MAY 2009 Price 40p

ST. CATHERINE, WHITESTONE

with

Pathfinder Village

And

ST. THOMAS, OLDRIDGE

P a r i s h M a g a z i n e

St. Catherine’s Church Whitestone

St. Catherine’s Church, Whitestone St. Catherine’s Church, Whitestone

Priest in Charge

Reverend Martin Wood, The Rectory, Church Lane, Cheriton Bishop 01647 24119 (Tuesday to Saturday )

Whitestone and Oldridge Churchwardens

Dr. Jane Richards, Quarryfield House, Whitestone (tel. 01392 811492)

Miss Mary Stanbury, Poole Meadow, Barton Head Hill, Tedburn St Mary (tel. 01392 811532)

NORTH KENN BENEFICE

SERVICES FOR MAY 2009.

Sunday May 3rd 8.0.am. Whitestone Holy Communion Canon John Tutton 9.30.am. Parish Communion Revd Tim Gorringe 11.0.am. Tedburn St Mary Family Service Lay led 3.0.pm. Pathfinder Holy Communion Canon Geoffrey Moore 6.0.pm. Cheriton Bishop Evensong Lay led

Sunday May 10th 9.30.am. Holcombe Burnell Holy Communion Revd Martin Wood 9.30.am. Whitestone Parish Communion Revd Tim Gorringe 11.0.am. Cheriton Bishop Family Service Lay led Revd Wood preach 11.0.am Tedburn St Mary Methodist Joint Christian Aid Canon John Tutton 3.0.pm Pathfinder Prayer and Fellowship

Sunday May 17th 8.0.am. Tedburn St Mary Holy Communion Revd Martin Wood 9.30.am. Cheriton Bishop Parish Communion Revd Tim Gorringe 11.0.am. Whitestone Family Service Revd Martin Wood 3.0.pm. Pathfinder Evensong Rosemarie Scaife 6.0.pm. Holcombe Burnell Evensong Revd Martin Wood

Thursday May 21st Ascension Day 7.30.pm Holcombe Burnell Holy Communion Revd Martin Wood

Sunday May 24th 8.0.am. Cheriton Bishop Holy Communion Canon John Tutton 9.30.am. Tedburn St Mary Parish Communion Revd Tim Gorringe 11.0.am Holcombe Burnell Family Service Lay led 3.0.pm. Pathfinder United Service 6.0pm Whitestone Evensong Lay led

Sunday May 31st 10.30.am Holcombe Burnell Benefice Eucharist Revd Martin Wood 4.0.pm Whitestone Parish Hall Café Church Revd Martin Wood

Every Thursday 10.30.am Pathfinder Holy Communion 7th, 14th and 21st Revd Martin Wood 28th Canon Geoffrey Moore FROM THE RECTOR

Easter, Ascension and Pentecost

The month of May incorporates Ascension Day (21st May) and Pentecost (31st May). In the churches year Easter runs into Pentecost. The day of Pentecost is seen as the culmination of the Easter season. In the Bible, in Acts 2, the day of Pentecost, occurred 50 days after Jesus' resurrection and 10 days after his ascension. The ascension of Jesus is marked forty days after Easter. Hence the word "Pentecost" is derived from the Greek word for "fifty." The day celebrates the sending of the Holy Spirit to the disciples following Jesus' ascension. Let us make a parallel comparison. Easter is like the D day landings which gave the allies a foothold in Europe. Jesus’ resurrection gives us a glimpse of our eternal destiny. Pentecost marks the power to move forward with God’s help to change the world from bad to good. The D day landings did not give victory but the beach head to fight forward to that victory. From the Christian perspective Pentecost is ranked as the third most important Christian Festival. In second place comes Christmas and in first place is Easter. I do wonder if Christmas is perceived as the most important. Certainly in commercial terms Christmas is much bigger than Easter. Pentecost is not ranked commercially. I would guess it is eclipsed by Mothering Sunday! This is only the half way point of the Lenten observance with little religious significance. In comparison Pentecost does not really figure. Looking back at its history we can see it was much more important. By the seventh century, Pentecost had become such an important festival that the whole week following was set aside to observe it. Law courts were not in session, and most work was forbidden. By the 12th century this was limited to only three days. In most European countries the Monday (1st June 2009) after Pentecost is still observed as a holiday. In our country the link between the bank holiday was broken in 1967 and it was formally replaced by a fixed "spring holiday" on the last Monday in May in 1971. In many calendars, the day is listed as "Whitsun." This comes from the phrase "White Sunday," and refers to the practice of the newly baptized at Pentecost appearing in their white, baptismal garments on that day. In the Jewish calendar the 50th day after the Sabbath of Passover week was the beginning of the harvest and a festival to celebrate the fruits of Harvest. This was the second-most important festival for the Jews. (The most important was Passover.) This explains why so many people from all over the Roman Empire were in Jerusalem for the first Pentecost. On the first Pentecost we are told that 3000 people believed after Peter’s first speech! An improbable beginning for any preaching career, yet with God’s help many improbable things can happen!

