Edition 114 - June 2008
Artwork: Debbie Rigler Cook
EDITORIAL
June - and will it 'flame' for us? Let's hope so. Where, I wonder, does the expression originate - was it an expression before Frederick Lord Leighton used it as a title for one of his paintings in about 1895? Lord Leighton [1830-1896] was one of the finest artists of the Victorian era and one-time President of the Royal Academy.
It is always a pleasure to hear from readers and Stanley Barnes, from York, tells me that his aunt, Bessie Stephens [nee Harding] used to play the harmonium in the church over many years, and his father - a part-time organist - would play in the church when holidaying in the village.
Alvina Irwin recognised her father, Edwin Archibald Richards, in the photograph of the dancing class at Old Court. Brother of Fred, seated on the left, he is standing on the far right, sporting, as so many of the young men are, a flower in his lapel but also his treasured watch and chain. Can anyone else identify some of the dancers?
Best wishes and get better soon to all readers not feeling at their best at the moment and our thoughts are particularly with Len and June and, of course, 'our' Ron.
Grateful thanks to everyone who has sent or given donations, but special thanks to Phil and Lynne for the £100 donation following the Barn Dance, and Jill and Rainer for the £87 from the proceeds of the sale of the Flower Pot Men books. 'Every little helps' - to quote we know who! - but these generous contributions are extremely welcome.
Do you remember last August's cover? Two views from Napps painted by Nigel and kindly sponsored by Mike and Sue Richards. Mike and Sue have very kindly offered to sponsor another cover and this time we have Debbie's views from Napps - a big thank you to all three of you.
More thanks to all contributors - poets, writers, artists, puzzlers - keep the items coming! August will be the next issue and it will incorporate the Schedule and Entry Forms for the Horticultural and Craft Show, so make sure you get your copy and get those entries in! All items are most welcome and they should be in at the Shop or Chicane as soon as possible please, and by Monday, 14th July, at the latest.
Judie - Ed
1
BERRYNARBOR LADIES' GROUP
Twenty-three members and one visitor
attended the Meeting on the 1st April when Mr. S. Hoddinett
gave a talk about the work of the North Devon Hospice.
In 1981, a local doctor stressed the need for
a local hospice. Subsequently Mr. Vivian
Moon offered Webbers Estate Agents' old offices at
The
nurses at the Hospice require a lot of special training to keep up to date with
treatments and some are Macmillan trained.
There are a variety of activities available on a day-care basis, from
In
the bedded unit there are 8 individual rooms and a guest room. There are 24 nurses in attendance for 8
patients and 8 community nurses for patients able to live at home but need
help. There are 5 doctors and trained counsellors. There is no charge for the care so the
donations raised by individuals and groups are very
welcome.
After
Mr. Hoddinett's talk there was an opportunity for
questions and then general "chat" over a cup of tea or coffee and biscuits
before the end of the Meeting. The sales
table, run by the two Jenny's, is well supported each month and brings in extra
funds for the Club.
On
the 28th April sixteen members and friends enjoyed an outing to Castle Drogo, organised by Janet Gammon and Liz Paget. The weather could have been better but we
dodged the showers! The castle was
actually the 20th century home of self-made millionaire, Julius Drewe (Home and Colonial
Stores) and was the last castle to be built in
Marion
Carter took the Meeting on 6th May in Janet Gibbins' absence. She read a letter received from the Hospice
thanking the Group for the donation given last month and Janet had raised
£91.50p on the recent Night Walk, also in aid of the Hospice.
Following
the 'business' part of the meeting, Mr. and Mrs. L. Tovey
put on their Combe Martin Gardening Club hats.
Mr. Tovey showed some lovely slides of gardens
the Gardening Club has visited, which included Orchid Paradise near Newton
Abbot, Sutton Seeds' trial beds at Ipplepen, Bicton College Gardens,
Knightshayes Court,
Rosemoor Gardens, the Lost Gardens of Heligan and Marwood Hill Gardens - all well worth a visit.
The Gardening Club meets in Combe Martin
Church Hall on the second Wednesday of every month at a cost of £6 per
annum. Two outings per year are
arranged.
During
chat and cuppa time, the raffle was drawn and won by
Joan Garbett. There
will be a visit to Chambercombe Manor on the 10th June at
The speakers at the next two Meetings will be:
- 3rd June - Mr. I. Lyndsay - Coastguards
- 1st July - Mrs. Helen Latham - Cheshire Homes.
There
will be no Meeting in August.
Doreen
Prater
2
MARWOOD HILL GARDENS
Now is the time to see the wisteria pergola at its best. This archway over the path leading down to the lake, is planted with twelve different varieties - blue, purples, pinks and white. It also contains roses and clematis which give it on-going colour during the summer.
As part of your visit, why not indulge in a light lunch or cream tea in the Garden Tea Room?
As part of the North Devon Festival, artist John Wright's Art Trek will be at Marwood from the 19th-22nd June, and he invites visitors to join him in painting and sketching in the gardens, but please bring your own materials and a board on which to work. Normal admission charges will apply and for more details please contact Patricia Stout, Property Manager, on [01271]342528.
3
4
QUICK QUOTE
When Albert Einstein was a schoolboy, his teacher complained to Einstein's parents that he was a disruptive influence. "Why?" his parents asked. "He sits at the back of the class and smiles" the teacher replied.
5
SENIOR MOMENTS!
Don't like shopping - it's a bore
Rushed to my car to open the door
Now what's happened, the key is stuck
Today I'm really out of luck
Turn it, twist it - all but kick it
My temper's rising by the minute
Through the window what do I see
Things inside don't belong to me
And now I do begin to whine
Because of course this car's not mine
Humble, furtive, I retreat
My own red I must seek
Suspicious looks do come my way
Oh what a truly awful day.
NEXT WEEK
Parked in Lane C by trolley shed
L registration, colour red
So out I trot with smile so smug
To enter car with elegant shrug
I don't believe it - what's with my head
A reg L Micra and its red!
It should be mine - it's by the shed
It's where I put it - like I said
Now what I see makes my face red
Lane D has a Micra, L, and red
It's mine - it's been there all along
The one I'm breaking up is wrong
One senior moment is enough
But two of them is rather tough
Suspicion spreads and people speak
My case, I think, comes up next week!
Lisa Shelley
6
ST. PETER'S CHURCH
Easter
Services were well attended. The Good
Friday 'Quiet Hour' was thoughtfully led by Reader Mike Taylor, a solemn time
for reflection before the joyous celebration of Easter Day. Once again the flower arrangers did us proud
- the church looked really beautiful. [Thanks again to all those who make regular donations towards the
cost.] It was good to see the
choir back with us singing Mozart's 'Ave Verum', and the hymn 'All for Jesus'. After Stuart's appeal, new members will
hopefully have been inspired to come along and swell the ranks.
With
summer approaching and a number of new people in the village, this seems a good
time to recap on our regular Sunday services.
Firstly, all services begin at
The
third Sunday in the month is the Village Service - a simplified form of Morning
Prayer. The choir is present but when
numbers are too few they join with the congregation giving a welcome boost to
our singing!
During
June there will be a special Evening Service on the 29th at 6.30
p.m. [St. Peter's Day] when Christians Together will be
coming to Berrynarbor for a United Service.
