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February and March 2020
John Hayward
PLAYGROUND JOY Below, from the front cover of TT exactly one year ago, the sad, well-worn apparatus which is now replaced, bright and sparkling-new.
IT’S PLAYTIME! Monday 13th January, Tipton School Head Ruth Ingrouille helps Solomon cut the ribbon, Mo Mylne, David Birch and Anne Ladbrook celebrating with Tipton School students
Loud Screams Wiggaton Closed Don’t miss the for up to Haircut Book Launch on Wailing in the Five Days from for Beavers 17th March in Night 24th February the Village Hall
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Editors: David Birch 01404 815402 3 Tipton Lodge, Tipton St John, EX10 0AW Paula Faulkner; Barbara Pugh 01404 811161; Anne Sadler Treasurer: Tony Pugh 18 Hayne Park, Tipton St John, Sidmouth, EX10 0TA Proofreader/printers: Pauline Belton; Janet Croud; Anne Reid; Anne Sadler; 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 photographs: We welcome letters and contributions but reserve ‘Cutting the ribbon’, and ‘Children the right to edit and amend (and adults!) at Play’, Karen Burgess such offerings. Views expressed within each ‘Sad Old Equipment’, Barbara Pugh article are the author’s own. - 3 -
Editorial
A belated Happy New Year to you all and welcome to the first edition of 2020. It’s easy at this time of year to feel that we are caught in a kind of no man’s land: the festivities of Christmas are almost forgotten and we’re a long way from the brighter days of spring. It’s reassuring, therefore, to read Geoff Pinn’s closing line in Nature Notes, “We are over halfway to Spring now and I, for one, am really looking forward to it. See you there!”
Indeed, Geoff’s whole piece reminds us that there is something of interest at every time of year, especially for the observant. No one could have missed, however, the marvellous and fully completed play area, satisfyingly finished on time, despite extremely adverse weather conditions. This is a wonderful addition to our Playing Field and the village as a whole. It’s great to see that so many children are enjoying it already and that it has quickly become a focus for families.
There is no shortage of things to do at this time of year, either. It’s that time again when we look forward to what TIPPs has in store for us in February. ‘Detention’ seems to offer the ideal half-term diversion. Alternatively, there are opera nights at West Hill, visits to the Norman Lockyer Observatory and cricket nets or tennis for the more active. There’s all this and, of course, your regular gardening and recipe advice and many more regular favourites.
Finally, in a world that has allegedly ‘had enough of experts’, it’s good to read Ken Mylne’s well-argued and calmly reasoned piece on climate change. Sometimes, we’re lucky to have experts to hand!
The Editors
Contents Bee Man - buzzed off on hols Obituaries 22
Beaver Hair Cut 10 OSM Choral Society 8
Book Launch 13 Playground refurbished 4
Church Draw 11 Playing Field 7 Poem 8 Church News 13 Readers 19 Clinton Devon 12 Recipe Corner 27 Community Hall Report 14 RSPB 9 Crafts & Hobbies 14 School 15 Cricket 9 Scouts, Beavers & Cubs 18 Garden News 20 Table Tennis Dates 13 Geoff Pratt 28 Tennis 27 Letters to the Editor 10 Thought for the Times 11 National Trust Sidmouth 20 Tipps 6
Nature Notes 5 Tipton Past 25
Night Sky 21 Weather 26 - 4 -
Tipton Playing Field Opens the New Children’s Playground These pictures are so much better in colour - look on line www.tiptonstjohnvillage.org.uk ‘Diary & Events’
As soon as the workmen had tightened the last bolt, swept the last crumb of soil from the new pathways and driven away, the new playground gates were pushed open by excited and curious children and their adults, so happy to have a beautiful new set of playground apparatus to explore.
Note the clean and dry, but resilient new surfacing Although the official opening took place on 13th January, there were children playing on the new equipment from before Christmas, many happy groups inside the smart new fencing constantly to be seen by the passing dog walkers.
Swings, with an exciting difference
Congratulations to the Playing Field Committee for a resoundingly successful outcome.
A wheelchair-friendly roundabout, and a place to picnic
This has been the result of much hard work, consultation, funding submissions, planning, tenders and so on and so on - a long papertrail trudge.
Ain’t we lucky in Tipton to have folk who are willing to put in so much time and trouble for us all? Plenty of climbing and clambering opportunities - 5 - NATURE NOTES
After all the wet weather and windy weather we experienced at the end of last year and into the New Year, it has taken until the third week in January before we have been able to enjoy some really cold frosts at night and unbroken sunshine throughout the day. It really has been most welcome, but unfortunately this seasonal weather doesn’t look set to last for long. Back to the default wind and rain soon!
The long January nights have not been quiet around here though! Apart from the sound of owls calling to each other in order to secure their mate for the breeding season, other noises, piercing the dark, have been very noticeable. Foxes have also been contributing in their way too! You’ll hear two typical calls at this time of year, the raucous triple bark, which the dominant dog fox uses to proclaim his territory, and a loud wailing scream. Before a successful mating, the vixen may often rebuff an amorous male with snarls and yelps. Even when they have mated, screams will persist as the copulating dog fox is temporarily trapped by the female.
At this time of year, you may see the pair tail to tail in the ‘tie’ position which, from the sounds produced by mating animals, may be an uncomfortable affair. The two foxes can remain locked together for an hour or more, but once mating is over, the vixen wastes no time in preparing an earth, January is a busy time for fox families. Cubs born in the previous spring disperse to find territories or mates of their own. Although many leave of their own accord, they are sometimes driven off by their parents who don’t welcome competition for food or partners.
It has been very busy at our bird table, too. Many of the regular visitors are here, including the Great Spotted Woodpecker, who comes to decimate our peanut supply! Great Spotted Woodpeckers begin ‘drumming’ in January and this will continue into April or until the young are fledged. Both sexes participate in the drumming as they communicate and establish their territories. As these birds don’t have a song to advertise ownership of their chosen patch of woodland, so they make themselves known by drumming on dead trees with their powerful bills. Woodpeckers ought to get headaches as a result of those hammering blows; they don’t because their skulls are cushioned by a matrix of minute pockets of air, supported by strengthened bone tissue. It’s a dramatic sound and some creative individuals will use other surfaces such as the metal plates on telegraph poles to create an even louder sound. A story has it that one bird even used a metal public address tannoy at a racecourse!
We also have three starlings who seem to be the best of mates until some (out of date) fruit cake is thrown out onto the grass. A certain hierarchy (or should that be pecking order!) automatically kicks in and it is quite amusing to watch them as they try to either fend each other off, or try to steal a morsel out of turn. You sometimes wonder if they will ever get around to eating at all!
The cake has also attracted a pair of Blackcaps to the feeding frenzy. They seem to have extremely voracious appetites as far as the sweetmeats go! While Blackcaps are traditionally summer visitors, typically arriving in March and April and migrating south for the autumn, they are increasingly staying in the UK all year round. The Blackcap is a Grey Warbler, easily identified by its distinctive cap. Males have black caps (as the name suggests), while the female’s cap is chestnut brown. Juvenile males also have a brown cap. They have thin, dark-coloured beaks and brownish-grey wings. They are a similar size to Robins. Blackcaps eat a diet mostly made up of insects, including flies and caterpillars. Unlike the majority of warblers, they also enjoy eating berries, and are particularly fond of mistletoe berries. They are actually extremely efficient at spreading mistletoe seeds, eating the flesh of the berry and wiping the seed on a branch, allowing it to potentially germinate there.
We are over halfway to spring now and I, for one, am really looking forward to it. See you there!
That’s it….’til next time! Geoff Pinn [email protected] 01404812878 - 6 - TIPPS
TIPPS’ first production of 2020 is something completely new: “Detention!” has been written and compiled by Natalie Anning, directed by Natalie Anning and Claire Devin.
In “Detention!”, the kids at the village school are in detention and ‘Boring Bolton’ the history teacher is overseeing it. As he reels off facts about different historical eras, the kids start to daydream and history comes to life! With historical re-enactments, songs and music, the commemoration of two World Wars and links to local history, this will be an evening to remember.
Rehearsals are well under way, with the children of TIPPS Junior Section working hard on their roles, dreaming through their history detention, while the adults are singing and dancing their way through a century of significant events…
The show runs from Wednesday 19th to Saturday 22nd February at 7.30pm, with a matinée on Saturday at 2.30pm. Tickets are £9 for adults and £5 for children under 16, and will be available through Tipton Village Store on Saturday mornings 9.30-10.30m from 25th January, or online via www.ticketsource.co.uk (search for TIPPS or Detention!).
Shân Merritt
Otter Rail and River Run 2020 - Help Needed
The new playground is now open and my kids have already spent many hours playing and exploring the new equipment. What strikes me is what amazing things we achieve together as a community. It makes me proud to live in Tipton st John. The Otter Rail and River Run is one of the main fundraising events for the Playing Fields and last year we raised nearly £3000! It is also an event that we could not put on without the amazing efforts of volunteers. The run this year is planned for Saturday 11th July so runners and helpers alike - get the date in the diary.
Last year was my first year in the driving seat and I muddled my way through with the support of Jo Earlam and Mo Mylne. Although on the day the team of helpers was vast, the bulk of the organisation came down to our small team of three. This year I am hoping to share the load of the organisation and so this is also a plea for anyone who can spare some time to get in touch. There are a few main jobs described below which could be done by one person or shared. Many of the jobs won’t need you to be there on the day and can be spread out over the coming months.
Role Main Tasks
General Admin Website update for 2020 (basic computing skills Arrange First Aid/ Portaloos, etc needed) Event notifications e.g. DCC Documentation e.g. entry form Runner entries
Marketing Poster design Advertising Sponsorship
Helper Management Manage helper list Contact/ confirm helpers Send out briefing Main contact for marshals on the day
Please email ([email protected]) or contact the Playing Field Committee if you can spare some time. Thank you in advance.
