Tipton Times Was Started in 1969 and Is Produced and Distributed to Local Households Every Two Months by Volunteers

Home , Alfington, Harpford, Lyn Harding, Stokeinteignhead, Tipton St John, Venn Ottery

298 IPTON August and TIMES September John Hayward 2020

Tipton Times was started in 1969 and is produced and distributed to local households every two months by volunteers. Costs are met from voluntary contributions TT advertising is free and limited to local non-profit organisations and charities, with a once per year opportunity for businesses in our delivery area

Thousands More Last Year for our Two £50 Prizes in Houses for Bridge, Clock and Ottery Literary East Devon Village Green Flowers Competition

Phil Wright All for One and One for All - Tipton St John Playing Field and Play Park Reopens

Play Park Ottery Planning The Harpford No Voice for Private Opening Application for Red Bridge Tipton On Ottery for a Shielding - Positive Moves Town Council Youngster Tipton School

COPY DEADLINE For 299, October and November 2020 Tuesday 22nd September (unless by arrangement)

CONTRIBUTIONS VIA YOUR BANK TO:

The Tipton Times Fund

Sort Code: 30-94-36 A/c No: 01720384

OUR NEW EMAIL ADDRESS - YES ! ANOTHER NEW ONE!

[email protected]

Editors: David Birch 01404 815402; 3 Tipton Lodge, Tipton St John, EX10 0AW Paula Faulkner; Barbara Pugh ; Anne Sadler Treasurer: Andrew Sadler Proofreader/Printers: Pauline Belton; Janet Croud; Anne Reid; Ian Wonnacott

Distribution and General Production:

Maggie Bowley; Debbie Budge; Janet Croud; Tony & Joyce Cuerdon; Jenny Dorrington; Roy Faulkner; Michelle Grover; John Harding; Yvonne Hartland; Kyle Hayes; Sue Kensdale; Nicky Knight; Katherine Lilley; Diane Mann; Linda Martin; Gill and Allen Marks; Ann Matthews; Ann Moore; Jan Passmore; Tania Phillips; Anne Reid; Liz Rogers; Maggie Rule; Nikki Sanford; Chris Schofield; Alison and David Stevens; Megan Watton; Denise Wightman

COVER PHOTOGRAPH: Cricketers - Phil Wright Isabel - Alison Pearson

The Playpark, due to reopen in early July, unlocked the gates one day beforehand to We welcome letters and give a seriously vulnerable youngster the contributions but reserve the right to edit and amend chance to come out and run, play and swing such offerings. before public access possibly compromised its Views expressed within each complete hygiene. article are the author’s own. - 3 - Editorial Welcome to the second online edition of Tipton Times. We are delighted to be able still to produce a magazine in the unusual circumstances we still find ourselves in and hope this is able to reach most of our readers.

Since our last issue, there have been welcome signs of a return to something approaching normal life, although we would absolutely endorse the message that relaxation of restrictions is conditional on everyone’s commitment to staying alert and observing government guidance. For anyone who needs to remind themselves of this they can find it here.

Our cover images illustrate perfectly the nature of the current reality. Cricket can be played, providing guidance on social distancing is observed and the play area is now fully operational, as long as guidelines for safe use are followed.

The re-opening of the Golden Lion is also a welcome landmark on our village’s route back to normality. Franky and Michelle’s approach, in common with others in the hospitality sector, has been immensely reassuring.

Of course, there are many challenges ahead. We feel for those whose planning and decision-making is far from clear-cut: the headteachers, medical and social care professionals in our community have an unenviable few months ahead of them and all those whose livelihoods have been adversely affected by Covid19 still face uncertainty.

In some respects, life goes on as normal and some contentious issues do not disappear because of a pandemic. In case anyone thought that the moving of our primary school to Ottery was in abeyance, a planning application has been submitted to EDDC for the building of “up to 150 new dwellings, and a 210 space primary school” in Ottery. Anyone wishing to comment on this plan has until 15th August to do so. For more details and to respond, follow this link.

Nature is not held back either, as you will know if you have seen Val Ranger’s efforts to save the ‘red bridge’ at Harpford. See her report on Page 4.

Finally, we are sorry to see that Lyn Harding has stepped down as our Town Councillor, and Geoff Pratt intends to do so although he will continue as an East Devon District Councillor. Many thanks to them both for all their hard work on our behalf. See the ‘notice for co-option’ for a new Town Councillor on Page 6.

Thanks are also due to Tony Pugh for his work as Tipton Times treasurer: as you all know, we depend entirely on donations and grants and Tony has done brilliantly in securing and managing our funds. Many thanks and a welcome to the team to Andrew Sadler, who has taken on the role. The Editors PLEASE NOTE “CONTENTS” NOW LISTED ON PAGE 35 A VERY IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR EVERYONE

Our email address has changed once more and it is now

[email protected]

Please go into your contacts and delete our old AOL and Outlook email addresses - 4 - Red Bridge over the River Otter, Harpford - Threat of closure

Firstly, thank you to all residents and respondents to our petition, which was aimed at showing Devon County Council that the bridge is widely used and highly valued and that its closure on safety grounds would be highly detrimental to our villages and residents.

There has really been a magnificent response to the survey, we are just 69 short of 2,500 responses online and in addition we have paper petitions which some residents are signing. This really shows Devon County Council for once and for all that this is not just a bridge used by a few locals. The benefits are far reaching both for practical journeys in safely connecting our villages, for the health and well-being of residents out walking and running and for the wider economic benefits to more occasional visitors and tourism. I was interviewed on Exmouth Air last Sunday as the story has interest from wider afield in East Devon, too.

DCC have agreed that the western bridge abutment and steps are now at risk of failure due to the ongoing river bank erosion and they would like to extend the existing rock armour in this area. If funds allow they would also like to extend the existing rock armour at the eastern end of the foot- bridge to protect the footpath from further river bank erosion in order to keep the bridge in a serviceable condition. They are keen to do work that will extend the life of the bridge in its current position.

In order to carry out this work DCC will need landowners consent to move machines and plant across the land to reach the bridge, which hopefully can be agreed.

I am so grateful to DCC Councillor Claire Wright for liaising with DCC officers and also to the officers at DCC themselves who have had to try to squeeze this urgent work into their already busy schedules. I will post more updates as we receive them.

Thank you again, stay safe and well. Councillor Val Ranger Newton Poppleford and Harpford Ward - 5 - NATURE NOTES

I am very much enjoying this weather at the moment. It is just the right temperature with not too much rain and just about enough rain. The garden plants seem to mostly agree with me, anyway. The time and effort I put into finally clearing a space and tidying it all up was most gratifying at the time. I ended up with rows of vegetable plants which all looked quite organised (for me, anyway!). Now the whole area has turned back into a jungle again! At least it’s an edible jungle…

The problem with having these kinds of plants in the garden means that other species of wildlife enjoy them too. If the slugs don’t get ‘em, then the small and large white butterfly, aptly named the cabbage white, will spend a lot of its time laying its eggs on your greens in order for the newly hatched caterpillars (also mostly green) to decimate them within no time. They can be found in many habitats including gardens, allotments, parks, meadows, open grassland, and hedgerows. There are generally two generations each year, with three generations in good years. Second brood adults have noticeably darker markings that those of the first brood. First-brood adults typically emerge in late April, peaking around the middle of May and gradually tailing off through June. The second brood, which is always stronger than the first brood, starts to emerge in early July. However, in good years, the second brood may emerge in late June and give rise to a third brood.

One of the more familiar species of butterfly is the small tortoiseshell, although you may not have noticed so many around as you are used to. Unfortunately, this butterfly has suffered a worrying decline, especially in the south, over the last few years. This butterfly has always fluctuated in numbers, but the cause of a recent decline is not yet known, although various theories have been proposed. One is the increasing presence of a particular parasitic fly due to global warming - this species being common on the continent. The fly lays its eggs on leaves of the food plant, close to where larvae are feeding. The tiny eggs are then eaten whole by the larvae and the grubs that emerge feed on the insides of their host, avoiding the vital organs. A fly grub eventually kills its host and emerges from either the fully-grown larva or pupa before itself becoming pupa. Although the fly attacks related species, such as the Peacock and Red Admiral, it is believed that the lifecycle of the Small Tortoiseshell is better synchronised with that of the fly and it is therefore more prone to parasitism.

It took us a long time to identify the arrival of swifts this year. Then sure enough we saw three or four all at once! Swifts are dark, sooty brown all over, but often look black against the sky. If you get a good look, you might see their pale throat. The wings are long and narrow, with a tail that is slightly forked, but not as much as a swallow's. Swifts have a piercing, screaming call, but they aren't noisy at the nest. Swifts nest in holes - often inside old buildings or sometimes in specially-designed swift nest boxes - so you'll never see them building a nest outside. You'll see swifts flying low and fast around buildings, screaming loudly, or perhaps swooping fast into a little crevice in a building to their nests. Swifts' wings are so long and their legs so short (in fact, relative to their body size, they have the shortest legs of any bird) that they are unable to walk or take off from the ground. If you find a Swift on the ground that is not obviously injured, pick it up, place it on your hand with the bird facing forwards, and slowly raise your arm up and down to encourage it to take off. Watch out for the bloodsucking louse flies among their feathers. Swifts feed exclusively on spiders (carried on the wind) and insects caught on the wing.

I had a report of a sighting of a water vole the other day. August may well be a good time to spot water voles, as second litters of juveniles take their first foray into the outside world. Of course, like anything worth seeing, they are notoriously difficult to spot amongst water-side vegetation, but look for ripples and listen for ‘plops’ as they take a dip.

That’s it….’til next time!

Geoff Pinn [email protected] 01404812878

- 6 - NOTICE OF CO-OPTION FOR A TOWN COUNCILLOR ON THE TIPTON ST JOHN WARD

Ottery St Mary Town Council has a vacancy for the position of Town Councillor on the Tipton St John Ward due to the resignation of Lyn Harding. It is important that there is representation for the electorate with regards to any parish issues and, in particular, the proposed relocation of Tipton St John Church of England Primary School.

