Actions speak louder than words Fighting for plastic free oceans by turning plastic waste into eyewear Launching Our New Collection HAND MADE IN ITALY 100% recyclable marine plastic Take a closer look today Open 6 days a week 212 High Street, Topsham Tel: 01392 873612 NHS and private patients welcome www.petertoshopticians.co.uk ESTUARY September 2020 THEfrom EDITORS hat an amazing space the a glorious tribute to small space WMatthews Hall garden is! It gardening. Caretaker Louise has hosts the al fresco Saturday morning green fi ngers a plenty and lots of market, customers of the Matthews Hall café, Harry’s Kitchen (pictured), our new Monday evening fi sh ‘n’ chips wagon as well as the Town Fayre dog show, sadly cancelled this year because of you know what. Can’t get much more diverse than that! Almost hiding the doorway to the Cover: Brendan Rawlings Matthews Hall caretaker’s fl at is 2 Ferry cross the Exe: at the helm for ideas. Look closely into the verdant limited periods in August was new greenery and marvel how runner ferryman John Kent, pictured. For beans, sweetcorn, fennel, tomatoes, those who don’t know, the ferry is cabbages and more thrive in perfect managed by Exeter City Council. harmony in this horticultural gem. What the future holds for this Bravo Louise! essential service to the community More of the great outdoors… is unknown at the moment but we that stunning image by Brendan sincerely hope that it will be back in Rawlings on our front cover is one service soon. of his own sculptures that make up Another community asset, the the 30 exceptional artworks to be RSPB Bowling Green Hide and enjoyed on the Darts Farm Outdoor Observation platform have now Sculpture Trail. Brilliant idea and reopened to the general public. see more on page 20. So too have Exminster Marshes – The weather, as we Brits know only “lots to see and enjoy,” says Tony too well, plays a big part in our daily Taylor, Chairman of the Topsham lives. Who would have thought Birdwatching and Naturalists Society Topsham would have basked – and (TBNS). “We’ll let you know as soon perspired – in 30C heat as it did for as we have any idea about restarting a few days last month! As a change of our meetings.” Tony can be emailed weather returns us to more seasonal at [email protected]. climes, we also have a change of An apology is due to Matt Pym, weather contributor. Please welcome captain of St Margaret’s bell tower new columnist Alex Burkhill of the and his crew for dropping an Exeter Met Offi ce who explains how editorial clanger last month. The fronts, pressure charts and more Tony winding the clock should have change our weather (see page 38). read Tony Bradford, not Raven, a A big thank you from Estuary to Dr case of mistaken identity on our part Keir Bovis whose detailed Topsham for which we are truly sorry! weather reports have graced our pages for many years. Di Trout and José Northey 3 Partners in Care (SW) Ltd 6 High Street, Topsham, Exeter EX3 0DZ 01392 876700 email: [email protected] Providing Care in the Community Partners in Care (SW) Ltd has been established in Topsham since 1990 and is regulated by the Care Quality Commission. All our Carers are fully trained, DBS checked and monitored regularly. Our services include: • All aspects of Personal care – washing, bathing, hair care and shaving • Assistance to get up, washing and dressing • Support with bedtime routine • Support with medication and catheter care • Assistance with mealtime needs • General support to help you stay independent in your own home • Short and long term care • Sitting service • Safety checks • End of life care • Home maintenance & Gardening Our friendly office staff will be pleased to assist you with any enquiries TOPSHAM Clyst St George INSURANCE SERVICES LTD Parish Hall Tel: 01392 872432 Excellent facilities for meetings, Email: [email protected] exhibitions and social events Did you know that a personal insurance adviser will not only ensure that you Versatile space and lighting have the most fitting cover but will with excellent kitchen facilities. also provide invaluable assistance Disabled access and toilets. in obtaining a fair payment in the Hearing loop. WiFi facilities. event of a claim. Phone now for a no PA system and overhead projector. obligation quote for: A medium size hall and a small Buy to Let Household meeting room (recently refurbished) are available separately or together. Working from home Ideal for 100 person events. Liability Manufacturing Parking for 20 vehicles. Professional Indemnity Retail For further information contact the Motor Trade Booking Offi cer – Claire Marks CONTACT MICHAEL KAY 07834 234546 Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute [email protected] www.devonvillagehalls.co.uk/clyststgeorge 4 STfrom MARGARET’S New Beginnings here is always a sense of turning people of God had to turn around Tin September, as