Jemma Wiltshire - 7 - Tipton St John Playing Field PLAYING FIELD
NEWS Play Area
The new play area was completed and back in action by Christmas, as we hoped, despite atrocious weather conditions. The feedback we’ve had so far has been very pleasing and the new equipment seems to be very well used at the moment. We invited children from the primary school to a formal opening on the 13th January, in recognition of their contribution a year ago to our planning process. The pictures are featured on the front cover, with more about the new equipment on Page 4.
There will be a formal celebration event in the spring, so do look out for information about that. As is always the way with grant-funded projects, we will be carrying out an evaluation of the impact of the new area over the next few months. There will be some making good to do – the replacement of a border that wasremoved and some re-seeding when the weather improves. There will also be a new sign which acknowledges the tremendous support we’ve received in order to make the new play area a reality.
A place to sit and while away the time In the last edition, I meant to write about the significant upgrades to several of our benches, thanks to the fine work of the Ottery Men’s Shed, under the guidance of Tony Pugh. A number have recently been restored, including one completely wrecked by the outbreak of vandalism last summer. We know how much people appreciate the opportunity to sit in the field and enjoy the surroundings with which we’ve been entrusted.
It’s a pleasure too, to be able, to contribute to people’s memories of loved ones, through the memorial benches of which there are now several throughout the field. The use of recyclable materials and the policy of placing all benches on concrete bases should enable them to last much longer.
Although the field is used less during the winter, it’s good to see activity continuing, especially with tennis and football, and the many people who come to the field with their dogs. We are very appreciative of the fact that the vast majority of these respect the field and use the dog bins. I’d just like to remind anyone walking with more than two dogs to keep them on leads.
We’ve been hearing about a new addition to our range of summer activities: ‘Rounders by the River’. There will be more details about this in the next edition but you can find out more in the meantime via Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/719506391906414/ David Birch 01404 815402
Advance Notice
Ann Knight and Stephanie Kinson are planning a Craft Fair in aid of Children-in-Need Saturday 21st November Tables £5 each and a small donation from your profits expected. Refreshments including light lunches available. If you would like to support this venture with a stall, please contact by the end of July Ann 812040 or Stephanie 01395 568577 Everyone else - make a note of the date! - 8 -
Medical Care Circa 1955
I tried to make Dad understand that glasses thick and shaky hand did not inspire much confidence in Dentist Dave, and I was tense.
But Dad, whose teeth were mostly false, and in the war had seen much worse, exhorted me to, ‘Just be brave.’ He was a friend of Dentist Dave.
Twenty-two injections later Mum was angry with my pater. She called the Doc; he ordered bed and morphine for my aching head and bleeding mouth. Then for a week I saw strange visions, couldn’t sleep, missed everything. What can I say? I dread the dentist to this day!
Gill Dunstan
Ottery St Mary Choral Society had a good Christmas And on the Concert in December. Readers subject of of the Herald will have seen the encouraging half page “Open Wide” review that they published. A Community Chorus Rehearsals are now well founded in 1904 underway for our next choral extravaganza! Please reserve the date of Saturday 4th April. At 7.30pm on that date we will be performing The Seasons by Haydn in Ottery Parish Church. Visit our website for more details nearer the time - http://otterystmarychoral.org/
You will find a link to be able to buy tickets online via our Ticketsource page. Of course you will still be able to buy at the Curious Otter bookshop in Ottery, or via a member of the Chorus. Meanwhile, some of us will be marking another successful year with our annual dinner at the Tumbling Weir in February. David Wade - 9 -
Tipton St John Cricket Club
It’s not been a hugely successful winter for Tipton’s indoor cricketers, who failed to register a single victory before Christmas. Finally, our fortunes changed in January with a victory over old friends and neighbours Newton Poppleford - who better to get one over than our nearest and dearest rivals?
The 2020 season is still a few months away - there will be full details in the next edition - but there has been a lot done behind the scenes. The fixture list is complete: 44 matches have been arranged, starting with our practice match on 19th April.
If anyone is interested in playing friendly village cricket, you are most welcome to get in touch (my contact details are below), whatever your experience and playing ability. Many of our matches are against other local friendly sides, some of whom play at grounds nearly as attractive as ours. Among the highlights of this season will be fixtures against touring teams, including the very welcome return of the Vancouver Island XI. I wonder if they’ll recruit a certain H Windsor….
The best way to get involved would be to join us at our indoor net practice sessions which run from Sunday 22nd March to Sunday 5th April. All sessions are at Sidmouth Sports Centre from 10am – 12 noon.
David Birch 01404-815402 [email protected]
RSPB Aylesbeare Common
As I write this, the wind is howling around the cabin and rain is smashing horizontally at the windows! So what a season! We have struggled along with our winter management in the most appalling conditions, hats off (no pun intended) to our residential volunteers who have battled on, all in the spirit of nature conservation. We have been clearing encroaching scrub from the reserve in many locations, and most recently, we have been opening up the tracks on one of our butterfly transect routes. Here we hope to allow more light to the track edges and improve the floristic diversity of the area, hopefully improving the conditions for many of the butterfly species.
Just before Christmas we had a local contractor on site with his swing shovel (digger) creating areas of bare ground. We have some very rare invertebrates which require the open sandy areas and patches of pioneer heath - this is one way that we are able to create and maintain this particular type of habitat. We hope to do more in the coming months.
Our grazing animals have also been keeping us busy moving groups between different areas on the site. We have recently brought the Dartmoor ponies back from the Killerton Estate, a National Trust site close to Exeter, and these have ended up back on the reserve at Aylesbeare. We have moved a few of the other groups of ponies to help target management in particular spots - this also helps with lookering* the animals over the Christmas period - as you could otherwise spend hours looking for livestock over the whole reserve!!
Over November and December we trialled some winter grazing of Red Devon Cattle on Fire Beacon Hill. This worked really well until someone decided to repeatedly take the electric fence down, almost on a daily basis! The site will not have any more more livestock there until the spring. The effect of having livestock on site has helped with the trampling of the bracken and brambles, and eating down hard the invasive coarse grasses. Let’s see how things respond next summer.
We welcome Megan who joins us for six months, and to Leo who is coming out several days a week. Aaron has moved on to Forestry England and Becky has stepped up to help keep the wheels turning with both our daily and residential volunteers - so we are having a few staff changes on the reserve.
As the nights start to shorten we look forward to a little less rain and some warmer temperatures,
The RSPB Aylesbeare Common Team
*checking the welfare of livestock
- 10 - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR A Haircut for Two Beavers
We are Beth & Maisie, nearly eight years old, and twin sisters who attend Beavers at Tipton St John.
We have decided that we would like to help another child who is experiencing hair loss to have a real hair wig. We have thought about doing this for a while and have discussed it with our family who are very proud of our decision.
We are having our lovely long hair cut on 21st February and will be donating it to The Little Princess Trust. As well as donating our hair we are raising sponsorship to help The Little Princess Trust to make the wigs.
If you would like to support us we have a JustGiving page for donations where the money goes straight to the charity. We hope to make a little girl or boy happier!
https://bit.ly/2Gpq8A9
Hello Editors
In case you did not see it, there is quite a sizeable article in today’s (2.1.20) Daily Telegraph on the ROY BURGESS River Otter Beaver Project commenting on how the beavers are doing their bit to tackle climate Thank you to the Revds. Mark and emergency. This includes a large picture of a beaver and baby on the River Otter. There is also a write- Gerry and all my good friends and up ‘Beavering away’ in their Editorial! neighbours for the lovely messages of sympathy and support I received on This brought back memories of one day in 2011 when I saw a beaver sitting preening itself on the the death of my husband Roy on island in my pond and a friend managed to get a 12th January. photo of it! (duly reported to and featured in Tipton Times and S.W T.V. who came and filmed it)! He is greatly missed by the
I am keeping the article in case any one might be family who helped so much to give a interested to see it. I now have quite a collection of strong and meaningful thanksgiving local beaver memorabilia! service for his life. Wendy Pounce - 812968 AND PS: Barbara Burgess
I have just received an old scam on my computer that must be doing the rounds again and I thought it was worth mentioning.
The gist of it is that your computer has developed a fault and gives this number - 07630 739163 - to get it sorted.
