WOODBURY NEWS
MARCH 2021
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MARCH 2021 EDITORIAL Oh, Corona, Corona — what havoc have you wreaked upon our lives and our communities? Our March issue contains so many reports of groups who can’t meet together and events which can’t be held — except of course via Zoom, which has been an absolute blessing in this socially-distanced time. The editing of Woodbury News is a case in point. In pre-pandemic times, editor Sue and deputy editor Val would get together round Sue’s cosy table over a nice cup of coffee and discuss all the problems arising from grammar, spelling and punctuation — with, we have to admit, the occasional chuckle or outright burst of laughter. Now we are confined to our individual desks and computers, with no opportunity for constructive repartee. However, it seems there might finally be some light at the end of the proverbial tunnel, with the government’s roadmap for ending lockdown. And spring is definitely in the air — see cover photo, taken in her garden by Nova Fisher, of snowdrops, cyclamen and cyclamen-flowered daffodils. We need to draw your attention to a couple of things. First, your subs for WN are not due until the early summer — it was decided to offer free issues until then to make up for the fact that Corona denied us the opportunity to bundle and deliver paper copies for a time; and second, we hope that the April issue will again be a paper edition. Finally, what on earth are our children being taught? In addition to all the wonderful things they do in school, they now have to cope with ‘prokaryote/ cyanobacteria’ (see page 12) So glad we didn’t have to deal with that at school, though extremely envious of the things they get up to these days — including tracking and reporting on an escaped hamster (see pages 10 and 11). Happy Spring!
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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
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ST SWITHUN’S CHURCH, WOODBURY Vicar: Reverend Bill Lemmey 01395 232161 Email: revbillwhitecross@gmail.com Administrator: Jill Dupain dupain@hotmail.co.uk St Swithun’s Church remains closed for services, but open for private prayer on Wednesdays from 10.00 to 13.00. Online Zoom Services Morning Prayer 09.30. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Evening Prayer 16.30. Thursday. Children's Service 09.30. Second and fourth Sundays of the month. Morning Prayer 11.30. Every Sunday. Compline Service 19.00. Every Sunday. Please email Jill at dupain@hotmail.co.uk for the Zoom address, which is the usual Revd Bill Zoom address for those who have been on Zoom before. A JOURNEY THROUGH LENT Each church in the Mission Community is using its churchyard or garden to offer three stages of a journey through Lent. It is designed to offer places to pray or meditate or just remember, regardless of what you believe. Until 3 March, you can begin the journey in your local churchyard or garden. Place a stone (painted/decorated if you wish) on the cairn or on the trail, to remember the journey of life. There may be some provided if you forget to take one. Love. From 3-17 March, show love in your local churchyard or garden. Hang a heart on the tree - to send love to someone or to your local community. Small red crochet hearts will be available or you can make a different one of your own. New Life. From 17-24 March, display new life in your local churchyard or garden. Tie a ribbon on the cross provided to turn it from bare and ugly to colourful and joyful. We can remember the death of Jesus being changed into new life and hope in the resurrection on Easter Sunday. For all it will be a sign of hope. LENT DISCUSSION SESSIONS Everyone is welcome to join these discussions, which take place, via Zoom, between 10.30 and 11.30. Thursday 11 March: What is church? What is it for? Leader – Margaret Scrivener. Thursday 18 March: What is happening now? Leader – Carolyn Keep. Thursday 25 March: What and who on earth will the church be for? Leader - Bill. For a link please email dupain@hotmail.co.uk. Carolyn Keep
5 FLOODLIGHTING ST SWITHUN’S CHURCH “In posthumous celebration of Kenneth Roy Summerfield, who would have been 100 years old on 18 March 2021. A loving, hard-working husband, father and grandfather. We will meet again.” With love from Anna Eyres (née Summerfield) and family. For your special event, contact Mike Jeans on 01395 232544. Floodlight dedications are displayed on the church noticeboard at the lych gate, and normal service will be resumed as soon as possible. Further information will be available in the monthly Digest. To receive this by email, please send your email address to st.swithuns.digest@gmail.com. FRIENDS OF WOODBURY SURGERY (FOWS) A quick update: the Friends of Woodbury Surgery are still going strong on the delivery of medications to those in the parish unable to collect from the surgery. We also help with shopping and newspaper deliveries. In view of the current Covid-19 guidelines from the government, it’s now clear that our AGM on 11 May will have to be a Zoom event. We’ll be in touch with all our supporters and volunteers nearer the time with a link to the meeting. And if you’re new to the parish and would like to find out more about the Friends and the support they offer, please get in touch with us on 01395 206123. Val Arndt, Coordinator
6 WOODBURY GARDEN CLUB We may not be having meetings yet, but members are cracking on with preparing for our annual Plant Sale. We can’t hold it in early May in the village hall as we would like, so we will organise sales in the same way as last year. Plants and equipment have already become available on the plant sales website and as before, money raised will be for local organisations (including Garden Club) and charities. If you signed up to follow the blog last year, you will get an email notification each time the website has been updated (https://woodburydevonplants.wordpress.com/). Otherwise, for up-todate information, or to request an email copy of our monthly newsletter (where any change in meeting arrangements will be given as soon as we have it) just email me on woodburygarden club@gmail.com. As soon as we are allowed to hold our Tuesday meetings in the hall we will be back! Debby Mullier
7 WOODBURY AND DISTRICT ROYAL BRITISH LEGION
Ken wearing his medals
Ken Green, our Vice Chairman, has died peacefully at home in Woodbury with his wife Audrey at his side. Ken died of the cancer he had been suffering from for a short while. Ken joined up at the beginning of the Second World War and served in many places, including Austria and Greece. The last of our Second World War veterans, he was always so positive about his service and was glad to have served his country. Ken and Audrey moved to Woodbury about eight years ago from South Zeal, near Okehampton, and have many happy coffee morning memories. Ken took over as Vice Chairman from Reg Brown, and we miss his sense of humour and comradeship.
