazon. They took part in a Rainforest Explorers workshop with education leader Robbie and hunted around the rainforest biome for information before presenting group presentations of their findings to the class. The afternoon saw groups exploring the amazing surroundings, with highlights including crossing the cloud bridge, cooling off under a waterfall and watching tiny roul-roul partridge chicks with their mothers.

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Sports News A team of players from Ash class recently took part in the Devon hockey final held in Plymouth. The children competed against teams from across Devon and played nine matches, after which they were declared the overall winners! We would like to offer our congratulations to our winning team as well as our thanks to the parents, who transported the children, and to Mr Troman, whose commitment to coaching the children contributed to their success.

Last week a team from Chestnut class went to Exmouth Community College to compete in a rounders tournament against other schools from the Exmouth area. They played fantastically and represented the school well. It was a great morning with some excellent and intense matches. Lots of whole rounders were scored and the team really came together to field, succeeding in getting many opponents out. Overall the team were placed a well-earned fourth out of nine.

Alison Sparkes, Headteacher

WOODBURY GARDEN CLUB OPEN GARDENS EVENT SUNDAY 23 JUNE, 14.00-17.00 Visit an interesting cross-section of local gardens.

Tickets/map/programme (ÂŁ5.00) available in the Church Rooms, together with refreshments.

17 WOODBURY WIDE AWAKE FESTIVAL Like the profusion of flowers everywhere, the first full week of May was a busy one for the Woodbury Wide Awake Festival, with several informative and imaginative events in quick succession.

Roselle Angwin’s writing workshop – Poetry in Nature A small group of novice and more practised writers met to experience the natural world through poetic eyes. Working in silence in a local bluebell wood, we recorded our myriad sensations in writing, and later – over tea, and home-made cake that appeared as if by magic – we turned our words into more lyrical form. Any nerves about sharing our writings out loud were quickly put aside with Roselle’s expert, non-judgmental guidance, and there was a wide and very interesting range of responses.

Roselle deservedly has a great reputation as a facilitator, and will be running two more Sunday afternoon workshops on 7 July and 6 October, to experience the different seasons in different natural environments in the Parish. https://www.woodbury-wide-awake.co.uk/writing-workshop-poetryin-nature Patrick Dillon’s talk – Landscape change and its impact on wildlife since Keble Martin’s time Local resident Prof Patrick Dillon has been interested in wildlife and his natural surroundings since childhood, and gave a fascinating talk about the changes that have occurred in rural landscapes over the last 50 years. He asked us to imagine what it would be like to leave our own house, full of its accretions of years of memorabilia, and return to find it completely cleared out, redecorated and re-furnished in a very bland, monochrome IKEA-style.

That is how the landscape is now, he says, compared with 50 years ago: it is still green, but is divested of the rich variety of texture, colour and diversity that it used to have – the structure is similar, but the detail is gone.

Patrick’s talk offered a wealth of personal observations, illustrations and information describing and accounting for these changes, concluding with where to find the last glow-worms in East Devon (Weston Mouth). He also drew on memories and records of local people, some of which can be seen on the Woodbury Wide Awake website Projects and Articles page https:// www.woodbury-wide-awake.co.uk/articles.

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18 Cont’d/… Patrick Dillon’s talk – The talk was very well received – here are just two of the responses: “Patrick Dillon is very good value and I loved hearing about the dawn chorus and birds.” “I was most impressed by last night's lecture. Having delivered and listened to far too many lectures, it was a real treat to attend one which was so well done.”

Grace Notes concert – Bloom of Beauty Daphne West, director of Grace Notes, a female a cappella group, challenged herself to put together a programme featuring flowers from Keble Martin’s Concise British Flora. She created a hugely enjoyable patchwork of song, piano music and poetry that beautifully evoked the countryside of Keble Martin’s time, complete with nightingales and cuckoos. Daphne even tracked down music by a nineteenth century American composer, Isaac Woodbury. The song Bloom of Beauty referenced the meanings of flowers included in Victorian weddings, and one of the poems Bluebells Beneath Hound Tor was a perfect reminder of Keble Martin’s long connection with, and love of, Dartmoor. Some of the music was specially composed for the concert by Bee Harley, and all of the pieces were performed with grace and enthusiasm. The programme will also be performed in other venues throughout Devon.

The concert raised £142, to be split between Wild Woodbury and the wildlife charity, Plantlife.

Robin Harford’s walk and talk on Edible wild plants Possibly it was slightly controversial to invite a forager to talk to us in the churchyard but, as a historic site, it is very rich in wild plants. One of the key lessons of Robin’s talk was that foraging is about gathering ‘a little of a lot’, compared with farming which harvests ‘a lot from a little.’ Another main point was learning to know plants directly through observation and sensation, crushing leaves and rubbing them to release the oils, then assessing them by scent before tasting – trusting our own gut reactions as the best guide.

The churchyard and lane behind yielded a fantastic range of wild plants which Robin discussed in great detail, and he was careful to distinguish between ‘safe’ and ‘unsafe’ plant groups. He also pointed out that plants have been around for about 400 million years, and modern humans a mere 200,000. He treated us to some modern ideas about conservation and the human role in ecosystems.

This reaction to Robin’s talk was typical: “It was a very enjoyable afternoon and I had no idea before how many plants could be used in the way he described. He was a brilliant speaker, too.”