The scam also warns that your computer will be then Obituaries on pages 22 and 23 disconnected ... RING OFF! - 11 - Thought for the Times - OMG Bible. We believe that He is
OMG seems to crop-up everywhere. In case you the Maker of Heaven and are not sure, it stands for ‘Oh My God’. And the Earth, the one, true, living God. fact that it has become a well-known set of ini- tials is a sign of how often people use ‘Oh my Where we diverge is that god!” as an exclamation. Christians, whether they be
As a person of faith I always feel a little from a Jewish or non-Jewish uncomfortable when I hear the word ‘god’ used background, believe that in this way. People sometimes imagine that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, members of the clergy might be offended by it. the Son of God, and that Yahweh has now You know the sort of thing: “Don’t say that! You revealed himself as: the heavenly Father, Jesus might upset the Vicar!” (probably said in a 1970s the Son and the Holy Spirit, whilst still being one God. sitcom voice). Actually I would say that I am not offended by it; it is more that it grates, like a So if I feel any disquiet when I hear someone noise that sets your teeth on edge. say, “Oh my god,” or when I see someone has written ‘OMG’, I remind myself that this is simply As a Christian I personally find the use of an expression about their god. It is not about my “Jesus!” or “Christ!” as exclamations—or worse God. expletives—even more distressing that “god!” The wonderful thing that I do want everyone to And I think that my deliberate use of a small ‘g’ know about my God is that anyone can turn to is the clue. ‘Jesus’ and ‘Christ’ very specifically him at any time. Whatever our background, refer to Jesus Christ, and a Christian has a very whatever we have done, whatever has been personal relationship with him. Ironically, some done to us we can come to him. And if we are Christians happily cry out, “Jeepers!” or ‘Crikey!” willing to be his, he will be ours. forgetting that these are simply corruptions of Jesus and Christ. Jesus once said: “All those the Father gives me will come to me, The word ‘god’, though, is actually a very and whoever comes to me I will never drive general word that can refer to any number of away.” John 6:37 (NIV) things—or people for that matter. And when a person exclaims, “Oh my god!”, the point is that By coming to Jesus in faith anyone can have a the cry refers “MY god”, the speaker’s god, relationship with God in which He says to you, “You are mine,” and you say to him, whatever or whoever that god might be. “Oh! You really are My God.” Your god is whatever you serve, whatever you live for. A person’s god could be, for example: Mark money, career, ambition, reputation, sporting Www.facebook.com/revmarkward success or academic achievement. It could be: home, garden or a hobby. Your god could be your spouse, partner, children, parents, boss or a famous celebrity—we even use the word ‘idol’. Friends of St John and
Of course all of the things I have listed—and you St Gregory Club will be able to think of others—are important in Friends of St John and St Gregory their own way. What makes something a god is Results of January 2020 Draw when it is the thing we serve, or live for, or idolise (worship). 1st Trevor Roberts (39) £35
Jews and Christians serve, live for and worship the God whose name is Yahweh. Yahweh 2nd Peter Farmer (20) £20 (sometimes written YHWH) is the Hebrew name 3rd Sheila Baker (49) £15 revealed by God to Moses at the famous burning bush. His name usually appears as ‘Lord’ in capitals in English translations of the - 12 - Update on the Lower Otter Restoration Project
In January, a significant milestone was achieved in the delivery of the Lower Otter Restoration Project (LORP). Planning approval was granted for the construction of a new cricket ground to the north of South Farm Cottages Budleigh Salterton. The long-term future of the cricket club’s current home at Ottermouth has been under threat due the impacts of flooding and poor drainage, with the club flooded as recently as December. The planning decision means that should the wider restoration project go ahead as planned, an important sporting, recreational and social focal point for the community will not be lost.
This restoration project is being developed by the Environment Agency and Clinton Devon Estates. It has broad and ambitious aims, attempting to attain more sustainable management of the River Otter, its estuary and its immediate surroundings in the face of rapid climate changes and rising sea levels. Key aims of the project include: maintaining and securing existing public footpaths; securing vehicle access to the residents and businesses at South Farm, along South Farm Road; reconnecting the river to its floodplain, allowing it to flood and drain naturally; stabilising the former domestic refuse tip to protect against future erosion; finding a more sustainable site for Budleigh Salterton Cricket Club; increasing the area of rare inter-tidal habitat with significant biodiversity benefits, including for birdlife. Project details can be found at www.lowerotterrestortionproject.co.uk
Although the planning decision on the cricket club’s relocation is very welcome, before LORP can proceed, planning approval is also required for the broader scheme. Detailed plans are being developed for submission to the planning authorities for consideration in the first half of this year. Prior to submission, some technical issues still need to be resolved. Most critical is ensuring that South West Water infrastructure is protected, including an important freshwater borehole south of Otterton. Detailed plans for the scheme will be shared with the public once these have been developed. This is unlikely to be before Easter.
January is also a very significant month, as together with an allied partner scheme in the Saâne Valley, Normandy, France, we will hear the outcome of a funding application to the Interreg VA Programme (a European Funding stream) to support some of the project delivery costs. The final delivery of the project, including the relocation of Budleigh Salterton Cricket Club, will depend on both us and our French partners attaining planning approval for the whole scheme and securing funding. Other funding partners include the Environment Agency and Clinton Devon Estates.
Sam Bridgewater, Head of Wildlife and Conservation sam.bridgewater@clintondevonestates
CAROL SINGING
A big thank you to the 20 or so people ranging from youngish to ‘slightly older’ who sang or knocked on doors on the evening of 16th December for our annual carol singing around the Village. For the sixth year running, we were collecting for the world relief agency Tearfund and we raised an excellent £250 (including a later donation) in two-and-a-half hours. The proceeds will help Tearfund in its mission to tackle the causes and effects of poverty in different parts of the world which it has been doing for the past fifty years.
Thank you to all who contributed including Una at Sundial Care Home who provided us with very welcome refreshments at the end of another enjoyable and successful evening.
John & Pauline Belton
Hello
Just to thank you all and ask you extend our thanks to the lovely Choir that visited last night to sing carols for our family members. It was just a lovely evening and our family at Sundial really enjoyed it.
It was wonderful for them to have something so normal to come to Sundial, as well as a well loved traditional event and something they may well have done themselves in the past. It gives everyone a real boost when the outside world comes in, not to mention the excitement of having something pleasant to stay up late for and look forward to. The Choir members were so chatty and upbeat and our family members loved it, everyone went to bed genuinely tired but happy!
We really loved having you and hope to see you all again next year!
Much love Una and everyone at Sundial.
Una Cunningham, Deputy Manager, Sundial Care home - 13 - Book Launch At the Church Coffee Morning on 7th March 10.00 am - 12 noon Ann Knight will be launching her latest (and probably her last) book about the village:
St John the Evangelist, Tipton St John 'The Church on the Hill'
In this guide to the Church, Ann has included some information about the people involved in the foundation and upkeep, those commemorated on the various plaques and in the windows, as well as some background to the thirteen incumbents who have served it during its one hundred and eighty years.
Do come to buy a signed copy, enjoy a cup of coffee, purchase some lovely home-made produce and have a good chat.
FORTHCOMING CHURCH EVENTS
Be Transformed In our first evening service of 2020 we’ll be taking as our inspiration for worship some of the words of the Apostle Paul when he wrote to the 1st century church in Rome. Our main bible reading will be from Romans chapter 12 in which Paul says: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind”. As we join together in praise and worship we’ll explore what that transformation might mean for us and Christ’s church. The service is on Sunday 2nd February in Tipton Church at 6pm and all are very welcome to join us, especially those who live in the village but normally worship elsewhere. The worship style is informal and uses appropriate multi-media resources to help us focus our praise on God and to learn more about how we can live out our faith in the 21st century.
Looking ahead, the next evening service after February’s will be on Palm Sunday, 5th April, and will be an opportunity for us to begin Holy Week in reflective mode, as we look ahead to the commemoration of the momentous events that took place in the days leading up to and following Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion. Again, all will be welcome to join us as we prepare for that very special week in the Church’s calendar.
Lent Course Each year during the weeks of Lent, we take time out to come together as Christians to think about our faith as we prepare to commemorate Holy Week - which culminates in the great celebration of Easter. This year is no exception, and our 2020 Lent Course will be starting on Thursday 5th March at 7.45pm and will be held at St Mary’s, Hayne Close.
The course is entitled “Daring to see God now” and builds on these verses from the opening chapter of Mark’s gospel: “Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. ‘The time has come,’ he said. ‘The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!’ ” (Mark 1:14-15).
The course has been written by Nick Baines, the Bishop of Leeds, but also includes contributions from leading members of other Christian denominations. You don’t have to attend Tipton Church to join with us on this faith adventure – all you need is the desire to meet with others to discuss what it means to follow Jesus today, and a willingness to put what we learn into practice. The course will continue on each of the following four Thursday evenings at the same time and place - before we then have the opportunity to join together in Holy Communion at Newton Poppleford Church on Maundy Thursday evening (9th April) at 7pm. If you’re interested in joining us do please give me a call or drop me a line – all are welcome.
David Williamson Tel: 812493 [email protected]
Table Tennis Next meetings at the Community Hall are on Mondays at 7.30pm 10th and 24th February 9th and 23rd March - 14 - TIPTON ST JOHN’S CHRISTMAS PARTY
In the face of adversity (in other words, a number of people being struck down unfortunately by a variety of illnesses) Tipton’s Christmas Party went ahead just a couple of weeks before the big day itself. For the third year running Tipton demonstrated its strong community heart, coming together not just for an evening of fellowship and fun, but to raise money for St Petrocks charity in Exeter.
St Petrocks’ work focuses on the growing number of people who, for whatever reason, find themselves without home or shelter on the streets of Exeter Immediate relief in the form of hot meals, clothing and sleeping bags is provided, along with very important support services such as help with re-housing, legal advice, and so on.
So a huge THANK YOU to those who made this event possible. Too many to mention everyone (you know who you are so please pat yourselves on the back), but special appreciation to Terry & Ann Knight and Paul & Stephanie Kinson who organised the catering for the lovely Christmas meal.
A total of £700 was raised for the charity.
Sorry to miss it this time– otherwise indisposed – and thank you to our wonderful big-hearted community who have sent cards, flowers, food, and good wishes to the Poultney household!
Keith & Caroline Poultney
COMMUNITY HALL
Since the last Tipton Times, another two quizzes have come and gone with a full attendance on both occasions. Many thanks to Brian Rice (December) and to David and Madeleine Birch (January) for setting a wide variety of questions, which both resulted in challenging and enjoyable evenings. The next two dates are February 9th and March 8th (see details elsewhere).
At the beginning of each year, the Trustees review the hourly hire charges to decide whether any increases are necessary. This year it was agreed that we could afford to keep the current rates at the same level, which means the standard charge for the Main Hall remains at £8.50 and the Small Hall at £5.75 per hour (non- standard rates vary according to the type of function but will all remain unchanged). This is good news for all our hirers and leaves our charges very competitive with other venues in the area.
Finally, at this time of year, a reminder to everyone using the hall to keep the main door closed as much as possible so that energy and money are not being wasted on global warming! Thank you.
John Belton (01404-813431) or email: [email protected]
ARTS, CRAFTS, HOBBIES & PASTIMES
Our spring meetings are now in progress on Thursday afternoons from 2.30- 4.30pm in the Community Hall.
Everyone is welcome - £2.00 a session when you come.
We have had a few new recruits lately with a record attendance last Thursday.
