October 2018

WOODBURY NEWS

OCTOBER 2018

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OCTOBER 2018 EDITORIAL After enjoying one of the hottest summers in the UK on record, the downside is perhaps to witness already in mid-September the sight of golden leaves falling from the trees. This heralds a change in the seasons to the start of the ‘season of mists and mellow fruitfulness’. Other changes are also afoot in this corner of East Devon, not least of which is saying farewell to Woodbury personality, Nigel Alcock, who after some 35 years in the village and the death in December 2016 of his wife, Donoveen, is moving away (see page 28).

Change can of course be positive, and new initiatives are to be welcomed.

The acquisition and siting of modern, easily accessible defibrillators in central Woodbury, Woodbury Salterton and Exton is one such change (page 26). Woodbury Craft Group will soon hold its inaugural meeting, a group which encourages people to banish winter blues by participating together in a range of crafts and enjoying a couple of hours of socialising at the same time (page 7). Woodbury residents and visitors have a few months to anticipate the arrival in December of the Living Advent Calendar, again aimed to raise spirits at the same time as raising money for charity (page 29).

With winter in mind, it is important to act on the advice and invitation to take advantage of the availability of flu vaccines at Woodbury Surgery.

This year there are several alternative ways of getting the jab, so do act now and either book an appointment or visit the surgery, as suggested.

Finally, and of equal importance, is the article from the Friends of Woodbury Surgery. Change has taken place with this much used and vital service to so many people. The phone number for those wanting to contact the Friends’ Co-ordinators is now 07961 809423 and they are now located in the Parish Council Office (see full details on page 15).

OUR COVER PHOTO by Pete Broadbelt shows some of the allotment holders and their families enjoying their annual party (see page 6).

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

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Deputy Editor: Mrs Val Arndt, Castlehaye, Castle Lane, Woodbury. Tel: 233175 Subscriptions: Mrs Anna Crafer, 15 Haymans Orchard, Woodbury. Tel: 232007 Circulation: Mrs Beverley Simcox, 2 Beeches Close, Woodbury. Tel: 232858

4 ST SWITHUN’S CHURCH, WOODBURY Vicar: Reverend Sid Humphries. Tel:01392 874934 email: revsidh@gmail.com ST SWITHUN’S SUNDAY SERVICES 1st Sunday - 11.15 Harvest Festival Holy Communion. 2nd Sunday: 11.15 Holy Communion. 3rd Sunday: 11.15 Holy Communion; 18.30 Evensong. 4th Sunday: 08.00 CW Holy Communion (said); 09.30 Breakfast Family Service - please note the time. This is a new venture for St Swithun’s. Morning Prayer: Mondays at 09.15.

NEWS AND EVENTS Harvest Supper - Saturday 13 October, 19.00 in Woodbury village hall. Tickets from Sue Hudson.

Next lych gate stalls - in church: Saturday 6 October (see page 12) and 3 November. 09.30-11.00.

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

Further information - Digest available in church. To receive this by email please send your email address to st.swithuns.digest@gmail.com.

FLOODLIGHTING ST SWITHUN’S CHURCH (dusk until 23.00) 14 September Clifford and Margaret Marks: “Congratulations on your 55th Wedding Anniversary.”

20 October Clifford Marks: “Happy 80th Birthday Clifford, with love from Margaret and all the family.”

For your special event, contact Mike Jeans 01395 232544. Floodlight dedications are displayed on the church noticeboard at the lych gate.

CHURCH ALTAR FLOWERS - OCTOBER 7 - Harvest. 14 - Mrs S Huish. 21 - Mrs J Bashforth. 28 - Mrs C Keep. Please note, we will decorate church for Harvest on Thursday 4 October.

FoSS (FRIENDS OF ST SWITHUN’S) The Autumn Concert, when we welcome back Exeter Singers, will take place in the church on Tuesday 9 October at 19.30, tickets (£7.50) to include a glass of wine or juice, can be obtained from Rook Pie, Pat Browne, Ted Neather or on the door.

FoSS has paid for the refurbishment of two of the stained glass windows and is proposing to finance further masonry work on the external walls, and will help towards the payment for new lighting in the church. Thus all receipts will be put to good use in maintaining the fabric of Woodbury’s most important historic building.

Pat Browne

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6 ST SWITHUN’S LYCH GATE STALL The summer season of lych gate stalls outside the church each Saturday is coming to an end. From October onwards we revert to monthly stalls inside the church on the first Saturday of the month.

We have had a successful season this year, raising an average of £120 each week; this is a major part of our essential fund-raising for the church. Two charities will also benefit: Hospiscare in September and the Royal British Legion in October.

As well as fund-raising, the lych gate stall provides St Swithun’s with an outreach opportunity to engage with the wider community in Woodbury; we know this works from the number of village people and visitors that we see each week. Some come to purchase cakes and produce, others to meet friends and have a chat over coffee and a bacon butty. Whatever the reason, we are grateful to all who bake and grow the produce, and to those who come to purchase.

Two dates for your diary: RBL lych gate Saturday 6 October and bumper Christmas lych gate on Saturday 1 December. We hope to see you there.

Lin Ashby ALLOTMENT PARTY – JULY 2018 Despite an unpromising weather forecast, the evening for our 8th Allotment Party turned out to be warm and sunny.

It was a lovely evening shared with friends and families and as always the food did not disappoint - lots of tasty home-made contributions and drinks.

It has been a challenging year, wet and cold throughout the winter months and well into spring, followed by a long heatwave which tested the resilience of both gardeners and plants. Every year brings new challenges but hopefully next year will be more of what we are used to. Everyone is looking forward to another year of gardening and friendship. Gill Hitchen

7 CORNERSTONES Three, rather pertinent, forthcoming events to be held at the Maltsters: 30 October - In view of the muted abolition of the Great English Penny, one of our members, Nigel Tucker, will give a talk about this ancient coin, followed by a casual supper. I am sure he will be able to produce some examples which he managed to “unearth”.

11 November - With the cold period approaching, another member, Roger Stokes, will entertain us with a film show (after supper), about his forays into Norway, the country which seems to have become his second home.

11 December - Our annual Christmas Dinner.

We welcome anyone who wishes to attend any (or all) of the above, but please let me know in ample time beforehand, on 232878 or pandg@britishisles.plus.com.

Ernst Gruber WOODBURY CRAFT GROUP Sharp-eyed readers, and lovers of craft, may have noticed a poster displayed around the village advertising a new craft club. This is the brainchild of Denise Higgins, who writes: “I was listening to an item on Radio 4 about women being brought together by a common love of craft. It inspired me to start up a craft group in the village of Woodbury to bring people together. Our group has women of all ages and walks of life, all offering different skills and experience. We have a few knitters, a couple of quilters and I enjoy crocheting and appliqué.

Everyone brings their own project to work on but we hope to do some workshops in the future.

For me, craft really gets going in the darker months, when you crave something to do indoors and other people's company. There's nothing quite like crafting with friendly people to combat the winter blues! Although we are currently all women, we would welcome anyone - so if you fancy joining us, whether you're a seasoned crafter or not, pop in. I usually have a couple of easy cross-stitch kits you can purchase if you don't know where to start.

We charge £2 to cover the cost of the room, a cuppa and a biscuit.

Our next meeting will take place on Friday 19 October from 13.00-15.00 in the Church Rooms.”

Denise Higgins, lildaydreamers@gmail.com WOODBURY COMMUNITY ORCHARD APPLE JUICING DAY 2018 6 OCTOBER, 10.30 - 16.00 LONG BARN, GILBROOK Please join us for apple pressing and juice making. Bring your own apples or juice ours!

For details on location and event: 07515 329829 or Woodbury Community Orchard facebook page.

Sorry, no dogs.

8 WOODBURY BELLRINGERS’ OUTING By way of a change, this year St Swithun’s bellringers’ Christmas dinner was swapped in favour of a summer outing. On August Bank Holiday Monday a band of local ringers, with friends from neighbouring Withycombe Raleigh, took to the Otter Valley to ring at four local towers.