Serving in the Second World War Sadly, our branch, like many other clubs and groups, is in need of new members because if we cannot recruit, Woodbury RBL is likely to close as we must have a working committee and members to be viable. The RBL is a national organisation to help and support veterans of all ages and their families. This year is the 100th anniversary of the formation of the Royal British Legion - we need to be here for all our past and future personnel and their families. Please get in touch with any help or ideas that we can use, and come and join us. Sandra Huish, Chairman, 01395 232696.
8 WOODBURY C OF E PRIMARY SCHOOL We heard the wonderful news on 22 February that all children will be returning to school. We are so delighted by this, as we have missed having all the children with us, and we are looking forward to welcoming everyone back. In our Castle Lane window, we have started to ‘grow’ a Tree of Hopes - we were inspired by a book written in the last lockdown called The Book of Hopes. We asked the children for their hopes for the future and it has been lovely spending some time reading them. They range from coming back to school to spending time with their friends, to being able to hug their grandparents, undertake their favourite hobbies that have stopped, visiting zoos and entertainment venues, and shopping! Thank you We have been overwhelmed by the generosity of the local community. The respose to our plea for help with the food larder has been wonderful and this has supported many of our families, who are very grateful. We currently have a sufficient amount of food, so do not require any further donations at present. We have also been greatly humbled by the generous nature of our community to the national call to support schools in helping children and families who have not been able to access learning at home due to lack of technological devices. Local businesses, including Mr and Mrs Chouhan from Woodbury Londis and Moshulu, and The White Cross Mission Community have all provided much needed funds to help the school buy more chrome books. Throughout this lockdown we have been loaning out devices to our families and this has meant stocks have become very low in school; with this additional help we will be able to provide ongoing support for our families and still ensure the children in school have access to technology as well — so thank you very much. Willow Class – Year 1 update Last half term was a busy one for Willow Class, both in school and at home. The children have been writing their own Little Red Riding Hood stories with Little Red Riding Hood visiting her granny in the city. On her journey she passed the zoo, the park, doughnut shops and many other things, before bumping into a lion, a black panther, a fox and even a unicorn! In science, the children have been investigating different materials and their properties. They designed a new cloak for Little Red Riding Hood and at home some children even made one. They have thought about which would be the best material and whether she would like a cloak or a coat. Predictions of which materials would be waterproof were made before the children had great fun testing these out. The class finished the half term by thinking about what they would do if they were in charge of the world and started to write their own poems. The fantastic ideas included desks made of chocolate and sweets, getting rid of onions and spicy food and having Superman as their football coach.
9 Friday afternoons have been a time for mindfulness activities, where the children have had the chance to explore outside, cook, paint, construct lots of different things from Lego or blocks, or simply to sit quietly and do some colouring or enjoy a favourite book at the end of a busy week.
Ash Class –Year 6 update Ash Class took part in the RSPB National Birdwatch Week and managed to spot many different species of bird in our school grounds, such as robins, blackbirds, sparrows, chaffinches, bluetits and even a little wren. We now want to learn how to recognise them from their birdsong. Cont’d/...
