FOCUS ON THORVERTON August 2020 Vol. 51 No. 7 50p Focus on Thorverton Vol. 51 No. 7 – August 2020 FOCUS MAGAZINE INFORMATION Chairman Michael Ayre, Ratcliffe Farm, Raddon. Secretary Geoff Bulley, 17 Broadlands, Thorverton. Advertisements Secretary Maggie Dunlop, Kibby Yew, School Lane, Thorverton. Tel.(01392) 861185 Treasurer Bob Swaffield, Schiehallion, School Lane, Thorverton. Tel. (01392) 860309 Editor Neville Lane, Stable House, 2 The Glebe, Thorverton. Tel. (01392) 861062 Email: [email protected] Back issues (courtesy of Rob Purvis): thorvertonfocus.wordpress.com Assistant editors Eileen Mason, Fiona Harrison and Jules Jeffreys Printed by Sarum Graphics At the present time Focus is produced each month except January. The Editor welcomes interesting news items, reports etc. for publication. Items for inclusion in Focus should be accompanied by the name of the originator, which may be withheld from print if requested. The aims of Focus are: To produce a non-political monthly magazine serving the people of the parish of Thorverton, providing them with information on activities in the parish; For the magazine to be one that villagers are proud of; To provide a window for those outside Thorverton to see what the village has to offer; To promote local businesses through advertising; and To run at a small annual profit, but with surplus funds put to support village organisations for the benefit of Thorverton residents. Items for publication, adverts, changes to adverts, Diary entries, changes to Thorverton Information lists should be sent to the Editor, preferably as plain text in an email, or as a Word doc file or a pdf file email attachment (to [email protected]) by the 20th of the month prior to publication please. All items received are acknowledged, so if you don’t receive an acknowledgment within a few days, please assume not received. Advertisements and Notices Poster Type Advertisements. Text for advertisements should be prepared as near as possible to how it is intended to appear. Pictures must be supplied as required on the advertisement. Focus reserves the right to refuse any advertisement or notice at its sole discretion for any reason whatsoever. COMMERCIAL ADVERTISEMENTS The following advertising charges apply: Maximum dimensions COST per ENTRY FULL YEAR (11 entries) Full page 24.4 cm x 18.2 cm £14.00 £140 Half page 18.2 cm x 12.2 cm £7.00 £70 Quarter page 8.5 cm x 12.2 cm £4.00 £40 One-eighth page 8.5 cm x 5.8 cm £2.00 £20 LOCAL ORGANISATION and CHARITIES ADVERTISEMENTS COST per ENTRY Half page £3.00 Cheques made payable to Quarter or one-eighth page free of charge (for up to 3 months) “Focus” Front Cover: Flower rainbow – sown by Thomas Richardson The opinions and views expressed by contributors within the magazine are not necessarily those of Focus producers or of the Focus Committee. Focus on Thorverton 1 Vol 51 No.7 –August 2020 Editorial have two vacancies for parish councillors. If you are interested please contact the clerk, Alison Marshall, Here we are then, with the first separate August or talk to an existing councillor (listed on page 3) to edition of Focus for a good number of years anyway; find out more about what it involves. It does not need up to now we have had a combined July and August to be too arduous a role, but the strength of the edition. I would like to call it a summer special, community does rely on such involvement. although we could do with a little more warm, settled weather than we have had for the last couple of I hope that you have noticed that Peter Hargood has months for it to feel much like summer (I was taken on writing the Sky at Night articles. If there are probably spoilt in that I was brought up in the South particular aspects which you would like him to say East, whereas my dear wife is far more accustomed something about, do ask (either directly or through to wetter spells having been brought up in South Focus). I would be happy to introduce other regular Wales). articles if any villagers have particular knowledge or interest in an area which might also be of interest to Village life is gradually returning to normal, with the others. I feel that these articles - such as Jenny pubs as well as the shop and Post Office now open, Garne’s Nature Notes, Lorraine Colebrook’s Garden albeit with some restrictions. Do keep supporting articles, our poetry page, Tina Ayre’s farming month local businesses – many of which advertise in Focus and Clive Hamblin’s Legal Eagle - do give the - so that we can help them recover from what will magazine that bit of extra interest. have been a very difficult period for many. Sadly there is still nothing much to advertise by way of That is enough by way of an introduction to this events. I hope that you will continue to walk and if month’s magazine, with apologies that it is a little you do go on any particularly good walks that I have slimmer than usual. I hope that you enjoy reading it not previously suggested, do provide some details so and that you are able to do so in your deckchair with that we might, through Focus, encourage others to try a nice cool drink. them out. I am also enjoying the harvest season on my allotment – notwithstanding the gardening jobs that Lorraine is suggesting still need attention. Neville Lane Focus Editor In last month’s Focus I mentioned that we need a new editor for the magazine. That still stands, so if you would like to become involved do get in touch with me or with the chairman, Michael Ayre. I hope that you will also have picked up on the fact that we In this Focus Legal Eagle .............................................................. 17 Editorial ..................................................................... 1 School Report .......................................................... 18 Letters ........................................................................ 2 Morris Dancing ........................................................ 18 Roy Jones ................................................................... 2 From The Archives .................................................. 19 Thorverton Parish Council ......................................... 3 Where in Thorverton? .............................................. 21 Thorverton Co-Operative Trust Ltd........................... 4 The Joy of Virtual Travel ........................................ 22 Notices ....................................................................... 5 The Sky at Night ...................................................... 23 Thorverton Memorial Hall ......................................... 6 Puzzles ..................................................................... 24 Church Services and News ........................................ 7 Covid 19 - a District View ....................................... 25 Parish Letter ............................................................... 8 Funding from Focus ................................................. 25 Baptist Church ........................................................... 9 Adverts ..................................................................... 26 Newton St Cyres Tennis Club ................................... 9 Thorverton Parish Information ................................ 45 The Good Old Days? ............................................... 10 Thorverton Organisations ........................................ 46 Ringing in the change .............................................. 10 Doctors’ Surgeries ................................................... 47 Funnies .................................................................... 11 Waste Collection Dates............................................ 49 Poetry ....................................................................... 12 Mobile Library ......................................................... 49 A Year on our Farm – July ...................................... 14 Union Flag Flying days in August ........................... 49 The Garden in August .............................................. 15 Road works .............................................................. 49 Nature Notes ............................................................ 16 Bus Services ............................................................ 49 Summer in Thorverton ............................................. 50 Focus on Thorverton 2 Vol 51 No.7 –August 2020 Letters From Marjorie Maynard My grateful thanks for everyone’s cards and kind From Loreen Large words since losing Ken. How many Focus readers would be for or against Due to Covid 19 restrictions, a private, Family having a page of little announcements of Births, cremation will take place. Deaths and Marriages? In times such as the last 3 months, when we've had to isolate, and not been able A thanksgiving service will be held at a later date. to go out to hear local information and what's going on, it would be nice to know (or read) who has entered the world or left us, and to know a little bit Roy Jones more news of the village and around about, that we hadn't heard. I would be most interested to know your comments. Pat Jones sent me some information about her husband, Roy, who died recently, aged almost 98. He I would be only too happy to have such a regular and Pat had lived in Raddon between 2009 and 2016 column in Focus, but it would rely on people letting (when Roy went into the Dunkirk Residential Home). me know of details to be included in Focus because my spy network is not yet good enough for me to be Pat sent