Burrator

BEACON Spring 2020

The Village Hall at

2 Burrator Beacon Editorial – Karen Batson

As I write, we are already into the second month of 2020 and spring doesn’t seem so far away, especially with the mild winter we’ve been having (I hope I haven’t spoken too soon!) We have a new Parish Councillor, Roger Mechan, for Meavy Dousland. There are still vacancies (see back page) for Parish Councillors. If you think you could fulfil one of these roles, I am sure that you will be given a warm welcome! On the subject of welcomes, a very warm one to our new Rector, Andrew Thomas, and anyone else who has recently moved into the area. The summer issue of the Burrator Beacon will be published at the end of May. Deadline for copy will be Tuesday 5th May, at the latest. That issue will cover the months up until the end of May 2020. Don’t forget, this is your magazine for your parish, so we would like to hear from you! Do consider writing a piece about anything of interest. Please send all submissions as Word attachments, as this makes the cut and pasting process much simpler!

Parish Clerk’s Report – Lucie Luke

The Planning Committee have recently been consulted on the following applications with the Parish Council’s comments in bold:

0584/19 Proposed change of use of agricultural barn to mixed use of agricultural and equine use (stables and livery), Pew Tor Farm, Sampford Spiney. SUPPORTED 0597/19 Proposed erection of 11m telegraph pole, two cabinets within a fenced compound, Burrator Reservoir, Sheepstor. NO OBJECTION 0579/19 Proposed change of use of two barns to two dwellings, Sparkatown Farm, Dousland. OBJECTION Application 0017/20 Proposed demolition and construction of extension to dwelling at 1 Merrivale View Road, Dousland. SUPPORTED The Parish Council has set its Precept for 2020-2021 at £5000, this is a nil increase on the current year. Finances remain to serve the Parish well, with recent grants being awarded to Meavy Parish Hall for carpark works £2750.00, Walkhampton Memorial Hall for redecoration £270.00 and Walkham Valley Scouts for purchase of outside lighting £230.00. The Parish Council has now written to all relevant parties, concerning the ongoing congested parking outside Meavy Primary School and requesting a site meeting to discuss possible solutions to ease this.

New Parish Councillor – Roger Mechan

I was born in 73 years ago and was educated locally. I joined the Plymouth City Police Force in 1967 and retired as a superintendent. On retirement I decided to do something completely different and took the opportunity to write Burrator Beacon 3 travel articles and vehicle test reports for a number of caravan and motor caravan magazines. Over the last ten years I have been a volunteer ambassador and fund raiser for Help for Heroes and St Luke's Hospice undertaking long distance solo treks across the pilgrim routes of Europe and the UK covering some 2500 miles and raising, to date, £55.000. I also give talks to various local organisations on walking around Europe, with all proceeds going to the charities. I have made a few videos of my treks which you can see at http://www.justgiving.com/stlukepilgrim They are less Alfred Hitchcock and more Mr Bean in quality but in my defence I was usually hot and sweaty at the time. I have recently completed a three-year tenure with the Patient Council at Derriford hospital and was fortunate to become involved with a number of projects that I was able to comment on from the patients’ point of view before they came to fruition. I am also an avid photographer providing copy for a number of photographic agencies and when not walking the moor I can usually be found hitting a little white ball across Yelverton Golf Club links. I have lived in Dousland for twenty years with my wife Ann and our current dog, a rescue Yorkshire Terrier called Benny. I am aware of the fact that I am privileged to live in one of the last true wildernesses in the and believe strongly that we need to keep it that way for future generations.

New WDMC Rector – Andrew Thomas

I was brought up and schooled in Surrey. Following a career as a nurse in paediatric cardio thoracic medicine, I attended theological college at Westcott House, Cambridge. Made Deacon in 2010 I served my curacy at Cookham, Berkshire. Following my curacy, I took up a post as a Royal Naval Chaplain, attending basic officer training at Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth. In 2014, I became the Rector of five rural parishes on Exmoor in Somerset, where I built a ministry team, seeing three candidates through Reader training and two candidates through the Bishops’ Advisory Panel selection process for ordained ministry. If all this didn’t keep me busy enough, I am also a retained Firefighter with the & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service. My partner Mark and I share the custody of a Dachshund called Monty, and Lola, a grumpy elderly cat. I’m delighted to have been appointed the next Rector of the West Mission Community. Mark and I are very much looking forward to returning to West Devon, a part of the country we know well. Andrew will be licensed on Tuesday 31 March 2020 at 7 p.m. in St Paul's Church, Yelverton by the Bishop of Exeter and all are welcome to attend. 4 Burrator Beacon Joyriding on Dartmoor Chairman, Burrator Parish Council

Over the Christmas/New Year there has been an increase in the amount of joyriding on the moor. Yennadon Down and a number of other locations have been badly affected with the turf cut up and significantly damaged.

