WOODBURY NEWS
SEPTEMBER 2018
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SEPTEMBER 2018 EDITORIAL Hopefully the young people of our villages are growing up within caring communities. They will be developing an awareness of how village life evolves; they will be recognising the value of belonging (be it, for example, to sports clubs, the Brownies, dance, athletics or church youth groups). The 'older' generation will be showing by example - maybe visiting the housebound, driving the less able to surgeries and hospital, taking a turn at running local societies and clubs. You may have read in Woodbury News about the planting-up of the boats at The Arch, about individual success by competing in athletics at a national level, and we applaud youngsters who raise funds to enable them to volunteer during their GAP year, who walk dogs, babysit, or who gain experience of the workplace by taking holiday jobs. It is therefore incredibly disappointing that Woodbury suffered the incident referred to in the Letters to the Editor (see page 20). We are rightfully proud of this splendid facility in our midst - the village hall. Because it is so well maintained and run by an excellent board of directors, the hall is widely used. There seemed no reason to turn down an outside booking (i.e. not from someone living in Woodbury) of the village hall for a 'surprise 70th birthday party'. Only it certainly wasn't a surprise 70th birthday party. After the party was forcibly ended by the police, the rampage through parts of the village by a group of loud, some decidedly drunk, youngsters was, to say the least, not a good advertisement for their age group. The unexpected teenage party left the hall in chaos: two internal doors were damaged; the floor was awash with beer; washing up liquid had been squirted onto walls and tables with gay abandon, including into an electric power socket causing the fridge and freezer to malfunction; fire extinguishers were discharged. There was more, but I am not listing further horrors here - let your imagination do the rest. Shame on those involved! The chairman, other directors and their partners had to turn out in the hall the following Saturday morning by 06.00, and they spent two hours clearing up the mess in readiness for the first booking of the day at 09.00. Thank you so much. I am sure this will be an isolated incident but it does underline the importance of passing on community values such as honesty and respect for property both public and private. OUR COVER PHOTO, taken in 1944, is of two-year-old Roger Stokes, ‘having an early driving lesson’. See Andy Price’s profile on page 29.
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 All-age 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. 5th Sunday (30 September) 09.30 Combined Holy Communion at Clyst St Mary. No morning service in Woodbury. Morning Prayer: Mondays at 09.15. NEWS AND EVENTS Lych gate stalls - Saturday mornings 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) Thursday 2 August Dennis Whitely “Happy Birthday Valerie From Dennis 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 - SEPTEMBER 2 & 9 - Mrs S Huish. 16 - Mrs B Hill. 23 & 30 - Mrs J Butler. Please note, we will decorate church for Harvest on Thursday 4 October. IN MEMORIAM Private Harold Joe Ash, 8th Battalion Canadian Infantry (Manitoba Regiment) Killed in action at Amiens on 8 August 1918, aged 25 Private Wallace (Jack) Sellick, 2/4th Battalion Devonshire Regiment Died as a result of illness in India on 22 August 1918, aged 23 Private Frederick James Back, 2nd Battalion Hampshire Regiment Killed in action in Flanders on 23 August 1918, aged 18 Private George Kenwood Welsman, 1st Battalion Somerset Light Infantry Died of wounds in France on 2 September 1918 Private Arthur George Lock, 5th Battalion Essex Regiment Killed in action in Palestine on 19 September 1918, aged 33
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6 FoSS (Friends of St Swithun’s) FoSS has arranged three concerts so far this year, bringing a variety of music to the village and using the church with its excellent acoustics to full effect. Nancie Grist reports on the summer concert: “The University of Exeter Chapel Choir gave us a splendid evening of music on 21 July in St Swithun’s Church. It was good to welcome them back, and we were treated to a wide variety of choral and organ music from a young and enthusiastic choir, superbly directed by Michael Graham. In the first half there were two pieces by C.H.H. Parry - a lively presentation of My Soul There is a Country, and his Choral Prelude on Eventide – Abide With Me, played beautifully on the organ by Ed Jones. Interestingly, beside his musical career, Ed is a keen distance runner, does Guyanese wood-carving, and likes beer! Mealor’s A Spotless Rose, and Tallis’s Miserere Nostra were sung with good control; but the high spot was Praetorius’s Magnificat “Quinti Toni” sung perfectly in no less than ten parts. Handel’s Zadok the Priest and Wesley’s Blessed be the God and Father had some of us wanting to join in – thankfully we did not dare to spoil their excellent presentation! Following a pleasant interlude in which summer punch and nibbles were served and we had the opportunity of meeting up with friends, the choir sang spiritual songs arranged by Michael Tippett - Steal Away, Nobody Knows, By and By, and Deep River. Harry Sullivan, a university organ scholar, gave us a rousing rendition of Lefebury-Wely’s Sortie in E flat and the choir sang very sensitively another of Parry’s works – Lord, let me know mine end. But it wasn’t quite the end, as after great applause the choir sang us a ‘lollipop’, to round off a feast of lovely music. The audience of over 80 members, friends and visitors thoroughly enjoyed the evening and hope that the choir will return next year.” The next concert will be on Tuesday 9 October at 19.30 when we welcome Exeter Singers, entry £7.50 with interval drink, tickets from the committee, Rook Pie or on the door. Pat Browne FRIDAY NIGHT FLIX After the success of our last season of Friday Night Flix, our meetings will resume on Friday 28 September in Woodbury Village Hall. Doors open at 18.45 and drinks will be available. The featured film will be The Viceroy’s House and we are hoping that Lily Travers, who played the part of Pamela Mountbatten will be able to talk to us about the film, if she can fit it into her busy filming schedule. Colin Ashby WOODBURY COMMUNITY CHOIR The new term starts Monday 10 September 19.30 - 21.00 in Woodbury School. New members welcome - no need to read music, just enjoy singing! Contact: Sarah Owen on sarahjrowen@hotmail.com
7 WOODBURY COMMUNITY ORCHARD Woodbury Orchard is, as I write this, suffering from the dry weather, with what seems like fewer apples this year and the new willow dome is also struggling. Our wild flower plantings have been affected by the extremely wet winter and spring, followed by the heatwave just as they started to germinate. On the positive side, the trees are surviving and insect life is flourishing with plenty of bees and butterflies in the vicinity. Our waspinator is in position in order to trick the wasps into avoiding the large scary ‘hive’ hanging in a tree. We have had a good first half of the year with a picnic and bug hunt, construction of the willow dome, and a lovely visit from Willow class of Woodbury School who helped weed and feed our trees. Thank you to the Parish Council for sorting out the grass-mowing for us and to our new committee members, Jules Hester and Glenis Pewsey, acting as joint secretaries. Our next get-together will be the annual apple juicing event, date to be confirmed. Do remember that our juicer can be hired for a reasonable fee over the autumn; contact us via facebook, woodburyorchard@gmail.com, or alexthiemann@ tiscali.co.uk. Alex Thiemann
NOTE TO CONTRIBUTORS FROM THE EDITORIAL TEAM We are most grateful to all contributors for sending in copy and photographs for inclusion in Woodbury News. Without your efforts, our monthly publication simply would not exist. However, we ask (no, BEG) you to please help us by sending in your contributions by the closing date, but even more importantly, before the deadline of 19.00 on that day. If you do not do this, it causes us an enormous amount of extra work, and stress. If you are not yet on the list of people who have already provided me with their email address so that I can send you a reminder each month, please do so now. This arrives in your inbox one week before the deadline. Emails go out bcc, so no-one knows who else is on the list. Sue Bury (Editor), suebury@aol.com
8 CORNERSTONES Visit to Sandy Park, 2 August In the afternoon eighteen of us assembled in the Exeter Chiefs car park at Sandy Park, many recounting memories of their rugby playing exploits and injuries from long ago when the game was very amateur and usually involved getting very wet and muddy. We were given a very enjoyable guided tour of the Exeter Chiefs stadium by Alan Quantick, starting at the top in the hospitality boxes overlooking the ground, working our way down through the various clubrooms and offices to the ground floor where managers, trainers and, most importantly, the players spend their time every day training and preparing for games. We saw Rob Baxter’s office which he shares with the specialist trainers and coaches (no place to hide here), the more private room where Rob talks to each of the players regularly and the team room where match planning and tactics are discussed. We passed the home team changing room with associated showers, plunge pools and physio rooms before ending up in the gym where we looked in awe at all the equipment ranging from the high-tech analysis and performancemeasuring kit down to the humble weight-lifting bars and dumb-bells. Some of us tried lifting dumb-bells off the rack then walked away nonchalantly muttering something like ‘I could have lifted that in the past but …’ Retracing our steps, we passed rows of pictures of previous teams dating back to the founding of the Exeter Rugby Club in 1871, when games were played on a field owned by Mr Morrison and on the Militia Field in Exeter. From those humble beginnings they played for many years at the County Ground in St Thomas before moving to Sandy Park at the beginning of the 2005/6 season. It is from this base that the club has earned its reputation as being the ‘best club in the Rugby Premier League’. In the players’ tunnel we were overlooked by murals of current players (all larger than life) – morale boosting for the home team, intimidating for the visiting team! From the tunnel we stepped out into the bright afternoon sunshine and onto the pitch, a mixture of grass and man-made fibres which cost about £1m to lay some four years ago. This all-season surface is liked by players and allows the team to train and play on the pitch, a luxury not enjoyed by many teams. We posed for a ‘team photo’ but as the sprinkler system, pumping water from private boreholes, was in full flow we were unable to have a ‘kick-about’. After the tour of Sandy Park most of us retired to the Maltsters for supper (excellent as usual) where we were joined by a few other members, and Alan talked more about how the club is run. Being the only club in the top flights of English Rugby owned and run by its members, rather than by corporate or single individuals, it is also the only profit-making club. The club is managed by a board of directors appointed and controlled by the 700 club members, all of whom have a single vote in running the club’s affairs.