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As part of our Wellbeing Wednesdays, the children designed, made and tested their own paper aeroplanes. They were amazed at all the different designs there were and had great fun seeing whose plane could fly the highest and the furthest. Our class hamster, Gus, made a bid for freedom and the children had great fun in imagining what he got up to during his night-time adventure in the classroom – he is now safely back in his cage. The children wrote ‘wanted’ posters, news reports and Milly even filmed a BBC news report about his daring escape. Gus’s Memory of his Great Escape! Day 1 It’s working, the naive humans will never know my true intentions! Muhahaha! That clever cleaner will set me free any day now! I can feel it! Night 1 I’M FREE!! All I have to do now is reach Mrs Vernon’s computer to send the code to my Master. * After hacking into Mrs V’s laptop * Now….to send the code...what was it again...DRAT! I forgot the code...ummmm I think it was…..1234...no...uhh - 00009...no - ugh!! One more wrong try and I’m locked out! Master will be so mad if I mess this up! Uhh - oh yeah it was Queen Carmen! * After typing in the code, it’s a lot of work for a tiny hamster! * Whew! Now to send it…
11 Uhhh - yeah - click this - do a little bit of this - and a bit of that - and DONE! It has been sent. Day 2 EEK! THEY FOUND MEEEEEE!! RUN, RUN, RUN, GOTTA RUN! Okay - I think I’m - NOPE, NOPE, NOPE NOT SAFE!! NO, STAY AWAY MRS V!! NO -. MR HOLDING NOOOOOOO - NOT YOU TOO MISS PYLE! NOOOO - They caught me! Oh well, at least it was sent. NOW TO TAKE OVER ASH CLASS… AND THEN THE WORLD!!! By Isabelle M Dear Diary, Today I escaped from my cage so I could go on Mastermind on Mrs Vernon’s computer. I climbed up the chair (that felt like a mountain to climb) and finally got to the top where the world lay. The world of the computer, this small (well big for a hamster) device can lead to a lot in life. So I hacked into her account and looked at the house where I came from. FOR SALE, you have got to be kidding. So I rushed to the house and got my friends from Isla and we took over the world together! Make the most of ruling the world, humans. By Niah
WANTED! Name: Gus Last seen: Woodbury School Appearance: white stomach with a honey brown back mixed with different shades of brown. Reward:£2000 Wanted, the hamster makes a sly sneaky escape… In the picture it shows what the mischievous hamster has been doing destroying the school - eating the pencils, devouring all the paper and gobbling up all of the white boards! We fear that this ravenous hamster may be part of a gang, which is planning to take over all the schools and ruin them all. So if you see anything suspicious, make sure to report it to our number at 845-238-921. WOODBURY NEWS to your door … If you are a new resident to the area, or would like your Woodbury News to be delivered to your door monthly when the current lockdown restrictions are lifted, just call Jeremy Boyden on 233072 and he will put you in contact with your local deliverer. Any queries regarding delivery of Woodbury News within Exton should be directed to Audrey Elphick on 01392 876909.
12 WOODBURY C OF E PRIMARY SCHOOL cont’d/... Finally, we’ve been learning about Darwin and focussing on his theory of evolution. We have learnt how animals have adapted and about the earliest signs of life on our planet. This has inspired our design technology project, as we had to design and make an educational toy based on prokaryote/ cyanobacteria.
Wishing you all well. Gillian Pyle, Head of School
Have you got an interesting photo to illustrate your article? If so, we'd love to see it, but please remember that we need high resolution photos - not too dark, but clear and sharp - as low resolution photos do not reproduce well on non-photographic paper. Please remember to ask permission from any people included in your photos, and that photos of children require parental permission. Send all submissions to karensquires100@gmail.com 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.
13 1ST WOODBURY BROWNIES Girlguiding is looking for new leaders to run the village Rainbow unit (5-7 year olds) and Brownie unit (7-10 year olds). The Rainbow unit has been closed for a year and the Brownie unit is due to close at Easter unless someone comes along to help. We are lucky enough to have our own meeting place on the Community Playing Fields that we share with the Scouts and Maytree Pre-School. Girlguiding offers a full training programme and resources for running the units. It can help if there are two leaders to share the running of the unit as there are lots of admin tasks and preparation to do for the weekly term time meetings. If you know of anyone who is interested, you can email woodburybrownies@yahoo.com or go to the Girlguiding website and follow the link GettingInvolvedGirlguiding. org.uk. Alison Hazell, Unit Leader WOODBURY TENNIS CLUB The AGM of the Club was held on 3 February by Zoom with 20 members in attendance: Lou Greenhead was elected president and Pat Browne took on the role of Chair. Elaine Coop joined the committee with all others remaining. Helen Ryland, retiring after five years as Chair, gave a resumé of the past interrupted season with no matches but an increase in membership, with many new members seeking outdoor play. The new online booking system ensured that the courts were used to the full extent. The club was fortunate to receive grants from East Devon, the LTA and the Parish Council, enabling us to purchase a defibrillator which is on the outside of the hut, available to anyone who over-exercises! There are now plans in place for a new hut/pavilion, which should be completed in the spring. As members have been prevented from playing all year due to Covid restrictions, renewal subscriptions will be at half price for next season. However, new members will be expected to pay full price membership which remains at the 2020 level. The club will open on 29 March, subject to current government regulations, and the junior programme will run during the summer term with the experienced Exmouth coach John Wingate taking charge of the coaching. All those on last year’s list will be contacted; new members (6+) wishing to join should email Helen (helenryland@ btinternet.com) to express interest. For new members, the annual subscription rates remain at £65 per adult, £40 day-time membership and £15 junior membership, so we hope Woodbury residents who have played or wish to play the game, visit the club and join in. The club is open to all. Please come to the courts on Sunday morning from 29 March and try it out, or contact Pat Browne 232805 (ruthandpatb@aol.com). Pat Browne
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14 WOODBURY WOMENS INSTITUTE We are so sad that Woodbury WI has not met for a whole year now. Our final meeting before Covid took the form of the super celebrations we had for our 100th birthday. Now that we have nearly all had our vaccinations and the PM is talking about plans for the future, we too have been thinking of the future of our WI. When we can meet again (we have no idea under what circumstances) the committee has a suggestion as to how we might continue: we are proposing to meet on a Thursday afternoon instead of in the evening. So we want to see how many people would like to have their WI meeting on a Thursday afternoon. Please let the WI committee members know your thoughts on this. It is your WI and we want you to have a say in what happens in the future. Lin Ashby, President
WOODBURY SALTERTON NEWS COLOURS QUIZ Last year I was asked to run a late spring/early summer quiz to raise funds for our church. I linked this to our annual Scarecrow event - which of course could not take place. I am preparing a quiz this year on the theme of colours and am thinking of publishing it early as some of my regular quiz participants would no doubt welcome a diversion during the remaining weeks of lockdown. Hopefully it will be ready by early March and entry forms will cost £2. Hard copies can be obtained directly from me, or by email, or from your usual local source – people in our local churches who kindly help us by selling copies. Thank you to all who support this. Katharine Wheeler 01395 232009 or avmx79@dsl.pipex.com
WOODBURY NEWS CLOSING DATES 16 MARCH. 20 APRIL. 18 MAY.