This has been the result of off-roading by 4-wheel drives and off-road motor biking. This is against the law! The Burrator Parish Council has reported these incidences in the parish to the police. They have also been highlighted on Spotlight Southwest. However, police resources are limited and public reporting to the police force is critical if any control of these unwelcome activities is to be implemented. South West Lakes Trust has been active in placing large boulders to prevent vehicular access to the moorland, but this does not prevent off-road motor bicycles gaining access and causing damage. Speaking in the Tavistock Times: West Devon Police Inspector Mark Sloman said: ‘This kind of anti-social driving is not acceptable and we will work as closely as we can with partner agencies, including Dartmoor National Park, to try and identify individuals who are responsible. With so many locations being highlighted it is really difficult for police to focus our resources in any particular area, so I would ask members of the public to report such incidents so we can at least be aware on which areas are being targeted and respond accordingly.’ Andy Watson, Dartmoor National Park Authority’s head of recreation, access and estates, said: ‘Not only is this type of behaviour illegal, it’s also extremely dangerous, puts people at risk and harms wildlife and livestock. We need help from our communities to identify those responsible so they can be dealt with. We would encourage anyone who knows the people involved to report them to police on 101.’ The police recommend that if you ever witness these activities that you call them on 101 at the time it is happening, or as soon as possible afterwards. The police will appreciate vehicle registrations, if possible, to investigate the incident when it is taking place. With reports such as this, getting the information promptly to the police will help enable the police to take action at the time if required. If you need to report such incidents to the police, you can email [email protected], telephone 101, or chat to them 24/7 online via WebChat. However, if joyriding is in progress, a 999 call may be more appropriate, providing the police have available resources to respond. Burrator Beacon 5 Village Halls Please support our local village halls for your meetings, parties and activities. All the halls have disabled access and they vary in size and facilities so one of them will suit your requirements. All the Halls are run by willing volunteers who strive to keep them in good repair providing vital facilities for our communities. Meavy Parish Hall Alison Stoker 853389 Sheepstor Village Hall Patrick Drennan 853186 Walkhampton Memorial Hall Sheila Glanville 859215 They will be able to advise you on availability, hire charges and terms & conditions of hire.

What’s on in Walkhampton…

Walkhampton Cottage Garden Society Sheila Reynolds

With spring approaching, the committee of Walkhampton Cottage Garden Society is planning this year’s events. Our centrepiece, as always, will be the Annual Flower and Produce Show to be held in Walkhampton Village Hall on Saturday 29th August. There will be classes to accommodate almost every type of flower, fruit and vegetable, along with others for cookery, preserves, brewing and winemaking, handicrafts and photography. Children will have their own classes for cookery, handicrafts, photography and vegetable-growing. Entry is open to all residents of Walkhampton, Horrabridge, Sampford Spiney, Yelverton, Dousland, Meavy, Sheepstor, Crapstone, Buckland Monachorum and , and we offer a warm welcome to new exhibitors. The classes will be judged in the morning and, from 2pm, the exhibits will be on view to the public. A tea tent will serve cakes and other refreshments, and there will be market stalls and a raffle. In addition, we have taken on the mantle of G.R.O.W, the association founded by Sheila Glanville, Rachel Waldron and the late Gill Dixon, and we will now continue their work in providing talks on gardening and environmental topics. The first meeting will take place on Monday 20th April at 7.30pm in the Walkhampton Village Hall when Rick Hoskins will be speaking on Growing and Showing Dahlias. Rick is a well-known local judge and is an experienced and enthusiastic dahlia grower. Entrance will be £3 per person and refreshments will be served. Rooted dahlia cuttings will be available to buy at the end of the talk. We will also continue to run the two G.R.O.W. Challenge classes within the Annual Show. The Challenge classes involve growing specified flowers and/or vegetables from seeds, bulbs or tubers supplied by the Society. The two classes will be announced at the talk on Monday 20th April so do come along to that meeting and you will be able to collect what you need to enter the GROW Challenge classes in the show.

6 Burrator Beacon Further information on all these events will be found on the Society’s website, www.walkhamptonshow.weebly.com or you may phone Sheila Glanville on 01822 859215 if you have further questions. Printed schedules for the Annual Show will be available in late spring from a number of locations in the area.

Burrator Beacon 7

and Meavy…. The Country Diary in Song with Broomdasher

St Peter’s Church Meavy Saturday 13th June at 7.30pm. A musical celebration of Edith Holden’s Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady with traditional folk songs of the day. The Diary was a worldwide phenomenon when published in 1977, with Edith’s beautiful paintings and words creating an exhilarating journey through the seasons. Edith Holden stayed in Dousland between 1902 and 1910 whilst writing and painting in the local area, and we are pleased to welcome Broomdasher with their show celebrating her life and work in the centenary anniversary year of her death. In a show approved and praised by Edith Holden’s estate, Broomdasher intertwine Edith’s descriptions with rousing, rueful and romantic songs collected at the time she was writing by Cecil Sharp and others from the working folk who lived in Edith’s idealised countryside. Broomdasher is a six-voice acapella folk group from London who have earned an outstanding reputation for their harmonies, arrangements and their engaging live performances. Their recordings are part of the National Sound Archive at the British Library. Broomdasher are presenting their show in three venues, where Edith lived in Solihull and London, and in Meavy. Margaret Moore plays Edith, the songs were arranged by Richard Cryan and Broomdasher and the script is by John Palmer who also directs. Tickets £9 will be available from Mike and Annie Inman, 01822 852672, Jonathan Frappell 01822 855541 or the Royal Oak Inn Meavy. Raising funds for essential repairs to St Peter’s Church, Meavy.

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St Peter’s Church, Meavy are pleased to announce a special event on 13th March at 7pm in the Church. Two A Capella quartets who will be performing their unique and amazing singing: Raise The Roof are a fun, friendly A Capella quartet, competing at national level but equally as happy singing locally, and with their chorus in Plymouth, Mayflower A Capella.