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Most finance comes from sponsorship and, again uniquely amongst the major clubs, this comes from about 1,000 small sponsors rather than a few powerful multinationals. A combination of local member ownership and sponsors means that the club is not dictated to or controlled by a few individuals, but is run by and for the benefit of local rugby supporters. Exeter Chiefs has a proud reputation for encouraging and bringing on young local players through its academy. Many of the club’s current playing squad have come through the academy and Alan told us that it is the club’s ambition one day to field a full first team of ‘home-grown’ players. At the end of an entertaining evening we were all much better informed on how the Exeter Chiefs are run and managed, and left looking forward to another exciting season of Premier League rugby with our local Chiefs once again being at the head of the table. Future Cornerstones events include a flying display of model aircraft on the Common on 22 September (weather permitting); details will be circulated nearer the event, and anyone wishing to be added to the circulation list should contact Ernst Gruber (232878), leaving their contact details. Ken Perry
WOODBURY NEWS CLOSING DATES 18 SEPTEMBER. 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 FRIENDSHIP GROUP We’ve had such a lovely couple of months at the Woodbury Friendship Group. In June we enjoyed a visit from Woodbury Primary School. The group enjoyed every moment of their singing and they made everyone happy. “I just didn’t want it to end,” said one lady. Wild-Woodbury visited us in July and had us all making bird feeders which was messy fun all round. We were shown photos of the work that they are doing in Woodbury and everyone had the chance to ask many questions. On Wednesday 19 September, 10.00-12.00 at Woodbury Church Rooms, we will be enjoying a seated yoga session, and the normal social chit-chat, cakeeating and merriment will be had by all. For more information please contact Vicki-Jo Eva, Activity and Volunteer Co-Ordinator: Healthy Neighbourhoods on 01395 446896, e-mail: Vickijo.eva@westbank.org.uk. Everyone is welcome, so please do pop along every third Wednesday of the month. Further information about any of the activities taking place can be found out by either calling into Westbank, Farm House Rise, Exminster or call us on 01392 824752 or visit our website www.westbank.org.uk. Vicki-Jo Eva WOODBURY AND DISTRICT ROYAL BRITISH LEGION The last lych gate stall of the summer season is going to be run by the Legion helping us raise funds — please support us by bringing cakes and cookies, vegetables and fruit. The usual tea, coffee and bacon butties will also be available. The date is Saturday 6 October from 09.30 - 11.00. If wet, it will be in the church. The annual Service of Remembrance, commemorating The Great War, will be held in Exeter Cathedral on Thursday 1 November at 19.30. It will be a big event with tickets available online. Please turn to page 25 for a full report on the GP90 commemorations. Sandra Huish 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).
11 WOODBURY VILLAGE GOLF SOCIETY On Thursday 19 July thirty of us (the perfect number!) arrived at China Fleet Golf & Country Club, a most pleasant venue on the banks of the river Tamar. It was a lovely day and having wound our way through or around the building from the car park, we were greeted by an enthusiastic server of bacon butties and coffee in the golf area near the first tee. The course, like all the others at the moment, was brown, and balls hurtled along the fairway. The greens were in excellent condition. Thirteen players managed to score 30 and over, but most players found the course quite tiring having completed the front nine, which was due to the combination of the warm weather and the difficulty of the course terrain. The day was much enjoyed and rounded off by an excellent meal. Silence for prize giving was called by the shattering of a wine glass! Nearest the pin on the 5th hole was our birthday boy, John Crosse, who did well as this was not an easy par 3. There were four twos who shared the pot of £60, David Cameron, Simon Davis and John Smith on the 7th and Bill Peaker on the 15th. There were three teams, 5, 8 and 9 sharing 3rd place with 74 points, so on this occasion I will not list all the names. In second place with 78 points, team 2, with Nick Jones, John Collier Marsh and Robin Jackson. In first place with an amazing 86 points was team 10 with John Crosse, Richard Perry and John Smith. For individuals, in third place with 35 points was Geoff Kempster (guest of Phil Hurley), in second place also with 35 points and on count-back was Robin Jackson and the winner with 36 points was David Moore. Jeremy Browne, Past Chairman WOODBURY TENNIS CLUB The summer season is almost at an end. The men’s B team have completed all matches and have finished comfortably mid-table in division 7, after the most successful run for many years, thanks to the good organization of captain Phil Moore. The A team, with Tim Geenslade in charge, still have two matches to play to stave off relegation from division 5. The winter league season will start in September with a mixed team and possibly a men’s. On Sunday 22 July the club held its annual tournament and barbeque. There were 14 players plus spectators; sun umbrellas were necessary but all players survived! Tim Greenslade and Ellen Petrovics overcame Tom Cherrett and Linda Salmon in the final. It was good to see two former classmates in Woodbury Salteron School, Tom and Ellen, competing in the final. The club sessions continue through the winter on Sunday mornings from 10.30. Anyone interested in joining will be given a warm welcome. Pat Browne
12 WOODBURY GARDEN CLUB ANNUAL SHOW Our Annual Flower, Fruit and Vegetable Show was held on Saturday 4 August. The number of exhibits we get each year is very much dependent upon the weather conditions during the months leading up to the show. This year we have had a wet winter, a wet and cold spring with snow and then from May onwards it has been very dry and hot. Because of this there was much discussion amongst the members as to what they were going to be able to produce for the show. We were about a third down on exhibits, with the flower section suffering the most. So well done to all those members who produced between them 122 exhibits.
The exhibits were judged, as usual, by John Patrick, RHS accredited, and points awarded accordingly. RHS rules are very prescriptive and when judging the judge looks at condition, size and shape, colour and uniformity. Congratulations to Woodbury News editor, Sue Bury, who won the Committee Shield for the highest number of points in the fruit and vegetable section, the Woodbury Plate for the highest number of points overall (flower and vegetable section), and the Palmer Cup for the best exhibit in the fruit and vegetable section - six kinds of vegetables displayed in a seed tray.
