October 2015 Vol. 46 No.9 40p

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: thorvertonfocus@gmail.com

Back issues (courtesy of Rob Purvis): thorvertonfocus.wordpress.com

Assistant editors Eileen Mason and Fiona Harrison

Printers Barrie Phillips and Peter Mason

At the present time Focus is produced each month except one (August) and is assembled by volunteers on the last

working day of the month.

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

thorvertonfocus@gmail.com) 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.

Computer file formats: We prefer plain text files: .ODT files, .DOC files, .RTF files and .WPS files because our

team have software that can read such files. BMP and JPEG files are preferred for advertisements and pictures.

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.

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 £5.00 £50.00

Quarter page 8.5 cm x 12.2 cm £2.50 £25.00

One-eighth page 8.5 cm x 5.8 cm £1.50 £15.00

LOCAL ORGANISATION and CHARITIES ADVERTISEMENTS

COST per ENTRY

Half page £3.00

Quarter or one-eighth page free of charge

Front Cover: Raddon Top – by Mike Stannard

The opinions and views expressed by contributors within the magazine are not necessarily those of Focus

producers or of the Focus Committee.

Cheques made payable to “Focus”

Focus on Thorverton 1 Vol. 46 No.9 – October 2015

Editorial I have put one of Mike Stannard’s photos on the front

cover this month. It was one that he entered into our

competition in the spring. I had wanted to put

another photo of his on the cover, one of a lovely

ploughed field in that reddish-brown that is so typical

of this area. It is a particularly autumnal colour. But

as we print in black and white I felt that this would

have been lost. I mention this because I was recently

trawling around the websites of villages in Suffolk

where I was planning to spend a week, and was

impressed by their colour, reports and up to date

information. I regret that I have not been able to

devote the time to having a more up to date website,

indeed, copies of Focus are not usually available

until well into the month (although I remain most

grateful to Rob Purvis that we have this facility at

all), so you won’t be able to see Mike’s photo in full

splendour for a couple of weeks. Would anyone like

to take on the challenge of maintaining a more up-to-

date events listing and of posting pictures of events

soon after they happen? I know that the Parish

Council would also appreciate website help, so a

double opportunity offers itself.

You will notice that I did not start with an apology

this month, which is good. Unfortunately it isn’t

because there was nothing to apologise for. I must

apologise for the incorrect details that we had at the

start of the Parish Council page last month. We

inadvertently referred to the June meeting, did not

give the date of the September meeting and omitted

the clerk’s new email address; apart from that all OK.

We do have the correct details this time (I hope).

I love this time of year for hedgerow fruit, pickling

and chutney making. I didn’t think that the

blackberries had been quite as good as usual this

year, but the sloes do look good for those tempted to

make some sloe gin or sloe vodka. I am told that it is

best to wait until after the first frost, although in my

experience by that time most of the sloes have been

picked or eaten. Anyway back to pickling for me

now – I can’t stop myself!

I do hope that you enjoyed Thorfest last month. It

was great to see so many local people playing and

singing. It was another reminder of just how many

talented people there are around. I have to admit that

my talents extended no further than helping with the

drinking side of things, but we should all do what it is

that we can do best. Well done to all those who laid

on the event. I shall have it in my diary for 2017.

Finally, my thanks to Jilly Greed who spotted the

photo of my onions next to Lorraine’s and felt sorry

for me. She (or at least an animal friend of hers) has

provided me with something that might give Lorraine

a run for her money next year. Please keep this

secret though.

Neville Lane

Focus Editor

In this Focus

Editorial ..................................................................... 1 Thorverton Parish Council ......................................... 2 Thorverton Memorial Hall Committee ...................... 3 Notice Board .............................................................. 3 Police News ............................................................... 4 Parish Church Services and News ........................... 10 Parish Letter ............................................................. 11 Baptist Church ......................................................... 12 Women’s Institute.................................................... 13 Thorverton Ladies’ Group ....................................... 13 Newton St Cyres Tennis Club ................................. 13 Thorverton on BBC1 ............................................... 13 What’s the point of the Parish Council? .................. 14 Nature Notes ............................................................ 15 Calendar Girls .......................................................... 15 Poetry ....................................................................... 15 Millennium Green Grass Survey ............................. 16 Thorfest 2015 ........................................................... 18 Cricket Club ............................................................. 21

Devon Open Studios ................................................ 23 Ploughing Match ...................................................... 23 The Royal British Legion ........................................ 24 Legal Eagle .............................................................. 25 TARTS news ........................................................... 26 District Council ........................................................ 27 Recipe ...................................................................... 28 Sustainable Crediton ................................................ 28 Garden Club News ................................................... 28 Golf Society ............................................................. 29 Thorverton Parish Information ................................ 30 Thorverton Organisations ........................................ 31 Doctors’ Surgeries ................................................... 32 Waste Collection Dates for 2015 ............................. 34 Mobile Library ......................................................... 34 Flag Flying days in October .................................... 34 Road works .............................................................. 34 Bus Services ............................................................ 34 Diary 2015 ............................................................... 35

For Sale / Offers ...................................................... 22

Focus on Thorverton 2 Vol. 46 No.9 – October 2015

Thorverton Parish Council

Listed below are some areas I hope will be of interest to you

following the Parish Council (PC) meeting held on 08/09/2015.