Myxd Up Quartet are good friends who love singing together! Formed in 2016, Myxd Up became British Mixed Quartet Champions in the same year.

Tickets cost £9.00 available from Mike and Annie Inman & Johnathan Frappell (Churchwardens) or The Royal Oak, Meavy. Refreshments available. Monies raised will go towards essential repairs of this beautiful Church

Meavy School Gardening Club Patrick Drennan

I’m asking all Burrator Beacon readers if you are aware of anybody who might like to join our volunteer group that runs an hour’s after school gardening club on a Tuesday afternoon at Meavy School? One of the teachers started it with her dad some years ago, and then after I had started helping doing the gardening, I was asked to take over the running of the club. It has grown to the extent that this term we had 22 club members, which was fine when we had five active volunteers, but sadly through illness and family commitments we are now down to three active at the moment, with two of us likely to have joint replacement ops next year! The club’s work is not part of the school curriculum, but we are a member of the RHS School gardening scheme. I glean advice from their website and have been on one of their courses, thanks to the generosity of the school. Incidentally, our club was the envy of the others at that course because they were all run by teachers bar one other volunteer, who was a fulltime gardener but a parent at the school in question, so had a vested interest. They were asking me where they could go to get volunteers and I suggested their local gardening society, which up till then had been my source. However, that has Burrator Beacon 9 now dried up as the society members are practically all past retirement age and getting frailer by the minute! Of the three currently active volunteers, one is a parent and has done an RHS cert course, one is a retired member of staff, and for my part I have a primary school teacher daughter (fortunately at another Devon school!) who chivvied me into volunteering for my local primary school. All three of us are keen gardeners, but amateur rather than professional. I believe the requirements for the post are a love of working with primary school age children and plenty of patience, rather than a good knowledge of gardening, as the latter aspect is already covered by the RHS side of things. Any volunteers would of course have to be prepared to be DBS checked out by the school, but that is free for volunteers. I think the actual day of the week might be changed by mutual agreement with all the volunteers and the school but would have to be negotiated. The club has three raised beds, over a dozen tyre tub gardens, a partly constructed greenhouse made from recycled plastic bottles, and two cold frames.

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MEAVY GARDEN SOCIETY

Monday 16th March. 7pm for 7.30 `SPRING FUN SHOW`

Monday 20th April at 7.30pm `The Fascination of Ferns ` Mike Stephens preceded by refreshments from 7pm. All meetings in Meavy Parish Hall. Enquiries 01822 852672 or 01822 852984 Visit www.meavy.org.uk/mgs

Dartmoor Border Morris Mark Tregaskis

Dartmoor Border Morris would like to thank all the kind people who came to Tavistock on Saturday 16th November and gave to the BBC Children in Need appeal. £1760 was collected during the day, with every penny going to the charity. Despite the icy blast two days before, the sun shone & Pudsey bear did not disappoint. 210 Morris performers in Tavistock enjoyed themselves, & Pudsey day number 7 is being planned again for this coming November. Friday 1st May. Meavy based Dartmoor Border Morris will kick start their summer dance outs with a sunrise dance out at Leeden Tor car park at 5.30 am. This is the car park on the Princetown to Yelverton road. The sun is due to rise around 5.47 am, & Dartmoor Border Morris will be there (regardless of the weather) to morris dance as the sun rises over Princetown. Then join us at the Foxtor Cafe for breakfast at 6am, before heading off to work. Wednesday 6th May, 8 pm. Meavy based Dartmoor Border Morris will be at the Royal Oak Inn, Meavy for the first "pub out" of the season. Tonight's guests will be Tavistock based Lodestone Border Morris. There will be plenty of dancing, singing & free morris music session until the landlord kicks us out! During our regular pub outs, we will be collecting for the Dartmoor Rescue Group so bring your dancing shoes, a good singing voice & some spare change! Check out our Facebook page for more details. Burrator Beacon 11 Friday 8th May 10.30 am Dartmoor Border Morris will be at the Black Prince Flower Boat day at Cawsands & Kingsands, along with approx. five other Morris sides. Check our Facebook page for more details. Saturday 9th May 1 pm Dartmoor Border Morris will be at the Tamerton Foliot May Carnival, bringing a bit of colour to the local fair. We will be encouraging the locals to come & have a go with dancing. Wednesday 13th May 8 pm. Dartmoor Border Morris will be at the Kings Arms, South Zeal with guests for the Evening, Bude based Barrel Morris. An open evening of music & dance that might just get your feet tapping & wanting to join in! Sunday 17th May, 1pm. Dartmoor Border Morris will be performing at Okehampton Castle`s ‘Bluebell Day’, as the Castle celebrates its ancestral history. Wednesday 20th May 8 pm Dartmoor Border Morris will be guests of Plymouth Morris, performing our Border Morris whilst they perform their Cotswold style at the Ferry House Inn, Saltash Passage (Plymouth side). Plenty to sing & dance about there, so bring your dancing shoes, a good singing voice (you will need it with Plymouth Morris) & some loose change for the Dartmoor Rescue Group.

Wednesday 27th May 8 pm. Dartmoor Border Morris will be at the Leaping Salmon in Horrabridge, with guests, the Plymouth Maids Clog Dancers. Again, plenty of music & a chance to ‘have a go’. Free entertainment for all the family. Check out our Facebook page and website for more about Dartmoor Border Morris events. www.dartmoorbordermorris.com and Sheepstor….

