JUNE 2022

WOODBURY NEWS

JUNE 2022

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JUNE 2022 EDITORIAL

With the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations due to begin in just under a week after you receive your copy of Woodbury News, it seems particularly relevant to draw special attention to some of the events planned in our villages. But maybe first you should turn to pages 35 and 36 and read Gill Selley’s piece on Royal Celebrations in Woodbury in the Past. It is a reminder that plus ça change, that which goes around comes around. In 1897, the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria was celebrated with tea parties, a dance, a firework display, to name but a few of the festivities. Today, in celebration of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee from 2-5 June, there are plans afoot for street parties, flower and art and craft displays, fun days, tree planting, dancing and fireworks .

Pete Broadbelt, the chair of Woodbury Camera Club, has been invited and has agreed to be Woodbury’s official photographer over the long weekend, and we are most grateful to him; you can expect to see him in the village recording the celebrations. We are planning to produce July’s Woodbury News partly in colour, and additionally welcome good quality, original photos from our readers illustrating all the events taking place. Whilst the closing date for submission of articles and other photos is later, all Jubilee photos for inclusion must be submitted by Monday 13 June at the latest.

Please email them to karensquires100@gmail.com, with copies to suebury@aol.com.

It’s great to be able to record such a variety of activities that are now taking place once again in our villages, and many thanks to all our contributors.

May we take this opportunity to remind you that if you have not already paid your annual subscription of £6, it is now due to cover the coming 12 months (see page 6), including the special edition in July?

The cover photo, by Paul Mattin, is of some of the stalwarts who walked the John Wynne Way, raising much needed funds for Hope4Kibera (see pages 18 and 19).

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: Jeremy Boyden, Rosemary, Broadway, Woodbury EX5 1NR. Tel: 233072 Deliveries: Chris Bowers, chrisbowers88@yahoo.co.uk or 01395 239338

4 ST SWITHUN’S CHURCH, WOODBURY Vicar: Reverend Bill Lemmey 01395 232161 Email: revbillwhitecross@gmail.com Administrator: Jill Dupain dupain@hotmail.co.uk CHURCH SERVICES including joint services elsewhere in the Mission Community.

29 May - Sunday after Ascension Mission Community Holy Communion at Clyst St Mary, 11.15.

5 June - Pentecost – Jubilee Weekend.

10.00, St Swithun’s: On the Green Jubilee Service; 18.00, Exton: Songs of Praise and Cream Tea. 12 June - Trinity Sunday. 09.30, Exton: Holy Communion; 11.15, St Swithun’s, Holy Communion 19 June - 1st Sunday after Trinity - Father’s Day. 18.30, St Swithun’s: Evensong.

26 June - 2nd Sunday after Trinity. 09.30, Zoom, Family Service; 10.30, St Swithun’s, Café Church.

Further information and details of services in other Mission Community Parishes will be available on the church noticeboard and in the monthly Digest. To receive this by email please send your email address to st.swithuns.digest@gmail.com.

FLOODLIGHTING ST SWITHUN’S CHURCH For your special event, contact Mike Jeans on 01395 232544. Floodlight dedications are displayed on the church noticeboard at the lych gate.

CHURCH ALTAR FLOWERS - JUNE 5 & 12 - Platinum Jubilee.

19 & 26 - Mrs P Michael.

QUEEN'S PLATINUM JUBILEE FLOWER FESTIVAL JUNE 2 - 5 We will be staging the displays on Monday 30 May, Tuesday 31 May and Wednesday 1 June to celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. Barbara Hill WOODBURY MUSIC AND CAKE FESTIVAL UPDATE Performers are registering and cakes are being pledged for our musical fundraiser. Maytree Preschool will cheer our day with their singing, followed by young performers from around the area. Please come along and encourage our young (and old) musicians. To get involved, please contact woodburymusicfestival@gmx.com. Events will start at 10.00 on Thursday 7 July – more details in the next Woodbury News.

Heidi Cottrell

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6 FoSS (FRIENDS OF ST SWITHUN’S) There was an excellent concert in the church on 30 April, with over 100 paying guests entertained with quality music. The recently formed Woodbury Handbells set the scene with bells arranged on tables at the front, giving a different sound to well-known tunes. Once the tables were cleared away the Devon County Junior Choir, with musical director Andrew Downton accompanying on keyboard, provided a series of well-rehearsed and brilliantly presented songs. Chris Gould on violin followed, before the final act — our own Bel Canto choir giving one of their best performances.

They ended with Henry Purcell’s Anthem of Joy with Chris Gould on trumpet, filling the church with joyful sound.

After the interval we were entertained by the Junior Choir, including a very impressive and moving solo Think of me (Andrew Lloyd Webber) by one of the older girls. Andrew Downton, Cathedral organist, then made the organ sing with Hornpipe Humoresque bringing in many familiar pieces and interesting sounds which had the children laughing. The concert concluded with Bel Canto singing the familiar and popular Morecombe and Wise favourite Bring Me Sunshine. More than £700 was raised for FoSS funds.

The Junior Choir and Andrew Downtown very much appreciated the hospitality in Woodbury and will be returning next year, so we look forward to another top class concert on 29 April 2023.

We have pencilled in Sunday afternoon 31 July to have a summer cream tea in the Browne’s garden at 5 Escott Cottages.

Support for FoSS is necessary as it is one of the ways in which members of our community can support the maintenance of the church, a Grade 1 listed building and the most significant building in the parish. The present projects are to reduce the damp on the north side of the church, point and replace masonry, and to repair the windows.

Pat Browne WOODBURY NEWS 2022-2023 SUBSCRIPTIONS ARE NOW OVERDUE This is a polite reminder to all readers that subscriptions were due when you received this copy of Woodbury News. Many thanks if you passed over £6 to the volunteer who delivered your copy.

Despite so many price rises, the £6 cost stays the same (no change from previous years) at just 50p per month. This covers the whole year from July 2022 to June 2023 inclusive.

If you forgot or missed seeing the person who delivered your June Woodbury News, please put £6 in an envelope with your name and address and, if you know your deliverer, drop it around to their home. If you don’t know who your deliverer is, please get the envelope ready to pass over in person next month!

7 CORNERSTONES Seven members of Cornerstones enjoyed an excellent lunch at the Abbey Inn, Buckfastleigh, on 11 May which was followed by a spectacular 7-mile steam train ride on the South Devon Railway to Totnes and back.

The railway follows the river Dart, one of the most picturesque stretches of river valley in the West Country. The line opened on 1 May 1872, running initially from Ashburton to Totnes, built to a broad gauge design by Isambard Kingdom Brunel but, after several years of financial difficulty, merged with the Great Western Railway in 1875. Sadly it continued to struggle, eventually falling under the Beeching axe, closing on 7 Sept 1962.