Do come along if you can.
Refreshments will be served afterwards.
St.
Peter's Gift Day will be on Wednesday, 25th June this year, when the Rector and
PCC members will be at the lychgate all day, from 9.00
a.m. to 4.00 p.m., to receive your envelopes and exchange
news. Letters and envelopes will be
delivered round the village the week before.
Looking further ahead, the church Summer Fayre will be on Tuesday, 5th August, with all the usual
stalls, etc. So please look out any
books, bric-a-brac, etc., that you no longer need.
Friendship
Lunches at The Globe will be on Wednesdays 25th June and 23rd July. For anyone who would like to join us, my
telephone number is 883881.
Mary Tucker
7
WEATHER OR NOT
The
first week of March was fairly dry and breezy but then things went downhill,
with the forecast of the severe storm for the 10th. Here in the Sterridge we got off fairly
lightly with the worst of the winds going over the top of us; hence, we only recorded a maximum gust
of 30 knots but our barograph dipped to the lowest point we have ever recorded
at 965mb. By
April
was a complete contrast to last year and was notable mainly for the cold wind
that kept the temperatures down although the maximum gust recorded was only 26
knots. Last year there were only four
days when the temperature did not reach 15 Deg C and the maximum of 21.8 Deg C. This year only eight days topped 15 Deg C and
the maximum was only 19.9 Deg C. The
minimum was 0.3 Deg C and on the 6th we had a wind chill of -11 Deg C. It was a slightly damper month than the last
two years but with a total of only 42mm [1 5/8"], it was still pretty dry,
although looking back through the records, April's rainfall has varied between
9mm [3/8"] last year and 171mm [6 3/4"] in 2000. So this is not unusual. The sunshine hours for April were 117.76,
down again on last year when we had 154.62.
Let's
hope that we get a better summer this year than last.
Simon and Sue
8
MANOR HALL MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
Chairman's Report 2007-8
Work
has continued on updating the Hall to meet the requirements of current
legislation. New fuse boxes have been
fitted and the switches have been rearranged to enable easy access. The Men's Institute was also updated and
£100 was contributed by them to help with the expense. The wiring and lighting on the stage has
been updated and is now in a safe condition.
Work
in the kitchen includes a new hot water heater and sink taps, and a new
electric cooker with associated new wiring was installed. To
ensure children could not scold themselves, a thermostat was installed in the
Penn Curzon area at the request of the Pre-School Group.
The
Christmas card distribution and coffee morning was enhanced by the Primary
School children singing carols.
In
the winter the roof leaked and one of the electric fans in the roof was damaged
and had to be replaced. The roof has
been temporarily repaired and more money needs to be spent on the problem.
Our
fund raising continued in the year but the money did
not cover the cost of running the Hall this year. We are aware that interest in the Village
Shop this year has taken preference over the Hall, but we hope this will change
in the coming year.
Parish
Rooms - we are hopeful that a new lease will be signed shortly and that the
school, through the County, will be able to start work bringing the rooms up to
the required standard for the use of children.
In
the coming year a new heater replacement will cost over £1,000, we are working
toward the new CCD Hallmark Awards for Village Halls and hope to repair the
roof and redecorate the Hall.
Many
thanks to all those who have put so much work into keeping our Hall going.
Bob Hobson - Chairman
NB - We are
once again supplying hand towels, tea towels and dishcloths for use at the
Hall, all of which have gone missing.
Also, the new stapler has been removed.
We regret that we cannot continue forever supplying these items.
Advance
Notice - This year's
Berry Revels will be on Tuesday, 19th August. Please make a note to keep this date free
in your diary.
9
WELCOME
Jenny and Robin have now left Middle Lee
Farm and are in residence at Hawksridge, the
newly-named Chatsworth
in
These
good wishes go as well to our newcomers:
Chris and Phil Brown, and Colin and Jackie Dewsbury who have moved in to
No. 15 Berrynarbor Park.
Chris
and Phil, who come from Kidmore End near
With
little time now to spare for hobbies, Chris and Phil enjoy gardening and
walking, and Phil enjoys a game of badminton.
A no-pet family, they have now adopted Pat and Penny, the two little
Shetlands at Middle Lee.
10
A BARGAIN!
Windsor Castle from Coopers Hill - William Redworth [1873-1945]
The
watercolour of
Imagine
my surprise when the fine art conservator rang me and said, "I think I've
got some exciting news about your picture!" Still in its original frame, details of when
and where it was exhibited and its price - ten guineas - were on the back. On removing the picture from the frame, a
second watercolour by the same artist, unfinished and unsigned, had come to
light! Painted on strawboard, I was
told it was possible to split the board and I should then have two pictures. Twin watercolours - I agreed, and was
anxious to see the new one;
all I knew was that it depicted a tree-lined lane going downhill
with a distant view.
The
work was scheduled to take some time, so it was a couple of months later that I
received another call. "A third
picture has come to light!" Whilst
separating the board, the original of
In
trepidation and excitement I waited to see my pictures and was not disappointed
- three delightful watercolours all for the price of one! I now plan to have a print made of the
third 'find' so that all three can be on display together. Wall space has become a premium.
The
listed artist, William Redworth [1873-1945] studied
at the
I
believe that the second painting may be on the lane going down from Coopers
Hill towards
Judie Weedon
11
BERRYNARBOR UPHOLSTERY GROUP
Another year has gone by and the group
is still flourishing with countless chairs, stools and a chaise-longue all being completed during the year. Sadly, we have had to say goodbye to Nola
who has been a regular for about three years as she is moving house from
Lynton to the
Pat has rediscovered her interest
after over two years' break and is working hard to finish the iron framed hoop
back tub chair that she had started three years ago. It is going to look fabulous when it is done
being finished in rich purple antique velvet with deep buttoning on the back.
Marion Carter also joined us and has completed a caned chair and is now looking
for her next project. We also welcome
this week another new member, Christine, who is going straight into a wing back
armchair.
Jack Gingell has missed a few months due to his
house move from Berrynarbor to Combe Martin, but in the move has discovered a
load of items that need to be done, including a set of 8 dining chairs! As for myself, I finished my chaise-longue - some of you may have seen it as a prop in the
village variety show - and am now undertaking a nursing chair, a button backed
tub chair, Victorian armchair and chaise-longue for
my brother and his wife. That should
keep me going for a while!
We always welcome new members, so look
out that old chair or stool that would cost more to upholster than it would be
worth should you have it professionally done and come and join us. Between us we have a wealth of knowledge and
experience which we will be only too happy to pass on. The costs are minimal,
as we only have to cover the cost of the hall each week [if you don't make it
one week you don't pay] and we buy all our materials at trade prices. We will guide you through each stage of a
complete renovation and at the end you will not only have a superb piece of
furniture to be proud of, but like us you will probably be hooked!