new terms and go face their fears in the start. Perhaps, for some, it is a new desert land once more, this time school or college, the turning of a wandering for 40 years before the page on a job, a place, a relationship time was right. even. New beginnings all round after the long summer. I am not at all intimating that we are going to be socially distancing This year we will be turning also and observing other limitations into autumn and winter. I am so on our lives for 40 years. But I do aware of the long journey we have think that this story speaks into our had through the pandemic to this understandable desire for things point and the uncertainty we face to be “over with already”, and the ahead, not knowing how the regular frustration, anxiety also, at having fl u season will affect the behaviour to deal with more uncertainty on of coronavirus and the ability of our the horizon. health-care systems to cope with The Archdeacon of Exeter preached any surges. well at St Margaret’s patronal holy I am reminded of the sojourn in communion in July. He had many the desert of God’s people, led by wise words to share but the abiding Moses towards the promised land. message was of kindness. Kindness The initial race across the desert particularly when there is stress: to away from the pursuing Pharoah, ourselves, to one another in our out of Egypt, took them within families, friends, work colleagues, sight of the promised land within a school classrooms, church and month. social groups - this should be the bedrock of all that we do, wherever But as the tantalising end goal rose we wander, this autumn time. before them, so did the spectre of giants that inhabited the land. The Louise Grace 5 aaaaa ALPINE LANDSCAPING AUTO DAVID HOLWELL Proprietor PAINT • PATHS • PATIOS • WALLING • FENCING REPAIRS • QUALIFIED • HEDGE CUTTING TREE • BLOCK PAVING SURGEON • DECKING Bumper Scuffs • PERGOLAS • PLANTING Vandal Scratches • PONDS • CLEARANCE EXTENSIVE PORTFOLIO Minor Accident Damage FREE ESTIMATES NO VAT Kerbed Alloy Wheels FULLY INSURED 01392 215787 Cosmetic Paint Repairs 07884 172376 WE COME TO YOU 01392 203708 DEREK THORMAN WOODBURY DANCE STUDIO FRESH LOCAL FISH RAD BALLET SEA BASS • CRABS • LOBSTERS GRADES AND MAJORS Local Deliveries CHILDREN FROM 2½ YEARS Trade Enquiries welcomed PRINCIPAL: MARY GRIFFITHS ARAD, MA(OXON) Matthews Hall, Topsham TEL: 01395 271249 [email protected] Mobile 07977 795406 WWW.WOODBURYDANCE.CO.UK Saturday only 11am - 1pm ALL CLASSES AT WOODBURY C OF E PRIMARY SCHOOL ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE Ruffles LESSONS IN TOPSHAM Frances Oxford (Nieduszynska) MA (Cantab) MSTAT Hair STAT-registered teacher of the Alexander Technique TIGI Design NEXXUS Continual progressive training in all Co-author of Alexander Technique and back pain aspects of cutting and colouring research trial published in British Medical Journal ÊÊÊÊ 33 Strand Topsham Exeter EX3 0AY UÊ/ÊEÊÕÞÊÌÀ>i`ÊÃÌ>vv ÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ 01392 877071 m. 07791 693603 ÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ01392 [email protected] 55 Fore Street, Topsham 877559 6 R & G TURL TOPSHAM ELECTRICAL SERVICES Domestic - Commercial - Installation - Maintenance - Repair 24-Hour Service Services Include: Security and Emergency Lighting, Testing and Inspecting, Portable Appliance Testing, Telephone Installation, Door Entry Systems, Fire Alarms, Rewires a Speciality 01392 875888 7 Sunhill Avenue, Topsham EX3 0BP 7 Topsham Allotments – is Their Future Bright? ow many of you lovely people have heard of the Greater Exeter Strategic HPlan (GESP)? Not too many, we suspect, and fewer still will have checked out the details at [email protected]. This plan maps out perceived major housing and land development requirements up to 2040 across the greater Exeter region - Exeter, East Devon, Mid Devon and Teignbridge. An eight-week consultation on the draft policies of this important plan was due to start this autumn but that will not now happen. Why? We can thank – or not, as the case may be – the decision of East Devon Cllr Eleanor Rylance (Assistant Portfolio Holder Coast, Country and Environment), backed by Cllr Paul Arnott, leader of the East Devon Council, to withdraw their support of GESP as it stands, believing 8 it to be deeply fl awed and “a dangerous fi ction.” The Express and Echo reported East Devon Cllr Mike Howe as saying: “This document is a diatribe of mis-information, poor information and no options…In its current state, it does not do any good for anyone… and does not do a thing other than deliver housing in an unsustainable way that wrecks the environment.” Damning words indeed. One particular aspect of GESP that the Topsham Allotments & Gardens Society (TAGS) want to bring to our attention is what’s called the Topsham Option Site, one of 26 areas identifi ed for development, mainly housing.