SOUTH HUISH PARISH NEWSLETTER October—November 2020

Editor:

Jan Carter Tel: 560086

e-mail: [email protected]

now available online at

www.southhuish-pc.org.uk

For comments or suggestions for this newsletter please contact the above

Free to residents of Hope Cove,

Galmpton and South Huish

Sponsored by:

The Parish Council

Printed by: Nick Walker Printing Ltd. Kingsbridge The Autumn issue usually has to contain the 'C word' (Christmas), but this year it also means 'Covid- 19' which, sadly, is still with us and affecting our lives. Changes to guidelines and restrictions are frequent and numerous and therefore some of the information in this issue may not be correct by the time of reading. But we battle on and there is still plenty of help available if you need it. The list of volunteers with contact details is displayed on the parish council website – the address is on the front cover – in the window of Hope Post Office & Stores, or you can telephone the Editor for a copy – contact details also on the front cover.

I expect most people were aware of the film unit which descended on Hope Cove for a week last month and filmed scenes at various locations around the village. For anyone who hasn't heard, it was for a comedy programme called 'Princess' (which may be a working title only) for BBC & Apple tv, due to go out next year.

Redfern Health Centre - Salcombe

INFLUENZA VACCINATION - APPOINTMENT BOOKING INFORMATION

We would like to notify patients, who are registered at the Redfern Health Centre, Salcombe and who qualify as ‘at risk’ patients, that we will be holding our annual influenza immunisation clinic at Malborough Village Hall on Wednesday, 14th October 2020 from 9:00-12:30pm.

Please note that due to COVID-19 and to follow government guidance we will only be able to see patients at the village hall this year, who have booked an appointment

*Please telephone the health centre 01548 842284 to book your appointment for this session

 Eligible patients in the ‘at risk’ groups are as follows:  All patients age 65 years and older  Asthma or chronic lung disease  Chronic heart disease eg Angina, heart failure  Diabetes  Chronic liver or renal disease  Those without a spleen  Pregnant  Main carer for an elderly or disabled person, whose welfare may be at risk if the carer falls ill

Please book an appointment to attend this session, or for one of the clinics held at the Health Centre, which includes Saturday 10th October. Tel: 01548 842284

*You will not be able to attend the village hall session without an appointment.

FORC AGM

The Friends of the Redfern Centre will be holding their AGM on Thursday 19 October commencing at 7.30 pm. It will depend upon Covid-19 restrictions at that time whether this will be held in Malborough Village Hall or via Zoom. For confirmation nearer the date please contact the Secretary, Jan Carter on 560086.

Macmillan Coffee Morning/ Take Away

Thank you to all those who came to enjoy the delicious cakes and drinks on a glorious September Saturday morning. We raised a staggering £580 for Macmillan and once again I thank you for your continued support especially in these difficult times. I must also thank the fabulous team of volunteers that make it all possible. Carol Riley

Hope Cove Life Boat

The lifeboat is still very active with the crew recently changing from training sessions via 'Zoom' to now launching the boat and doing real hands-on training with various simulated exercises to develop and test their skills. All this has to be done whilst remaining 'Covid' safe which has meant reviewing all our activities on a constant basis to improve and change the way we operate as we learn more about the virus and its implications in all the actions we take. We continue to respond to 'shouts' during the busy summer period and have been involved in a variety of rescues which we list on our website and on the Facebook page.

After ten years Graham has decided to stand down as Chairman, and although not involved in an administrative capacity will continue to actively support the Lifeboat, particularly with regard for the collecting boxes distributed around the South Hams. He takes over this role from Ann Pedrick who has done this for the last 10 years, and during that time has collected nearly £20,00.00 for which she is to be congratulated and hugely thanked.

The crew and trustees would like to thank Graham for his leading role and major contribution over these years in establishing the lifeboat and its continued operation. He was to many people the 'VOICE' of the lifeboat at all our events and will be sorely missed.