Tony S [883600]
12
STUDIO THEATRE COMES TO BERRYNARBOR
In the summer months, Studio Theatre is staging three shows, two of which we are pleased to be bringing to Berrynarbor. You can catch Noel Coward's 'Blithe Spirit', directed by Anne Bacon, at the Manor Hall on Wednesday, 23rd July. Other performances are at The Landmark [27th July and 3rd August] and Woolacombe [30th July]. 'When You're Smiling', devised by Mike Bennett and based on well-loved acts of the 1940's, comes to the Manor Hall on Friday, 15th August. It will be at The Landmark [26th July, 9th & 16th August], Combe Martin [1st August] and Woolacombe [22nd August]. 'Musical Magic', our third summer production and a celebration of 10 years of Lee Baxendale's spectacular musical shows, will be performed at The Landmark on the 10th and 17th August.
In the autumn we shall be staging a major musical production of 'Me and My Girl' at The Landmark on Friday, 17th [evening] and Saturday , 18th [matinee and evening] October. We're looking for performers and backstage crew for this production and are holding an introductory meeting on Sunday, 1st June, mid-day at the Landmark Pavilion, with full auditions taking place over the week-end of 6th-8th June. If you would like to participate in this production, please call Lee Baxendale on 07817 018229.
Finally, we need to raise funds to finance all these performances and are holding a fund-raising Car Boot Sale on the promenade at Ilfracombe on Sunday, 22nd June. Sellers from 8.30 a.m. [£6.00 per car, £5.00 if reserved in advance] and Buyers [FREE] from 10.00 a.m. to 2.00 p.m. Sellers are advised to reserve pitches in advance as our previous sale was popular and spaces are limited. Call Robert Zarywacz on 07971 176044. For full details of all Studio Theatre productions and activities, please visit www.studiotheatreonline.org.uk or call Robert on the number above.
13
THE GREAT BERRYNARBOR PLANT SALE
I should like to thank everyone who donated plants for the sale on 5th May. The weather was favourable and the day was a great success, with nearly £500 raised for the new shop. Thanks are also due to the many helpers who ran stalls, prepared the delicious creams teas, sold raffle tickets and cleared up at the end of the day. Some of the plants that were not sold on the day will be offered for sale again at the next Farmers' Market - so if you missed the chance to buy at the sale, you have another chance on the 31st May.
Advance Warning: we may do it again next year!
Kath
14
THE ORDERLY DAY
[A Slice of Army Life]
Oh the orderly day.
Poor sore orderly
Tralalalalalalalalalala
At
We start our little day.
And all day long
We're making meals
And clearing meals away.
We stoke the stoves
And butter the loaves
Then tenderly spread the squish,
And gently drop a porridge flop
In every waiting dish.
And it's "Orderly squish",
"Orderly tosh",
"Orderly tea this way."
Oh who would be an orderlee
Upon an orderly day!
Our weary round of work
And evil light upon the wight
Who tries his job to shirk.
One cheery ray lights up his day
If labour he would spurn,
That when he's played the scullery maid
The others will have their turn.
And its "Orderly squish", "Orderly tosh",
"Orderly tea this way."
Oh who would be an orderlee
Upon an orderly day!
[Sung to the tune of 'Solomon Levi']
'Squish' is presumably jam, but what is 'Tosh'?
Could some ex-squaddie
enlighten me [and others]?
Trev
BODY LANGUAGE
We all use it, to a greater or lesser extent, to reinforce or replace speech. For instance, we nod our head to signify agreement or recognition. What else do we nod? Nothing, can we? Because the word 'nod' is limited to a particular movement of our 'noddle'. Thinking along this line, led me to realise how many special words there are to describe particular movements of various parts of the body. The following list is doubtless an incomplete one and you can probably add several more to it, but here goes.
16
A wonderful place is
The gem of the
So I'll raise my glass of sherry
To the subject of my toast.
A beautiful green valley.
A church that's high and old.
A place where people are pally
A place with stories untold.
Sixty-two years on from my stay there,
Six and half years of my youth,
I'll always find my way there,
It's wonderful, that's the truth.
Illustrated by: Paul Swailes
Tony Beauclerk -
17
THE EVACUEES - DAVE & TOM
Part III
Continuing the adventures of our two
evacuee friends during World War II.
Up at the cottage at Goosewell, Mary, Dave's
mother, shook the covers on his bed.
"Come on, Dave, I want you to go to Miss Cooper's." "Who's
Miss Cooper?" muttered Dave sleepily, opening his eyes slowly. "It's
the Berrynarbor village shop, you chump," his mother replied. "Take the ration books and get me some
sugar and butter please."
Dave
dressed and had his breakfast and got his bike out of the shed. He was just about to cycle off when,
"Hold on a minute," his mum called, "You'll need your
raincoat."
"Can't
remember where I left it," replied Dave, it was his standard answer. He threw down his bike and went indoors to
look. It took a while before he
uncovered it under the usual pile of clothes in his bedroom. Meanwhile, although it had been raining
hard, it had now eased up. He made his
way along the road to the top of Hagginton Hill, gathering speed as he reached
the steepest part near the bottom. As
he did so, he pulled on his brakes, turning the bend to see a broken down
tractor and trailer completely blocking the road.
He tried his brakes again, but to no
avail. He was finding it hard to
balance by now, as his wheels slid sideways on some loose stones. Harder and harder he pulled and at last the
brakes began to bite. Suddenly, he
managed to veer to the left and pulled up at the bottom of Pitt Hill.
"Phew,
that was a close one!" he whispered to himself as he mopped his brow. Taking a deep breath, he began to push his
bike up the hill to Miss Cooper's shop, where he leant it against the wall.
"Sorry,
we are out of butter and sugar until the next delivery", the lady in the
shop told him. As he left, who should
he bump into but his friend Tom.
"What
are you doing today?" enquired Tom. "Well,
nothing now. They haven't got what I
came for. What about going down to Broadsands", replied Dave. So that was settled and off they went.
Climbing
down to the beach was not too hard until they got to the last few feet of
shale. The tide was in and the sun was
shining and the water looked very inviting.
They sat down and began, as boys do, to throw stones.
"Bet
I can bounce a stone further than you!" said Tom. You're
on!" was the reply and the contest began.
Each of them bounced stones up to seven times, but that seemed to be the limit. "You know what, the water is lovely and
warm," Dave remarked as he dipped his hand in. "Wouldn't mind a swim but we haven't
got our trunks." "Why not our
underpants?" suggested Tom and so that was decided upon and into the water
they dashed.
As
they walked up the beach after their swim, Tom suddenly yelled as a rowing boat
appeared
between the island and the beach, "Watch out, Ian Cropper's coming
in his boat!" Cropper was known
for his bad temper and getting into scraps in Combe Martin.
"I'll
get you lot!", he shouted as he
quickly landed his boat. At that, Tom
and Dave grabbed their clothes, putting them on over their
wet underpants and running to the bottom of the cliff, as for no apparent
reason, other than his bad temper, Cropper started throwing stones at them.
The
boys discovered new energies as they scrambled up the cliff. Cropper was now enjoying their discomfort,
each one getting a gash as they were struck.
Once out of range and with bravado they jeered back. It was not long before they were back up on
the old coast road and each lad making his way home.
"Did you get my sugar and
butter?" Dave's mother asked him when he got back. "Sorry, they hadn't got any," said
Dave as he handed back the ration book.
"Got any elastoplast?" "What's
that gash on your leg?" enquired Tom's mother as he arrived home. "I think I caught it on a stone",
was the reply. "Oh boys!" she muttered quietly, as she went to the
kitchen to get him something to eat.