19 Other wildflower walks are planned in the summer. Full details of these and all other events and projects are on the Woodbury Wide Awake website. https://www.woodbury-wide-awake.co.uk Diana Wackerbarth Woodbury Wide Awake events for June and July Thursday 20 June – Talk by Sam Bridgewater of the Pebblebed Heaths Conservation Trust – The Pebblebed Heaths: An Ecological and Cultural History. 19.30.

Please check venue. Entry by donation, no need to book.

Sunday 23 June – Wildflower walk with Melanie Shaw, medical herbalist. Woodbury Green and Pathfield. 14.00-16.00. Entry by donation. Places limited, please book.

Mondays 24 June and 1, 8 and 15 July – Wildflower painting workshops in any medium – with Devon artist Daniel Holmes Adams.

Trevanin Farm, Woodbury Salterton. 10.00-16.00. £40/day. Please book.

Thursday 27 June – Talk on Keble Martin and the Devon Flora by Bob Hodgson, Botany Section of the Devonshire Association. 19.30, St Swithun's Church. Entry by donation, no need to book.

Sunday 30 June – Family storytelling event with Lisa Schneidau.

14.00 at Woodbury Community Orchard. Entry by donation. Please reserve a place.

Thursday 4 July – Wildflower walk – the valley mires of Woodbury Common, with Sam Bridgewater of the Pebblebed Heaths Conservation Trust. 18.30-20.30. Meet at Woodbury Castle car park. Entry by donation. Places limited, please book.

Sunday 7 July - Poetry in Nature writing workshop with Roselle Angwin, 14.30-17.00 at Trevanin Farm, Woodbury Salterton. Entry by donation. Please book.

Friday 12 - Sunday 14 July St Swithun's Flower Festival & Exhibition.

Sunday 21 July – Wildflower walk Plants of Heathland and Bog on Woodbury Common with David Allen, Botany Section of the Devonshire Association. 11.00 - 13.00 Meet at Woodbury Castle car park. Entry by donation. Places limited, please book.

For bookable events contact via the website or info@woodbury-wideawake.co.uk or tel. 01395 239078.

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WOODBURY SALTERTON NEWS It’s Scarecrow Time Again The end of May/beginning of June is when we hope to see scarecrows popping up all over the village for the popular Scarecrow Challenge. The theme this year is Sports and Hobbies. The fee to enter a scarecrow is £5 and the winner will receive an Amazon voucher for £15.

Judging takes place on Sunday 9 June from 14.00 onwards. Voting forms and a map of the trail round the village will be on sale in the Glebe Field (£2). Tea, coffee, soft drinks and cakes will be on sale all afternoon. There will be face painting and games for all ages. This year the organisers are looking for people to promote local produce, gifts etc and tables will be available to hire. To book a table phone Debbie Jung on 01395 232328.

The Scarecrow Challenge is an annual event when the village comes together and has fun, raising much needed funds to keep our village church going.

Weekly Coffee Mornings take place each Saturday from 09.30 until 10.30 at church – outdoors if fine. Thanks to some volunteers who have offered to man the stalls, we will be holding these each Saturday throughout the summer on the first Saturday each month. Bacon butties will be available on the first Saturday of each month, by popular demand, and the other Saturdays will include coffee, cakes and any produce as the season progresses.

Whist Our monthly Whist Drives are held on the third Tuesday each month in the village hall starting at 19.30. The next Whist Drive will therefore take place on 18 June.

Katharine Wheeler COMMUNITY COFFEE MORNING WOODBURY SALTERTON VILLAGE HALL 09.00 - 12.00 1st Monday of each month, if a Bank Holiday 2nd Monday of the month. £2 for unlimited drinks and cake.

Everyone welcome (from babies to retirees).

Come and feel part of a community and get to know the people living within the village.

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).

21 WOODBURY SALTERTON C OF E PRIMARY SCHOOL It’s been a busy month at Woodbury Salterton Primary, and we are delighted that Mrs Gray is now in post with our federation. Everyone is working hard, especially the year 6s getting ready for their SATs – but it’s not all exams and hard work; our children have had fun whilst learning.

Class 1 had a great time re-telling the story of George, a hero who saved the princess from the dragon which had been bothering the village — not Woodbury Salterton of course! They learnt all about St George’s Day and about the English flag. Please see our website for the lovely pictures of our learners and their artwork.

Our Year 5s spent four days at the start of the term completing their Bikeability course. At Level 1, they learnt how to control and master their bike in a safe space away from traffic. For Level 2, they rode around the village, giving them a real cycling experience where they learnt how to deal with traffic on short journeys.

Well done, Years 5s — cycling is a really important skill for life, as is keeping safe on village roads.

This half term Class 3 are lucky enough to be working with a sports coach from Exeter City FC. They have been learning about the challenges and rewards of keeping fit and how the body works. The children have also learned about the importance of diet, nutrition and hydration. The sessions have included playing football, dodgeball and handball, with a mixture of classroom-based and practical lessons.

22 WOODBURY SALTERTON C OF E PRIMARY SCHOOL cont’d/...

Classes 1 and 2 were visited by the RNLI and listened intently to beach lifeguards as they gave some very important advice on how to stay safe in the sea. They showed the children the different safety flags, their life-saving equipment and answered lots of questions. This was a very important talk, as we all live close to the coast.