On Thursday February 6th Peter Gradon has kindly offered to demonstrate his hobby of Wood Turning, so if this would (no pun intended) interest you, please come along and join us.
Ann & Terry Knight - 15 - TIPTON ST JOHN PRIMARY SCHOOL A trip down Memory Lane…by Miss Ingrouille
I remember my Primary School very clearly. It was a small, Victorian school in a rural hamlet on the edge of Abergavenny - Llantilio Pertholey. That was our school, Llantilio Pertholey Primary School. We had great teachers and a lovely family feel, but in the winter it was a tricky place to be. Our playground was tiny, as temporary classrooms had been built onto the old Victorian site to accommodate our mixed age classes. We had no hall to do PE or drama, and the toilets were outside! As a child, I only remember disliking the smelly toilets, but as a teacher, I’m sure it was a tough place to work!
All through Year 5, I remember talking about our big ideas for our school. We were relocating to a new building closer to Abergavenny itself. We looked at photographs, some children went to visit the building site, and we planned the things we could do together with our teachers. We were SO excited when we heard that in September, we would be moving in.
The day came and we were able to be in our new building. I have clear visual memory of the colours of the railings, the paint lines on the school car park, the flowers in the bank, the flat green playing fields, the netball courts. I can recall the smell of new carpets and fresh paint. And I can remember being in Collective Worship in our own hall. With our own wall bars!
Nothing really felt different in the classes, which is surprising when I think back. I think they were a bit smaller actually, as we had changed to a single class structure, taking on a few pupils from some small schools further afield which had sadly closed, but we weren’t quite full. I just remember being so very, very proud of our new school. Previously, children in the town had called us ‘Llantilio Pathetic’. We certainly weren’t that any more.
And now…
It seems strangely fitting that I should be in position as Head of School in a wonderful school that is looking towards a similar change!
Returning briefly to another memory, I clearly recall my interview here fourteen years ago with Mr Tuckett and Mrs Burnside, who I know many of you still remember. I am so proud to be still a part of Tipton St John Primary School, and feel very privileged to have been part of this community for these years.
During my time here I have shared with staff, and for a period of time, governors, the trials and tribulations of securing the future of our school. I remember being with Penny Burnside, Michael Tuckett and Caroline King talking about sites in Tipton St John. I remember the excitement as projects seemed hopeful, and then the crash as yet another hitch was discovered in funding streams, highways, you name it – there was always a reason it didn’t work. Eventually we sort of lost the ability to feel excited about the possibilities…the energy required to hope was needed in other areas of our work, as curriculums changed and pressures on schools mounted.
And then, a couple of years ago, Thorne Farm came on the horizon, and after a LOT of work from a LOT of people, both site and funding seemed to be coming into alignment.
I’ll be honest with you. When I first heard of the location, I was gutted for the village and church. This was not anybody’s first choice as a solution. There is still a huge part of me that is sad, and I think that it would be wrong to feel otherwise. Change is hard. Moving a school away from a community will incur grief. That’s fair. Even though I loved my new school building, I’m a romantic at heart, and would still go for a walk sometimes past the old build (now a residence) and remember our happy times there too.
But then I have to think of the future. I have to think of the trade-off. I have to think about the longevity of the school buildings here, and how we best protect, retain and use the amazing skills we have as a school family – teachers, parents, children, friends (irrespective of the location). What would a short term ‘win’ for the village cost our school in the long term?
Tipton St John Primary School has been nurtured by this community and many amazing people over many years. It’s hard, but perhaps now, we have to fly. Please let us have a go.
Please give us your support by giving your comment, following the link: https://www.devon.gov.uk/haveyoursay/consultations/proposal-for-a- primary-school-and-associated-residential-development-at-thorne-farm- ottery-st-mary/
Ruth Ingrouille, Head of School Tel: 812943 [email protected] - 16 - Happy Hazel Class!
A big welcome back to everyone and a special greeting to any new pre-school children and their families. We had an action -packed time last term, the highlight being a visit to Pennywell Farm. The day included seeing many animals, playing on a range of equipment, dressing up and performing the Nativity story and getting a present from the real Father Christmas!
We are looking forward to another fun filled term, with lots of learning through interesting activities inside and outside the unit. Our topic is about ‘people who care for us’. We have made a role play Post Office, so if you have a letter to post, you know where to come! We are also thinking about how we can care for others and are going to create a special ‘WOW’ display to share what we have done to be helpful at home and in school.
Maple Class
Autumn term was a very exciting time to be in Maple Class! We finished our Surprising Sharks unit in Literacy and the children wrote some astonishing pieces of work. They were so impressive - I just had to photocopy them and send them home. This went alongside our exciting Science topic of Ocean Animals and Dinosaurs. I now have a class of budding marine biologists and palaeontologists! To continue our theme of the 'ocean', we had the most enjoyable trip to Seaton Wetlands and managed, after a hard and arduous journey, to rescue the turtle's eggs from the pirates - phew!
Christmas was also a particularly enjoyable time of year with lots of festive and exciting activities! We went to Ottery St Mary Church and did some interesting Christmas craft and impressive dressing up. We ended the term with Lights, Camel, Action! I was particularly proud of how sensible and brave Maple Class were. Their song, How Life Has Changed, was a joy to learn and Maple Class were (as ever) a complete delight!
Unfortunately, in the autumn term we also said thank you, goodbye and farewell to the much loved Mrs McNeil. I am so pleased to have had the opportunity to work with someone as kind, caring, compassionate and downright brilliant as Mrs McNeil and we continue to think of her in our lessons. We also welcome Mrs Quick to Maple Class and we look forward to learning and having fun together.
Willow Class
The end of last term was hectic with the school play and the end of term carol service. Our children put their heart and soul into both of these and I think you will agree that their disco contribution to the play was very entertaining. Thank you for your help in learning words to songs! We made a beautiful poetry book which we shall have on display for parents evening in February .
Sadly, we said goodbye to Miss Treble, but Miss Thomson has already started, and brings with her a wealth of experience and many ideas to spark the children’s enthusiasm.
Our mission to make a difference to the environment continues. This is a project we are doing in conjunction with the Devon wildlife Trust. Later in the school year we shall do a three week concentrated project for the Kingfisher Award. One thing we are doing is monitoring the use of lights in the school and encouraging people to switch them off when not being use ... including the projectors for the whiteboards. This is a focus on the ‘reduce’ part of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. See our posters on the science wall in the classroom. - 17 - Oak Class
What can we say? Another term/year has passed!
In maths - half the children, a quarter of the time, enjoyed a third of their unit on fractions - whilst the remaining two thirds wrote some wonderful stories around Jackie Morris’s ‘The Ice Bear’ focusing on the relationship between man and beast, varying both their sentence and paragraph lengths for tension and pace. They completed their independent geography work on South America, culminating in our very own South America day, where the children got to dress up, perform poems and songs and sample some of the continent’s finest cuisine.
In D & T the children created a chicken wire self-portrait in the style of Frida Kahlo with some interesting results and in RE they were fortunate to be invited to St Thomas’ church in Exeter where they got to experience and investigate C.S. Lewis’ life, and the symbolic significance of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and its links to Christianity.
Obviously there were the usual festive treats on offer such as; the Christmas dinner, Christmas Fayre and Christmas party which were enjoyed by those who were well enough to attend.
Finally there was of course the Christmas production of ‘Lights, Camel, Action’ and it really was a dancing spectacular in the style of ‘Strictly’. In a new and challenging environment the children performed extremely well and had a fantastic time. - 18 - Tipton Scout Group are in the process of fundraising in order to get electricity and water to their HQ, the plot in Harpford Lane.
For one of the fundraising projects, Tipton Scout Group has signed up to the “Good Deal for Devon” magazine. For each magazine sold, half the money goes to Tipton Scout Group. The magazine is a high-quality magazine with lots of interesting articles and some offers that can be used around the county to get money off days out, such as Crealy, Quince Honey Farm and Exeter Racecourse, meals at cafes and restaurants, products and services for your home, even college courses and gym memberships.
The magazine costs £8, but if you use just one of the offers, you cover the cost and more. The offers are valid until at least the end of June, so there’s plenty of time to enjoy them – and the publication itself is a good read. It also contains details about the Pride of Devon awards, such as Community Contribution and Volunteer of the Year. You might know someone you could enter!
We do hope you will consider buying a copy of Good Deal for Devon and by doing so, helping us with our plans.
If you would like to purchase a magazine, please email: [email protected]. Also copies will be on sale Tuesday evenings, 6:30-8pm at the Community Hall, Tipton.
Alison, Group Scout Leader for 1st Tipton St. John Scout Group
10 Pin Bowling
In December, Scouts went ten pin bowling in Exeter. We split into four groups and each group had a lane to use. After we had played one game, we started another one. Half- way through the session we got a choice of a burger, cheeseburger or a veggie burger. The food boosted our energy and got us ready for a second match.
Most of the teams decided to have the guiding sides up so they could have a better chance of getting a good score. My team decided to have them down and as a result I got a very low score. Some people like Noah and Koray managed to get scores of over 120, both managing to get strikes. We all had a really good time and would love to do it again.
By Matthew Thomas, Scout
The Tipton Beaver group have started back after their Christmas break. This term we look forward to our annual Pinewood Derby in which the Beavers design and make their own small wooden cars from a basic kit including wheels and an oblong of wood. After much effort; creating, sawing, sanding, decorating and fine tuning their cars we will have our race night with prizes for the fastest, best decorated and most unusual car amongst others.
This always proves to be a popular activity and the Leaders are always super-impressed with the creativity and skills displayed.
Last term we enjoyed various activitiies including a particularly energetic evening learning about health and fitness. We were lucky to be joined by Paula Ferris who kindly lead a fitness session in which the Beavers ran, hopped and slalomed up and down the village hall. A final thank you to all those who supported our ‘reverse advent calendar’ collection for the Sidmouth foodbank.