Rev. Martin Wood. The Rectory, Church Lane, Cheriton Bishop 01647 24119 (Tuesday to Sunday

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DAILY OFFICE (MATTINS AND EVENSONG) Martin will be saying the Daily Office (Mattins and Evensong) in each of the churches once a week at 9.00 am and 3.00 pm as follows : Tuesday: Cheriton Bishop Wednesday: Tedburn St. Mary Thursday: Holcombe Burnell Friday: Whitestone He will be very pleased to see anyone who wishes to join him or speak to him at these times as well.

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SERVICES IN MAY On the 5 th Sunday May 31 st the Benefice Eucharist is at Holcombe Burnell at 10:30am and at 4:00pm there will be “Café Church” in Whitestone Parish Hall – a new idea ! Come and have tea and cake and find out what it is all about.

FROM THE REGISTER Committal - Brian Alford on 30th March at St. Catherines

CHURCH HOUSE EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION Applications for grants for students and those eligible should reach the Hon. Secretary in writing by Sunday 3rd May 2009 . The Annual Meeting will be held in the Parish Hall Green Room on Wednesday 6th May at 7.30 pm. Hon Secretary: Mrs J Thomas, 2 Barton Cottages, Whitestone, , EX4 2LB. 1100th Anniversary In 2009 Churches of all denominations across are celebrating 1100 years of the westward expansion of Christianity from Sherborne to Devon. Many events are organised for the year. The Bishop of Bob Evens will visit the Deanery from 10 th to 14 th June. As part of the Bishop Bob visit there will be a Confirmation Service at 11am on Sunday 14 th June. What is confirmation? Put very simply it is the next step after baptism when the Bishop lays hands on you and asks God’s spirit to work within you. It is a little complex. Some people are baptised as children. Confirmation is their commitment as a growing Christian. It is recommended that Confirmation candidates be children of at least secondary school age, or adults. Other people have not been baptised and want to make a grown up commitment. In this instance they are baptised and confirmed in the same service. There is a plan to have the baptisms in the sea at a beach. It will certainly make it a unique experience! My plans are to start confirmation preparation after Easter. The preparation will need to be adapted for both age and Christian experience. Until I know what is required I cannot precisely say what needs to be done. The course will be mid April to mid June either fortnightly or weekly.

Rev. Martin Wood. The Rectory, Church Lane, Cheriton Bishop 01647 24119 (Tuesday to Sunday)

OBITUARY BRIAN ALFORD. It was with great sadness that we learned of the death of Brian Alford on Monday 23rd March, after a five year struggle against cancer. Brian was a quiet man; The adjectives most people used to describe him were "wise" and "good". He was not gregarious, in his dislike of socialising with large crowds of people, though few men could have had so many close personal friends as he did. Although he and Gene have lived in Whitestone since 1973, he maintained a low profile in the village, reserving his energies for Belmont Chapel where he had been a youth leader and an elder for many years, his family - and his sport, originally cricket and hockey, and latterly golf, even most recently Bridge - if you can call that a sport!. He had a strong competitive spirit, always playing to win, though he was generous in defeat, purely savouring the competition. He loved life and lived it to the full, as evidenced by his passion for sports cars and holidays, and though he was brought up with strong Brethren principles, he firmly believed that God intended us to enjoy all of life, and he abhorred negativity. He was a man of commitment, dedicated, professional, of sound judgement and with clearly defined views on most matters of significance, but always with an apparent diffidence, allowing others to have the right to hold views at variance from his own, and always prepared to listen. But above all he was a man of faith, a faith which determined all his thoughts and actions and allowed him no compromise on core principles. "I believe that is -" or "I believe that isn’t a Gospel priority" were words which frequently came from his lips in the course of any discussion on current contentious issues, showing that he never made a snap judgement, but always weighed his decisions carefully against his interpretation of Scripture, which he firmly believed gave the answers to most of the daily conundrums which face us all. If only we could all follow his example! Our heartfelt sympathy is with Gene, Mark, Nicola and Guy as they learn to adjust to life, which will never be quite the same again for them. Brian will be sadly missed by countless people, and the huge attendance at his Memorial Service paid evident tribute to the respect in which he had been held by so many. John Hutchinson.

CHURCHYARD FLOWERS Please would people tending graves in the churchyard kindly put metal wreaths, plastic ribbons, flowers and wrappings in the black bin , and only dead flowers and greenery in the green bin. It will save tiresome and unnecessary sorting before the bins are put out for collection. Thank you.