At Woodbury Salterton a core part of our children’s school experience is outdoor learning and our website has some great photos of the various activities the children enjoy at our site in the village, among them the following:  learning about May Day traditions and celebrations and using flowers and branches found around the forest school site to make flower circlets and Jack-in-the-Green headdresses (Class 1)  using natural materials from the site to create pictures and frames of bugs and flowers (Class 2)  extending learning about electricity by collecting a range of materials to take back to school to test whether or not they conduct electricity (Class 3)  taking part in team-building challenges, including making a natural structure in which to carry an egg over obstacle courses, and discovering the eggs were not hard boiled!  planting seeds and young salad leaves, which hopefully will grow into lettuces, peas, broad beans, radishes and wild flowers (Class 3 – and a big thank you to Mrs Clements who brought the seeds)  enjoying games with a geography theme, requiring teams to represent European landmarks, with a super Eiffel Tower from one group!  designing obstacle courses and attempting a series of challenges to demonstrate great teamwork and leadership skills (Class 2) We are proud of the achievements of every one of our learners and each week we continue to celebrate their effort, attendance and achievements at our celebration assembly in church every Friday afternoon. If you would like to visit our school or find out more about what we have to offer for our children from 2 years to 11, please contact the school office on 01395 232649 to book an appointment, or follow us on Facebook.

Clare Rooke, Chair of Governors, Pebblebed Heath Federation

23 WOODBURY SALTERTON WOMEN’S INSTITUTE Woodbury Salterton WI held its annual meeting in May and our president, Gill Bricknell, was unanimously voted in for a further 12 months. Our committee lost one member, Chris Moores, who has decided to stand down and we thanked her for the time and effort she has contributed over the years.

We gained one member, Biddy Lagus, who has volunteered to join the committee.

We discussed the recent Spring Council Meeting in Torquay, which was held on a Saturday to enable younger WI members who are working to attend. It was a interesting meeting and the speakers, Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones, the Black Farmer, and Christina Lamb, a war correspondent and author, were both inspiring and very informative.

We also contributed to a Devon WI initiative to collect toiletries for Derriford Hospital. The organisers left the Spring Council meeting with two carloads of donated items from all those attending.

We have begun a 12-month programme to celebrate the forthcoming hundredth anniversary of the Devon Federation of WIs in June 2020. We are planning to plant 100 woodland bulbs in the village to bloom next summer, and we aim to donate 100 items to the Exeter Foodbank. We also did a litterpick on Bank Holiday Monday and were very successful in acquiring over 100 items.

Coffee in the Digger’s will be held on Thursday 20 June at 11.00, and lunch (also in the Digger’s) will be on Tuesday 25 June at 12.00. You are welcome to join us.

Our speaker on Wednesday 12 June is Raj Panesar from Lloyds Bank, speaking on Fraud Awareness.

Terrie Newman FoSS SUMMER CONCERT SATURDAY 20 JULY IN ST SWITHUN’S CHURCH AT 19.00 Exeter University Chapel Choir.

Tickets £10 available from 20 June from Rook Pie, Pat Browne, committee or on the door.

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24

EXTON NEWS ST ANDREW’S CHURCH, EXTON SUNDAY SERVICES FOR JUNE 2 - Easter 7, 18.00 Evening Service. 9 - Pentecost, 09.30 Holy Communion. 16 - Trinity Sunday, 09.30 lay-led.

23 - Trinity 1, 09.30 Holy Communion. 30 - Trinity 2, 11.15 Holy Communion at St Swithun’s Woodbury. Farewell to Rev’d Sid Humphries, with a shared lunch.

EXTON LADIES GROUP Our May meeting, in our refurbished village hall, was a talk by Keith Weedon, a trustee of Poltimore House. We were transported back to 1560 when Richard Bampfylde’s house was completed. After that there were many additions including the present south front, the grand staircase and, in 1808, the ballroom. In 1921 the house was put up for sale due to death duties. Unable to be sold, it was leased to an academy for young ladies.

When war broke out, Dover College took it over.

After the war it became a private hospital, then in 1963 part of the NHS. In 1975 it became a private nursing home. In 1987, after a fire in the ballroom wing, developers considered their options but in 1992 the owner went bankrupt. In 2004 the Friends of Poltimore House was founded to help run the site. Many events are held there including weddings, festivals and opera.

The meeting ended with Pauline Collas giving us details of the next meeting, the outing to Highgrove on 6 June.

Chris Bilyard

EXTON VILLAGE FETE SATURDAY 8 JUNE 14.00-17.00 BBQ – Bouncy castle – Raffle – Teas – Games – Fun for all the family.

THE HEAVITREE STRUMMERS UKULELE BAND AND VOCALISTS DAZ & DAVE FRIDAY 28 JUNE — THE GOOSEFIELD, EXTON Bring a picnic and please support our licensed bar.

Gates open at 18.30.

Tickets £10 in advance from David 01392875009, Eileen 01392877917 or Eddie 01392873335 or £12.50 on the gate.