Andy Wiltshire Beaver Scout Leader
At Cubs we have been making eco-bricks. You make them by stuffing waste packaging into plastic drinks bottles. They are good for the environment because you trap the rubbish inside so it can’t go in the sea. When we have made lots we will build them into something cool. I really enjoy Cubs because we do very exciting activities which test my energy, brain and skill.
By Elsie Wiltshire, Cub Scout Sixer
Support Tipton scout group by purchasing the “Good Deal for Devon” magazine via email: [email protected]. Or at the Community Hall Tuesday evenings, 6:30-8pm - 19 -
Tipton Readers
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
A completely different book for our November read, a well known, much abridged and filmed children’s book … but how many of us had read the original version? Only a few of us were sure that we had.
R L Stevenson was born in 1850, a sickly child, who even in his childhood wrote stories. He tried to follow the family into engineering, then briefly transferred to law before abandoning formal education. He became more Bohemian, rejected Christianity, fell out with his parents then fell in love with a married woman, whom he eventually wed. Travelling extensively, he sailed around the Pacific and finally bought and lived on an Island in Samoa, where he was known as `The Teller of Tales’. He died in 1894 whilst straining to open a bottle of wine!!
Treasure Island is a stunning yarn of piracy on the tropic seas, a tale of treachery with a host of swashbucklers, from honest Jim Hawkins, to sinister, double crossing Israel Hands, to evil, blind Pew. Oh! And Long John Silver, the one we’ve all heard of, the buccaneer-rogue whose greedy quest for gold “cannot help but win the heart of every soul who ever longed for romance, treasure and adventure”!
The novel is the story of Jim Hawkins, a timid child who manages to outwit pirates, take over a ship, save lives and in doing so matures and comes of age. At the start of the novel Jim’s parents run a public house, Billy Bones becomes a `drunken’ lodger, Jim’s dad dies, and the story continues. The ‘baddies’ arrive, Jim finds the `map’, the doctor and the squire get involved, keen for adventure and gold! A captain found, a ship chartered, crew taken on and Long John Silver makes his appearance. There follows mutiny, double crossing, fighting, death and eventually gold is found. There are morals to this story, not everyone escapes the island and of those that do, Jim in particular has nightmares about the gold and sea. He learns that he will never attain a good life through greed and bloodshed.
The character who provoked most discussion was Long John Silver - he was a bit like Marmite, you either loved him or you hated him! Overall the book club really enjoyed Treasure Island. It was a short but full of action adventure and, let’s be honest, it has entertained both young and old for over a hundred years!
Jenny Parkin
The Night Manager by John le Carré
John le Carré is best known for his complex spy novels set in Cold War times, based on his own experience as a MI5 and MI6 officer. The Night Manager, made famous by the recent BBC serialisation, was his first foray into the post-Cold War era with secret service agencies trying to infiltrate international organised crime rings trading advanced weapon systems for drugs from Colombian cartels.
Ex-soldier Jonathan Pine is working as night manager in exclusive hotels in Cairo and Switzerland when he first encounters super-rich businessman Richard Roper and his entourage. Pine passes information entrusted to him by Sophie, wife of a Roper associate, about their criminal activities to British authorities, leading to Sophie’s murder by Roper. When Pine is later approached by the secret service he agrees to infiltrate Roper’s empire to gain the evidence to finally prosecute him. After a long and complex trail of deceptions he succeeds in doing this and also falls in love with Roper’s mistress, Jed. Meanwhile, rival agencies in UK and America are conspiring to disrupt Pine’s operation, leading eventually to his betrayal to Roper. With their operation in tatters, Pine’s handler is left to try and help him and Jed escape with their lives.
This is a long and challenging read and as a group we all got more out of it once we gathered and discussed it. If you think of reading it yourself we might recommend getting a friend to read it too, so you can do the same. If you watched the TV series you might be surprised by a few differences, particularly the ending. Without too much of a spoiler, we feared the picture of secret state collusion with organised crime may be more realistic then we would care to believe! Opinions varied with some people finding it too heavy going, especially the first half, but of those who read the whole book scores averaged 7.5/10 with at least a couple of members upping their score after the discussion. Typical of le Carré, the reader is challenged to piece together snippets of information from a web of secretive characters and agencies, but the conclusion rewards the effort - for some of us anyway! Ken Mylne - 20 - Gardening thoughts from Dolberries
I caught the end of Gardeners Question time the other day. Cathy Clugson ended with a great quote from the novelist Barabara Kingsolver:
I’ve seen women looking at the jewellery ads with a misty eye and one hand resting on the heart and I only know what they are feeling because that’s how I read the seed catalogues in January.
In the dark days of January and February, it lifts your heart to delve into the seed catalogues and get excited about what to grow this year. I used to go to bed with my favourite catalogues and highlight all my desires even though I don’t have the space for even half of them. Nowadays, I save paper and look and order online. A favourite company is Chiltern Seeds which offer the world in seed from trees to tiny Alpines and everything in between. So a few long, dark evenings should produce an exciting list of what to sow later in the year and hopefully my choices will provide something to write about in future articles!
The aforementioned GQT programme came from Langholm in Scotland where they grow 200 varieties of Chilli Pepper. While I shan’t be growing that number, I am going to try some different varieties to use the space in the greenhouse more profitably. In the autumn, I can then combine them with the crab apples and make Chilli Jam - a fully home grown product (if you don’t count the sugar!)
As well as looking forward to the brighter days of seed sowing, it’s nice to look out of the window and see that it hasn’t all been dark and dismal in the garden. At Dolberries, the Viburnum x bodnantense is really pretty with dark pink buds opening to sweetly scented paler pink flowers on the bare stems. Also Mahonia x charity, which has scented long spikes of yellow flowers. This is looking better after a good prune so the plant is less straggly and has more impact. Skimmia, too, has its dark red buds in winter opening up in spring. On my wish list for a winter flowering shrub is Hamamelis (Witch Hazel) which has spidery Viburnum x bodnantense yellow flowers that are fragrant in winter but will provide a beautiful autumnal colour too, earning a place in the garden for year round interest. Finally, the Winter Jasmine is looking particularly good, bright yellow flowers on long stems by our porch. Snowdrops are also making an appearance so not much longer to wait for spring with hope for some drier weather so we can get out in the garden and sow those seeds we’ve decided on.
Alison Stevens Skimmia The Sidmouth Centre - in support of the National Trust
The New Year opened with an interesting talk by Jane Overthrow, amateur genealogist and former Sidmouth guide, in which she reflected on research into her own family history together with advice on how to trace your ancestors. Our next two talks are:
Wednesday 19th February (2.30pm) at All Saints’ Hall, Sidmouth. “Making Space for Nature”, a talk by Dr Sam Bridgewater, Head of Wildlife and Conservation with Clinton Devon Estates. Sam, a respected author and former researcher at the Natural History Museum, will talk about how the decline of species can be reversed in the East Devon landscape.
Wednesday 11th March (2.30pm) at the Manor Pavilion, Sidmouth. “The Whetstones of the Blackdown Hills”, a talk by John Mather, Emeritus Professor of Geology and former Vice-Chairman of the Devonshire Association. This is our annual Bob Symes lecture, organised jointly with the Sid Vale Association. John will enlighten us on the fascinating history of the local whetstone mining industry.
You don’t have to be a member of the National Trust to join our Centre and visitors are always welcome. Full details of all our events are on our website www.ntsidmouth.org or you can contact:-
Dave King, Membership Secretary, on 01404 811295 [email protected] - 21 - The Spring Night Sky
After a nondescript sort of winter it is nice to be thinking of the approach of spring. Up at the Norman Lockyer Observatory there was a long succession of cloudy Fridays evening but more recently there have been some good sky- watching evenings. Throughout February the sky is still dominated by the great winter constellations, particularly Orion. These will continue to be prominent throughout February but start to fall away in March as the spring and summer constellations rise.
At the beginning of February, five planets will be visible – two after sunset and three before sunrise. Venus will be bright and unmistakeable in the western sky in the early evening, setting a couple of hours after the Sun throughout the month. At the beginning of the month, once the Sun is well below the horizon, you will be able to pick out Mercury between Venus and the horizon. Again throughout the month, the planets Mars, Jupiter and Saturn are quite close to one another, making a nice little grouping but coming up in the hours before sunrise. The full Moon occurs on 9th February.
On the subject of Orion, the astronomical world has been buzzing with interest at the behaviour of Betelgeuse, one of Orion’s bright stars. This star is at the top left of Orion and is a red supergiant star and a pulsating variable which dims and brightens over a cycle time of 420 days. However, in the current cycle, the star dimmed and then continued to dim when it should have been increasing in luminosity. Having been monitored for about 200 years, the star is now dimmer than ever previously observed, giving rise to speculation that it might be about to go supernova. It is known that this will happen eventually when it runs out of the hydrogen fuel that powers fusion reactions in its core but it is not possible to predict when – it could be tens of thousands of years in the future or it could be tomorrow. In fact it could have happened already but we won’t know about it until 700 years after the event because that is how long it takes the light to reach us. When it does go supernova, it will swell up to an enormous size and its luminosity will increase so that it becomes as bright as, or even brighter than, the Moon for a year or two. This will be the most magnificent astronomical event ever observed by homo sapiens. It will then decline and after five or six years will be so dim as not to be visible to the naked eye and the magnificent constellation of Orion will never be the same again. However, don’t blame me if it doesn’t happen in February or March!
Astronomers are not so thrilled by recent events in the communications industry. Elon Musk’s Starlink programme comprises 12,000 satellites (of which about 200 have already been launched) aiming to provide global internet coverage. Astronomers have claimed that the number of visible satellites could exceed visible stars and that their brightness in optical and radio wavelengths will severely impact important scientific research. It will certainly make the night sky look very different. It is astonishing that a project with such a global impact should be given approval in the US without consultation with the international community.
