The Chardstock Newsletter
OCTOBER 2020 ISSUE 400
News from the Hall Trustees We are very grateful to everyone who turned up on 8th September and worked so hard to ensure that every aspect of the Hall is clean, sanitised, and safe to use, with all Covid requirements in place for future hirings.
We will be meeting on Monday 21st September to discuss matters relating to the Hall and how we may proceed according to whatever rules may be in force by then.
We plan to hold our AGM on Monday 19th October at 7.30pm in the Hall, and if permitted by then, this will be an open meeting, observing social distancing. HELPLINE DRIVERS
Another month has passed since my last report and, unfortunately, Covid-19 is still deterring the carriage of passengers. Ann and I, however, have come to a decision which we think you should know at this point of time.
We have been involved with the Helpline Drivers for over 23 years and we feel that now is the right time for us to “retire”. We both celebrate and acknowledge the sterling work of a dedicated band of volunteers over this period and thought that the following may be of interest to you.
When we joined as drivers, the service was organised by June Wellington and, after a couple of years, I took over the financial side of recording donations, drivers’ expenses and arranging payments to local charities as and when we had a cash surplus. June Wellington “retired” in 2015 due to illness, and I took over the role of co-ordinator.
Over the past twenty years we have had a total of 34 different drivers. Many thanks to you all, past and present. Some of our earlier drivers (now retired) are making use of the service themselves!
We have made in excess of 1,000 trips, 96% of these have involved transporting local people to doctors, dentists, opticians and the hospitals at Exeter, Taunton and Yeovil. The remaining 4% of trips have been to collect and deliver prescriptions from both Axminster and Chard.
We have made 23 donations totalling £4,190 to local charities including Devon Air Ambulance, ShelterBox, Chardstock Community Hall Trust, St. Andrews Church, Chardstock Youth Club, Chardstock Newsletter, and Chardstock Historical Record Group.
At the time of writing this report, I am pleased to inform you that I have cleared the accounts by donating our final balance of £359.12 to The Chardstock War Memorial Fund.
The majority of the current drivers have stated that they will be happy to resume normal services as soon as they feel safe and, as the majority are in the “vulnerable” age group, it is understandable that this is an individual choice for them to make when the time is right.
Obviously, someone will need to replace me to keep this wonderful service going and as there is this Covid-19 hiatus at the moment, it seems this is a good time for Ann and me to say “Goodbye”. HELPLINE DRIVERS (continued …)
It gives time for people to reflect on the benefits of the Helpline Drivers and maybe step up to the plate. One day, you may well benefit from the service yourselves! To be the co-ordinator you would need to organise the rota for the Newsletter and be the treasurer – you do not even have to be a driver yourself. I will happily give any advice to anyone who wishes to take my place. John Gough 01460 220348
ST ANDREW’S CHURCH
St. Andrew’s Church is opening again for services on some Sundays in the month. We have altered the seating arrangements to allow for safe social distancing and we ask that members of the congregation wear face coverings whilst in the building.
Services in St. Andrew’s Church during October: 10am on Sunday October 11th Parish Communion with Father Geoffrey Walsh 10am on Sunday October 25th Morning Worship with Rev’d Nicky Davies (our new Priest in the Axe Valley Mission Community).
Lady Chapel opening
As some of you will know, the Lady Chapel at St. Andrew’s Church is open for private prayer and reflection between 10am and 3pm on a Sunday and a Wednesday. The Lady Chapel is accessed through the door in the North-East wall of the church. (Unfortunately, the rest of the church is closed apart from during services). We request that visits are limited to a maximum of 30 minutes and that there should be no more than 4 persons in the Chapel at any time. We also ask that visitors follow the cleaning instructions inside the chapel.