25 EXTON GARDEN CLUB The speaker at our April meeting was Jeremy Wilson who specialises in camellias. He started with a brief history and explained how the plant got its name. Cassius Linneas compiled a book about naming, and named the camellia plant after Joseph Kamel (Latinized as Camellus), a Moravian botanist. The oldest record goes back about 600 years and currently there are 257 named species and over 2,000 cultivars. Camellia sinensis is grown for tea and there is now a plantation at Hele, several in Cornwall and even some in Scotland. Kenya has 5 million people involved in the tea industry and it is one of their most valuable crops. Tea isn’t the only product produced from camellias: seeds from camellia oleifera contain a valuable oil which is used in expensive perfume. It is possible to have camellias flowering at any time throughout the year and there is a wide variety of flower types: single, semidouble, anemone, peony and rose forms. They like a slightly acidic soil, some shade and, if possible, protection from wind and rain which will damage the flowers. They are quite thirsty when growing and making bud so shouldn’t dry out in mid-summer, which could cause bud drop in the following spring. They are suitable to grow as shrubs or trees and even a hedge, and there is a wide range of shades from white to deep red. There is just one yellow variety, which grows in the wild. Feed in March and August, and watch out for vine weevils in containers, and soot. This is produced by scale insects which look like cotton wool on the underside of the leaf and need to be picked off. Jeremy was off to Rosemoor at 06.00 next morning to help classify the camellia competition entries there.

At our meeting on Saturday 30 November at 14.30 in Exton village hall the speaker will be Katherine Crouch. Katherine is a Chelsea Gold Medal winning garden designer. She won the BBC Gardener of the Year in 1999 and BBC Gardener of the Decade in 2008. Katherine is a very entertaining and knowledgeable speaker and will talk about The Self-seeding Garden.

Tickets will be £3 and tea/coffee and cakes will be available. For further information ring Eileen Pratt 01392877917.

Eileen Pratt

WEATHER REPORT

My prediction of few April showers in the second half of the month was rather inaccurate as a further 32mm of rain fell in the second and third weeks producing a total for April of 76mm (3ins). This was 15mm less than April 2018, both of which were significantly wetter than those of recent years.

However the Easter weekend was spared rain and blessed with recordbreaking warmth enjoyed by all.

May has begun in a similar way to April with an early overnight deluge of almost an inch on 7th/8th; further predictions are not available!

Norman Cann

26 ESTUARY LEAGUE OF FRIENDS Exciting Events for June: Driving Safer for Longer workshops: Provided by Red One (from the Devon & Somerset Fire and Rescue Authority in conjunction with Devon County Council), the workshops are offered to various community groups throughout Devon aiming to keep older drivers on the road safely as long as possible. Many have passed the driving test years ago and things on the roads have changed considerably since then. These are informal, interactive, fun and very informative. On offer are various modules according to requirements of the group: topics covered can include health, eyesight, medical conditions, the Highway Code, challenges facing drivers today, advice on aids to driving speed, and hazard awareness. If any groups are interested ring Emily on 01392 879009 to organise a session with Red One. Darts Farm is hosting a Classic Car Show on Sunday 16 June at 11.00 to 15.30. Tickets £3 (or family of 2 adults and 2 children £6). The Craft Group will also be displaying and selling their beautiful handcraft work at the show.

They are happy to accept any materials to be used in their Craft Group.

For all events and classes for the month of June, please phone Nancy Potter House on 01392 879009.

Audrey Elphick GULLIFORD BURIAL GROUND WALL REPAIRS AND HERITAGE LOTTERY APPLICATION We need your help!

Work is now underway at the Dissenters’ burial ground to repair the wall which fell down at the end of last year. The two Parish Councils, the joint Gulliford Burial Ground committee and the Friends of Gulliford Burial Ground are working together to do their best to accomplish all the works needed to preserve this lovely site for the future. One of the ways we are doing this is to create a working group to apply to the Heritage Lottery Fund for a grant to preserve this important local history site and to raise awareness that it exists.

We have compiled a questionnaire which may soon land through your door, or you will see it at local shops. This will give us more information about how many people know where the site is and how many have visited it, together with general views on how important you feel local history is. Please look out for this questionnaire and we’d be very grateful if you could fill it in and drop it into the Parish Council Offices or to Londis where there is a box for replies.

Alternatively, we have produced an interactive google form which is easy to use and can be accessed at https://forms.gle/edt9yw63oKNsgPv96 It can also be accessed via the Woodbury and Lympstone Parish websites or via the Friends of Gulliford Burial Ground website at www.fogbg.org.uk.

If anyone has prior experience of applying to the HLF and can volunteer to give us any time to advise on writing our application, we would be very pleased to hear from you. Please ring me on 07730877889.

Jane Moffatt

27

WOODBURY PARISH COUNCIL

David Craig, Clerk to the Council.

Woodbury Parish Council Offices, Greenside, Greenway, Woodbury, EX5 1LP Tel: 01395 233791.

Email: woodburyparishcouncil@gmail.com.

We had our Annual Meeting on Monday 13 May. Cllr Mrs Cheryl McGauley was re-elected Chairman and Cllr Pat Bricknell was re-elected Vice Chairman. We welcome Cllr Simon Andrews and Cllr Richard Cullen to the Parish Council. This means we are a full complement of thirteen councillors, rare for a parish council these days, with an impressive amount of knowledge, skills and experience around the table.

We will have our Annual General Meeting on Tuesday 11 June at 19.30 in Woodbury village hall. All are welcome to attend this meeting where we will have a guest speaker and be able to inform you of the Parish Council’s activities. We intend to rotate our future meetings this year between Exton, Woodbury and Woodbury Salterton, emphasising the wards we serve.

We have completed the refurbishment of the benches throughout the Parish and the refurbishment of the bus stop in the Arch is about to begin.

