WOODBURY NEWS
NOVEMBER 2023
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NOVEMBER 2023 EDITORIAL This autumnal issue of Woodbury News is so full of references to harvest, and events associated with it, that it had the deputy editor scurrying to her bookshelf in search of Keats’ lovely nostalgic ode To Autumn… Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness… To bend with apples the moss’d cottage-trees And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core… Or by a cyder-press, with patient look, Thou watchest the last oozing hour by hour… Which is why our cover picture this month shows some of the apples which were pressed into juice and cider at Exton (see page 21). As we reported in last month’s issue, Woodbury Community Orchard’s apple celebrations had to be cancelled/postponed on account of inclement weather, but the orchard is alive and well, and the apples are there to be picked by any member of the community — just a gentle twist to release the apples without damaging the trees! Talking of damage, we print a letter from a self-styled dog plop detective (see page 25) decrying the anti-social and potentially dangerous habit of leaving dog poo un-picked-up. Faeces from dogs (and indeed cats and foxes) contain deadly bacteria contributing to the disease known as toxocariasis, which is particularly dangerous to young children and livestock. Please be mindful of the dangers and ‘pick it up!’ — there are plenty of poo-bins around. Our schools, churches and communities have been celebrating harvest in style, with services and suppers. It was particularly lovely to see three of our Woodbury News editors, past and present, congregate together at the Harvest Supper in Woodbury (see page 7). Autumn is indeed a season in which we are thankful for our earth’s continuing ability — as long as we treat it with reverence and care — to supply us with an abundance of food and beauty. And, finally, what’s in a name? How would you have thanked your parents had they named you Maher-shalal-has-baz? Read Gill Selley’s fascinating article on Woodbury names (pages 26-27). Woodbury News is a Private Company Limited by Guarantee No. 5263356 Secretary: Karen Squires, Willowfield, Oakhayes Road, Woodbury EX5 1JT. 233299 Registered Office: Willowfield, Oakhayes Road, Woodbury EX5 1JT. Tel: 233299 Chairman: Jeremy Boyden, Rosemary, Broadway, Woodbury EX5 1NR. Tel: 233072 Editor: Sue Bury, Mayflower Cottage, 37 Greenway, Woodbury EX5 1LU. Tel: 233753 Deputy Editor: Val Arndt, Castlehaye, Castle Lane, Woodbury. Tel: 233175 Subscriptions: Jeremy Boyden, Rosemary, Broadway, Woodbury EX5 1NR. Tel: 233072 Deliveries: Chris Bowers, chrisbowers88@yahoo.co.uk or 01395 239338
4 ST SWITHUN’S CHURCH, WOODBURY Administrator: Jill Dupain dupain@hotmail.co.uk CHURCH SERVICES 29 October Last Sunday after Trinity. Mission Community Light of Life Service, 16.30 at Clyst St George. 5 November All Saints. Holy Communion at St Swithun’s, 11.15. Evening Worship, Exton, 18.00. 11 November Remembrance Day. RBL Act of Remembrance on the Green, 10.50. 12 November Remembrance Sunday. Holy Communion at Exton, 10.00. Act of Remembrance with Holy Communion at St Swithun’s, 10.45. RBL Act of Remembrance on the Green, 14.45. 19 November 2nd Sunday before Advent. Morning Worship at Exton, 09.30. Evensong at St Swithun’s, 18.30. 26 November 20th Christ the King/Sunday before Advent. Café Service at St Swithun’s, 10.30. 30 November St Andrew’s Day. Holy Communion at Exton, 09.30. Further information will be available on the church noticeboard and in the monthly Digest. To receive this by email please send your email address to st.swithuns.digest@gmail.com. FLOODLIGHTING ST SWITHUN’S CHURCH For your special event, contact Mike Jeans on 01395 232544. Floodlight dedications are displayed on the church noticeboard at the lych gate. CHURCH ALTAR FLOWERS - NOVEMBER 5 - Mrs C Keep. 12 - Remembrance Sunday. 19 & 26 - Mrs B Hill. Many thanks to everyone who helped to decorate church for harvest. Barbara Hill
WOODBURY NEWS CLOSING DATES 13 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
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WOODBURY LADIES BADMINTON GROUP SEEKS MORE PLAYERS When? Tuesday mornings from 10.00 - 12.00. Where? Woodbury village hall. Cost? £3.50 per session (which might reduce if we get more players). We are a group of players and need more people to join to make the group viable. We are friendly and not competitive at all. We play for fun, fitness and sociability. If you’ve never played before, don’t worry. We all started out as beginners. Don’t have a racket? We'll lend you one. Special clothing needed? Whatever you’re comfortable in (and allows movement) and trainers are fine. We bring our own drinks for when we need a rest! Please feel free to turn up and give it a go. Call 07729317362 for further details. Julia Whyte COFFEE AND CAKE EVERY 3RD TUESDAY, 10.00 - 12.00 CHURCH ROOMS, WOODBURY All the coffee mornings will raise money for local charities. All are welcome. Contact Di Phaby 07933 787055
6 WOODBURY HARVEST SUPPER
Over 60 people sat down to a harvest supper in Woodbury village hall on 30 September. A joint event between St Swithun’s Church and Christ Church, we welcomed members of both congregations and friends from the village.