CHARITIES SUPPORTED BY THE CHURCH One of the charities supported by the church is the Exeter Diocesan Council for Social Aid (EDCSA) . This is a small registered charity that has historic links with the Police Court Missionary Society, the Temperance Society, the former Discharged Prisoners’ Aid Society and several employment related charities. The EDCSA holds limited funds to assist in an individual’s rehabilitation, support of their family and return to the community. It makes small grants (usually up to £100) to assist clients become productive members of the community. Their clients are those who have been through the court or Prison or their families, in Devon or with Devon connections. Referrals are taken from the Probation Service, Prisons or other statutory agencies or accredited charities. Occasionally prisoners will be released with very little clothing or money and they can often have a long wait before their benefit money is processed. The EDCSA has for many years been able to respond to requests for financial help made by professional workers like Probation Officers or Social Workers on behalf of their clients, particularly those who have been in prison. Although the EDCSA is not in a position to make large grants, it can respond quickly when the need is immediate or outside the remit of statutory agencies. There are circumstances where speedy help can prove to be a “stitch in time”, and even small grants can make a difference. Last year the EDCSA made 99 grants that totalled just over £4,000.

BELL RINGING Practice nights are on Thursday evenings at 7.30 pm. Visitors are welcome, please contact Joy Field on 01392 811600 beforehand.

BENEFICE CHOIR Anyone who would like to join the choir and sing please contact Jackie Lightband (811527). New recruits always welcome.

GUILD OF ST. RAPHAEL (Sec. Mrs. E. Milverton, Tel: 811268). The next meeting is on Tuesday, 26th May in Pathfinder Village Church at 2.30pm for a talk by Canon John Tutton. Any requests for prayer to Eileen Milverton on 01392 811268.

MOTHERS UNION Please contact Mrs. Gilbert on 811230 for details of the next meeting.

WHITESTONE WOMEN’S INSTITUTE (Secs. Mrs Judith Henshaw, 01392 811416 and Mrs Diane Tattersfield, 01392 811426) Please contact either of the secretaries for details of the next meeting.

WHITESTONE GARDENING CLUB (Sec. Mary Stanbury. Tel: 811532) Whitestone Gardening Club - Looking Ahead - Speakers/Events for 2009/2010 The Club invites you to join us in enjoying the following programme for 2009/2010. Alternatively, you can attend the occasional meeting, as a visitor, at a cost of £2 per session. Winter meetings commence at 7.30pm in the Village Hall. May 23rd - Cream Teas in the Community Garden. Profits to the Parish Hall Roof Appeal. June 15th - Evening visit to Stone Lane Gardens Arboretum and Tree Nursery (including the Mythic Garden) at . July 20th - Day visit to Burrow Farm Gardens at . Visiting Otter Nurseries on return. August - No meeting September 21st - Talk on Shrubs for Autumn/Winter Colour by Derek Burdett. Derek is a nurseryman from who regularly sells at Pannier Market and is an organiser of plant markets for the National Council for the conservation of Plants and Gardens. His talk will be illustrated with actual shrubs available for sale at reduced prices. October 19th - Peter Hurst will give an illustrated talk on Butterflies. Reports from other Gardening Clubs advise that this a beautifully presented talk. November 16th - Caradoc Doy will be presenting his illustrated talk on Plant Hunters and Pioneers. This is principally the story of the famous Veitch Nurseries of Exeter. If you have ever bought a plant with the name of Veitch on the label this talk will explain its origin. December - To be arranged. January 2010 - New Year Dinner to be arranged.

CHURCH BELLS Bell Ringing Demonstration and Talk at Whitestone Parish Church (St Catherine’s) On Monday 11 May commencing 7.30pm The Whitestone Bell Ringers in conjunction with the Whitestone Social Club have arranged to give a talk and demonstration on the History and Art of Bell Ringing at St Catherine’s Church, by kind permission of the church wardens. This event is open to everyone in the village (and their friends) to come along to the church and find out about this great British tradition. We are hoping to have a small demonstration bell in the church hall so that you will be able to see its working parts and exactly how it all works and how the different sounds are produced. Both sets of doors to the bell tower will be open (weather permitting) and there will be a good opportunity to see the bell ringers from both outside and inside the church. There are also a couple of seats inside the bell tower, which if swapped between demonstrations will allow up to 8 people to be close to the action during the evening. We will be demonstrating ringing the bells up, ringing rounds, call change ringing and finally ringing the bells down. There will be plenty of time for questions and answers. There will also be an opportunity at the end of the talk and demonstrations for those who wish, to climb the tower, inspect the actual bells (now silent), and then climb on to the roof and look at the views. You need to be fit and healthy to do this, the key spiral steps are narrow and steep (just like in a castle keep) and you need to be safety conscious – at your own risk! There is no charge for this event but donations of £1 per person would be much appreciated which will be split equally between the Whitestone Church Bell Fund and the Whitestone Parish Hall Roof Fund. We won’t unfortunately be able to allow anyone to ‘have a go’ on the actual bells during the evening but if we are able to whet anyone’s appetite to learn more, we hold a practice evening most Thursdays from 7.30pm to 9pm (contact Joy Field first on 811600). For further information about this event please contact Nigel Bateman on 811677. We look forward to seeing you! The Whitestone Bell Ringers Whitestone After Peak Oil Many experts say world oil supplies are due to peak soon. How will we, in Cheriton Bishop and nearby villages manage, when oil is no longer cheap and plentiful? There will be a screening of the film “The End of suburbia” and a chance to discuss the issues it raises. The Film will be shown in the Parish Hall Billiard Room on Wednesday 13th May at 7.30 pm. More information: Tim Gorringe and Gill Westcott on 01647 24789

WHITESTONE PLAYERS The AGM of the Pantomime will take place on Monday 18th May at 7.30pm in the Parish Hall. At this meeting we elect officers for the next production and decide how much money we will be giving to the Parish Hall Roof Fund.

