EXTON NEWS

MAY SERVICES FOR ST ANDREW’S CHURCH, EXTON

7th - Evening Prayer, 18.00. Revd Bill Lemmey.

14th - Holy Communion, 09.30. Revd Peter Nichols Rawle.

21st - Lay-led Prayer Service, 09.30. Janet Atkins

Easter In Exton

Goosefield Easter Egg Hunt

Held as usual on Good Friday, we were once again blessed with wonderful weather for this popular annual event. Well attended by young and old, and everything in between, eager children raced round, hunting for well-hidden little chocolate eggs, while parents, grandparents, friends and neighbours enjoyed coffee and hot cross buns and a good chat.

The competition to guess the number of chocolate eggs in a basket attracted the usual maths boffins, trying to devise a fail-safe method of accurate counting. Alas, all to no avail. Guessing won the day and the prize! Doubtless the same applied to the raffle. cont’d/...

Goosefield Easter Egg Hunt cont’d/...

We are so fortunate in Exton to have the Goosefield – a green space for all to enjoy. Thanks must go to the Goosefield committee who work hard to keep it well maintained and financially solvent by organizing events such as this.

Eggs, buns, tea and coffee, tables and chairs, prizes – all have to be thought of, planned and transported. And to whichever committee member is in charge of the weather – well done and keep up the good work!

Exton Easter Challenge

Many households took part in the challenge this year, adorning trees, fences, gates, doors, windows and driveways with assorted Easter decorations. There were Easter greetings, eggs, bunting, chicks, dinosaurs and a very sad-looking soft toy rabbit in Barton Close.

Liz Williams

At first light on Easter Monday, quietly and unobserved, the Easter Bunny (who’d been away for the weekend) arrived, leaving chocolate eggs where there were decorations. Thank you, Exton Village Events committee, for your hard work and for encouraging the Easter Bunny to maintain this lovely tradition.

Exton Garden Club

We were entertained at our April meeting (held early on 31 March) by Brian Carlson with a detailed cutting demonstration and informative slide show about pelargoniums.

Brian traced the origins of ‘geraniums’ back to a 17th century West African weed, and explained the link with the Greek word pelargos meaning stalk. Much of his experience of showing pelargoniums had clearly been on a large scale, with more than one mention of using a cement mixer for making the perfect compost!

We were treated to some inventive cutting and potting up tricks with the demonstration, and introduced to some delightful plants including Deacon Lilac Mist, Pippa and Grandad Mac. Apparently there are over 20,000 different varieties, with varying leaf shapes and colours. Classes for showing include miniature, dwarf and standard. Three gems of wisdom with pelargoniums:

 don’t bother with hormone rooting powder; it is likely past its best at purchase

 let your plants dry out before watering

 sterilise your cutting blade to eliminate viruses. We had a variety of plants to buy, a snip at £1.50. Spot the differences between these two!

Our next event is our popular Plant Sale (see page 22).

All enquiries to skellagher@btinternet.com.

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 https://woodburyparishcouncil.gov.uk/ https://www.facebook.com/Woodbury-Parish-Council-110020645153509

Twitter - @ParishWoodbury

Parish Council Meeting update

Over the last couple of months Councillors have considered and agreed:

 to fund the resurfacing of the footway between Mirey Lane and the Church Rooms in Woodbury, also to replace the “Welcome” signs at Gilbrook / Broadway and from Woodbury Salterton to Woodbury.

 that Woodbury Community Playing Fields Committee can contact Sports England to possibly decommission the 12-a-side football pitch to enable a provision for different facilities and possible replacement hall.

 to defer the Mayflower Pre-school request for an enclosed outdoor space until the WCPF has a response from Sports England.

 that Flower Street car park will be refurbished, more details to follow.

 Policy and Procedures as follows:

Annual Investment Strategy

Disciplinary / Grievance Policy

Risk Management Policy and Risk Register

Standing Orders

Code of Conduct

Financial Regulations – updated

Annual Parish Council a general meeting for residents, took place on Monday 17 April and the Annual Report will be published in the next Woodbury News.

The Annual Meeting of the Council is on Monday 22 May 2023, slightly later due to the elections. As Woodbury Parish Council elections were uncontested, the duly elected Parish Councillors will sign their acceptance of office. They are:

Woodbury: Richard Ball, Sam Knighton, Cheryl McGauley, Richard Parr, John Pyne and Alan Wills.

Woodbury Salterton: Simon Andrews.

Exton: Sally Cole, Philip Jordan and Steve Parks. This does however mean that we will have two seats in Woodbury Salterton and one seat in Woodbury that will be vacant and will need to be filled by co-option.

If you are interested in becoming a Parish Councillor, please contact the Parish Clerk or visit our website and fill out the co-option application form.

We would like to take this opportunity to send our sincere thanks to the four dedicated long-standing councillors who have not stood again and will be retiring from their posts: Graham Murrin (Exton), David Atkins (Woodbury), Patrick Bricknell (Woodbury Salterton), Geoff Jung (Woodbury Salterton). Over the years they have all contributed to the Parish of Woodbury and ensured their residents’ ideas and concerns have been raised.

East Devon District Council Local Plan

Many residents visited our consultations, filled out our questionnaire and responded to East Devon District Council directly regarding the various policies and possible development sites. Woodbury Parish Council submitted a formal response to East Devon District Council which was a result of residents’ comments, as well as a green wedge and landscape proposal, all of which can be found on our website: https://woodburyparishcouncil.gov.uk/parish-council/council-business/ planning/east-devon-local-plan.

Buses – No 58 and T Service

We are lucky to continue to have a bus service so please use it so we don’t lose it; residents seem to especially like the new T service. Please note that the timetable has been amended slightly and we have been advised that the buses back to Woodbury from Exmouth (11.30, 14.30 and 16.45) are from Exmouth outside Peacocks, not the Savoy Cinema. The timetable can be found on our website or a copy can be collected from the Parish Office. https://woodburyparishcouncil.gov.uk/council-services/ community-transport.

Another option is Exmouth & District Community Transport Group which provides services for people of all ages who are unable to access public transport, are rurally isolated and for those with mobility problems. For more info/timetable https://www.exmouthringandride.org.uk/timetable. They also arrange shopping and trips, see the link above for more details. For all bookings call (01395) 266662. Office hours are Monday to Friday 10.00 to 13.30.

King’s Coronation (May 2023)

Across the Parish there will be various events to celebrate the King’s Coronation; these have been sponsored by the Parish Council. We would like to thank all those involved in organising them and we hope everyone has an enjoyable time.

General

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