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Three Woodbury News Editors (past and present) at the Harvest Supper Those present enjoyed a first course of mixed cheeses, ham and pâtés, followed by homemade fruit crumbles. Between courses we were treated to a short programme of sea shanties from the Woodbury Whalers. It proved to be a most enjoyable evening, and the profits from the supper and raffle raised £380 for Exmouth Food Bank. Sue Hudson
WOODBURY AND DISTRICT ROYAL BRITISH LEGION Poppy Appeal collection tins will be placed around the area in Woodbury village shop and the pubs, also in Exton and Exton service station shop. This year the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal is introducing the new environmentally-friendly poppy, fazing out the plastic stem and black centre poppies. We will have two poppy shops at Greendale Farm Shop on Friday and Saturday 27 and 28 November. Sandra Huish
WOODBURY AND DISTRICT ROYAL BRITISH LEGION REMEMBRANCE DAY 2023 SATURDAY 11 NOVEMBER, 10.50 for 11.00 On the village green at the war memorial No official poppy wreaths, but individual wreaths can be laid at the short service. SUNDAY 12 NOVEMBER, 14.45 for 15.00 On the village green at the war memorial Laying of the various village organisations’ and groups’ poppy wreaths.
8 WOODBURY GARDEN CLUB After the business part of the meeting and when new members had been welcomed, Tim Ellis gave us a talk on growing vegetables. Tim has been growing vegetables since he was 14 years old. He wouldn’t tell us how old he is now! He lives in Exeter and misses the 2-acre plot he managed when he lived in Cornwall. Everything now is on a much smaller scale, but he still grows vegetables in his own small garden and in any vacant plot he can find, including a piece of woodland he has recently acquired. Tim said you can grow vegetables anywhere — there is no excuse for not growing them. He illustrated vegetables growing in pots, raised beds, vertically, in small greenhouses and hessian bags. Raised beds are ideal: they are expensive to construct, but if looked after well, will last for ages and are very easy to weed. Tim experiments with different ways of growing, not always successful but a learning curve from which something is discovered. He had many ideas and useful tips. For example, when planting out runner beans he protects them by covering them with a plastic ‘coat’ (see illustration) and when established, removes it. He plants marigolds at the base. When growing tomatoes in the greenhouse he grows them up strings and removes all the leaves. Towards the end of the season when the plants have reached the top of the string he can then slide the tomato plant down and it will go on growing again upwards! He has also discovered that he can plant potatoes in his woodland and grow them very successfully. He prepares the ground, pushes the seed potato into the ground and covers the area with hay.
9 He then puts a layer of branches over the top (see illustration) and has a fence to keep out the deer. He germinates parsnip seeds in a toilet roll and then transplants them out. According to Tim, kale is the best vegetable health-wise you can eat, and he has been growing Russian kale which is more tender to eat and sweeter. One note of advice he gave was ‘be on your toes, sow in advance!’ It was very much, as the chairman stated, 'an interactive evening’, with members contributing their own experiences. So, as winter approaches, let’s make sure we are all on our toes and prepared for the spring, not just for the vegetable garden but for the flower garden as well. Our next meeting is on 14 November when Paul Rendall will be speaking about The Secret Wildlife of Dartmoor: Woodbury village hall, 19.15 for 19.30. Visitors welcome £3. Joyce Jeans WOODBURY VILLAGE GOLF SOCIETY Woodbury versus The Rest of the World at Honiton GC on Thursday 6 September. Walter changes hands! This match was played at Honiton again this year and ably organised by the two captains, Peter Payne for Woodbury and David Moore for the Rest of the World, assisted by Graham Jackson and Simon Davies as vice-captains respectively. Sadly, David was unable to play this year, so Simon was the acting captain and Nick Rushworh vice-captain for The Rest of the World. It was a glorious day with the course in excellent condition, especially the greens which were somewhat difficult to read! Both teams set off, Woodbury village wishing to remain holders of Walter (not sure if captain Peter Payne agreed!) and The Rest of the World to reclaim him (not sure if the vice “Moi" accelerated to captain on the day agreed!) with the ultimate aim of being Walter’s caretaker until the next time. Six teams of three playing a Texas scramble bravely fought the heat with the expectation of refreshing drinks and meal to follow. The result was three team scores minus handicap adjustments: Woodbury took 195.4 shots and Rest of World were winners, only taking 187.6 shots. Peter Payne/Graham Jackson and his team were devastated: no Walter for a year, whilst Simon Davies/Nick Rushworth and his team were ecstatic? Walter for a Walter year! cont’d/...
10 WOODBURY VILLAGE GOLF SOCIETY cont’d/... The picture shows Peter Payne presenting Walter to Simon Davies and Walter’s new temporary home with his newly acquired friends — not sure whether he is smiling or grimacing! It’s a short respite for him, a loft/ garage somewhere beckons: any takers for fostering, please contact me! Our thoughts were with absent friends, who unfortunately couldn’t make the day, and we hope all goes well for them. Simon Davies Dartmouth Golf & Country Club Thursday 21 September The last visit to this club was a very wet one and had to be abandoned. Although autumnal, this was a better day with only a light shower. The course was in good condition, although some greens had difficult burrows. The scoring was not fantastic with only 4 players out of 17 achieving 30 points or more. With 17 players there were 3 teams of 3 and 2 teams of 4. Play was slow, the 4th team taking 5 hours! The Chairman welcomed our guests Paul Dickens and Gerry Binmore. The meal at the end of the day was much enjoyed. No 2s were scored this time, so £34 was carried over to the next game at Bigbury. Simon Davies was nearest the pin on the 5th hole. For the teams: with 67 points Peter Heron, Tony Beck and Nick Rushworth; in second place with 68 points, Paul Saunders, Gerry Binmore and David Moore; and the winners with an amazing 79 points were Bob Haddow, Morton Middleditch, Graham Slack and Peter de la Mare. For individuals: in third place was Peter de la Mare with 31 points, second place Peter Heron (on count back also with 31 points) and the winner with a magnificent 40 points Graham Slack. Jeremy Browne, WVGS past chairman Graham Slack receiving first prize