Candidates for co-option should obtain an application form together with eligibility information from the Chief Executive Officer at [email protected] or by telephoning 01404 812252. The form/information are also available on the Ottery St Mary Town Council website: www.otterystmary-tc.gov.uk

Completed applications must be returned to the Chief Executive Officer no later than: Noon on Monday 31st August 2020

The Town Council will consider filling by co-option the casual vacancy for a councillor on the Tipton St John Ward at the Full Council Meeting on 7th September 2020

Scheduled Roadworks

Readers will probably already be aware of the current road closure between Tipton St John and Venn Ottery. Shan Merritt has been in touch with Wales and West Utilities who are carrying out work to replace the main gas pipeline. She has been advised that the pipeline is in the middle of the road in some parts - mainly near the Old Vicarage and houses towards Court Park, so vehicles will not be able to pass. After Court Park the pipeline runs at edge of the field.

Shan has been advised that residents will always be able to get in/out of their houses and drive, but the direction they can travel east/west will vary depending on where the actual work site is at that time.

After Bowhayes Farm, and presumably as far as Footpath 17 (which meets Lynch Road at the top of the first hill towards Newton Poppleford), the pipeline is in fields, so any work will be less disruptive.

The net result is that those living in Southerton and Venn Ottery will NOT be able to drive direct to Tipton, so must divert via Newton Pop (or turn west at VO to West Hill if going elsewhere).

Thank you for this information Shan.

In addition to the above road closure we understand that work is to be carried out in Metcombe and Tipton Vale during the autumn. To get the latest information visit the Wales and West Utilities website - https://wwutilities.co.uk/elgin/?postcode=ex10%200as

Councillor Lyn

Lyn Harding was Tipton St John Parish Councillor on the Ottery Town Council for over nine years, barring a gap of a couple of months a few years ago, due to ill-health. She consistently attended in Ottery, both full Council meetings and various sub-committees, and was regularly to be found at her ‘surgery’ at the first-Saturday Coffee Mornings in the Village Hall.

Lyn and John moved to Tipton in 2006 and both, delighted to be living in such a “lovely place”, were quick to find ways to contribute in the community. (John also served as an industrious Ottery Town Councillor, was footpaths warden, also Treasurer for a spell.)

It is largely an unappreciated role - people mostly are content that things are running smoothly and keep their heads down in case they are asked to volunteer! On the whole, Councillors just field the complaints and do the work.

For long meeting hours spent and consistently ‘being there’, Tipton must surely give a vote of thanks and best wishes. However, Lyn is continuing to serve as Chairman of the Tipton Residents’ Association, this being her eighth year, and was Secretary to previous Chairman, Margaret Hutchesson. So, not ready to retire from view just yet! She commented, “I love Tipton St John and as far as I am concerned, I am still here to serve the community.” - 7 - Tipton St John Playing Field PLAYING FIELD

Gradually the playing field is seeing the resumption of normal activities! NEWS Cricket matches have returned, football training has started and the play area is fully open again. However, the re-opening of facilities can easily lead to complacency and the belief that life can go on exactly as it did before. For everyone’s safety, we need to continue to exercise caution.

For example, users of the play area must observe the guidelines for safe use which have been posted at the entrance and are copied here. Social distancing still needs to apply to all activities on the field: our cricket, tennis and football clubs are obliged to follow the particular instructions of their governing bod- ies and casual users should also be careful to maintain their distance on benches and footpaths.

The pavilion is not yet available for hire and we will follow government guidance closely regarding its re-opening. It has been good to see some new groups in action on the field and we are grateful for the donations from the personal training and Tai Chi groups, who have been using our facilities recently.

The need for maintenance has not gone away in recent months and I am very grateful for the efforts of the committee and others in completing some essential tasks. Apart from a deep clean of the play area and pavilion, we have been weeding outside the pavilion and under benches and strimming around the hedges. The football shelter has suffered vandalism recently, but the damage has now been repaired. The major task recently has been a complete overhaul of the pavilion drainage system, which has been complex but now nearing completion

Overall, it is great to report that the field is looking very good and is being well used. Long may that continue! David Birch, Chairman 01404 81540

Tennis Report

Like many other things, tennis in Tipton is slowly returning to something more like normal with restrictions being reduced little by little. For many of our members the club is now operating pretty much as normal, with Wednesday club night and the popular Tuesday morning ladies’ sessions now functioning again, with social distancing and strict rules on sanitising, of course. Summer leagues were all cancelled, but we are hoping that the winter leagues will be able to function again. We have asked all members to report to us every time they use the courts so that we can support the Test and Trace system in the event of anyone developing covid. We have relaxed the Members Only rule so that members may bring occasional guests, but only one per member and the member is responsible for ensuring that the guest follows the coronavirus rules. Unfortunately we cannot reopen to occasional paying users including holiday visitors - as we are an unmanned facility we cannot ensure safety and good sanitising behaviour from visitors. Sorry.

Every cloud has a silvery lining, and like many outdoor sports and activities which have been able to restart during lockdown, we have seen a surge of new interest with quite a few new members joining - or returning after many years! We are always pleased to welcome new members. If you are interested, come along to Wednesday club night from 6.30pm (until about 8.30). You can come up to three times before joining. Alternatively, drop us an email [email protected]. (Unfortunately our old club website is no longer functional. We are currently investigating setting up a new one but, in the meantime, please contact us by email or via our Facebook page - search for Tipton St John Tennis Club.) Ken Mylne, Chairman - 8 -

The lyf so short, the craft so long to lerne…’ (Chaucer)

Ideas spin and spiral in my mind; a carousel of music, colour, light shimmers with meaning.

Ink is the gaoler, locking black on white. Confined, thoughts coagulate, become stolid, shrink to dry shadows of themselves, puny and brittle.

I search for the grail; where are those words, where are those phrases that sing like rainbows?

Gill Dunstan

OTTER VALE ART SOCIETY

We have been busy during lockdown. Members have enjoyed on-line demonstrations by Phil Creek, our President, Hannah Twine and Chris Forsey. In addition members have been able to exhibit their work on-line through competitions held in May and June. This has resulted in some sales.

Something we are looking forward to is our annual exhibition. This year it will be on-line live for the whole of August. You are invited to go to our web site www.ottervaleartsociety.com and click on heading “exhibition”.

All entries will be displayed with details of artist, size, medium and the price if the work is for sale. As usual the public will be invited and told how to vote for their favourite picture and of course how to make a purchase.

WHY DON’T BEEKEEPERS GET STUNG BY THEIR BEES?

This is a question I am often asked. The thought is that beekeepers don’t seem to be bothered by being surrounded by a swarm of bees. Don’t you believe it! The short answer is - you jolly well do get stung – actually, it seems quite often. Most people might think that beekeepers are exempt from bee stings, but that’s not the case. Bees sting beekeepers regularly, (it’s only natural) because of a variety of reasons. Bees can be aggressive because of the beekeeper’s behaviour, a dearth of nectar, alarm pheromones, certain weather conditions and bananas! To avoid being stung by bees, there are things that a beekeeper can do, but quite often it seems that there are situations where bees are just plain bad-tempered and take it upon themselves to attack.

Bee stings are impossible to avoid because beekeepers spend so much time in places where bees are around. It is just one of the risks they are exposed to as a by-product of taking care of bees. In truth though, whenever I have been stung it is usually when I have been a bit lazy and not got myself properly “suited and booted”.

Reasons why bees might attack

Beekeepers’ Behaviour Bees that are being robbed of honey naturally become aggressive in order to defend their stores. It is the reason why beekeepers encounter a cloud of bees circling a hive when they are inspecting the hive or when they are there to collect honey. It’s only natural that the bees will try to defend their stores. However, beekeepers are not the only ones who may rob the bees of their honey. - 9 - Bees also rob each other too. Sudden vibrations can make bees wary, so the beekeeper has to make sure to be careful when manipulating hives. Making sudden movements can make bees attack, which is why swatting at them when they explore your clothing and hands is a risky thing to do. It’s always best to take things nice and easy when examining a beehive so as not to get the bees too excited.

Nectar Dearth At times throughout the year there can be a scarcity of the sources of nectar. This is mostly a result of the transition of the seasons. As spring turns to summer, the old spring flowers die off and dry and the summer flowers have yet to reach their peak (the “June Gap”) there is often less food to harvest and bees can take to robbing other hives, especially one that is weak. This understandably can also lead to aggressive behaviour.

Alarm Pheromone and Bananas When a bee stings a beekeeper, that bee will release an ‘alarm’ pheromone to call other bees and make them behave defensively. One bee sting can be an invitation for others to join in the attack. The alarm pheromone has a smell similar to ripe bananas, so beekeepers are advised to avoid using products that are banana- scented as well as eating bananas before going to beehives! The advice is also not to wear a strong after-shave or perfume, lest they take exception to your choice of scent.

Weather Certain weather conditions can also be associated with aggressive behaviour in bees. In wet and summer seasons, specifically, when the humidity and heat are high, or when the atmosphere is oppressive and “thundery”, bees can become irritated, so it’s important to make sure to keep the hives well ventilated.

The hive has lost its queen. There are several reasons why a colony might be ‘queen-less’ (a whole subject on its own) but this invariably leads to the colony becoming unsettled and particularly aggressive and generally just “ratty”. This aggression is often a sure sign that there is something amiss in the colony.

Ways to avoid getting stung

Smoking No, not lighting up a cigarette before approaching the hive. The smoking of bees is the most common strategy of beekeepers to avoid bee stings, mainly when they harvest honey. Smoke can help to calm bees by preventing them from detecting the alarm pheromone and triggering their natural survival or attack response. When bees smell the smoke, they interpret it as a life-threatening alarm, like the forest or their hive is on fire. As a result, they leave their home. Beekeepers have used smoking for generations because it is safe for the health of bees. However, beekeepers must be careful when smoking a hive, especially with the tools used because very high temperatures can melt the wings of bees. Pine-cones, shredded cardboard and wood chips are common, safe materials used by beekeepers as fuel and produce a “cool” smoke.