Steve Baguley is currently acting as chairperson while the trustees review and decide on what the role should encompass and who would best fit this for the future. The trustees have been continuing to carry on the business side of the lifeboat and have held two covid compliant meetings using a mixture of 'Zoom' and live groupings. The local MP Anthony Mangnall paid us a visit and met some of the crew and trustees to get an understanding of the issues we are facing due to Covid with the ongoing procurement of PPE and the major impact on our fundraising of not being able to run events and sell the promotional merchandise. There is no government provision of PPE for Search and Rescue organisations although we are required to equip the crew to a specified standard when training and under live rescue conditions. I was then called with very little notice in early August for a live on air interview about these issues by BBC Radio Devon which received some good feedback and interest.

Our next major fundraising event this year is our annual Quiz night at Malborough Village Hall on the 21st of November, posters with details of how to book one of the limited number of tables for team of 6 will be going up around the village and details will also be on the website and Facebook. Like all currently planned activities this is assuming we do not have to comply with any significant changes to the Covid regulations.

The trustees and crew all maintain their high level of contribution of their time and energy to ensure the continued service to locals and visitors to this special part of Devon. This commitment is demonstrated by the very good turnouts for training and shouts and the full meetings of the trustees. Steve Baguley

Hope Cove Lifeboat Charity Golf Day

The Covid driven rearrangement of the Hope Cove Lifeboat Charity Golf Day took place on the 25th September at Thurlestone. It was a very successful day, challenging conditions definitely and a great turnout considering the strange year we’re all having. The golf course was in lovely condition, plus the club really looked after us and served a nice selection of food on the day.

A big thank you to all the teams that took part, a local team captained by Malcolm Toone won the event with an excellent team score of 81 points. A great score given the strength of the wind and seven points clear of the pack.

As ever I am very grateful for prize donations from Moore Scarrott, the Cottage Hotel and South Sands Hotel, both Thurlestone & Bigbury Golf Club, Hope Cove House, Oceans Restaurant, Sand Pebbles and a few others. Many thanks, it makes a real difference.

The biggest winner though is the funds we raised for the Lifeboat, this should be just over £2,400 which is fantastic given the current climate and very much appreciated by those concerned.

Thanks again, I hope I can count on the participants and prize donations when we have our next HCLB golf day in May 2021, Covid permitting! Ken Riley

HOPE COVE PILATES IS BACK !!

WE ARE AT A NEW VENUE - GALMPTON VILLAGE HALL

ON A THURSDAY 4.30 – 5.30 pm

We are a small, friendly group and have some spaces available

TO BOOK A PLACE:-

Call Liz on 07878 199 824

Or just text the word “PILATES”

We have been open from 4th July welcoming residents and non-residents. We are following government guidelines to ensure your ‘safety’ and well-being.

If you are considering a visit please telephone so we can guarantee a ‘socially distant’ table is available for you and please remember to wear your face mask as you enter the hotel building. We are still offering a take-away service, please contact us for more information.

We look forward to welcoming you, our festive lunch and dinner menu is available from mid- November and our special locals' accommodation winter offer commences Monday 16th November, from £65.00 per person (for a 1-night stay) OR £62.50 per person per night for 2-nights or more, in a double sea-view room including a bottle of chilled prosecco on arrival, dinner, bed and breakfast , Sunday – Friday inclusive, supplements apply to balcony rooms and single occupancy of a double room. (Subject to our availability).

The hotel will be closing this year from 10th – 31st January inclusive, re-opening on 1st February 2021.

If you have any concerns or question on our Covid-19 operating procedures please call on 01548 561555.

Holy Trinity & St. Clement’s news

Holy Trinity Galmpton is open daily from approximately 9:30 am till 4:00 pm for quiet contemplation. Please feel free to visit the church but we ask you respect the Covid restrictions and recommendations. Sadly St Clement’s will remain closed as it is not feasible to maintain the self- distancing requirements laid out at present.