The day’s ringing started at St Gregory the Great, Harpford, a light but very loud ring of six bells. Harpford war memorial bears the name of E. J. Ash. Ernest was a bellringer at St Gregory and it was sobering to think that he rang the same bells we were ringing. He is also commemorated at the Loos memorial.

By car and cycle we travelled the back road to St Michael and All Angels at Otterton. Here we found another ring of six bells heavier than Harpford, the tenor (heaviest bell) weighing in at 12cwt. The tenor at Woodbury weighs 23cwt (a cwt is 8 stone). Ringers are used to the ropes falling in a rough circle. The layout at Otterton is less of a circle, more of a line, but we rang well and set off for East Budleigh.

Our ringing at All Saints was timed to coincide with the start of the street party the village had planned in honour of Sir Walter Raleigh, who was born nearby and met his death 400 years ago. The main street was closed and a long line of dining tables took the place of the usual traffic, thronged by locals in Elizabethan fancy dress (including a potato necklace). Our ringing on this lovely peal of eight bells added to the sound of a recorder group and Morris dancers’ bells. Three towers visited and time for a well-earned lunch. The Sir Walter Raleigh provided a great meal and, suitably refreshed, we set off for our last tower, St John the Baptist, Colaton Raleigh. Here we grappled with the intricacies of Grandsire Doubles, Reverse Grandsire and Double Grandsire (come and visit us to find out what this means). Four towers visited and nothing broken – a successful outing and plans already being aired for the next one.

To mark the 100th anniversary of the end of WW1 the Central Council of Church Bellringers has set the target of recruiting 1,400 new ringers. This is the number of bellringers who lost their lives in the conflict. It is hoped that as many peals of bells as possible will ring out in celebration at 19.05 on Sunday 11 November.

9 Sid, the vicar at Woodbury, has introduced a new initiative. Instead of the usual Eucharist at 11.15, the fourth Sunday of the month will be an earlier breakfast followed by singing. We have decided to keep our ringing slot of 10.15-11.15 on these Sundays so that anyone interested can come up the tower and see what we do. Bellringing is a great physical and mental pastime and suits all ages (about 10 years upwards – our bells are quite large). Please come and find out more – you don’t need to be a churchgoer!

Oliver Coldrick WOODBURY AND NEWTON ST CYRES CRICKET CLUB Another great season for the junior section of the club. From early May through to late July, every Friday saw a training session of around 45 under 11s and under 10s. Under 11s played hardball games throughout the season, winning 8 and losing 2. The under 10s, playing with a semi-hard ball won 5 and lost 1. The key to the junior section is an inclusive, enjoyable atmosphere (for children and parents alike), aiming to win our games, but ensuring that everyone has the chance to improve and to play in the games.

Next season we are hoping for a further intake of younger children (from year 2). Further information will be available in due course.

The senior part of the club has continued to put out a first and second team in the Devon Cricket League. The first eleven are battling away in Division E East and are involved in an almighty scrap with Axminster and Ottery St Mary second eleven to stay in the division. We have been very competitive this season and have won a number of close-fought games with consistent contributions from Nalin Chouhan, Martin Pearce, Lloyd Lowman and Shena Grosseberg.

The second eleven are in division H East and are currently 3rd in the division and therefore have a chance of gaining promotion. The stand-out performance has been George Jarman's magnificent 162 not out at Topsham earlier in the season, an innings of style and brutal hitting. Other consistent performers have been Tom Dowle and Simon Vicary. We must also mention one of our younger players, Daniel Alford, who has been representing Devon in his age group.

We would love to see people coming to Town Lane to watch cricket next season.

WOODBURY NEWS CLOSING DATES 16 OCTOBER.

20 NOVEMBER.

11 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

10 WOODBURY LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY The History Society was lucky to have Kim Strawbridge, a very good and interesting speaker, at its September meeting. Kim is the site manager for East Devon Pebblebeds, which of course includes the Iron Age fort known as Woodbury Castle. Kim grew up on a dairy farm in the West Country, and has a double MSc in Sustainable Forest and Nature Management. Before moving to East Devon she was working with the RSPB and National Trust in the Peak District. Part of her job in Devon has been working with English Heritage on conservation work at the Castle, which had been put on the ‘at risk’ register due to the erosion of its ramparts and intrusive and destructive vegetation.

Kim was able to give us first-hand knowledge of the conservation work being done, some of it controversial, and showed us photographs of the damaged areas and the restoration completed. It is hoped that the Castle will be removed from the ‘at risk’ register next year, and all the work completed.

Volunteers have helped with the work, some of which was to fill sandbags to be placed on top of the ramparts to stabilize them – grass seed has been planted on these sites and on many of the slopes. A few of the beautiful beech trees have had to be removed, as they were considered dangerous.

These trees have only been standing for about 100 to 150 years. Previously, as with most hill forts, the whole site was grass and scrub.

Kim also told us that although the Castle is known as an Iron Age site, there is evidence of it having been occupied thousands of years before that time.

Unfortunately English Heritage do not allow archaeology in the area, so we just have to realise that when we are at the site there are thousands of years of ancient history under our feet.

Kim holds a list of volunteers who would like to be involved in this restoration work, and welcomes anyone else wishing to take part.

11 The History Society meeting for 1 November to be held at 19.30 in Woodbury village hall will be an illustrated talk on the Watermills of East Devon by Martin Watts.

Martin is a working millwright who has been researching, working, and restoring mills (with a heavy emphasis on watermills) since the 1960s.

After training in three-dimensional design and architecture, he was curator of a working mill museum in South Yorkshire for three years, before moving to Devon in the early 1980s, where he carried out practical repairs on a watermill and set up a stone-ground flour business. He subsequently worked as a freelance millwright and traditional milling specialist, carrying out research and advising on many aspects concerned with the history, recording, interpretation and conservation of watermills and windmills. Martin has published over 50 articles and books, including The Archaeology of Mills and Milling (Tempus 2002), Water and Wind Power (Shire 2005), the Shire colour albums Windmills and Watermills (new editions 2011) and Corn Milling (new edition, Shire 2008). Now semiretired, his particular research interest is in mills and milling in the early medieval period. His face may be familiar to viewers of Time Team as he is the mill expert called upon by the archaeologists.

All are welcome. Admission is free to members, £4 to visitors, tickets at the door.

Gill Selley WOODBURY AND DISTRICT ROYAL BRITISH LEGION We are running the lych gate stall on Saturday 6 October, raising more funds for GP90 (see page 12).

On behalf of the branch we would like to thank the following clubs and individuals for their generous donations and support for GP90: Connections, Dingles Indoor Vintage Fairground, Exton Garden Club, M and P Glanvill Storage, Jean Carpenter’s quizzes, Local History Society, Optima Graphics, Tuesday Community Coffee Morning, Woodbury Twinning Association, The Parish Council and seven individual donors.

Woodbury and District RBL Remembrance Weekend There will be an exhibition in the village hall on 10 November of WW1 memorabilia with archive films and family histories. A Poppy Shop, cake stall and refreshments will also be available.

Sunday 11 November - Service of Remembrance in the morning on the village green with St Swithun’s and Christ Church.

Sean Kiley and Sandra Huish

12 WOODBURY C OF E PRIMARY SCHOOL We recently welcomed our pupils back to a new year at Woodbury School and extended a special welcome to the new families who have joined us. We have a fantastic year planned for the children, filled with amazing learning opportunities, interesting school trips and wonderful events in the Christian calendar to celebrate. Our first celebration will be the harvest service in St Swithun’s Church, led this year by Cherry and Maple class, which we look forward to.

Our school value focus this half term is Respect and the children have been keen to talk about how they can model this value in their daily lives, both in and out of school. Each class came up with some lovely suggestions of how respect is shown and why it is important to us, and these will be developed through our collective worship and within class.