Wear Light and Pale Coloured Clothes Bees perceive colours differently to how we do, and they are attracted to particular colours, especially those that are bright. It is thought dark colours such as red and black can make bees aggressive because they interpret them as badgers, bears, and their other natural predators. The wearing of dark clothes might not trigger bees to sting you right away, but since it makes them defensive, making even the smallest mistake while wearing such colours may cause them to attack. Protective clothing like a bee suit, gloves and veils is the principal means of avoiding getting stung. Different designs for beekeeping suits are around. These are usually white and provide varying levels of protection or coverage. Some bee suits have a design that can cover only the face, arms and torso, and most suits can cover the entire body. Unfortunately this protective clothing can’t provide a 100% protection against bee stings as bees are still able to sting you through the suit in some instances, but it dramatically reduces the chance.

Reactions to bee-stings Of course we will all react to being stung. Some react worse than others. A beekeeper can build up some immunity to the effects of the venom contained in bee stings, but it can also go the other way and produce an allergic reaction. If the allergic reaction is severe it can result in an anaphylactic shock which can be extremely dangerous, leading quite quickly to swelling and breathing problems, which if not treated extremely promptly can even result in death of the individual.

Stephen Williams Hayne Park - 10 -

Friends of St John and St Gregory Club

This month's draw celebrates the twenty-fifth birthday of the club as the first draw took place in July 1995 when we had ninety-four shares taken up and the prizes were won by Dennis King, Tom Cockrell and Roy Burgess, three gentlemen sadly no longer with us.

In those days there were several members of the congregation who were hard of hearing - nothing changes - and as there was no sound system in the church, it was suggested that one including a 'loop' should be provided. Barbara Burgess, who was the Church Secretary at that time, came up with the idea of a 'Hundred Club' to raise money towards it.

After several meetings held at the home of Philip Baker, who was a reader in the Parish, and Reverend Avril Jordan, the priest-in-charge, rules were agreed, a name chosen (I sometimes wish a less cumbersome one had been thought of) and membership forms designed. These all remain the same now. Shares cost £1 a month paid annually, £12 a year, and people can buy as many shares as they like. A draw takes place every other month - six times a year. According to the Lottery and Gaming laws, one third of the contributions have to be given as prizes but if the desired hundred shares are sold, this still meant a surplus of £800 a year to Church Funds. All the money raised is devoted to our parish Churches, St John and St Gregory.

Over the years members have come and gone as people have moved in and out of the village as well as sadly departing this life, but the membership has remained around ninety to a hundred. In fact twenty three of the people who subscribed in 1995 still do so in 2020. Many thanks for your loyalty.

This year has presented a particular challenge in terms of gaining members as we have been unable to make a face to face appeal and although most of last year's contributors have renewed their membership, there are still about ten defaulters. Their numbers have been included in this draw but if they haven't sent their subs by September we will conclude they no longer wish to subscribe and take out their numbers accordingly. This year we have introduced BACS, a method of payment which has proved very popular

The sound system was installed, but after a quarter of a century, it is in need of repair and upgrade so, once again, the Friends Club is hoping to make a substantial contribution.

We are definitely down on members this year, so if anyone out there would like to join or just find out more please get in touch on 01404 812040. Ann & Terry Knight

Friends of St John and St Gregory Club

Results of July Draw

1st Kerstin Farmer (54) £35 2nd Linda Martin (46) £20 3rd Alan Steel (37) £15

- 11 - Thought for the Times in south London. There were a few Several years ago the Christian musician, years when we lived in Matt Redman, wrote a song called ‘The a flat. I am the oldest Friendship and the Fear’. I was reminded of in the family, I have a this title recently when I re-watched the sci-fi brother fifteen months film ‘Arrival’. Arrival is set in the present day younger, and our baby and imagines aliens with technology vastly brother was born when superior to our own visiting the earth. The we lived in the flat. I aliens have come in friendship, but the also have a sister, human race responds with fear. The heroine but by the time she of the story is a linguist, who manages to put was born we had a aside her fear and reach out in friendship. In house with a garden. one key scene she literally reaches out with Living in the flat was not awful. I was blessed her hand. with loving, caring parents, and we were a The human race as a whole, though, is happy family. But we did not have much portrayed as driven by fear. Among the money and we did not have a garden. There politicians and military leaders around the was a nice park nearby but no countryside. world there is an urge to attack the alien What we did have once a year though, was a spaceships - shoot-first-just-in-case is the week in Devon. My dad’s mum, my grandma, temptation. Among the general public the knew someone who knew someone who reaction to the alien arrival is panic. Quickly owned a cottage near Luppitt, not far from the roads are gridlocked and food and fuel Honiton. For a few years, when I would have run out. There is looting and violence. This is been five, six, seven years old, we had what, not just over-the-top drama on the part of the to me, were idyllic holidays in this old cottage filmmakers; it is completely believable - not in this beautiful place called Devon. I can I the aliens, you understand, but the human still remember the local farmer bringing milk reaction to fear. on the back of his tractor and giving my In comparison the reaction of the British brother and me a ride. He offered friendship. public to the coronavirus was relatively mild. So I want to put in a plea on behalf of aliens But do you remember those days back in from out-o’-Devon. Yes, the Covid-19 virus March when the supermarket shelves were has not gone away, and yes, other parts of stripped bare of rice, pasta, tins and, of the country have got it worse than we have; course, toilet-rolls!? We call it ‘panic-buying’ but the holiday-makers are not an alien because it is driven by panic; and the panic is invasion, they are people like us, many of produced by fear. whom have had a tough few months, coming Now, as the lockdown is loosened and we in search of a break and some fresh air. can do more and travel further, there is a new fear that seems to be gripping many people in Devon - it is a fear of aliens. These aliens are not from outer space but from out-o’- Devon. The fear is that people from other parts of the country will bring their Covid-19 and share it with us. When we start using words like ‘hordes’ or ‘flocking’, or worse, ‘invasion’, it is a sure sign that we are leaning towards fear instead of friendship.

When we see pictures of traffic jams or crowded beaches, it is tempting to see a mass of people who are invading. Although logically we know that thousands of people have not organised themselves to go to the south west all on the same day, we often talk as if that were the case. But, of course, the Can we overcome our fear and extend a invading hordes are actually individual socially distanced hand of friendship? families or friends. Mark

Much of my early childhood was spent living - 12 -

Do you have a picture that captures the ‘Spirit of the Heaths’?

This summer, as many of us have enjoyed more time to explore and connect with the landscape, the Pebblebed Heath Conservation Trust (PHCT) team are excited to launch a new and exciting project, asking for a photo that captures what is so special about our heaths.

‘The Heaths and Me’ aims to explore through photography, the range of experiences and feelings we have on or about the heaths and asks our many visitors to define exactly what this place means to them.

As land managers, alongside our heathland colleagues at the RSPB and Devon Wildlife Trust, we understand what makes the Pebblebed Heaths special; the habitats that are present, the wildlife they support and the historical features that are under our care. We also put a good deal of thought into how we engage with people to enable them to understand why the heaths are important and how to help us care for them. With this project we want to dig deeper into why the heaths are important to the people that choose to spend time here. We recognise the strong sense of connection between local communities and the heaths, but those associations are diverse and not always tangible or simple for people to explain. However, these often-overlooked details are important and help make up the story of the heaths, why it is special and its spirit.

The project is being led by Kim and Kate at the PHCT, helped by volunteer, Andy Thatcher, who is also studying for a Masters in Photography at Falmouth University. As well as providing a valuable archive, Andy will be selecting a number of contributions which he feel communicate something personal and individual. In response, he will then be adding his own photograph and bringing images and words together into a series of pieces for an exhibition next year.

With most people having access to a camera or mobile phone we hope this will make it easy for as many people as possible to contribute and take part. Whether you are an experienced, amateur or a smart phone snapper; whether your photo captures den-building, sunrises, swimming dogs, a favourite stream or wildlife close up, on the open heath or deep in a plantation, all contributions will build up the story of this much-loved landscape. We hope everyone will be inspired to share their own image of their heaths.

Between now and September look out for our social media posts and pop-up reminders across the site to prompt you to contribute different types of image.

This isn’t a typical photography competition and we are not looking for the 'perfect shot' - rather the sense of place, or the moment or feeing it captures. So, snap a photo next time you are out on the heaths, scroll back on your phone or dig out something older from the album!

Share your photos on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #TheHeathsAndMe, or alternatively by emailing [email protected] Further details of the project can be found at www.pebblebedheaths.org.uk.

Kate Ponting BEd (Hons) Countryside Learning Officer Tel No: 01395 446918 Fax: 01395 446126 Email [email protected] Visit us at www.clintondevon.com - 13 - Cricket Club The return of recreational cricket two weeks ago took most people by surprise. Fortunately, Tipton St John CC was ready and prepared, having kept the cricket square in good order and laid on regular net practices, which had proved popular with players.

Having struggled to field full teams consistently last season, it was a pleasant surprise when 16 members made themselves available for our first match against Exeter Erratics: perhaps the absence of cricket really did make our collective hearts ChrisTubbs grow fonder.

On the field, rustiness has been the order of the day so far: we have won one of the four games played so far but that has hardly mattered, such is the relief and pleasure in actually being able to play again.

There have been some individual performances of note. Chris Tubbs posted his best ever score of 61 against Erratics, albeit in a losing cause as we chased an intimidating 252-2 and finished on 175-7.

It took only two matches for Phil Tolley to recover his prolific form of recent seasons, posting 101 against Dunsford in a total of 187-3, which proved insufficient against our opponents’ powerful middle order. Lawrence Walker (34 not out) and newcomer Matt Brewster (33 not out) shone in our first Lawrence Walker evening match in which we comfortably chased down Sunset CC’s 97-4. The only bright spots in a disastrous evening match against Feniton were Amelia Tolley’s 3 wickets and Adam Gibbins’ stubborn 28.

