October 2018 Volume 33 (7) Please email any copy to [email protected] or post to ‘Tremaye’ Downderry by the 17th of the preceding month. Any enquiries, email or ring 250629. Nature While I was clearing away dead leaves from my path recently a small wriggling creature caught my eye. It was a very young slowworm. I have come across adults around the compost before, so it was encouraging to know they are breeding in the garden. As I placed it in a safer place I was pleased that I had not injured it. Yet it occurred to me that sadly there are occasions when the only chance of seeing an animal at close quarters is when it is dead. I remember the occasion many years ago when the body of a large leatherback turtle at Seaton drew much interest from the public, most of whom had never seen a turtle before. Many of us have come across dead dolphins, though nothing compares to seeing actual individuals displaying acrobatically even at a distance. However, one day in August in Downderry my attention was drawn to the remains of a tiny bird, the size of a swallow, found close to the beach. It was a storm petrel, an oceanic bird that flutters over the sea, almost walking on water, and rarely comes close enough to the shore to identify. So to pick out the delicate features of this fragile bird was a unique experience. Then the next day I was invited to examine the plumage of a dead sparrowhawk that had flown into a window. An unfortunate, close encounter but beautiful nevertheless. Alan Payne From the Parishes - Deviock Date of next meeting: Parish Council Meeting: 11th October 2018, 7.30 pm at the Coastal Zone, Downderry. Planning Committee: 25th October 2018, 6.30 pm, at the Coastal Zone, Downderry. Finance & General Purposes Committee: 25th October 2018, immediately after the Planning Committee meeting. 1 Downderry Memorial Gardens A group of gardening volunteers meet once a month on Saturday mornings 10 am – 12 noon to help maintain and improve these gardens which are a great local asset. Please come along and join in for our last gardening morning in 2018 on 13th October. Local Neighbourhood Plan The draft copy is currently with Cornwall Council and awaiting comment. Meetings normally take place at the Coastal Zone, Downderry on the first Thursday of the month at 7.30pm. All are welcome to attend. The Deviock Parish Office is located at:- The Vestry, St. Nicolas Church, Main Road, Downderry PL11 3LE Tel. No. 01503 250 052 [email protected] Opening hours:Wednesdays: 2 – 4 Thursdays: 9am – 12 noon Tim Pullin – Parish Clerk Check out: www.deviockparish.org.uk (Agendas and Minutes on the website) St Germans A meeting was held recently involving some Parish councillors, Jesse Foot (our Cornwall councillor), representatives of Cornwall county council, two members of the Safe38 committee and Highways England. Discussions revolved around actions to improve road safety and air pollution from Saltash to Trerulefoot and even further on down to Bodmin. A lot of work lobbying Sheryll Murray and other government ministers has been done, particularly by Jesse Foot and the Safe 38 group. There is a large sign in Tideford put up by the Safe 38 group and you are asked to collect a car sticker from The Eliot Arms, The Halfway House or RBL Tideford to keep the focus of this campaign going towards a hopefully satisfactory conclusion. Continuing with traffic problems, the Parish is planning on holding a meeting in each of the wards, in which we will invite the local residents to discuss what if any are their concerns regarding for example, parking. It is hoped to hold these meetings sometime before the end of the year. Issues will be collated and the feasibility of implementing them reviewed.The repairs due to carried out at the St Germans play park starting on 10th September have been put back a week due to a shortage of the mulch needed to do the repairs.Finally, on the 3rd September, the RBL Tideford held a service to commemorate Merchant Navy Day; this was the second year it had been held to remember the lives lost by merchant seamen helping to keep the supply chain going during the wars. It was very well attended and included the Mayor of Liskeard. Teas and cake were provided after the ceremony for all those who attended. St Germans Priory St Germans Priory welcomes you to the Jazz Rock Cafe on Saturday 6th October at 7.30pm with music from ‘Miss Marlene’. This is an informal evening to enjoy smooth jazz-rock music in a relaxed atmosphere. Small savouries will be available and wine and fruit juice will be on sale. Everyone is welcome to come along and enjoy the music of ‘Miss Marlene’. The musicians are: Tricia Rogan - Vocals, Geoff Clark- Keyboard, Felicity Clark - Tenor Saxophone and Flute, Mark Flack - Bass Guitar, Ray Marks - Drums. We look forward to seeing you. All Donations to the Priory Trust. 