15 JUNE.
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 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).
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EXTON NEWS ST ANDREW’S CHURCH EXTON It is much regretted that due to the present Covid-19 situation, there will be no services in church for the time being. The church will however be open for private prayer on Wednesdays from 10.00 to 13.00 and Sundays from 14.00 to 16.30. Please follow the government guidelines. JANET WIGMORE FROM EXTON - 100TH BIRTHDAY Janet had a wonderful birthday, given the circumstances; the staff in her care home were so kind and made sure she had a happy day. They have an extremely good chef and the food is always excellent – he made a magnificent cake decorated with candles. Her birthday tea party was held in a sitting room along her corridor and was attended by the residents on her landing, plus several staff. Hilary, her daughter, wrote a piece describing the main events in her life and her interests, and selected a few photos to match the stages of her life from childhood up to recent family weddings. Janet also chipped in with further interesting comments. The activities coordinator presented it and managed the day very well indeed, so Janet constantly had some company or activity. She was also thrilled to receive a card from the Queen. Janet was delighted with her cards, flowers, presents and the tea party full of reminiscences, and she would like to thank everyone who kindly sent these gifts. She is very grateful and quite overwhelmed that so many friends remembered her 100th birthday, which helped to make it such a memorable occasion; she apologises for being unable to write to thank everyone personally. In the evening her family held a Zoom gathering with her (which she hadn't done before) and she was puzzled but delighted to see them all in their respective homes, plus the various cats! Cont’d/...
16 JANET WIGMORE cont’d/… The person sitting beside her in the photo is called Pat, and she and Janet have become friends. They are both very keen on gardening. When the weather was better they used to go outside each day and weed a patch of garden the home has allocated to them, and they planted some cuttings Hilary had taken and grown on from plants in her garden. It’s a great success and quite colourful and, as Janet says, its gives them something to do and adds more meaning to their days. Audrey Elphick A BRIEF JOURNEY THROUGH THE HISTORY OF EXTON MEMORIES OF THE SWEET SHOP AND POST OFFICE In the 1930s and 40s Sally Pike ran the village shop, also known as the Sweet Shop, from the front room of her house at Ragland’s. This was also very popular with the village schoolchildren. She sold sugar in blue paper bags, ginger beer in marble-topped bottles and Fry’s one penny chocolate bars, which were pocket money sized. The first Post Office cum sweet shop was run by Mrs Elsie De’Ath from Iddesleigh Terrace. Then it was run by Mr and Mrs Friend at Exton House (which by the way has a beautiful Jacobean ceiling). Later, Mrs June Hardy ran it from her home in The Avenue (see photos). Finally, Mrs Doris Williams ran the last Post Office from her home in Dunstan House, which closed on her retirement in August 1990. Audrey Elphick
17 WOODBURY PARISH COUNCIL Woodbury Parish Council Offices Greenside, Greenway, Woodbury EX5 1LP Tel: 01395 233791. Email: woodburyparishcouncil@gmail.com Spring is in the air and there might be light at the end of the tunnel. We have continued to meet via Zoom; you are all welcome to join, but please don’t expect a Handforth Parish Council meeting, as we are a bit more organised than that. It would be fair to say there are some pending projects but we have made good progress. WPC have now secured funding for a Devon Air Ambulance night landing site on the Community Playing Fields in Woodbury. As with the defibrillator attached to our office, we hope it never has to be used, but it has to be there in an emergency. We are also close to securing funding to give the drains a good clear-out throughout the Parish. As you know, rain is a major industry in Devon. We have made progress on the Neighbourhood Plan. It is an important document, as it allows communities to have a say in the future of the places where they live and work. It gives us the power to produce a plan with real legal weight that directs development in our parish. The Neighbourhood Planning Committee have put a huge amount of debate and effort into this. It is now in draft form and has to go for an independent ‘health check’ as well as to East Devon District Council. Then even more important people get involved – you! Bear with us as we prepare it for public consultation. We will work hard to make sure everyone has a voice. WPC are looking forward to meeting face to face again and continue to improve the Parish on your behalf. David Craig, Proper Officer, Clerk & RFO
Agendas for future meeting, and minutes of meetings can be found on http://www.woodbury-pc.org.uk/ JANUARY WEATHER REPORT We started the year on a quite dry note with less than ½ an inch of rain falling over the first 18 days, which were of course at times very cold. From the 19th onwards abundant rain and some more frosts were experienced, during those last two weeks of the month. The total for January here at Ebford was 3½ inches or 90mm, which is very close to the recent 10 year average of 88mm. Norman Cann
18 DEATHS
ROUND AND ABOUT