Our remaining fixtures for the season are as follows: Sunday 26th July Bakers Home Tuesday 28th July Woodbury & Newton St Cyres Away Sunday 2nd August Geriatrics Home Wednesday 5th August Teign Valley Home Sunday 9th August Met Office Home Tuesday 11th August Bakers Home Sunday 16th August Stokeinteignhead Home Wednesday 19th August Ottery St Mary (to be confirmed) Away Sunday 23rd August Woodbury & Newton St Cyres Home Sunday 30th August Newton Poppleford Home Sunday 6th September Whimple Away Sunday 13th September Yarcombe & Stockland Home Sunday 20th September Pentyrch Home Sunday 27th September Heads & Tails Home

Read more at David Birch, Chairman, 01404 815402 https://www.pitchero.com/clubs/tiptonstjohn/ or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Tipton-St-John-Cricket-Club-79309196937 Or follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/home

- 14 - Community Hall

This is the shortest contribution I have written for Tipton Times. There is very little to report with the Hall completely closed for four months so far, and it looks as though it could be much longer before the restrictions are lifted sufficiently to enable some of our regular activities to return.

By the time you read this, our rearranged AGM will have taken place (please see the Chairman’s report for the year ending 31st March which follows) and I’m delighted to say that Andrew Sadler has stepped forward in our time of need and is taking over from Traci Roantree as our Treasurer. We are very grateful to Traci for looking after our finances so efficiently over the last three years and wish her and her husband, Andrew, safe travelling when they set sail across the seas next year.

We are still hopeful that we can welcome Winston Churchill to entertain us on 14th November but it will obviously depend on what the restrictions are by then. If necessary we will postpone the event and rearrange it for the early part of next year.

It’s a difficult and frustrating time for all of us but hopefully life, including the Community Hall, will get back to some sense of normality in the not too distant future!

John Belton (01404-813431) or email: [email protected] Chairman’s Report to the AGM 28th July 2020 (N.B.- the planned date for the AGM in June had to be postponed owing to Coronavirus)

During the year ending 31st March, the Trustees met six times for the regular bi-monthly meetings. A Users’ Forum was held preceding the 2019 AGM.

I am pleased to report that we did not have a visit from travellers to our car park this year, possibly because of the new barrier but, unfortunately, the barrier has been damaged on three separate occasions in 18 months. This has been costly for us to repair as not one of the offenders had the moral integrity to own up to their error. There were no major projects undertaken this year but many maintenance jobs were carried out by trustees where possible, or else by contractors, including the replacement of a damaged section of floorboards affecting the corridor and part of the kitchen. It is still our intention to replace the timber floor in the main hall when we are ready but it will be very disruptive work requiring closure of the building for several weeks, so it entails careful planning and costing using professional advice which is on-going.

The Community Hall would not run as efficiently as it does without support from others and we are very grateful to Geoff Pinn who continues to keep the building looking clean and tidy, and to Pauline Belton who manages all the bookings and deals with many enquiries from people and organisations who want to use our facilities.

Fund-raising is an essential part of our operation and as usual we held a number of successful events including the popular Sunday quizzes, a Car Treasure Hunt (organised by Ann and Terry Knight), and a packed banqueting hall for a medieval supper featuring Henry Vlll and all six of his wives! We were successful with several grant applications and our annual envelope collection via Tipton Times raised £1400 last year (plus Gift-Aid) which has been a great boost financially.

We had a busy year with an unusually high number of trustee changes and we were very sorry to lose not only our secretary Vera Arnold, but also Mary Bavidge, Annie Trimmer, and John Harding and we thank them all for their commitment and willingness to get involved in many practical ways to assist in the smooth running of the Hall. To help fill the vacancies, we were delighted when Neil Bray recently came on board as a new trustee and Rosemary Scrimshaw kindly volunteered to be our minutes secretary. We still have several more trustee vacancies and we hope others will volunteer to join us before too long.

Finally, I would like to thank my other trustee colleagues who have given many hours of their time, energy, and experience over the past year for the benefit of the Hall’s many users - they are Paul Kinson, Traci Roantree, David Boyle, and Brian Rice. Unfortunately Traci our Treasurer is standing down at this AGM so special thanks go to her for keeping our finances in good order for the last three years. With our small team, it is really encouraging to have some extra help occasionally so our thanks also go to Allen Marks, John Harding, and Keith Poultney for another year on the floor polishing and grass cutting rota.

This reporting year ended in an unprecedented manner as we had to accept having our normal lives disrupted in a lockdown because of the coronavirus pandemic which meant that all hall bookings were cancelled at very short notice for an unknown length of time.

John Belton (Chairman) - 15 - REPORT FROM OTTERY ST MARY TOWN COUNCIL

With the summer now in full swing, the Parish is really starting to get back to its normal lively self after months of lock down and shielding, with everyone remaining respectful and taking precautions by observing the -on going Government social distancing guidelines.

A huge thank you to all those shops and businesses who have kept the community going, and to all the volunteers who have given up so much of their own time to help those in need. Everyone at Ottery St Mary Town Council is extremely proud of the way the whole community has risen above and beyond to help each other during this unprecedented time and will continue in future months to come.

Whilst the Town Council offices in Ottery are still closed, part of the building continues to be used as a base for Ottery Community Volunteers. Christine McIntyre, CEO and I continue to work from home following Government guidelines but can be contacted by calling 01404 812252 or by email to either [email protected] or [email protected] Updates to the Town Council website are continually being made to www.otterystmary-tc.gov.uk

The Information Centre in the library in Ottery remains closed and a phased reopening of Devon Libraries took place from week commencing 6th July 2020. Please check on its website for further information at www.devonlibraries.org.uk

Full Town Council monthly meetings and Planning Committee meetings continue to be held by video conferencing and all the dates and details of how the public can participate in these, can be found within each Agenda, together with Minutes of the meetings, all located on the Council website at www.otterystmary-tc.gov.uk

Regrettably Ottery St Mary Town Council recently received two councillor resignations from Geoff Pratt and Lyn Harding. Both councillors represented the Tipton St John Ward and made an excellent contribution to the work of the Town Council and will be very much missed. *

Geoff was a councillor for six years and in his last year was appointed Deputy Mayor to the Town Council. Lyn was a councillor for nine years, having first been elected to the council in 2011. They will be invited to a future town council meeting (when public meetings are resumed) where they will be presented with a certificate to thank them for their service to the Town Council.

It was also agreed at the meeting that when the Council is able to resume public meetings, one meeting a year will be held in Escot Village Hall at Taleford, Tipton St John and Alfington, with all remaining meetings to be held at Ottery. Details of these will be published here and on the Town Council website.

The Highway Surgeries remain cancelled but you can still make specific reports at any time to Devon County Council through its website at https://new.devon.gov.uk/roadsandtransport/report-a-problem/map/map_src/poth/

Enjoy the summer break and all that August brings, but please do continue to stay safe and well, whilst at the same time adhering to Government guidelines. Please also check our website with updates on all Council matters and Covid-19. Liz Graveney, Deputy CEO

Chris McIntyre, CEO - [email protected] Liz Graveney, Deputy CEO - [email protected] Website - www.otterystmary-tc.gov.uk

*WOULD YOU BE PREPARED TO SERVE THE TIPTON COMMUNITY BY BECOMING THE TOWN COUNCILLOR FOR TIPTON ST JOHN WARD?

SEE PAGE 6 FOR DETAILS. CLOSING DATE MONDAY 31 AUGUST

Is there a Tipton St John Resident willing to place Town Council Notices on the Notice Board opposite the Golden Lion?

Ottery St Mary Town Council is looking for a Tipton St John resident to place Council notices on the notice board (on average twice a month).

It would be appreciated if a resident would volunteer their services as it is important to keep the noticeboard up to date with Town Council news for the residents, in particular for those who do not have access to a computer.

If you are willing to do this, please can you contact Christine McIntyre, CEO OSM Town Council on 01404 812252 or e-mail [email protected] . - 16 -

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Announcing the Arrival of Three New Future “Beekeepers”

Lynda and Steve Williams (AKA Bee Man and his Queen

Bee) are delighted to welcome their very own ‘swarm' of grandchildren. A boy (Asa Wilfred) and twin girls (Amelia Beatrice and Matilda Victoria) were safely delivered to their son and daughter respectively within three days of each other during Lockdown. Both mothers and fathers are still looking for the instruction booklets!

When asked for comment on these, their first grandchildren, the Bee Man observed: “Babies are like buses really. You wait around for one to come along for ages - and then three arrive all together!"

All are doing well and won’t be long before they will be making an appearance at the Hayne Park hive. John Willy (Williamson)

Val and Family would like to thank everyone who sent cards, flowers, messages etc. after the sudden passing of John (Willy to his crick- eting pals).

He was a kind, generous man who loved people, but I think he will mostly be remembered for his antics (on and off the field) and awful jokes and limericks. I cringed every time but it made him happy! He will be very much missed and has left a huge hole in my life.

Thank you again Val (Williamson)

Facebook Post from Alison Pearson on 10 July 2020

Hello. Many of you know our family - we live in Aylesbeare but Bill, Harry and I are regular TIPPS performers and so we have got to know many in Tipton.

Our daughter Isabel is more complicated - when she was born nine and a half years ago we were told to make the most of days, or weeks at best. We have had many hospital trips over the years (including some proper emergency ambulance ones) and so it’s no surprise that she’s been shielding - which means that as a family we have had very little, and only distant, contact with anyone else, even now.

The reason for my post is to share two wonderful things that happened in Tipton today. The first is that Isabel had her own VIP visit to the lovely play park - safe, because this was in advance of the official opening. She had a great time - it really was a rare treat after all these months with limited change of scene.