13 Congratulations also to Bryony Giles who won the Oakhayes Trophy for the highest number of points in the flower section. Other prize winners included Jean Carpenter, Ann Cann, Livvy Robins, Annette Smith, Shelagh Vale and Ken Crundwell. Also, well done to Jonathan and Abigail Hill for their miniature gardens and Bryn Davies for his model made from vegetables. A great deal of work and organisation is needed to produce a traditional Flower, Fruit and Vegetable Show so ‘well done’ to the Committee and the Members. Our next meeting is on 11 September, 19.30 in Woodbury village hall and Simon Akeroyd will be talking about the Apple Tasting at the Community Orchard. Please join us then. Joyce Jeans WOODBURY SHORT MAT BOWLING CLUB The Autumn/Winter season starts on Tuesday 4 September at Woodbury village hall at 19.00. Young and old are welcome to come for a taster game at no cost. We meet each Tuesday from 19.00 - 21.30 except the second Tuesday of the month. Ken Crundwell ROYAL BRITISH LEGION COFFEE MORNINGS 10.00 - 11.30. 30 AUGUST AT HEATHERDENE, BROADWAY (owing to cleaning of Village Hall) 13 & 27 SEPTEMBER, RBL ROOM behind Woodbury village hall. All are invited to join us on alternate Thursdays. 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, just call Beverley Simcox on 232858 and she will put you in contact with your local deliverer.
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WOODBURY SALTERTON NEWS HOLY TRINITY Holy Baptism Jack Sonny Francis was baptised by Revd Sid Humphries on 29 July at a special service. He and his family were supported by a very large congregation of friends and relatives. He was given a baptism bear to remind him of the occasion. We welcome him into the family of the church and pray for him and for his family.
THANK YOU SHEILA Sheila Mills again opened her garden and her home in aid of the village hall on Sunday 29 July. Despite the rain this was very successful, with some visitors even braving the rain to walk round her lovely garden before enjoying the tea, served by hall committee members. The tea included Sheila’s home-made scones. The event raised £130. WOODBURY SALTERTON WOMEN’S INSTITUTE At the time of going to press we are looking forward to hearing from Mark Richardson about the work of the Exeter Food Bank at our August meeting. Our speaker at the 12 September meeting, at 19.30 in the village hall, will be Gill Selley and we look forward to learning from her about the history of our own village. Another August event is the cream tea at the home of our President Gill Bricknell in aid of our own WI funds. Our monthly coffee mornings, on the Thursday of the week following our WI meeting, are now being held at The Diggers’ Rest, where we are made most welcome. The 20 September coffee morning will be held at 11.00. 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.
15 WOODBURY SALTERTON CHURCH OF ENGLAND PRIMARY SCHOOL As I write this, staff and pupils are on summer break so our school news this month takes a different slant. As a Church of England school we have strong links with our local village church. We have been supported by our church trustees for a number of ventures and our current vicar, Rev Sid, is a welcome visitor, making an important contribution to school life. Some of our pupils are members of the church choir. Katharine Wheeler, the church organist, visits school twice weekly playing for assemblies and hymn practice. The children learn to sing with her from an early age; it is a special time in the week and one which they enjoy. The church choir, with the young choristers, meets every Tuesday from 18.30-19.00 during term-time. All are welcome as we are an inclusive choir and enjoy making music together. If you are interested in joining us, please contact either me, Mrs Wheeler or our church warden. Our young choristers sing once a month for the family service and as they get older can join the adult choir, singing for the longer services or weddings. The family service is the third Sunday of the month; it starts at 09.30 with a community breakfast. For those who wish to stay, it is an informal service with the children making a contribution if they so wish. Please feel free to come and join us for food and fellowship with friends. A vital part of our school life is the team of governors, who support our senior leadership team. Woodbury Salterton School is one of two Church of England schools in the Pebblebed Heath Federation, our sister school being in Littleham, Exmouth. We joined together over four years ago and have seen the benefits of sharing skills and knowledge for our teaching staff as well as a shared governing body. Our governors each hold portfolios which include finance, premises, health and safety, school improvement, and community and parent links. For the full list of portfolio roles, we have further details on our school website. Governors are volunteers and typically members of our local community who are prepared to give their time to support school leadership. It isn’t necessary to have children yourself at the school, though we do have parent governors as well. Being a school governor is a commitment and usually one that is made for a term of office; some of the portfolio roles are more demanding than others. Our team give the time that they can and in doing so make a huge impact on the outcomes for the school. Governors must hold the senior leadership team to account, ensure that the school is financially well-led and ensure that there is clarity of vision both in ethos and strategy. We are not responsible for the day-to-day running of the school; that is delegated to our Executive Head and Head of Learning. Our role is to ask questions, to enquire, to ensure the best outcomes for our pupils. Cont’d over/...
16 WOODBURY SALTERTON C OF E PRIMARY SCHOOL cont’d/… Our vision is to ensure sustainable schools, providing high quality education in our local communities. Our church and our school are vital parts of village life, helping to provide a sense of community for now and into the future. Because Woodbury Salterton is a Voluntary Aided (VA) school, we have to have a majority of Foundation Governors. These are governors who have links with the church and whose appointment is approved by the Diocese. We have two vacancies of this type at present. We do, however, also have Associate Governor roles for those who are not able to make the commitment to be full governors but who can use their interests or talents to support us with specific activities. They do not have a vote on the board, but can attend governing body meetings and we greatly value our associate governors, both past and present. If you feel that you would like to get involved in the life of our school community through governance, it would be great to hear from you. For an informal chat about the role and what it entails, please don’t hesitate to contact me as chair on crooke@littleham. devon.sch.uk, or visit our school website and click on the governor tab for more information. Clare Rooke, Chair of Governors WOODBURY SALTERTON WHIST DRIVE 18 SEPTEMBER, 19.30 WOODBURY SALTERTON VILLAGE HALL
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EXTON NEWS
ST ANDREW’S CHURCH, EXTON SERVICES FOR SEPTEMBER Sunday 2 - Trinity 14, 18.00 evening service. Sunday 9 - Trinity 15, 09.30 Holy Communion. Sunday 16 Trinity 16, 09.30 Lay led Service. Sunday 23 - Trinity 17, 09.30 Holy Communion. Sunday 30 - Trinity 18, 09.30 Combined Mission Community at Clyst St Mary Church. On Wednesday 5 September there will be a retirement tea party for Revd John Davies in St Andrew’s hall at 15.00. Please let David and Audrey Elphick know if you are coming, for catering purposes. Tel: 01392 876909. EXTON WALKING GROUP On a lovely warm summer’s day in late July the Exton Walking Group had lunch in the garden of Catkins, Exton. Twenty-four walkers and former members sat down to a delicious meal of poached salmon, roast ham, aubergine quiche and numerous salads, followed by lemon mousse, fruit salad and strawberry pavlova. The group meets most Wednesday mornings at 09.30 in the car park of Exton Church before setting off to drive to the start of a walk led by one of the members. The walks are usually about five miles and are not too strenuous. We then go to a local pub for lunch. If anyone would like to join us, and you don’t have to live in Exton to do so, please contact David Gardner on trevor.g1@btinternet.com. Margaret Taylor ESTUARY LEAGUE OF FRIENDS Activities in September at Nancy Potter House in Topsham include the Friendship group, the Lunch Club, IT Training on iPads and Androids and health checks. Other groups are concerned with yoga, slimming, Sing and Sign and fitness, as well as a new unisex hair salon. For further information please ring 01392 879009 or look online at www.estuary-league-of-friends.co.uk. EXTON GARDEN CLUB COFFEE MORNING AND PLANT SALE SATURDAY 2 SEPTEMBER, 10.30-12.30 ST ANDREW’S HALL, EXTON
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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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. Some of you will have noticed the yellow box affixed to the outside of the Parish Council offices. This will be the site for our new defibrillator which will be operational in the near future. We will be offering a training session on how to use it. The training sessions run from 19.30 to 21.00 on the following dates: Exton - Wednesday 5 Sept. – St Andrew’s village hall, Exton. Woodbury Salterton – Friday 7 Sept. – Woodbury Salterton village hall. Woodbury – Tuesday 18 Sept. - Function Room, Maltsters Arms. All are welcome to attend these valuable training sessions. We are making progress with our general tidy up. The War Memorial on the Green has been cleaned in preparation for Armistice Day. We are also in the process of refurbishing the benches on the Green. The intention is to refurbish all the benches in the Parish. The car park will be closed on Tuesday 28 August to allow our contractors to tidy the banks. The Arch will be jet washed in the coming weeks. Finally, many of you will have noticed our gleaming red phone box in the Arch. A big thank-you to the parishioner who volunteered to do this. It will sit well with all the other work we intend to undertake in the Arch.