SHELDON Would you like to join the volunteer team for the Sheldon Open Air Theatre? With our theatre concerts becoming increasingly popular we need to grow our team of volunteers who help make everything run smoothly. We are looking for people who can be friendly but firm, able to make people welcome and enforce safety rules as necessary. Roles include carparking, stewarding, front of house and catering. Volunteers need to commit to a minimum of 3 nights from 6pm to 11pm. You will be given training and supervision. You aren’t guaranteed to see all (or even part) of the concerts, but you’ll certainly hear them. You’ll be part of a keen and friendly team, and your efforts will ensure concert-goers enjoy a great evening and help raise money for the Sheldon Long Barn Appeal. Concert dates this summer are:- 18th July (Joey the Lips), 24th July (Abba Magic), 25th July (Prom from Scratch), 26th July (Open Stage), 29th July (Rollin’ Clones), 5th August (Beach Boys Inc.), 13th August (dIRE tRAITS). Interested? Get in touch on 01647 252752 or email [email protected]

Contributions for the June 2009 Parish Magazine to Pat Martin, 11 Merrymeet, by Saturday 16th May . Any queries, comments, suggestions or complaints about the magazine, please, to the editor, Mrs. J. Kellagher, East Rowhorne – (01392) 273864.

CROSSLINKS

Sustainable Whitestone Our next meeting will be at 11am Monday June 1 st at ”Whistledown”, the house of David Friend in Longdown. David is extremely knowledgeable and has a wide range of interests in self sufficiency including bee-keeping, fruit and vegetable growing, woodland management and keeping chickens. He has a solar panel generating hot water as well as an (adjustable) photo voltaic panel which generates electricity that he sells back to the grid at 30p a unit. He burns wood from his managed woodland in a 20kW boiler and has his own water supply. It sounds as though if he’s not self sufficient he must nearly be. “Whistledown” is at the South end of the bridle way extending south from Cutteridge Lane if on foot. By car from Whitestone go down Heath Lane to the old A30, cross over and up the other side. Left at T junction, then bear left at Beacon Down Corner junction. After half a mile or so, “Whistledown” is on your left. Everyone is welcome;- we’re not a formal group. Just come if you’re interested.

Liz Watkins (Co-ordinator, tel 01392 811285) MARY’S DAIRY DIARY - APRIL 2009

The spring seems especially sweet, after the long winter, cold weather holding back the spring, then it unfolds in a rush, breaking through like the tide over sandcastle walls. It’s exquisite to see the tree flowers – the oak, with its red swelling tips of its braches is my favourite, so unexpected. Then the leaves come, first a green tinge over a hillside, one tree turning, then another, then that magical riot of every green imaginable, the whole landscape exploding. You can almost hear leaves growing, but it’s the busyness of everything – birds frantically collecting food for their young, disgruntled ex-babies mooching around. I’ve never seen so many half-grown deer hanging around looking usurped, young buzzards still with some pale juvenile feathers on them playing in the sky, calling their brothers and sisters before they each spread out onto their own hunting territory.

CROPS - Oilseed rape is flowering, spectacularly, great blocks of yellow next to green, against a blue sky. We are ploughing for maize, so the rich red Devon soil provides an extraordinary contrast. Some of the rape is growing well, some is very sparse after the late sowing, a hard winter, and some hungry wildlife. Crop prices look like they are recovering, so we will patch the worst bits up with spring sown rape, although we may be busy fools as the costs are still high, tracking last year’s prices. In the past, we’ve had a reasonable idea if the price we get will cover the cost, but this year prices are jumpy, changing on every report of rain or frost or floods in the crop growing areas of the world, or how much grain the Chinese are eating. We grow a lot of crops to feed the cows, but we sell some crops out – we grow them in part because we want the straw to bed the animals up with.

GRASS - The cows are grazing well – there is always that moment of alarm as they eat the grass down to its lowest point in the whole year, and there are a tense few days as we wait for the grass to start growing. We need to eat into the cover because when it starts growing it suddenly rockets away – suddenly growing maybe ten times faster, and if we aren’t on top of the grazing it will race away, becoming rank, trodden down and we waste it. We’ve been aerating the pastures – we’ve dug down and found that the cows’ hooves have consolidated the soil, which works better with more air to the roots. We are also taking the dirty water over to Tytheing Field, because soil samples we’ve taken show that ground is hungry for the nutrients in manure (shown by the scorched tips of the leaves, which make it look dry even if the soil is wet). We’ve spread more dirty water near the cow buildings, partly it’s easier – we don’t have to get the pipes across roads, partly not wanting to make smell for our neighbours. The soil though is demanding more equal treatment, and we have to do what we are told.