I said there were two things - the one that is particularly special is the thoughtfulness of Judith Taylor and David Birch to invite us first, and open specially. I have to be honest and say that this kind of being thought of first in the wider community is less common, and so I just wanted to say our thanks publicly. - 17 - TIPTON ST JOHN RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION

The first two paragraphs are not related to the Residents Association. They are about me, Lyn Harding, Chair of the Association. As most of you know, I have been your Parish Councillor for the last nine and a bit years which I have thoroughly enjoyed, and thank you all for supporting me. I have now resigned from this position after a lot of heart searching as I feel that the Council dynamics have changed. By giving up the Council it will enable me to focus more on the Association.

When the Church coffee mornings resume I will be there to answer any queries you may have and, of course, buy a cake. So don't forget the first Saturday in the month.

Right, now the serious bit. The beautiful flowers on the bridge, the clock and the green have been paid for and implemented by the Association for many, many years. This is the LAST year this will happen. The flowers make an attractive addition to the village - but the Association has insufficient money in its account to pay for the plants. I have pleaded with you many times by giving you our bank details but, so far, only six people have created standing orders. Here are our bank details again:

Tipton St John Parish Residents Association Sort Code: 77-10-12 A/c No: 18447060

It costs about £750 a year to plant the baskets, the green, etc. and I, for one, do not want to see them disappear. The £3.00 annual membership fee helped to cover the flowers along with a grant from Ottery St Mary Town Council. We cannot continue to claim the grant as we have not collected sufficient membership fees. The Association did consider an envelope in the Tipton Times but abandoned the idea because we have nobody to collect them and, according to other organisations within the village, the response to this form of collection is poor.

This year we had an added expense, the Jubilee Clock, which was looking very tatty- so we paid for that to be repainted at a cost of £164 from the Association’s account. That has left only a few pounds in the kitty.

Our annual subscription of £3.00 (or more ) per year would, if we were able to collect from residents, have enabled us to keep the flowers going. However, that is not now possible. So if you could donate as much as you can via the new collection boxes (situated in the Golden Lion and Alita's) we will be able to a) ask the Council for a grant and b) hopefully collect enough to keep the flowers going.

Remember the best way to donate is via standing order through your bank.

I will leave you with this thought - Where have all the flowers gone? Long time passing Where have all the flowers gone? Source: lyrics end Long time ago …. Lyn Harding 814052

Chair – Tipton Residents Association

Exmouth 6. Seaton 5. Salterton Budleigh 4. Beer 3. Sidmouth 2. Bay 1.Ladram - 18 - TIPPS Al Fresco

Because of COVID-19 Tipps have had to rethink their autumn production. Although we may be able to perform indoors by October (who knows) we cannot start rehearsing as a group, so we are putting together two afternoons of monologues and duologues. These will be performed in the garden at the rear of the Community Hall on Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th September, weather permitting at 3pm. You might need to wrap up well and imagine you are at the Minack looking out over the sun-drenched sea!!

There will be no charge but, because of social distancing, numbers will be restricted to 25 per performance so you will need to book. We hope that this will give a lot of people an opportunity to perform so if you are not yet a member but would like to join us on stage please telephone Stephanie Kinson on 01395 568577.

It will, hopefully, be a party atmosphere so please bring your own drinks, glasses and refreshments as we will not be using the kitchen or items from the Hall.

Telephone Kyle to reserve your seat, full details in the poster below. Shan Merritt - 19 - Tipton Readers May’s read for June Zoom Meeting The Mill on the Floss by George

Eliot

Mary Ann Evans , known by her pen name George Eliot, was a leading novelist, writer, journalist, poet and translator in Victorian Times.

She wrote under a male pseudonym in order to distance herself from those “silly novels by lady novelists”. Nevertheless, her first, very successful novelAdam Bede provoked such curiosity (one man even pretending to be the author) that she acknowledged being the writer. This then led to her relationship with George Lewis, a married man, being made public - for which her brother Isaac rejected her. However, social acceptance was finally confirmed by Queen Victoria who was an avid reader of all Eliot’s novels.

The Mill on the Floss is strongly autobiographical in its description of Maggie Tulliver and her relationship with her autocratic brother Tom. Maggie is torn between her own happiness and her brother’s selfish directives through a series of relationships which, due to her impetuous and romantic nature, unwittingly cause her to be cast off by him. Eventually, during floods, Maggie finds Tom and they are drowned in each other’s embrace: ‘In their death, they were not divided’.

I came across this story a long time ago and always admired Maggie Tulliver, so enjoyed it again, though it was long and laborious to read sometimes. A great help was being able to listen to the excellent BBC Sounds production, current at the time.

Some readers did not finish this lengthy novel, originally published in three volumes, but all the same it was mostly well received and achieved 7/10 for recommendation.

June read for July’s meeting on Zoom was The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri, published August 2019

The novel revolves round a Syrian beekeeper, Nuri, and his wife, Afra, who is a talented artist. They live in the hills outside Aleppo, where Nuri keeps numerous hives, and appear to have a good life.

However, war is raging in Syria and the unthinkable happens when their home is destroyed and, tragically, their son dies in his mother’s arms. As a result of this trauma, Afra loses her sight and her husband has to take on the task of looking after her in every way. With all they possess destroyed, they feel they have no choice but to leave their home and head for an uncertain future in Britain, encouraged by the knowledge they already have a cousin there, in Yorkshire.

Thence follows an outline of their hazardous journey through Turkey and Greece and eventual arrival in Britain. Alongside this there are graphic descriptions of the war front in Syria, the brutality of soldiers, rape of women and general scenes of the war. In addition, the book describes the people smugglers and the difficulties the couple encounters in their hands.

The book alternates between the journey of the grief stricken parents, the war scenarios, and the desperation of all potential refugees to reach safety in another country.

Eventually, they reach England, having survived brutal conditions and extreme difficulties on their way. Nearly all their money and personal possessions are gone and they have to start a new life in an unfamiliar country.

The author has personal experience of refugees having been a refugee herself, fleeing from Cyprus following the Turkish invasion in 1974. Subsequently, she worked among refugees in camps, and is now a university lecturer in creative writing.

I found this book quite harrowing, and difficult to read partly due to the lack of continuity in the text. However, most of the group thought it a good read and it was given a high score. Linda Martin - 20 - Gardening thoughts from Dolberries

I make a telephone call to catch up with a friend or family member and then find we haven’t anything new to talk about as nothing much has happened - and then I think `Thank goodness for our gardens’, as this is a space which is full of ‘happenings’ and actually provides much to talk about. Whether it is our own, or visits we have to other more formal gardens.

Emerging from lockdown meant we could, at least, meet in outside spaces and I have taken advantage of that and have seen a few Tipton gardens recently that are looking fantastic as a result of the time we have been able to spend in them.

I won’t mention names but one garden has the most amazing range of vegetables … a veritable market garden benefitting, I think, from being high up and in full sun. I’ve been the lucky recipient of their runner beans which were delicious. Another garden is full of colour provided by Dahlias, Crocosmia, Geraniums, Roses, Nepeta and much more alongside some very pretty Acers. Yet another garden feels as though you are walking around a National Trust property - it is so well ordered and planted, with new beds appearing all the time. An `Open Garden’ weekend would definitely be worthwhile.

Back at Dolberries, I’m pleased to have had the time to tackle certain areas. The Periwinkle has been severely restrained and I am extending some beds to accommodate some more plants which have been on the wish list since visiting Rosemoor.

For the princely sum of £2.29 for a packets of seeds, I have provided enough plants for all our spaces plus more for friends and even the village flower beds with a lovely display of Nicotiana- and I’ve just read how great they are for moths as they are night flowering. That seems good value all round!

An update on the cucumelons which I said I was growing. They’ve gone mad and are producing little Gherkin like fruits. Apparently I can pickle them but I’m afraid they don’t last that long as they are tasty straight from the vine.

Lets hope the weather allows us to enjoy more ‘happenings’ in the garden as we head into the latter part of the year.

Alison Stevens

Nicotiana, commonly referred to as tobacco plants

Cucumelon - 21 - … and from Ann & Terry Knight’s garden

You ask what we have been doing in lockdown - well - gardening.

As we didn't think we had enough - ha-ha! - we converted our disused chicken run into a veg garden extension. Before

… and after

and a couple of photos of one of the flower beds, which are a bit more attractive.

- 22 - Geoff Pratt Independent East Devon District Councillor, Ottery Rural Area And Ottery St Mary Town Councillor, Tipton St John Ward After six enjoyable years I have decided to stand down as a Town Councillor representing the residents of the Tipton St John Ward. During that time I have chaired the Regeneration Working Group, been a member of the Neighbourhood Plan working group and recently completed my year of office as the Deputy Mayor of Ottery St Mary. Back in September 2018 I was elected to East Devon District Council following a by-election for the Ottery Rural Ward and finally in May of last year was elected to the District Council for the Ottery Ward which includes Tipton St John. Recently with a group of seven Independents a coalition, with the Independent Alliance, was formed to create a new administration with a working majority at East Devon District Council. I have been appointed an Assistant Portfolio member for Economy, Asset Management and Regeneration. I will, however, continue to represent the residents of Tipton St John on the District Council.

Barton View: We await a decision from the East Devon planners with regard to landscape issues. Together with many residents I have placed my comments on the EDDC Planning Portal.

Planning Application for new Primary School and 180 Houses: An Outline Planning Application by Devon County Council (DCC) has been received at EDDC, which was validated on the 22nd July for a primary school for 210 pupils, together with 150 dwellings, the construction of a new roundabout on Exeter road, and a new junction onto Cadhay Lane.

DCC wish to sell part of their land designated for housing in order to fund the construction of the school. The housing development, it is claimed, will result in the building of 45 affordable homes.

In the event of Planning permission being granted then upon completion of the new school the primary school at Tipton St.John would close and be relocated to Ottery .

The development site, which is located on the Exeter Road, is outside the Ottery built-up area boundary line. Both the EDDC Local Plan and the Ottery St Mary Neighbourhood Plan includes allocating this land only for educational and community use, but not for Housing.