At Holy Trinity there will be Sunday services at 10 am. every Sunday throughout October and November.

Sunday the 4th of October will be our rather muted Harvest Festival with all proceeds going to the Kingsbridge food bank.

Sunday the 8th of November will be Remembrance Sunday recalling the bravery and sacrifices of our armed forces over many conflicts.

For those unable to join us but have the internet, Father Daniel conducts a service on the website https://dailywithgod.co.uk/ We will also be holding our annual ‘gift day’ on Thursday the 29th of October. For any enquiries - contact the Benefice Administrator on 01548 842626

The Methodist Chapel

The Methodist Chapel, Inner Hope has resumed services at 6pm on a Sunday, with suitable safeguarding protections in place, including masks available for a small donation. We can welcome up to ten people to a service which can also be accessed by Zoom from the Kingsbridge Church. Please refer to the South Devon Circuit website for further details.

We also welcome passers-by to visit the church which is usually open during the day. Our circuit charity this year is Children's Hospice South West. We hope to have a fund raising Harvest festival at the chapel on Sunday 25th October, which may include some outside refreshment element in the Square, depending on the weather and circumstances at the time.

We invite you all to come and enjoy the peace and beauty of our chapel.

Sue Morgan 01548 560237 Rachel Mitchell (Minister) 01 548 852073

SCAMS – a message from SHDC

We have been made aware of cold-calling, potentially uninsured contractors claiming to be tree surgeons operating in the districts, targeting vulnerable (particularly elderly) residents and claiming to be fully qualified, fully insured tree surgeons, offering to do tree and garden works for cash. They are stating they can carry out works to protected trees legally and provide residents with a certificate to submit to us to avoid prosecution. No such certificate exists and this is not the case. An application to SHDC/WDBC in some form is required prior to carrying out works to any trees subject to a TPO or in a Conservation Area.

If you hear of any residents being approached by such contractors, please encourage them to take as many contact details for the contractors as possible along with vehicle registration numbers and descriptions of the individuals (if safe to do so) and report them to the police on 101 or via their website at https://www.police.uk/101/.

Please also observe the following important points:

- Prior to agreeing to any tree works, residents should check the contractor’s insurance certificate and qualifications – anyone who has gone through the training and paid the necessary insurance premiums will be proud to share the information with prospective clients. A checklist for choosing a tree surgeon is available here

- If the trees are protected by a TPO or in a Conservation Area, residents will need to be in receipt of written consent from the SHDC or WDBC Tree Officer in a decision notice or occasionally email prior to carrying out works to such trees to avoid potential investigation which may lead to prosecution. Resident’s responsibilities in relation to ‘Protected Trees’ are outlined via the following links:

South Hams: https://www.southhams.gov.uk/article/3490/Protected-Trees

West Devon: https://westdevon.gov.uk/article/3490/Protected-Trees - Guidance on how to find a suitably qualified, fully insured tree surgeon is available from the Arboricultural Association via www.trees.org.uk (specifically https://www.trees.org.uk/Help- Advice/Public/Choose-your-Tree-Surgeon).

National Trust

The National Trust is still in the process of consulting staff on the planned restructure and redundancies, with changes taking effect from mid October. Some of the South Devon team are still on furlough and are expected to return in November. Our fantastic volunteers have also been off during this time, although we hope to get some practical teams up and running again this autumn.

The Rangers have been working hard to manage the sites, with a large number of visitors still around enjoying the late summer weather. They have been carrying out annual checks for Ash die back – the fungus Hymenosyphus fraxinaeus is a chronic fungal disease of ash trees, which causes leaf loss and crown dieback in infected trees. As the disease progresses the trees become very brittle and unsafe to climb, so much of the safety work needs to be done before they reach this stage. The team survey the trees across the estate and assess whether safety works need to be carried on on affected trees, such as if they are over a path, parking area or property.