There was no meeting in August. You can view a full set of

the minutes on the notice board in School Lane. The next

meeting will be on October 13th 2015, 7.30pm, at the

Memorial Hall and all are welcome.

Alison Marshall – Clerk to Thorverton Parish Council. T. 01392 861228

NEW E-MAIL: thorvertonpc@gmail.com

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Planning matters – data received up to and including the date of the last meeting being 8th

September 2015:

15/01004/CAT: Notification of intention to carry out works to 1 Cypress and 1 Lime tree within a

conservation area at Mar Lodge, Dinneford Street, Thorverton. Permission granted.

15/01005/FULL plus LBC: Conversion/repair of existing attached barn to ancillary accommodation and

internal alterations to Perry Farm, Thorverton. Grid ref: 292842/105700. Permission granted.

15/00902/PNAG: Prior notification - erection of extension to an agricultural storage building. Land and

Buildings at NGR 290063/103587 Kitlake Farm, Stockleigh Pomeroy. Permission granted.

15/1059/PNCOU: Prior notice change of use to an agricultural building class Q land and buildings at Canns

Farm, Thorverton NGR 291522/101930. Noted.

15/01090/FULL Erection of single storey extension at Victoria House, Dinneford Street, Thorverton.

Granted.

15/01032/FULL and LBC Planning application and listed building consent for change of use and conversion

of barn to art studio at Chilton House, Cadeleigh Tiverton. Response date passed.

15/01272/FULL Planning application for the erection of a cob/lime render garage/office following

demolition of the existing garage at Hazel Cottage, Thorverton. No comment.

15/00985/CLP Certificate of Lawfulness for proposed erection of an extension and porch at 12 Cleaves

Close, Thorverton. Permission granted.

You can view planning applications, decisions, and documentation at: https://new.middevon.gov.uk/planning/

Parish Council Website

The new PC website is currently being put together. If you are interested in helping or advising on this or if you

have any ideas on what should be included on the website then please get in touch.

Parish Council Public Relations

Elsewhere in Focus you will find information about the PC, what it does, who your local Councillors are and what

they look like! If you have any feedback or any ideas on how the PC can improve public relations please let a

Councillor know or pop into the Memorial Hall Saturday market where the PC will be represented.

Recreation Ground ‘re-fresh’

A Grant Funding application to Viridor has been submitted in the hope of gaining funds to ‘re-fresh’ the Recreation

Ground to include some new play equipment, a wild life corner, and some items of outside gym equipment.

Local Bus route changes

Details of the changes are listed on the PC notice board in School Lane. The PC have been advised that the 9am

service may still be available for those holding bus passes but that this has yet to be confirmed.

Bus shelter bin

The PC has requested that MDDC put a new bin in the bus shelter opposite the entrance to The Glebe.

Countryside access

The PC has written to local landowners in the hope that an agreement can be made to re-open some recently closed

local footpaths. Any updates will be recorded here.

Focus on Thorverton 3 Vol. 46 No.9 – October 2015

Thorverton Memorial Hall Committee Reg. Charity No. 203778

The Hall in September

On a beautiful first Saturday in September the Hall

hosted a very exciting and successful THORFEST

from 11.00 in the morning to 11.00 that night.

During the day the air was full of the cries of children

bounding and local bands playing in the car park and

grassy amenity area. In the hall there was a tempting,

wide choice of beers and cider as well as pasties and

barbecue food. As the evening drew in, the Hall and

grounds filled up with a huge crowd of people talking

and laughing, eating and drinking, listening to the

bands and dancing to their tunes. It was a very joyful

scene obviously thoroughly enjoyed by the many

participants.

Such social occasions, bringing large numbers of the

local community together to enjoy themselves, is

exactly what the Hall is for and the Hall Committee

endeavour to provide. They are very grateful to the

Thorfest Committee and many other volunteers who

helped to make it such a special occasion. The Parish

Council, at its last meeting, expressed its appreciation

of the great amount of work that had gone into

organising the event and felt that it showed the

village at its best, with the new look Hall a very

suitable venue.

After that excitement the hall settled back into its

regular routine of smaller meetings and events,

together with the weekly meetings of artist, dancers,

toddlers, etc. as well as the monthly Saturday Market.

Saturday Market

The Saturday Market on the second Saturday of the

month from 9.30 to 11.00 am always provides

opportunities to browse and buy from a wide variety

of stalls as well as to succumb to the allures of the

Big Breakfast.