We have launched a number of new activities for the children to enjoy this term including forest school, football, cross-country, handball, sewing and singing clubs. Each class has also begun to practise their song contributions to the whole school choir which we look forward to sharing with parents in our popular singing concert later this half term.

This term we have welcomed a full class of Reception pupils who are all settling in well to Beech class and getting used to the school routine. The children have all been paired up with Year 6 buddies who have been getting to know them and will be working with them weekly throughout the year.

Ash class have had a busy start to their final year at Woodbury School with school elections and applications for mentor roles within the school. The Year 6 pupils have now been assigned to roles as Learning, Office, Environment, Librarian, Sport and Digital mentors, giving our oldest pupils the opportunity to support the school in their roles and to take on key responsibilities. Ash class also began their bikeability course, with the mixed weather truly testing their cycling skills!

Liz Dymond ROYAL BRITISH LEGION CHARITY LYCH GATE STALL ST SWITHUN’S CHURCH, WOODBURY SATURDAY 6 OCTOBER, 09.30 - 11.00 Bring-and-buy food and cake stall.

Tea, coffee and bacon butties available.

The life rafts from The Arch will be auctioned.

These are ideal as planters, small ponds, bog gardens and even as a bath for your dog.

The DVD of the RBL Great Pilgrimage 90 filmed at the Menin Gate will be screened in the church.

WOODBURY NEWS is available online via Facebook and Twitter.

13 WOODBURY GARDEN CLUB September meeting Due to building work in the village hall, the meeting was held in the cricket pavilion. We were given an interesting insight into the world of apples by Mr Simon Akeroyd, who certainly knew his subject.

Apples were around in the Neolithic Age and all the varieties known today originate from these. Gladstone Pippin, a dessert apple, was the first named variety in 1860 and was referred to in Mrs Beaton’s cookery book and apparently was her favourite. The Bramley apple appeared in 1886 and was very popular. Norfolk Biffin turned out to be the longest-keeping apple and there is a local variety, Paignton Marigold, which is very juicy. Currently, Reigate Kitchen holds 220 varieties and Wisley over 700.

Apple varieties have materialized from some strange sites, including a chance meeting on a compost heap! However, most apples are grafted onto a rootstock and it is possible to graft different varieties onto one rootstock.

When planting, the graft must be above the soil level. There are several ways of growing them too: as a separate tree, or laid along walls or wires at an angle of about 60 degrees as cordons, or in a fan shape against a wall, or a step-over (horizontally).

Mr Akeroyd was warmly thanked by Chairman Annette.

Jean Carpenter WOODBURY TENNIS CLUB The summer season is now a distant memory. The hot dry summer enabled all matches to be played and ensured that the junior coaching programme with John Wingate was uninterrupted. It is hoped that John will be with us again next summer. Our Men’s A team failed in their endeavours to remain in Division 5, missing the cut by 5 points; it will play in Division 6 next year.

The Men’s B team had one of their most successful seasons, finishing a very creditable 5th in Division 7, ensuring a place in that division next year.

The mild autumn has ensured a regular attendance at Sunday morning club sessions (from 10.30) and at least four players on Friday evenings. The ladies group on Tuesday afternoons is now well attended and the retired group on Wednesday mornings will continue through the winter. The club has entered a Men’s team in the Exeter Winter League and a mixed team in the East Devon League. Thus there will be much tennis to enjoy during the winter months.

The courts are available for the playing of tennis to all residents of the parish and visitors at a reasonable fee of £4.00 per hour, key available at 5 Escott Cottages (Pat Browne 232805) or from Jackie Clarke 232832, but if playing regularly annual membership (£15 junior) is more economical. Pat Browne 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).

14 WOODBURY SURGERY FLU SEASON WINTER 2018/19 How will I get my Flu Jab from Woodbury Surgery?

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If you are coming in to see the nurse or GP in the next few months we will give you your flu jab while you are at the surgery - just ask you won’t need to book a separate appointment.

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Saturday 13 October - Flu Clinic Please book a ‘Flu Clinic’ slot online or pop into the surgery to book a time slot for the day - it is very helpful to ensure smooth flow of patients and minimise queuing if patients come on time, but not too early! Parking space is very limited.

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Monday afternoon drop-in clinics From Monday 15 October onwards you can drop in on Monday afternoons between 15.00-16.00 and have a flu jab, no appointment needed.

4.

Flu jab appointments can be pre-booked online - we will be setting up some pre-bookable appointments for all those who prefer to book online, including some evening appointments for patients who work.

You should have a flu jab if:  You are 65 years or older (you will be given the new enhanced vaccine this year - this is more effective in your age group)  You are pregnant  You have a long-term medical condition such as asthma (requiring a regular steroid inhaler), COPD, chronic heart, lung, kidney, liver, or neurological disease, diabetes. If unsure, please ask.  You have a weak immune system due to medical treatment or an underlying condition  You suffer with coeliac disease  You are seriously overweight with a BMI>40  You are the main carer for an elderly or disabled person  You live in long-term residential care  You are a health or social care worker (if you work for the NHS your employer will provide your flu jab; if you work for a registered care/ nursing home or care provider we can provide it for you)  Children - aged 2-3 will be offered a nasal vaccine at the surgery – we will arrange a special clinic and contact you. Please do not come to the adult flu clinic.  Children in school from reception to year 5 will have the vaccine provided in school.  Children in school year 6 to age 18 who have a long-term medical condition will also be offered a nasal vaccine at the surgery and can attend any of the flu clinics.

15 FRIENDS OF WOODBURY SURGERY To all patients of the surgery, and volunteers of FOWS Some of you will already know that, due to changes at the surgery, the Friends of Woodbury Surgery are no longer able to operate from the surgery premises and the surgery will no longer accept requests for FOWS services.

The Friends have been helping patients of the surgery for nearly 30 years and we wish to maintain this valued service. We have therefore had to make alternative arrangements, and we are extremely grateful to the Parish Council for their part in helping us to relocate.

To contact the Friends, please ring our new mobile number: 07961 809423.

If there is no reply, then please leave a clear message with your name, telephone number and details of the service you require. If the request is for transport to a medical appointment, please state the location, time and date of your appointment, together with the length of the appointment, if known.

You will be contacted by one of the co-ordinators as soon as possible to discuss and arrange your requirements. Under the new circumstances, we will need at least four days’ notice to arrange any transport. We recognise that many patients would find it easier to contact us on a landline number and, funds permitting, we hope to have a new landline number at some future point.

Patients are also welcome to come and speak in person to the co-ordinator, who will normally be at the Parish Council Office at the following times: Tuesdays from 16.30 to 18.00 and Fridays from 09.30 to 11.00. The address of the Parish Council Office is: Parish Council Office, Greenside, Greenway, Woodbury EX5 1LP. Letters will be sent to all volunteer drivers in due course explaining the new arrangements for claim forms, donation envelopes, collection of the Blue Badge etc. when we have all this in place.

We look forward to continuing our services in the village and surrounding area and feel sure that we will have the continued support of patients and volunteers alike.

A date for your diary: the Friends of Woodbury Surgery AGM will be held on Monday 26 November at 14.00 in the Church Rooms followed by refreshments. Please come along and show your support for the Friends.

Val Arndt & Elisabeth Neather, FOWS Co-ordinators. FOWS Committee WOODBURY TWINNING ASSOCIATION PROGRESSIVE SUPPER SATURDAY 6 OCTOBER (note change of date!)

Members £15 Non-Members £18 Contact Nita 232314 or Jan 232694.

16 WOODBURY GOLF SOCIETY

Despite leaving home in the rain twenty-three members of the Golf Society enjoyed a sunny day at Stover Golf Club in August.

Martin Briggs, David Moore, Richard Perry and Stewart Price won the team event with 81.2 points, David Moore netted 36 points to become the individual winner, and John Kinch won the longest drive.

On Thursday 13 September eighteen golfers set forth for Burnham & Berrow but only sixteen arrived (two turned back) - not a good start. The motorway was closed at Taunton J25 up to Bridgwater J24 due to a serious accident.