Sheepstor Village Hall Bulletin Spring 2020 Patrick Drennan, Chairman SVH

We had no organised events this winter but St Leonard’s PCC made good use of the hall for Harvest Festival and the Christmas carol service, the Parish council regularly hold some of their meetings here, and we have had some private hirers to keep it all ticking over. By the time the Spring edition of the Beacon is published we will have held our first community get together, with everyone bringing along all their old Sheepstor memorabilia. Thank you to Dave Woodhouse for carrying out the necessary roof repairs. Fortunately, the fears about possible tile damage being discovered from previous tile fittings proved unfounded, and I now know that the original galvanised tin roof is still in place under the current roof! Presumably when the roof was raised many years ago that decision was taken. The committee met in November and received an update on the thorny issue of the hall’s constitution and liability insurance from the SVH Constitution & Deeds subcommittee. I’m very grateful to Richard Bayly, Stephen Hopson, Simon Sheard and Trevor Rookes for the time they have put in to chewing that problem over, and to Martin Rich, Devon Communities Together Lead on village halls, for his advice. The committee has decided to continue with the status quo until the AGM in May, as it would seem that the financial risk of a very large claim to trustees is infinitesimally small. However, the matter will be fully debated at the AGM and it will 12 Burrator Beacon be for all the owners of the hall (Sheepstor Parish householders and rate payers) to make the final decision regarding this matter. Martin Rich is happy to come to a meeting with representatives of all the local village halls to give us his penn’orth, so I’m in discussion with our neighbouring halls to see if they would like to take up his offer. I did write/e-mail all those in the old Sheepstor Parish informing them of the above, and also an open letter to all younger folk and newcomers in the village who might not be aware of the significance of the community asset in our midst. It seems unlikely that Sheepstor Open gardens will take place this year, as Annie and myself are overcommitted with various family and educational events, and at the time of writing I’ve yet to hear of anyone prepared to take on the project management of SOG 2020! 01822 853186 [email protected]

Sheepstor Villages in Action - Spring 2020 Patrick Drennan - Sheepstor Villages in Action promoter

A disappointing 33 full price ticket holders turned out for what was a unique event in St Leonard’s Church at the end of August last year, hosting 30+ of the Tamar Valley male voice choir. Maybe a bank holiday weekend didn’t suit the target audience, or were they boycotting it because it wasn’t a VIA event? Despite that over £500 was raised and split between the Friends of St Leonards, and Sheepstor village hall, largely thanks to the 22 loyal TVMVC ‘groupies‘, the generosity of the food providers and also of those who made donations for their plate of refreshments. Next up will be a cello and piano concert on Saturday May 9th at 7.30 pm in St Leonard’s church, with performers Stella Searson and Hannah Griffiths. Tickets will be £9, available from myself on 01822 853186, [email protected]. I understand they are quite well known locally so hopefully will attract their own faithful followers, as well as the loyal Sheepstor following. Doors will open at 6.45pm and refreshments will be available from that time, for a donation. Proceeds will be split equally as usual between the Friends of St Leonard’s Church Sheepstor and Sheepstor Village Hall. This is sadly not a VIA event, but I am still trying to keep abreast of how Devon VIA is developing under Carn to Coves’ management. One of the outcomes of that partnership is that they very much must follow the Arts Council flavour of the year directives, and there seems to be a favouring of community involvement projects with dance and theatre, which doesn’t necessarily suit our venue. However I am still a firm believer in the original aims of Devon VIA and hope to have a concert in the next twelve months organised and supported by them, so I hope those of you who still follow this will forgive me for hanging onto the Sheepstor VIA handle!

Burrator Beacon 13 Yelverton & District Local History Society Nigel Rendle (Chairman)

The Real Poldark Inheritance Winston Graham's Poldark novels and recent television series are works of fiction. However, these stories were meticulously researched and there were indeed those who used political intrigue and doubtful tactics to make money from mining. Streaming for alluvial tin led to the boom years of the 14th century and with the advent of steam driven pumps in the 18th century facilitating deeper tin and copper mines such as Devon Great Consols, this meant even greater profits for landowners. From early times the ownership of mineral rights and much of the financing for working them were controlled by the Crown or powerful landowners. They took no risks but leased land to private companies who had to raise their own capital, even taking a % of any profits and seeking compensation for loss of shooting rights! Cost Book systems detailed all the finances, the review of which led to either further investment or debt. Deeper mines attracted bigger investors and c150 new banks were created by landowners, sometimes for political purposes and often failing.

However, now with even more control, the landowners made huge profits. The Duke of Bedford started the Tavistock Savings Bank and his Devon Great Consols mining leases earned him around £20million compared to £1.6million from farming. The Bassetts and Williams families of Cornwall (Caerhays, Burncoose) built grand houses, parks and gardens from their profits. In contrast, the miners worked in dangerous situations, living on low wages, in overcrowded cottages and poor conditions. Deductions were made from their pay for their tools, powder and candles and they were often paid only in tokens which had to be redeemed for goods at the mine shop. They often had to supplement their income by farming, but having to lease the land. Girls from the age of 10 worked as Bal maidens breaking up the ore. Accidents and disease were common. Although there were protests, the mine owners usually came down heavily on any complaints. Many of the miners subsequently decided to try their luck in USA, Canada and Australia and a big trade developed from places such as Padstow and Appledore, people going out on ships and timber coming back. Lots of the miners did well and never came back, though many of their letters home still survive and tell their stories. The Poldark stories are great fiction, but they mask the reality for the majority of working families during the boom and bust years of mining in Cornwall and Devon. This illustrated talk by Terry Faull described this reality and contrasts it with those who made their fortune from copper and tin.