September draw results

1st prize: a chicken dinner – Jan Wills

2nd

prize: an orchid – Lyn Balkwell

3rd

prize: chocolates – John Mortimer

4th prize: a bottle of wine – Peter Mason

5th prize: a venison dinner (kindly donated) – Lee

White

Members of the Committee

Last month we reported that the Editor of Focus had

been nominated by the Parish Council to represent

them on the Hall Committee. Unfortunately he is

unable to take this on but as two members of the Hall

Committee also serve on the Parish Council the

contact and collaboration between the two bodies can

be maintained.

The members of

the committee are:

Sarah Addicott,

Roseanne Benn,

Lisa Browning,

Roger Fieldhouse,

Jeff Grace, John

Hodge, Bob Hyde,

Colin Marshall,

Clare Roberts, Mike Shelton, Caroline Taverner,

David Waldron.

Memorial Hall website

The hall website can be found at

www.thorvertonmemorialhall.co.uk

Notice Board

The Welcome Café

from 2.30 to 4.00pm at the WI Hut

every Monday (except Bank Holidays)

Meet old friends …… Make new friends

Tea, coffee, biscuits, cakes and a warm welcome!

Focus on Thorverton 4 Vol. 46 No.9 – October 2015

Thorverton Post Office & TCT

newsagents/stationers Quarry Car Park, Lynch Road

Thorverton 01392 860455

offering a very wide range of post office

services, newspapers, magazines, stationery,

posting and packing materials, laundry service,

photocopying – service with a smile!

Mon–Fri 9.00–5.30 (closed 1.00-2.00) Sat 9.00-12.00

Sun: 9.00–10.30 TCT paper shop only

The Netherexe Parishes Youth Group

The Youth Group Team are sorry, but we

have not got a programme for this new

term yet. If we can arrange one, we will

be in touch with people to let them know

and will advertise dates etc.

The Thorverton Millennium Green Trustees

need a new SECRETARY following several years’

excellent service from Lin Balkwill. If any one, with

some computer experience, is willing to take on this

voluntary post, writing up minutes from just three

meetings per year and filing the agendas and minutes,

please contact jfspivey@yahoo.com or 01392

861324.

We are also looking for more volunteers to join the

Friends of Thorverton Millennium Green to help with

maintenance on every 3rd Saturday of the month. If

you use the Green, please help to maintain it.

Thank you.

Police News Officers are investigating two reports of burglaries to

sheds and outbuildings in Thorverton, whereby

padlocks have been forced off and power tools have

been stolen. The burglaries took place sometime

between Sunday 13 and Monday 14 September 2015.

If any suspicious activity was seen or heard please

phone 999. If you have any information, or CCTV in

the area, please phone 101 quoting crime

CR/064155/15.

THORVERTON CHURCH CHOIR

Thorverton Church Choir Practices

Thursdays 7.45 – 9.00 pm at Thorverton Church

Oct 1st, 15

th, 29

th. Nov 5

th, 19

th, 26

th. Dec 3

rd,10

th,

17th.

Thorverton Church Sunday Services with Choir

October 4th COMMUNION + baptisms 9.30am

October 18th FAMILY SERVICE 9.30am for

refreshments & activities, 10.00 start

November 1st

COMMUNION 9.30am

November 8th REMEMBRANCE 10.00am start

November 22nd

CHORAL EVENSONG 5.00pm

December 6th COMMUNION 9.30am

December 20th CAROL SERVICE 5.00pm

New members are always very welcome at any

time.

We sing a very wide range of music at a mix of

traditional services and more contemporary worship.

All ages and abilities are welcome. There are no

auditions!

Please come and sing with us in our Christmas

Carol Service Choir. We also need young people

(singers and non-singers) to lead our Carol Service

procession.

Please contact:

Choir Director and Accompanist Heather Kershaw

01392 860419. heather@kershaw25.eclipse.co.uk

Thorverton Branch 2015

The Annual General Meeting will be held on

Monday 5th October

at 7.00 pm in the Exeter Inn.

All members are cordially welcome.

Peter Furneaux

Chairman/Secretary

Focus on Thorverton 5 Vol. 46 No.9 – October 2015

T A D S proudly presents

A L A D D I N

The Pantomime

AT THE MEMORIAL HALL, THORVERTON

Wednesday 2nd, Thursday 3rd & Friday 4th December 7.30pm Saturday 5th December 2.30pm & 7.30pm

Tickets on sale from Monday 2nd November – contact Sheena on (01392) 860843

SILVERTON LINK UP

Voluntary Drivers Scheme for Wyndham House and Exe Valley Surgeries Patients

The VOLUNTEER DRIVERS are

Jean Hawkins 860849 John Kiely 861545

Doreen Beer 860731 Stephen Roach 861042

Mary Smith 861916 Dave Sleep 860678

LINK UP service takes patients with medical appointments from home to surgery or hospitals in the area. If you require

transport contact one of the drivers mentioned above, giving them as much notice as possible. If you use the service a realistic

donation towards the drivers’ expenses would be appreciated. Payment is paid direct to the driver who issues a receipt. It may

not always be possible to arrange a lift, as all our drivers are volunteers and cannot be expected to turn out on every occasion,

although they will do their best.