This delayed us by 90 minutes so therefore the start time of 10.30 was blown.

Golfers arrived at different times so set off when ready. By 12.00, after coffee and a bacon butty, all were on the 9 hole Channel Course, which we played twice using different tees for the back nine. I heard one golfer say that the greens on the back nine were much more difficult!

However the weather was perfect, the greens were in great condition, but some of the fairways were a bit rough. Definitely good if the drive was in the centre as there was usually trouble left or right! The day was rounded off with an excellent meal. Six golfers managed 30 points and over. As there were no twos, all the ÂŁ2 paid were refunded so there is no carry-over to the next event. Nearest the pin on the 8th was John Maidment. The team event was won by Charlie Collins, Bob Thomlinson and Andrew Bashforth with 67 points. For individuals, in third place was Peter Heron with 33 points, second place Richard Perry with 35 points and the winner with 36 points was Bob Thomlinson.

The next event is Tavistock on Thursday 11 October. Let's hope there is a good turnout for the final event on the WVGS calendar.

Jeremy Browne

WOODBURY CRAFT CLUB CHURCH ROOMS, GREENWAY, WOODBURY 28 SEPTEMBER, 19 OCTOBER AND 30 NOVEMBER 13.00-15.00 ÂŁ2 entry (includes a cuppa and biscuit) Email: lildaydreamers@gmail.com WOODBURY GARDEN CLUB 9 OCTOBER, 19.30 WOODBURY VILLAGE HALL Colin Vardell: A Year in the Country natural history images of birds, mammals, reptiles, invertebrates, wild flowers, fungi, trees, woodland and landscapes.

Visitors welcome.

17 WOODBURY VILLAGE HALL We have been very busy over the past few months organising the building of a new disabled access. These things don’t just happen, and a lot of thought, research and hard work has gone into getting it right. I think the end result is exactly what we had hoped for.

This access doorway for the disabled was made possible by generous grants from: Awards for All, East Devon District Council, Garfield Weston Foundation, The Bernard Sunley Charitable Foundation, The Norman Family Charitable Trust, Viridor Credits and Woodbury Parish Council.

Many thanks go to Ken Perry for the excellent planning and overseeing of the project. We also thank Devon Minor Works for their professional and diligent approach to the building of the ramp and the refurbishment involved.

We now have an attractive resin-bound fine gravel ramp, with stainless steel handrails, leading up to an automatic door into a new porch. From there another automatic door leads into the newly-refurbished Du Buisson room.

The opening to the main hall from the Du Buisson has been widened and a large door and opening side panel installed, making access much easier.

This, together with new flooring and curtains, brings the whole project together. I would like to say a huge thank-you to all members of the Village Hall Board for their enthusiastic engagement, good ideas, persistence in perfection and efforts in bringing this project to a very satisfactory conclusion. See our notice of the official opening on page 26.

Chris Quantick, Chairman ROYAL BRITISH LEGION COFFEE MORNINGS

10.00 - 11.30.

11 & 25 OCTOBER RBL ROOM behind Woodbury village hall.

All are invited to join us on alternate Thursdays.

18 WOODBURY WOMEN’S INSTITUTE After a weather forecast that promised heavy rain overnight and most of the morning of Thursday 16 August, it was decided to move the garden party from the cricket field to the Church Rooms. Needless to say the forecast wasn't quite right, but we had an enjoyable time. I'm sure Woodbury won't forget the ladies all eating their buffet lunch on the green area opposite, some in their summer hats which they had decorated for the competition! After a welcoming glass of Pimms, business was quickly dispatched and we were onto the serious business of eating a lovely lunch provided by our members, and putting the world to rights. The Rose Bowl for the winner of the competition was presented by Nigel Alcock, in memory of Donoveen, to Elspeth Fisher, whose hat was decorated with hand-made poppies. Ann Shell

19 At the September meeting Paula Steer from Lily Warne Wools gave an entertaining talk about her change in career from working in accounts to becoming a shepherdess after suffering cancer aged 32. She brought along her grandfather’s RAF uniform - he had been a POW in WWII. She also displayed family photographs going back several generations, stressing the importance of writing names on the back of each so that future generations can identify members.

Paula was taught to knit and crochet by her grandmother, Lily Warne, who had farmed at Bellever, then at Chagford. Paula crochets poppy brooches from her sheep’s wool and has raised £4,000 since 2012 for RBL; her poppies are on sale in John Lewis after being featured in Country Living magazine. Her purple poppies support Michael Morpurgo’s Farms for City Children.

Her son Lewis encouraged her to enter a Country Living competition, which she won. Lewis now has a flock of 500 sheep, after three were given to him for passing his GCSEs. He has a contract to supply the Household Cavalry with sheepskin rugs. The sheep are pedigree Greyfaced Dartmoor sheep, which are shorn by hand. They have appeared on Countryfile, Kate Humble’s series Back to the Land, Escape to the Country and CBeebies.

Woodbury WI will host the Clyst group meeting on 4 October. The next meeting on 11 October will be a quiz with cheese and wine, and the competition will be for a summer photograph.

Liz Hill FRIENDS OF WOODBURY SURGERY ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING MONDAY 26 NOVEMBER 14.00 IN THE CHURCH ROOMS Followed by refreshments.

Please come along and show your support for the Friends.

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WOODBURY SALTERTON NEWS HOLY TRINITY Holy Baptism Alfred Geoffery Lee was baptised by Revd Sid Humphries during the Family service on 16 September. The choir sang their usual song of welcome, which ends ‘Alfie, we welcome you’.

Alfie Lee with his parents Robin and Louise after his baptism

A different form of Harvest Thanksgiving Our Harvest Festival service this year will take place on Saturday 13 October at 17.30 in church. This will be followed at 18.30 by a Harvest Supper (hot dogs etc. and the usual delicious array of desserts) in the village hall with a form of entertainment we enjoyed once several years ago – a horse race event. Tickets will cost £5 adult and a family ticket £15.

Bring your own drinks (squash will be provided for the children). Tickets can be obtained from Debbie Jung, Rosewood, Village Road, or from the Community Coffee morning in the village hall on Monday 1 October. The gifts of harvest produce will be taken afterwards to the Exmouth Food Bank, which has been running short of food items. These are distributed to those who are referred by doctors, schools or social workers as being in need. Our school children are usually very generous with their harvest gifts but any further contributions from the church or from the village can be brought to church or to the harvest supper. Please help local people in need in this way.

Tinned or dried food items are especially valuable.

Bibles to welcome children starting school The church decided to give each child starting school in reception a child-friendly copy of the Bible, inscribed with their name. Jennie Tweedy (Reception and Class 1 Teacher) reported that the children were thrilled to receive their copy of The Lion First Bible, and parents had expressed warm thanks.

21 Coffee Morning The October Coffee morning with bacon butties will take place on Saturday 6th from 09.30 until 10.30.

A Pets’ Service - Advance Notice At the Family Service, at 9.30 on Sunday 18 November, (which follows breakfast, to which everyone is invited) we will be thanking God for our pets and you are invited to bring your pet into church.

It’s Quiz time again! The time of year has come round again when the Church Quiz makes its appearance. This is my 21st Quiz and my granddaughter Millie has edited it for me in her father’s stead with help from my daughter with the cover.

The subject this year is place names, entitled On The Map and entry forms cost £2.

The children’s quiz, giving free entry to the colouring competition, is Know Your Carols and costs £1.

Both will go on sale mid-October from me or kind helpers in other churches and at the school.

Katharine Wheeler WHIST DRIVE TUESDAY 16 OCTOBER, 19.30 WOODBURY SALTERTON VILLAGE HALL All welcome.

COMMUNITY COFFEE MORNING Woodbury Salterton Village Hall 09.00 - 12.00 1st Monday of each month, if a Bank Holiday 2nd Monday of the month. £2 for unlimited drinks and cake.

Everyone welcome (from babies to retirees).