There are openings at the Norman Lockyer Observatory on Saturday evenings at 7.15pm prompt: 1st and 15th February 21st March
On Saturday 7th March the Observatory will be open 11am-5pm as part of British Science Week.
Alan Martin
- 22 - Jane Austen Gilbert Shenfield 21st February 1931 - 28th December 2019
The Thanksgiving Service for the Life of Jane (often known as Janet) took place on Monday 13th January 2020 at St Gregory’s Church, The Rev Mark Ward conducted the service.
Refreshments were served at The (dog-friendly) Bowd Inn, and donations, if desired could be given to the Margaret Green Animal Rescue.
Dear Editors,
Reflecting on my forty-plus years of friend- ship with Janet Shenfield, whose packed funeral service I attended recently, I recalled a simple act of kindness shown to me many years ago.
With a small child in nappies, I had dislocated my elbow falling off a pony and had my arm in a plaster at 45 degrees. Janet appeared on my doorstep saying in her, may I say, slightly bossy way, “I can't help with child care as I am too busy at the hotel but I can do washing, so have the nappies (terry towelling, soaked in 'Nappisan' - no disposables in those days) by the gate at 8.00am in the morning, I will return them clean, the following morning and take the next lot.
This she continued to do for six weeks and I have remembered this practical help ever since. She was a great character and a very good friend to have. Ann Knight
John Gordon Pegg - A Devon Man 19th December 1934 - 18th January 2020
John’s funeral will take place at 1.00pm on Friday 7th February at East Devon Crematorium, and afterwards at Escot House
Although actually born in Costa Rica John came as a babe-in-arms to Talaton where his father took up the position of Rector. John had a very happy child- hood in this rural area and attended the Convent School in Ottery. He always loved Devon.
National Service was in Belize and, later, working in a hospital in Portsmouth, he met Geraldine at a party there. They were married in 1961 and honey- mooned ... in Devon of course.
After qualifying, John joined a Dorset general practice but always wanted to return to Devon. Meanwhile, at Ottery St Mary Surgery, Dr Bradshaw-Smith who knew John from his student days, alerted him to an impending vacancy. John Pegg put in his application without a moment’s delay, succeeded, and was thrilled to be back in Devon once more. In 1968, with baby Thomas in his carry cot, the young couple walked up the steep drive to Sunnyside where they have remained since.
John was a respected and loved GP in Ottery. One memory is of him admitting an old man to hospital, then spending a considerable time and a good deal of trouble to ensure the safe welfare of his cat.
After his retirement in 1994 John continued with his support of a wide range of organisations such asthe Northcott Theatre and Poltimore House in Exeter; the Woodland Trust and the National Trust. He always supported St Gregory’s in Venn Ottery, keenly attending other village events such as Tipps productions, Playing Field and Village Green festivals and celebrations.
John’s cat Jasper has been missing him, but has been “a great comfort” to Geraldine. - 23 -
Roy Kelsall Burgess 8th August 1922 - 12th January 2020
Roy was a proud Lancastrian, born in Preston in August 1922. His childhood was spent in Sale, Manchester, where he attended Burnage High School, with his younger brother Doug. They were both keen cyclists and sportsmen and holidayed together in the Lake District: catching the train to Barrow and cycling from there.
Called up to the RAF in 1942, Roy completed his
flying training in Canada before being posted to India towards the end of the war.
Barbara also spent her childhood years in Whalley Range, Manchester. After the war both Roy and Barbara returned to their jobs in insurance and met at a party, marrying in 1952. They both had a deep love of the Lake District, visiting regularly as the children grew up. Roy worked for the Alliance – later Sun Alliance insurance group – and took an interest in ‘the group’ throughout his life.
Roy and Barbara moved to Tipton in 1987, keen to retire here as they knew the area well. From his childhood days at Crusaders Bible class onwards there ran a quiet thread of faith and they worshipped together at St John’s for as long as Roy’s health allowed.
Barbara and Roy have been at the heart of Tipton village life since moving here from Shepperton in 1987. Roy was a good neighbour and active as a driver for the Help Scheme for a number of years. He has been described as a true gentleman, greeting people with a smile, always concerned and asking after others.
Over recent years Roy’s life became increasingly restricted, first by his deafness and latterly by his mobility problems. He was encouraged to give up driving, though reluctantly, and his travels were restricted to the armchair variety, though he remained an explorer at heart.
Barbara and Roy were married for more than 67 years. On Barbara’s 96th birthday in December, Roy enjoyed a family lunch at the Golden Lion one more time.
That “quiet thread of faith” underpinned the Thanksgiving Service on 27th January in St John’s, led by Rev Mark Ward and Rev Gerry Burgess. Afterwards at the Burgess home in Hayne Close the company was entertained by a rousing duet on the family piano from grandchildren Libby and Jonny - The Slave of Duty from ‘The Pirates of Penzance, which Roy would have enjoyed. “He liked a bit of fun”.
Margaret Mylne
Margaret Mylne, along with her sister Edna, moved to Tipton from the Scottish Highlands in 2015 to be near her son Ken, and family, and bought a bungalow in Barton Orchard.
A true Scot who had lived in Scotland all her life, the transition to Devon aged eighty-seven was not easy. Dog walkers on the Playing Field soon got to know her with her miniature poodle, Copper, but failing hearing and eyesight made it difficult for her to get involved in village activities. Nevertheless many villagers went out of their way to make her welcome for which we are grateful, and she made a few good friends.
Later in 2017 Margaret moved into Sundial Care Home and lived there comfortably until she passed away peacefully on 23rd January.
Ken Mylne - 24 - Remembering & Honouring Those Who Gave Their Lives in the Armed Forces.
Sonia Benton, 91 years young, is just one of the fascinating people who live at Sundial Care Home in Tipton St John who value the importance of Remembrance Day. The former Loughborough and Dundee University Lecturer was one of the many who grew up during World War II and later became involved in the Women’s Voluntary Service, that played such a fundamental role in the wartime effort.
On 3rd September 1939, Sonia, 11 years old and living in Brighton, was excited as she had just had her offer for high school, recalls “I was standing at the top of a farmer’s field on this day when I heard shouting and wondered what it was all about”.
The shouting Sonia could hear was the news spreading that war had started. Little did she or anyone else know that day the true cost of human life that was to follow. As with many of the children at the time, Sonia was evacuated to Yorkshire where it was deemed to be safer and further from the reaches of war. Her memory of this is somewhat sweet. “We were given a small bag of chocolates for the train journey which of course were eaten within the first half an hour of the journey,” she says.
Although not an experience shared by everyone, Sonia’s memories of being evacuated are ones that she looks back fondly on. Moving in with a family who were involved in the Huddersfield Choral Society meant that the house, and Sonia’s ears, were filled with joyous music. Sonia reflects that during this time she lived with relative ease. This ease wasn’t to last. Before the war was over, Sonia made the move back south to Brighton to live with her parents and she had a role to play in the remaining part of the war. Sonia’s father was in police service at the time, specifically lecturing on gases in the Air Raid Protection Service. As a 16-year-old, Sonia volunteered firstly as a messenger and then also as a fire watcher, which is how she spent the last night of the war.
This wasn’t to be Sonia’s last voluntary engagement. Some years later, upon retirement at the age of 66 she was desperate to find a way to fill her newly found time. Starting by volunteering with ‘Books on Wheels’ with her husband she would visit the community and offer those that needed it both company and entertainment. Sonia’s good work didn’t go unnoticed and it wasn’t long before she was asked to offer her support to the Women’s Royal Voluntary Service (WRVS); the voluntary service that played an important role during the Second World War in supporting the welfare of many families. “I was dubious about joining but I was bored to tears, so I said ‘yes’. It was small and intimate to begin with. The ‘Meals on Wheels’ service run by the WRVS was more important at that time than it is now, as people wouldn’t have eaten without the service.”
Sonia continued to volunteer within the community for some years and, as the service grew, her position became more prominent within it and she led the WRVS. Although Sonia is no longer involved in the voluntary service, her friend Enid brings ‘Books on Wheels’ into Sundial Care Home providing her and other family members the same joy she once gave to others. Sonia requested that a box of poppies be placed within Sundial Care Home so that all those who live at and visit the home can pay their respects to all those who gave their lives during war. She is adamant in her belief of remembering the sacrifice of so many and the importance for modern society doing so and honouring what many gave during the war.
“I worry that the values learnt from war have been lost within modern society, the deaths of so many men, leaving families with no husband or father, society mustn’t forget of what they gave.” she says solemnly.
Sundial Care Home, along with much of the wider community across the nation, works to ensure that Sonia’s fears are never realised. Sonia joined the family members and care team at Sundial Care Home in remembering the sacrifice of the armed forces community on Armistice Day by observing two minutes silence at the Home.
As the finishing touches of the refurbishment inside the home are being completed, the outside transformation is about to begin! The long-awaited carpark redevelopment is in motion and Sundial Care Home hopes to have this ready in the first quarter of 2020. Exciting times await the Tipton St John home.
VE DAY COMMEMORATION Friday 8th May, from 2pm
Tipton St John Primary School PTFA would like to invite you to join us at our ‘street party’ style event to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of Victory in Europe.
More details to follow. - 25 - Tipton Past: Picnics in the woods
Harpford Woods has always been a popular area to visit for an afternoon walk but in the past you could also take afternoon tea. 150 years ago the old Game Keeper’s cottage began providing refreshments.
Peter Orlando Hutchinson writes in his diaries of the cottage in Harpford Woods.
1875 – “ Harpford Woods compromising of 400 acres is one the favourite resorts for picnic parties for the admirer of forest scenery, for the artist and for the botanist. It is beautifully diversified by hill and dale, offering the most romantic walks through its shady alleys and open glades. Hot water, milk, eggs or Devonshire cream can be had at the Woodman’s cottage where every attention will be paid to visitors.”