The Ashburton to Buckfastleigh section now sits beneath the A38 dual carriageway and is lost forever, but in 1969 a group of enterprising businessmen managed to buy the remaining track, railway buildings and land from British Railways and it was re-opened under the auspices of the Dart Valley Train Company.

In 1991, as the DVTC was concentrating more on its popular Paignton/ Kingswear line, the Buckfastleigh to Totnes railway was hived off into a separate enterprise, and re-named the South Devon Railway. At the same time the first general manager was appointed, a retired bank manager.

Many thanks to Brian Phaby for organising an excellent day out. Tim Green

8 WOODBURY GARDEN CLUB For our May monthly meeting Jenny Short gave an illustrated talk on Fragrance in the Garden, featuring plants which either have scented flowers or scented foliage and can fill our gardens with perfume. Jenny has been designing gardens for over 20 years in England, France, Belgium and Canada. She has worked mostly with private houses, but also for some public spaces, some schools and playgroups, care homes and sheltered housing developments. She has vast experience and has won many awards.

Jenny emphasised how fragrant plants can add a whole new dimension to the enjoyment of a garden. They are ideal plants for a smaller garden, where the scent of their flowers or foliage can permeate the whole area. Fragrance can attract wildlife and it can be incorporated into a garden for a specific purpose, such as a night-scented garden or a winter garden like the one at RHS Rosemoor. It would brighten any cold, grey winter day. Scented plants are best grown in sheltered areas where the scent can be contained.

For smaller growing plants she suggested planting at the front of a border, in raised beds and in containers, or near front doors. Courtyard or walled gardens are ideal, but any area sheltered by trees or even fences would be good. Winter fragrance is essential for bees, especially the solitary bee.

Jenny suggested underplanting with scented plants: lavender, salvia or a curry plant underneath a rose bush might reduce the amount of aphids on the bush. Open, single cup flowers are best for attracting insects and no garden should be without a honeysuckle. We all have our favourite scented plants; some will evoke childhood memories and others simply create a feeling of peace. A garden seat surrounded with scented plants would be ideal for this!

Jenny illustrated her talk with slides and gave examples of where and what to grow in different seasons. She also gave us a list of all the plants she had illustrated and a very useful circular Philadelphus Belle Etoile graphic of plants to use for each of the seasons, a single cup flower. extremely useful if you were starting from scratch. An interesting and enjoyable evening.

Well done to Sue Sturdy for winning Flower of the Month competition with a beautiful red peony.

Thank you to everyone who supported our Plant Sale.

A date for the diary: 26 June - Woodbury Open Gardens for Hospiscare.

Joyce Jeans Lonicera Serotina.

9 WOODBURY VILLAGE GOLF SOCIETY Lyme Regis Golf Club - Tuesday 10 May Well that was close. It was nearly an event that never happened. The Club had tried to contact our Chairman to say that as at 08.45 the course was closed due to fog. Having failed to make contact by phone they sent an email, but as luck would have it he did not open it until he arrived at Lyme.

At that point the fog had cleared and the weather was perfect.

All 24 golfers arrived, making the perfect 8x3 including three guests - Kim Johnson, Nick Rushworth and Tom Rowe (the Chairman’s son-in-law). The course was in beautiful condition but challenging. Many of the flags were placed behind bunkers making scoring quite difficult. This was evident from the fact that only nine golfers managed to score 30 and over. The views from the course were stunning.

After a couple of Irish jokes 'to be sure' our Chairman presented the prizes — nearest the pin on the eighth hole was Charlie Collins who also managed a two.

Martin Meredith scored a two on the 9th (yes, it was a par 4!) and John Maidment on the 13th. For the teams, in 3rd place, Clive Hurley, Martin Meredith The winning team - Peter de la Mare, Peter Payne and John Maidment and Graham Jackson with the Chairman with 75 points; in 2nd place Nick Rushworth, Tim Kirk and Mike Elstub with 76 points and the winners with 78 points were Peter de la Mare, Peter Payne and Graham Jackson. For the individuals there was an exciting countback with our Chairman, Peter Heron, and Peter Payne both with 33 points. They equalled on the first countback with 16 points apiece; however on the second countback to six Peter Payne came in third with Peter Heron in second place. The winner was Peter de la Mare with 35 points.

The next event is at Churston Golf Club on Thursday 16 June. Churston is described as a course laid out on a typical downland turf that stretches westward along the cliffs towards Brixham. Jeremy Browne, Past Chairman

10 WOODBURY AND NEWTON ST CYRES CRICKET CLUB The cricket season has now started and the first two adult league games have been played.

The 1st Xl unfortunately lost to Thorverton on the first day of the season but beat Braunton by 36 runs with consistent batting - Ross Jarvis being the pick of the batters with 54 runs. All the bowlers contributed, with Martin Pearce ‘the Huddersfield Thunderbolt’ taking 3-39.

The 2nd Xl have made an impressive start in their division by winning both opening games against Kenn by 43 runs and Exwick by 5 wickets. In the Kenn game young Jack Church scored an excellent 39 and batted really well with captain Dave Church, who ended up 73 not out. Bowling honours were shared around with a special mention for the slow left arm spin of Andy Cork, who took 2-21. The game against Exwick was again a solid performance with Oliver Brealy scoring a quick 48 and Tom Dowle taking 4-21.

Ian Hughes WOODBURY HISTORY SOCIETY On 5 May, Woodbury History Society welcomed their guest speaker, Mike Sampson, who presented his illustrated talk on A Short History of Tiverton to a well-attended meeting.

Devon born and raised, Mike graduated with a degree in Archaeology as a mature student from Exeter University, and worked at Tiverton Museum where he was commissioned to write his first book A History of Tiverton.

This led to the post of Archivist at Blundell’s School and his second book on The History of Blundell’s School. Both books were awarded The Devon History Society Book of the Year.

In his relaxed and informative style, Mike took us on a swift time-travel through the history of Tiverton beginning with an image of Stone Age flints indicating the earliest occupants, followed by evidence of an Iron Age settlement and a later Roman fort. The first written mention of Tiverton was in the will of King Alfred, when the settlement was known as Twyforde or two fords over the rivers Exe and Loman.

A notable early 16th century occupant of Tiverton castle was the young widow, Catherine de Courtenay, daughter of Edward IV. Household accounts of the period showed that, avoiding remarriage, she lived in high style, dining magnificently and entertaining her guests with artists, musicians, jugglers and fools!

No history of Tiverton is complete without emphasising its important role in the Devon cloth trade from the 12th to the 18th century. Mike explained many terms and expressions that have entered the English language derived from the woollen industry like ‘being on tenterhooks’ - the racks used to stretch and dry the cloth, ‘to spoil a ship (sheep) for a h’path of tar’- not treating any injury on your sheep. The nursery rhyme Baa, Baa, Black Sheep references the 1275 export tax on wool.