Roger Higman (Co-ordinator) 860571. roger.higman@homecall.co.uk

Doddiscombsleigh Art Show

Parents, staff and children at Doddiscombsleigh Primary School are delighted to announce that this event will be

taking place at the Teign Valley Community Hall, Christow, Devon, EX6 7NA from Friday 30th October to Sunday

1st November.

There will be exhibits from seventy predominantly South-West artists showcasing a broad spectrum of work

including watercolours, pastels, oils, lino prints, etchings, pencil drawings, recycled plastic art, polymer clay,

woodwork, photography, sculptures, jewellery and glassware.

The show’s patron is Mr Michael Morpurgo OBE, FRSL, FKC, DL, English book author, poet, playwright and

librettist who is best known for children’s novels including War Horse and Private Peaceful. Mr Morpurgo

comments, “The Doddiscombsleigh Art Show is a truly wonderful initiative that helps a small school hugely and I

am honoured to have been asked to be the Patron. These kind of initiatives should be widely encouraged!”

In addition to the art the show also incorporates a wonderful shop that sells all manner of beautiful craft items and a

Café which will be serving delicious home-made lunches and snacks.

The show is open from 10am to 5pm on the Friday and Saturday and 10am to 1pm on Sunday.

For further information please visit www.doddiscombsleighartshow.co.uk or visit us via our Facebook page.

Focus on Thorverton 6 Vol. 46 No.9 – October 2015

Focus on Thorverton 7 Vol. 46 No.9 – October 2015

Shobrooke Arts and Crafts presents two great nights of Blues,

Folk and Bluegrass Music

Blues and Country Music

Red Dirt Skinners – Weds 14th

October 2015, 8pm, The Red Lion Inn, Shobrooke Red Dirt Skinners are Award Winners of British Blues

Awards, British Country Music Awards and UK Country

Radio Award.

‘Home bred duos don’t come any more impassioned or

impressive’ **** The Daily Mirror

The Red Dirt Skinners’ rule-breaking individuality has led

to them being the first band in history to succeed at both the

British Blues Awards (WINNER - Instrumentalist of the

Year 2014) and the British Country Music Awards (Finalist

BEST NEW ACT and PEOPLE’S CHOICE 2013). The

Skinners were also voted by UK Country Radio as one of

the top ten acts of 2014. The band’s music has wide appeal

and comfortably blends Blues, Americana, Folk and

Country Music. Audiences the world over describe them as “refreshingly different”. From the first song of the

show, it is immediately evident that they love performing live. The Skinners’ close vocal harmonies have been

described as “sublime” and “beyond perfection”. Rob and Sarah particularly love the opportunity to interact with

audiences both during and after their shows.

This is a massive coup for Shobrooke! http://www.reddirtskinners.com/

Tickets are £7 and are available in person from The Red Lion or from Leslie Hampson on (01363) 775468.

Bluegrass Music

Flats and Sharps – Weds 18th

November 2015, 8pm, The Red Lion Inn, Shobrooke

In early 2011, four 17 year-old mates from college thought

that they could earn a bit of pocket money by forming a

folk/bluegrass band and busking in and around Penzance.

Two months later, they were asked to perform for four hours (!) at the opening of a new restaurant at the Lands

End Hotel. That is when, through necessity, they started

writing their own material to perform alongside folk,

bluegrass & country standards with the odd cover of a more

contemporary hit thrown in for good measure. This was just

the beginning of the journey for Flats and Sharps and, three

years on, they haven’t stopped writing and performing.

Their incredible skill on their instruments (guitar,

mandolin, banjo and double bass); their luscious harmonies

when grouped around a single microphone and their sheer

joy at performing such infectious music has won over their

audiences, building a reputation for themselves as the hottest band of their style in the UK.

Flats and Sharps are playing at numerous leading folk and bluegrass festivals throughout the summer and it’s a

privilege to be hosting them in Shobrooke. http://www.flatsandsharps.co.uk/

Tickets are £7 and are available in person from The Red Lion or from Leslie Hampson on (01363) 775468.

Both of these events are promoted by Shobrooke Arts and Crafts. They are supported and subsidized by Villages in

Action (VIA) – an Arts Council funded a rural touring scheme based in Crediton, that covers five of the rural

Districts of Devon. VIA helps to bring top quality professional performances and workshops at affordable prices to

communities through a network of local volunteer promoters. They are supported financially by District Councils,

including West Devon, East Devon and Teignbridge, as well as Devon County Council and Arts Council England.