Dorothy Glanvill (nee Ayre) 4.10.31 to 14.2.21 Dorothy was born at Down Farm, Witheridge, on 4 October 1931, the youngest of five children. After several moves the family finally settled at Shute Farm, Shobrooke, where Dorothy spent most of her childhood living and helping out on the farm. In her early 20s Dorothy was swept off her feet at a Young Farmers’ dance by the dashing John Henry Glanvill, and they soon married. Dorothy moved to Woodbury to live with the Glanvill family at Higher Bagmores Farm, later moving to Rydon Farm, Woodbury. In the early days the couple had a stall in St George’s Market, Exeter, where they would sell home-grown produce including vegetables, daffodils and watercress (which they picked from the stream). Dorothy was the proud mother of four children (Philip, Stephen, John and Jennifer), who were the centre of her life. She was a truly patient, understanding and loving mum who adored her children and family life on the farm, as well as setting up and running a successful Bed and Breakfast business. Dorothy was never one to relish the limelight, but was happy to support her husband, John, in his many councillor and NFU roles, attending numerous functions with him and even meeting the Queen! John and Dorothy retired to Lochinvar, Rydon Lane, Woodbury in 1984 to enable their eldest son, Philip, to take over the farm at Rydon. Dorothy then continued her Bed and Breakfast business and became an avid gardener, enjoying walking and attending St Swithun’s Church. She also found time to deliver the Woodbury News. Dorothy lived for her family and her animals and loved spending time with her eight grandchildren and five great-grandchildren before her sad, sudden passing on 14 February 2021 – reunited with her beloved husband, John, on Valentine’s Day. The family would like to thank everyone in the village for their kind messages, condolences and support for a truly special lady whose welcoming smile and ever-open arms will be sadly missed. Jenny Goodall
We are sorry to report the deaths of Ken Green (see page 7) and of Margaret Homer on 5 January. For many years Margaret was involved with Woodbury Flower Club, she was a regular badminton player and a great organiser of trips and theatre visits.
19 Hazel Pyatt 30 July 1931 – 4 Feb 2021 Hazel lived a long and full life through most of the 20th century, with all the changes that brought. She was born in Weymouth and grew up in Salisbury, but lived most of her life in Devon. Naturally a reserved person she met Don, the complete opposite, when she was just 17 and they were married for 53 years. He encouraged her to take on challenges, risks and adventures and she steadied his enthusiasm and excesses. How they did not drown on several occasions is down to luck and God. They were soul mates, she said: “With Don, life was never boring”. It would have been their 70th wedding anniversary next month. Their souls and bodies are together now in Woodbury. Hazel was mother to Tim and Steve, grandmother to Tommy, Sarah, Geoff, Susannah and Stephanie, and great-grandmother to Cooper and Zayden. As well as being a hard-working mother, she also trained to be a teacher, and after starting her teaching at Whimple and Ottery, she settled and was most happy at Woodbury Salterton Primary School. The church and singing were always a major part of Hazel’s life and she was so much happier being a part of the choirs and a Church Warden than being a part of Don, Steve and Tim’s adventures. For several years after her husband died she was a Church Warden at St Swithun’s. A talented singer, she was part of Ilfracombe, Exmouth and Dawlish Operatic Societies, Exmouth, Woodbury and Newbury church choirs as well as the Royal Marines’ Band at Lympstone. She lived through massive technical and social changes: from the family horse and cart to jetting off to holidays in New Zealand; from manual telephone exchanges and telegrams to smart mobile phones and the internet; from being born before the first BBC broadcast through to catching up on BBC with iPlayer. Always willing to try new things, she took her first flight at 45, graduated with a degree aged 50, had her first computer at 77 and despite her fear of water, finally learnt to swim properly at the age of 74. Some of the many adventures (or scrapes as Hazel referred to them) involved sailing and canals: Don putting his foot through the floor of the boat, and nearly sinking off Starcross; walking across the mud flats at Lympstone in the middle of the night (Don used a road atlas to navigate his sailing boat); being thrown over the side of a sailing boat in the Exe estuary and left to swim home; learning to ride a motor scooter by being taken to Budleigh and left to “ride it or walk”. Cont’d/…
20 DEATHS cont’d/… Fortunately, she wrote all this down in great detail, and each of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren has a book to remember her and her life. She always worked so hard at whatever she did — singing, studies, family finances, the church, teaching — and especially looking after Don and her two sons. She threw herself into village life and made of lots of really good friends, especially in Woodbury. She played a major part in her sons’ formative years, while Don was working, and in later years she helped look after her grandchildren, especially making sure their grammar was correct! A major highlight for her was watching her granddaughter compete in the 2012 London Olympics. She gave everyone so much support, with education through to university, and raising funds to buy boats so that she could sit on the rocks and watch us sail. We all have so much to thank her for. Tim Pyatt
Nigel Tucker 1930-2021 Nigel was a well-known figure in the Woodbury and East Devon area, thanks to his enthusiastic support for and involvement with many local organisations. A testimonial letter from 1950 notes that “given opportunity he should have a useful and successful life, not only to his own benefit, but for the welfare of the community as a whole”, and few who knew him would argue with that. Nigel was born in Bolham near Tiverton in 1930 and enjoyed an idyllic childhood exploring the surrounding countryside, which fostered an enduring love of natural history. He was educated at Tiverton Grammar School and after completing National Service with the RAF went on to train as a PE teacher at St Luke’s College Exeter, where he won the prize for top student. His first teaching job was in Wimborne, Dorset, where he met and married Jane, a union that was to last 62 happy years until Jane’s death in 2017. Nigel and Jane moved to Exeter when he was offered a position on the staff at St Luke’s, where he eventually became head of the PE department. They moved into their ‘dream house’ in Woodbury in 1983, and Nigel retired the same year, leaving him free to pursue his many hobbies and immerse himself in village life.