Agendas for future meeting, and minutes of meetings can be found on http://www.woodbury-pc.org.uk/ TOPSHAM RUGBY CLUB CAR BOOT SALE BANK HOLIDAY MONDAY - 27 AUGUST from 09.30-13.00 Back by popular demand. Public on foot - free entrance. We would welcome a £1 donation for parking. Sellers will be welcome to set up at 08.00 with fees of £6 per car or small van, larger vehicles and trailers at £10 each. The clubhouse will be open with hot food & drinks available all morning and the bar will also be open towards lunchtime, with guest ales and longstanding favourites on offer. For more details visit www.topshamrugby.co.uk or call Bee Jenkins on 01392 873651.
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19 THE TELEPHONE BOX AT THE ARCH In July’s Woodbury News it was explained how the PCC came to adopt the telephone box. When I was cleaning it up, a man sitting on the bench nearby said it was “a K6”, and he had “sold loads of them over the years”. Here is a little more about this: Public telephone kiosks were introduced in the 1920s. However, many London boroughs were so dissatisfied with the GPO design K1 (Kiosk 1) that they declined to have them. To try and resolve this impasse a limited competition for a new design was held. The Royal Fine Art Commission and the Royal Academy were involved. The design chosen for the new telephone box K2 was by the architect Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, then in full classical phase. The shape of Scott’s design owes much to the selfdesigned mausoleum of the neoclassical architect Sir John Soane, created a hundred years earlier. Sir Giles was a Trustee of the Sir John Soane museum at the time of the competition. The embossed ‘Tudor Crown’ decoration was added in 1926, to indicate that the GPO was part of the Government. Some telephone boxes (according to Wikipedia) have the St Edward’s crown, but the phone kiosks installed by the Hull City Corporation have no crown. The K6 like ours is a foot shorter, smaller, and weighs about half that of the K2 model, but is instantly recognised as the same family - it just uses less pavement space and is cheaper to make. We have all heard that before. The K6 was introduced in 1935, the Jubilee year of George V, and over the next 40 years some 73,000 of this model were produced. On the outside back panel of ours is the name of ‘Carron Company, Sterlingshire’, one of the five foundries producing them. The door is a wooden frame with aluminium casting on the outside to hold the glass panes in place. Doors were always wooden framed, but the original doors had an iron casting on the outside, not aluminium, which suggests that this door is a more recent replacement. Look at the phone box with new eyes as you pass. Currant Red
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR From Chris Quantick, Chairman, Woodbury Village Hall Committee I'm sure many Woodbury residents are aware that on Friday 27 July there was a teenage party in the village hall that got out of hand. Substantial damage was done to the interior including two doors that now need replacing. There was also a lot of mess and disturbance outside the hall and around the village, ending up with the police being called. On behalf of the directors I would like to apologise to those who were disturbed that evening and we will ensure, as far as we are able, that it will not happen again. This booking was taken in good faith as a surprise 70th birthday party. We have never had anything so deceitful happen before as this was clearly not the case. We have always prided ourselves on the way the hall has been kept and the bookings managed. Obviously we were misled, and would like to add that it was booked by a person from Exmouth and, as far as we know, teenagers from the village were not involved. Once again, sincere apologies for any inconvenience caused. From Alison Smeatham, 07816 923598 Exeter Food Action is a voluntary organisation that distributes food donations and surplus to other charities such as the hospice, the food bank, the soup kitchen, community cafés and schools. In 2015, they rescued over 30 tonnes of food, saving the groups to whom it has donated over £80,000. They really value fresh produce and whether it’s the odd courgette, half a cup of blackcurrants, or a few spuds, Exeter Food Action can use it. This year, Woodbury allotment holders are doing a regular delivery of any of their excess produce. If you would like to get involved by contributing produce from your garden or plot, do get in touch and I’d be happy to send you further details. WOODBURY TWINNING ASSOCIATION PROGRESSIVE SUPPER SATURDAY 6 OCTOBER (note change of date!) Members £15 Non-Members £18 Contact Nita 232314 or Jan 232694 by 23 September 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.
21 JULY WEATHER We missed the deluge promised for the 21st/22nd when only 10mm fell on us but even so, I was surprised to see that the rainfall for July was 45.1mm (1.78ins) and 68% of average. A glance at the garden tells a different story probably due to the blistering two-week spell prior to that. Max/min temperatures were 31C/13C with a very high mean figure and uncomfortable nights to go with it. The water at Wimbleball was an amazing 23C on the 24th; at the time I was trying in vain to catch a trout, when a young couple swam across the lake to get cool and say hello to me; they were so nice I could not bear to scold them! They even found a plank of wood, placed it up against an old stump and demonstrated their diving skills. PJH
ROUND AND ABOUT WEDDING Congratulations to Alex Fortune and Steven Briard who were married at St Swithun's on 28 July. DEATH We are sorry to hear of the death of Vera Gower on 11 July; she was almost 99 years old. Her husband, Tom, worked for Exeter City Council Parks Department and they lived in a bungalow on Broadway for many years. There they had a lovely garden and were very active members of the Garden Club. Vera's special contribution was in recording the scores at the Show, at which they were both successful exhibitors. Vera continued to garden and socialise with a few friends after Tom died but eventually had to go into a nursing home. 'Amberwood' in Exmouth looked after her with exemplary care for eight years. The funeral was at East Devon Crematorium on 13 August. CONGRATULATIONS Shelagh Vale Wins Golf Trophy Shelagh Vale was this year's winner of the Men's Captain's Prize at Exeter Golf and Country Club. This is a prize given by the Men's Captain to the overall winning lady. Shelagh commented: "Never too old to be a winner!"