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WOODBURY LIVING ADVENT CALENDAR Trail Maps are on sale… Woodbury Living Advent Calendar is in its 6th year and we would like to thank everyone who has volunteered their time and creativity to make this fun community event possible. To take part you will need to buy a Trail Map in order to find out the location of each Advent Window. Huge thanks to FORCE cancer charity for producing the maps free of charge, and to the following venues for agreeing to sell them from 1 November: Woodbury Parish Council Office Woodbury Primary School Woodbury After School Club Willow Hair & Wellbeing Rook Pie Rook Pie and Willow Hair & Wellbeing will also be selling the new WLAC merchandise: tote bags, Christmas cards and gift tags. You are most welcome to pop in and start your Christmas preparations. Finally, a reminder that all profits will be shared equally between local charities: Salt Path Challenge, You, Me & MND, FORCE and Woodbury Church Rooms. To get the event started we can announce that Woodbury Parish Council Office will reveal their window on 1 December at 18.30 with the promise of a festive nibble too. We look forward to seeing those that can make it. WLAC updates on Woodbury & Woodbury Salterton Community Matters Facebook page, Instagram (@wlac2023) or contact us at 2023wlac@gmail.com. Jules & Ruth
12 WOODBURY C OF E PRIMARY SCHOOL Year 6 Residential
The year 6 children had their annual trip away to Pixie’s Holt, on Dartmoor. We had a fabulous time taking part in outdoor and adventurous activities, including orienteering in Sousson’s Woods, a campfire, weaselling through tight rocks on Hound Tor, hiking across Dartmoor - resulting in a tour of a mediaeval village, a river crossing and learning about mining of the granite ending the day at Hay Tor. We also had a great time going deep underground at William Pengelly caves in Buckfastleigh and having tuition to develop our archery skills. The children were a fantastic group, demonstrating our school values to the full, with the Pixie’s Holt staff commenting on their excellent behaviour, manners and resilience. What a wonderful group of children to take away. Thank you to Mrs O’Donnell and Miss Hogan for giving up their time to go with the children.
13 Beech Class From our oldest to our youngest pupils! The children in Beech class have settled in so well to school life; Mrs Simpson and Mrs York are so impressed with their independence, positivity and readiness to learn. They are a delightful class. They have been enjoying all the different areas of learning this half term through our “bear” topic, including sorting and counting bears in different ways, careful observational drawings of their school bears, making beds and dens and even cooking and tasting porridge! They have started to learn letter sounds and words in phonics, and they are very proud to be taking home their first Guided Reading book. What a wonderful start to the new school year!
We are starting our parent tours for those who are interested in their child beginning in our Reception Class in September 2024. Please see our website https://www.woodbury.devon. sch.uk/ for tour dates, or give the office a call on 01395 232614. We would love to welcome you and show off the fantastic facilities we have to offer. Gillian Pyle (Head of school)
14 WOODBURY WOMEN’S INSITUTE The WI in Kent In the last week in September, eleven members of the Woodbury WI and one husband joined a coach trip for a four-day stay at a hotel in Maidstone, Kent. Ken Crundwell happily joined Margo on the trip, as they had been married in Bloxley Church, near Maidstone, over 60 years ago and had their wedding reception in the same hotel.
WI at Chartwell, family home of Sir Winston Churchill
The sun shone every day on what was a very interesting holiday visiting, amongst other places, Rochester Cathedral, then Chartwell, the family home of Winston and Clementine Churchill. The house was generally as it was when lived in by them. One room was filled with Churchill's famous quotes, but my favourite was “My greatest achievement was persuading my wife to marry me.” I did not realise that in 1953 he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature and Oratory. Outside stretched beautiful serene gardens with views to the distant Surrey woods and hills. Next day, after a brief stop to admire The Pantiles in Tunbridge Wells, we continued to the National Trust’s Sissinghurst Castle Garden, where Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicholson created a world-renowned garden, which we greatly enjoyed wandering through.
15 On our last day we toured Dover Castle and its medieval battlements and drawbridges, with views over the sparkling sea below. Some of us ventured into the wartime hospital and secret tunnels below ground, which became the military command centre from where the evacuation from Dunkirk was masterminded in WWII. Last, but not least, was Canterbury Cathedral, with its amazing soaring columns supporting the beautiful fan-vaulted roof. The huge crypt beneath, consisting entirely of Norman/Romanesque semi-circular arches, revealed some of its earlier pre-Gothic history. The hotel we stayed in had a few drawbacks, but this was made up for by the fun we had, particularly in the evenings with our games. I think the rest of the coach party were a bit envious of the enjoyment we all had. Thanks to Livvy Robins for organising it all. Our speaker in September was Alex Leger, who had previously talked about his experiences as a producer on the BBC Blue Peter programme for children. This time he gave a very interesting talk about the many programmes he had been involved with in conjunction with sections of the armed forces. Some of these had included presenters, some well-known sporting figures. Alex had had many roles from cameraman, programme planner, to director. Many of these programmes of course were aimed at being exciting, and he told us that quite often, afterwards, he would receive many letters from parents saying their children now wanted to be in the army. In fact though, all the scenes were completely safe and planned. A possible exception to this had been early in his career when he had planned to film a race across the River Exe here in Devon, at low tide, when the water, although muddy, is very shallow. However, because of heavy rainfall earlier in the week, the water was very much deeper, and a helicopter sent to assist the participants had only made things worse with the down draught it had caused. Luckily, all survived, albeit very smothered in mud. He thought he might have got hauled over the coals for this risky exploit, but the powers that be said “no, more please.” We were shown videos of the programmes involving the many physical activities undertaken by the military. For example, the Pegasus Corp, known as the Ps, undergoes training for the Parachute Regiment. Some are tests of strength, some of endurance, and some are of team-building, the army mantra here being “adversity is bonding.” The videos we saw included: surviving in a shelter made out of snow in Norway, minus 40C, where each member of the team had a two-hour watch to make sure a candle did not go out, indicating no oxygen; running carrying heavy loads; cont’d/...