11 Anyone with one of the following surnames, Weaver, Webb, Webster, Dyer, Tucker, Fuller and Walker can thank an ancestor’s involvement in the cloth trade.

In 1790, John Heathcote bought an old woollen mill and moved his silk weaving business from the Midlands to Tiverton. Employing large numbers of Tiverton people including many women in his factory, he opened a school in 1840 which even took in children as young as 1 year 3 months – an early years crèche. At the present time the factory is involved in making parachute silk.

Mike showed us images of some of the many attractions in the ancient church of St Peter’s, including the magnificent church chandelier which was installed in 1700 and the colourful lion and unicorn marking the pew belonging to the Mayor and Corporation of Tiverton. This is thought to be carved by Grinley Gibbons.

The next talk on Thursday 1 September is by Martin Horler on The Role of the Royal Mail Guard and the history of the Royal Mail. A keen re-enactor, Martin will present his talk attired in his Royal Mail Guard uniform, ‘armed’ with pistols and blunderbuss and demonstrating calls on his post horn.

Joyce Peachey

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WOODBURY C OF E PRIMARY SCHOOL

What a busy start to the summer term for Chestnut Class (Year 5). From dissecting flowers, to a rap performance to learning the jitterbug (in its most basic form), we are celebrating the diverse skills of this cohort.

This term our science focus is Life Explorers where the children will investigate the life-cycle of plants and animals. We commenced our exploration on a sunny afternoon in the nature garden, potting either sunflower seeds or peas into decomposable pots, accompanied by wildlife sketching. Sadly, the following day, a flower massacre had taken place whilst the children were at lunch, as when they returned, beautiful tulips had been left scattered about the classroom! Their opportunity as Chestnut's 2022 botanists took full effect as they carefully dissected the flowers and named all of their parts (no live flowers were harmed during this process).

We have also been lucky enough to work with Committed Dance over the last few weeks. The children have celebrated their individuality through dance and thought deeply about being kind to one another and appreciating every part of themselves. In their final session they had a visit from a Committed Ambassador to hand out certificates to the children.

He also showed them some of his calisthenics skills that he has learnt over the last few years.

What fabulous Fridays the children have had.

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The entertainment thread has continued with our preparations for the Queen's Jubilee - though how many British artists could you name from the 1950s that are upbeat and uplifting? We have sided with Sir Cliff Richard and his version of Blue Suede Shoes. It has all the rock and roll kicks, flicks, twists and turns we can muster. Rehearsals are well underway as the boys and girls of Chestnut enter new realms of dance through the highly embarrassing 'hand-holding' technique. We will celebrate the British music choices of all the classes on Friday 27 May for the May Day festivities.

For now, we aim to master decimal points and become excited about percentages - wish us luck! cont’d/…

HAPPY’S CIRCUS WOODBURY PRIMARY SCHOOL, CASTLE LANE EX5 1EA SATURDAY 11 JUNE GATES OPEN AT 13.30 Food vendors, drinks and circus goodies For ticket sales: www.pta-events.co.uk/ woodburyprimaryschool/ All ages are welcome.

This is a school PTFA fundraiser.

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Our Animals Children who receive a values certificate in our Celebration Collective Worship each week get to spend time with our animals. Children choose to spend time with our guinea pigs, Rosie and Charlie, where they can cuddle, brush and feed them; with the chickens, where they clean, stroke and have a good chat; or with Holly the hamster, who loves being petted and enjoys exploring her playpen doing acrobatics and really showing off.

Our chickens are delighted that they can now be let out, post-bird flu, to scratch around in the garden and are thoroughly enjoying their time out of the run. They are visited daily by our Year 1 children who are in charge of looking after them. They love having rice and spaghetti as well as the usual chicken food, and are producing delicious eggs.

Sporting Update With a welcome change in weather, we have begun our new sports in PE. Across the school, we have started athletics and dance. In KS2, we have started maypole dancing in celebration of our belated 150th anniversary as a school and to celebrate the Queen’s Jubilee. The children have really enjoyed the challenge of maypole, with each year’s dance becoming progressively more skilled. We look forward to our celebration day to showcase what we have been learning. KS1 have been working on basic movement patterns in dance whilst enjoying the beats of the music.

Athletics has seen children working on throwing events such as javelin and shotput. They will continue to learn different disciplines within athletics such as running and jumping, thus mastering an array of athletic skills which will prove useful leading into our sports day.

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Finally, I am delighted to announce our pledge as a school to promote girls’ football, an initiative started by the FA. As part of this, schools pledge to give girls the opportunity to play more football. Mr Preston has been running a girls’ football lunch club which has had a resounding turnout with up to 25 girls attending from years 3 to 6. The children have been starting sessions with a skills-based activity and then applying it into a game setting.

Well done to all those involved!

Gillian Pyle, Head of School WOODBURY ROYAL BRITISH LEGION The Royal British Legion room has been updated and refreshed. This pleasant room, which has tables and chairs and crockery for about 20 people, is ideal for meetings and training purposes. It now has a projector and screen, a machine providing instant hot water for drinks and washing up and its own toilet facilities.

The Branch will have a stand on Thursday 2 June on the village green, part of the Jubilee celebrations with the limited Platinum Jubilee lapel pins available.

Looking forward to seeing everyone again now restrictions have been lifted.

Sandra Huish (Chairman) WOODBURY TWINNING ASSOCIATION RIVER DART BOAT TRIP WITH LUNCH IN DARTMOUTH 23 JUNE. Departing Totnes 10.40 returning 16.15.

Cost: £15.75pp. (Based on group of 20) Lunch not included.

Contact: Nita 232314 or Jan 232694

16 WOODBURY WOMEN’S INSTITUTE Woodbury WI met in May for an interesting talk from Brian Conran about filling hanging baskets. He began by showing members the various types and sizes of baskets, then the types of liners that are available and which are most suitable. He demonstrated lining a basket, filling it with compost (a special mixture containing red sand and fertiliser) and then he began to select suitable plants to fill the basket.

He used a cake-decorating turntable to rotate the basket as he worked, making the job a lot easier. He placed a tall fuchsia in the middle of the basket to give the arrangement height and then proceeded to plant seven or eight pelargoniums, trailing ivy, petunia and other colourful plants around the edge. The completed basket was a riot of colour and textures. He explained that baskets should be watered at least once a day, be fed with nutrients once a week and deadheaded to maintain their attractiveness.

Brian then showed photos of hanging baskets and tubs of particular attractiveness, some that he had created and others in municipal displays in towns like Sidmouth, Cullompton, Torquay and from his own garden.

Katharine Wheeler thanked Brian for his interesting talk and demonstration, after which refreshments were served and a brief business meeting held.

We will have a table on the Green for the Jubilee celebrations to advertise our WI and to display crowns made by the school and playgroup for a competition promoted by the WI. Prizes will be given in three age categories. We hope for a good response.