Then and Now: Plymouth Hoe, the Barbican and City Centre As members enjoyed their complimentary glass of wine and mince pies, Chris Robinson led a packed hall on an evening of nostalgia with his stunning images of Plymouth past and present. He opened with scenes from the mid 1800’s showing an undeveloped Hoe, used previously for cattle grazing, the Trinity obelisk and west Hoe quarry. As the area became “gentrified”, it was not long before impressive terraced houses were built, 14 Burrator Beacon along with the pier, a camera obscura and Smeaton’s Tower. Chris supplemented his images with many humorous anecdotes about the Beatles visit and how people used to pick up coins on the shore from slot machines after the pier was bombed in 1941. Images followed showing Hoe Lodge, now a bowling club, the corrugated iron shed giving Tinside its name, an unspoilt Coxside, the coal wharf, old fish market and the police station. On the Barbican stood a line of black Ford cars but now a scene dominated by the new visitor centre. Another of his stories was of the police using an iron pole to fish drunks out of Sutton Harbour. His Barbican images were full of stories; of the Dolphin Hotel where the Tolpuddle Martyrs stopped en route home from their experiences in Australia; the Queen’s Arms with its collection of 800 china pigs, and of course the famous Lenkiewicz mural, now in a sad state of neglect. Pictures of North Quay showed the old Co- Op, the Cooperage and fruit and veg stalls, the scene now however dominated by rows of expensive yachts. He mentioned how Stanley Gibbons sold his stamps from a shop in Lockyer Street. The City centre inevitably because of WW2 showed the most changes. Memories filled the room as Chris displayed the old scenes, some of which were hand tinted prints: Turnbulls Garage (the first ever self service station outside of London), the burial yard, the old trams, the Guinness clock at Drake Circus, Spooners and C&A stores, the Rose & Crown pub and Old Town Street, one side completely demolished in 1937 as it was deemed too narrow. More images of old Ebrington Street, part taken down to make way for trams, included Pophams store, the Corn Exchange, the Globe Hotel visited by Drake and later replaced by the Prudential building. Chris’s final tale of the evening was about one of the survivors of the War – the Western Morning News façade. However, there was not so much luck for its neighbour Costers – incendiaries cleared off the WMN building destroyed it! A glorious talk of old and new pictures highlighting the history of the city, only touched on by this brief summary.

Not one of us: The Infamous and the Illustrious in Exeter, 1450 – 1950 In October, we welcomed Dr Todd Gray to give a talk about “Individuals set apart by choice, circumstances, crowds or the mob of Exeter”. From a series of stories over a period of 500 years, he gave a number of examples of the lives and peculiarities of people who did not fit into society and how they were treated: Sammy Rowe, an elderly Cornishman with 150 convictions, liked prison. He kept on committing crimes so that he would be sent back to prison where he had spent most of his life. The judge finally said, ‘that’s enough’ and sent him back to Falmouth where he died soon after. Sammy was a sort of celebrity but an eccentric. In the 1770s, Sarah Frost went everywhere dressed as a man convincing everyone until she gave birth. It was such an event that it was in the newspapers at the time. There was also an unknown Exonian in 1795 who lived in the city for 7 years and didn’t talk to anybody (apparently after saying the wrong thing to someone). There were twins in Alphington who paraded around heavily rouged and in very bright clothes with their bloomers on show. The Victorians said that they had what Burrator Beacon 15 we would call ‘mental health problems’. They were moneyed people and their grandmother was black and their mother a mulatto. In the 1880s Exeter City Council attacked the Salvation Army who were marching for temperance; thousands were arrested, and this went on for 10 years. It was organised by ECC to get rid of those they didn’t like. Mary Ann Ashford murdered her husband with arsenic in the 1860s. A hanging was a big event and people came from all over Devon to watch. Mary Ann put her foot on a plank to stop herself being hanged but the hangman knocked her foot away. The crowd became very excited, roaring as she died. Afterwards, her body was taken to Exeter hospital and dissected. George Cudmore poisoned his wife in 1829 and after he was hanged for this his skin was removed and eventually used to cover a copy of the Poetical works of John Milton. Elizabeth White was arrested for prostitution at 18; later she stole a hanky and was sentenced to transportation to Australia. No transport being available, after 2 years she was moved to London where she kept smashing glass in order to remain in prison The judge let her out and she died soon after. There were the American conjoined twins, Millie and Christine, called the two- headed nightingale who travelled all round the world performing. Twentieth century examples included entertainers who blackened their faces as a novelty and may have led to later popular programmes such as the Black and White Minstrel show. These are just a few examples of stories told by Todd and to read more one would have to refer to his book recently published under the same name. Get your copy of our new superb Journal with 64 pages of interesting articles and colour photographs - now available at our events or direct from the Chairman for only £4. Full events programme is on our website plus summaries of other past events. See details on www.yelvertonhistory.org.uk