It is worth viewing the application documentation on the EDDC website planning portal by quoting the planning application number 20/1504/ MOUT. If you wish to make comments you can do so on the EDDC website or write to EDDC at Blackdown House, Border Road, Heathpark Industrial Estate, Honiton EX14 1EJ. The closing date for comments is 15th August 2020.

The Greater Exeter Strategic Plan (GESP): The plan includes draft planning policies and large scale development options across all four Council areas of Exeter, Teignmouth, Mid Devon and East Devon including 39 sites where major housing or employment development is proposed. At the East Devon Strategic Planning Committee meeting held on the 23rd July, it was decided to withdraw from the Plan, but move forward with a revision of the Council’s own Local Plan. The decision is subject to ratification at the next EDDC Full Council meeting to be held on the 20th August.

The policy of the new Administration at East Devon was to review the GESP in order to ensure best value and outcomes for local residents. Under GESP the costs greatly outweighed the benefits for the people of East Devon and infrastructure and transport plans were insufficient.

A major consideration was that COVID-19 will change residents’ working, travelling and living habits. It will be important to ensure that post COVID-19 plans are implemented throughout the revised local plan.

It was evident that GESP was being used by Exeter to provide its own housing needs by building in the 3 surrounding districts, but mainly in East Devon. The effect will be to increase commuting from the surrounding rural authorities into Exeter. East Devon will continue to grow as commuter land for Exeter with the result of more congestion and more pollution.

Under GESP there would be more influence by developers resulting in more pressure on EDDC to accommodate more housing. EDDC should ensure that any future housing development provides the necessary amount of affordable housing and where possible to build on Brownfield sites. The best way to ensure delivery of new homes which local people can afford is through the Local Plan. EDDC will take back control over the choice of housing numbers and the types of housing under their Local Plan. District Councillor Geoff Pratt Sandiacre, Wiggaton EX11 1PU [email protected]

Thank you for all you have done during your time as Town Councillor for Tipton, Geoff - 23 - Claire Wright (Ms) Independent Devon County Councillor - Otter Valley Ward Woodland Trust Tree Champion for Devon 01404 815771 Twitter: @clairewrightind Blog: www.claire-wright.org

Proposals for thousands of houses in East Devon, as part of new plan to 2040

Precis of Claire Wright’s online news post. For the whole text, search ‘Claire Wright proposals for thousands of houses’.

A plan to build thousands of new houses across East Devon was unveiled last week. I have since spent time talking with Strategic Planning Officers to try and understand the detail of the national policy driving this. I will endeavour to explain my findings below!

Government housing policy The Greater Exeter Strategic Plan refers to a target of 53,260 houses to be built across East Devon, Exeter, Mid Devon and Teignbridge between 2020 and 2040. Each planning authority has been instructed by central government how many houses they must build, based on births and deaths. The number has taken account of consents already in the system and developments already built.

Affordability uplift Ministers have theorised that the more houses that are built the more that prices will be brought down… This might sound sensible except that the theory is surely flawed. I have not seen a shred of evidence that building lots of houses brings down prices. It simply makes more money for landowners and developers! This policy appears to have nothing to do with true affordability, nor will it tackle the amount of developers (between 40 and 50 per cent approximately) that are granted large scale consents, then afterwards argue viability issues and end up getting the social housing element of the development reduced (because planning authorities usually can’t afford a legal fight against a national housing developer).

Housing proposal breakdown across the four districts (per year) The total GESP housing number breakdown by authority/per year, including the ‘affordability uplift’ is below: East Devon - 900 Exeter – 638 Mid Devon – 364 Teignbridge – 760 GESP area – 2663

This can be seen under ‘Local Housing Needs Assessment’ on https://www.gesp.org.uk/evidence/

Affordable/social housing element within GESP As yet, affordable housing ratios have not been agreed .We need more housing, especially social housing, but what so often happens is that the intention is there by the planning authority, but developers use national planning policy loopholes to their advantage and claim the scheme is unviable once they receive consent from the cash-strapped authority. One of my many frustrations is that planning is weighted in favour of developers, with loopholes running right through national planning policy that simply result in lengthy appeals, or planning authorities capitulating on inappropriate schemes, lacking resources to fight a public inquiry.

(Further comprehensive text under the following headings:) The employment land con; Police investigation into planning in East Devon, in 2013; Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty; Who leads this work?; Green proposals; Woodland - https://www.gesp.org.uk/consultation-phases/stage-two-policy-and-options

The proposals below are for East Devon specifically: (precise land description in online article)

Higher Greendale Proposal: 1,300 dwellings plus industrial/business use Area: 107 hectares

Hill Barton Proposal: 10,000 houses plus industrial use Area: 660 hectares

Oil Mill Lane Proposal: 4,000 dwellings plus industrial/business use Area: 380 hectares

Poltimore East Proposal: Motorway Services Area (possible relocation of the services at M5 J30 to build housing on that site). Area: 44.3 hectares

Sandy Gate Proposal: 1,050 dwellings with possible business/industrial use Area: 36 hectares

Sowton Proposal: Industrial/business use. Ext to existing Science Park Area: 30 hectares

Topsham and M5 Proposal: 1,500 houses (permissions already exist for 286 dwellings, two care homes and 47 assisted living apartments) Area: 95 hectares

Westclyst and Mosshayne Proposal: 1,600 dwellings & possible ind/business use Area: 117 hectares

Axminster South Proposal: 540 dwellings and small scale business/industrial Area: 54 hectares

Feniton Proposal: 2,800 dwellings and business/industrial Area: 352 hectares

Honiton East Proposal: 1,100 dwellings plus small scale business/industrial Area: 73 hectares

Whimple Proposal: 2,500 dwellings and business/industrial Area: 242 hectares

Exeter Airport North Proposal: Business/industrial Area: 22 hectares Airport Bus Park Proposal: Business/industrial use Area: 27 hectares

By Claire|July 13th, 2020|News|12 Comments - 24 - Friends of Ottery Library Ottery St Mary Library News - It’s Opening Time!

Up until now Ottery Library has been operating a Choose and Collect service, customers either telephoning or emailing the library with their choic- es and collecting from the Silver Street building at an arranged time.

However, the latest news is that the Library plans to reopen on Monday 3rd August, with a new social distancing arrangement involving two doors and a one-way system.

Home deliveries have started up again, volunteers delivering books personally to borrowers and exchanging conversation and books at the doorstep. Formerly run by the Royal Voluntary Service, this has now been taken over by Devon Libraries. The service is most helpful for those who are disabled, also those who are not up to the IT skills for online, audio and download services.

Xanthe Waite, Library Supervisor, invites contact and information through telephone 01404 813838 or email, [email protected]. She comments, “As always there's lots of information about it all on our Facebook page.”

Ottery Writers’ Group is growing and now attracts a wide circle of avid writers. Plans are in place to hold a Literary Weekend early next summer 2021. As a forerunner to this, and in an effort to maintain the activities of the group and encourage other local writers, they are holding a Creative Writing Competition. It will be open to all age groups and judged in two categories: young writers (under 18) and adults. Write a short story (500 words max), or a poem, with the title of ‘Memory’.

It could be your thoughts about the lock-down, a fantastic day out or someone that you really miss. The possibilities are boundless. The winning entries will be printed in the local press and the top prizes for each category will be £50.

FOOL Is delighted to support the Ottery Writers’ Group’s Creative Writing Competition. We, FOOL, shall be contributing towards the prizes, especially the Young Writers’ category.

A list of rules and further information can be obtained by emailing [email protected] or https://otterywriters.wordpress.com. You’ve got until the 15th September 2020 to send your creations so get out that notepad. Happy writing!

WHO OWNS THE LIBRARY AND HOW DOES IT WORK? By David Barber, Chairman, Friends of Ottery Library

Here’s the thing … Our community’s library is actually OWNED by Ottery Town Council - that’s the land and building. All the bits and pieces inside plus the employment of our excellent library team are the responsibility of Libraries Unlimited. So far, so good.

Libraries Unlimited (LU) is a charity, tasked by Devon County Council and Torbay Council to run all the libraries in Devon. Their HQ can be found at Exeter Library which, in itself, is a magnificent resource (all facilities of which are available to those with Ottery Library cards) and well worth a visit.

FUNDING

Currently, local authorities fund some 80% of LU’s income. This, remember, is the local authorities’ contribution towards all running costs of the libraries: all staff payments, books, DVDs, CDs, copiers, printers, services ... everything. The other 20% needs to be found elsewhere by fundraising, grants, donations, appeals and so on.

WHERE DO WE STAND?

FOOL - Friends Of Ottery Library- collects money which we use to fund OTTERY LIBRARY, specifically the activities, events and specialist equipment which the library team would like but cannot necessarily get from - 25 -

LU directly. For example, Chromebooks (for the Coder Dojo) and art equipment for youngsters’ activities. We have also paid for things like the Christmas Trees, prizes for the reading challenges, display material, cushions for the children’s library and so on. FOOL intends to continue with these, but in future, some funding could well be shared with LU in the same way as the money made from Ann Widdecombe’s talk two years ago was divided. (Please be assured that in any fund-raising, the destination of the funds - LU or Ottery Library- will be clear and open.)

But … and this is important - without LU, there would be no Ottery Library, at least in anything like its current form. In the library is a collection box which the library staff maintain on behalf of LU.

Additionally, as and when this year’s special circumstances ease, there will be various fund-raising events and activities on behalf of FOOL. Wherever the profits go, either FOOL or LU, Ottery Library will be the ultimate beneficiary.

The Night Sky

You will have noticed that the big event of the last month has been the short visit to our solar system of Comet Neowise. The actual body of the comet is only about 5 km diameter but its long tail stretches hundreds of thousands of km. At its closest approach to Earth on 23 July it was a mere 100 million km distant.