22 40 YEARS ON Clay 25 at Tim Andrews Gallery Tim celebrates 40 years in ceramics and 25 years of exhibitions in Woodbury Saturday 15 September - Sunday 7 October Open Tuesday - Sunday 11.00 - 17.00 Tim Andrews - with Françoise Dufayard - Susan Halls Peter Hayes - Tadami Hirota - Laurel Keeley - Hilary Mayo Antonia Salmon - Taja - Sarah Walton Reflecting on the first four decades up to my elbows in clay, my initial thought, after a quick wash, is how did that happen? It seems no time at all since I was a young apprentice, sitting on a kick wheel in David Leach’s studio in Bovey Tracey, 1970s fringe in my eyes and huge denim flares flapping as I attempted to make mugs, jugs, bowls and plates - and David called out, “Are you any good today, Andrews?” I suppose, rather like each pot in the early days, I began in blind hope and maybe half an idea; one thing led to another and gradually it built into some kind of form that looks a bit like a pot-shaped career. I never dreamt that this unusual and rather idiosyncratic profession would have taken me exhibiting and lecturing all over the world. I’ve had some wonderful and sometimes bizarre experiences along the way, from encountering a leopard in India, kayaking with deadly Australian spiders, living with Tanuki (racoon-dogs) under the floor, to opening a Chinese museum and discussing firing techniques whilst naked in a Japanese electric onsen bath! Over the years I’ve been fortunate to have had the great support of parents, teachers, mentors, friends and family. I will be forever grateful to them all, as I am to the many collectors and customers who have kept me going all these years. This special exhibition also celebrates twenty-five years of ceramics exhibitions here in Woodbury. Alongside my latest raku and smoky work, new porcelain pieces pull together elements from my forty years as a ceramicist and my more recent times working and travelling in Japan. I’m pleased also to welcome some wonderful makers, friends old and new. Antonia Salmon makes beautifully burnished sculptural forms which are some of the finest in contemporary British ceramics. Peter Hayes is another exceptional maker in ceramics, bronze and glass. I’m delighted to welcome Hilary Mayo for the first time. Following two recent visits to Iceland, for this exhibition she has created a series of stoneware vessels that respond to the vistas of the Icelandic landscape. The luscious earthenware of Françoise Dufayard will be familiar to many. She is also celebrating her fortieth year potting and I’m delighted that she has made another lovely group of pieces for this exhibition.
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I’m also pleased to be able to show one of Sarah Walton’s innovative new cast iron and aluminium pieces. While in rural Japan again earlier this year I selected some more exquisite pieces from the inner sanctum of Tadami Hirota’s ‘special cupboard’. Taja makes deliciously cool, slabbuilt porcelain tableware and one-off pieces. Laurel Keeley is another outstanding ceramicist making forms from soft clay and finishing with layers of liquid clay slips, incised and textured. Susan Halls has been obsessed with animals all her life. Her pieces reinvent form and anatomy from a highly personal point of view. It promises to be a vintage exhibition this year - do come and see it. All are welcome. Tim Andrews 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.
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We are pleased to announce the inaugural Woodbury Living Advent Calendar coming to the village this December. Living advent calendars have their roots in Scandinavia but in recent years the idea has migrated to towns and villages around the UK. Just like traditional advent calendars, a living advent calendar sees a new window revealed on each day of December leading up to Christmas, the biggest difference being that each window is real and located at different properties around the village. At 18.30 each evening a new display will be revealed to the waiting public. You can take part by buying a map, for just £2, which will provide the information of where and when to find each new window. Details of where to purchase your map will be in next month’s Woodbury News and on posters around the village. All of the proceeds from the sale of the maps will be equally divided between our two chosen charities, Woodbury Community Playing Fields and Force Cancer Charity. We would like to thank the willing friends, businesses and local residents who have already agreed to create a window to enable the Woodbury Living Advent Calendar to become a reality. We look forward to seeing you in December! Ruth Bagwell and Emma Taggart Woodbury News is a Private Company Limited by Guarantee No. 5263356 Secretary: Karen Squires, Willowfield, Oakhayes Road, Woodbury EX5 1JT. 233299
Registered Office: Willowfield, Oakhayes Road, Woodbury EX5 1JT. Tel: 233299
Chairman: Jeremy Boyden, Rosemary, Broadway, Woodbury EX5 1NR. Tel: 233072 Editor: Mrs Sue Bury, Mayflower Cottage, 37 Greenway, Woodbury EX5 1LU. Tel: 233753
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
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GP90 MEMORIAL COMMEMORATIONS IN BELGIUM As reported in previous editions of Woodbury News, Sandra Huish and Sean Kiley were to represent the Woodbury Branch of the Royal British Legion at the GP90 memorial celebrations in Belgium. We are delighted to be able to reproduce daily 'live' coverage of their visit, and thank them both for their submissions. Editor
Monday 6 August: This morning Sandra and I visited the Thiepval Memorial which is the World’s largest Commonwealth War Graves Commission memorial to the missing and bears the names of over 72,000 British and South African servicemen with no known grave. Construction began in 1928 and took over four years to complete. Today it stands over the battlefields as a testament to those lives lost in one of the bloodiest battles in history. Private Davey is listed on the Woodbury Memorial At the end of the first day of the Battle of the Somme, over 160 men of the 8th and 9th Battalions of the Devonshire Regiment, including Private Davey, were retrieved from where they had fallen in action in no man’s land and the German positions. They were carried back to the British front line trench position for the start of the day, and were buried in a section of this trench near a small wood called Mansell Copse. The graves were left in this position when the cemeteries were rebuilt after the war. 163 graves are now contained in the cemetery. Ten are unidentified burials and only two are not men of the Devonshire Regiment. The cemetery is named “Devonshire Cemetery” after the men of this regiment buried here. The words “The Devonshires Held this Trench, the Devonshires Hold it Still” once more stand in proud memory of the men lying in this cemetery.
26 Arras More than 38,400 servicemen are commemorated at this CWGC site in the heart of Arras. Begun during the war, the cemetery is today the final resting place of almost 2,700 servicemen. The 380ft classical cloister which borders the cemetery commemorates over 34,700 British, South African and New Zealand servicemen who died at Arras, but have no known grave. Sandra Huish has a relative listed amongst the 34,700 who have no known grave, Corporal Prescott of the Royal Fusiliers.
Tuesday 7 August: This morning we visited Tyne Cot Cemetery which is a very humbling experience. Tyne Cot is the largest CWGC cemetery in the world. It is the final resting place of nearly 12,000 servicemen, 8,300 of whom remain unidentified. Additionally, around the eastern boundary of the cemetery stands the Tyne Cot Memorial which bears the names of a further 35,000 missing servicemen. The numbers are truly staggering. Hill 60 was another site that we visited today. Hill 60 is an area of ground which remains relatively undisturbed since the end of the Great War. It is located around three miles south-east of Ypres, just off Werviksestraat between Zillebeke and Zandvoorde. Because it was higher ground in an otherwise flat landscape, it obviously had great strategic importance in the battles here. The hill isn’t natural; it was made from the spoil removed during the construction of the railway line nearby. Because of the nature of the fighting here, Hill 60 is effectively a mass grave for soldiers of all sides.
27 Caterpillar Crater (79.2m (diameter) and 15.5m deep) On 7 June 1917 at 03.10, two tunnel mines were detonated underneath the German positions at Hill 60. The 204th Division lost 687 men that day.
Wednesday 8 August: This was the final day of the GP90 commemorations when Sandra and I took part in the Parade. We all stepped off on the same route that the troops took from the train station on their way to the front lines. For Sandra and me, there was a real mixture of emotions; the whole parade was buzzing with excitement and anticipation. As the Standards were raised to the carry, 1,150 backs stiffened, heads were held high and a real sense of pride was felt by everyone. The cheers, clapping and encouragement from the crowds as we marched past was absolutely fantastic. The service at the Menin Gate was a time to reflect and to pay homage to the many thousands of servicemen and women who marched through the Menin Gate, never to return. With sounds of Nimrod echoing around the Gate, the immense sea of red from 1,150 wreaths created a feeling of deep sadness. The small gestures that we make at these times of remembrance don't seem to be enough compared with the staggering sacrifices that these servicemen and women made.
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Sandra and I both feel proud and honoured to have been able to represent the community of Woodbury and District at the Great Pilgrimage 90 Parade and One Hundred Days Ceremony.