Illustrations by: Paul
Swailes
Tony Beauclerk -
18
Events for June and July
For further information on any of the events given below, please contact the Fund Raising Team on [01271] 344248:
- Sunday, 1st June -Classic Car Run and Family Fun Day at Edgehill College, 11.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m.
- Friday, 20th June - Hartland Ball - don your glad rags and enjoy an evening of splendour in the delightful grounds of Hartland Abbey. Food, live music and lots more!
- Saturday, 21st June - Jazz at the Abbey - Kenny Ball and Others - an evening of great sounds at Hartland Abbey.
- Sunday, 22nd June - Country Fayre at Hartland Abbey
- Sunday, 29th June - Coast to Coast Challenge; 'On yer Bike', a challenging sponsored bike ride from north to south coast!
- Sunday, 6th July -UK National Sandcastle Competition at Woolacombe. Teams of 6 to build, or go to view.
- Sunday, 13th July - Ladies' Driving Day at Chivenor - try your skill behind the wheel of some challenging transport.
- Sunday, 20th July - Floating Bye This event is open to all, to join us at Instow beach at sunset to say goodbye to someone you love with a flower and a message placed on a raft on the outgoing tide. Contact Ali Hunt on the above number for more details.
19
LETTER FROM THE RECTOR
The Rectory
Combe Martin
Dear Friends,
There are some grandmothers of a
certain age to whom the word "Chippendales" does not denote a piece
of furniture! (Enough said!)
And the
meaning of the word "gay" has changed dramatically. And if I said to you what do the words
"joint", "grass" and "coke" conjure up in your
mind, I expect I might get quite a few different answers!
Now, what does the word "
Yet others may think of Christopher Columbus
who in fact discovered the island. As
he sailed towards the island he thought he
saw three small islands, but as he got closer and closer he realised
that in fact it was three mountains on one island, which reminded him of the
Trinity, three and yet, one. Hence the
name for the island.
But the concept of the Trinity is
still a wonderful mystery, because it seeks to do justice to the revelation of
God as Father (as taught by Jesus); the Son (Jesus-God in human form); and
Spirit which is another way of expressing "God in action". The word ""God" can mean different
things to different people. Yet the
Christian doctrine of the Trinity tries to give as full a meaning as possible
to that word, while humbly remembering all the time that our finite minds
cannot grasp the full reality of an infinite God.
That is why Christians ask the help of
the Holy Spirit to guide and help them in their earthly pilgrimage of
discovery. Words never give the full
meaning of what we are trying to express, that is why actions speak louder than
words! That is why God came to earth in
human form.
With all good wishes,
Your Friend and Rector,
Keith Wyer
20
DEVON ADULT & COMMUNITY LEARNING
The following courses will be held at the Two Lanes Centre in Ilfracombe or the Combe Martin Community Centre during June and July. If you would like further information or to book a place, please ring [01271] 864171:
- 9th June, a.m. or p.m. Victorian Jewellery. Free. Ilfracombe
- 14th June, all day Willow Sculpture for the Garden. Combe Martin
- 26th June, a.m. Counselling - Try it Out! £5. Ilfracombe
- 14th July, evening Risk Assessment Workshop. £5. Ilfracombe
- 16th July, evening Dress Making - try it out! £5. Ilfracombe
- 17th July, afternoon Drawing & Painting - try it out £5. Combe Martin
- 17th July, evening Drawing & Painting - try it out £5. Ilfracombe
21
WHOSE FAULT?
To the
sound of the cockerel I awake every morn,
The moon
up aloft looks very forlorn.
My
faltering steps soon come to a halt
When a
voice says quietly -
"It's
all Walter's fault."
The
coffee is hot, the orange ice cold,
'Tis nice to have friends, when you're getting old,
Tending
your needs with a fine single malt,
While
hearing them say -
"It's
all Walter's fault."
There
must come a time when all this will end
With a
clamouring of trumpets, no money to spend
On
things really interesting, I am quite distraught
As the
voices keep saying -
"It's
all Walter's fault."
At the
end of the day when the curtains are drawn,
I think
of the hours which have passed since the dawn,
The time
has been pleasant, not a bad thought
But that
voice is still saying -
"It's
all Walter's fault."
Through
seconds to minutes to hours to days,
We all
settle down to Lee Lodge ways.
When
things go right it's the pleasure we thought
But,
when things go wrong -
"It's
all Walter's fault."
That
lost 'S' in NEWLETTER - we thought 'twas
unkind
To blame
it on Judie, who has a clear mind.
That
only one person should surely be sought,
Would
you believe it?
It's all
Walter's fault!
[No.
actually it was Len's!]
Illustrated by: Debbie Cook
Yours
sincerely -
When
you sign off a letter 'Yours sincerely' do you ever wonder where the 'sincere'
came from? Actually you have to go back
nearly 3000 years to find the origin of the word. When the early Romans were busy making
utensils for the storage of liquid, sometimes during the process of manufacture
a pot might be cracked. They did not
throw it away but filled the crack with wax, painting over the repair. But when warm liquid was poured in, the wax
melted and there was a leak. Good Roman
potters advertised that their goods were 'sine cera'
- without wax. And, as language has
developed, the Latin phrase has become 'sincere' which means that you are not
waxing over imperfections.
Walter
22
A NEW OPPORTUNITY FOR BERRYNARBOR
brought to you by
Ilfracombe & District Community Transport Association
Would you like to spend a couple of hours in Ilfracombe now and again to: Visit friends, have afternoon tea or coffee out Go to the hairdresser, dentist, chiropodist, etc?
A minibus goes from Berrynarbor to Ilfracombe on alternate Wednesday afternoons - the next date is Wednesday, 11th June [same Wednesdays as the mobile library]. The minibus leaves the Church Steps at approximately 1.45 p.m., returning from Ilfracombe at 4.00 p.m.
If you, or anyone you know, would like to use this service on occasions, at a cost of £2.50 return, please 'phone Shirley on 879201.
Community Transport Theatre Group
Until eighteen months ago, many people in the surrounding areas of Ilfracombe were unable to go to the theatre for various reasons - disability, lack of transport or even the lack of confidence to drive at night. Since North Devon Theatres and Ilfracombe Community Transport started working together to provide transport to our two theatres, members of this group have been able to see many performances which in the past they would not, and feedback suggests they have thoroughly enjoyed them and greatly appreciate this service.
Members will soon be receiving a letter with a list of shows being offered in the summer brochure. If you are not already a member but would like to know more, please call [01271] 865655 and ask for Janice or Sandy, leave your name and address and you will receive the latest list. We are always happy to hear suggestions of shows not on our list and will do out best to arrange transport for them.
Still booking at present:
- Alfie Boe Wednesday, 11th June
- Bill Giles Weather Show Thursday, 19th June
23
PARISH COUNCIL REPORT
The Annual Parish
Council Meeting was held on the 13th May in the Penn Curzon Room at the Manor
Hall. In attendance, together with the
Parish Councillors, were District Councillor Yvette Gubb and County Councillor Andrea
Davis.