We have also been carrying out the second cut of the huge footpath network we manage and starting to carry out the tree safety surveys across the property. Checking the trees for signs of fungal infections and structural change, again this is prioritised according to use.

Our seasonal Ranger Rob will be finishing in September, Rob started volunteering with us in 2019 on a placement year from university. He then gained a seasonal role with us, and has been a fantastic enthusiastic and hardworking addition to the team. He is returning to university in Manchester to finish his third year studies.

South Milton Sands, along with all our sites has seen an extremely busy season, we have been managing the site with less staff than usual but they have all done a fantastic job keeping it tidy and dealing with the hundreds of cars. A special thank you to Jack for his hard work there this season, and he always kept a smile on his face! He has now returned to his studies in Plymouth and we wish him every success for the future.

We are looking at options for a more long term repair to the outfall pipe on the beach which drains the wetland. Thankfully the autumn / winter weather often removes sand from this end of the beach so it has remained flowing for the last month. We will continue to get it cleared when required to maintain the water levels in the reserve.

There have been many interesting birds around the area as the autumn migrations starts with lots of wheatear, spotted flycatcher, firecrest, black redstart, huge flocks of house martins and swallows gathering – a great time to get out and see what you can find.

We will be starting our annual scrub cutting around the farms to keep the coastal grasslands in good condition, and also have some funding to carry out hedgerow maintenance at Southdown Farm. This will enable us to repair these features where areas have collapsed or need more shrubs planting on them, they are so important for wildlife creating shelter, a source of food and a network for wildlife to move around the farm. Please stop and have a chat to the team if you see us out working or if you have any comments about the work of the National Trust. For further information please call Emma Reece on 01548 562344 or email [email protected] Emma Reece Area Ranger

Wednesday Writers at the Cottage Hotel

Undaunted by the constraints imposed by you-know-what, the Wednesday Writers are still meeting – but online, using ZOOM.

Anne Rainbow invites you to join her and guest presenter Kerry Hadley-Pryce for an artist's date a la Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way.

· 21 October 2020 10am-12.30pm: Flash fiction – Editing your text to fit a set word count

· 18 November 2020 10am-12.30pm: Character creation - Making believable characters

Full details here: https://www.scrivenervirgin.com/wednesday-writers-online/ Any questions: email Anne at [email protected] or call her on 07721 695044. Anne Rainbow

Kingsbridge Area Foodbank has moved to larger premises

At last Foodbank has been able to relocate to larger premises and is now at Wallingford Road, Kingsbridge in the former Avon Farmers site - known locally as The Avon Centre.

If you would like to volunteer or can help the Foodbank in any way then don’t hesitate to get in touch with us either by email:

[email protected] or by telephone on - 07593-881633

Please visit us at The Avon Centre, Wallingford Road, Kingsbridge, Devon. TQ7 1ND

Citizens Advice

There have been some changes to the Citizens Advice Universal Credit helpline. If you have been made redundant and need support applying for Universal Credit call the national helpline on 0800 144 844. Press 1 at the first option to be directed to a group of highly-trained Help to Claim advisers who can support with complex situations. The Redundancy Priority Service runs Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm. For help with other issues such as employment, debt or housing contact Citizens Advice Devon on 03 444 111 444 or email via https://southhamscab.org.uk/contact/

Prawle Point Coastwatch

It’s always good to get praise and recognition. Sometimes we sit up in the lookout watching the sea, rain, or fog, wondering if what we are doing is worthwhile. So when we received a compliment from two senior Coastguard officers, through an online NCI/MCGA meeting, it was very pleasing to know how appreciated we are. They said, referring to our three month lockdown, “On the basis that you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone; we really missed NCI during the stations’ lockdown. Now that most of your stations are back online, we doubly appreciate what NCI does for us and thank you all very much”.