29 ROGER STOKES: A PROFILE If you were brought up, like me, in the leafy, wellordered suburbs of the home counties, then, like me, your stock idea of what a farmer looks like is framed by story-book images from the era of Enid Blyton. They are large, overweight, and wear three-piece tweed garments all the year round. If you’ve been waking up beside one for several decades then I hope you’ll forgive me for my ignorance. Roger Stokes, however, is a modern farmer: he is trim, alert, and looks fully fifteen years younger than he is. The Stokes family has been in Woodbury since 1535, as far as Roger can trace. They were tenants of the Clinton estate before the opportunity came to purchase their holding, a number of land parcels scattered round the village. When Roger was small he was up at five in the morning to help with the milking of a herd of cows - nothing automatic in those days! Then off to school in the village. His farming commitment extended to the tractor at a very early age. One of the adults in the family would drive him to the field where tractor work was needed, explain the job and leave Roger to get on with it. Roger went on to Exeter School and found a new enthusiasm in the RAF section of the school CCF; like so many before him, he was desperate to fly. When he had all the certificates needed to glide, he sought to win a scholarship to flying school, but at this point his life turned very serious indeed. He had TB on his lung. The gossip went round the village, "Looks like poor old Roger has had it!" Roger grins as he speaks. The only chance of survival was six months in a sanatorium at Bovey Tracey. Here things got a lot better: “A very nice young Roger was very inventive in and beautiful trainee nurse used to jump on his younger days! my bed and stick needles in my bottom.” Roger had met Vera, his wife of 54 years thus far. They married in Somerset near Vera’s parents’ farm in 1964. From the start Roger and Vera made adventures, their honeymoon taking them to John O’Groats in a Triumph Herald. They settled back in Woodbury, where Simon and Helen were born, and Roger’s inventive abilities came to the fore.
30 He made a series of agricultural inventions that were sold nationwide; he became a director of an engineering firm in Porlock and his improved balehandling equipment was manufactured in Scotland. His rotary pig-fattening unit won first prize for three years running in a national Exhibiting one of his machines at the competition. Royal Show 1968 In 1974 Roger, Vera and the children set off for Eastern Europe, when Roger was awarded a Nuffield Scholarship to study pig production there. They splashed out on a new camper van and took to the road for two wonderful months: “I’d been to Russia on a previous trip with the young farmers so I knew roughly what to expect. Our yellow camper attracted huge attention.” For the next bit of the story we have to rewind to 1961,when Roger’s mum went to the bank in Exmouth. A young clerk there, who had just returned from a cycle tour of Norway, served her, saying he was looking about for a farming family who might host a Norwegian farmer’s son through the summer. Mrs Stokes senior said ‘yes’ right away. All the farmer’s children came over in succession, and all Roger’s family went back in the same fashion, a deep interfamily friendship that has endured for 55 years. Roger and Vera have long had a Norwegian log cabin, where these days they spend part of the year. Who else do you know who reads an online Norwegian newspaper everyday to keep ‘up to speed'? “We have a modest, peaceful time out there and we know the country well - and they know us!”
Two old Woodbury pensioners on an ‘away day’ 600 miles from the North Pole.
31 There is so much more to tell you, but I suppose a key fact of Roger’s story so far is the huge change in food production indicated by the Tithe Map of 1839 up to the present. “We have seen the number of farms diminish from 65 to just 16. With all the consequent changes and increase in population, this prompts all sorts of re-evaluation”, Roger explained. Tourism was the way farmer Stokes sought to preserve his holdings by establishing Webbers Farm caravan park on Castle Lane. It has become an enduring success and was only recently sold out of the family. Roger retains other interests in tourism and land development. They have been to places His interest in local history is extensive. He put where the roadsigns are two thousand hours into making a digital somewhat different. version of the Tithe Map of the Parish as it was in 1839. He published a book of 450 old photos, which came to light when he was sorting out his father’s effects, under the title Woodbury: The Twentieth Century Re-visited and through Woodbury History Society, he has helped others make historical photo books. He established the History Society website, was chair of the society for three years, and sat on the Parish Council for twelve years. All in all, if future generations don’t know how often Woodbury folk change their socks, it won’t be Roger Stokes’ fault. Roger and Vera at their Golden Wedding He and Vera live in the same bungalow they returned to after their honeymoon, but in the way of farming families, moved to the farmhouse as the work and family size demanded, coming back to the bungalow in 1996, their children replaced by a flexible population of miniature dachshunds which Vera breeds and shows. Roger continues to work in video and web, both in English and Norwegian. Andy Price NB Take a look at the History Society website www.woodburyhistory society.co.uk and find out a lot more about where you live. History starts tomorrow!
32 SCILLY STORIES Kerfuffle at Penzance quay, filled in the wrong side of the luggage label -Do we want our bags delivered? Yes, er, no ... So half go in one container and half in the other Result: only half the bags disgorged onto arrival quay -Will the rest arrive? Seeming chaos, which appears to work perfectly... And onto the vessel, seasick pills, potions and armbands at the ready Prepared for the horrors of crossing on the dreaded Scillonian About which we had had dire forewarnings -Crossing-angels looking after us, though, Calm as the proverbial millpond, in both directions... Such a long crossing for such a wee gap on the map... Major alarm upon arrival: landlady doesn't do cards, only cash And no money to be had -- ATM completely empty -Have to await next delivery (by boat, helicopter, skybus?) As we have to await preferred wine -Two deliveries per year direct by boat from France Onto the wondrous Dibble & Grub's private beach... Latest delivery not for a while... Best bit of breakfast: Arrival of gorgeous, bronzed legs-to-die-for (young) boatman Bearing lists of available island trips... Off we set from the customary quay chaos to view the famed gardens of Tresco, Red squirrels, agapanthi by the thousands, Giant furcraea (unlikely cascades of Mexican monsters), Hordes of cheeky tame thrushes eating off your plate, And Valhalla, with its macabre collection of shipwrecked figureheads... Sad lists of drowned passengers and cargos‌ Pianolas, sewing machines, livestock, rice, liqueur, precious ores and minerals And no doubt a few cheap tin trays... Plus the helicopter landing on the ancient cricket pitch... Next stop, Bryher, across glittering turquoise clear-as-a-bell water Past pristine shining white crystalline beaches, With ne'er a soul to be seen -We learned that three police persons patrol the 149 islands, And no-one locks their doors ...
33 No cars on Bryher, so wedding party transported by white ribbon And wild flower be-decked tractor... Stunning stained glass windows in beautiful tiny church... Wedding vicar on our return boat – Joining in laughter as skipper announced next day's trips, Adding that "us don't do church in summer..."
And finally, the jewel in the crown, The expedition to get close to seals, shags, razorbills -Seals lolloping on rocks, 'bottling' (i.e. curling up by tail to the nearest bit of kelp And contemplating life, the universe and everything -- or sleeping) Or generally cavorting curiously round the boat... Skippered by yet another gorgeous (young) boatman And his equally gorgeous co-pilot, Carla the springer (Code name Splash, on account of her taking a long time to get used to the distance between quay and boat)... Both amazingly skilled at getting the boat so close to the rocks You could almost touch them... Learned that 4000 years ago all these islands were one landmass Full of settlements, trade, even agriculture – Next visit must include expedition to archaeological sites…
34 SCILLY STORIES Cont’d/... Happened upon the poignant grave of the 'African boy', Sailing from the Gold Coast in 1829 to Holland aboard British ship The Hope, As a slave? not known -- shipwrecked 19 January 1830, When skipper mistook the Day Mark on St Martins for the St Agnes lighthouse (red stripes subsequently added to the Day Mark)… How many similar stories must there have been... And how important are the lighthouses on the Isles of Scilly... Most of the party managed the Virginia Woolf trail (To The Lighthouse -- on St Mary's), With its wonderfully weird rock formations And stunning views across the Atlantic to America Before the chaotic quay experience to return home... But the Scilly Isles are already calling us back… VA Habeas Corpus, a review Happily, it seems that a large number of Woodbury residents trundled off to the Barnfield Theatre in Exeter to see Jenny Goode’s Café Theatre production of Alan Bennett’s classic farce Habeas Corpus, all three performances of which were deservedly well attended. Yes, it’s a great farce … a great British farce, calling upon influences of comedy playmaking going way back to Shakespeare, Restoration comedy, Pantomime, Victorian and Edwardian music hall and the Whitehall farces in the fifties and early sixties. The play deals largely with sex, and sex among a group of middle class characters found in an English south coast resort in the 1960s. Maybe I was therefore expecting a very short play (!), but I had somehow dismissed the huge observational powers of Alan Bennett and his talent for revealing, in the most amusing way, the vulnerability of seemingly ordinary people. Nobody knows us better than Mr Bennett. Somehow every silly sentence of double entendre you have ever heard finds it way into the script. Is it mucky? Yes, sometimes. Is it puerile? Never – it’s just about folks like us, you and me, full of misplaced ideas of our own attractiveness and fitness for the sexual battle - still thinking about these things way into, and beyond, our twilight years, when we should be taken up with more fitting pursuits.