Children’s Hospice SW Yelverton Friends’ Group Linda Landick

The group have some new volunteers who joined the committee and we thank them for their support. Various fund-raising events have been suggested for CHSW and the first one is Sunday April 5th, we are hosting a pre-loved sale in Walkhampton Village Hall. Quality clothing and other items please. This is an attempt to upgrade from the annual jumble sales. We think one man's trash is another one’s treasure!!!!! Clothes, items given to you but never useful, presents you will never use, just some of the things we would love to sell for the Children's Hospice. Another date for your diary is Sunday 21st June at Huckworthy Bridge. Mike and Trish Spry will be hosting a duck race (subject to weather) with cream teas available. Plenty of parking for that event. More details closer to the date. In September we are hoping to organise a bingo evening, in December, a Christmas Quiz. We look forward to the events and would love to see you there. All proceeds raised for Children's Hospice South West For more info on all events contact Linda 01822 852142 or Isobel 01822 855041 16 Burrator Beacon

CHILDREN'S HOSPICE SOUTH WEST PRE - LOVED SALE Walkhampton village hall Sunday April 5th Doors open 2 pm. Quality clothing and many other items. Entrance free...... tea/coffee/hot cross buns...... Raffle....ample parking. Hall open from 9 am to drop goods off.

Photographic Archive of Walkhampton

Following recent discussions with friends and acquaintances about old photographs of Walkhampton and the opportunity to recover some old photographs of the area, I have given some thought to the foundation of a photographic archive in which to store the photographs. I know this may not be a new idea, and some collections may already exist.

The intention would be to scan the photographs and return the originals to the owners. Then, to recover or enhance the photos and to store them in an archive. The archive would be available to local residents and interested parties and copies

could be provided as required. To set up the archive, three things would be required: • A source of photographs • A location for the archive • A group of interested parties to maintain the archive If anyone is interested in taking part, has photographs that they think are suitable for such an archive or knowledge of an existing archive would they please contact Andy Paskins. Contact details: Tel; 01822 853377 e-mail: [email protected]

Burrator Beacon 17 Burrator Reservoir News

Practical Volunteering Days at Burrator

For all the days we meet at the Discovery Centre. Please wear old clothes and sturdy footwear, bring lunch and a drink, and dress ready for ‘all the seasons in a day!' • Tuesday 3 March – 10am-3pm – Sam • Monday 9 March – 10am-3pm - Sam • Sunday 22 March – 10.30am-3.30pm - Emily • Friday 27 March – 10am-3pm - Emily

• Monday 6 April – 10am-3pm – Sam • Tuesday 14 April – 10am-3pm - Sam • Sunday 19 April – 10.30am-3.30pm - Emily • Friday 24 April – 10am-3pm - Emily

• Tuesday 5 May – 10am-3pm - Sam • Monday 11 May – 10am-3pm - Sam • Sunday 17 May – 10.30am-3.30pm - Emily • Friday 29 May – 10am-3pm - Emily

If you don’t have your own transport please e-mail Emily at [email protected] or Sam at [email protected] and we can pick you up from Yelverton bus stop.

Busy at Burrator Emily Cannon

Over the winter our Tuesday site volunteer team, recently named by a volunteer as ‘the heavy gang’, have been busy dealing with fallen trees, improving drainage on key footpaths and tracks, making our first ever willow tit bird boxes for several other sites, and are now currently making the first of a series of new pedestrian gates out of Burrator wood. The midweek and weekend conservation teams have carried out a number of coppicing projects in several compartments around the area, willow management in one of the new tree plantations, and removing rhododendron re-growth, in particular around the Longstone peninsula. Our visitor guides have continued to enable the centre to remain open every Tuesday to Thursday and greet regular and new visitors alike, along with making resources for school visits and helping to plan events, most recently the garland- making day in December. 18 Burrator Beacon Volunteers Hayley, Dan and Ben have been busy completing the final draft of our very own Burrator Wildlife Guide, hopefully by the next edition of the Beacon it will be printed and on sale in the Discovery Centre. In terms of educational opportunities, before Christmas we hosted three primary school visits, two of which were on water ‘from source to sea’, and one as a forest school taster day. In addition to one off school visits, as part of the new ‘I love water’ project, we are also developing a series of mini learning programmes. Over autumn, we hosted a 6-week programme for a secondary home education group developed by Tavistock Youth Café, and we completed our third 10-week Tavistock Rangers programme, this time with a group of Year 9 students, in partnership with Tavistock College, Devon and Cornwall Police, and Ian our very own survival expert. This January we have just begun a new project with 17 ESOL (English For Speakers of Other Languages) students aged 16-19, from City College Plymouth. This 8-week project will be exploring our local water supply, treatment and conservation, as well as looking at water supply from their home countries, with the aim of making a short film. On Wednesday 29 January we hosted our New Year volunteer meal to thank everyone for all their hard work and support over the last year, involving lots of food, the infamous quiz, and of course Jenga!

Tavistock Rangers team learning about Our first weekend volunteer day for 2020, search and rescue techniques with Neil. joined by Keyham Scouts and students from Plymouth University.

ESOL students carrying some practical work with our midweek conservation team.