This extract is from Gerald Counter’s book 'A Life in Sidmouth' - "Once a year ‘The Band of Hope’ would have an outing to Harpford Woods. It was a half day outing in the old 'Toast Rack’ which would take us out and bring us home. While out in the woods we would have sports with different races and a tug-of-war, the winners received a 2d bar of Nestles chocolate. Mr Searle, known to everyone as Tom, his wife and sister, lived in a cottage which went with his job, and was situated in a clearing in the wood. Mr Searle who was the Forrester for Clinton Devon Estates had erected some swings, see-saws, tables and benches where you could have a picnic.
If you didn't bring your own food you could purchase various things from Mrs Searle at the cottage. Freshly made tea was always available made from water from their own well. At weekends in the summer months there would be quite a few people out there.
There were plenty of walks in the woods and places to explore. The railway line ran through the woods and under the track was a tunnel which linked the woods either side of the tracks. We children liked to walk through the tunnel and shout at the top of our voices and it would echo all through the woods."
Sidmouth Band of Hope (mentioned above) was a temperance organisation set up for working class children who took a pledge of total abstinence and who were taught the 'evils of drink'. Miss Acraman of The Grove Sidmouth was involved with the group, and she would treat the children once a year to an outing in Harpford Woods. The group would set off in waggons of nine or ten, with up to 300 people - sometimes they marched through the town first. Then games, singing and a large picnic at the cottage in the woods. This seemed to start around 1870 and continued long after Miss Acraman died in 1903. She was also very involved in the care of people at the Honiton Workhouse. Her father was a merchant with the East India Company and their wealth was then shared by her good works. There is a plaque to her in All Saints church, Honiton (I assume this is still there) ..... Sounds like an amazing woman whom I had never heard of before.
The cottage continued to provide refreshments until the 1960s and then the abandoned building was later demolished - with only a few foundations left remaining today. Such a shame it is no longer there, as I am sure it would be very popular today. Judith Taylor
(Photographs courtesy of Marilyn and Kathleen Berry) Weather Bureau - 26 - p One of the questions I have been asked most often over 30+ years as a ‘weather man’ is “Do you be- lieve in climate change?” (or global warming as it used to be called more often). The straightforward answer has always been an emphatic YES. The basic physics behind it is simple and the theory was clear back in the 1970s and ‘80s when we were starting out in our careers, but the majority of the public and governments either knew nothing about it or chose to ignore what they heard.
One notable exception, surprisingly to many, was PM Margaret Thatcher, a scientist herself, who created the Met Office Hadley Centre in 1990, one of the world’s leading climate prediction centres. Generally I am an optimist about most things, but I have always been very pessimistic about society’s ability to address climate change. There were too many vested interests and no-one wanted to contemplate the implications of how they might have to change their lifestyles … politicians focus on the timescale of the next election rather than the next century … and what’s the point of us changing if the Americans, Chinese, Indians, choose-your-favourite-scapegoat, are going to go on pol- luting? And let’s be honest, most of us meteorologists were as guilty as anyone with our personal carbon footprints!
How things have changed as we enter the new decade of the 2020’s! The evidence is now overwhelming that climate change is not just a far-off prediction, but is visi- bly happening. The last decade 2010-19 is now officially the warmest since records began in 1850, and the last 5 years were the 5 warmest on record, with three of them with a global average temperature exceeding 1.0 Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
During the early part of the 21st Century, climate sceptics loved to say that the globe had not warmed at all since 1997 so clearly the predictions of continued warming were wrong - 1997 was in fact an exceptionally warm year, so was a con- venient reference point to start from if they wanted people to believe that no warming was occurring. If you look at the longer-term trend to remove the effects of individual years like 1997, you see that every decade since the 1980s has been warmer than all previous dec- ades on record. The ongoing trend is inescapable in the plots above and be- low from the Met Office.
The change is also apparent in many people’s lives, and in news headlines cataloguing new extremes the world over, such as the recent catastrophic heatwaves and resulting wildfires in Australia and California.
Closer to home, just this week, the Manager of Sidmouth Golf Club wrote to members about how he is planning to im- prove drainage on the course to cope with wetter winters, totally convinced he is seeing climate change in action.
Of course, we have always had extremes of weather and records have always been broken, but one further statistic for the last decade illustrates the trend: in these 10 years the UK saw 8 high-temperature records broken (including the high- est temperature ever recorded in the UK, in 2019) and only one low temperature record. Many of today’s extremes are expected to become the norm in a matter of decades so we need to adapt to live with them.
What about my pessimism that we can’t do anything about it? Actually, we have moved far faster and further with re- newable energy and energy efficiency measures than I thought we would. Young Greta Thunberg with her campaign of school strikes, has raised the profile of the need to take serious action in a way which thousands of campaigners before her never managed.
I am heartened by these changes, but at the same time the CO2 levels in the atmosphere continue to rise as fast as ever, so sadly I remain very pessimistic – it is Greta’s generation and her children’s generations which will suffer the conse- quences of our actions and the world needs to do much, much more if we are to limit warming to 1.5 or even 2 degrees. Ken Mylne - 27 - RECIPE CORNER
PANCETTA, BROCCOLI AND TOMATO GRATIN
You’ve all read about the WOE, or way of eating, that we have adopted. This is another recipe that has become a firm favourite. It doesn’t take long to prepare and cook, the ingredients are all readily available and it is very delicious and satisfying. A good way to get some great vegetables inside you, and at only 340 calories per portion, beneficial to the waistline too!
Ingredients: 2 spring onions, finely chopped 1 head each broccoli and cauliflower ½ tsp cayenne pepper 100g pancetta 2 large tomatoes, sliced Drizzle of olive oil 3 tbsp parmesan, grated 100g soft cheese 3 tbsp mixed seeds (e.g. Munchy seeds) 50g cheddar cheese, grated Salt and pepper for seasoning 1 tsp mustard 100g soured cream Serves 4
Method: Preheat the oven to 180°C. Cut the cauliflower and broccoli into small florets and steam them until they are tender but still crisp – about 4-5 minutes. Drain them well and place them in a greased shallow baking dish. Meanwhile, fry the pancetta in a drizzle of olive oil. In a bowl, mix together the soft cheese, soured cream, cheddar, mustard, spring onions and cayenne pepper and season well with salt and pepper. Spread this mixture over the cauliflower and broccoli as evenly as possible. Lay the tomatoes on top of the vegetables and sprinkle the pancetta, parmesan and seeds over the surface. Bake the gratin for 20 minutes or until the topping is golden brown and bubbling.
Enjoy! Jenny Pinn Tipton Tennis Club
As the days begin to lengthen we start to think of summer evenings on the tennis courts, but of course tennis doesn’t stop for the winter in Tipton. We have been running two teams, men’s and mixed, in the winter league. The men’s team face a stiff challenge in Division 1 and are currently mid-table with only one game to play, so looking secure to stay up. The mixed team are currently top of their division, but other teams have a few games in hand so it looks like a close battle for second place (and promotion). Good luck team!
One of the challenges that most local organisations face is finding enough willing volunteers to help keep them running. As with many things, it is a case of many hands make light work...plenty of volunteers and none of the jobs are too big. Whatever local clubs and societies you are involved with, I would encourage you to take your turn of `doing your bit’ - but of course right now I am particularly appealing to Tennis Club members! A few years ago we separated the Treasurer and Membership roles to make two separate jobs. This has worked really well, but, by chance, this year both these people are stepping down. I would like to publicly give a huge thank-you to Brian Steer and Yvonne Hartland for all they have done for the club over quite a number of years, and wish them all the best in their next enterprises. For all other members, the club does not run itself so please do not just assume that someone else will do it, but please think hard about taking your turn on the committee. This is NOT onerous. We only meet about three times a year, normally in the pub over a pint or a glass of wine so it is really quite enjoyable! If you think you MIGHT be able to help in any capacity (not necessarily the jobs I mentioned) please do contact me on 01404 815181 or via the club email [email protected] and I can tell you more about it.
Ken Mylne (Chairman) All photos are taken around Tipton and Venn Ottery by Paul Tay- - 28 -
Geoff Pratt Independent East Devon District Councillor, Ottery Rural Area and Ottery St Mary Town Councillor, Tipton St John Ward
The New Play Area Tipton St John Playing Field Association need to be congratulated following the completion of the new play area at the recreation ground. Apart from having more up to date equipment the new facility has the benefit of accessible paths and equipment suitable for wheelchair users. It was also pleasing to note that the children of Tipton St John Primary School were closely involved in helping to design the area. Well done to all concerned.
Sidmouth Road : Temporary Prohibition of Through Traffic at Wiggaton I have received the following notice from Devon County Highways regarding the above. From Monday 24th February 2020 for a maximum of five days until Friday 28th February 2020 (both dates inclusive) no person shall cause or permit any vehicle to proceed or wait on the sections of the affected roads being the Sidmouth Road, Wiggaton, from Gerway Lane to Burcombe Grange. There will be an alternative signed route for vehicles via Chineway Road, Putts Corner, A375, A3052 and vice versa. Apparently this restriction is considered necessary to enable Sidmouth Scaffolding to erect scaffolding. Those of you wishing to travel to Ottery and beyond will no doubt use the Fluxton Road!
Environment Agency (EA) - The Future of Tipton Primary School I am in touch with the EA regarding the history of the school building being flooded and also in regard to the result of the consultation that took place regarding the proposed closure of the school. It is clear the EA are relying on a written report dated 2014 with emphasis on the 2008 flood. Since 2014, improvement work has been carried out on the Metcombe Brook and the River Otter. Following the recent heavy rain storms the Brook and the River at Tipton have behaved themselves and whilst many villages in East Devon have experienced flooding, Tipton St John has had no issues with flood water. By the next edition of the Tipton Times we will no doubt have more information from Devon County in regard to their proposed planning application for the new school in Ottery. District Councillor Geoff Pratt Sandiacre, Wiggaton EX11 1PU [email protected]
Eds note - Readers may know Barry Alcock who lives and works in the village and is just starting up this business. - 29 - OTTERY ST MARY HERITAGE SOCIETY MEETINGS Meetings are held on Tuesdays at 7.30pm at The Institute, Yonder Street, Ottery St Mary Admission free to Society members and visitors are welcome at £1 per person.