35 Though, as the last line in the play has it: “He who lusts last, lasts longest.” Two eminent Woodbury ‘thesps’ took major roles, the main character, Dr Arthur Wicksteed GP, being played by Charlie Collins. Quite consumed by his own overactive libido, he was very funny – and sad. How is it that some actors can take the text off a page and make you want to howl with mirth? I think it has to do with finding things to do with your face and body that add value to the text… well, that’s Charlie. The same is true of Norma Payne, playing Lady Delia Rumpers of Rangoon as an over-controlling parent of a young daughter, quite overcome with the business of procreation and all the dotty propriety that goes with it. Norma Charlie Collins as Dr Arthur Wicksteed GP brought to the character a Thatcheresque outrageousness, which crumbled when the facts of her own past were revealed. There was one other performance, in an excellent cast all round, which must be mentioned: Denzil Shanks, false bosom technician – no, I am not going to explain - played by Ish Wenss, not from Woodbury but wellknown in the area, I am told. The scenes with him and Dr Wicksteed provided moments of the highest comedy. The play’s story, revolving around a few days in the life of the Wicksteed family, was beautifully and most amusingly linked by Mary Pickard as Mrs Swabb, the wise and worldly-wise cleaning lady - one of Bennett’s favourite devices. Producer Jenny Goode was instrumental in setting up the Café Theatre in 1996, bringing innovative small-scale theatrical excellence to audiences in non-standard theatre space. Over the years, the company has mounted many highly successful productions in a host of different venues in and around Exeter. Habeas Corpus was no exception, and Jenny and her Café Theatre are to be congratulated on giving us a great night of saucy, seaside-postcard fun. Andy Price
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No-one would pretend that we can stop the decline in wildlife by building rescue centres. We do however have a moral obligation to minimise the suffering that our actions inflict upon wild animals. Everyday animals are accidentally displaced or injured by gardeners, builders, vehicle drivers, farmers, domestic pets and natural events such as floods or gales and exceptional dry spells. Many of the animals affected can be treated by specialist vets and carers and returned to the wild after a few hours or days. Some will need longer-term care before they can be released, and for some euthanasia is the kindest option. The majority of adult animals are released near to where they were found. This is because they will know the area and where food and companionship can be found. They are likely to be part of a family, a flock or a herd and will normally rejoin that group. One of the most difficult dilemmas is what treatment to give a nursing mother. If a female is showing signs of having given birth recently, she may need to be released very quickly and in sub-optimal condition for the sake of the youngsters that would die without her care. Many of the animals that end up in rescue centres or with rehabilitators are orphans, and most of them tend to do better if they can be raised with a group of animals from the same species and of a similar size and age. Many animals are transported great distances so that they can get the best possible treatment and a positive outcome. There is a fantastic network of carers and wildlife ambulance drivers who look after, feed, and rehabilitate animals of all species at their own cost, and their dedication is astounding. These unsung heros have to give up a normal lifestyle as many of the younger animals need feeding every hour by hand! On top of the feeding routine is the cleaning routine which is never ending. Tiny baby ducklings, seagulls, badgers and fox cubs create an unbelievable amount of mess.
Baby blackbird being fed, and sparrow fledgling
37 Most (but not all) of the animals that come into the hands of WildWoodbury get passed onto specialists in Devon or Somerset. We have very close ties with Secret World Wildlife Rescue in Somerset, Devon Bat Group, Prickly Ball Farm in Newton Abbot, and Athena Wildlife Rescue in Plymouth. Most of you will never have heard of these groups as they work quietly behind the scenes on a voluntary basis and do fantastic work. If you have any unwanted pet boxes, carriers, hutches, feeding bowls or food, we would be happy to pass them onto the various rehabilitators who will be very grateful. We also need newspapers (without staples), sheets, blankets, towels, and lots of face flannels. If you find an injured or distressed animal, please contact us or a wildlife rescue centre as soon as you can. Every minute counts and, particularly with young birds and mammals, a delay of an hour can prove fatal. No animal is too young to be rescued Tawny owl rescued in if prompt action is taken and care can be Woodbury Salterton delivered quickly. Milligan, the little hedgehog we have fostered, was 101g when he was found and he now weighs over 400g. He needed hourly feeds of baby dog milk from a tiny syringe and is now thriving on a diet of cat food, and will soon be released into suitable habitat. The only way we can safeguard wildlife and the environment for future generations is by getting involved and taking direct action to improve habitats. We cannot afford to let the constant decline of wildlife continue, hence our motto ‘Conservation is not enough’. Please get in touch with us at info@wildwoodbury.org or call Tony Bennett on 07971-082384 with any wildlife issues or stories. The hoglet is still in care at Please join our Facebook group WildSecret World - hopefully coming Woodbury and check out our website to Woodbury Salterton soon. http://www.wild-woodbury.org to find out more about what we are doing to help our local wildlife. Tony Bennett
38 CLINTON DEVON ESTATES As dusk falls, hundreds of nocturnal predators set off across the Devon countryside to feed‌ A single pipistrelle bat weighing five grams, the same as a 20p coin, can consume over 3,000 insects in a single night. Bats do well in East Devon. Sixteen out of the seventeen species of bats known to breed in the UK can be found in the county. Our rural landscape with its abundance of woodland and hedges provides protection and food, as well as features to help bats navigate across the countryside. An evening walk by the River Otter last month revealed five bat species including both the smallest and largest species. In the gloom ascertaining the presence of bats and identifying species is very difficult without bat detectors, electronic devices that bring the bats echolocation calls into an audible range for human ears to hear. Each species ‘shouts’ at a slightly different frequency, enabling them to navigate and locate prey, and us to identify which species is passing acrobatically overhead. From late September bats will start to return to their winter roosts. Beer Quarry Caves, the historic underground network in the limestone owned by Clinton Devon Estates, is also internationally important as a bat hibernaculum. Greater and lesser horseshoe bats, along with a few other types, use the regular temperature offered by the caves to hibernate in the winter. Greater horseshoe male bats are often grouped in clusters, but females and all lesser horseshoes tend to be more solitary. The farmland around the caves is under a countryside stewardship agreement to provide measures to support this bat population. Closer to home, on East Budleigh Common, redundant military buildings from Dalditch Camp were repurposed several years ago as bat hibernacula and support roosts of horseshoe, long-eared and other bats. New signage has recently gone up to encourage anyone who might be drawn to the graffiticlad buildings hidden in the trees, to leave the bats in peace. However, anyone with an interest in knowing more about these flying mammals can join organised bat emergence walks which are usually scheduled for warm evenings in the early summer. The Devon Greater Horseshoe Bat Project (DGHBP) works across important roost sites around Devon. This project, headed by Devon Wildlife Trust, looks to secure the future of this species in the county. In 2017 a group, including the East Devon AONB, Clinton Devon Estates and DGHBP came together with local ecologists, businesses and local organisations to champion bats in the village of Beer. Bat Friendly Beer shares similar aims to the DGHBP to promote Beer as bat-friendly, to encourage collaborative working to maximise opportunities and deliver a number of benefits for this community.