Focus on Thorverton 8 Vol. 46 No.9 – October 2015

Silverton & Exe Valley Seniors October 2015 Newsletter

Events & activities for the 50+

MONDAY WHIST

Whist afternoons this month are on the 12th & 26th October at St Mary’s Church Hall Silverton

commencing at 2:00 PM. Entrance fee £2 includes tea & biscuits (sometimes cake!) and a raffle

ticket! Why not come and join our lively social group and help keep the brain active? Can’t play? –

We’ll teach you!

COFFEE MORNING – Tuesday 13th October

Is the date of our next monthly Coffee Morning at St Mary’s Church Hall between 10.00 and 11.30.

This is an opportunity to book for forthcoming events, meet friends and, if you wish, to take part in our

optional quiz and raffle. Entrance charge £0:50 includes tea/coffee & biscuits. Everyone welcome!

MONTHLY COACH OUTINGS

Monmouth & Brecon Mountain Railway – Thursday 8th

October. We leave Silverton at 08:30 (Exe

Valley village pick-ups by arrangement) for the Welsh Border town of Monmouth for coffee and to see the

former assizes (optional). Afterwards we travel to Pant for a 1½ hour ride on the Brecon Mountain Railway.

Inclusive cost £20. Due to demand we have arranged a second coach for this excursion but this also is now

full! We frequently get last minute cancellations so contact the Secretary if you would like to go on the

Wait-List.

Theatre & Torquay Shopping/sightseeing Excursion – Wednesday 21st October. Coach departs

Silverton at 11.00 (see programme for Exe Valley pick-up times) for Torquay arriving in plenty of time for

lunch before the afternoon matinee of the classic Alan Ayckbourn play - Absent Friends. Inclusive cost of

coach and theatre £25. Coach fare only for shopping/sightseeing (5 hrs in Torquay) £8.

Gloucester Quays Christmas Market – Friday 20th

November. Claimed to be the largest Christmas

market in the South West with over 300 stalls and adjacent to a large retail shopping complex, the historic

Docks of Gloucester and within a short walking distance of Gloucester Cathedral. Coach leaves Silverton at

09:00 (usual Exe Valley pick-ups) Gloucester depart 1600. Coach fare £12.

Please note: Outings and Exe Valley pick-ups must be booked in advance

If you are interested in any of the above events or would like to join the Club please contact Martin Clough

Club Secretary 38 Hederman Close Silverton Devon EX5 4HW Telephone 01392 860971 or e-mail:

martin.mcassoc@btconnect.com or for further details of events please visit our website http//www.sevs.info

Focus on Thorverton 9 Vol. 46 No.9 – October 2015

THORVERTON PARISH CHURCH

Monthly

1st Sunday – Holy Communion

2nd Sunday – Open Church

(come when you wish)

3rd Sunday – Family Service at 10am

with Open Church at 9.30am

(come when you wish)

4th Sunday – alternates

BCP Holy Communion [odd months]

Baptist Church joint service at 11am [even months]

5th Sunday – if applicable

Mission Community Service at 11am

at a Mission Community church

Check schedules on church notice boards

or Focus for more information and variations.

Going to Church

Why do WE go to Church?

We feel that the Churches (Anglican and

Baptist) together with the School, Pubs, Post

Office, Shop and Village Hall form the

backbone of our Village Community –

however, the Churches provide the centre of

our Christian Community.

The Parish Church, nestled in the centre of the

village, is a fine Grade 1 listed building which

stands as a solid memorial to those who built

it as a gathering place for worship. We are

privileged to have such a beautiful church

which has been used by many generations

before us.

The door of our church is open every day and

when we visit during the week there is a

sense of peace and tranquillity, but on a

Sunday the church becomes alive with the

sounds of singing and fellowship. The services

provide the opportunity to pray, both

individually in our own way or with the

congregation. Prayer is powerful and praying

together is an important part of our Christian

belief. We enjoy singing the hymns, both

traditional and more modern. Singing together

can be an uplifting experience.

We go to church to reinforce our faith and

whilst there we can think and reflect about

others in this community or the world who are

not as fortunate as ourselves. The church is

open to all and we find that there is a real

sense of fellowship and community when we

are gathered together.

We love our beautiful church here in

Thorverton. It has a special place in our

Hearts as our own great grandparents,

grandparents and parents went to the church

here, were baptized, confirmed and married

here, and now have a place in the churchyard.

Nick, Judy, Ray and Rachel (Fair Oak)

A candle-lit service of Taizé music

with silence, reflection and prayer

A joint service with Cadbury Church at

THORVERTON PARISH CHURCH

Sunday, 25th October at 6pm

Everyone is most warmly welcome

Thorverton Parish Church

FAMILY SERVICE

Sunday 18th October

at 10am

Open Church for all, with refreshments

from 9.30 to 10am (come when you wish)