Weeds are a perennial problem throughout the Parish. We have set aside a modest budget to tackle weeds in our public spaces, we will be organising some voluntary clean-ups during the year and we are also talking to our grass-cutting contractor (StreetScene) about some roadside weeding.

However, it would be most helpful if you could all think about weeding the pathside areas outside your property.

So, the Parish Council is in rude health and we look forward to bringing further improvements to the Parish.

Agendas for future meeting, and minutes of meetings can be found on http://www.woodbury-pc.org.uk/

WOODBURY NEWS ADVERTISING RATES SMALL ADS: (3 lines) private £2.00.

(3 lines) Business £5.00 (£50.00) DISPLAY ADS: £17.00 ¼ page (£185 p.a.)

To: Karen Squires, Willowfield, Oakhayes Road, Woodbury EX5 1JT Tel: 233299 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.

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ROUND AND ABOUT DEATH We are sorry to report the death of Judy Bashforth on 4 May. Andrew Bashforth would like to thank all the many people in the village who have been such a tremendous support in the recent loss of his wife. He would like to see you all at the remembrance service for Judy on 24 May at 12.30 at St Swithun’s.

WELCOME Beeches Close extends a welcome to Claire, Neil, Charlie and Imogen Goodfellow and wishes them happiness in their new home.

CONGRATULATIONS Congratulations to four determined 15-year-olds from Woodbury for completing the gruelling Ten Tors 35-mile Challenge on the weekend of 11/12 May. Rebecca Squires, Imogen Congreve, Rob Osborne and Max Abrehart-Smith formed part of two teams of six representing Exmouth Community College. Rather than the wind and rain that the teams had trained in during the weeks leading up to the event, Dartmoor provided two days of beautiful blue skies and burning sunshine. Blistered feet were to be expected, but sunburn wasn’t anticipated.

Rob, Imogen, Rebecca and Max

29 LOOKING BACK OVER FORTY YEARS May 1st this year marked the 40th anniversary of my arrival in Woodbury. Finding Woodbury completely by chance, it has proved to be the happiest thing I could ever have done when moving from County Dublin.

My time in Ireland saw the early death of my darling husband, Frank, due to intense pressure of work and, after five years of coming to terms with the situation and being unable to afford to live there any longer, I decided I must return to my homeland. Being unable to afford to return to Hertfordshire, by a quirk of fate I found myself looking at Devon as my new home. A friend had moved to Budleigh Salterton and she invited me to stay with her whilst I house-hunted.

I had sold my Irish home and therefore was a cash buyer and the house in Beeches Close had suddenly come on the market. I made an offer which was accepted and about 10 days later, I moved in. I could write a book about the machinations of my move which was, to say the least, horrific.

Suffice to say that when locking the door at 5.30am to return to my friend’s for breakfast, a resident asked me if I was the new owner as there were fears I was a squatter!

On my first meeting with Cyril Rowsell, I asked what went on in the village, to which he asked me what I could do. Could I do posters and could I make pancakes? Saying ‘yes’ to both, and with posters all displayed, I found myself one Saturday at the Woodbury Happening making pancakes. I was stationed beside the ‘kissing tent’ which housed none other than Michelle! What went on in there I can’t say, but there was much hilarity. There were several more Happenings but sadly they are no more, along with several other most enjoyable events.

I have tried to be as helpful as possible, being secretary to the Village Hall and to the Garden Club, helping wherever I could and have had great fun doing so. The village hall held several special events which were always well-attended like a Sherwood Fayre, a French cafe, and a Tudor event complete with belly-dancer for King Henry - guess who? I helped organise many concerts, raising funds for the village hall.

I have been so very happy in the Close, making so many friends, both there and in the village itself, and I am touched by the kindness and thoughtfulness of everyone, even if I don’t know them very well. There really is nowhere else like Woodbury and it will break my heart if ever I have to leave.

Jean Carpenter 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.

30 TALES FROM THE PAST Roger Stokes has kindly provided us with more tales from his family history.

In 1904, his grandfather, Harry Stokes, sent a picture postcard (a photo of Woodbury Salterton church) to his fiancée, Bessie Pyne of Postlake Farm.

The message on the card read: ‘Am going to drive across the hill tomorrow eve if it does not rain. Can you be up about five o’clock?’ The drive would, of course, have been with a pony and trap, and the postcard was the main form of communication then.

The postcard of Woodbury Salterton Church

They married in Woodbury Salterton Church on 1 November 1905, and held their reception for 33 people at the Globe Inn at the top of Globe Hill (which burnt down in 1961).

Harry Stokes and wife Bessie Pyne 1905 Globe Inn c1900

The total cost of the reception was £5 16s 2d – and there was obviously a major requirement for tobacco of various kinds at this type of event. (see cover picture)

31 Fifty years later they celebrated their golden wedding at the St George and Dragon Hotel, organised by their son and daughter-in-law, Mr and Mrs H G Stokes, for the family and close friends. A newspaper report from that time mentions that ‘the couple have taken a keen interest in the religious and social life of Woodbury village, with Harry being organist at the Parish Church for a number of years from the age of 11, and currently being a Church Warden. His wife Bessie is one of the founder members of Woodbury WI.’ The couple were married for almost 60 years until Harry died in 1963.