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

Do email your high resolution photos of local people or events to Karen at karensquires100@ gmail.com The editorial team still needs a wider spread of news, particularly about our younger people. What are you all up to? Why don’t YOU write an article or send in a photo?

Photos taken with a camera, rather than a mobile phone are preferred as they reproduce more clearly on paper.

22 WOODBURY SALTERTON C OF E PRIMARY SCHOOL At this time of harvest, when we think of food and all that we are blessed with, it is fitting that the value for this term is Generosity which is…

Giving something we value to someone else Encouraging the best in each other Never selfish Enjoying helping others Raising support for a good cause Offering what we can Sharing our time and talents Inviting someone to join in Taking care of God’s creation for future generations You first, me last.

The children have enjoyed either returning to school or, for our new starters, joining the school for the first time. We are delighted to welcome each and every one of our new children and their families who are now part of our school community. The children have enjoyed the warm weather and been out once again up to our forest school site in the village, harvesting blackberries, cooking and tasting them. Our oldest children have attended a short residential camp at Heatree with pupils from our Exmouth sister school, Littleham. There have been visits into school from Theatre Alibi.

We held our school ethos day on 20 September when we joined together to celebrate the opening of our prayer space with support from Rev Sid. Our Federation governors would like to ask you to take a moment to consider if you have an interest in working as part of a team and sharing your time and talents. Do you have a background or skills in finance, property or health and safety? Are you interested in supporting our Federation in the role as a school governor? You don’t have to be a parent or have a direct link with the school to apply. Previous experience isn’t necessary, nor is a background in education as induction training and CPD are both available. Being a school governor can be immensely satisfying and makes people feel that they are doing something worthwhile as they generously give time for their community. Almost anyone over 18 can be a governor and the most effective governing bodies are diverse in age and background – we would welcome volunteers with a wide variety of skills, as we have current vacancies due to two retiring members. If you have an interest in making a difference for our children then contact our chair of governors Clare Rooke to find out more: email crooke@littleham.devon. sch.uk.

Clare Rooke

23 WOODBURY SALTERTON WOMEN’S INSTITUTE

Well done the WI! With all the current concern about the amount of plastic being used, WI members were delighted to find that their September copies of WI Life came through the post in a new biodegradable cover instead of being plastic wrapped. The wrapping can even be used as a receptacle for any food going into food waste bins or can be put into a compost bin.

At the September meeting in the village hall Brenda Randle showed members her entry for the Group Meeting competition and it was much admired.

President Gill Bricknell welcomed three visitors, Mary and Rod Northcott and Margaret Greenslade who used to live in the village and wanted to hear Gill Selley’s talk on The Origins and History of Woodbury Salterton.

This proved to be a fascinating account, the result of many hours of painstaking research, tracing the Royal Manor of Woodbury (in which Salterton as it was then called, was a hamlet) back to the time of William the Conqueror. Among the many slides were photographs of several wills like that of William Downham in 1592. Only men made wills, laying down what happened to their prized possessions like a silver teaspoon, and stipulating that such treasures be passed down the generations. A wife could not pass her share on – even if was the green bed one wife was left! Our President gave a heartfelt vote of thanks to Gill Selley and commended her for the years she had put into her research.

It has been decided that the WI minutes will in future be circulated by email, but hard copies will be given to the few members who do not have computers.

The lunch to wish Trish Hourston farewell, as she set off on her winter travels with her dog Coco, was so successful that it was agreed to hold a monthly lunch at The Digger’s Rest on the first Monday of each month throughout the winter.

The October lunch will be on the 2nd at 12.30. The monthly coffee morning will be on Thursday 18th at 11.00, also at The Digger’s Rest.

The speaker at the 10 October monthly meeting, in the village hall at 19.30, will be Kay Thompson and her subject is Fairgrounds Through The War Years.

Visitors and those who think they might like to join the WI are welcome at all our meetings – you never know what you will be hearing about next in our varied and interesting programme of talks.

Katharine Wheeler

24

EXTON NEWS ST ANDREW’S CHURCH, EXTON SERVICES FOR OCTOBER Sunday 7 - 18.00 Harvest festival. Evening Service. Sunday 14 - Trinity 20.

09.30 Holy Communion. Sunday 21 - Trinity 21. 09.30 Lay-led Service.

Sunday 28 - Bible Sunday. 09.30. Holy Communion.

Food Bank We give sincere thanks to all those who kindly contributed that bit extra for the children’s summer holidays. It was very much appreciated.

There is still urgent need for us to continue to help in this way. Harvest produce is going to the Exmouth Food Bank and the Open Door.

Audrey Elphick THAI SUPPER FRIDAY 19 OCTOBER, 19.00 ST ANDREW’S HALL, EXTON Further information ring 01392 877917.

HALLOWEEN AT EXTON WEDNESDAY 31 OCTOBER Now is the time of year we start thinking about the annual Halloween walk around Exton Village. This has been an excellent event involving children and their families dressing up and undergoing the traditional ‘trick or treat’ event with a twist! We establish a route around the village and call in at those who are kind enough to offer to host. At each house we call on there is a treat for the children and possibly the adults?! In previous years we have had toasted marshmallows, drunk sloe gin or prosecco, smashed a piñata, eaten cupcakes, sweets or sizzling sausages and even had a haunted house to explore!

If you are keen to be visited or wish to host our trick or treaters, please contact Rachel on 01392 879360. We usually gather to start our walk about 17.30. Closer to the event we will contact you and give you an approximate time of arrival at your house, having added you to our route, and, most importantly, we will give you an indication as to the numbers – last year we hit about 50!

Adam and Charlotte kindly prepare a buffet for us all when we arrive at the Puffing Billy at about 19.00.

Debbie Kearey

25 EXTON VILLAGE FIREWORKS AND BONFIRE NIGHT FRIDAY 2 NOVEMBER Gates open at 17.30 in the field next to the village playground Admission £5 per adult, £3 per child under 16 years, to include BBQ food.

Money raised will benefit the Royal Marines charity and support village events.

This year, we are also holding a best guy competition for the children. All guys should be brought to the field before 13.00 on the day with the name of the person who has created them attached.

The name of the winner will be announced on the night and the guys will all be burnt at the stake!

We look forward to seeing you there. For more details, contact Debbie on 01392 875238/0777968639.

Debbie Kearey ESTUARY LEAGUE OF FRIENDS October Activities: A trip to the Craft Fair at Westpoint on Thursday 27 October for needle craft group. A minibus will leave in the morning from Nancy Potter House. Cost £7 entry and £3 transport. Please phone Marilyn at the Hub if you wish to go (01392 879009).

Dementia Awareness - Thursday 4 October. 10.30 to 13.30.

Our Apprenticeship Programme has been a great success in finding and supporting Olivia who has become a valued member of our team. We have helped her develop and grow in her role, building a good sound basis of office skills. We are now looking to offer two apprenticeships - one for someone to work in our office and one to a budding young chef; both positions involve attending one day a week at college.

For details of ongoing clubs ring 01392 879009.

There was a great turnout for the swim from Topsham to the Turf Lock with 91 swimmers. Congratulations to all who participated. At the last count we raised over £6,000 - what a fantastic result!

Audrey Elphick FISH AND CHIPS SUPPER WITH FILM SHOW ST ANDREW’S HALL, EXTON FRIDAY 2 NOVEMBER AT 18.00 Tickets £15.

Book from David Elphick 01392 876909.

26

WOODBURY PARISH COUNCIL

David Craig, Clerk to the Council Woodbury Parish Council Offices, Greenside, Greenway, Woodbury, EX5 1LP Tel: 01395 233791. Email: woodburyparishcouncil@gmail.com.

Expect to see some changes on the Green as we prepare for Armistice Day. As I am sure you are aware, this year is the 100 th anniversary of the end of WWI. We will be planting a memorial tree to mark this and installing a memorial bench. There is also an additional name to be added to the war memorial, bringing the total number of WWI fallen to 38.