Annual Church Meetings – The Future of St. Andrew’s
There is a requirement that every church should hold an open meeting for the people of the community to consider the management of the church. This year, because of Covid and ‘lockdown’ the Annual Church Meetings were postponed from April and will now take place on Wednesday October 14th in St. Andrew’s Church. There is a short business meeting at 6.45pm followed by the Annual Parish meeting to which all are welcome at 7.15pm. We are fortunate that the church is big enough to accommodate plenty of people whilst
Annual Church Meetings – The Future of St. Andrew’s (continued…) complying with social distancing requirements, although you will need to wear a face covering. The meeting this year will be a particularly important meeting as Tim Purrett will be standing down from the role of Churchwarden and currently, we have no replacement. Tim has brought much energy and creativity during his time as Churchwarden and will be sadly missed. We shall also be losing a significant number of our Parochial Church Council (PCC) members for various reasons. Legally a church must have a properly constituted PCC in order to continue to function. It is therefore vital that people come forward to replace our retiring members in order for the church to continue to serve the village. Please put this date (6.45pm on Wednesday October 14th in St. Andrew’s Church) into your diary and come along to consider the work of the PCC and the future of St Andrew’s Church as it seeks to serve and engage with the village and wider community. It is important that everyone shares their thoughts and opinions and this open meeting gives us all the opportunity to consider the future and development of the church in Chardstock. If you would like to learn more about the PCC then please do contact Roger Damon on 01460 221344 or by email on [email protected]. Or, better still, come along to a special Zoom meeting at 7pm on Tuesday October 12th to hear about the importance of the PCC to the church and how you might help. Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86325904480
Church bookstall – we’re open again but we need your help! Many of you will be familiar with the bookstall at the back of the church where we take in books and sell them for 50p or £1 in aid of church funds. Sadly during lockdown we had to close the church and therefore the bookstall too. As things change at the moment we are trialling a few books in the Lady Chapel when it’s open for a few hours on Wednesdays and Sundays. Unfortunately we cannot accept more books at the moment until we’ve sold some – we’ll let you know when we can! Judy who has done a brilliant job running it for a number of years is stepping back and unless we can get someone (or some people – the more the merrier!) to take over, we’ll have to close the bookstall which would be a real shame. It’s not too onerous, simply keeping an eye on the books, arranging and topping up as necessary and dealing with donations when we start taking them again. If you’d like to know more, please contact Mike & Tina at the shop. Roger Damon Rev Nicky writes –
As I sit here writing, it is a glorious autumn day. I give thanks for the sunny weather as we are still in such uncertain and difficult times and the good conditions really help to lift the mood. I am slowly settling into The Rectory in Uplyme and want to thank everyone who has helped make me feel so welcome since my move and licensing as Team Vicar for the Axe Valley Mission Community on 11th August.
I promised to share more about myself with you and want to report that I am ‘loving’ swimming in the sea. What a blessing that is for me. I have always loved swimming, and like to get in wherever there is water! This has become known as ‘wild’ swimming – in lakes and rivers, as well as the sea! I have swum in, what is advertised as, the deepest lake in Uganda!
Anyway, back to the task in hand - October is a busy month in the life of the Church. Many Harvest Festivals take place. They will be on a much smaller scale this year and a different experience from normal because of restrictions. Assuming they can go ahead, do look out for details in your local magazines. It is so important to thank the farmers and all those who work the land, and to give thanks to God for our food that we can often take so much for granted.
Although we cannot have congregational singing in churches at the moment, it is possible to listen to others singing such favourites as: Come Ye Thankful People Come, We Plough the Fields and Scatter, All Good Gifts and All Creatures of Our God and King.
This final song is attributed to Saint Francis of Assisi, born in the 1100s. He is one of my favourite saints and we celebrate his life on 4th October. The translation that many of us will recognise comes from Francis’s ‘Cantico di fratre sole’ (Song of Brother Sun) and talks of God being present in all aspects of creation – the clouds, the wind, the sun and moon, flowing water and fire. The lyrics encourage us to both praise and put our faith in the creator God.
We are also invited to ‘cast our cares’ on him in the fourth verse. An action that may well be helpful as we continue to navigate our way through this pandemic which is affecting so many in devastating ways.
Let’s all look for ways we can go on supporting and caring for each other at this difficult time. Do let us know if we can be of help in any way? Rev Nicky Davies 07931 413629
NEWS FROM THE STORES
Firstly, thank you for all your kind comments about our article in last month’s magazine. It is always good to hear what you have to say! Just a reminder that we have hand sanitiser on the wall before you enter the shop. Please kindly use it. We know that you will be interested to know that the masks available in the shop have raised £210 already and the proceeds have been divided between CRISIS UK and the UN Refugee Agency.
Well, at the time of writing, autumn is definitely cracking with a mini heatwave to gently lull us into autumn for proper but, with the nights drawing in and the weather getting cooler in the evenings, can we give you a timely reminder that we stock some delicious pies and pasties from both Chunk of Ottery St Mary and Jon Thorners of Shepton Mallet.
Our local growers of fruit and vegetables are still providing us with an array of local produce, although we cannot always guarantee what we will have. We also have a new range of organic fruit jellies, together with the jams and a new chutney produced here in Chardstock, alongside the popular autumn chutney from the same fruit we’ve been selling all summer, available singly or in a gift box of three.
You will have noticed that we are now selling a greater range of plants from our Nursery. These are selling very well and we know many of you were pleased with the quality of the plants you bought during lockdown. Of course our Violet Farm West Country composts are available and are ideal for your autumn and winter pots and refreshing your borders.