Roger Stokes

Stokes Golden Wedding 1955

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

From Margaret Wilson Like Sally Elliott I also enjoyed Tony Bennett’s excellent article on trees.

He is encouraging all of us to plant trees wherever and whenever possible.

Natural England and Clinton Devon Estates are obviously not of the same mind.

We are aware that Natural England is dedicated to ‘restoring’ Woodbury Castle’s Iron Age ramparts. This work has been an opportunity for them to remove very many trees. Their contention is that the trees are destroying the ramparts. What evidence is there for this? Tree roots usually hold banks of soil and stone together. Much of the centre of the castle has been denuded of trees, many of them healthy (nothing to do with the ramparts) and a great many have been removed to improve the view of the common to the north (fairly reasonable).

Having been assured by Clinton Devon Estates that the tree work had come to an end last year, I am horrified to see between 15 and 20 beautiful mature beeches have recently been cut down along the roadside as the B3180 winds through the castle. Large stumps and this destruction has little to do with saving the ‘ramparts’ which are mostly close to the roadside bank which in places is only two feet high. They can certainly not be a ‘highway hazard’.

Just as another Iron Age fort a few miles away (not the Beacon - that’s another story) has had all trees removed, I fear Natural England will do the same, albeit piecemeal, to our wonderful Woodbury Castle.

Margaret Wilson

32 CLINTON DEVON ESTATES Forestry Strength in the timber market continues and dry conditions meant harvesting could continue throughout the winter. However, good weather also meant more pests, resulting in the earliest requirement to apply insecticide for pine beetle, six weeks earlier than any previous year.

In North Devon, roadside and farm tree inspections have been completed, moving onto those at residential properties to bring these trees into our routine inspection programme.

At Leaford Plantation, outside Knowle, problems were encountered recently with dog walkers who put themselves in danger by ignoring safety signage and entering an active harvesting site. Safety signs indicating the temporary closure of permissive access serve an important purpose and we ask that everyone follows their instructions and directions.

Bicton Arena A successful neighbours’ forum took place recently where we were heartened that so many local residents felt reassured that we are committed to listening and working to find solutions to the problems of heavy traffic and noise from tannoy announcements at large events.

The April International Horse Trials which fell over the sunny Easter weekend drew a maximum number of competitors and a 50% increase in spectators. Last month saw the British Showjumping Spectacular followed by a Pony Club Tetrathlon event during half term. The only large event in June is the British Showjumping Pony Premier from 21–23 June. Arrivals start on Thursday 20 June (including large lorries). Local competitors will be travelling in daily. Most departures will be on Sunday 23 June.

Clinton Farm Partnership Spring calving, which takes place at Dalditch Farm, will be completed by the middle of May and all spring crops have been drilled and had slurry applied. Recent improvements on the farm include 5,500 metres of new fencing, water troughs and cattle tracks, which makes moving cattle to new grazing areas more straightforward and reduces staff time. The opportunity to enjoy local produce whilst reducing both food miles and single-use plastic comes a step closer next month, as a direct-sale vending machine will be installed at Otterton Mill, selling pasteurised organic milk from the Clinton herd direct to local people.

Property and Land The Estate has worked with the Parish Councils at Beer and East Budleigh to enable Devon Air Ambulance to have night landing sites in each village. Sales at both King Alfred’s Way and Plumb Park are going well and planning permission was granted to develop a barn in East Budleigh and at Short Furlong in Beer. Work is ongoing to bring all residential and commercial properties up to higher energy standards, an EPC rating of E or above. Over 100 allotment holders across the Estate were sent wildlife gardening leaflets and wildflower seeds and encouraged to plant a small area for pollinating insects, which in turn provide food for bats and other species that feed on them.

33 Pebblebed Heaths Recent bird monitoring suggests our Dartford warbler numbers (60 pairs) may have recovered better than hoped after the late snow of 2018 caused the population to drop from 100 to 30 pairs. Last year’s long hot summer will have helped, as the birds could raise multiple broods.

We have had a good response to a request to report adder sightings with both females and males being spotted across the heaths. A grid reference and a photo would be brilliant if you happen to spot one when walking on the commons. This will help us with our understanding of these special reptiles and how they use the heaths at different times of the year.

Countryside Learning Look out for new signage on gates across the home farm, with details about the crops that are growing and other useful information. Over 300 pupils from local primaries will spend a day on the farm this month learning about milk production, the importance of soil and the vital role pollinators play. Primary and secondary schools will also spend time learning on the heaths this summer. To make the most of their time with us we are pleased to have new educational resources for schools to use before, during and after their visits, and a bespoke trailer to transport groups across the site more easily.

Kate Ponting BEd (Hons), Countryside Learning Officer RSPB AYLESBEARE COMMON As summer approaches, cattle and ponies will be arriving on all sites. On Venn Ottery Common a local farmer is likely to be putting his animals out soon. On Aylesbeare Common, Richard, our friendly hill farmer off Dartmoor, has brought 31 of his Galloways and Welsh Black cattle. Six Devon Red Cattle are at Fire Beacon Hill and the Woodland Trust ground, merrily grazing away; these will be moved between the five electric fence loops. This year ponies have been moved up to Stockland to help with grazing on the Parish Council land, holding 15 ponies on five blocks. This leaves just four on Aylesbeare Common and some at Venn Ottery Hill.