Two outings have been planned: on 13 July, a Stuart Line Jurassic coast cruise with a cream tea and on 11 August, high tea at the Imperial Hotel in Exmouth.

The speaker on 9 June will be Natalie Anderson who will talk about Ways with Scarves.

Lin Milsom-Ashby 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).

17 WOODBURY TWINNING ASSOCIATION

On Tuesday 10 May we went on a Red Coat Tour called Churches, Cemeteries and Catacombs. It was very interesting and we learnt so much about the fascinating history of Exeter and visited places we never knew existed - even those who had been born and bred in Exeter.

Jan Owen WOODBURY GARDEN CLUB AND HOSPISCARE BUDLEIGH SALTERTON & DISTRICT OPEN GARDENS EVENT SUNDAY 26 JUNE, 11.00 - 16.00 Visit an interesting cross-section of local gardens and community amenities.

Tickets/Map/Programme (£5.00) available in the Church Rooms.

Home-made teas at Meadowcroft, 7 Broadmead, and at the Church Rooms.

18 HOPE 4 KIBERA Breaking the Cycle of Poverty through Education <hope4kibera.org.uk> Charity Number 1189029 ANYONE FOR CRICKET ?!

WOODBURY VILLAGE HALL THURSDAY 30 JUNE AND FRIDAY 1 JULY AT 19.30 The Hope4Kibera production of All Balls And Ashes is sponsored by Café Theatre. The play concerns the repercussions from the death of Seth ‘Hot Balls’ Hegginbotham, stalwart of his local village cricket team. In a moment of drunken camaraderie, his cricketing friends Frank and Eli promised Seth that they would scatter his ashes on the village cricket field and perform certain rituals. After his demise, the only obstacle in their way is Freda, Seth’s fearsome widow, who refuses to part with his ashes.

Various locals, including the vicar, the policeman and the bank manager, become entangled in the hilarious attempts to perform the rituals – basically daft old men causing havoc on the Yorkshire/Lancashire borders.

Tickets: all unreserved at £12, available from www.hope4kibera.org.uk, or Norma Payne on 01395 232394. All proceeds will go to supporting Hope4Kibera. This will be a fun evening for a great cause. Don’t miss it! ** H4K is registered for Amazon Smile. Shop there to help the Kibera kids.

Please join the journey and register for regular news or support @ www.hope4kibera.org.uk.

Charlie Collins Chair H4K John Wynne Way Walk 14 May This was the fifth anniversary of the tragic accident when John, our much loved neighbour and friend, fell to his death from Tryfan. In memory of John, around 30 people joined us and walked the John Wynne Way. This took us across the common from Woodbury to Budleigh, where we enjoyed a break and cake at Jubilee Field. The walkers carried on to Orcombe Point where we had a picnic together before some left, having walked 10 miles.

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Others joined us as we walked back to Woodbury via Littleham along the cycle path to Dalditch Farm and back across the common to Woodbury — a total of 18 miles.

If anyone would like to make a contribution they can either put an envelope through my door at Lemon Tree Barn, Cottles Lane, or donate through the Hope4Kibera website: www.hope4kibera.org.uk.

Barbara Woolley

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20 WOODBURY TENNIS CLUB It has been a busy two months at the club. The weather has been kind, so we were able to have the lower court resurfaced and both courts painted by Courtstall Services Ltd at a cost of £20,000 + VAT. There is a new gazebo at the hut and the hut has been painted and thoroughly cleaned. We are ready for a summer of action with full court usage. The club has two men’s teams, one ladies and one mixed. All have played their early matches and points have been scored, including an 8-0 win for the Men’s A team.

On Friday evenings during the summer we are organising a Triples League with six teams competing for the championship. The first round was held on 6 May. Left and Rights and Simply Smashing lead the field with 14 points each (max 15). The session was an excellent social occasion with 30 members at the court enjoying a drink and BBQ after play. The club was fortunate to receive a grant from EDDC for gazebo and tables to enable safe social gatherings outside during the summer months.

Club sessions continue to operate at 10.00 on Sundays and 10.00 on Tuesdays (ladies).

We are delighted to report that the junior coaching has been well supported with 24 youngsters on court in three sessions on Wednesday evenings from 17.30 with coach John Wingate assisted by member Christine Sheward.

All enquiries on tennis matters should be addressed to Pat Browne (ruthandpatb@aol.com).

Pat Browne DO YOU PLAY A BRASS OR WIND INSTRUMENT? Do you have a couple of hours to spare on a Friday evening?

Come along to the Church Rooms, 19.30-21.30.

Join a group of musically minded people.

There are no auditions, so dust off your instrument and come along and join Classical Wind. Mike Owen.

WOODBURY NEWS CLOSING DATES MONDAYS: 20 JUNE. (NB Jubilee photos by 13th) 18 JULY. 8 AUGUST. 19 SEPTEMBER. 17 OCTOBER. 14 NOVEMBER. 5 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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THE QUEEN’S PLATINUM JUBILEE 2022 CELEBRATIONS IN WOODBURY VILLAGE: 2 -5 JUNE

Thursday 2 June – COMMUNITY DAY 11.00 - 15.00 on the village green and 15.30 - 16.30 in the Community Orchard.  Start of Flower Festival in St Swithun’s Church which will run for four days.  Community Day of arts, crafts, produce fairs and village clubs on the village green. (If you would like to have a table selling produce, the charge is £5 per table; if the table is to advertise your club, there is no charge). To book a table, contact Chris Lear on 01395 232772; chrisalear06@gmail.com. Tea and coffee available.  15.30 - 16.30 – Teas and Trees. The planting of the commemorative tree will take place in the Community Orchard followed by a mad hatter-themed tea party. Wear a hat. Children bring toys.

Cakes and sandwiches available with some unexpected fillings.

Friday 3 June – JUBILEE STREET PARTY 14.00 - 16.00 at the Arch  Come and celebrate the Queen’s Jubilee at a street party on the Arch in Woodbury from 14.00-16.00. Bring your own food; squash, plates and cups provided. Children, young people, adults, grandparents, visiting families are all welcome. Let’s make this a street party to remember. Places must be booked for seating purposes.  To book places please contact Cheryl McGauley: Tel: 01395 232057/07786 706546 or Cheryl@magauley.co.uk Saturday 4 June – FUN DAY FOR ALL 14.00-18.00 on the village green  Fun Day on Woodbury village green – stalls, games and bouncy castle. Cream Teas.

23 Sunday 5 June – DAY OF CELEBRATION  Church Service on the village green in the morning – all welcome.

10.00.  ‘The Right Royal Afternoon Tea’ and Entertainment on the village green in the marquee from 14.30-16.30, £7.50 for delightful assorted sandwiches and fancy cakes.  Live band, hog roast, dancing and a whole lot of fun in the evening from 19.00-23.00. Both the Maltsters and the White Hart will be open for drinks, or bring your own.  Fireworks at 22.30. Pet owners, please make sure your animals are safe.