Burrator Beacon 19 Garland Making at Burrator Jill Stewart

“I just wanted to say a big thank you for today’s wreath making session. My 11-year-old granddaughter Amelia thoroughly enjoyed it and the wreath she made was awesome. Your volunteers were also lovely, a special thanks to Linda who was so kind and patient with Amelia.” On Saturday December 21st we again held our very popular Christmas Garland making day. Due to the demand last year, we experimented with timed sessions requiring advanced booking. This was much more successful ensuring that there was both space and materials available for everyone at the required times. The varied decorative materials were collected from around our site or in the gardens of our volunteers. The day was showery but the awning outside provided shelter for initially twisting the willow before everyone moved inside to decorate the garlands. Many participants provided their own decorative materials and as always, the results were varied and impressive. 76 adults and 11 children joined us on the day and a total of 70 garlands were made. We were pleased to see participants from previous years as well as newcomers. As always, tea, coffee and mince pies were a welcome treat. The money raised from this event will help towards our fundraising for materials to build our easy access path on the lower lawn/outdoor education area.

Practical Volunteering Days at Burrator

For all the days we meet at the Discovery Centre. Please wear old clothes and sturdy footwear, bring lunch and a drink, and dress ready for ‘all the seasons in a day!' • Tuesday 3 March – 10am-3pm – Sam • Monday 9 March – 10am-3pm - Sam • Sunday 22 March – 10.30am-3.30pm - Emily • Friday 27 March – 10am-3pm - Emily • Monday 6 April – 10am-3pm – Sam • Tuesday 14 April – 10am-3pm - Sam • Sunday 19 April – 10.30am-3.30pm - Emily • Friday 24 April – 10am-3pm - Emily • Tuesday 5 May – 10am-3pm - Sam • Monday 11 May – 10am-3pm - Sam • Sunday 17 May – 10.30am-3.30pm - Emily • Friday 29 May – 10am-3pm - Emily If you don’t have your own transport please e-mail Emily at [email protected] or Sam at [email protected] and we can pick you up from Yelverton bus stop.

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News from the Rotary Club of Yelverton Ken Farnham

At time of writing this update we are about to start the second half of our Rotary year (where does the time go?). 2019 finished with a Barn Dance to raise funds for (amongst other things) or children’s Fun Day to be held in August this year on Roborough Down, following the success of the first event we held last year. We carried out our traditional Christmas collections at Tesco Roborough and Tavistock, and at Yelverton shops. We also toured Horrabridge and Princetown with Santa and his sleigh bringing a bit of excitement to many children on gloomy December evenings. Our thanks go to all who helped with donations, cups of tea, or words of support. We also sponsored a Christmas Tree at the Rock Methodist Christmas Tree Festival which was decorated by Princetown School. The Memory Café, which continues to meet every second Friday in Briar Tor, was successful in obtaining a grant of money from the Yelverton Co-op to purchase iPads. It is hoped that we can emulate other groups which have used these to engage attendees in a variety of activities and to try to help provide some informal training in how to use them. Our Member programme included a skittles match against Tavistock (we won); talks on Driving Safer for Longer and Arctic Expeditions; and our Christmas Dinner which was well attended by members, spouses, friends and a few guests who had helped us significantly during the year. We have an arranged visit to the Robey Trust (steam traction engines) in Tavistock. Events planned for the rest of the year include our annual Spring Tea Party for the older residents of our local communities, the Poundsgate Dog show, assisting with Meavy & Buckland Summer Fairs, Car Boot Sales, and the Fun Day. We are hopeful that by the time this goes to print we will have further increased our membership to 18 with the addition of another lady member. Our thanks to all who give their money, time, and effort to assist us in raising funds, supporting organisations, and providing activities and events in the communities of Yelverton, Buckland Monachorum, Bere Alston, Princetown, Horrabridge and other villages in the area – as well as international support to the End Polio campaign and disaster funds.

Burrator Beacon 21 Press release from LOVE Devon

LOVE Devon helps brings communities together

It may be cold outside, but there’s a warm glow spreading out across the whole of Devon. From coast to countryside, villages and towns to cities, LOVE Devon is bringing communities together to support themselves and each other and to celebrate everything that is good and glorious about living and working in this part of the world. LOVE Devon was established by Devon Communities Together which is approaching its 60th birthday. The independent charity was set up with the intention of helping communities to help themselves, and LOVE Devon was established as a way of raising awareness and raising much-needed funds to support the charity.

The charity’s key objectives are more important than ever – to ensure Devon’s communities are given the support they need to address the issues that affect them; to help them become more resourceful and resilient and to build places that are healthier, more vibrant and inclusive with improved well-being. LOVE Devon is unashamedly proud of its people and places and there’s a whole raft of enterprises. Projects include the Village Halls Service which keeps the buildings at the heart of any community beating and the Big Energy Saving Network which tackles the issue of fuel poverty that is worse in rural areas where there is limited access to the mains gas network. There are important challenges facing everyone in Devon including affordable housing, entrepreneurship, rural isolation and loneliness, the environment and sustainability. But for every challenge, LOVE Devon has a creative way of approaching it. If you love Devon, get involved! Join in with fundraising, access help and advice or simply spread the word. Go to Facebook (www.facebook.com/lovedevon2016/) Twitter (@LoveDevon) or Instagram (@Loving_Devon) or the website www.devoncommunities.org.uk

Buckland Art Group Exhibition & Sale 2020 on VE Day 75th anniversary Bank Holiday weekend

Friday 8th May to Sunday 10th May , 10am - 5pm

Buckland Monachorum Village Hall - Free Admission - Tea & cakes

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John Boylett Electrical Services The Smithy, Meavy, Yelverton. PL20 6PJ. Tel: 01822 853456 / 07748 513469 Domestic Electrical Installations - Rewiring - New Builds - Smoke Alarms Consumer Units - Lighting - Electric Showers - New and Replacement sockets All work tested, certificated and guaranteed Very Competitive Rates Friendly local service Part ‘P’ Elecsa Approved Contractor

CLASSY K9s

Professional friendly dog grooming service. One to one personal care for every dog. All breeds/cross breeds welcome.