I
was pleased to be voted in again as Chairman and Richard Gingell as Vice
Chairman, for this next year and I thank my fellow Councillors for their
support. I look forward to the Council
completing the refurbishment of the children's playground in the very near
future, unfortunately the design of the first set of plans for the playground
were not acceptable to the Council, I hope to be presenting a revised plan at
the June meeting.
A
local needs Housing Questionnaire should be delivered to each household towards
the end of June, this is necessary to determine whether there is a shortage of
housing for local people.
On
behalf of the Parish Council, I should like to congratulate the staff and
children at the Primary School for their recent Ofsted
Inspection.
Sue Sussex- Chairman [01271]
882916
24
THANK
YOU
I
should like to thank my kind neighbours and friends for their good wishes and
help to me after my stay in hospital over Easter.
I was
indeed sorry not to be able to help with the 'big move' to the new shop and I
do congratulate the Committee, the Shop Managers and the volunteers on a
wonderful achievement. It is a super
asset to our lovely village and long may it continue to flourish. I am glad to be back on the rota again!
Jill McCrae
We are
also glad to know that you are fit enough Jill to be back in our shop and hope
that your recovery continues.
25
On
the whole it has been a cold spring, the advantage being that the daffodils and
primulas lasted longer in the planters, whereas last
year in the warm spring they were over in a flash.
This year we have added to the
containers of plants around the village with new wooden planters outside our
lovely new shop and post office. I hope
you agree that the little yellow violas and cheery red daisies (bachelor's
buttons) have added to the welcome.
These will be supplemented with bedding plants for the summer. Thank you Jackie, Anita and the army of
volunteers for keeping them watered.
The
hanging baskets are due to arrive at the end of May and then the real work of
keeping them watered starts. We shall
also be changing the spring bedding to the summer display.
At
the moment we are waiting for tenders to go out for work to begin on Claude's
garden.
We
had a donation of £100 from the barn dance in May and have donated this to the
school, as we like to support and encourage the children in the gardening
club. Last year the
Our
main fund raising event as usual will be the
This
year they will be:
teas at Chicane
thanks to Ken and Judie
The
Village, Sunday 6th July
with teas at The
Lodge thanks to Phil and Lynne
We
have one or two new gardens opening this year so let's hope for good weather
and please come along and support us.
Just
a reminder that judging for the
We have already had a couple of litter
picking afternoons followed by tea and cake (just a little bit of
bribery!) and are always grateful to
those who help in any way and always welcome new helpers. Just look out for our 'blooming' posters.
26
APPLE
CRUMBLE CAKE
Apple cakes are
always popular and this one is moist and very more'ish.
For the cake
- 175g/6oz butter/margarine plus extra for greasing the tin
- 350g/12oz Self Raising flour
- 2tsp cinnamon
- 175g/6oz light muscovado sugar
- 3 medium eating apples such as Cox's
- 100g/4oz dates halved, stoned and finely chopped
- 50g/2oz blanched hazelnuts, roughly chopped
For
the crumble topping
- 3 tablespoons apricot jam/compote
- 50g/2oz blanched hazelnuts, roughly chopped (making 100g/4oz of hazelnuts altogether)
- 50g/2oz plain flour
- 50g/2oz butter or margarine
- 50g/2oz demerara sugar
Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/Gas 4. Lightly butter a deep 20cm/8inch loose based
or spring form tin. Line the base with
baking parchment. Melt the butter in
the microwave on high for 30 seconds to a minute. Cool the butter for 5 minutes. Crack the eggs in to the butter and beat
well. Mix the flour with the cinnamon
and the sugar. Core and cut 2 of the
apples (unpeeled) in to bite sized chunks.
Mix the apples in to the flour along with the dates and the first
50g/2oz of hazelnuts. Pour the egg and
butter mixture in to the flour mixture and gently stir together. Pour in to the prepared tin and smooth the
top. Now thinly slice the remaining
apple (unpeeled) in to circles, discard the pips, and arrange over the top of
the cake. Rub together the crumble
topping flour and butter and add the remaining hazelnuts and Demerara
sugar. Cover the apple circles on the
cake with the crumble mix. Bake for 50
minutes to 1hour until the cake is risen and cooked. Check it is done by pushing a skewer in to
the centre. Cool in the tin for 5minutes
and then continue the cooling on a wire rack.
This cake will keep for up to 3 days.
Note: This cake will be the item at the
Horticultural and Craft Show to be made to a given recipe - so try it out now
and keep practising!
If
you tried to make the Tomato Soup cake in the last issue I forgot to list the
fat in the recipe! Sorry cake makers but
the recipe should have listed 3oz of white Flora type shortening. This should have been creamed together with
the sugar. I don't think many of you
have tried this one as no one has commented to me on the omission! Hope you all enjoy the apple crumble cake
more.
Wendy
27
NEWS FROM THE GLOBE & SAWMILL INN
Quiz Nights: There will be one on Sunday, 1st June at 8.30 p.m., which will probably be the last one. However, keep in touch as there may be a final one on 15th June.
Sunday, 15th June - Fathers' Day:
- Treat Dad to a traditional Roast Lunch at The Globe [882465] or a Carvery at The Sawmill [882259]. Book early.
- Combe Martin Music Festival: We are again taking part in the festival, so join us at The Sawmill on Sunday, 6th July [afternoon] - 'Blues' with Tony Rogers; Sunday, 20th July [evening] - 'The Communicators' and on Friday, 25th July [evening] - 'Coverage'.
Summer Opening Times: at The Sawmill:
- Saturday 19th July to Saturday 30th August [inc.]
- Breakfast 9.00 to 11.30 a.m. [except Sundays]
- Bar Open 10.00 a.m. to 11.00 p.m/midnight
- Pub Food 12.00 noon to 9.00 p.m.
at Ye Olde Globe:
- We should very much like to open all day throughout the summer [dates and times as above]. However, this depends on staff levels and so times are to be confirmed. Look out for posters/boards informing you.
Raffle Money from Quiz Nights: Thank you to all who support the Quiz and the raffles. We have just divided the money and have been able to give £68.50 to our Primary School, Pre-School, Berry in Bloom and the Carnival Float. A big thank you to Bet Brooks for selling tickets each Quiz Night. and finally ...
I should like to thank everyone who sponsored me to do 'Nightwalk' when I raised £111.00. It was a good night and Helen and I [from the Sawmill] set off from Bideford Rugby Club around 8.15 p.m. and were led across the old bridge to join the Tarka Trail to Barnstaple. At Freminghton we were offered soup, but with only 3.5 miles to go, we opted to just get it over with, so accepted the 'Twilight' chocolate and carried on! We reached Barnstaple Rugby Club just before 11 o'clock, and just before the rain started - oh so glad we set off early! Luckily we didn't suffer too much the next day and I only got one blister - not too bad really. Many thanks for the sponsor money.
Karen
28
29
MOVER AND SHAKERS - No. 15
ARTHUR GUINNESS
[24th September 1725
Founder of Guinness Porter [the black stuff!]