In the Post Office it’s that time of year when we change gear from summer and travel money to winter and Christmas (sorry!) These are the official last posting dates for international surface mail but I’d recommend getting in earlier if you can. Australia, New Zealand, Pacific Islands, South America - 5th October. Middle & Far East, South Africa, Hong Kong & Singapore - 12th October. USA, Canada, Mediterranean islands, Eastern Europe & Iceland - 2nd November. Western Europe - 16th November. All airmail dates are in December apart from Operational BFPO units (30th November).
As we have mentioned Christmas, a couple of “plugs” – We have the 2021 Chardstock Calendar in stock and we’re pleased to be able to offer East
NEWS FROM THE STORES (continued …)
Devon-reared Turkeys for Christmas again this year – more details on these next month.
As always, thank you for your custom and support. Mike & Tina 221214 [email protected] or find us on Facebook
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CHARDSTOCK PARISH COUNCIL NEWS [email protected] www.chardstockpc.org.uk
Parish Council meeting, 9th September 2020 Full minutes can be seen on the website.
PARISH COUNCIL ON ZOOM Although the community hall will be opening for certain community activities, the Parish Council will be continuing to ‘meet’ via Zoom for the time being. The situation will be reviewed once the hall has had its broadband installed. Anyone interested can view the meetings live via the Chardstock Village Facebook page.
FLU VACCINATIONS The Axminster medical practice had hoped to be in a position to offer flu vaccinations at the hall, but they have reluctantly decided that this would not be possible as they would be able to send only one nurse, so there would be no clinical help available in an emergency. They will be sending out appointment letters in due course.
POTHOLES Following an enquiry from a member of the public about potholes on the road from the village to Cuckolds Pit, we would like to encourage residents to post any and all potholes or other defects on Devon County Council’s website, at www.devon.gov.uk/roadsandtransport/report- a-problem/. The more people that report such problems, the more likely the Highways Authority is to take notice. Unfortunately the Parish Council has very little influence on what works are undertaken.
Next meeting: Wednesday 14th October 2020 at 7.30 pm
Garth Renovation Ltd
All aspects of building work and property maintenance
Chardstock
Rob: 07967 010 367
NEWS FROM ST ANDREW’S PRIMARY ACADEMY
Firstly, we would like to offer a warm welcome to our new Reception class pupils and their families. We would also like to welcome two new teachers. We have been joined by Mrs Jess Evans (who has returned from a maternity leave after having previously taught at Mrs Ethelston’s school) and Miss Upchurch who is teaching both at Membury and St Andrew’s. They share the teaching of the Year 2 and Year 3 class here at St. Andrew’s.
The start of the school year has certainly been different with many new procedures in place for the safety of the children and staff. By doing this we are doing our bit to keep the families of our pupils and the wider community as safe as possible.
We would like to say a huge thank you to the parents and carers who have helped us by quickly adapting to these changes, especially with new drop off and pick up arrangements.
The children have been fantastic and come into school happily and they have all been great at following the new routines – different playtimes/zones, Zoom worships, extra hand washing and cleaning and eating lunches in their classroom ‘bubble’. The children came back into school feeling ready to learn and were keen to get back into the routine of lessons very quickly.
We have been lucky to be joined by some new specialist teachers this year and the children benefit from French, music, forest school and PE lessons, all being taught by subject specialists. For the older children PE (this half term) are volleyball and cricket lessons. We are able to run free after school clubs using the expertise of our sports coaches – but of course each club can only have children from particular bubbles.
There were a few changes to the school during the summer holiday. Firstly, we were able to install the new kitchen using our Lottery Fund money. Many thanks to Mr Rob Garth for advising me throughout this process and to Mr Jamie Mitchell who worked long days to get it completed for us. We aim for the children to start cookery lessons soon. Miss Upchurch has a food technology teaching qualification and we are keen to use her expertise in this area.
Also, during the holidays, we had a new Wi-fi installation which has meant a much speedier internet connection which is great as we have 25 brand new Chromebooks to link to it. This means that every pupil can access these during lessons.
NEWS FROM ST ANDREW’S PRIMARY ACADEMY (continued…)
We also now have Smart Boards in each class. These look like giant TV screens and teachers use them to share teaching and film clips and even use the interactive tools to demonstrate teaching points which can then be saved to use for future lessons. We can even ‘cast’ the work from the teacher’s computer to the screen of each pupil so that they can set straight to work.
Many thanks to our Friends of School for their financial help with some of our latest computing equipment. We are so very grateful for all of their work to make learning more enjoyable.