16 WOODBURY WOMEN’S INSITUTE cont’d/... carrying a long heavy log balanced as a team; sky-diving, then joining up as a team before parachutes opened; if carrying a camera on a sky-dive, making sure it was held in the right
position, otherwise when the parachute opened, it would break your neck. Also, as a change from these training activities, Alex told us that he had accompanied landmine clearers in Angola where there are still many years of work to do. Apparently it is all right to touch the black side of a landmine, so long as you do not touch or press from above. A terrible similar situation now sadly exists in Ukraine. Tricia Willey
WOODBURY TENNIS CLUB The club hut, which has been at the courts for 50 years, is finally disappearing: everything inside has been removed, window glass taken out and demolition will have happened before publication. The new purposebuilt hut will be erected in early November. The winter league matches have started, with the men's team recording a victory in the first match. The mixed team gained points, but lost narrowly in the first match. Pat Browne WOODBURY HISTORY SOCIETY 2 NOVEMBER, 14.30, WOODBURY VILLAGE HALL THE STORY OF DARTMOOR PRISON A talk by Simon Dell, author, public speaker and walking guide. All very welcome, members free, visitors £4 at the door. NB: this is an afternoon meeting.
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WOODBURY SALTERTON NEWS HOLY TRINITY CHURCH Extra Coffee Mornings In addition to the coffee morning with bacon butties on the first Saturday of each month, we have decided to have an extra one — just coffee — on the third Saturday, as social outreach to those who value the company. Coffee mornings are from 09.30 until 10.30 in church. Film Night There will be another of the very popular children’s film nights on Friday 24 November. Come in onesies or pyjamas and bring your duvet and pillow. The film has yet to be chosen. Look out for posters. Harvest Thanksgiving The school held its harvest service in church on Friday 13 October. The youngest children performed The Dingle Dangle Scarecrow. Children from the older classes read their harvest poems and class 5 read The King and the Seed. Revd Sid Humphries gave a short talk and the service ended with the whole school participating in a lively dance, directed by Mrs Mason, to the modern worship song Everything, by Tony Mac. The church celebrated harvest at the Family Service, which was conducted by Debbie Jung. The gifts of produce were later given to Exmouth Food Bank. Thanks to all who brought gifts and especially to the school parents for their generosity. New Choir Member Welcome to Jo Parsons who has joined our church choir. To all those residents of the Parish of Woodbury Salterton who will be 70 and older by Christmas 2023 THE KERSLAKE TRUST This Trust was created on the death of Celia Elizabeth Kerslake on 19 September 1939. Under the terms of her will, some shares were left to the Trustees of Woodbury Salterton Church, with the instruction that the income received from them should be distributed among “the old people over 70 belonging to the Parish at Christmas time.” The Trustees are currently reviewing the list of beneficiaries to arrange this year’s distribution and will be pleased to hear from anyone permanently resident in the Parish who has NOT received a payment in previous years and who considers they now qualify for such a payment. Last year 56 people benefitted from the Kerslake Trust and many very kindly donated their gift back to the church, and also opted to do this in the future. If you would also like to have your share of the distribution paid straight into the church funds please let the Trustees know. Please advise Nigel Dupain on dupain@hotmail.co.uk or by phone 01395 232953 by 1 December 2023.
18 ANNUAL STREAM CLEAN The Woodbury Salterton Resilience Group, coordinated by Geoff Jung, carried out the annual tidyup of the Grindle Brook on Saturday 7 October. Four crews of people worked hard strimming and pruning to remove any greenery which might block the brook and cause flooding.
Thanks to all for their hard work, and to Greendale for the loan of the tractor and trailer, operated by Ben, which took all the greenery to the recycling depot. Katharine Wheeler 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 Chris Bowers on 01395 239338 or email chrisbowers88@yahoo.co.uk and she will put you in contact with your local deliverer. Any queries regarding delivery of Woodbury News within Exton to be directed to Ann Morris on 01392 875666.
19 WOODBURY SALTERTON PRIMARY SCHOOL Here at Woodbury Salterton Primary school, Forest School has been particularly exciting, as everyone got the opportunity to use 'dragon sneezers' to make sparks and then light cotton wool. The children’s excited faces were such a joy to see and they particularly love digging in the mud, building dens, playing in the mud kitchen and searching for bugs. The Nursery and Reception children are taking part in lots of activities linked to harvest and autumn. Making clay hedgehogs has been lots of fun and in preparation for our Harvest Festival in church, we learned a harvest song and made scarecrow puppets. Class 1 were lucky to be invited to the art studio of local artist, Louise Kelly, who lives in the village and paints beautiful landscapes as well as fruit and vegetables. Louise was impressed with how polite and enthusiastic the children were; she thoroughly enjoyed meeting them all and welcoming them to her garden studio. We hope to invite Louise into school to share her skills and talents with us. In science, Class 1 have been learning about how they can keep their bodies and minds healthy. They have thought about what makes a healthy diet and have looked at different types of exercise. This theme has been continued in their design and technology topic, as they have been thinking about healthy meals and different ways of preparing food. The children have enjoyed experimenting with different kitchen tools, deciding which tool is best to mash a banana, peel a potato, pick up lettuce and mix flour and water. The Class 3 children have enjoyed finding out about Pablo Picasso and have been very creative in designing their own information page about him in their art sketch book. They loved creating a continuous line drawing and surprised themselves at how good their final drawings were. Over the next few weeks they will learn how to create depth and tone by using different shading techniques. In their science lessons, Class 3 children have learnt about habitats and foodchains and carefully considered how a change in the food-chain affects the food web. They have also researched the life cycles of plants, amphibians, mammals and insects. Lucy, Administration Team BANGERS AND MASH EVENING SATURDAY 18 NOVEMBER, 19.00 WOODBURY SALTERTON VILLAGE HALL Raffle. Tickets available from Pat Bricknell 01395 232463 / 07929 134325. £10 per person - bring your own bottle.