Parish Council Grants The Parish Council will be considering applications for funding from the Coombe Farm Solar Fund and the Community Grant Scheme again this year. Application forms can be found on the website or from the Parish Council Office. The closing date for applications is 31 October 2018 and applications will be considered at our meeting on 12 November 2018.

Woodbury Parish Council has vacancies for three Parish Councillors – two for Woodbury and one for Exton. The commitment is usually two Monday evening meetings per month, plus other work depending on your interests. If you think that you would like to become a Parish Councillor, please contact the Chairman, Cllr Cheryl McGauley, the Clerk or any Parish Councillor to let them know that you are interested and to tell them what skills and expertise you could bring to the Parish Council. Training is available and is encouraged.

The defibrillators are now all fitted and operational. Their locations are: Woodbury - on the roadside exterior wall of the Parish Office on Greenway; Exton - on the roadside exterior wall of the Puffing Billy; Woodbury Salterton - on the right side exterior wall of the Digger’s Rest.

The training courses were well attended and we will be running further courses in the future.

Finally, please could we ask that dog owners pick up after their dogs. There have been a number of complaints, particularly the mess on the Green.

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

WOODBURY VILLAGE HALL We are delighted to announce the official opening of our new Disabled Access by Jean Carpenter You are most welcome to join us on Monday 8 October at 18.00.

We are grateful to the following for their generous grants enabling this project to proceed: Awards for All, East Devon District Council, Garfield Weston Foundation, The Bernard Sunley Charitable Foundation, The Norman Family Charitable Trust, Viridor Credits and Woodbury Parish Council

27

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR From Livvy Robins Improvements to Woodbury Surgery I imagine there were many people who looked forward with interest to seeing the exciting new improvements to our excellent surgery. Call me a miserable old boot if you want, and many do, but I can't see a single change for the better.

There used to be a lovely enclosed, cosy waiting room which allowed privacy for the people arriving at reception. Now, everyone waiting can hear every word. There used to be a smiling receptionist sitting waiting to help, and now they are hiding behind a screen. I also find, for reasons not clear to me, that it feels uncomfortable talking to someone who is standing.

Maybe because it feels like they have something better to do and they want to disappear back behind the screen.

I also do not understand about the disappearance of the pharmacy window.

There was a notice asking people to stand back so that the recipient of the prescriptions might have privacy. Well, where is that privacy now?

Finally, there used to be a little room with toys separate from the main waiting room. Now there is just space (wasted at the moment) where people walk in. Surely the toys are not going to go back there so that children will be playing in the constant draught and lack of safety of the opening door?

So, if I have no cause for complaint, maybe someone could write and list the things that they feel these changes do to improve going to the surgery.

But wait! I quite like the screen above reception with its useful messages because we have so few screens to look at these days.

From Jean Carpenter Friends of Woodbury Surgery Volunteers I have just been informed that the volunteers can no longer operate from the surgery, but from the Parish Council Office. I find this appalling. The volunteers have been in existence for many years and have always been accommodated within the surgery. If the organisers were not available, messages could be left with the surgery staff and this system has always worked successfully. So, why rock the boat? They have been told there is no room for them. This, after all the fund-raising done in the past to supply the surgery with vital equipment, is surely a very cruel blow. Also, this new arrangement could turn out to be extremely inconvenient for those people wishing to use the services. At present, the only contact is either in person or by mobile – calls to mobiles are expensive – some patients will not be able to afford this. I await, with interest, the response.

28

ROUND AND ABOUT GOODBYE AND THANK YOU NIGEL As we say 'Farewell' and 'Thank you' to Nigel Alcock, we reflect on his 35 years in Woodbury and more specifically his time as Director of Music at St Swithun's. Everyone who has attended services, concerts and events where Nigel has played the organ will have enjoyed his inspirational playing. Nigel and Donoveen moved to Woodbury in the 1980s and soon became lynchpins of the parish. Nigel has played the piano from the age of 5. He later trained in Wales and with the Royal School of Church Music. When he moved to Bondi, NSW, in Australia, he founded the Sydney Welsh Choir and was an organ scholar at St Andrew's Cathedral in Sydney. After 12 years in Australia he returned to the UK and, after applying for an organist post at Ashton-upon-Mersey, met and married Donoveen. Nigel and Donoveen are remembered as being good friends to many people, offering mutual support in good times and bad.

Over the intervening 30+ years the church choir flourished. There are fewer young members these days, but choir members feel part of a real ‘family' who will all miss Nigel’s sensitivity and musical gifts. They say that they will miss his Welsh temperament, his sound teaching and his ability to make them laugh at his frequent tripping over steps! Everyone in the choir, the church and the Woodbury community wish him every happiness in his new life in Suffolk, close to family members, and many, many more years of music-making. We will be holding a proper thank-you party for Nigel at a date later in the autumn, which will give everyone in the village a chance to express their thanks to him and to wish him well for the future.

Lin Milsom-Ashby CONGRATULATIONS To Peter Kellagher of Exton, who in August completed the annual Topsham Quay to Turf Locks swim, along with 90 other swimmers, raising some £250 for local charity Estuary League of Friends. His mother, Sarah, writes of her pride in his achievement, saying that he managed the 1.5 mile course across the River Exe in just over an hour, despite the overcast and windy weather. Anyone wishing to sponsor his efforts can still do so via https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/peterkellagher1.

29

Following on from our article in the September issue of the Woodbury News, we are pleased to announce that preparations for the inaugural Woodbury Living Advent Calendar are now well under way. The evening of Sunday 2 September saw many of our volunteers, who will each create an advent window for your delight throughout December, gather together over a cuppa and festive nibble, to start discussing the nitty-gritty of organising this new community event. We were also pleased to welcome representatives from both of the charities that we have chosen to support: Naomi Cole, Community Fundraiser from Force Cancer Charity and Gary King, Chair of Woodbury Community Playing Fields. You can take part by buying an Advent Trail Map, for just £2, at any of the following locations from Thursday 1 November:  Christ Church  Kilves Antiques  Woodbury Parish Council Office  Rook Pie  St Swithun’s Church  The White Hart Every penny raised will be divided equally between the charities. The map provides the information you will need every day from the 1st to 24th December to locate each new window. The exact time of each grand reveal will be listed on your map and we hope that you will enjoy walking/cycling and chatting your way around the trail with friends and villagers old and new. Windows will remain lit until at least 21.30. Don’t worry if you can’t make it to all of the grand reveals – once ‘opened’, each window will remain lit every evening up to 26 December for you to enjoy. Look out for our next article in the November Woodbury News for further updates, and in the meantime, please feel free to follow our progress on Instagram @ woodburylivingadventcalendar. We really hope you can join us to make this a success!

Emma Taggart and Ruth Bagwell

30 RSPB AYLESBEARE COMMON NEWS

Heath Week in August went well, with a lot of the events fully booked, but unfortunately the festival day on Sunday had to be cancelled as bad weather hit so-called ‘sunny East Devon’.

We have our full quota of cattle on the reserves with both Aylesbeare, Venn Ottery and Harpford commons being grazed. As some of you may be aware, the East Devon Pebblebed Heaths Conservation Trust has installed cattle grids on Hawkerland Common and cattle are merrily grazing the site.

Our Dartmoor and Exmoor ponies are currently exclusively grazing on Withycombe Raleigh Common, Blackhill Quarry, Venn Ottery Hill and on the Stockland Turburies, with smaller numbers remaining on the reserve.

We are just in the final stages of gathering all the breeding bird data together for the summer and hope to be able to report back on the numbers of our heathland specials: Dartford warblers and nightjars.

Some forestry works are going to be taking place in the next month or so. The four woodland blocks on and around the reserve are due to be thinned, and a forestry contractor organised by our landlord CDE will be carrying out this work.

Woolcombes, Little Woolcombes, the Enclosure and Hillside plantation will all have some thinning works taking place; timber will be extracted either up onto the reserve and stacked for easy lorry access by the cattlegrid or some will be taken over towards Benchams, where we are going to need to rehang gates to allow lorry access. Please bear with us while these works take place. May I please remind you not to interfere with the forestry equipment or to climb on the timber stacks once the produce has started to be extracted. We have been reassured that any track damage will be rectified; let’s hope for a dry few weeks.