JUBILEE MUGS All children 12 and under who are resident in the parish will receive a free Jubilee mug. They will be available for collection from Monday 23 May to Thursday 2 June from 09.30-12.30 from the Parish Council Office. Please bring proof of address to receive a mug. Please contact Cheryl if adults or older children wish to purchase one. Price £7.50.

GRAND DRAW Draw tickets £1 each available to buy across the four-day event. An amazing list of prizes including lunch for two at Lympstone Manor, mini break at Castle Brake, case of champagne, spa vouchers, restaurant and café vouchers, hampers, golf at Woodbury Park, children’s ride on tractor, gardening tools and lots, lots more! Thank you to all those who have generously donated (full list will be displayed at events).

DONATIONS AND PROGRAMMES We invite you to donate £1 towards the running costs of the long weekend.

Collecting boxes and Platinum Jubilee programmes @ £1 each are now available from the White Hart, The Maltsters, the Village Shop, Salon No 8, Kilve’s, Little China and the bookstall opposite the green.

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WOODBURY SALTERTON NEWS HOLY TRINITY CHURCH Family service Jill Dupain took the May Family Service talking about walking in other people’s shoes and trying to understand their feelings. She illustrated her talk with a variety of footwear which the children were happy to fish out of the bag and identify.

Saturday Coffee Mornings with stall From Saturday 11 June we revert to our summer pattern of weekly coffee mornings. These take place outside if the weather is good, otherwise inside the church, from 09.30 until 10.30.

Anagram Trail Instead of scarecrows this year, Debbie Jung is planning an Anagram Trail around the village. This will take place on Sunday 24 July from 14.00 until 17.00.

People will be allocated a letter of the anagram word and will be asked to stage something representing that letter e.g. a balloon for the letter B etc. As with the scarecrow event, participants can purchase an entry form with a map showing which houses are taking part and will collect letters and solve the anagram. Tea and cakes will be served on the Glebe Field.

Anyone willing to take part please contact Debbie on 01395 232328.

Churchyard clearance and balcony tidy Thanks to the small group of volunteers who did some pruning in the churchyard and those who tidied up all the boxes in the church balcony.

Katharine Wheeler WOODBURY SALTERTON C OF E PRIMARY SCHOOL Class One This term we are looking at plants and trees in Science.

The children have been using their time in our forest school to look at some of the trees and talked about whether they were evergreen or deciduous. We are also learning how to play boomwhackers and enjoying listening to the sounds they make. A boomwhacker is a musical instrument in the percussion family. They are lightweight, hollow, colour-coded plastic tubes, tuned to a musical pitch by length — great for children to make music with.

Class Two We are going to be making ancient Greek pottery in Art this half term, studying the different designs used and learning how to use the ‘coil’ technique to roll clay to make our pots.

25 Our theme this term is Gods and Mortals. The children are going to be exploring Ancient Greece, including identifying the country on a map, looking at the landscape and physical aspects in Geography. In History, they will be making a timeline of events that happened during this period and comparing the city states of Athens and Sparta. They will also be researching Alexander the Great and finding out why he was important.

Our RE theme this half term is all about the good news that Christians believe Jesus brings, including learning about Ascension Day and sharing stories from the Gospels.

Class Three We have started our theme for this term Sow, Grow and Farm by identifying the types of land use in the United Kingdom. We have specifically looked at the different types of farming in the UK and had a very productive and enjoyable morning at forest school preparing our very own vegetable beds ready for planting. We have also started our music block by listening to and evaluating a piece of music that we hope to perform on our recorders at the Year Six Leavers’ service at the end of the summer term.

Later on this half term, we will be going on a farm trip to Stantaway Farm in Otterton where we will be participating in activities as part of the Kingfisher Award Scheme. The farm trip will start off a month-long project that we will undertake back in school.

Collective Worship This half term our collective worship is based on the value of Friendship.

During our collective worship times we will be exploring what it means to be a good friend and listening to Bible stories such as The Five Friends Luke 5.17-39, Jesus visits Martha and Mary, Luke 10.38-42 and the Proverbs 17.17. Our words of wisdom from the Bible to accompany our work on Friendship this half term are: Encourage one another and build each other up.

Jubilee Celebrations On the afternoon of Thursday 26 May, we are holding a street party event in celebration of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. We invite children to come to school that day wearing red, white and blue or something royal and to bring their own plate of party food (please remember no seeds or nuts). We also invite the children to share their talents with us during the afternoon by holding a Britain's Got Talent style show.

For further information about our school community please see our website or contact our school office.

Clare Rooke, SEND Governor

26

THE QUEEN’S PLATINUM JUBILEE 2022 CELEBRATIONS IN WOODBURY SALTERTON

WOODBURY SALTERTON GARDEN PARTY FRIDAY 3 JUNE FROM 15.00 £5 to reserve your table (refunded on the day).

Bring your own food, drinks, and chairs.

Prizes awarded for best-dressed table and food presentation.

Family games, activities for children, Pimm’s & Punch tent, tea & coffee stall.

Live music and refreshments at The Digger’s Rest from 19.00 Table booking forms available from The Digger’s Rest, or call and one can be emailed to you.

Any questions? Contact The Digger’s 01395 232375, Jane Angus 01395 233415, or Gill Bricknell 01395 232463.

We are looking for Raffle Prizes – no contribution too small!

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.

27

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EXTON NEWS ST ANDREW’S CHURCH SERVICES Thursday 2 June - Saturday 4 June The church will be open 11.00 16.00, decorated to celebrate aspects of the Queen’s life.

Sunday 5 June Cream tea from 16.30, followed by Songs of Praise 18.00 with Revd Margaret Scrivener Sunday 12 June Holy Communion, 09.30 Revd Margaret Scrivener.

Janet Atkins EXTON GARDEN CLUB We held a very successful Plant Sale at The Greenhouse on Saturday 7 May with an amazing variety of good quality plants. The sale raised £435 which will be divided between The Exmouth Food Bank and D.E.C. Ukraine appeal. Thank you to everyone who supported us. We now look forward to our Autumn Sale with cream teas on Saturday 3 September in the village hall 14.30 to 16.00.

In June we are visiting the Wildlife Garden which has been created at Tiverton Hospital for patients to enjoy. Our first normal meeting after the summer break will be The Woodland Garden and the art of growing in the shade on Friday 7 October at 14.00 in the village hall.

Eileen Pratt

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THE QUEEN’S PLATINUM JUBILEE 2022 CELEBRATIONS IN EXTON Thursday 2 June – Saturday 4 June at St Andrew’s Church.

11.00 – 16.00.

The church will be decorated for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, highlighting aspects of her long reign – her Coronation, State Opening of Parliament, Trooping the Colour etc. Entry is free.

Saturday 4 June in The Goosefield.