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EXTON NEWS ST ANDREW’S CHURCH - NOVEMBER SERVICES Sunday 5th. Evening Prayer, 18.00. Sunday 12th. Remembrance Day, Holy Communion, 10.00. (later start) Thursday 30th. St Andrew’s Day, Holy Communion 09.30. Coffee and croissants to follow. EXTON GARDEN CLUB Creative Gardening with Bulbs, presented by Christine Skelmersdale, drew a large crowd at our meeting in Exton on Saturday 7 October, with visitors from Woodbury, Lympstone and Topsham. Christine shared her passion for maximising the use of bulbs in our gardens, whether in borders, grass or pots. Memorable quotes: ‘You don’t garden with tulips, you decorate’; ‘Treat tulips as annuals for a good display’; ‘Multi-purpose compost doesn’t contain enough loam for long lasting bulbs’; ‘Lillies need watering’; ‘You can have six weeks of spring in a pot!’ Tips offered included: To avoid making the mistake of colour clashes, when planting in autumn, think of the backdrop that will be there for the bulbs when they flower in the spring. Plant early flowering varieties at a distance from your house and late flowering close, so you are not looking through faded blooms. Deadheading daffodils
is not necessary for most cultivars, because they are sterile and carry phantom seed heads. Only deadhead if you want plants to look tidy. Daffodil foliage can be cut back six weeks after flowering. If cut before, the bulbs won’t last.
21 Christine had two tables full of bulbs to sell, and we all got a copy of her catalogue from Broadleigh Gardens. For those who missed the meeting, you can view this online www.broadleighbulbs.co.uk. Our next meeting is Friday 3 November at 14.00 in Exton village hall, when Jeremy Wilson will give a talk on The Scented Garden. Contact: Sarah Kellagher, skellagher@btinternet.com. Sarah Kellagher AUTUMN IN EXTON Sunday 1 October saw Exton’s autumn celebrations get underway with the annual Apple-Pressing Day, held in the Goose Field. This event is gradually turning into a mini Autumn Fair (or maybe Fayre?) with cakes and preserves for sale (thank you, Drama Club), refreshments, the apple-pressing ‘station’, the craft stall selling beautiful hand-made toys and decorations, and — of course — the famous Tombola. This year villagers were asked to contribute only ‘bottles and jars’, and mercifully most contributors realized that filled bottles and jars would go down rather better than empty ones. A new addition to this year’s Apple-Pressing Day was the Garden Club’s stall, where children were encouraged to plant bulbs in one of the side beds in the Goose Field. They would then be able to watch their bulbs grow and flower in future years. cont’d/...
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The Goose Field has enjoyed something of a facelift this autumn as the old ‘millennium bench’, which had been quietly disintegrating with the passage of time, has been replaced! To be fair, it had become home to several varieties of lichen which, in turn, were probably hosting all manner of useful insects. Restoration of the old bench had been looked into, but it really was beyond repair. Thankfully, the dedication plaque has been saved and attached to the new bench, a nice reminder of the origins and purpose of the Goose Field. St Andrew’s church also had something to celebrate this autumn – the 60th anniversary of the present church, and the 100th anniversary of the original cob and thatched church, sadly washed away in the great flood of 29th September 1960. This year’s Harvest Thanksgiving took place on Sunday 1 October, led by Christine Grist, with the choir and organist of Woodbury church to lead the singing. So good to have a proper harvest anthem – Thou visitest the earth by Maurice Greene, who was born in 1696 and was Master of the King’s Musick from 1735 until his death in 1755. The church was beautifully decorated with seasonal flowers and berries and the harvest donations from the village of tinned and packaged food. Once again Exmouth Food Bank is extremely grateful to Exton for its generous contribution. Liz Williams
23 DEATH
ROUND AND ABOUT
Daphne (Daff) Lemmey 4 July 1945 - 27 September 2023. Although, as her next-door-neighbour, I only knew Daff since her arrival in Woodbury, I feel honoured to have been a good friend of hers and will miss her a lot. I am grateful to her husband Revd Bill, to her sons Saxon and Justin (sadly Dane died just over a year ago) and to Revd Ann Gibbs for providing these highlights from Daff’s life. Sue Bury Born in Birmingham, Daff went to Australia as a Ten Pound Pom, where she met lots of new friends and had her three sons. Sadly her marriage to Roger did not last, and after living together in Birmingham and then Bournemouth, Roger and Saxon returned to Australia. Whilst in Bournemouth with her other two young sons, Daff gained a degree in geography and became a committed Christian and her strong faith remained with her for the rest of her life. Daff became a residential project worker, working with troublesome, homeless adolescents with the Children’s Society and there met Bill, then an assistant youth worker. One thing led to another, and they married some six months later on 12 December 1987. They moved to Yeovil when Daff got a new job with Stonham Housing, and they both worked as unpaid youth workers for a local free evangelical church, and then ended up housing various younger and older people in their home. Daff also ran a drop-in centre, not without its difficulties, in Yeovil. While Bill trained for the ministry in Cambridge, Daff lived in Lyme Regis. When Bill became licensed, they moved first to New Milton, then to Porlock, where Daff was involved in many church activities, particularly a drop-in coffee morning at Porlock. Daff was a keen walker, and with a group of friends walked half of the coastto-coast walk, and part of the West Highland Way in Scotland. She is remembered as a strong, unsentimental and feisty person, who knew her own mind. She loved the beauty of nature, particularly the sea, and when younger, spent many happy occasions at the beach, body-surfing the waves. She encouraged her sons to get involved in activities such as walking, sports, music, dancing and singing amongst many others. cont’d/...