As soon as the leaves start to fall, we will be starting our winter management including scrub clearing, gorse coppicing and fire-break management.

Toby Taylor September has seen us tackling the usual bracken growth, primarily with the foraging efforts of our excellent estate worker, Vlad. When done consistently year on year, this helps to reduce the vigorous growth of the bracken which otherwise would attempt to spread out across the reserve in unwanted areas.

One of these unwanted areas is our fence lines. We have some excellent examples of good fencing work around the reserve, a large portion of which was done by our fantastic volunteers, but this of course does need maintaining and clearing every year. Our volunteers have been out in force as usual clearing the bracken, bramble and other encroaching vegetation to avoid pressure on the fence lines and ensuring they are kept in tip-top condition.

We have also been thinking about the coming colder seasons, with the final surveys of butterflies and reptiles taking place before the turn of the weather.

The survey data is currently being collated for these and other surveys and

31 results will soon be complete.

The fabulous Hawkerland Brake Barn log cabin, which serves as the office for team Aylesbeare as well as the residential volunteer accommodation, has seen some love and care before winter. This involved spraying wood protection on the outside and a good coat of oil inside where needed. There has also been a great effort by the volunteers to fill the woodshed for the cabin, which has hot water and heating produced by a biomass boiler and is fuelled by wood felled for conservation purposes on and around the reserve.

The planning for the winter work programme is well underway, and with an already great team being joined by fresh new volunteers over the next couple of months, October is sure to be full of good news too.

Megan Sizeland

AUGUST WEATHER August is usually a wet month and even though we had 50.2mm (1.98 ins) of rain it was only 59% of the norm; however it was just enough to get the grass and maize growing but nothing to spare for the rivers and reservoirs which are now in a very shrunken state. Only in March has rainfall been above average and it will take a deluge to fill them up, and there is little sign of that. Such fronts that have come in from the Atlantic have moved through Ireland and the NW of the UK, as has often been the case this year and last.

Temperatures were typical with max/mins of 28C/9C but with very high humidity and mostly SW winds it felt much hotter. I can confirm that it has been a great year for wasps as we have two very busy nests in the garden.

PJH CLINTON DEVON ESTATES FoSS AUTUMN CONCERT TUESDAY 9 OCTOBER, ST SWITHUN’S CHURCH, 19.30 Featuring Exeter Singers directed by Tony Yates.

Tickets £7.50 from Rook Pie, Pat Browne, committee members or on the door CLYST VALLEY CHORAL SOCIETY Fiftieth Anniversary Concert HANDEL: MESSIAH 17 NOVEMBER, 19.30, St Margaret's, Topsham 18 NOVEMBER, 19.30, Holy Trinity, Exmouth New singers welcome. Thursdays 19.30 Clyst St Mary from 6 September.

Rotary Club of Exeter Southernhay AN EVENING WITH ANN WIDDECOMBE MATTHEWS HALL, TOPSHAM THURSDAY 11 OCTOBER, 19.30 (Doors open 19.00) 01392 461702 or tickets4rotary@gmail.com. Sponsored by afwm.

32 Autumn update from across the East Devon Estate Wildlife Monitoring During the summer 60 dormouse nest boxes were installed within hazel scrub and hedgerows on the Estate’s Home Farm, with the site registered as part of the National Dormouse Monitoring Programme (NDMP). Dormice are protected in Britain but are in decline in many areas due to changes in woodland management, farming practices and loss of hedgerows.

The Estate’s Home Farm has abundant, well-connected hedgerows. These should provide a great habitat for dormice, as well as many other species of conservation concern. Taking part in this national monitoring scheme will not only help us to understand the wildlife value of our hedgerows – one of the Estate’s key landscape features — but will also contribute to broader understanding of the status of this species nationally.

Over the coming years a local, licensed ecologist, together with Estate staff, will be checking the boxes on a regular basis. Typically, surveying is undertaken from just before the breeding season in either May or June, through to October or November after breeding has finished. Surveyors record the number of dormice present, their weight, sex and breeding condition.

Last winter, in partnership with Devon Mammal Group the Estate trained around 60 volunteers to monitor for the presence of the smallest UK mouse species — the harvest mouse. These surveys don’t look for the mice themselves, but instead involve searching for abandoned nests. Harvest mice build beautiful spherical nests made from grass during the summer months.

These are almost impossible to find during the breeding season, but when the vegetation starts to die back in the autumn they become easier to spot. Our volunteers will be heading out again over the autumn and winter months to find the signs in rough grassland across the Estate.

Bicton Arena Bicton Arena’s final event of the year will be their rescheduled International Horse Trials from 18 – 21 October and organisers are going all-out to make it three days to remember for both competitors and spectators. Organiser Helen West explains: “It’s a fabulous opportunity for us to showcase the very best of what we can do here, at a key time of the year.

The season is coming to a close and there’s a real sense of celebration among the riders - it’s almost a last hurrah before everyone takes a pull and has a rest.

We hope we will see riders of the highest calibre competing here and we’d love to see as many people as possible coming along to enjoy three days of great sport.” The programme includes eventing over three days, with competition for riders of all abilities and lots of action for spectators, an array of trade stands to browse, plus access to the autumnal parkland at Clinton Estates to watch the cross-country action. Entry is £10 per car on each day but local residents can contact Beccy.Barrett@clintondevon.com for a free car pass. Saturday is party night with live music from Riviera Dogs and a hog roast for just £10 a ticket. All are welcome.

33 River Otter A few incidents of overnight camping have been noticed on public footpaths in East Budleigh and, more regularly, at the weir near Otterton. Rubbish was also left. Thank you to the local ‘eyes and ears’ who help us ensure the countryside is safe and looking at its best. Do report any concerns to the Rolle Estate Office and one of the team will follow up as soon as possible.

The Estate welcomes the replacement of Bicton or Rickety Bridge which Devon County Council has scheduled for this autumn. Tree work has been agreed, including the felling and pollarding of trees close to the bridge, so the replacement can be lifted into place. We have suggested the heavy crane avoids local village roads and be granted access across fields from Otter Farm, where the new bridge will be stored at the farmyard until it can be moved to position. We hope the work will be complete before the good weather finally turns.

Countryside Learning Officer, Kate Ponting 01395 446918 kate.ponting@clintondevon.com.

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34

SMALL ADVERTISEMENTS FOR SALE – trampoline ‘TP Amsterdam 2’ 10 foot diameter, with Bounce Surround padded frame. Excellent children’s entertainment. Buyer collects.

Donation to village charity requested. 01395 233173

BUSINESS ADVERTISEMENTS ENGLISH AND FRENCH TUITION Key Stage 3 - GCSE offered by well-qualified, experienced teacher. Competitive rates. Contact L Hamilton on 01395 233416 or email linjahamilton@yahoo.co.uk. (1/3) AQUAPHOBIC? NON-SWIMMER? STROKE IMPROVEMENT? Personal swimming lessons- one to one stress-free sessions. Adult aquaphobics - a speciality. I will come to you and am in the water with you all the time. Over 30 years experience. Richard Avery ASA Level 2 Swimming Teacher.B.Ed. (Hons)Phys Ed. Anyonecanswim@gmail.com 07484125525. (1/6) LOOKING FOR SUPPORT IF HOME EDUCATING? Need Private Tutoring? Very experienced Primary Headteacher based in Woodbury village available during the day and after school slots for targeted curriculum help across Key Stages 1, 2, Ent exams/ 11+ preparation. Email richardjohnavery@btinternet.com 07484125525. (1/6) BOO TO A GOOSE THEATRE Top 10 in UK 2017. Magical pop-up children’s shows for stress-free parties with puppets, games and face painting. www.bootoagoosetheatre.co.uk 01395 233874. (5/12) FOOT HEALTH PRACTITIONER - Lindsey Waddell MAFHP. Nail cutting, foot care, treatment of corns and callus. Home visits. 01395 263496. (8/12) FOOT HEALTH PRACTITIONER & REFLEXOLOGIST Former RGN provides routine nail and skin care (inc corns and callus) or a reflexology treatment. Nicky Mattin (MAFHP itec RF) 01395 233222/07807603690 (12/12) HOME SWEET HOME DECORATORS - Lucy Ryan Lady interior and exterior decorator. Walls, ceilings, woodwork, up-cycled furniture, garden painting and more. Professional, very tidy, competitive, reliable and friendly. Fully DBS checked. Free estimates. Phone: 07484 272534 (9/12) 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 (20/24) MATHS TUITION: Experienced, female Maths teacher available to teach primary to GSCE level maths, 11+ and SATs prep. Reasonable rates. Jane Moffatt on 01395 279952/07730 877889 janepmoffatt@gmail.com. (9/12)