13.00 – 15.00 (Gate opens at midday) Children’s entertainment – Professor Bumble the Magician, in the marquee. All welcome, bring your own picnic. Tea and coffee will be available. Tombola and other stalls. There is no charge for this event.

Saturday 4 June at The Puffing Billy. 19.00 – Midnight.

The pub will provide tented accommodation for an evening with live music. 100 tickets at £5.00 (non-refundable) will be available from The Puffing Billy from 1 May, so hurry while stocks last! Tickets can be exchanged on the evening at the bar to go towards food and drinks.

You are very welcome to sport a Jubilee-themed outfit, though no prizes will be given.

Sunday 5 June at St Andrew’s Church. 16.30.

Cream Tea, followed by Songs of Praise (at 18.00). Come and join in singing some favourite hymns in your own village church. Everyone is very welcome.

Any questions about Exton Platinum Jubilee celebrations?

Email: extondevon@outlook.com

ST ANDREW’S CHURCH 2 - 5 JUNE, 11.00 - 16.00 EXTON FLOWER FESTIVAL White Cross Mission Community Churches Flower Festival Trail.

Free entry SUNDAY 5 JUNE Cream Tea, 16.30. Songs of Praise 18.00.

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WOODBURY PARISH COUNCIL Woodbury Parish Office Greenside, Greenway, Woodbury, Devon EX5 1LP. Telephone: 01395 233791. Email: clerk@woodburyparishcouncil.gov.uk The Parish Office is open: 09.30 - 12.30, Mon, Tues, Weds and Thurs.

Clerk to the Council: Anne-Marie Bates Parish Council Business At our Annual Meeting of the Council in May Cllr Mrs Cheryl McGauley was elected as Chairman and Cllr Patrick Bricknell as Vice Chairman.

We are pleased to announce that we have agreed to fund up to £3k for a fence at the cricket field to provide a secure dog exercise area. We know that many residents will enjoy this space and we hope this will be in situ as soon as possible.

Our New Website http://woodburyparishcouncil.gov.uk/ We have now launched our new website; it is still under construction and more information and links will be added in due course. We hope that you like it and we ask that any village clubs and societies email or contact the clerk, so that their details/links can be added to our website. If residents have any pictures that they would be happy to share on the site, please contact the clerk.

The Local Plan and proposed parish development site In the first week of April the Parish Council ran residents’ drop-in consultation sessions regarding the early stages of the East Devon Draft Local Plan. We would like to thank all those who attended and returned the questionnaire. We had over 250 replies and now Cllr Alan Wills is kindly collating all the information for the Parish Council to discover what the preferred options are and also what facilities residents would like in the parish.

Councillors will analyse the data and share the outcomes in due course.

Neighbourhood Plan Woodbury Neighbourhood Plan has had its health check by an Inspector and we have now received their response and actioned the points raised. We have now sent it back to the Inspector and if they consider it to be at a suitable level then we will continue along the process for it to be adopted.

There has been some useful feedback from the EDDC draft plan consultations regarding the facilities and needs of the parish communities which falls in line with the draft Neighbourhood Plan.

County & District Councillor reports Our County and District Councillors regularly attend our Parish Council meetings and provide the Parish Council updates.

31 Cllr J Trail attended our Annual Meeting of the Council on Monday 13 May and reported that he will be handing over his County Chairmanship on 26 May to Cllr Ian Hall and will be back sitting on the Fire Authority Committee as well as Corporate Scrutiny. He and Cllr R Scott are looking forward to continuing to work with the Parish Council.

The County and East Devon District Council have been discussing the Government’s Levelling Up Fund and the various projects to be included in the bid, including Dinan Way extension. The bid, which is approximately £75m, is required by Government by July and their response will be given in November.

Goodmores Farm development is well underway and the entrances nearly completed; the office and welfare units are also in place. This will be a 7year phased development.

The Arch was inspected by a DCC Highways Officer because of illegal parking especially in front of the keep left sign and the “No” in the road which has caused confusion to drivers and near misses. They are looking at various options to rectify this situation.

Bus Routes: Devon County Council are £100m short in their bid and will have to review what they can now achieve. Cllr J Trail has requested that there is a bus route between Cranbrook, Woodbury Salterton, Woodbury, Lympstone and Exton with early and late service to link with the train lines.

Cllr G Jung submitted a report as he couldn’t attend the meeting. He thanked the Chairman and Vice Chairman for their work for the last year and the clerk, who has had a most challenging time picking up the reins of running the largest Parish Council in East Devon with three diverse district communities.

He was pleased that the Woodbury Neighbourhood Plan is near to completion and thanked the steering group for their work.

He thanked all the Councillors who attended the consultation sessions regarding the East Devon Emerging Local Plan, with special thanks to Cllr Alan Wills for collating the data. The responses will help give guidance on how to react, and what are the most important additions to improve and enhance the communities.

Cllr G Jung also added that residents have made it clear to him that retaining the village characteristics with careful additional development and better connectivity and access to open countryside was at the top of the agenda. He stressed the importance of communities not coalescing with each other or other proposed communities. Having increased ‘green wedge’ designation or even a country park along with biodiversity corridors, improved accessibility to the Common and protection of green separation is important and needs to be considered. The Woodland Trust commitment to planting a new wood at Coombe Farm safeguards this area from commercial development forever. cont’d/...

32 WOODBURY PARISH COUNCIL cont’d/…

Cllr G Jung hopes that we all can work together through the new Local Plan process, not only to provide the needed housing but also to improve and enhance the communities we live in.

The Chairman thanked the County and District Councillors for providing the parish with their reports.

Parish Council VACANCY There is a vacancy for a part-time Admin Assistant. For more information and an application form please contact the Parish Clerk at clerk@woodbury parishcouncil.gov.uk or on 01395 233791.

Parish Office The Parish Office is open to residents Monday to Thursday 09.30-12.30, so please, pop in and say hello or raise any ideas or concerns that you may have.

The Clerk’s email address is clerk@woodburyparishcouncil.gov.uk.

The Woodbury Village Walking Maps (4 walks) can be purchased at the Office for £2.

Planning Woodbury Parish Council is a consultee for all planning applications within the parish and applications are considered by Members at a Full Council or a Planning Committee meeting. Results can be found on the East Devon website: https://planning.eastdevon.gov.uk/online-applications/ Queen’s Jubilee Mugs During the Queen’s Jubilee Celebrations Woodbury Parish Council will be giving every child living in the Woodbury Parish who is of primary school age a celebration mug to mark the occasion.

We would also like to offer residents the opportunity to purchase a mug, at a cost of £7.50. If you are interested in the first instance, please contact Cllr Cheryl McGauley on cheryl@mcgauley.co.uk.

Our Meetings Our Full Council meetings are on the second Monday of each month excluding August and our Committee meetings usually the last Monday in each month. A schedule is on our website. Meetings are held at The Church Rooms in Woodbury and start at 19.30. All residents are welcome to attend.