21 Nigel became the first chairman of the Woodbury History Society, and enjoyed metal detecting in the fields around the parish, with each find being meticulously recorded and catalogued, as were his collections of fossils, beetles, maps, stamps and coins. He was a self-taught musician and a talented artist and loved nothing more than being able to share his skills with others, teaching watercolour painting, guitar and, with Jane, ballroom dancing in the village hall. He was a keen aeromodeller, and enjoyed flying his creations up on the common with his friends in the East Devon Radio Control Club - his workshop always resembled a mini hangar! Many village events enjoyed the benefit of Nigel’s involvement: Cornerstones, the Woodbury fun run, the annual Follies, the lych gate stall, craft exhibitions at the village hall, art displays at Woodbury Surgery to name but a few. Along with Roger Stokes, he designed a proposed Heritage Centre for Woodbury, even producing an intricate scale model of the project. Nigel left Woodbury early last year and moved to Cheddar to be nearer his children. His health was failing but he missed his many friends and was always interested to hear news from the village. He passed away peacefully in a nursing home on 13 February, following a long battle with prostate cancer. Rachel Midcalf WHY USE PEAT IN THE GARDEN? Actually, now that we are all well aware of climate change, there are no good reasons to use peat at all. Upland peatlands and bogs are the largest stores of carbon in the UK, and across the world peatlands hold more carbon than trees. As soon as they are drained, whether for potting compost, fuel, farming or forestry, they start to dry out – their value to wildlife is lost and that carbon gets released into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. We all know now that that is a major greenhouse gas causing global warming. The very least we can do as individuals is to refuse to buy potting compost and growbags that contain peat. It’s not difficult to find peat-free compost: all garden centres and places like B&Q now have it available alongside the old type. You may need to experiment to find one that suits you – my preference is for Melcourt Sylvagrow, available from Greenfingers in Exmouth. It can be a bit more to pay than you are used to (though by much less than the cost of a take-away coffee) – but if you can afford it, isn’t the future of the planet worth it? Debby Mullier
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
We are not listing any of the anticipated forthcoming events this month, and we will re-consider this decision for future editions of Woodbury News.
22 THE WHEATON FAMILY, BAKERS OF WOODBURY John Wheaton was born in 1826 in Feniton, the son of an agricultural labourer. At the age of 16 he was recorded as a farm servant in Buckerell. Twenty years later he was living in Starcross where he was recorded as a baker’s servant, living in the same house where his future wife was also working as a servant. Some time in the early 1880s he moved to Woodbury with his new wife, Julia (who was 20 years his junior) and their three small children, and set up his business as a bread and biscuit maker at Darby’s bakery and cottage there had been a continuous recorded history of bakers at Darby’s from the 1670s. His sons assisted in the business as did his wife and daughter, Harriet (Hetty). In the early 1900s the oldest son, John Charles, left home and joined the Royal Artillery – in 1908 he was recorded as a corporal joining the Freemason Lodge in the camp at Aldershot. John Charles fought in the First World War, and there is an interesting story about an event which altered his life. Towards the end of 1915, early one morning he spotted a civilian perched in a tree watching the camp. He alerted the officer of the guard and the man was captured and arrested as a spy, and later tried and executed. For his alertness that morning Sgt John Charles Wheaton was promoted to second Lieutenant, and the following year to full Lieutenant. He appears to have remained in the army and eventually left with the rank of Major and settled at Eggesford. He died in Exmouth in 1977, aged 94. Hetty had some anecdotes about her memories of the war in Woodbury. Evidently her brother taught her a military song that she sang all her life: The Royal Horse Artillery, The Pride of the Army, The Right of the Line, The dashing Royal Horse. Evidently when the young men came home for a couple of days’ leave from the trenches, the villagers were surprised at the amount of mud still on their uniforms. John continued to run his bakery until his death in 1923, aged 87. Julia was living in Darby’s, with Frank running the business in 1935 and Hetty as the assistant in the shop, and died there in 1938, aged 84.