Focus on Thorverton 10 Vol. 46 No.9 – October 2015

Parish Church Services and News

OCTOBER 2015 SERVICES & INFORMATION

The Netherexe Parishes - A Mission Community in the Diocese of Exeter

Sunday 4 October 2015 Trinity 18

09:30 am Family Service Newton St Cyres Lay Led

09:30 am Holy Communion & Baptisms [C] Thorverton MSS

10:00 am Service with a Smile, Harvest Festival Brampford Speke LF & Ann Stuckey

& Baptism Joint with Upton Pyne

10:00 am Service of the Word & Harvest Festival Cadbury Lay Led

10:00 am Service of the Word & Baptism Stoke Canon Anthony Geering

11:15 am Service of the Word & Harvest Festival Rewe SS

11:30 am Service of the Word & Harvest Festival Huxham Bishop of Plymouth

Followed by Lunch at Huxham Rectory Nick McKinnel

05:30 pm Holy Communion & Harvest Festival [C] Poltimore MSS

Sunday 11 October 2015 Trinity 19

09:30 am Sunday Service Brampford Speke Baptist Chapel BOF

09:30 am Open Church Thorverton

10:00 am Informal Gathering Stoke Canon

10:30 am Holy Communion & Baptism [C] Huxham MSS

11:00 am Service of the Word & Harvest Festival Newton St Cyres LF

11:15 am Coffee, Cake & Company Rewe

Sunday 18 October 2015 Trinity 20 08:30 am Holy Communion [C] Brampford Speke M Hall

09:30 am Open Church followed by Family Service Thorverton

10:00 am Family Service Thorverton Lay Led

10:00 am Holy Communion [C] Cadbury HW

10:00 am Service of the Word Poltimore Lay Led

11:15 am Coffee, Cake & Company Rewe

05:00 pm Holy Communion [C] Stoke Canon MSS

Sunday 25 October 2015 Last Sunday of Trinity

09:30 am Sunday Service Brampford Speke Baptist Chapel BOF

09:30 am Holy Communion [C] Newton St Cyres MSS

10:00 am Messy Church Stoke Canon Lay Led

11:00 am Joint service Thorverton Baptist Church BOF Joint with Parish Church

11:15 am Holy Communion [C] Rewe MSS

05:30 pm Evening Prayer [BCP] Huxham LF

06:00 pm Taizé Service Thorverton Lay Led Joint with Cadbury Church

Sunday 1 November 2015 All Saints Day

09:30 am Family Service Newton St Cyres Lay Led

09:30 am Holy Communion [C] Thorverton HW

10:00 am Service with a Smile Brampford Speke LF

10:00 am Service of the Word Cadbury Lay Led

10:00 am Informal Gathering Stoke Canon

11:15 am Coffee, Cake & Company Rewe

05:30 pm Holy Communion [C] Poltimore SS

Services in the Netherexe Parishes Your parish churches aim to provide a variety of service types to meet the needs of the whole community. Most Sunday

services except those early in the morning include hymns and music. Everyone is welcome at all services

Focus on Thorverton 11 Vol. 46 No.9 – October 2015

Service With A Smile ☺ These services are designed for all ages and with the needs of young

children especially in mind. They are informal and contemporary in

style often including a children’s activity at the beginning; without

communion and are led by lay teams. Services usually last about 35

minutes and are followed by refreshments

Family Service Family services are suitable for all ages, may be with or without Holy

Communion, are contemporary in style and are often followed by

refreshments

Holy Communion [C] Traditional service in contemporary language [one hour]

Holy Communion [BCP] Traditional service in traditional language [one hour]

Morning Prayer [BCP] Traditional Morning Service [Mattins] from the Book of

Common Prayer [about an hour]

Evening Prayer [BCP] Traditional Evening Service from the Book of Common

Prayer [about an hour]

Common Worship [CW] Common Worship Service

Daily Morning & Evening Prayer in the Netherexe Parishes

For daily services the format is generally Book of Common Prayer at Thorverton and Common Worship elsewhere, and the

timing is about 20-30 minutes. All are welcome.

Morning Prayer is said on Mondays at 9.10pm in Stoke Canon church (during the school term, this takes the form of

Collective Worship for Stoke Canon C. of E. School); on Tuesdays at 9.15am in Stoke Canon Chapel

Evening Prayer is said on Thursdays at 5.00pm in Newton St Cyres church.

Variations: No Morning Prayer Stoke Canon church 25 October [half term]

Who’s Who …..? Abbreviations Key

Vacancy Rector

SS Revd Preb Sue Sheppard Associate Minister 01392 861022 sue.sheppard@netherexe.org

LF Mrs Laura Ford Reader 01392 841753 laura.ford@netherexe.org

TBC To be confirmed

Associate Ministers

MSS Revds.’ Michael & Sharon Simpson

HW Revd Harold Whitty

BOF Baptist Officiant

For more information about the Netherexe Parishes please see www.netherexe.org or contact:

Mrs Margaret Lowe [Administrator]

Tel: 07594 714590 - Tuesday & Thursday [08:30 – 16:30]

Email: margaret.admin@netherexe.org

Correspondence: The Netherexe Parishes, PO Box 734, Stoke Canon, Exeter, EX5 4WP.