Call Paula 01822 853446

P. J. Shields OIL BOILER SPECIALIST - OFTEC REGISTERED SERVICE - REPAIR - MAINTENANCE Tavistock 614664

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Boiler repairs and installation Bathrooms and kitchen Landlords certificates Fully Insured

Gas safe and Oftec registered

Tel 01822660364 or 07980697004 Email: [email protected] Website: www.clearbrook.biz

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WRIGHT WINDOWS

The local tradesman for uPVC, double-glazed windows, doors, porches and replacement double-glazed units.

FENSA registered with insurance-backed guarantee. TERRY WRIGHT

Sharpitor, Burrator Road, Dousland, Yelverton PL20 6NE Tel: 01822 852275 Mobile: 07977 631776 ‘A tradesman not a salesman’

Got a computer problem at home or office? We are the LOCAL help you have been looking for!! Based at Crapstone, we come to where the problem is We are a computer shop on wheels Virus and spyware removal a speciality Expert with wireless networking we can give advice about Broadband We have a broad range of experience with people of all ages/abilities Take a look at the website for all you need to know

Since 2003 Call 01822 855822 for an appointment

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Burrator Beacon 27 Dates for your Calendar Page March 1st Nearly New Sale - Walkhampton 6 6th Film – Meavy Cinema 9 13th Concert - St Peter’s, Meavy 8 16th Meavy Garden Society talk 10

April 3rd Film – Meavy Cinema 9 5th Pre-loved Sale – Walkhampton 16 19th Craft Fair – Walkhampton 7 20th Meavy Garden Society talk 10

May 1st Film – Meavy Cinema 9 8th-10th Buckland Art Exhibition 22

To have your event included in future issues please send details (date, time location, contact name and phone number) to the Editor as soon as you have decided on the date. This will ensure maximum publicity and avoid clashes with other events.

Parish Council Meetings Full Council Meetings are usually held at 7:30pm on the last Thursday of the month (but not always!). For the dates of the next few meetings, please visit the Parish website: www.burrator.gov.uk The Planning, Finance and Royal Oak Inn Committees meet on other dates throughout the year – please contact the Clerk: [email protected] for more details. How to advertise in the Burrator Beacon The Beacon is published quarterly at the end of February, May, August and November and delivered to all homes in Burrator Parish which covers Walkhampton, Dousland, Meavy, Sheepstor, Hoo Meavy and Lovaton. Business are able to advertise in the Beacon at the following rates: Single Issue Four issues Sixes in mm Size of advert to be (approx.) when submitted (mm) printed* 1/6 page £12.00 £30.00 30 × 130 42 × 180 1/3 page £20.00 £60.00 60 × 130 85 × 180 half page £30.00 £90.00 90 × 130 130 × 180 full page £48.00 £144.00 180 × 130 260 × 180 *The Beacon is printed A5 size i.e. 210mm high by 148mm wide. However, adverts should be submitted A4 size. All prices are subject to VAT. Invoices will be raised by the Parish Clerk upon receipt of your booking and will be payable upon receipt. Adverts should be submitted to the Editor (details on the back page) electronically, i.e. as an attached Word document.

28 Burrator Beacon BURRATOR GROUPED PARISH COUNCIL List of Members and Telephone Numbers (Area Code 01822)

Meavy Dousland Walkhampton Village Darren Balkwill 07884 418997 Graham Palmer 852524 Mark Brunsdon 01822 853117 Andrew Paskins 853377 Judith Gregory 07557 781230 Richard Glanville 855914 Roger Mechan 01822 852888

Meavy Village Walkhampton Dousland Brian Willis 853901 4 vacancies Heather Stribley 855348 Richard Ayres

Sheepstor Clerk to Council: Keith Scrivener 854518 Mrs Lucie Luke 614278 Stephen Hopson 852979 The Apartment The Old Bedford Foundry Lakeside Tavistock PL19 0AZ Email: [email protected]

Published and issued quarterly, free of charge by Burrator Parish Council. The next edition will be published end of May. Copy deadline Tuesday May 5th 2020. Copy to be sent to the Editor, Mrs Karen Batson, 10 Blackbrook Close, Walkhampton PL20 6JF Tel 855030 email: [email protected] as a Word attachment. If you require this publication in large text please contact the editor: Karen Batson on 855030 Burrator Parish Council is a body which complies with the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Contact the Clerk, Mrs. Lucie Luke for specific details about parish business. Advertising: Local events are publicised free of charge. Businesses and clubs and societies (which have membership fees) can advertise in the Beacon and should contact the Editor for advertising rates. A note to advertisers: Please check your adverts as they appear in each issue. Every effort is made to include the correct information at the time of going to press, but omissions can result where adverts are sometimes moved around in order to fit new articles in. Burrator Web Site: The Burrator Parish Website is http://burrator.gov.uk/ You can find details of meetings plus other information. The opinions expressed in the Burrator Beacon are not necessarily those held by Burrator Parish Council. Every effort is made to ensure that information in these pages is accurate. However, the Council cannot be held responsible for errors or omissions. Including information does not imply recommendation and any subsequent contact is made at readers' own risk.

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