2 News from County - Richard Pugh I have requested that Cornwall Council liaise with the environmental Agency (EA) to dredge the river under and around Hessenford Bridge. A considerable amount of silt and stones has accumulated and if left unattended could cause flooding during the winter. The responsibility for any dredging is with the EA so when I get further news I will report again. Cornwall Council spends over £5m every year keeping the streets of Cornwall clean. This includes an army of over 200 workers and cleaning over 40,000 miles-almost twice the distance around the world- each year to keep our streets as clear from litter as we can. Despite this effort, according to the 2017 resident’s survey, 23% of people in Cornwall are not happy with the cleanliness of the streets. Despite the fact that littering is illegal and carries a fine of £150 some antisocial people are still dropping their rubbish. To tackle this problem we are asking people to join a movement and pledge to make a litterless Cornwall. We want people to bag and bin their rubbish or take it home and leave only their footprints in sand. Supporting the pledge shows you care about Cornwall and helps provide much needed support and shows others that litter is not acceptable. Council members also endorsed a motion about the proposed merger of Devon and Cornwall Police with the Dorset force, expressing severe reservations about the way in which the consultation on the merger has been conducted. The motion stated that Devon and Cornwall Police and crime panel had expressed serious concerns about the lack of detailed information available and in particular the lack of published evidence about the envisaged benefits of the merger. As a result there was little option other than oppose the proposed merger. Recycling rates for the first quarter are up by three percent-42% against a target of 39%. In the first six months of 2016, the Council received 10,295 requests for recycling bags. In the first six months of this year, the Council received 18,662 an increase of over 80%. Recycling is now more prominent in people’s minds and we know our residents value Cornwall as a beautiful place to live. We consider that the combination of these factors has generated a massive surge in awareness and demand for recycling bags. If I can help anybody with Council related issues please contact me on 01503 220768 or [email protected] St Germans & District Garden Club In September we heard from Howard Wills about plants from New Zealand with a pictorial tour. Interesting to see similarities and differences with our own flora. This month is our AGM on Wednesday 17th October at 7.30pm in the Eliot Hall. Time to put forward ideas for future visits and evenings – an opportunity for new members to come and find out about us and join in with Wine and Cheese afterwards. 3 Downderry and Seaton Village Hall The next COFFEE MORNING is on Tue 9th Oct at 10.00am, the theme is currently a mystery, look out for the notices!, come along for a chat and a lovely morning. Saturday October 20th is one of our favourites - The BIG BREAKFAST 10.00am- 1.00pm for your big plate of egg, bacon, beans, tomatoes, sausage, toast, tea or coffee, all for £4.95. It’s starting to get wintery, so bring a few friends with you too, you can all enjoy the indulgence of a fry-up!….and browse the bric-a brac stall. Downderry and Seaton Village hall are hosting folk Duo NINEBARROW on Friday 26th October, 7.00pm for 7.30pm, there will be a bar and raffle. Tickets are available from Booking form can be found on the facebook page – downderryandseatonvillagehall, from Monday 3rd Sept, and Booking Office is in the Village Hall, every Monday morning from 3rd Sept 10.30-12, cost £10. Ninebarrow have their own innovative and captivating take on the folk tradition. They combine breath taking vocal harmonies and melodies, delivering original songs that are inspired and rooted in the landscape and history of the British Isles. As well as crafting unique and engaging original material, Ninebarrow also take a wide-range of traditional folk songs and rework them in their own, distinctive way. Not only exceptional singers and musicians, Ninebarrow are also equally passionate about the stories behind their songs - combining their music with history, folklore and storytelling The AUTUMN CRAFT FAIR is being held on Sunday 28th October 10.00am-4.00pm, there will be wonderful locally hand-made crafts, with a mix of offerings such as aprons, scarves, jewellery, kiddies clothes, gift cards, chalk boards, soft toys, tissue covers, ornaments, cushions, and many more.