Would you like a lift to church? May we offer you a lift to the parish church or to a joint servi ce elsewhere?

For transport to Sunday services from locations in Thorverton parish, please ring Steve Rendell on 01392

860780.

For transport from Rewe parish please contact Guy Sheppard on 01392 861022

Parish Letter Autumn

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,

Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;

Conspiring with him how to load and bless

With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eaves run.

To bend with apples the moss'd cottage trees,

And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;

To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells

With sweet kernel; to set budding more,

And still more, later flowers for the bees,

Until they think warm days will never cease,

For Summer has o'er-brimm’d their clammy cells.

So goes the first verse of John Keats’ poem "Ode to

Autumn" which says it all for me. I love the Autumn;

filled with God's bounty and with all the harvest

safely gathered in. A time for long country walks

with tea and crumpets eaten while sitting cosily

Focus on Thorverton 12 Vol. 46 No.9 – October 2015

around the fire, and as a child I always remember the

smell of wood smoke as my father lit a bonfire to

burn up all the prunings accumulated over the

Summer. Although the sun is low at this time of the

year, there are still mild days for gathering sloes to

make lovely ruby-coloured wine to drink on cold

days in the Winter. Although we now all have

freezers, many people still make jam and bottle fruit

for use out of season. I always think how lucky I am

to live in Devon with all its beautiful countryside;

and as I look around me I give thanks to God for all

his wonderful creation.

Sue Browne

Newton St Cyres

Baptist Church

"Cannibals need Missionaries"

This was the tongue-in-cheek caption under a

cooking-pot depicted on a poster gazed at by Charles

Thomas Studd at the beginning of the 20th century. A

former sporting hero, Studd had already served as a

missionary on two continents, China and India. Now

he was contemplating service in a third, the one

Victorians called Darkest Africa. In fact, he was

determined to go, but the doctors ruled against it.

After all, he was over fifty and had serious health

problems. Following the medical verdict, a com-

mittee of businessmen set up to back him withdrew

their support. In frustration, Studd addressed them:

"Gentlemen, God has called me to go and I will go. I

will blaze the trail, though my grave may only

become a stepping stone that younger men may

follow."

Studd's background was very rich and very upper-

class. He captained both Eton and Cambridge at

cricket. He played test cricket for England and

became known as the outstanding player of his day.

In 1892 and 1893 he scored more than a thousand

runs and took over a hundred wickets. But he gave

up his sporting career to go out as a missionary to

China.

His father had made a fortune in India before retiring

to England, where his main interests in life were

horse-racing and gambling. But then Studd Senior

was converted during the London campaigns of the

American evangelists Moody and Sankey. His life

took on a new direction and he urged his four sons to

follow his example. In the end they all did, though

by his own admission CT's Christianity was very

lukewarm for the first few years.

In 1883 the young Studd also attended the meetings

of Moody and Sankey, this time in Cambridge. He

was caught up in the enthusiasm and missionary zeal

of so many of the converts and in 1885 sailed for

China as one of the Cambridge Seven, all bright

graduates fired with the vision of world evangel-

isation. While in China he inherited a fortune under

the terms of his father's will but proceeded to give it

all away to various Christian causes including the

Salvation Army and Dr Barnado's. Over the next few

years he acquired a wife and four daughters. CT

Studd always considered that God had given him

girls (there were two sons also, but they died in

infancy) so that he could show and teach respect for

women, who had very much a secondary place in

Chinese culture at the time.

So did he make it to Africa? Yes he did and served

for more than 20 years in what was then the Belgian

Congo, despite chronic diseases and constant pain.

Mrs Studd did not accompany him - she kept the

home fires burning in their London HQ, making the

arduous journey to the Heart of Africa only once, in

1928. When Studd died aged 70, fifty missionaries

gathered in homage at his graveside together with

some 2000 Africans, grateful to have been the

recipients of the gospel message he had brought to

them.

CT Studd's devotion to Christ led him to sacrifice his

career, his fortune, his family and ultimately his life.

Here in closing are some memorable quotes from CT

Studd:

Some wish to live within the sound of Church or Chapel bell; I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of hell.

Only one life, 'twill soon be past. Only what's done for Christ will last.

If Jesus Christ be God and died for me then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for him.

Maurice Harrison

Thorverton Baptist Church

HARVEST FESTIVAL SERVICE

Sunday 11th October

11.00 am

You can support the Churches Housing Action

Team’s (CHAT) emergency and rough-sleeping

store by bringing tinned and packaged food, such

as small tins with ring-pulls (but no baked beans

please), snacks, cereal bars, 0.5 litre cartons of

long-life milk, and shower gel, cleaning materials

and toilet rolls.

Many thanks! Any enquiries: 01392 966861

Focus on Thorverton 13 Vol. 46 No.9 – October 2015

Women’s Institute

September WI Meeting

Our September meeting was entitled ‘Getting More

Energy’ – something we all were keen to find out

about. Our speaker was Mr. Peter Taylor, author of

the book ‘Overtired? Overweight? The Solution’.