We ventured up to Venn Ottery Common at 11pm and the comet and tail were clearly visible and the view through binoculars was quite impressive. It is worth noting that although ‘tail’ tends to imply that this is flowing along in the wake of the comet, this is misleading. The tail consists of volatile materials and dust released from the core as a result of heating by solar radiation. As a result of radiation pressure, the tail always points away from the Sun, irrespective of the orbit of the comet. Your next opportunity to see it will be around the year 9000 AD. This image was taken at the Norman Lockyer Observatory by Dave Alexander and you will see that he fortuitously also captured a meteor, probably an early arrival Perseid (see below).

Over the last few weeks you may also have noticed the two quite bright objects about half-way up the southern sky in the late evening. These are the great gas giant planets Jupiter and Saturn. Jupiter is much the brighter of the two and is to the west of Saturn. On August 1st a nearly full Moon will be very close to Jupiter and the following evening close to Saturn.

If you are up and about before sunrise on the 9th August you will see the Moon and Mars quite close. Later in the month, Jupiter and Saturn come closer together and Mars also moves across the sky, following close behind the giant planets. If you have a small telescope or even binoculars, take a look!

August is also the month of the Perseid meteor shower. The shower will be at its peak on the night of 12th August, with possibly up to about 150 trails per hour, but can be seen at a lower rate for a couple of weeks on either side. Alan Martin

There are, of course, no events at the NLO for the time being, but keep an eye on normanlockyer.com for up to date news. - 26 -

Has Lockdown got you down? Here are some positives...…..

Local songstress Vanda Reynolds composed the following during lockdown (to the tune of ‘These are a few of my favourite things’)

(Verse 1) Cyclists on bikes just like old fashioned film sets, Policemen with ponytails under their helmets, Moths that aren’t squashed on windscreens, fly on wings. These are a few of my favourite things.

(Verse 2) There is no need to keep washing our cars. How bright shines Venus among twinkling gold stars. If we can’t shop, they come drop, then they run, We wash our hands twenty seconds ‘til done.

(Verse 3) (We’re) baking and making our very own dough, (chewed with) Teeth that aren’t aching ‘cos we've bonded them with glue. Clothes that are mended so end up like new. I prefer these things, Well wouldn’t you!

(Chorus) It’s so sublime, When we have time, to stand back and stare. Leap that stone wall, Make a magic phone call say’ng ‘FLOUR’S VANISHED INTO - THIN AIR !’

When daisies nod, when roadside clod lets the weeds push through – A RIOT OF COLOUR, WILD FLOWERS GREET EACH OTHER, FOR FREE, for me and you! Because they ALL JUST GREW!

(Verse 4) People are doing their workouts at home, There’s virtual lessons in squares thanks to Zoom. Fringes grow down to your nose all too soon. Hair styles reinvented can’t be prevented BOOM! BOOM!

(Verse5) Few trains and no planes, clear bluer skies above, Empty motorway lanes – no prangs, no pile ups. We’ve got a lot of thinking to do. There is a lot of cud now left to chew!

(Coda . Slower) Could it be nice if we started anew, Not doing things the way – we were used to?

- 27 - RECIPE CORNER

COURGETTE AND MUSHROOM PASTA SAUCE This is a really tasty and simple dish which is perfect for using up some of those gluts of vegetables that you might currently have in your garden. If you don’t have Parmesan to hand, then any strong, grated cheese will do.

Serves 4

Ingredients: 125g (4oz.) mushrooms, sliced 60g (2oz.) butter 4 courgettes, sliced 2 onions, chopped 1 tbsp. fresh oregano

425g (13 ½ oz.) can tomatoes 2 bay leaves 2 tbsp. tomato puree 375g (3/4lb) dried pasta, cooked in boiling, salted water 2 tbsp. grated parmesan cheese

• Heat the butter in a saucepan, add the onion and stir over the heat until tender. • Add the undrained, crushed tomatoes, tomato puree, mushrooms, courgettes, oregano and bay leaves and bring to the boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced and thickened. • Serve with the pasta and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Enjoy! Jenny Pinn

The Silence of Singing

Back in March Ottery Choral Society’s singing activities were silenced by the pandemic that we all now know has ruined the lives of so many people, and in some cases caused death. Rehearsals ceased and our Spring Concert had to be cancelled. As time progressed, it became clear that this was no short time suspension and our AGM fell by the wayside like so many other meetings.

Our reason to exist is to give people the opportunity to sing, and to sing in a large group of many parts (soprano, alto, tenor, and bass) that come together in one harmonious performance of the music of the great composers. Without this music our lives are diminished, but in line with Government advice we put all our activities on hold.

As I write (July 10th) government restrictions are beginning to ease, which is great news. Shops are open, pubs and restaurants are gradually opening their doors albeit with hygiene rules in place. Churches are allowed to hold services … but no singing.

The choral society belongs to an organisation called Making Music, which made representations to the government. (They wrote an open letter to the Culture secretary https://www.makingmusic.org.uk/ news/open-letter-singing-network-uk-secretary-state-culture-media-and-sport) The Royal School of Church Music is also active in this area. An article in The Times (June 4th) by Richard Morrison made the case for the need of government advice and research into whether singing spreads the virus. A letter to our MP did not solicit a reply that really addressed the issues. We have had scare stories about choral groups in America spreading the virus to each other, and on the other hand research in Europe which is more hopeful. But singing in masks would be a challenge!

The immediate future for singing in groups looked bleak, but a small chink of light has appeared. As of 9th July the government updated its guidance: singing and the playing of brass and wind instruments will be permitted in a managed and controlled professional working environment to minimise risk. At present this is for professionals only but at last a scientific study has been commissioned on the risks associated with these activities, and will involve Public Health England, professional musicians from the Royal Opera House, BBC, Imperial College, London and Bristol University.

It seems strange that the perceived health risk of going to the pub and talking across a table to one another (often loudly if the environment is confined and noisy), is different to singing (or playing wind instruments). But I hope that the scientific study resolves this issue in a timely manner. Of course by the time you read this, things might be different again.

Participation in music is an important part of our daily lives and provides benefits to a large number of the population. The choral society has 80+ members and there are many more music societies, bands and orchestras that are looking for guidance and a realistic timeline for restarting.

David Wade Chairman, Ottery Choral Society - 28 - - 29 - Tipton Weather Bureau July 2020

Last time I wrote this column, in February, I discussed “Do I believe in climate change” with the answer being an emphatic “Yes”. Another common question is whether a particular weather event was caused by climate change, and this is much more difficult to answer. Climate campaigners will often point to extreme weather events and blame climate change but then sceptics will point out that records have always been broken. Is one right and one wrong, or do they both have a point? Last time I described there being many more high temperature records being broken than cold ones, consistent with climate warming, but can we say that a particular heatwave is caused by climate change?

Climate scientists have been challenged by these questions for many years and have been rightly cautious about answering them. Experts have been working to develop methods to answer the questions, and this spring of 2020 has thrown up one of the starkest examples yet. I will come back to that in a moment.

Like many things in science, the answer lies not in certainty but in probabilities and likelihoods. Maybe we are all becoming a little more familiar with this through the coronavirus pandemic, and particularly through the daily briefings we had from politicians and scientists. To me as a scientist, the Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty and his colleagues spoke so much common sense and rationality when they talked about the levels of risk of different approaches, while politicians (of every party) seemed to want categorical certainty!

Let me digress for a moment. There is an interesting parallel between climate modelling and pandemic modelling. Have you noticed how some people have dismissed the pandemic modelling because the NHS was not overwhelmed and we have not suffered nearly as many deaths as some of the early modelling studies predicted? But the reason the models were “wrong” was because we responded - the models give us a picture of what could have happened if we had not had lockdown to reduce the spread. By inputting different assumptions, to represent the effects of lockdown, the same models showed many fewer cases and deaths - so they weren’t wrong, just the assumptions were no longer relevant due to the pandemic control actions. In the same way, for climate models we have to make many assumptions, most importantly about how much greenhouse gas humans will emit. If we have a massive transformation and reduce our CO2 emissions dramatically then the worst predictions of the climate scientists will not come to fruition - those predictions will not be “wrong”, just avoided - which would, after all, be the aim of the change in behaviour!

So back to the probabilities. Weather varies from year to year, which is why climate records are regularly broken - the coldest April day on record, or the wettest August. `Climate’ describes what happens on average, but also how often more extreme things are likely to happen - the probability of August being wet or dry, and how frequently we might get an extreme. In order to try to answer the questions about particular weather events, the climate scientists look at how likely those events were in the pre-industrial climate, and then how likely they are now in today’s warming climate. We cannot say that an event is definitely caused by climate change, but we can estimate how much more likely it is now than it would have been without man-made greenhouse emissions.

So what about this spring? While we have all been enjoying a record-breaking dry and sunny spring in the UK during lockdown, things have been even more extreme over Siberia with very high temperatures from January to June. The map below from the Met Office shows average temperatures approaching 10°c warmer than the 1981-2010 average. A temperature of 38°c was recorded inside the Arctic Circle, the same temperature which last year broke the UK all-time record in Cambridge! The Met Office, along with Russian colleagues, has analysed this period in relation to climate change and concluded that the Siberian temperatures are at least 600 times more likely now than without human-induced warming: less than once every 130 years now, but compared to only once every 80,000 years before. This is one of the strongest signals ever seen - so we can be ALMOST certain that it is caused by climate change - but not absolutely! The heat in Siberia has caused widespread forest fires and accelerated melting of the permafrost leading to a massive oil spill after a storage tank built on frozen soil collapsed. Hopefully this new science can help to wake the world up before we rush out of lockdown and back into our old bad habits. Ken Mylne

- 30 - VENN OTTERY & SOUTHERTON RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION Website: https://vosra.wordpress.com/

It is sad that this year, due to the COVID-19 outbreak, we have not been able to meet up and discuss local issues, or hold our usual social gatherings. Hence there is little to report about VOSRA’s activities since the last AGM (November 2019).