COWS - Most cows are calved, and yielding well. We watch them to make sure they are eating enough so they stop losing the fat they lose when they first calve – their appetites take time to recover, because the calf took so much room their rumens shrink. It’s just at this time their milk yield is getting to its peak, and to cap it all they start cycling, displaying heat, becoming fertile, their bodies demanding to get in calf again. We keep the bulls out until May, to let their wombs recover and the cows get more food into them; this keeps the cows calving at the same time each year. Although we don’t serve (mate) the cows yet, we still watch them to see who is cycling normally, who is still not cleaned up after calving. We want everything ready for when we do start serving, so at the moment the spring calved cow are doing a lot of frolicking, as the cows on heat sniff each other, rest their chins longingly on each others’ rumps and ride each other.

YOUNGSTOCK - Last year’s calves, now teenaged bulling heifers in the run-up to being served, haven’t grown so well as they should have done – we were concerned they weren’t big enough to put to the bull, and they hadn’t caught up over the winter. One became sick and had to be put down, and we sent it to the State Veterinary Service to see if we could get to the bottom of why these animals haven’t been thriving. They came up trumps, and told us the animals were short of selenium. We can replace that easily, giving them a slow release bolus (big pill). The next question is why their selenium levels were low, and we may find out more as we explore the soil mineral balance more. We’ll have to see if the heifers catch up their growth (no good putting animals that are too small to the bull, the calf can be too big to be born safely for cow or calf). Any not big enough can wait to go to the bull in the autumn, so get the autumn calving herd up to strength. At least now we can get their younger sisters, the baby calves, on track. They do so well until they go out onto grass when they should fly on, so now we can support them better, with added minerals until we work out how to do it some other way.

CHEESE - peak milk is the toughest time, with the work increasing directly with the amount of milk, now three times more than at the trough time. It’s all hands on deck for the next few weeks, bringing in help to do other jobs to allow the cheesemakers just to concentrate on making cheese. It’s important to have enough people to handle the curd properly – cheddar it enough, mix the salt enough to get the correct amount of moisture. We had the Food Standards Agency round to see why cheese has salt in it – it is to get the right balance of moisture to keep the cheese, which is after all just concentrated milk, preserved, safe and with a good flavour. Imagine keeping milk for a year, and you’ll understand why we have to work with acidity and salt to get the right balance, the ages-old techniques that store spring sun and rain via the grass and milk as cheese.

RECIPE - I’ve been re-discovering the joy of gratin. I sweated chopped carrots, parsnips, celeriac and an onion with butter and the minimum amount of water so I was left with the vegetables tender but concentrated in flavour. Then I added a handsome quantity of mature cheddar – I used a gorgeously aged truckle, but a normal Quickes Traditional Mature cheddar would have worked well, and topped with dried breadcrumbs and pepper and baked for a few minutes to crisp it up – the concentrated sweetness of the vegetable flavours married well with the complexity of the cheddar. I found myself coming back to this over a couples of meals – it stood re-heating well – it was lovely to have the vegetables centre-stage. Extracts from Minutes of Whitestone Parish Council meeting held at Whitestone Parish Hall on Thursday 9 th April 2009 at 7.30pm to be confirmed at the Council meeting on Thursday 7 th May 2009

Attendance: Chairman – Councillor Mrs M Belt Councillors P Hanson, D Munro, Mrs B Netherway, M Riches Mrs P Vaughan, Clerk to the Council

Apologies: Councillors R Phillips, Mrs T Taylor

The meeting was opened by the Chairman and the April Draw for the 100 Club in support of the Parish Hall Roof Appeal was made by Councillor Riches. The lucky number was 15 and belongs to Ruth Hutchinson. Minutes of the Council meetings held on 12 th March 2009 having been circulated were taken as read and signed as a true copy by the Chairman.

MATTERS ARISING Mobile Podiatry Service – A response from the Podiatry Service has been received saying that under Health & Safety regulations it had been necessary to fit new stabilizers to the ramps for the vans and this meant that they are unable to negotiate the steep slope into the Hall car park. The twelve patients who use the service have been notified by letter and offered alternative appointments at the service when it visits Tedburn St Mary. A suggestion that the van could be parked in the area by the bus stop had been investigated by the Podiatry Service but considered to be an unsafe area owing to road traffic conditions. The Chairman said that enquiries had been made regarding a taxi service to Tedburn and this would entail a cost of £40 which was too much for pensioners. After discussion the Clerk was instructed to write to the Primary Care Trust and dispute the decision and also offer alternative sites for the van within the village and state that the Library van uses the site at the bus stop when it visits the village.

School Houses Investigations will now be made by the Sub Committee regarding the installation of the new kitchen so that this can be implemented as soon as possible.

Payments were proposed and seconded for: Quarterly electricity bill - £201.86 Council Tax due 1 st May - £132.00 All in favour.