Take care and keep safe, Mrs Donna Butler - Senior Teacher
CHARITY DONATIONS
Thank you, Chardstock, for your kind donations in exchange for the handmade masks which have been available at Mike and Tina’s shop since March. I enclose part of a longer thank you from UNHCR (United Nations Refugee Agency) to whom the latest donations were sent.
“At UNHCR our mission is to help and safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees all around the world. 1 out of every 97 people, worldwide, is now forcibly displaced due to persecution, conflict or violence. Of the world’s 79.5 million displaced people, 40% are children – children whose short lives have been shaped by war, fear and loss. The refugee crisis has moved beyond the capabilities of governments and NGOs alone, which makes a donation like yours all the more meaningful.”
Please also remember that contributions for the Axminster Food Bank are so necessary at this time of crisis for all those in need. I try to make sure that, as well as fresh produce, we have tinned fruit, baked beans, pasta and pasta sauces. These items are delivered on Mondays and Thursdays but any store cupboard goods are also gratefully received. Please just drop them off to me. Thank you all so much. Angie – 01460 221138
********************************************************** Items for November’s Newsletter should reach me by Wednesday, 21st October. Email: [email protected] 01460 221684 Items in longhand can be left at the Post Office or direct to Mrs. Shirley Fletcher, “Greenbanks”, Chard Street, Chardstock EX13 7BT
NATURE IN OCTOBER
October is a fine month for mushrooms and toadstools. Last year was very good indeed but who knows what this one will produce? There are a huge number of different species but, fortunately for me, we have an expert in that area who is the founder of the Fungus Conservation Trust. He is very patient in correcting my dodgy identification.
Not all fungi look like the mushrooms you buy in the shop with a beautiful arrangement of gills radiating out like the spokes of a wheel. There are some like little prickly balls on a stalk, the puffballs. When the fruiting body is ripe and ready to disperse its spores, a hole opens at the top of the “ball” and the slightest movement or a drop of rain will cause a cloud of minute brown spores to fly off into the air. There are other kinds which have pores instead of gills, some which are like tiny cups and some which are bright yellow and branched like a stag’s antlers.
The least glamorous are the ones which simply form a sort of crust on dead wood but even those are fascinating when you look at them closely. There are ones which are an unlikely-looking pink and others which are brown and uninteresting-looking until you scratch them, then the scratch turns blood red. What you see and what we try to identify is, however, only the part of the fungus which produces spores. Most of the organism is underground and consists of millions of threads known as mycelia. There is said to be one individual fungus in America which is as big as a state but you only know it is there because of the occasional toadstool.
Another rather neglected part of our wonderful natural heritage which tends to get overlooked is the mosses and liverworts. They show up very well in the autumn and winter and, again, can be spectacular when viewed through a lens. The mosses that cover the ground and the trees in woodland are likely to be different species from those you will see on the tops of walls and on paths. A huge amount of money must be spent every year by folk determined to get every sign of moss out of their lawn. Not us, we find mosses prettier, rarer and much more exciting than a mono- culture of close cropped grass.
Edward Wells [email protected]
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Chardstock Stores & Post Office A small store with a big range Fresh Bread daily (excl. Sundays) Milk straight from the farm Pies & Pasties • Fresh Fruit & Veg Dairy & Cold Meats Household & Groceries Newspapers & Magazines Plants & Compost • Fuel & Kindling Post Office Free Cashpoint • Banking Currency • Gift Cards Mobile Top-ups • Stamps Opening Hours Monday to Friday 8:30 to 17:00 Saturday 8:30 to 13:00 Sunday 9:00 to 12:00
Mike & Tina ¤ 01460 221214 [email protected]
CORNERSTONE CHARDSTOCK Design & Build HISTORICAL Design, planning & RECORD GROUP building contractors Extensions, alterations OUR NEW and outbuildings including Listed Buildings 2021 CALENDAR Local references available is now available from Fully Insured Chardstock Stores Design & planning enquiries: & Post Office [email protected] 07825 210 681 Price unchanged at just Building work enquiries: £6.50 [email protected] 07786 267 115 [email protected] • 01460 220350 www.cornerstonedesignandbuild.co.uk www.chardstockwebmuseum.org Elizabeth Clayton DO Cranial & Physical Practitioner Gentle treatment of the whole body for aches, pains & stiffness, including headaches, neck and back pain, upper & lower limbs. Also for babies and children of any age, for a wide range of symptoms. Tel: 01460 220854 Mobile: 07773 122832 www.elizabethclaytoncranial.co.uk
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