My
'bedside reading' at the moment is a fascinating account by Ian Marchant of his and his friend's month-long mapping of the
British landscape in booze - from The Turk's Head on St Agnes, Isles of Scilly,
to the public bar of the Baltrasound Inn on Unst, the most northerly of the Shetlands. Called 'The Longest Crawl', he not only
tells amusing anecdotes, but also gives lots of information about, for
instance, Plymouth Gin [made unlicensed and duty-free by gin-drinking William
III], Burton on Trent ales [very hard water to produce light bitters] and
London Porter. Eighteenth century
Arthur Guinness
User Morrison1917 on en.wikipedia,Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
And so we come to
Arthur Guinness. His friends thought he
was quite mad when on the last day of December 1759, at 34 years of age, he
signed a 9,000-year lease for £45 a year rental on a near derelict brewery in
Arthur's
father was land steward to Dr. Arthur Price, the Archbishop of Cashel. He brewed
beer for the estate workers, although it was his wife's family who had the
brewing expertise. When Price died in
1752, he left Arthur and his younger brother £100 each. It is thought that this encouraged Arthur to
lease, four years later, a brewery on the upper reaches of the River Liffey in Co Kildare.
After
three years, he left the brewery in his brother's care and took over the one at
St James's Gate. His new brewery was no
more than average, as with most of the 70-odd breweries in the capital. When import regulations favouring the London
Porter breweries were extended, he took a gamble on public taste and produced his own version of
porter. He produced a darker beer by
adding roasted barley, and by 1769 his first export of 6 1/2 barrels of Guinness
beer left for
Today,
Guinness is brewed in 35 countries around the world, but all overseas breweries
must contain a flavoured extract from St James's Gate, so that all of the 10
million glasses drunk daily still contain something of that special brew. Interestingly, when Arthur moved to his
first brewery he took brewers' yeast from his father's brewery. This, unlike bakers' yeast, goes on growing. He then took it to
So
what else is in it? Well, the specific
recipe is closely guarded, but is made from roasted barley, malt, hops - and
the yeast. Added to this is a unique mix of nitrogen and carbon dioxide that
separates the black liquid from the creamy 'head'. If you watch a good barman pouring Guinness,
he will tilt the glass at 45 degrees, pour in 3/4 of a glass, leave it to stand
to let the surge settle, and then top it up. The whole process ideally will
take 119.5 seconds - but worth the wait!
On the other hand, you can buy from our shop a can of draught Guinness
with a 'widget' in the base. This
gadget first appeared in 1998 and produces the creamy 'head'. Three years later the 'widget' won the
Queen's Award for Technology Achievement.
In
1761, Arthur Guinness married Olivia Whitmore.
Together they produced 21 babies, but sadly only 10 of them reached
adulthood. When Arthur died in 1803,
his three sons took over and continued his work. He and Olivia founded a dynasty, which has been
eminent in
PP
of DC
30
CROSSWORD ANSWERS
31
Quick Quotes
"I know why there are so many people who love chopping wood. In this activity one immediately sees the results."
On how his work had made possible the invention of the atom bomb: "If only I had known, I should have become a watchmaker."
Einstein
32
POEMS
Tick tock goes the Clock
Tick tock goes the clock
that sits beside my bed.
Tick tock goes the clock
that echoes in my head.
Tick tock goes the clock
which puts my head in a lock.
Tick tock goes the clock
which makes my body want to rock.
On and on goes the clock
'til I give it a knock with my sock!
"zzz"
snore "zzz"
Now it starts to chime and it's nearly
Tick tock goes the clock ...
Illustrated by: Paul
Swailes
Thank-you Sun
Dear Sun,
Just a line to say 'thanks'
for this and every day.
Your dawns and sunsets
are just great,
bang on time,
never late!
Thank you Sun.
Sarah Prentice [9] Glenbridge
33
HORTICULTURAL
& CRAFT SHOW
"Come up to the Manor Hall for lunch," said mum. So we did. Little did we know it would be so entertaining!
It
was the Gardeners and Crafters Lunch, organised to
raise funds for the Horticultural and Craft Show in August. When we arrived, the hall was pretty busy,
though I guessed we were some of last to arrive to eat. We ordered our lunch and drinks and all
seemed fine - the food was good and wholesome and I was enjoying the light chit
chat with locals I'd not seen for a while.
Over in the corner dad was busy helping Sally sort the raffle tickets
ready for the big draw, and this is when the fun started. There seemed to be several books of tickets
being used, at least two of the same colour ...
hmmm. Sally had been writing the names
on the backs of the top ticket but not all the way down the strips ...
hmmm. The prizes had all been allocated
a specific number ... hmmm.
Well
the draw began and the gentleman who was invited to draw the first ticket drew
... hmmm ... his own ticket! Oh
well, it's just a little village raffle, no bother and he took his prize. Next up, 'Oh it's a blue ticket', 'Oh there
seem to be two winners' ... Oh there are 2 sets of blue tickets! Don't panic, they are slightly different,
look the numbers are printed differently.
There then followed a steady stream of tickets, consultations, 'It's
mine, oh no it's not', that went on for quite some time, there were loads of
prizes. On my table Doreen was getting
quite anxious, she didn't seem to be winning anything, then hey she did, a pink
pig in a bath thing-um-er-me-whotsit!
It
was wonderful, I laughed and laughed, I felt as if I was in a scene from a
pastoral sit-com, a sort of Vicar of Dibley, Jam and
Helen
Another
successful Lunch - in more ways than one it seems! Thank you to everyone who supported the
event - a very welcome sum of £250 has boosted the Show's account. Thank you, too, Jan and Sally for your help,
and Jackie and Anita for donating the beautiful basket of fruit.
Have
you made a note of the date of the Show?
Saturday, 30th August in the Manor Hall. Details of the Art and Photography classes
were given in the April newsletter [if this has been mislaid and you would like
details, please ring Judie - 883544] and
the full Schedules and Entry Forms will be available with the August newsletter
or from the Community Shop.
The Show is open to residents and non-residents
of the village and we hope there will be lots of entries and prizes for the
Junior Sections - for which entrants must be under 14 on the 1st January 2008.
Remember,
we're not looking for perfection, just some fun, so go on have a go and think
about what YOU might enter.
Vi, Yvonne, Pip, Tony, Janet and Judie
34
NEWS FROM THE PRIMARY SCHOOL
Disnie Thornton [6]
Our
SATs tests took place during the week commencing 12th
May. This is a stressful time for our
pupils and for a special treat they went to the Go Kart Centre in
Elyse Richards [6]
On
the 10th June we shall be having a whole-school photograph taken. It's many years since the last one and we are
hoping for a nice, sunny day!
Ron
Toms kindly came in to meet Classes 2 and 3 because we had been learning all about village life,
past and present. We took photographs
and recorded his visit. We had a lovely
afternoon and the children were really interested and listened intently.
We
have this year's leavers reunion with last year's
leavers on the 11th June. They have
party food and lots of fun, and chat and share experiences about their life at
secondary school since they left Berrynarbor.
Our older children
will be going on their annual residential trip to the Exmoor Centre for a week
on the 16th June, and they are all looking forward to a week away from
school! Lots of exciting activities
planned - part of the time they will be sleeping indoors and the remainder of
the time they will be camping.
After-school
clubs are well supported. This term we
have Football [Scott Balment and Joe Ivan] until
June, and then Athletics takes over; Recorder [Maria Howell]. Guitar [Mack
Gray] and Gardening [Julia Fairchild].