24 Daphne (Daff) Lemmey cont’d/… Daff believed in the concept of “get involved, or you miss out”. Daff’s friends describe her as being kind, compassionate and thoughtful, a person who would come to their aid when they were struggling - there was no fuss, but she would be there when needed. She didn’t care what other people might think or say - she spoke and acted true to herself at all times. She was inspirational because those who knew her well knew that she had faced challenges herself and therefore when she gave anyone ‘tough love’ her honesty really upheld and encouraged the recipient. One thing about Daff was that once she decided on something, she did not change her mind. Revd Ann recalls: ‘Daff sometimes reminded me of a tigress in her attitude towards Bill; she was fiercely protective of him and hugely supportive although I also know that she could despair over his ability to lose things! Indeed when he left Porlock, the card that a local artist created for him showed Daff following after Bill collecting the various things he left as he went on his way.’ Daff had a fall just before Easter this year, recovered well over a 6-week period, but then, very suddenly, was diagnosed with a fast-growing brain tumour (she had previously been diagnosed with a rare blood disorder, and then with a low grade leukaemia). She deteriorated very quickly over less than a month, and died peacefully at home on 27 September. The family are indebted to superb healthcare from the emergency response team, from Marie Curie and from Hospiscare. THANK YOU Many thanks to everyone who bought apples from outside the post office at Woodbury. £50 has been sent to FORCE. Liz Ollerenshaw 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, please may we remind you to help us by sending in your contributions by the closing date, and even more importantly, before the deadline of 19.00 on that day. 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
25 DOG POO I don't want to spend my days reporting every poo I see, and I recognise that the Woodbury News is welcomed as being largely positive. However this recent observation I describe below is particularly impressive and I recognise it relates to an individual repeat offender. 'If you go down to the charity book exchange today, you're in for a big surprise! The infamous Rydon Lane Plopper has struck again. This repeat offender, possible Labrador sized, has achieved an impressive new low by leaving a steaming pile in front of the book exchange door. If you know the regular dog walker in charge of the dog, or see them not picking up, please record and report to EDDC. Reluctantly yours, the Woodbury Plop Detective.' FREEBIES Strange but true: I have four unused red leather gauntlet fire/welding gloves for the left hand, the right hand ones being used by me for my wood burner. It seems such a shame to throw them away. They give total protection and are labelled large. Anyone wanting them for free could collect from me at 2 Courthouse Gardens, Globe Hill, Woodbury. Many thanks, Larraine Price.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR From Sue Hudson and Lin Milsom Ashby, Church Wardens, St Swithun’s Following on from Stephen Derges’ letter in October’s Woodbury News, we would like to echo the sentiments he expressed. We are very pleased that the two churches are now working together in so many different ways for the good of our community, the latest example being the harvest supper in September. We will be supporting the Hope4Kibera quiz in November. We will also be together at the Remembrance service in November, and at the Carols on the Green on 17 December. We are sure that in the future we will find many ways to work together.
26 WHAT’S IN A NAME? Baptismal names of children before the 20th century were usually chosen to follow a family tradition. Some of the names were chosen as those of the British monarch as well as of saints, apostles or biblical characters. Amongst the latter Elizabeth, Anne and Mary had always been popular, being the names of the Virgin and of her mother Anne, and Elizabeth the mother of John the Baptist. It was usual for the oldest son to be named after his father and other sons after their grandfathers, with the same pattern applying to daughters. Another tradition was to add the maiden name of the mother to the children’s names – this applied to all christenings, from the aristocracy down to the poorest labourers. Many of the names chosen in the earlier periods had a distinct Old Testament flavour such as Abraham, Amos, Aaron, Charity, Elias, Ezekiel, Israel, Joel, Moses, Pascha, Sidwell, Temperance and Zacharias. These names would have been the most commonly heard in a bible reading society, when other books were not known to the parishioners. Other unusual early names in Woodbury included Anastasia, Letitia, Lucretia, Pascalia and Wilmot. All these above names appear in the Woodbury baptismal register. Another tradition was in the naming of twins. In scouring the Woodbury parish registers, several sets of twins are identified, not just from the dates of the baptism (often families would have more than one child baptised on the same day), but by the names chosen. Some example of names chosen were often ‘John & James’ or ‘Jacob & Esau’ and other pairings from the Bible; female twins were frequently called ‘Mary & Martha’ or ‘Leah & Rachel’; and mixed sex twins were ‘Joseph & Mary’ or ‘William & Mary’. Middle names were not usually used, except when adding the mother’s family name, until the 19th century. This did not apply to the ruling classes as the inclusion of a variety of names was an identity to their genealogical trees. Sometimes a child was named because of an event that had affected the parents. If a baptised child died, its name was given to a later child born to the parents; this naming of another child has caused much confusion for people tracing their families. In 1755, a boy was born to John and Mary Webber in Zeal Monarchorum – they had already produced a son and daughter called John and Mary a few years before. They must have had a religious moment as they decided to call this new son Maher-shalal-has-baz. I wonder whether they could spell it, and what they shortened it to! The boy’s second cousin, also born in Zeal Monarchorum, had a son called Ezekiel who moved to Clyst St George and later Ebford, where he raised a large family. Maher-shalal-has-baz was evidently not impressed with his name as he called his own children John and Mary. One of the problems genealogists have faced has been the fact that, until the inclusion of middle names in the title of a baby, it was very difficult to