Crossway Park It was reported that the annual inspection of the Crossway Park had been made and copies of the report were distributed to Councillors. There were only low risks reported in respect of the play equipment but after discussion it was decided that the football nets be removed.

As discussed last year a further donation of £50 to the Gardening Club for their help in caring for the Community Garden was proposed and seconded. All in favour.

Parish Hall It is reported that after investigating the extraordinary consumption of heating oil from the tank at the Parish Hall over the past few months it has been estimated that between October and March there has been a loss of approximately 700 litres of oil which would equate to £250. It would therefore seem that there has been theft of the oil and Mr Trowbridge has reported this to the Police. Before making an insurance claim Councillor Riches is investigating the cost of the repair of the oil tank lid in order that this can be included in the claim. It is noted that there is £125 excess on the policy.

Following the request at the March meeting it has now been requested that the outside toilet at the Hall be open for public use as with the summer approaching more people will be making use of the Crossway Park area.

Local Government Review It was reported by the Boundary Committee that further consideration is being given to the proposals put forward with regard to the financial implications and it was resolved that a further letter be sent to the Boundary Committee indicating that Whitestone Parish wish to reaffirm their representation that as a rural community they would prefer that the existing system of local government in Devon should continue to exist. Should this not be an option then the Parish would support a Devon unitary authority comprising the existing county of Devon with no changes to and .

It was reported that a Public Inquiry regarding the closure of the central reservation by the Highways Agency has ruled in favour that the central reservation gap be re-opened.

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MATTERS RAISED BY THE CHAIRMAN Mr Joll has reported that the belt is broken on the lawn mower and Councillor Munro will investigate in order that this can be repaired. It was noted that some tree branches which had come down during the heavy snow were impeding Mr Milverton’s right of way at the rear of the car park. The Clerk was instructed to obtain a quote from the firm responsible for the hedge cutting for these to be removed. It was reported that Mr Chris Hodges has recommended a builder for work required at the Parish Hall . Accounts/balance sheet for the year ended 31 st March 2009 were distributed to Councillors and the Annual Return will be presented to the May meeting for approval. The balance sheet showed balances in the bank as at the 31 st March 2009 as follows:-

Income Return of VAT 2008/09 - £928.32 Expenditure The following payments were proposed and seconded for payment. All in favour:- Playsafety Ltd - £126.50 Devon Playing Fields Annual Subscription - £15.00 Clerk’s expenses - £77.41

CORRESPONDENCE Strategic Partnership – notification of an event to provide local community groups with opportunity to influence Central Government thinking at the Passage House Hotel, from 9.30am to 12.30pm on 21 st April. Proposal forms were distributed for return to the Partnership.

PLANNING Planning Granted 09/00365/FUL Erection of single storey outbuilding within rear garden for use as hobbies craft rooms, shed, workshop and storage at Higher Hurston, Nadderwater Planning Applications 09/00587/FUL Erection of decking and wheelchair access ramp at Shalom, Nadderwater. Discussed with no objections. 09/00937/FUL Removal of existing lean-to elements and single storey extension to three sides of existing house at Hurston Farm, Tedburn Road. Discussed with no objections. 09/01050/FUL Erection of two storey building to provide double garage, workshop and studio to replace existing annexe building at Hackworthy, Trillow Hill. Discussed with no objections.

REPORTS Councillor Hanson proposed that a statement be prepared to substantiate the decision not to support the proposition of a new build for the Parish Hall in order that this could be placed before parishioners. He volunteered to undertake this task and would consult with Dawn Eckhart of the Community Council of Devon, who had offered advice at the February meeting on the completion of a business plan for such a project.

It was reported that the boiler at the Parish Hall was inefficient and Councillor Hanson is researching alternative heating systems

It was reported that work involving the installation of drainage pipes at Swan Lake had been investigated and unconfirmed reports indicated that this work was being carried out by the Highways Department.

The road sign at Centre Cottages is obscured – to be reported to Highways

It was reported that there appears to be a change of use for the stables at 26 Merrymeet as it seems that it is being used for business purposes and no application has come before the Parish Council.

There was concern regarding the untidiness of Cross Park Farm and also late night activity has been reported.

There had been substantial fly tipping on the Heath Cross to Tedburn St Mary Mary and when this had been reported to Teignbridge this had been cleared immediately. The Clerk was instructed to write and express thanks for the prompt removal.

Councillor Riches reported the donation of a small snooker table for use at the parish hall and the Clerk was asked to write a letter of thanks to Mr and Mrs Jones for their gift.

The meeting closed at 10.25pm

PARISH HALL BOOKINGS Mrs Roz Hanson will be taking the bookings for Whitestone Parish Hall, her telephone number is 01392 811878.

REGULAR PARISH HALL BOOKINGS There are regular activities in the Parish Hall apart from the monthly society events. In response to suggestions we publish a list. Please note contact numbers for future reference.

