April 2018 Vol. 49 No.4 50p FOCUS MAGAZINE INFORMATION Chairman Michael Ayre, Ratcliffe Farm, Raddon. Secretary Geoff Bulley, 17 Broadlands, Thorverton. Advertisements Secretary Maggie Dunlop, Kibby Yew, School Lane, Thorverton. Tel.(01392) 861185 Treasurer Bob Swaffield, Schiehallion, School Lane, Thorverton. Tel. (01392) 860309 Editor Neville Lane, Stable House, 2 The Glebe, Thorverton. Tel. (01392) 861062 Email: [email protected] Back issues (courtesy of Rob Purvis): thorvertonfocus.wordpress.com Assistant editors Eileen Mason and Fiona Harrison Printed by Sarum Graphics At the present time Focus is produced each month except one (August). The Editor welcomes interesting news items, reports etc. for publication. Items for inclusion in Focus should be accompanied by the name of the originator, which may be withheld from print if requested. The aims of Focus are: To produce a non-political monthly magazine serving the people of the parish of Thorverton, providing them with information on activities in the parish; For the magazine to be one that villagers are proud of; To provide a window for those outside Thorverton to see what the village has to offer; To promote local businesses through advertising; and To run at a small annual profit, but with surplus funds put to support village organisations for the benefit of Thorverton residents. Items for publication, adverts, changes to adverts, Diary entries, changes to Thorverton Information lists should be sent to the Editor, preferably as plain text in an email, or as a Word doc file or a pdf file email attachment (to [email protected]) by the 20th of the month prior to publication please. All items received are acknowledged, so if you don’t receive an acknowledgment within a few days, please assume not received. Advertisements and Notices Poster Type Advertisements: maximum size is half an A4 page. Text for advertisements should be prepared as near as possible to how it is intended to appear. Pictures must be supplied as required on the advertisement. Focus reserves the right to refuse any advertisement or notice at its sole discretion for any reason whatsoever. COMMERCIAL ADVERTISEMENTS The following advertising charges apply: Maximum dimensions COST per ENTRY FULL YEAR (11 entries) Half page 18.2 cm x 12.2 cm £7.00 £70 Quarter page 8.5 cm x 12.2 cm £4.00 £40 One-eighth page 8.5 cm x 5.8 cm £2.00 £20 LOCAL ORGANISATION and CHARITIES ADVERTISEMENTS COST per ENTRY Half page £3.00 Cheques made payable to “Focus” Quarter or one-eighth page free of charge Front Cover: Thorverton by John Spivey The opinions and views expressed by contributors within the magazine are not necessarily those of Focus producers or of the Focus Committee. Focus on Thorverton 1 Vol 49 No 4 –April 2018 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Editorial There are plenty of events coming up over the next two months, covering a dozen pages in this month’s There is so much to report this month – I hardly Focus Notices section. If there is one event that I know where to start. must pick out – and I am biased because I have a part in this – it is the TADS production “Sherlock’s I hope that you will have picked up on the fact that Excellent Adventure”, which runs from 19th to 21st the Parish Council has - what is by Parish Council April inclusive. Do get your tickets and then have a standards - a substantial amount of money (likely to great evening out. I am looking forward to this very be around £17,000) to be spent on open space or much. recreational improvements in the parish. The Council wants to hear your ideas for how the money I hope that those of you with involvement in running should be spent. Please get your ideas in to Alison organisations will note that Focus has some funds Marshall, but also come along to the Annual Parish th which it would like to put towards helping projects Meeting on Wednesday 25 April at which ideas can for the benefit of Thorverton residents. I should be discussed further before the Council takes any point to the fifth bullet point of the list of the aims of decisions at its May Council meeting. This meeting Focus, which we reproduce on the inside front cover should be a meeting well worth attending anyway every month: because village organisations have been invited to To run at a small annual profit, but with showcase their organisations, with stands and surplus funds put to support village displays. So, if you want to know what organisations organisations for the benefit of Thorverton have to offer – and perhaps a chance to get involved residents. with some of them – do come along to the Annual We are very pleased that we have been able to sustain Parish Meeting. a small profit over the years and so are in a position where we can offer funds again. Largely, the reason I have included a rather lengthy note on the why we are in a healthy financial position is because unglamorously titled “Sustainability Appraisal advertisers have been so loyal to us. We are most Update”. Don’t be put off by the title though: this is grateful for that and hope that villagers will where important for the village as it goes towards the Mid practicable use businesses advertising in Focus as Devon Local Plan, which covers possible much as possible. developments. You will need to get your skates on if th you do wish to comment because the deadline is 11 Neville Lane April. Focus Editor In this Focus Sustainability Appraisal Update .............................. 26 Poetry 2 .................................................................... 27 Editorial ..................................................................... 1 TARTS News .......................................................... 28 Letters ........................................................................ 2 The Garden in April ................................................. 30 Thorverton Parish Council ......................................... 4 Rainfall Record ........................................................ 30 Thorverton Memorial Hall ......................................... 5 Nature Notes ............................................................ 31 Notice Board .............................................................. 5 Snow is falling….but what’s the season? ................ 32 Found ......................................................................... 9 Connecting People with the Community ................. 32 Church Services and News ...................................... 17 Focus at 50 ............................................................... 33 Church Services and News ...................................... 18 Focus AGM ............................................................. 33 Parish Letter ............................................................. 19 Cricket Club ............................................................. 34 Baptist Church ......................................................... 20 Victims of Canadian Disaster .................................. 34 Women’s Institute.................................................... 21 Adverts ..................................................................... 35 East Devon Arts Festival ......................................... 21 Thorverton Organisations ........................................ 61 Arts Festival Refreshments ...................................... 21 Doctors’ Surgeries ................................................... 62 Thorverton School PTFA ........................................ 22 Waste Collection Dates for 2018 ............................. 64 From the Archives ................................................... 22 Mobile Library ......................................................... 64 Recipe ...................................................................... 23 Union Flag Flying days in April .............................. 64 Hulk Lane in the snow ............................................. 23 Road works .............................................................. 64 History Society ........................................................ 24 Bus Services ............................................................ 64 Legal Eagle .............................................................. 25 Diary 2018 ............................................................... 65 Poetry 1 .................................................................... 26 Snowy Thorverton ................................................... 66 Focus on Thorverton 2 Vol 49 No 4 –April 2018 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Letters Some walked quite a distance through cold and icy From the family of the late Betty Allen, Latchmoor conditions to get to me and other elderly people - so Green good to know there are such caring folk in our Jenny, Bruce, Julie and their families wish to express community. Many thanks to all. their sincere thanks for the many kind cards of sympathy, letters and messages received from friends P.S. March 18th - more snow; but I wish to say and neighbours following Betty's death in hospital on another big thank you to Ian Mills who came and 29th January, also those attending her funeral on 19th cleared all of our paths at Bullens Close and worked February, and those donating in lieu of flowers to her so hard in falling snow and cold wind. This was such chosen cause, Hospiscare. a kind action and much appreciated.