33

ROUND AND ABOUT DEATH Dennis Whiteley 24.12.1939 - 27.4.2022 Dennis was born in Dobcross, Saddleworth, Yorkshire and spent his early years there. His parents separated when he was quite young and he would often talk about his early life in Yorkshire, regretting that that he was an only child and that his parents had separated. He maintained a love of Yorkshire all his life. Every year, while his mother was alive, he would make the journey north to visit her and this visit would sometimes coincide with the annual meeting of some of the north’s famous silver bands. He loved to listen to the silver bands.

His father had moved to Somerset and eventually Dennis moved to Taunton where he met and married Valerie. They lived in Exeter for a while with their two sons and moved to Woodbury in 1976. Miles and Bruce attended Woodbury Primary School where they met Richard and Timothy Jeans.

They became firm friends and have remained friends ever since.

Dennis was a keen sportsman. He played tennis and badminton and was, for a while, on the committee of the Tennis Club and was energetic in organising teams, work parties, jumble sales etc.

In the 70s and 80s, Dennis was an active and enthusiastic member of a group of us who enjoyed family holidays, first in the Dordogne and later, skiing in the Alps.

Later, when the children were older, Dennis and Val, Keith and Jackie Bungay and Mike and Joyce Jeans decided to walk the Exmoor coastal path.

This led to more long distance treks, starting with the South West Way, and later, Offa’s Dyke, the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path, the Two Moors Way and the Cotswold Way. During these walks we met really keen walkers who camped in tents and aimed to finish these long distance treks in weeks. We took our time and stayed on farms and in B & Bs. We enjoyed each other’s company, had many good laughs and discovered many good places to stay, eat and drink. When we were nearing our destination Dennis’s stride would lengthen and he would go ahead and have his first pint before we arrived! cont’d/...

34 DEATH - Dennis Whiteley cont’d/…

Dennis became a keen sailor and was an enthusiastic member of a group of people in Woodbury who also sailed and called themselves Woodbury on Sea. As one of this group recalled, ‘he was a fearless sailor and a great companion. The tales of Dennis’s exploits are many and legendary. He brought sunshine and laughter into our lives. Those of us who have sailed with him … will never forget his wonderful companionship.’ Being fearless, however, does have its consequences. It was often rather frightening for the crew and could lead to problems like going aground in shallow waters.

Bell ringing was another activity Dennis loved to do and he rang the bells at St Swithun’s for many years. We have known him row ashore during the Dartmouth Regatta on a Sunday morning to ring the church bells.

One of Dennis’s many talents was his singing. He was the high tenor in Woodbury’s original Barbershop Group for a while and more recently was a popular member of Woodbury’s Community Choir. As Dennis became more disabled, the Community Choir reserved a special chair for him. When we met in Woodbury School, the rest of the group sat on very small chairs designed for small children and Dennis had the teacher’s chair. This came with padding and wheels which Dennis made the most of and at times members wheeled him around in it, something enjoyed by all!

Dennis was also a member of Exmouth Rotary Club where he helped to organise charitable events like the annual Fireworks Display, the Kite Festival and the Christmas tree for the Magnolia Centre in Exmouth.

In the last few years, Dennis became more disabled and found walking and standing difficult. Bruce found him an automatic car and he used to go to the gym at the Cranford Club. Some of us were a little surprised by this, but we discovered that he had some good mates there. Dennis was always gregarious and enjoyed a good chat. He also used his car for regular trips to a particular hostelry in Exmouth where he had another group of friends and, of course, enjoyed a pint.

Despite his disability Dennis never seemed to lose his enthusiasm or sense of adventure. Even in this last year, when he regularly told us he ‘would not be around for Christmas’, this didn’t stop him going to Madeira in January and, days before he died, asking Miles to organise a cruise for him which, sadly, he was never able to use.

Those of us who knew Dennis well will always remember him as a larger than life character. He was known for his spirit, determination and sense of adventure. He held strongly to his view of life, and had a considerable capacity for kindness. If a friend he knew was in trouble, Dennis would be one of the first to visit and help if he could.

He was a good friend to many of us. He is already greatly missed.

Mike Jeans, Keith Bungay

35 ROYAL CELEBRATIONS IN WOODBURY IN THE PAST How did the people of villages in Devon mourn the death and celebrate the coronation of their monarchs over the ages? Before the 19th century, news took a few days to reach the areas of the country some distance from London, so people’s reaction to various Royal events is not known. There is evidence in the Churchwardens’ Accounts that the people of Woodbury parish did celebrate their new monarchs, but only when this entailed a payment.

In 1625 the ringers were paid 1s to celebrate the new King, Charles I. Almost certainly the bells would have been rung for other Royal occasions, but were not recorded.

After the execution of Charles I, men were paid for taking down the King’s Arms, but there is no indication as to what the people thought about the beheading of their king. Ten years later, at the Restoration of the monarchy, parishioners were paid for re-hanging the King’s Arms.

At the same time the ringers were paid for the consumption of beer when they rang to proclaim the coronation of Charles II. The monarchs who followed would have been celebrated, but the only reference is in 1789 to George III, when the ringers were paid when they rang ‘to celebrate the Thanksgiving Day for the recovery of the King from his late dangerous illness.’

There is no record of how Woodbury celebrated Victoria’s ascension to the throne, or her multitudinous family, but by the time of her Golden Jubilee local newspapers reported widely on how the parishes commemorated the event. One of the celebrations recorded was a fete held on the lawns of Oakhays House. cont’d/...

36 ROYAL CELEBRATIONS IN WOODBURY IN THE PAST cont’d/...

By 1897 the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria was celebrated in Exton, Woodbury and Woodbury Salterton, and long descriptions were given in the local newspapers.

In Exton a free tea was provided, with maypole dances by the school children, a military tournament by boys on hobby horses, athletic sports, a dance, a bonfire and firework display. ‘The grounds of Daleside were gay with flags and tents, and at dusk walls were illuminated with Chinese lanterns and lamps, the windows of the house having red, white and blue illuminations, and in one window transparencies of Her Majesty in 1837 and 1897.’

In Woodbury village the school children assembled on the Arch at 2.30pm and after singing the National Anthem marched, under the supervision of the Vicar and Master of the school, to Sydney Cottage, where each received a Jubilee medal given by Mrs Brent Spencer. In the meantime a willing body of helpers was busy on the Oakhays lawn getting the food ready for the aged people and the children. A meat tea had been provided for all parishioners over 60 years and an ordinary tea for the children. ‘But after these had partaken there was sufficient left for everyone else. After tea sports were indulged in. Dance music was played on the piano and on the concertina, and various songs were performed by villagers.’

At 9 o’clock there was a torchlight procession from Broadway to Woodbury Castle, where a large bonfire had been built and blazed to the enjoyment of all the spectators.