WEEKLY Tuesday evening Ballroom Dancing Colin Thorne - 01392 206442 Wednesday 10.00am - 12.00 noon Mothers & Toddlers Rachel Wilson - 01647 61744 Friday evening Bingo Ray Kielty - 07949 865204 Saturday 9.00am - 1.00pm Topaz Dancing Sally Gray - 01392 424073 MONTHLY Parish Council Meeting Normally 2nd Thursday in the month starting at 7.30pm. Open to the Public.

Whitestone Parish Hall

Committee of Management

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

The Annual General Meeting of the Committee of Management will take place on Thursday 7th of May starting at 7.00pm at the Parish Hall.

All Adult Residents of the Parish are welcome and encouraged to attend. This is your chance to influence the way in which your Paris Hall is run for your benefit.

The main purpose of the meeting is to receive the reports from the Officers of the Committee for the closing year and to elect the four Members of the Committee for the coming year. The Committee comprises four Elected Members and one Representative Member nominated by each of the established organizations within the Parish.

These Representative Members serve for one year. In addition the Committee may elect one Co-opted member as it sees fit.

All members of the Committee, Elected, Nominated and Co-opted, are required to stand down at the AGM but all may make themselves available for re-election for the coming year.

The four Elected Members are to be nominated and elected by all eligible persons present at the AGM by a show of hands or a silent ballot as seen appropriate. Although the Chairman of the Committee also has to stand down that person is required to chair the meeting up until the time of the first meeting of the new Committee at which time the new Officers of the Committee are selected.

The out-going Committee looks forward to seeing you at the AGM on the 7th of May.

Peter Trowbridge Chairman Committee of Management Whitestone Parish Hall

WHITESTONE PARISH HALL

POSITION OF CARETAKER

The Committee of Management of Whitestone Parish Hall wish to appoint a CARETAKER to assist in the manage- ment and administration of the Hall. This is an important job in the Village Community The position will be part time, requiring a deal of flexibility concerning hours worked which are expected to be in the region of 45 hours per month. This will include some evening and weekend work. Remuneration will be paid at the rate of £6 an hour, the position is most suitable for a local resident. For further details please write to, or telephone, Mr Peter Trowbridge at Hindcross, Whitestone on 01392 811375 WHITESTONE WALKERS MAY WALK Next Walk – Sunday 10 th May, 09.30a.m. Meeting at the Parish Hall to share cars, we will then drive to the car park at Bennett’s Cross on the B3212, to Road. The car park is situated at Map reference O.S. Outdoor Leisure 28 681.817. The morning walk will be approximately 5 miles taking in Hookney Tor, Grimspound (Bronze Age Settlement), Challacombe and the last working Tin Mine on . The afternoon walk will again be approximately 5 miles, starting from Postbridge for a forest walk to Tor and Laughter Tor before returning via the East Dart River and Bellever village. For anyone wishing to go directly to the car park at Bennett’s Cross, we will meet there at approximately 1015a.m. For those wishing to do both walks, the Pub at Postbridge will open as will the Village Shop/Post Office which has a range of hot and cold food and drinks available.

ART INSTALLATIONS There’s now a second installation, complete with a flowers, which you may have noticed, by the 30mph sign as you come into the village from Tedburn. We hope it gives you a fleeting moment of pleasure as you pass.

Art and Craft Fair Don’t forget there are also competitions for parishioners only for the most creative and a separate one for the most carefully crafted work. There’s also the opportunity to buy paintings by Peter Lowe who died a few years ago. Peter trained at the Royal Academy and exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery in London. Many of the works on offer feature scenes in Exeter. Outside the entrance, there’ll also be the usual plant stall as well as a local produce stall inside. Hope to see you on the day.

WHITESTONE CALENDAR The picture provisionally chosen for March is a daffodil scene by Peter Hanson and can be seen in the notice board outside the Parish Hall. Thank you to everyone who has contributed so far and please continue to send your photographs to Jock Kirkpatrick (Tel: 811205) at 2 Merrymeet, Whitestone or [email protected] A final decision of the photographs to include will be made around the end of October to allow time for the calendar to be produced professionally. Although the final cost of the calendar has yet to be decided, it is hoped that it would be in the region of £5 to £10. An early indication of your likely order would be appreciated.

WHITESTONE FETE 2009 Please make a note that this year’s fete will be on the 4 th July 2009. Any items for the ‘White Elephant’ stall and crockery for the ‘Crockery Smash’ would be most welcome. Please contact Jock Kirkpatrick on 811205.