Music on the Green We had to cancel the ‘Music on the Green’ event, which was to have taken place on Saturday 25th July. This would have been something of a commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the end of WW2, and the ‘Liberty Sisters’ had been booked to perform on The Green. We plan to re-book them for the next occasion when we can hold an outdoor (or maybe indoor?) social event.

VOSRA at 21

2020 also marks the 21st Birthday of VOSRA! Since founding the Residents Association in 1999 we have become recognised at the Parish, District and County Councils as a body to be consulted on issues that affect our environment - built and natural. This recognition is valuable so that as changes are suggested the views of local residents are heard, and usually taken quite seriously. The Neighbourhood Plan for the whole parish (Newton Poppleford, Harpford, Venn Ottery and Southerton) is in its final stages, so future built development proposals should be scrutinised against that plan. AGM We cannot schedule any future gatherings yet, although an AGM will have to take place. We plan to book a date in late November at Tipton Community Hall - this has deliberately been left until later than usual in the hope that by then gatherings will be possible. At present the rule is that no more than twenty people can gather in a hall, observing social distancing. So if we go ahead on this basis, we will have to ask people to register their wish to attend in advance and if necessary limit this to one representative per household.

I look forward to meeting up with everyone in the nearish future, but in the meantime if there are any issues that you think that VOSRA should be aware of please contact me.

Keep well and stay safe! Shân Merritt, Chairman, VOSRA Tel: 01404 812733 Email: [email protected]

Sundial Care Home International Day of Youth - Beryl Tasker

Wednesday 12th August marks the International Day of Youth. While this annual celebration isn’t necessarily something you’d associate with Sundial Care Home, the wisdom passed on by members of the Sundial family during their lives has guided generations of youth down through the years.

Beryl Tasker, 89 years young, has played more than her fair share in raising the future generations in East Devon as she, along with a couple of friends, ran the Woolbrook Playgroup in Sidmouth during the late 1960s and 1970s.

Working a few mornings a week, she would lead children aged three to five. Describing her time at the playgroup Beryl’s daughter, Lesley, said “Beryl would be involved in playing, doing puzzles, story time, singing and preparing craft activities for the children to do. She enjoyed it very much. She set boundaries but would also spoil the children too!” ‘Playgroup’ could be described as a somewhat disingenuous title for such important schooling during this period in a child’s development. Between the ages of three and five, children hit key milestones in speech, showing affection, behaviour, and movement. This learning, which playgroup leaders support, builds the foundation blocks for future understanding and development.

Beryl was also involved with the Sidmouth Art Society and was usually involved in their annual production. Ken, her husband would often work the lights for the show. Beryl and Ken both live at Sundial Care Home, where they still enjoy each other’s company. Creativity is something Beryl still has in abundance, as she still enjoys arts and crafts alongside reading and completing crosswords.

In 2019, the United Nations, estimated that “more than half of all adolescents aged six to fourteen lack basic reading and mathematical skills.” These skills are first fostered at pre-school and playgroups, and people who volunteer their time to teach and engage with people in these age groups play a vital role in a young person’s development.

During the 60’s and 70’s a group of young people directly benefitted from the time and care Beryl and her colleagues invested in them during their tender years. In a somewhat unconventional manner, we dedicate this International Day of Youth to Beryl and all at Sundial, for the love, guidance and teaching that has inspired generations of young people whose life stories began in Devon. - 31 - Men’s Shed Ottery…..Re-opening 1st September

We closed the Shed on the 17th March, which now seems a real age ago. A ‘Whats App’ group was set up to ensure we all made contact during that critical lock down period. This wonderful technology of the Zoom video conference has been used a couple of times in spite of yours truly not understanding how to properly admit participants. I’ll get it right next time!

A fortnightly picnic lunch in the car park was started once the social distancing in groups of six was allowed.

Apart from the usual banter, serious discussion took place on how to reopen, the result being as follows:

On Tuesdays and Fridays we will restrict the numbers of members attending and have appointed a Roster-Secretary so that each It may not appear it from this camera angle, but distances were member will have the chance of a fortnightly measured with engineering precision, you can be sure! session at the Portakabin. Physical distancing and face masks, and frequent use of the supplied hand sanitiser, will give the best protection to our members who tend to be in that vulnerable age group.

The situation will radically improve when we move to our new home which will be five times the size of our existing Shed. Negotiations for this new home at the Ottery Football Club are now in an advanced stage, so watch this space. Tony Pugh, Treasurer/Trustee

FIFTEEN DIFFERENCES ...

Pinched from the weekly Tipton PCC newsletter - courtesy Keith Poultney - 32 - Arts and Crafts, Hobbies and Pastimes

Unfortunately, like everything, this group had to stop meeting rather abruptly in March, but immediately before this, our numbers had seen a rapid increase and we were looking forward to planning an 'end of season' outing for May.

Hopefully, if the national situation continues to improve we will be able to resume meetings for next winter, albeit in a socially distanced format.

The Hall Trustees are working on their rules to reopen to groups such as ours, with arrangements for entry, use of equipment, hand sanitising and special cleaning etc - So look out for posters for our re-start arrangements from September.

Pure Tipton Tranquil artists at the Playing Field riverside

In other news. Lynda Kettle, whose greetings cards Alita sells at the Village Stores, has started a series of paintings showing views in and around Tipton. These will be available shortly as both greetings cards and prints through Alita. The first two are of St John’s Church and a view along the banks of the Otter - a view of which she’s sure many will have become familiar during those leisurely lockdown walks. - 33 - Tipton Past - Carters’ Airport Forty years ago, on 17th July 1980, an aeroplane crash landed onto Carters’ fields near the river at Fluxton. The Vickers Viscount aircraft, en route from Santander, Northern Spain, ran short of fuel before reaching Exeter Airport and had to make an emergency landing six miles short of its destination. There were race horses and two hundred sheep grazing in the fields where the pilot brought the plane down to land. Thankfully all sixty two passengers on the plane were evacuated safely, although some sheep were killed during the impact. Eight fire engines, fifty firemen, police and six ambulances were quickly on the scene. The incident was obviously newsworthy and caused great excitement, with people flocking from far and wide to view the stranded airplane. Annie Trimmer, living at Fluxton, offered parking to visitors; she collected donations for Stoke Mandeville Hospital and raised a tremendous £1,120. Teas and coffees were also sold for local funds and, later that year, the aircraft’s propellers were auctioned at Exmouth, with a further £120 being raised for Stoke Mandeville. I believe that they were displayed on the wall at The Salston Hotel.

One villager remembers the day “I was on top of the big slide in the playing field when I noticed a plane descending into Fluxton fields, beyond Five Arches. I went straight home to tell my parents and we all headed off to see if help was needed. The plane skimmed over the top of Granny Locks cottage - I think she was interviewed on the news"

The photograph of the little girl, Tracy Kensdale, in front of the plane, was taken by her grandparents when they walked to see the crash site.

I also can remember walking up the river with friends to see the plane and to take photographs. We referred to that area as "Carters Airport" for quite a few months afterwards!

Thanks to Tracy Kensdale for the photo and to Ann Knight and Dawn for their input. Judith Taylor

Beard Shave for Tipton School PTFA

Hi all

You may recall that, with massive support from the Tipton St John PTFA, I organised a sponsored beard shave after one hundred days of lockdown.

I’m pleased to say that we achieved over £1,200 for the PTFA and.... have ended up in a PTFA magazine!

Howard Hughes Photo courtesy of the PTFA Magazine - 34 - Diary Dates 298 - August and September

See Page 13 for Cricket Fixtures

August 1-31 Otter Vale Art Society online Exhibition P8 Mon 3 Ottery St Mary Library re-opening P24 Sat 15 Deadline for submissions in respect of School and housing, Ottery St Mary P22 Mon 31 Closing date for application for Town Councillor Tipton St John Ward P6

Sept Tues 1 Men’s Shed Ottery St Mary re-opening P31 Fri 4 School Non Pupil Day Mon 7 Start of School Term Sat 12-Sun 13 TIPPS Al Fresco, Community Hall Garden P18 Tues 15 Closing date for Ottery Writers’ Group’s Creative Writing Competition P24

CHURCH CALENDAR

We regret that it is not possible to publish a calendar of services and events at Tipton and Venn Ottery churches, because, at the time of writing, both churches remain closed both for private and public worship owing to the Coronavirus. However, if anyone has a particular need to access one of the buildings, they should contact one of the Church Wardens : Lizzi Steel (815737) or Keith Poultney (811878).

In the meantime, a Service of Worship lasting about half an hour for all the parishes under the care of our vicar, Mark Ward, which includes Harpford, Newton Poppleford and Colaton Raleigh, is being held every Sunday at 10 a.m. on Zoom.

Everyone is very welcome to join us. If you would like the link please contact either Mark Ward ([email protected]) or the PCC Secretary, Alison Stevens ([email protected]), and we will be pleased to provide it.

Ottery St Mary Church is now having Sunday services at 10am and 11am, but social distancing is in place and numbers attending are limited.

When the restrictions on the use of the church buildings are lifted we will put posters around the village and update the Church Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/tiptonstjohnchurch/ and advise the village through the new Tipton Times Village Website.

Annual Church Fete Sadly, but inevitably, we have had to take the decision to cancel the Fete (usually held on August Bank Holiday Monday) this year. If circumstances permit, we will look at holding some event later in the year, so watch this space and enjoy the rest of your summer.

- 35 - FINAL BRAINTEASER Answers on the bottom of Page 17

From the weekly Tipton PCC newsletter - courtesy Keith Poultney

Contents Bee Man 8 Night Sky 25

Church Draw 10 OSM Choral Society 27

Church News 34 Playing Fields 7 Claire Wright 23 Poem 8

Clinton Devon 12 Readers 19

Community Hall Report 14 Recipe Corner 27

Cricket 13 Tennis 7

Editorial 3 Thought for the Times 11

Garden News 20 Tipps 18

Geoff Pratt 22 Tipton Past 33

Letters to the Editor 16 Weather 29

Nature Notes 5