27 identify the actual person one was searching for, especially with the tradition of passing down the parents’ and grandparents’ names to their offspring. In a secular society the term ‘forename’ is used now in place of ‘Christian name’ – this makes sense since so many of the names that babies are now called are anything but ‘Christian’! Surnames are derived from a very different source. Some are descriptions of occupations such as ‘baker’, ‘miller’, ‘smith’, ‘tucker’; etc; others are taken from descriptions of the natural environment, as for example ‘brook’, ‘hill’ ‘lane’ etc, and others from the names of the settlements where people lived. Some names changed from the simple ‘John at the Well’ to John Atwell’, ‘Stephen Bythemede’ to Stephen Bidmead’, ‘Bythecombe’ to ‘Biddecomb’. There are several more examples to be found in the Woodbury parish registers and early documents in the 14th and 15th centuries. The spellings of many early surnames have been simplified over the years and many have been adapted to sound more English e.g. the names of the French Huguenots who settled in England in the 16th century, and other immigrants to Britain. A document held in Exeter Cathedral Library Archives, dated in the 11th century, lists two Guilds of Woodbury men and women who paid money annually to the Benedictine Monastery of St Peters in Exeter (later Exeter Cathedral) and whose names are all pre-Norman: Brihtwi, Wilnoth, Ealdwine, Leofric, Brihtmaer, Alfric, Eadmaer, Edwine, Algar, Edwi, Wlword, Kytel, Theodric, Alston, Leawine, Ailwine, Godric, Alwine, Alword, Godwi, Osgod, Athelease, Brihtmaer, Godric. The next document to record the names of Woodbury men is dated 1332, when not a single name of the 45 men listed bears any resemblance to the earlier ones. Of these names 13 have the forename followed by ‘de’ and where they live; four names have ‘atte’ between the two names: Emar’ [sic] atte Brigge (Bridge), Henry atte Hall, Thomas atte Pytte, and William atte Forde. Just from these few examples it is easy to see how our present day surnames originated and have changed over the years. Gill Selley WEATHER REPORT FOR SEPTEMBER The first half of the month was indeed very warm and dry and the second half from the 16th very wet; that weekend, Ebford received 65mm (2.6ins) of, at times, very heavy rain with large puddles and local flooding. The blackberries ripened very well, but then were washed away before they could be picked! Total rainfall for the month was 105mm (4.1ins), very nearly the same as that for the recent wet July (4.3ins). This is way above historic averages for September here at Ebford, and also more than the average over the last ten years of 63mm (2.5 inches). Norman Cann
28 RSPB AYLESBEARE RESERVE We have an opportunity to help with the ongoing conservation management at Black Hill Quarry on the edge of Woodbury parish. As you may well know, we are using traditional breeds of livestock, both Dartmoor and Exmoor ponies, to help with the conservation management and grazing. We are looking for a volunteer to help with the checking and welfare of the animals (just five). This would entail a visit once a week on a rota, with other volunteers, to check the health of the animals, give them some feed and possibly check some of the boundary fences. We would provide training in animal care and things to look out for. This would be an opportunity for someone to help out with on-going management of the site and to go behind the scenes of a restoration awardwinning quarry that does not have any public access. If you feel that this might be of interest to you, then please either call the RSPB nature reserve office and ask for Toby, on 01395 233655 or drop an email to aylesbeare.common@rspb.org.uk. Looking forward to hearing from you. Toby Taylor
SMALL ADVERTISEMENTS WANTED - PLOT OF LAND Do you have a small plot of unused land? My wife and I are searching the Woodbury/Lympstone area, to erect a 1-2 bedroom timber lodge style dwelling. Any size plot or outbuildings would be considered. Tel: Les or Jane on 07912 290218 / email les.kennedy60@ outlook.com. (6/6)
BUSINESS ADVERTISEMENTS CARPENTER Chris Isaac Property Maintenance, Kitchens, Doors, Flooring, Fencing, Fascias/Guttering, Tiling, General Repairs. Free Estimates. Reliable tradesman. 07855170674/01395 233933 chrisisaaccarpenter@gmail.com. (7/12) BED AND BREAKFAST Peaceful location situated in Exton. Website riverdownbedandbreakfast.co.uk. Please contact Tim on 07779 715222 or email timdashwood@yahoo.co.uk (8/12) 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. (9/24)
29 BEE SWARMS COLLECTED FREE OF CHARGE Also cash paid for unwanted bee keeping equipment - hives, tools, smokers, clothing etc. Call Nigel Moore on 07815 514997. Email:nigemoore007@gmail.com. (9/12) RUBBISH REMOVALS Domestic and Commercial. Environment Agency licensed. No job too small. Tel: 07979 841376. www.rubbishremovalsexeter.com. (18/24) ALTERATIONS TO LADIES AND GENTS WEAR, MADE TO MEASURE CURTAINS AND ROMAN BLINDS, ALTERATIONS TO CURTAINS. Contact Shirley on 01395 223523. (11/12) 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. (3/12) HOME HELP Mrs V. A. Perry: Experienced, reliable. Support with transport to social/community events, trips out/medical appointments. Support with shopping, household management. Companion service. DBS Enhanced Certificate, Insurance and references available. For a confidential, no obligation discussion of your individual needs and requirements ring 01395 232865 (1/6) 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). (*) JOIN THE COFFEE CLUB Whether you're a coffee lover or prefer alternatives, we've got you covered! In partnership with Devon Carers Time for You, we're creating a welcoming space for you to pop in, chat, and connect with others. Mondays, 10.30 - 12:30 at Seachange for £10 (includes refreshments). It's more than a coffee break – it's a chance to unwind, share stories, and build connections. We look forward to seeing you there. Have you got an interesting photo to illustrate your article? If so, we'd love to see it, but please remember that we need high resolution photos - not too dark, but clear and sharp - as low resolution photos do not reproduce well on non-photographic paper. Please remember to ask permission from any people included in your photos, and that photos of children require parental permission. Send all submissions to karensquires100@gmail.com.
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FORTHCOMING EVENTS 31 Oct. 2 Nov.