23 Neither Frank nor Harriet ever married and were both still living at Darby’s at the beginning of the war, he as a master baker and Harriet as his housekeeper. Frank died in 1944, aged 58 and Harriet died in 1992, aged 95 – the Wheatons were a very long-lived family! There is a sad story about Hetty when she was a young woman. She was deaf in one ear and hearing aids were not available at that time. Evidently, as a young woman, she went with friends to a visiting funfair. Strangely, with the vibrations of the fair around her she could hear more clearly, and she heard two young men discussing her, saying that she was a pretty girl, such a pity that she was deaf and not marriage material. It was something that she remembered for the rest of her life. Deafness was considered a physical impairment and to the young men returning from the war, there would have been so many available girls to choose from as marriage partners. Her spinster status seemed to have been accepted by her mother who gave her for her 21st birthday an armchair so that Hetty could stay at home in the evenings and keep her company. After working in the bakery, Hetty was employed as a shop assistant in the Sunlit Cafe at Exmouth until her retirement. She was very popular in Woodbury village and an active member of the Over Sixties Club. She had many interests including reading, walking and watching football. The picture shows Hetty, third from the left, on an outing. She moved eventually to a wardencontrolled bungalow in Park Close. Adrian Christopher (to whom I am indebted for the information about Hetty) said that she lived next door to his family in one of the Church Steps cottages, to which she had moved after the death of her brother. Hetty told him much about her early life growing up in a Victorian close-knit village. Once she asked him what he had been taught in the village school that day, and he told her that in their history lesson they had been taught about life in the village in Victorian times and about a man called Mr Gordon, a carrier, who would take villagers to and from Exeter by horse and cart. To Adrian’s surprise she said 'Oh yes, I remember him, he was a big red-faced man'. So what was history to a small boy was to her everyday life. Gill Selley
24 An Estate update as the countryside turns from winter to spring. Many paths, lanes and local routes have become very muddy with all the extra feet, bike tyres, hooves and paws making the most of them this winter. Warmer March weather and, hopefully, fewer restrictions should ensure the worst affected tracks dry out and we can get out more easily and spot the first signs of spring. River Otter The Otter seems determined to adjust its course into the flood plain south of Otterton. A temporary closure between Otterton Bridge and Clamour Bridge will enable Devon County Council contractors to reinstate the footpath. During the repair work walkers can bypass the closed section via Park Lane. Ground works for the Lower Otter Restoration will commence this month. Drilling rigs — to make detailed assessment of ground conditions — may be seen and an aluminium trackway will be installed to allow vehicles to move up and down the site in all conditions. Clinton Farms As we head towards the end of winter all the milking cows are still housed, although we do have some young stock out grazing grass and winter brassica crops. Calving is underway in earnest on our spring calving herd at Dalditch Farm and will continue until April. By then the whole herd will have calved and we hope they will be out grazing our lush new season pastures, hitting peak milk production in May and June. We are also preparing for spring on the arable side of the farm, taking advantage of a dry spell, with slurry and muck spreading to enrich our soil organically. The plough is also out turning the ground for our spring cereal crops that will be used to feed the cows next winter. Pebblebed Heaths The heaths remain busy. Data suggests some paths have seen a five-fold increase in walkers, compared to 2018. However, the conservation team are pleased the Pebblebeds have been able to absorb some of the visitor pressure from other areas, keeping local communities safer. There is still space and solitude to be found if that is what you need. Winter felling and clearing work is drawing to a close as we look forward to seeing the birds, insects and reptiles emerging, to make the most of the different habitats our rangers and volunteers have worked hard to get into the best possible condition. Horse riders use the heaths regularly, having the right to use all commons owned by Clinton Devon Estates, not just bridleways. If you own a dog, pay close attention, call your dog to heel if you meet a horse and use a lead if required. The excuse that your dogs ‘is playing’ because they are not used to horses is not acceptable and puts both the horse and the rider at risk. Expect to meet horses, cyclists and families with young children and teach your dog good manners. All visitors are encouraged to share open spaces with consideration and understanding. Kate Ponting BEd (Hons), Countryside Learning Officer Tel: 01395 443881. Email kate.ponting@clintondevon.com.
25 RSPB AYLESBEARE COMMON Over the last month, we’ve had a big project in one of our mires to occupy us – working on improving the habitat for our colony of southern damselfly. Southern damselflies are one of our reserve’s priority species; elsewhere in the UK their population has seen a consistent decline, and although the colony on Aylesbeare is stable, it has not really spread out into the suitable surrounding habitat. This is probably due to a swathe of dense black bog rush that hangs over the runnels in the heath – blocking the waterways that the damselflies use to traverse the mire. Southern damselflies are relatively weak fliers and cannot easily fly over grasses or tall scrub, so combined with how restricted they are with their habitat requirements, colonies can find it hard to establish and grow. Hopefully, by opening up the runnels within the mire and removing any overstood scrub, our existing colony will begin to spread out and colonise a larger area of habitat, which will lead to a larger and more sustainable population in the long-term (although this may take several years). Elsewhere on Aylesbeare, in another lovely wet patch of heathland, we have been cutting out young pine saplings (which in some areas have become quite dense). While our native Scots pine is a lovely tree, and one that we might expect to see on a heathland, each tree produces hundreds of seeds that, if left unchecked, would soon start their own plantation. The majority have now been cut and burnt, but we have left some to grow into features, and eventually they will go on to provide an important habitat for some of our birds and insects. There are also half-a-dozen roadside ash along the A3052 which have dieback and need felling to maintain public safety along this busy road. You may have noticed our team have made a start felling these, and will hopefully have dealt with them all before the end of March A final point to mention is about parking. There is a car park provided across the road from the main entrance at Joney’s Cross, but there is no parking on the nature reserve itself – and this includes any of the tracks and grass verges. This is to protect the nature reserve and the species found here – you may see our staff or volunteers parked on some of the tracks with signs in their cars, but we are careful to minimise any disturbance caused by our vehicles, which it is not possible to do if there are dozens of cars from visitors all parked in a similar spot. There are also 15 ponies on the reserve who are very curious and enjoy a good scratch on whatever is available (including parked cars) and they may damage wing mirrors or wiper blades. While it may be frustrating when the car park is full — and we are thrilled that you have chosen to visit our reserve — please refrain from parking on the nature reserve and come back to visit us another time. Species Feature: This month’s star isn’t a bird at all – I want to shed some light on our very own carnivorous plant, the sundew. Sundews (drosera) are small, perennial plants with bright green leaves that grow in a rosette form at the base and are covered in sticky red ‘hairs’. Cont’d/...