WHITESTONE SOCIAL CLUB- Secretary Peter Hanson, (tel. 01392 811878) If you’re reading this in time, the April meeting on Monday 27 th at 7 30pm, will take the form of a talk by the Dartmoor National Trust on “Dartmoor Myths and legends”, followed by the usual bring and share of food and drink. The ‘Bring & Share’ food & drink evenings are a great way to meet other people in the village. In particular newcomers to the village can get to know people, make new friends and find out what is going on. Why not join, it’s only £12 per year, or try one of our ‘Bring & Share’ food & drink evenings to see if you like it; it’s only £2.00 a head. Future Events: Monday 25th May Picnic, with music, in the Community Garden Monday 22 nd June Talk on climbing Mt. Cotopaxi plus “Bring and Share” Monday 27 th July “Ghost walk“ in Exeter followed by meal. Monday 24 th August Barn Dance Monday 28 th Sept Talk by Exeter Redcoat, plus “Bring and Share” Monday 26 th October Talk on home brewing, plus “Bring and Share” Joint meeting with Sustainable Whitestone. Everyone welcome. Friday 6 th November Bridgwater Carnival Monday 7 th (?) December Christmas meal, Exeter College

TORCH CLUB Torch Club, Tedburn St Mary After School Club has one vacancy to fill. Can you be our emergency cover staff? We are looking for someone who can be “on call” if we have to cover a member of our current staff in the case of sickness or holiday cover. This could be between the hours 7.45 am to 8.45 am and 3.30pm to 6.00pm. You will need to be NVQ2 trained for this post. For more information please call the Chair of Torch Club Alison Tolley on 07713341354 (Mobile).

MITCHELL Shawthorne Bungalow Whitestone Sydenham & Vernon Exeter EX4 2JS Tel: 01392-811374

FUNERAL SERVICES

Your local Funeral Directors Mary Belt

Should you wish to telephone, there is an experienced Dressmaking Curtains Alterations Repairs Member of our staff available 24 hours a day to offer advice

Tel: (01392) 272682 Chapels of Rest Zip Replacements King William Street, York road, Exeter, EX4 6PD

Master Craftsmen in Stone ALUMINIUM-PVC-WINDOWS-DOORS-CONSERVATORIES SHOP FRONTS-CURTAIN WALLING Providing superb quality & value Langmead Memorials Memorials, additional inscriptions cleaning & renovations

Phone 01392 273259 St. Marks Avenue, Exeter, EX1 2PX

Web: www.langmead-memorials.com Email: [email protected]

GARETH J CLATWORTHY HOMEWORKS

Interior & Exterior Quality Decorating Carpentry

General maintenance and Refurbish-

ment ‘LOWER HURSTON’ Dealing with all types of maintenance Tedburn Road Painting and Decorating Whitestone Tel: (01392) 811819 Exeter, EX4 2HF

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GASTECH SOUTHWEST

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Caravans The Fish Supper House for Fabulous Fish and chips Friendly Service and Marc Worth Fantastic Value Proprietor

Open Lunch times and Evenings 4 days a week Wednesdays to Saturdays inclusive Tel: 01392 811404 – Mobile 07812 572821 Tel. 01392 272432 17 Rd St. Thomas, EXETER 21 Merrymeet, Whitestone, Exeter, EX4 2JP

TEL: 01278 456119 TEL: 01884 255737 TEL: 01643 705002

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If you would like a last resting place in beautiful countryside overlooking Dartmoor. Tele- phone : Phone 0164724382 and speak to Julie 01392 811431 Mobile : 07976 626206 or Martin Chatfield www.crosswayswoodlandburials.co.uk Merry View, Whitestone, Exeter, EX4 2JT

Great Food, Great Service, Superb Value, Local Produce! The Royal Oak THE KINGS ARMS, TEDBURN ST MARY Nadderwater Tel. 01647 61224 (01392) 272352 www.kingsarmsinn.co.uk www.theroyaloaknadderwater

Sunday 3rd May Our new chef Andy Wood has been working hard on creating a TREASURE HUNT & BBQ new Summer Menu. Starts 2.30pm £5 per car - just turn up collect your clues and set off for a great afternoon (monies to Our Award Winning Carvery is served every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday Lunchtime Children’s Hospice Southwest) BBQ starts at 5pm

Burger £2, Hotdog £1.50 We have plenty of “Live Music” and Garden Parties planned for

the Summer. Keep an eye out for posters in the pub and around Sunday 24th May the village for further details. FAMILY QUIZ & BBQ £1 per person starts 3.30pm

Remember we have Bed and Breakfast Accommodation available NEW CHEF at reasonable rates.

REVAMPED MENU Don’t forget our Private Function Room seats up to 50 guests ––– MAIN COURSES it’sit’s thethe perfectperfect venuevenue forfor weddings, birthday parties, SMALL £3.95 christenings etc. Also available for hire for business purposes. REGULAR £ 5.95 LARGE £7.95

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The Owl and the Pussycat restaurant is housed in a Grade 11 listed building with Private dining room available for special parties or functions 3 Teign Street, , TQ14 8EA of up to 30 people. TheTel: restaurant 01626 775321 is open for lunch or Email: [email protected] dinner Monday to Saturday serving delicious freshly OPENING HOURS prepared dishes using local produce where possible. Mon ––– Thursday Coffee: 10.00am ––– 11.30am Lunch: 11.30am ––– 2.30pm Dinner: 6.00pm ––– 9.30pm Fri ––– Sat Coffee: 10.00am ––– 11.30am Lunch: 11.30am ––– 2.30pm Dinner: 6.00pm ––– 10.00pm Sunday Lunch: 12.00 ––– 3.00pm