We’re getting a rash of boats with fouled props and rudders, often caught up on the many fishing buoys which are sometimes very difficult to spot. On August 18th Falmouth Coastguard telephoned us to report the position of a German Yacht with a fouled rudder. We monitored the situation while Salcombe RNLI freed the yacht.

August 20th brought Storm Ellen with warnings from police to expect flooding and coastal surges with waves up to 2.7m high. In these conditions it is crucial to check tide times and be aware of strong rip currents which can sweep away the strongest swimmer as well as inflatables, kayaks and paddle boards.

August 20th brought a Pan Pan call from a yacht with engine fire near Salcombe Bar. Both Salcombe Lifeboats were tasked, while a fishing boat stood by to help if necessary. Fortunately the fire was extinguished quickly and the yacht was towed safely into Salcombe Harbour.

On August 28th Falmouth Coastguard asked us to look for a yacht with engine failure. We managed to spot the yacht and passed on her position to the authorities. The yacht managed to progress towards the Bar under sail where she was met by the Harbour Authority.

On September 4th we heard a Pan Pan from a yacht off Start Point with a fouled prop and rudder. The coastguard tasked Salcombe AWLB as the yacht was so close to the rocks. We informed the Coastguard that we had her visual and were asked to monitor her while the lifeboat came to her aid. They managed to free the boat and towed her into Salcombe, thanking us for our support.

Lastly, on 7th September, we heard a Mayday Relay from a yacht, concerning another yacht that had hit the rocks off Start Point. Again the Coastguard asked us to monitor the position while Salcombe Inshore Lifeboat came to her aid. The vessel came clear of the rocks without damage and was able to proceed to France.

Please note – our evening openings are now suspended until next summer. Our website is www.nci- prawlepoint.org.uk. We broadcast the local conditions every two hours from 09.45am on VHF Channel 65 during daylight hours. Call us on Channel 65 for AIS and radio checks. Lookout telephone 01548 511259.

SOUTH HAMS SOCIETY SEEKS A NEW CHAIR

& A COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER

CHAIR: Are you keen to help protect our area’s natural assets and see its biodiversity increased? Perhaps you feel exasperated by inappropriate development?

We are seeking a dynamic new Chair to steer us through these challenging times. If you live in the South Hams and have relevant skills and experience – and 1-2 days per week to volunteer - we would love to hear from you.

For an informal chat, contact Didi Alayli, Vice Chair, at: [email protected]. COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER: Do you have professional skills in press and social media? Or are you a social media user looking to work in the communications field? Do you have passion and drive? Would you like the chance to work on local environmental issues?

We are looking for a Communications Officer (voluntary role) to handle our press and social media. In return you will have the opportunity to extend your experience and skills. If you are interested and can offer 1-2 days per week of your time (flexible working), please get in touch.

For an initial chat, contact Cathy Koo, Trustee, at: [email protected].

APPLICATIONS VIA CV WITH COVERING LETTER, BY 14TH OCTOBER 2020,

c/o: [email protected]

The South Hams Society, a registered charity, aims to stimulate interest in, and care for, the beauty, history and character of the South Hams and, in particular, the South Devon AONB.

For more info visit www.southhamssociety.org

Diary of Events – October/November 2020

(all subject to change according to Covid-19 restrictions)

Mobile Library: 7 October; 4 November 12.10 pm Hope Cove (Weymouth Pk) 1.30 pm Galmpton

14 Oct. Influenza Vaccinations – Appointment only – Malborough Village Hall

25 Oct. Fund raising Harvest Festival – Methodist Chapel/Inner Hope Square

19 Nov. FORC AGM (venue or Zoom – to be confirmed) 7.30 pm

21 Nov. Hope Cove Life Boat Quiz Malborough Village Hall 7.30 pm

South Huish Parish Council meetings – see their website www.southhuish-pc.org.uk

NB Refuse collection days have changed – see your letter from SHDC

The next collection for brown bins and recycling sacks will be 9 October and next refuse collection (grey bins) is 16 October.