Exton Annual Halloween Walk. Woodbury History Society. 14.30, WVH. A talk by Simon Dell The History of Dartmoor Prison. 3 Nov. Exton Garden Club, The Scented Garden, EVH. 14.00. 4-12 Nov. Seaglass Gallery. Time and Tide Exhibition. 10.00-4.00. 8 Nov. Woodbury Craft Group. 10.00-12.30. Christ Church. 9 Nov. Woodbury WI, Christmas Decoration, WVH, 14.00. 11 Nov. RBL 10.50 for 11.00 on the Village Green at the War Memorial. 12 Nov. RBL 14.45 for 15.00 on the Village Green at the War Memorial. 14 Nov. Woodbury Garden Club. The Secret Wildlife of Dartmoor. 7.15 for 7.30. WVH. Visitors welcome £3. 18 Nov. Christmas Craft Fayre. The Church Rooms. 10.00-14.00. 18 Nov. Bangers and Mash Evening. 19.00. WSVH. 18 Nov. Hope4Kibera Quiz, WVH, 19.00. 21 Nov. Woodbury Camera Club meeting. Talk on Astro-photography. 19.30, Church Rooms. 22 Nov. Woodbury Craft Group. 10.00-12.30. Christ Church. 24 Nov. Children’s film night. Holy Trinity Church, WS. 1 Dec. Start of Woodbury Living Advent Calendar. 1 Dec. Christmas Theme. Exton village hall. 14.00. 5 Dec. Garden Club Evening Christmas Meal at the Maltsters. 6 Dec. Woodbury Craft Group. 10.00-12.30. Christ Church. 12 Dec. Woodbury Camera Club Social. 14 Dec. WI Christmas Lunch at the Maltsters. 15 Dec. Exton Christmas Party at the Puffing Billy. 17 Dec. Carols on the Green. Woodbury. 24 Dec. Reveal of Advent Windows, Church Rooms, 17.30. COFFEE & CAKE MORNINGS ON THE FIRST TUESDAY OF EVERY MONTH IN WOODBURY CHURCH ROOMS, 10.00 – 12.00. DO JOIN US!
Supporting You in Your Local Community Woodbury News attempts to represent a variety of views within the community, but does not accept responsibility for anything but editorial comment. While it may publish unacknowledged material, nothing is included unless the editor knows the name and address of the author(s).
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32 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.
WOODBURY NEWS ADVERTISING RATES SMALL ADS: (3 lines) private £2.00. (3 lines) Business £5.00. (£50.00 p.a.) DISPLAY ADS: £17.00 ¼ page (£185 p.a.) To: Karen Squires 233299 karensquires100@gmail.com The Woodbury News accepts no liability for:i) Any claims made by the advertiser; ii) Any errors or omissions in the advertisement as submitted by the advertiser; iii) Any legal action as a result of the advertisement.
33 Willow Hair and Wellbeing offers a place of calm within its green and botanical environment. We specialise in hair services offering professional service using eco conscious products to create hair that you are proud to wear. Our team are passionate about their education to always be at the top of the craft. We welcome Abi back from maternity leave working Tuesday 9.00-5.00pm. We also have two new hair stylists, Lena and Hayley, both very experienced in colour and cutting. We have therapy rooms offering a range of services: manicure and pedicures, massage and laser hair removal. Our address: The Retreat Stores, The Arch, Woodbury Our telephone: 01395 233844 Website: www.willowhairandwellbeing.co.uk Email: info@willowhairandwellbeing.co.uk Online bookings available through our website Willowhairandwellbeing on instagram or FB
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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Further to many recent enquiries:
Robert Miller Local Painter & Decorator of many years, is still in business. A lifetime of experience! All painting and decorating jobs considered. Contact Bob on
01395 233773 or 07800 854839 THORNS COTTAGE, WOODBURY
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Woodbury Village Hall Hall and two meeting rooms, Fully equipped kitchen WIFI, sound system and projector Available for: Dances and Parties Meetings and Classes Exhibitions and Craft Fairs Badminton, Plays, Business Lettings
Woodbury Salterton Village Hall Hall –Tables and Chairs, Well equipped kitchen with cooker and fridge, crockery and cutlery inclusive in hire. Modest Rates.
For bookings please contact: Robin or Marian Lennox Tel: 01395 232126
For bookings please contact:
email:- woodburyvh@gmail.com www.woodburyvillagehall.org
Pat or Gill Bricknell 01395 232463
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Royal Academy of Dance and IDTA Ballet grades and majors Start to Dance from from 2½ years Dottie Markham RAD CBTS Frankie Rowsell RAD CBTS Tel: 07885829531 Tel: 07713243369 woodburydancestudio @outlook.com Classes at Woodbury C of E Primary School
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WOODBURY GARAGE Local family business
MOTS SERVICE REPAIRS ALL MAKES & MODELS ENGINE DIAGNOSTICS
The Arch, Woodbury EX5 1LL woodburygarage@hotmail.co.uk
T: 01395 233004 M: 07527 125956
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Welcoming New Patients A friendly, caring practice providing the very latest treatment techniques, in a relaxed setting:
Routine dental care with oral health assessment
Cosmetic dental treatments including whitening, implants, veneers
Crowns made on the day of your visit, with no need for impressions!!
Facial Rejuvenation treatment Discreet clinics now available. Speak to our friendly team.
Tel: 01395 442552
www.budleighdentalpractice.co.uk
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STEAM PRISTINE Is green
General Quality Building Service
Pristine eco cleaning of:-
* New builds & Extensions
Patios, stone brick or concrete paths & driveways. Removal of algae, moss & fungi.
* Brickwork & Block work
The surface being cleaned does not suffer any damaging pressure, thermal shock or deep saturation. Uses minimum water, eco friendly and dries within minutes.
* Drives & Patios * All types of building work undertaken !!
For more details and free quote
01395 911397 or 07751 738092
Phone:- 07765 240245
T.D. BUILDERS
* Rendering & Plastering
FREE ESTIMATES
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