Fencing out there is complete, so we are about to start grazing the northern section not grazed since the restoration phase was completed. We would like to remind everyone accessing the sites to remember to shut gates (including electric ones), not disturb the cattle, and read all guidance posted at gates.

Multiple surveys are underway for breeding birds across most of our managed sites. A cuckoo was heard several times the week after Easter and we keenly await the nightjars’ arrival. We are happy to report Dartford warbler numbers appear to be up on previous years. Dormice recording work is underway with new boxes being erected and distributed by our volunteers. Butterflies seem to be making the most of the warm days, with blues, orange tips, speckled woods, peacocks and brimstones all being seen recently.

Cont’d/...

34 RSPB AYLESBEARE COMMON cont’d/...

Infrastructure works are ongoing. Checking perimeter fences is always fun after the winter storms with several trees down and fences squashed. If you find something that you think we need to know about, please let us know on Aylesbeare.common@rspb.org.uk. All our work is done by our amazing volunteers. Many hands make light work, so if you’ve got a pair to spare then do let us know, as multiple and varying roles are available, from practical work (Wednesdays and Sundays) to office work.

Plenty of our usual winter work has been completed over the past few months. Bare ground creation provides a great habitat for our specialist heathland invertebrates, silver studded blues and Kugelann's ground beetles.

Another polite reminder is to keep dogs under control and out of the scrub on the East Devon Heaths because of the breeding birds, especially as bird numbers are on the up. We are doing amazing work to re-build and maintain the habitat for birds and other wildlife - but we can’t do it without you. All codes of conduct for the East Devon heaths, including those relating to dogs, bikes and horses, can be found on the Pebblebed Partnership Website in partnership with the Devon Loves Dogs scheme (more info at: https://www. devonlovesdogs. co.uk/).

Ellie Woolway, Devon Reserves Administrator

SMALL ADVERTISEMENTS

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BUSINESS ADVERTISEMENTS COLYTON 11+ THIS SEPTEMBER? Places still available for mock 11+ CEM tests on 7 July, 1 and 7 September at Lympstone Village Hall. For details contact Jane on 07730877889 or janepmoffatt@gmail.com. (1/3) FOOT HEALTH PRACTITIONER & REFLEXOLOGIST Former RGN provides routine nail and skin care (inc corns and callus) or a reflexology treatment. Nicky Mattin (MAFHP itec RF) 01395 233222/07807603690 (7/12) MOBILE FOOT HEALTH PRACTITIONER - providing services such as nail cutting, corn and callus removal, diabetic foot care. £5 off your first treatment. Call Ruby Bowden on 07792 698961. (7/12) ENGLISH AND FRENCH TUITION Key Stage 3 - GCSE offered by well-qualified, experienced teacher. Competitive rates. Contact L Hamilton on 01395 233416 or email linjahamilton@yahoo.co.uk. (6/6) PROPERTY MAINTENANCE – James Waddell Interior & Exterior, Carpentry, Flooring, Fencing & Gates, Plumbing, Decking, Bathrooms & Kitchens, General Repairs. Free Advice & Estimates 01395 263496. (12/12)

35 ELECTRICIAN James Sliman Local, reliable, fully qualified and experienced. NAPIT registered and insured. From a socket to rewire 01395 276323 07866 313812 www.jslimanelectrician.co.uk. (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. (11/12) 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. (10/12) COMPUTER REPAIRS AND UPGRADES; Broadband and wireless connections; Data recovery and backup; Windows, iPads and Apple computers, Virus and spyware removal; No fix no fee - Evening visits to suit you. Contact: Mark Doyle 01395 233694. (10/12) 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). (9/12) MATHS TUITION: Experienced, female Maths teacher available to teach primary to GSCE level maths, 11+ and SATs prep. Reasonable rates. Jane Moffatt on 01395 279952/07730 877889 janepmoffatt@gmail.com. (5/12) 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. (4/12) PRIVATE CLEANER Weekly, fortnightly, monthly and one-off. I am experienced, flexible and reliable. I offer a friendly service. Contact Ya 07429 430812. (2/3) SCIENCE & MATHS TUITION Science KS3-GCSE, A Level Chemistry.

Maths 11+, SATS Preparation and GCSE. Maria McGlashan Bsc(Hons) PGCE QTS. www.spacetolearnscience.co.uk 07760 443536 (2/12) SYNERGI EVERTHING PLUMBING AND HEATING For all your plumbing and heating needs. Large or small jobs at fair prices. Boiler servicing, repairs and care plans. Local, reliable and efficient. Gas, Oil, and LPG. Tel Synergi 01395 542226. www.synergisw.co.uk. (*) RUBBISH REMOVALS Domestic and Commercial. Environment Agency licensed. No job too small. Tel: 0800 335 7610 / 07979 841376. www.rubbishremovalsexeter.com. (*) BOO TO A GOOSE THEATRE Top 10 in UK 2017. Magical pop-up children’s shows for stress-free parties with puppets, games and face painting. www.bootoagoosetheatre.co.uk 01395 233874. (*)

36

FORTHCOMING EVENTS 28 May Community forum on cardboard recycling, 18.00-20.00, WVH. 1 June Devon Big Breakfast. 08.00-11.00. WVH. 3-14 June Hospiscare Will Fortnight.

6 June D-Day The Normandy Landings, Church Rooms. 11.00-16.00.

6 June Exton Ladies Group. Highgrove outing.

8 June Photography Seminar and Workshop. 10.30-16.00. WVH. 8 June Exton village fete, 14.00-17.00.

8-10 June Twinning Association host Bretteville friends.