Plans
are well underway for the School Fete on Tuesday, 15th July. If anyone would like to run a stall
at the fete, please contact the school office on [01217] 883493. Thank you.
The
pencil drawings of Spring Flowers are the work of pupils in Reception and Year
1.
Susan Carey - Headteacher
35
News from our Community Shop and Post Office
It
is great to be reporting about our NEW Shop and also telling you that thanks to
everyone, sales are up on this time last year, in both the Shop and Post
Office. This is much appreciated,
because although we have the lovely building, we also have a mortgage to
clear. The second May Golf Day, organised
by John Boxall, brought in a useful £570;
the wedding 'do' in Sloley barn on 26th April £100 and another £100 came
from the Barn Dance held on 3rd May - a great total of £770. Kath Thorndycroft's
Plant Sale on 5th May was also a success and yielded about another £500. Thank you John and Kath. Any other ideas for raising funds would be
very welcome - please give your suggestions to Anita or Jackie.
Thanks also to the 'Berrynarbor in Bloom'
group who have supplied the Shop with the splendid troughs of flowers.
No doubt we all appreciate the easy
parking. Walkers have those few extra
uphill strides, but then it's easier on the way down with all the shopping!
Sales of the personalised shop bags are
going well. Hopefully, when British
Telecom can sort out the problem, the Shop will get its old phone number back,
but in the meantime you can reach it via the Post Office number - 883100.
New products are arriving weekly,
including a delicious range of jams and chutneys, local 'goodies', a wide range
of Soya products and new varieties of cans of beans [perhaps because Anita was
told yesterday by her supplier that there is a national shortage of small cans
of Heinz baked beans!]
Happy Shopping.
PP
of DC
A
Thank You from the Shop Treasurer
Well, your new shop is up and running
and I should like to give a personal thank you to all the good folk who have
contributed money in any way at all.
The
raffles, events, books and the box on the counter,
have raised a staggering £5,000 since we launched the appeal. This is an enormous contribution toward the
cost of the building and all its equipment, to say nothing of additional stock.
I
should also mention the people who bought Shares - this has raised another
£4,000 and it is so rewarding to know that people have sufficient confidence in
the business to invest their hard earned cash.
Of
course, we now have additional overheads and the on-going support of all the
villagers, and visitors, is vital to meeting these costs. So, to
all of you, enjoy the facility which you have helped to create and thank you
again everyone.
Brian
36
LOCAL WALKS - 108
'On the Road to Marazion'
From
a distance, the string of figures making their way across the causeway to St.
Michel's Mount appeared to be walking on water. This is only possible when tides allow. At other times the island can be reached by
ferry boat.
As well as the magnificent former
Benedictine Priory, with its perilously steep sub-tropical gardens, there are
cottages, a church and small harbour.
Returning to Marazion over the old stones,
shaped and weathered by the action of the waves, we saw a few Guillemots dotted
about the water, still in their winter plumage.
Further
away, and diving frequently, was a larger bird - about the size of a goose -
mostly black with a white breast. We
suspected what it might be but for confirmation, when we'd reached the
'mainland', we continued along the coast to a jetty which brought us closer to
the bird - a Great Northern Diver; an
oceanic bird and scarce passage and winter visitor, also known known as a loon!
We
went back through the town and along the coast road to Marazion
Marsh, an RSPB Reserve, enjoying as we walked the view of
On
the beach stood a small flock of whimbrels, like curlews but smaller with
stripes on the crown and their downwardly curved bills shorter. They are most usually seen in spring and
late summer.
It
was late April and a good time possibly to see birds of passage stopping off at
the wetland on their spring migration.
As we arrived at the nature reserve
we were told about two interesting and attractive birds which had been observed
there that week.
One
was a male Blue-Headed Wagtail, Motacilla flava flava, a sub-species of the
Yellow Wagtail, Motacilla flava
flavissima [flava meaning
yellow, so flavissima being most yellow].
We
did not think there was much chance of seeing the small bird but scanned the
Pied Wagtails and Wheatears on the grass alongside the
We
crossed the bridge over the railway line to Longrock
Pool and there, among a flock of Sand Martins was the other bird to which we'd been
alerted, a Black Tern - about twice the size of the martins. It put on quite a show, exhilarating to
watch, its buoyant aerobatic flight a few feet above the water, then suddenly dipping to skim the surface of the pool. The Black Tern frequents freshwater habitats
such as ponds, lakes and swamps and unlike the various sea going terns, it does
not plunge into the water when it hunts for
food. It was a very striking bird with
a black head, neck and breast and slate-grey forked tail, back and paler grey
wings. The forked tails of terns led to
their country nickname, 'sea swallows', or Morwenna
in Cornish.
Marazion Marsh is the largest freshwater reed bed wetland
in
Illustrated
by: Paul Swailes
Sue H
37
CONGRATULATIONS!
Sara and Chris of Woodlands Cottage are delighted to announce the
arrival of their baby daughter, May Ellen.
May was born on Friday, 16th April and weighed exactly 7lbs. For Chris's parents she is the third grandchild, but
the first granddaughter, but for Sara's parents, she is the 8th grandchild!
Our congratulations and very best wishes to the proud parents and
grandparents, and a very warm welcome to May Ellen.
38
CAR BOOT
BLACKMOOR GATE MARKET
[opposite
The Old Station House Inn]
SUNDAY, 27TH JULY
Sellers: from
Proceeds
to Kentisbury W.I.
39
A VERY SPECIAL OCCASION
At
last, having patiently waited for nearly three years, it had come! The letter announced: I am
pleased to be able to tell you that His Royal Highness, The
Prince of Wales, would be delighted for your party to tour the Garden at Highgrove on
On
that day, as 'specially invited guests' our party of 25 set off on what turned
out to be a magical day - worth every minute of the long wait.
Our Impressions?
The
well thought out and carefully planned, atmospheric Garden was a delight and
exactly what one would have expected from His Royal Highness. Our excellent volunteer guide was not only
knowledgeable about the many species and varieties of plants, shrubs and trees,
but gave a heart-warming insight to the support and work of the Prince's
Charities. A garden to visit at all
times of the year - if only that were possible!
James and Patricia
Our
coach turned into a small, insignificant driveway without any indication where
it was, except to say it was 'Private'.
Rounding a bend we were met by security who were aware of our visit and
after careful 'checks', we were directed to the reception area where we were
introduced to our guide, who proved to be very knowledgeable about both the
sights and plants in the Garden.
Following
her we found ourselves in a very quiet, peaceful and natural garden, in fact
many gardens as the grounds were broken up into different areas, about 15 in
all. Each one had its own particular
theme, from a wild flower meadow to topiary, a very elaborate tree house to a
cottage garden.
If
I had to choose a favourite one it would be the Walled Garden with its many
different features of not only vegetables and fruit trees, but ornaments,
plantings and perfume [evident in many parts of the garden].
His
Royal Highness has used the myriad gifts given to him over the years to
decorate his gardens, be they urns, statues, carvings, along with things he has
collected from all over the world.
These, mingled with the architecture of the plants, archways, gates and
buildings of all kinds, make it a most interesting, tranquil and much loved
garden.