February 18th ‘Devon’s Railway Heritage’ Robert Hesketh presents the interesting story of how railway development has profoundly altered Devon, leaving a rich and varied heritage.
March 17th ‘The Making of a Weather Forecast’ Alex Deakin, local resident and former weatherman now at the Met Office in Exeter, explains how a weather forecast is put together and provides insight into the workings of the Met Office.
Attention Artists - and Art-Lovers! Libraries Chief Executive
Second Annual Tony Houghton Memorial Art to Speak in Ottery Competition & Exhibition Saturday 23rd May (1pm – 4pm) uite a coup for Friends of West Hill Village Hall Ottery St Mary Library Q The theme is ‘Delightful Devon’ and contributions (FOOL) to secure the from amateur artists in the Ottery, Sidmouth and attendance of the executive who Budleigh Salterton areas are invited. The artwork can effectively oversees the entire be in watercolour, oil or acrylic and mounted or fully Devon Library service. framed. Judging will take place in the morning.
All entries to be delivered The Annual General Meeting this year will open with between 9.30 – 10.30am an address from Alex Kittow, Chief Executive of Libraries Unlimited, the charity which runs over fifty 1pm – 4pm, members of the public are invited to an exhibition of all entries. There will be a prize of £50 libraries across Devon, Ottery included. for the winning artwork! At Ottery Library A wonderful celebration of art in the area, fondly remembering a founder member of West Hill Art AGM Open to all Monday 27th April, 6.30pm Group. So, get your paints out now!
More details from Rosemary Seymour Fool - Serious about our library
01404 234122 [email protected]
Opera - Royal British Legion West Hill
Afternoon Talks - A World of Opera
In addition to the programme of opera screenings a series of talks will be given on Thursday afternoons at the Royal British Legion starting at 2pm. There will be a small charge of £2 per head per session to cover the cost of providing the tea service.
The next talk will be on Thursday 13th February: Mozart, the Man and his Music
The talks are open to all, whether or not they are regular attendees of the Opera Nights.
Opera Nights
Opera Nights are informal and free of charge. The bar will be open at 7pm. There is a short introduction to the work and the opera commences at 7.30pm, with an interval when the bar will again be open. Where the operas are given in the original language there are subtitles in English.
Thursday 27th February: Giordano’s Andrea Chenier A wonderful production from The Vienna State Opera with an outstanding performance by the young Placido Domingo.
Thursday 26th March: Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro This is still the best production of Mozart’s most popular opera. Recorded live in 1973 with Iliana Cotrobus, Kiri Te Kanawa, Benjamin Luxon, Knut Skram and Frederica von Stade. Brilliantly directed by Peter Hall.
Further information from [email protected] - 32 -
Men’s Walk 14 March 2020
Take part in an 8-mile walk, raising much- needed funds. Starting and finishing at the Double Locks Pub, the route will take you along the historic Exeter Quay.
Enjoy a warm welcome back to the pub, accompanied with a free pint and pasty, and then relax in Hospiscare’s heated marquee with three games of rugby on big screens Wales v Scotland 14:15; Italy v England 16:45 and France v Ireland 20:00.
Entry – advance entry is £25 each or £80 for a team of 4. The event is open to men and boys aged 12 and over. Sign up online at www.menswalkexeter.co.uk
Hospiscare Coffee Morning Month - March
Organising a Hospiscare Coffee Morning is simple and fun, and the money raised goes towards the charity’s care of local people living with a terminal illness. So, boil that kettle, don your apron and start baking those cakes!
Please get in touch with Hospiscare for your free Coffee Morning pack today – call 01392 688020 or go to [email protected]
Or to find out more- www.putthekettleon.org.uk Free Energy Saving Advice
Devon Communities Together is working in partnership with Citizens Advice to deliver this winter’s Big Energy Saving Network (BESN) programme.
BESN wishes to help domestic consumers get good value for money on energy, to use energy effectively and have warm, comfortable homes. We want to reach those who would most benefit from our help - people on low incomes or with homes that are difficult to keep warm. However, our advice and help is relevant to all those who want to reduce their energy costs and to use energy more efficiently.
Our offer to you We want to help those in Devon’s rural communities We are offering to come to your community to talk to groups and individuals about:
getting the best price from your current provider the pros and cons of looking for a cheaper supplier our oil purchasing scheme how to use energy effectively in the home measures that can be taken to make homes more energy efficient the supplier services available to vulnerable customers
We also invite people to bring along their energy bills for some confidential advice on how they might reduce their costs. We want to meet groups and individuals in your community that we can help. This may be at a regular meeting of a local organisation, an event in your village, or at a special drop-in event that we can help you organise. We are also able to offer advice via a telephone session to any individuals who may prefer this method of contact.
To find out more or to arrange a visit please contact our advisors: Aggie Szpinda - [email protected] 01392 248919 Martin Rich - [email protected] 07984 001542 www.devoncommunities.org.uk/projects/big-energy-saving-network
Thelma Hulbert Gallery, Honiton - Some Things to Do With Youngsters
Saturday 1 February Comic Book Workshop 10.30- 12.30 / 1.30-3.30 Suitable for ages 11+. £10/£8 THG Friends Saturday 15 + Saturday 22 February Half Term Family workshops 11.00 - 3.00pm Free drop in art. Create your own nature-based artwork Thursday 27 February Early years workshop 1.30-3.00pm Free Drop in for a fun creative session for babies and toddlers - 33 - Devon County Show celebrates its (29/39 stitches) 125th Show in 2020 Knit 3 rows K1, slip 1, knit 1, psso, knit 23/33, k2 tog, k1 Over the centuries bunting has been used as a Knit 3 rows decoration at weddings and public events. As such, Continue this way, knitting 3 rows between each the Craft and Garden Tent is hoping to celebrate the decrease row, until 5 stitches remain and after 125th Show, the 100th Anniversary of the WI, and knit 3 rows the 10th Anniversary of the Exeter Knutty Knitters Knit 1, slip 1, psso, k1 (3 stitches) Knit 3 rows by smashing Slip 1, k2 tog, psso the Guinness Book of Records’ Fasten off
Longest Knitted Bunting record Bunting with eyelets Cast on either 31 or 41 stitches To succeed we need YOU! Knit 1 row
We need 8km in total, (just under 5 miles) made up Knit 1, yarn over, k2 tog, yarn over, k2 tog to end of at least 31,200 knitted flags, each flag must be Knit no more than 8” across the top and no more than 9” Knit, k1, slip 1, psso on the diagonal. The flags must be no more than 2” K1, psso, knit to last 3 stitches, k2 tog, k1 apart on the tape. Knit, k1, slip 1, psso Knit We are asking YOU to knit as many flags as you Knit possibly can, in any colour wool, and send them to: K1, psso, knit to last 3 stitches, k2 tog, k1 Hayne House, Silverton, Exeter EX5 4HE where a Knit team of people will thread them on to tape. Knit Knit They will then be displayed in the Craft and Repeat this decrease pattern until 5 stitches Garden marquee at Devon County Show 2020 and remain and 3 knit rows have been worked adjudicated by the Guinness Book of Records. K1, slip 1, k2 tog, psso If you would like your bunting returned, we will do Knit 3 rows so, together with your personalised certificate of Slip 1, k2 tog, psso smashing the record (that is if we succeed!). Any Fasten off and cut yarn remaining bunting will be sold off with all money going to charity. The earliest Bunting was made in the early 1660s and seems to have been related to the flags used on a Any pattern may be used, but here’s a couple of ship. On a Navy ship, the sailor whose job it is to suggestions from the Knutty Knitters: raise the flags is still referred to as the bunt. Bunting – an individual triangular flag, was called the tammy, Bunting – basic, no eyelets a word derived from estamet, the French word DK 4mm (size 8) needles meaning lightweight wool fabric. (psso - pass slip stitch over)
Cast on 31 or 41 stitches Any questions please contact Knit 4 rows Deborah Custance Baker K1, slip 1, knit 1, psso, knit 25/35, k2 tog, k1 [email protected] 01392 861750
WHERE HAVE ALL THE UNICORNS GONE?
We live in a land of wonderful myths and legends, and there are certainly times in our lives or in the history of the land when myths and legends proliferated.
I feel that the legend of the unicorn is especially magical, as it explains why we don’t see these beautiful creatures any more. The legend is steeped in far away history, hidden dreams and stories of old. The story begins at the time of Noah and The Great Flood. Noah realised that a time was coming when the Earth would be flooded and there would be a great loss of life; much would be swept away, never to be seen again.
So Noah built a great Ark to accommodate all the creatures in the land, in an effort to preserve the species of animals, birds, and people. The Ark took a long time to build but eventually, when it was nearly finished, he sent out messages to all the creatures in the land to make their way to the forest-clearing where the Ark was being completed.
The animals all arrived and were invited into the Ark two by two. Then the skies darkened and the rain began to threaten. Everything was ready and the precious cargo was safely stashed. Noah was about to close the doors when he realised that the unicorns were missing! An urgent message was sent out, but there was only silence. The unicorns were playing in the last of the summer sunshine in a glade in the forest - they were having such a wonderful time gambolling about, enjoying their freedom, that they did not heed the urgent call from Noah. Continued in the April/May edition Beryl Pym Tipton St John Community Hall
? QUIZ NIGHT ?
Teams of 8 maximum At 7.30pm
Sunday 9th February
Sunday 8th March
£3 per head
BYO food, drinks, and glasses
Please book your places in advance John Belton: 01404 813431