26 RSPB cont’d/… Their white flowers are only around 5mm across, with between 5-8 petals (usually 6) on a stem rising above the height of the leaves. Sundews flower from June to August, but are only open briefly in the height of the sunshine. These plants are specially adapted to the water-logged, acidic soils of bogs and heathlands where the nutrient content of the soil is poor. Sundews are able to supplement their nutrient intake by trapping and digesting small insects, attracted by the plant’s sweet secretions. When an insect lands to investigate, it is trapped by the sticky hairs on the leaf, which is extremely sensitive and dextrous and able to roll up around the unfortunate insect. The sundew then releases enzymes to digest the prey item, and the resulting nutrient soup is absorbed by the plant to fuel its own growth – allowing the plant to be largely independent of soil-bound nutrients and thrive where other plants cannot. The largest threat to sundews in the UK is habitat destruction, including the draining of wet heaths/bogs for agricultural uses, peat harvesting and the loss of traditional management practices, which leads to scrub encroachment. The sundew has evolved specifically to live in these wet, poor soils, and cannot cope with drier or richer conditions where it is easily out-competed by other plants which are better able to access nutrients from the soil. Ellie Woolway, Devon Reserves Administrator Exe Estuary (01392 833311) and Aylesbeare Common (01395 233655) Eleanor.woolway@rspb.org.uk. Mobile – 07834 174541.
BUSINESS ADVERTISEMENTS ALTERATIONS TO LADIES AND GENTS WEAR, MADE TO MEASURE CURTAINS AND ROMAN BLINDS, ALTERATIONS TO CURTAINS. Contact Shirley on 01395 223523. (3/12) EXE INTERIORS & HANDYMAN SERVICES for all home improvement requirements inc. painting & decorating, wall & floor tiling, bathrooms & kitchens, handyman service. Call Sean 07967 777396. (4/12) CARPENTER Chris Isaac Property Maintenance, Kitchens, Doors, Flooring, Fencing, Fascias/Guttering, Tiling, General Repairs. Free Estimates. Reliable tradesman. 07855170674/01395 233933 chrisisaaccarpenter@gmail.com. (11/12) 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@poshnosh.co.uk. (8/12)
27 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. (10/12) 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. (13/24) RUBBISH REMOVALS Domestic and Commercial. Environment Agency licensed. No job too small. Tel: 0800 335 7610 / 07979 841376. www.rubbishremovalsexeter.com. (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. (7/12) PROPERTY MAINTENANCE – James Waddell Interior & Exterior, Carpentry, Flooring, Fencing & Gates, Plumbing, Decking, Bathrooms & Kitchens, General Repairs. Free Advice & Estimates 01395 263496. (9/12) 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. (7/12) 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. (7/12) ROOFING Woodbury based RWI Roofing Specialising in Slating, Tiling, ReRoof, New Roof, Repairs, Guttering. For a friendly, reliable service call Ray 232926, or 07988 691051 (As recmd in OurLocalExpert.co.uk). (6/12) MATHS TUITION: Experienced, female Maths teacher available to teach primary to GSCE level maths, 11+ and SATs prep. Now providing virtual tutoring and online support. Reasonable rates. Jane Moffatt on 07730 877889 janepmoffatt@gmail.com. (2/12)
WOODBURY NEWS ADVERTISING RATES SMALL ADS: (3 lines) private £2.00. (3 lines) Business £5.00 (£50.00 p.a.) DISPLAY ADS: £17.00 ¼ page (£185 p.a.) 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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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
Tel: 01392 795689
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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Peter Tosh
31 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
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
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Woodbury Dance Studio RAD BALLET Grades and Majors
Children from 2½ years Principal: Mary Griffiths ARAD, MA(Oxon) Tel: 01395 271249 marygriffiths@hotmail.com www.woodburydance.co.uk All classes at Woodbury C of E Primary School
33 Africa / Asia / Australia USA / Canada / NZ South America / Antarctica Discuss your travel plans with the award-winning experts
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www.nomadictravel.co.uk Independent travel agents Established 1999 100% Financial Protection ATOL T7452
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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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