Copy deadline for December 2020/January 2021 issue – Monday 23 November 2020

Nature Notes

Once again we notice that the National Trust have infringed on our area of interest, namely in listing some of the birds that can be seen locally. Our solicitors Rice, Rusk & Farley are looking into the matter. However of interest is that black redstarts have been spotted locally. For a number of years we have had a visiting family in both the spring and autumn behind NNI’s headquarters Upper Galmpton. Sadly this year we have not spotted them—hopefully that is our lack of observation or maybe they are a bit late this year. In all instances we wish them well—such pretty little birds. Not so elusive are the family of ravens which have been flying up and down the valley scattering all of the smaller birds before them whilst emitting a very loud raucous cries. There have been complaints. Even more ubiquitous are the daddy long legs or crane flies which are at almost plague proportions. Keen attentive readers will remember we mentioned their larval stage—the leatherjackets earlier in the year. Well now they have come out to fly, a stage that only lasts 10 to 15 days before laying their eggs and passing away. One wonders if they ever consider the value of their lives. This puts me in mind of Bertrand Russell the philosopher who once remarked that “A process which led from the amoeba to man appeared to the philosophers to be obviously a progress—though whether the amoeba would agree with this opinion is not known.” I know many of our readers will have studied biology at least to ‘A’ level standard and as such be familiar with the unicellular amoeba. Often considered the most primitive form of life, amoebas are studied by students in the laboratory to observe its response to various stimuli. Amoebas have been in existence for billions of years and occupy just about every environment imaginable in densities of thousands per cubic centimetre. Some are benign, other not so, as is evidenced by amoebic dysentery. Now as man has been on earth for 4 to 6 million years (depending on how you define ’man’) one has to admire the longevity of the amoeba and appreciate Russell’s observation. It has been a long year! STAY SAFE.

If you have any sensible contributions for Nature Notes email [email protected] or call 01548 562 021.

Emergency Contact Numbers: Police,Fire, Ambulance or Coastguard 999 Police Enquiry Centre 101 Water Supply and Sewage 0344 346 1010 Electricity Supply (general enquiry) 0800 096 3080 Electricity power cuts 105 South Hams District Council 01803 861234 Devon County Council (main switchboard) 0345 155 1015 Neighbourhood Watch To be advised Highways issues report to: new.devon.gov.uk/roadtransport/report -a-problem Other useful contacts: Action Fraud 03454 040506 Police – Salcombe Harbour Office 843791 Redfern Health Centre, Salcombe 842284 Redfern Car Co-ordinator Terry Andrew 843842 “ “ Sue Dobson 842784 Norton Brook Medical Centre, Kingsbridge 853551 Norton Brook Car Co-ordinator 856490 County Councillor Rufus Gilbert 856659 District Councillor Judy Pearce 561370 District Councillor Mark Long 843828 Parish Clerk Kathy Harrod 07704 941150 Parish Councillors Jo Hocking (Chairman) 561275 “ Anne Rossiter (Vice Chair) 561210 “ Paul Green 561443 “ Simon Coleman 562164 “ Alan Rundle 560117 “ Sue Darke 561089 Footpath Officer Richard Pollard 561526 Tree Warden Jamie Rundle via parish clerk 07704 941150 Chairman to the Harbour Commissioners Dave Clarke 561825 Harbourmaster Ray Staff 560928 Village Hall Bookings Ann Pedrick 561296 Bowling Ann Pedrick “ Reading Room Bookings David Morgan 560237 Hope History Group Phil Worth 561415 Line Dancing Lindy Sinnott 843944 Hope Cove Weekend Richard Lungmuss 561460 Bridge Lea Harvey 560462 South Huish Churches Parish office 842626 Hope Cove Methodist Church Sue & David Morgan 560237 Methodist church minister Rachel Mitchell 852073