After
nearly two hours, we were treated to tea and biscuits, beautifully served, and
an opportunity to view the paintings of His Royal Highness.
Highgrove was a very delightful experience.
Margaret
In
His Royal Highness's own words, it is 'a garden which delights the eye, warms
the heart and feeds the soul', and certainly there was a warm feeling which
grew stronger as our excellent guide told us anecdotes and snippets of
information, such as the fact that children and their families from CALM
[Children's Cancer & Leukaemia Movement] were entertained here and at
Christmas were invited to decorate the Christmas trees.
My
favourite area? Difficult to choose
but the Stumpery was fun and fascinating, whilst the
Arboretum and Sanctuary, with its delightful bronze statue of the daughters of
Judie
The
Highgrove visit will almost certainly feature as one
of the main highlights of 2008.
It
is difficult to pick out any favourite of the many gardens created as they were
all very different but appeared to work on the same green theme. This is to work with nature to create
a concept that enhances the surrounding countryside - something I have been
trying to do at Riversdale for the last ten years, perhaps not as successfully.
I
should also like to pay tribute to the staff there, particularly our guide for
the tour who was both patient and very knowledgeable.
Bill
I
think the biggest surprise of the day was the very modest entrance to the drive
- one could easily drive past and not realise that the heir to the throne lived
there. The house itself was also very
modest and plain - a real home rather than a stately one.
The
gardens were delightful in their simplicity and informality. Our guide was very knowledgeable and
informative and obviously very fond of the Prince. His love of gardening and the environment
was evident everywhere; stones and
recycled wood used for paths, fences and edging; gifts he had received and sculptures from the
Prince's Trust studios, incorporated into interesting and unexpected
features. I loved the way paths
meandered around corners and the numerous seats - it is obviously a garden to
be enjoyed. I could just imagine
sitting in the shade on a lovely summer day with a Pimms
and whiling away the hours.
I'm
sure that like everyone who visits the gardens, I should love to go back
another time to see a different aspect - when the wild flowers are blooming for
example - and see the gardens in all their glory. Sadly, it will be a once in a lifetime visit
as visitors are asked not to go again so that other people have the
opportunity.
There
were so many special features that it is hard to recall them all and, of course,
photography was not allowed [we should have been there for hours!]. However, one of my favourite areas was the stumpery - the arrangement of the old tree stumps was
fascinating, particularly as the shapes would change as and when the wood
rotted away. I had never seen anything
quite like it before. A real wild life
haven, as was the whole garden.
As
a result of my visit I've now stopped digging up the weeds in between paving
slabs - if it's good enough for the Prince, it's good enough for me!
A
really special day out - do go if you get the chance.
Dot
40
OLD BERRYNARBOR - VIEW 113
Briary Cave - Views at Ilfracombe III
This
time I have chosen an upright multi-view postcard published by The Pictorial
Stationery
At Watermouth the
visitors would visit the caves, entrance 2d per person to view both Smallmouth
and
The other
three pictures show the "Capstone Steps" down to
The original sign for the Admiral
Rodney, which was closed down in 1913 when the magistrates failed to renew the
Licence, can still be seen in
The final picture shows "Hele Mill,
near Ilfracombe" (see bottom left) which until
recently operated and produced organic corn meal for sale. The postcard itself was posted from
Ilfracombe at
We should remember that in
the early part of the Twentieth Century, Ilfracombe was one of the premier
resorts in the
Such a horse drawn coach would leave
each day from outside the Runnacleave Hotel,
Ilfracombe at
This particular photographic postcard
was by Philipse and Lees of Ilfracombe, taken on
This was in the
hope they would wish to purchase several postcards each and send them off to
all their family, friends and work colleagues.
In those days, each card could be sent off by post at just one 1/2 pence, arriving first thing the next day anywhere in
the U.K., not like the postal service offered to-day!
The billboard on the coach
reads "Sterrage Valley by the New Barnstaple Road Through the Woods returning via
Berrynarbor & Watermouth Castle At
2.30pm Return Fare 2/6".
Tom Bartlett
Tower Cottage, May
2008
e-mail: tomandinge40@gmail.com
41
IN THE PAPERS 150 YEARS AGO
NDJ
Tom Bartlett
Tower Cottage
NB
Please note that these * extracts
from the papers are reprinted exactly as published.
42
AT-A-GLANCE DIARY
MAY | |
31st | Farmers' Market, Manor Hall, 10.00 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. |
---|---|
JUNE | |
2nd | Primary School & College: Return after Half Term |
3rd | Ladies' Group, 2.00 p.m., Manor Hall: Mr. I. Lyndsay - Coastguards |
8th | Open Gardens: Sterridge Valley, 1.30 to 5.30 p.m. Tea at Chicane from 3.00 p.m. |
10th | Ladies' Group: Visit to Chambercombe, 2.00 p.m. Parish Council Meeting, Penn Curzon Room, 7.00 p.m. |
11th | Mobile Library in Village from 11.20 a.m. Community Transport Bus leaves Church Steps for Ilfracombe at 1.45 p.m. [thereafter fortnightly, as per Mobile Library]. |
15th | Lee Lodge Musical Afternoon, 3.00 to 6.00 p.m. |
19th | 22nd North Devon Festival Art Trek - John Wright at Marwood Hill Gardens |
22nd | Studio Theatre Car Boot Sale, The Promenade, Ilfracombe |
25th | St. Peter's Church Gift Day. Mobile Library in Village from 11.20 am. Friendship Lunch at The Globe, 12.00 noon onwards |
28th | & 29 Combe Martin Open Gardens, 2.00 to 6.00 p.m. |
JULY | |
1st | Ladies' Group, 2.00 pm, Manor Hall: Helen Latham, Cheshire Homes |
6th | Open Gardens: The Village, 1.30 to 5.30 p.m. Musical Afternoon at The Lodge from 3.00 p.m. |
8th | Parish Council Meeting, Penn Curzon Room, 7.00 p.m. |
9th | Mobile Library in Village from 11.20 a.m. |
15th | Primary School: Fete at Manor Hall, 6.00 p.m. |
18th | Primary School & College: End of Summer Term |
23rd | Mobile Library in Village from 11.20 a.m. Friendship Lunch at The Globe. Studio Theatre: 'Blithe Spirit', Manor Hall |
27th | Car Boot Sale, opp. Old Station House Inn, from 11.00 a.m. |
AUGUST | |
5th | NO Ladies' Group! St. Peter's Church Fayre, Manor Hall, 6.00 p.m. |
6th | Mobile Library in Village from 11.20 a.m. |
Manor Hall Diary:
Mondays | Upholstery, 9.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m. Craft Group, 2.00 p.m. Badminton, 7.30 p.m. |
---|---|
Tuesdays | 2nd & 4th in month: N.D.Spinners Yoga, 7.00 p.m. |
Wednesdays | 9.00 10.00 a.m. Pilates Keep Fit Workout |
Thursdays | Whist Drive, 7.30 p.m. |
[* winter time only]
Mobile Library:
(Assistant - Jacqui Mackenzie)
11.20 - 12.05 p.m. | Sandy Cove |
---|---|
1.15 - 1.35 p.m. | The Square |
1.45 - 2.05 p.m. | Sterridge Valley |
43