39 Communities who are bat-friendly quickly realise what is good for greater horseshoe bats is good for other bat species, as well as other wildlife and people too! Throughout September many events are running across Devon to mark DGHBP Bat Festival Month; visit http://devonbatproject.org/events for full listings. On the Estate these include two events at Beer: Friday 14 September, 19.00. Bat Friendly Beer Pecorama EX12 3NA. Find out what happens when a community gets together to champion its special wildlife. A short talk about bats, followed by a walk with detectors. Free. Thursday 27 September, 11.00-13.00. Bats at Beer farm walk and cave tour, Beer Quarry Caves, EX12 3AT. Join Clinton Devon Estates and East Devon AONB for a walk across farmland managed for bats, followed by a guided underground tour to see where bats roost. Whether you are a keen wildlife gardener, interested in conservation or know nothing about bats yet, attending an event will give you the chance to find out all about bats, what you can do to help them and how to get involved with bat conservation in your local area. Booking is required for both events, please contact kate.ponting@clinton devon.com 01395 446918. Countryside Learning Officer, Kate Ponting 01395 446918 kate.ponting@clintondevon.com. The Grim Reaper I am the grim reaper, The one with deadly breath. I am feared throughout the galaxy, As I cause consuming death.
The ones that came before you; Tried to steal my might. But I killed them. It was hardly a fight.
Watch out little planets; Like a waiting life-taker, I grin. I am death, after life, destruction. But my power comes from within.
And now I’m ready, To devour and conquer your soul. This is my destiny, For I am a black hole.
I will eat the galaxy. I will destroy and kill. Then I will come for you, The shiver, the scream, the chill. From a young contributor. ND, age 10.
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WOODBURY NEWS ADVERTISING RATES SMALL ADS: (3 lines) private £2.00. (3 lines) Business £5.00 (£50.00) DISPLAY ADS: £17.00 ¼ page (£185 p.a.) To: Karen Squires, Willowfield, Oakhayes Road, Woodbury EX5 1JT Tel: 233299 (e-mail 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.
SMALL ADVERTISEMENTS
TO LET 3-bedroom semi-detached family house with garden and garage in Woodbury village. Unfurnished. Available from 1st October. Tel: 233299 / 07989 673377.
BUSINESS ADVERTISEMENTS 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. (4/12) FOOT HEALTH PRACTITIONER - Lindsey Waddell MAFHP. Nail cutting, foot care, treatment of corns and callus. Home visits. 01395 263496. (7/12) 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 (11/12) GIVE BIRTH CALMLY - relaxed, confident and alert with Good Birth Class with KG Hypnobirthing. Find out more: libbyclapham hypnotherapy.co.uk phone: 07986 157854 (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 (8/12) FARMHOUSE BED & BREAKFAST AND APARTMENT, twin and double rooms. CL Caravan Club site. Jenny Broom, Courtbrook Farm, Clyst St George. 01392 877710. www.courtbrook.co.uk (12/12)
41 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 (19/24) 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. (8/12) 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 (6/12) 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 (5/12) 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. (4/12) PROPERTY MAINTENANCE – James Waddell Interior & Exterior, Carpentry, Flooring, Fencing & Gates, Plumbing, Decking, Bathrooms & Kitchens, General Repairs. Free Advice & Estimates 01395 263496 (3/12) RUBBISH REMOVALS Domestic and Commercial. Environment Agency licensed. No job too small. Tel: 0800 335 7610 / 07979 841376. www.rubbishremovalsexeter.com (4/12) 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 (2/12) 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 (1/12) 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.(1/12) 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 (*)
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FORTHCOMING EVENTS 27 Aug. 28 Aug. 2 Sept.
Car Boot Sale, Topsham Rugby Club. 09.30. Flower Street - Woodbury Car Park closed. Exton Garden Club Coffee Morning and Plant Sale. 10.30, St Andrew’s Hall, Exton. 4 Sept. Short Mat Bowling re-starts. WVH. 19.00. 4 Sept. Exton Ladies Group visit to Manor Theatre, Sidmouth. 5 Sept. Retirement tea party for Revd John Davies. St Andrew’s Hall, Exton. 15.00. 5 Sept. Defibrillator training. St Andrew’s Hall, Exton. 19.30. 6 Sept. History Society The History of Woodbury Castle. WVH. 19.30. 7 Sept. Defibrillator training. WSVH. 19.30. 8-23 Sept. Devon Open Studios. 10 Sept. Woodbury Community Choir re-starts. Woodbury School 19.30. 11 Sept. Garden Club. Apples. WVH. 19.30. 12 Sept. Woodbury Salterton WI History of W. Salterton, 19.30. WSVH. 13 Sept. Exton Ladies Group, 14.15, St Andrew’s Hall. 13 Sept. Woodbury WI Flock of Sheep, WVH, 19.00. 15 Sept.-10 Oct. Clay 25 Exhibition, Tim Andrew’s Gallery. 18 Sept. Defibrillator training. Maltsters Arms. 19.30. 19 Sept. Woodbury Friendship Group. 10.00-12.00. Church Room. 22 Sept. Cornerstones Model Aircraft demo, Woodbury Common. 25 Sept. Hospiscare Opera at Cadhay. (01392 688020). 28 Sept. Friday Night Flix. 19.30, WVH. The Viceroy’s House. 4 Oct. Clyst Group of WIs meeting at WVH. 6 Oct. Progressive Supper. Twinning Association. 9 Oct. Garden Club. A Year in the Country. WVH. 19.15 for 19.30. 9 Oct. FoSS Autumn concert with Exeter Singers. 19.30. 10 Oct. RBL running Lych gate stall. 09.30-11.00. 11 Oct. Woodbury WI Wine and Cheese Evening, WVH, 19.00. 1 Nov. History Society The Water Mills of East Devon. WVH. 19.30. 8 Nov. Woodbury WI, Christmas Craft, WVH, 19.00. 10 Nov. Royal British Legion Exhibition. WVH. 13 Nov. Garden Club. Fungi. WVH. 19.15 for 19.30. 17 Nov. CVCS 50th Anniversary Concert, 19.30. St Margaret’s, Topsham. 18 Nov. CVCS 50th Anniversary Concert. 19.30. Holy Trinity, Exmouth. 13 Dec. Woodbury WI Lighthouses, WVH, 19.00. 1-26 Dec. Woodbury Living Advent Calendar.
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Africa / Asia / Australia USA / Canada / NZ South America / Antarctica Discuss your travel plans with the award-winning experts
Nomadic Travel 25 Gandy Street Exeter Tel: 01392 221199 Email: info.nomadictravel.co.uk
www.nomadictravel.co.uk Independent travel agents Established 1999 100% Financial Protection ATOL T7452
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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
Little China
Special event!
Fish & Chips and Chinese Food to Take Away Telephone Orders Welcome 01395 233353
Sunday 26 August We have live music in our beer garden. A Total Stranger - from 14.00 - 16.00.
Kitchen Opening Hours
Monday to Saturday 12.00-15.00 & 18.00-21.00. Sundays 12.00-15.30. Please contact 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.
The Arch, Woodbury EX5 1LL OPENING HOURS CLOSED MONDAY Tuesday 5pm - 10pm Wednesday - Saturday 12 noon - 1:45pm & 5pm - 10pm Sunday 5pm - 9.30pm
Church Stile Lane, Woodbury EX5 1HN
Food Allergies If you are allergic to any ingredients, please advise when making your order.
Tel: 01395 489259
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
ELECTRICIAN Fully qualified All
work guaranteed.
Local No
& insured.
reliable service.
job too small.
Phone Paul on 01395 44028 / 07740 099195
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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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