In Woodbury Salterton the celebrations included a dinner, sports, and a tea party; dancing was held in the evening which was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone. ‘Arches had been erected in the village, and the schoolroom was decorated with great taste. Special care was given to the enjoyment of the children and to the old people, who could not leave their homes. A feeling of universal happiness prevailed.’

The jubilee celebrations throughout our Queen’s reign have been well documented and photographed in the parish showing the great admiration and affection people have towards her. The coming Platinum Jubilee activities are well advertised and will certainly be well attended and enjoyed in the three villages of the parish.

Gill Selley

37 RSPB AYLESBEARE COMMON RESERVE I’m writing this in the second week of May and the bird breeding season is almost in full swing, with the summer migrants including nightjars starting to be seen and heard.

We’ve all been exchanging dates and locations for hearing a cuckoo – one of the special sounds in nature with particular poignancy given how uncommon it is to hear one. They have declined by 65% since the beginning of the 1980s. The meadow pipit is one of its host species and they are found on the heathland.

We’ve had reports of breeding Dartford warblers and the first nightjar of the year. The first dragonfly (a broad-bodied chaser) was seen last week, and the bluebells are currently at their peak. The teams of staff and volunteer surveyors have been out across our sites, doing our breeding bird surveys early in the mornings. This doubles as a good opportunity for us to visit all parts of the reserves and notice repairs, issues and how areas are responding to previous management work etc.

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be moving our ponies off Venn Ottery common and Aylesbeare common, and then cows will be brought back in for the summer. The ponies stay under our care, but we divert them to other remote satellite sites. We’re excited this year to be introducing on Aylesbeare common the Norwegian ‘NoFence’ GPS collar system. We have been using this for the last two years on Fire Beacon Hill with great success.

You may have seen the Devon reds up there wearing GPS collars. It allows us to create a virtual fence without any actual infrastructure. On Fire Beacon Hill this was invaluable because for years we had been putting up temporary electric fencing each summer. On Aylesbeare, there’s stockproof fencing around the perimeter. However, using this technology, we can create a temporary fence wherever we like, using NoFence collars that run on satellite GPS and the 2G network. We are looking forward to being able to direct the grazing attention towards or away from areas, with an unbelievable saving in time and effort! Without a doubt, conservation grazing is our most powerful tool in heathland management. At the National Heathland Conference this week it couldn’t have been stressed more strongly how important large herbivores are, both for the very existence of heathland landscapes and for their singular role in enabling the fantastic biodiversity that heathlands of all kinds can support.

Now that cattle will be on the reserve, please do remember you’ve got an obligation to keep your dog on a short (2m) lead at all times. This is a legal requirement on open access land, under the Countryside Rights of Way Act, so this applies for Aylesbeare common and most of the Pebblebed Heaths. cont’d/...

38 RSPB AYLESBEARE COMMON RESERVE cont’d/…

There is the risk of adder bites, especially now the bracken is coming up, and roaming dogs may disturb or put off ground-nesting birds, mammals, and other reptiles in this their most important season. We’d really appreciate people enjoying their walks while respecting that this is a RSPB nature reserve.

Toby Taylor WEATHER REPORT FOR APRIL As last year, very few significant April showers happened, and there was almost exactly the same rainfall of 17mm (2/3 inch) here at Ebford. Over the last five years the April average has been 46.6mm (1.8ins) not dissimilar to that for years 2001-2020 of 49.2mm (1.9ins).

This year, with a very dry first quarter, we need some rain for crops and gardens. However, the ‘English Monsoon’ is very unpredictable! Last year it was in May and October, which together contributed 37.6% of the 2021 total of 919mm (36 ins). We shall await the holiday season!

Norman Cann

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FORTHCOMING EVENTS 2-5 June

Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations (see pages 22, 23, 26, 27 and 29) 9 June Woodbury WI. All About Scarves, 14.00, WVH. 11 June Happy’s Circus, Woodbury School, 13.30.

23 June Woodbury Twinning Association River Dart Boat trip.

Contact Nita 232314 or Jan 232694.

26 June Woodbury Open Gardens (Budleigh Hospiscare and Woodbury Garden Club). 11.00 - 16.00.

30 June-1 July Hope4Kibera All Balls and Ashes. WVH, 19.30.

1 July Summer Concert & Picnic. Goosefield, Exton. 18.30 for 19.00.

3 July Garden Club visit to Burrow Farm Gardens and Plant Fair.

7 July Woodbury Music and Cake Festival. St Swithun’s.

13 July Woodbury WI Stuart Line cruise and tea.

31 July FoSS Cream Teas. tbc.

11 August Woodbury WI High Tea at the Imperial Hotel Exmouth.

1 Sept.

Woodbury History Society The Role of the Royal Mail Guard in History. WVH, 19.30.

3 Sept. Exton Garden Club Cream Tea and Plant Sale. EVH. 14.30.

8 Sept. Woodbury WI My life at Blue Peter, WVH, 14.00.

10 Sept. FORCE Cancer Charity BIG Breakfast. Woodbury Salterton Village Hall, including raffle.

7 Oct. Exton Garden Club. The Woodland Garden, The Art of Growing in the Shade. EVH. 14.00.

3 Nov. Woodbury History Society Devon and African Enslavement.

WVH, 14.30.

4 Nov. Exton Garden Club Autumn Plants That Excite. EVH. 14.00.

12 Nov. Classics Galore! Uplifting classical concert to raise funds for FORCE Cancer Charity. The Great Hall, Exeter, 19.30.

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To: Karen Squires 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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UK Blinds in Devon

Exeter office: Franclyn, Exton Lane, Exton EX3 0PP

BUDLEIGH SALTERTON MEN’S PROBUS CLUB If you would like to join our very sociable group come and chat to us at the Woodbury Community Day on 2 June 2022 or phone Peter Heron: 278927 Peter Walker: 445350

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

Tel: 07985 697205

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Tel: 01392 795689

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Further to many recent enquiries:

Robert Miller Local Painter & Decorator of many years, is still in business.

A lifetime of experience!

All painting and decorating jobs considered.

Contact Bob on

01395 233773 or 07800 854839 THORNS COTTAGE, WOODBURY

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Woodbury Dance Studio RAD BALLET Grades and Majors

Children from 2½ years Dottie Markham RAD RTS and Frankie Rowsell RAD RTS Tel: 01395 271249 woodburydancestudio@ outlook.com www.woodburydance.co.uk All classes at Woodbury C of E Primary School

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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 911397 or 07751 738092 WOODBURY GARAGE Local family business

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MOTS SERVICE REPAIRS ALL MAKES & MODELS ENGINE DIAGNOSTICS

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

T: 01395 233004 M: 07527 125956

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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 Discreet clinics now available.

Speak to our friendly team.

Tel: 01395 442552

www.budleighdentalpractice.co.uk

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 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

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