35 ADVERTISEMENTS Cont’d/…

BRISCOE TREE CARE - tree work and hedge cutting. All waste disposed. NCH Arb qualified at Bicton College. Fully insured. Free quotes and advice. Call Jon Briscoe on 01392 668931 or 07825 002362 (7/12) SQUIRREL COTTAGE Self catering 16th century property full of character, available for weekly holidays and short breaks. Sleeps 5. Graded 5 Star. www.thecottagecompanydevon.co.uk Tel: Kay 0776 9975557 (6/12) EVERTHING PLUMBING AND HEATING – For all your plumbing and heating needs. Large or small jobs at fair prices. Local, reliable and efficient.

Gas safe registered.

Tel Synergi SW: 07557 526167. www.synergiswltd.co.uk. (5/12) PROPERTY MAINTENANCE – James Waddell Interior & Exterior, Carpentry, Flooring, Fencing & Gates, Plumbing, Decking, Bathrooms & Kitchens, General Repairs. Free Advice & Estimates 01395 263496 (4/12) RUBBISH REMOVALS Domestic and Commercial. Environment Agency licensed. No job too small. Tel: 0800 335 7610 / 07979 841376. www.rubbishremovalsexeter.com (5/12) WE ARE POSH NOSH! With over two decades of experience in the catering industry we are at the forefront of special occasion and event catering in Devon and the West Country. We are committed to providing first class cuisine with outstanding levels of service. Phone:- 01392 444877 or email: info@posh-nosh.co.uk (3/12) 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 (2/12) 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.(2/12) 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 (2/12) ROOFING Woodbury based RWI Roofing Specialising in Slating, Tiling, Re-Roof, New Roof, Repairs, Guttering. For a friendly, reliable service call Ray 232926, or 07988 691051 (As recmd in OurLocalExpert.co.uk) (1/12) 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.

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FORTHCOMING EVENTS 28 Sept.

2 Oct. 4 Oct. 6 Oct. 6 Oct. 6 Oct. 8 Oct. 9 Oct. 9 Oct. 10 Oct. 11 Oct. 11 Oct. 11 Oct. 13 Oct. 13 Oct. 19 Oct. 19 Oct. 28 Oct. 30 Oct. 31 Oct. 31 Oct. 1 Nov. 2 Nov. 2 Nov. 8 Nov. 10 Nov. 11 Nov. 11 Nov. 13 Nov. 17 Nov. 18 Nov. 26 Nov. 30 Nov. 1 Dec. 11 Dec. 13 Dec. 1-26 Dec. 20 Dec.

Friday Night Flix. 19.30, WVH. The Viceroy’s House.

WSWI Inaugural monthly winter lunch. Digger’s Rest. 12.30.

Clyst Group of WIs meeting at WVH. RBL running lych gate stall in aid of GP90. 09.30-11.00.

WCO Apple Juicing Day. 10.30-16.00. Long Barn, Gilbrook.

Progressive Supper. Twinning Association.

Official opening of disabled access to WVH. 18.00.

Garden Club. A Year in the Country. WVH. 19.15 for 19.30.

FoSS Autumn concert with Exeter Singers. St Swithun’s, 19.30.

WSWI Fairgrounds throughout the war years. WSVH. 19.30.

Woodbury Village Golf Society. Tavistock outing.

Evening with Ann Widdecombe. 19.30. Matthews Hall, Topsham Woodbury WI Wine and Cheese Evening, WVH, 19.00.

WS Harvest Thanksgiving. WSVH. 17.30.

Harvest Supper. St Swithun’s. 19.00.

Woodbury Craft Club. 13.00-15.00. Church Rooms.

Thai Supper. 19.00. St Andrew’s Hall, Exton (01392 877917).

Glow in the Dark party. Christ Church. 16.00.

Cornerstones The Great English Penny, The Maltsters.

Closing date for Parish Council Grant applications.

Halloween walk at Exton. (01392 879360) History Society The Water Mills of East Devon. WVH. 19.30.

Fish & Chip Supper/film show. St Andrew’s Hall, Exton 18.00.

Exton Fireworks & Bonfire Night. 17.30. (01392 875238) Woodbury WI, Christmas Craft, WVH, 19.00.

Royal British Legion Exhibition. WVH. Service of Remembrance on the village green.

Cornerstones Norway. The Maltsters.

Garden Club. Fungi. WVH. 19.15 for 19.30.

CVCS 50th Anniversary Concert, 19.30. St Margaret’s, Topsham.

CVCS 50th Anniversary Concert. 19.30. Holy Trinity, Exmouth.

FOWS AGM. Church Rooms. 14.00.

Woodbury Craft Club. 13.00-15.00. Church Rooms.

Bumper Christmas Lych Gate.

Cornerstones Christmas Dinner. The Maltsters.

Woodbury WI Lighthouses, WVH, 19.00.

Woodbury Living Advent Calendar.

Carols around Woodbury.

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Skin Care Specialist

Exquisite Treatments and Products to Balance Mind, Body and Spirit Please see website for further details: www.enyajspa.com

Contact Jane on 01395 232755 or 07968257824 for further information or to discuss treatments.

East Clyst House, The Drive, Farringdon, Exeter, EX5 2JD email: jane@enyajspa.com

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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.

Woodbury Village Hall Hall and two meeting rooms, Fully equipped kitchen WIFI, sound system and projector Available for: Dances and Parties Wedding Receptions Meetings and Classes Jumble Sales and Craft Fairs Badminton, Plays, Business Lettings

For bookings please contact:

For bookings please contact: Robin or Marian Lennox Tel: 01395 232126

Pat or Gill Bricknell 01395 232463

email:- woodburyvh@gmail.com www.woodburyvillagehall.org.uk

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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The White Hart Woodbury Kitchen Opening Hours Monday to Saturday 12.00-15.00 & 18.00-21.00.

Sundays 12.00-15.30.

Please call us for dining reservations.

Our Beer Garden is the best kept secret in Woodbury.

Fantastic Garden Room for functions, including wedding receptions, birthdays, engagement parties and more.

Church Stile Lane, Woodbury EX5 1HN

Tel: 01395 489259

Little China Fish & Chips and Chinese Food to Take Away Telephone Orders Welcome 01395 233353 The Arch, Woodbury EX5 1LL OPENING HOURS CLOSED MONDAY Tuesday 5pm - 10pm Wednesday - Saturday 12 noon - 1:45pm & 5pm - 10pm Sunday 5pm - 9.30pm Food Allergies If you are allergic to any ingredients, please advise when making your order.

Cash Only

WOODBURY SALTERTON

W.S. TAXI 1 - 8 People

LOCAL & LONG DISTANCE

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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 also now available.

Speak to our friendly team.

Tel: 01395 442552

www.budleighdentalpractice.co.uk

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

Tel: 07985 697205 WOODBURY GARAGE

    

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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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

ALL BUILDING JOBS CONSIDERED

R. Miller & Son Painters and Decorators THORNS COTTAGE, WOODBURY

Tel: Woodbury 233773 All work expertly carried out under personal supervision.

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