9 June WS Scarecrow Challenge judging and fun afternoon.

11 June Parish Council Annual General Meeting. 19.30, WVH. 12 June WSWI Fraud Awareness. 19.30. WSVH. 13 June WWI Osteopathy. WVH, 19.00.

15 June Woodbury Community Fun Day. 14.00-18.00.

15-16 June Feast Fest (The Big Summer Blow Out). Topsham Rugby Club.

20 June WWA Pebblebed Heaths: An Ecological and Cultural History.

21-23 June British Showjumping Pony Premier, Bicton Arena.

23 June Woodbury Garden Club Open Gardens Event. 14.00-17.00.

23 June Gulliford Burial Ground Free Tour. 14.30 (30th if rained off).

23 June WWA Wild Flower Walk, 14.00, Woodbury Green.

24 June, 1, 8 and 15 July WWA Wild Flower Painting Workshops.

27 June WWA Keble Martin and Devon Flora talk. 19.30. St Swithun’s.

28 June Concert in The Goosefield. Gates open 18.30.

30 June WWA Family Storytelling. 14.00. W. Community Orchard.

4 July WWA Wildflower Walk. 18.30-20.30 Woodbury Castle.

6 July Woodbury Community Long Tables. Village Green. 232772.

7 July Tennis Tournament and BBQ. 10.00.

7 July Maytree Pre-School annual sausage sizzle.

7 July WWA Poetry in Nature workshop. 14.30.

9 July Garden Club Show Question Time WVH 19.15.

11 July WWI Devon’s Jurassic Coast. WVH, 19.00.

12 July Closing date for WWA Quiz.

12-14 July WWA Flower Festival and Exhibition. St Swithun’s Church.

13 July WS Party in the Park.

16 July Cathedral rooftop tour Woodbury Twinning Association.

20 July FoSS Summer Concert - Exeter University Chapel Choir. 19.00.

21 July WWA Wildflower Walk. 11.00-13.00. Woodbury Castle.

3 Aug. Garden Club Flower and Vegetable Show WVH 14.00 – 16.00.

11 Aug. Photographic Exhibition Our Beautiful East Devon. Gulliford Burial Ground.

37 11 Aug. 12-16 Aug. 31 Aug. 5 Sept.

7 Sept.

10 Sept.

6 Oct. 8 Oct. 10 Oct. 19 Oct. 9 Nov. 12 Nov. 14 Nov. 23 Nov. 30 Nov. 12 Dec.

Gulliford Burial Ground Tours. 10.30 and 14.30.

Green Banana Drama Theatre Summer School. WVH. (see ad.)

Big Devon Breakfast for FORCE. WSVH. History Society Current Archaeology in Exeter. WVH, 19.30.

Exton Garden Club Autumn Plant Sale and Coffee Morning.

10.30-12.00 in Exton VH. Garden Club The Scented Garden WVH 19.15.

WWA Poetry Workshop.

Garden Club Water, Water Everywhere! WVH 10.15.

WWI Costume History. WVH, 19.00.

Bangers and Mash Supper. WSVH. Classics Galore Concert for FORCE. Great Hall, Exeter University (see classicsgalore.co.uk for more information) Garden Club Winter cheer, spring tonic WVH 19.15.

WWI Fairgrounds at War. WVH, 19.00.

WWA Exhibition on the local natural environment. WVH. Exton Garden Club. The Self-seeded Garden. 14.30 Exton VH. WWI Christmas Craft. WVH, 19.00.

WANTED PLOT OF LAND Welcoming New Patients A friendly, caring practice providing the very latest treatment techniques, in a relaxed setting:

 Routine dental care with oral health  

assessment Cosmetic dental treatments including whitening, implants, veneers Crowns made on the day of your visit, with no need for impressions!!

Facial Rejuvenation treatment also now available.

We are a mature, professional couple seeking a plot of land in this area, large enough for a 4-bedroomed family home and garden.

Our proposed design would be sensitive to surrounding buildings and landscape.

We are cash buyers, living locally.

If you can help, please get in touch.

Speak to our friendly team.

Tel: 01395 442552

www.budleighdentalpractice.co.uk

Jkennedy2727@yahoo.com / 07809624490. Thank you.

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Mike Dickson Gardening All Jobs Considered Specialist in hedge cutting, shrub pruning and grass.

Tel: 07985 697205

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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 WOODBURY GARAGE Local family business

Woodbury Village Hall Hall and two meeting rooms, Fully equipped kitchen WIFI, sound system and projector Available for: Dances and Parties Meetings and Classes Exhibitions 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

Woodbury Dance Studio RAD BALLET Grades and Majors

Children from 2½ years     

MOTS SERVICE REPAIRS ALL MAKES & MODELS ENGINE DIAGNOSTICS

The Arch, Woodbury EX5 1LL woodburygarage@hotmail.co.uk

T: 01395 233004 M: 07527 125956

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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WOODBURY SALTERTON

W.S. TAXI 1 - 8 People LOCAL & LONG DISTANCE

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T.D. BUILDERS General Quality Building Service * New builds & Extensions * Brickwork & Block work * Rendering & Plastering * Drives & Patios * All types of building work undertaken !!

FREE ESTIMATES

01395 233995 or 07751 738092

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