Peter began his career as a teacher of English and PE

and later managed leisure centres, organised major

events, owned shops in France, owned a health spa in

Devon before embarking on a career as an alternative

health practitioner. He gained a science degree in

Nutrition and has focussed his studies on the link

between being overtired and overweight.

Peter is obviously passionate about his subject. He

gave us a very interesting, although quite technical

and thought provoking, talk about how the different

foods we eat provide the energy we need. He told us

that we need slow-release carbohydrates, e.g. oats,

brown rice and millet, also we need lots of fruit, nuts

and seeds. He then explained how processed foods

are bad news for us, as many contain a lot of salt,

which needs sugar to regulate flavour. These foods

generally release their energy quickly and therefore

more is needed to maintain energy levels. He

depressed us by saying that anything in a packet,

bottle, can or wrapper of some sort is generally

processed in some way, and that processing denudes

food of many of its minerals and vitamins. The more

it is processed, the less value it contains. In

conclusion, Peter told us that what we really need to

get the best from our bodies is whole, natural, fresh

food.

Next month we shall meet at the earlier time of

2.30pm and our speaker will be George Williams

who will talk about his life as a nurse in the RAF.

Judy Bright

Thorverton Ladies’ Group Our opening birthday party for 2015/16 will be on

Thursday 15th October at 7.30 pm. The venue is at

Julia Culshaw’s, 3 The Glebe, Thorverton. Please

would you let Julia know which delicious dish you

would like to bring for our supper. Her phone

number is 860203. Thanks.

Elspeth Holmes

Newton St Cyres Tennis Club

End of summer Update

Our junior coaching sessions started again on

Wednesday 7th September with our coach Toby

Harradence. There are still vacancies for most age

and ability levels. He also offers adult coaching and

many of our members have found it very helpful,

either individually or in small groups. Please contact

him on 07814 562957.

We had a good summer season with few matches

cancelled due to poor weather, and well attended club

sessions and matches. We look forward to the winter

season. If you are interested in finding out more

about the club please visit our newly updated website

www.newtonstcyrestennisclub.co.uk

or contact our membership secretary Laura Leigh on

01647 24259. We offer all prospective members a

free trial session before they commit themselves to

joining.

Thorverton on BBC1

I mentioned in last month’s Focus that Thorverton

featured on the 6.00pm BBC 1 news on 20th August

as a desirable Devon village where people would like

to live but local people cannot afford to buy.

Building in rural areas was described as insufficient.

I am grateful to John Spivey (as so often) for

obtaining a couple of stills featuring Mandy in the

shop and Stephen in the Thorverton Arms:

Focus on Thorverton 14 Vol. 46 No.9 – October 2015

What’s the point of the Parish Council? Thorverton Parish Council is an elected body – one

of about 9,000 in England - which acts corporately to

represent the local community, deliver services to

meet local needs and improve the quality of life and

community well-being. A parish council has fewer

duties than a district or county council, but greater

freedom to choose what action to take. Thus, a

parish council can represent the interests of the

community and seek to improve the quality of life

and the local environment. A parish council can

influence other decision-makers and can often deliver

services to meet local needs.

A parish council can concern itself with a range of

issues including planning, highways, transport and

traffic, housing, street lighting, allotments,

cemeteries, playing fields, community centres, litter,

war memorials, seats and shelters and rights of way.

Some of these areas (such as planning and highways)

are the primary responsibility of district or county

councils. However, in the past 20 years governments

have encouraged parish councils to become more

active in service delivery. It is, therefore, important

for us that the parish council understands what it is

that the community wants and the Thorverton Parish

Plan which was drawn up in 2008 provides a good

starting point. But things are fluid and so parish

councillors need to be aware of changing moods and

of particular local issues that might be of concern to

the community which may not have been captured at

the time of the Parish Plan. Councillors need

feedback. That could be through any one of a

number of ways such as at the Saturday Market; by

letter, email or phone conversation; or just a word in

the street.

Parish councils generally have a relatively modest

financial outlay and this is covered by the precept,

which is a share of the council tax. Thorverton

Parish Council also has income from garage and

allotment rents. The main expenditure is on the

maintenance contract, keeping play equipment in

good condition, tree felling, insurance and of course

the parish clerk. In the past few years Thorverton

Parish Council has also built up a reserve earmarked

for a new churchyard. This was in response to

opinion expressed at an open meeting specifically to

consider the matter.

Decisions of Thorverton Parish Council are taken at

its meetings, which are usually held on the second

Tuesday of every month apart from August.

Decisions are the responsibility of the whole council

rather than of its individual councillors. Council

meetings are open to the public, and, indeed, there is

an open session immediately before the main

business of the meeting at which parishioners may

speak (they may not speak during the meeting).

So, if you do have some points that you want to raise

with the Parish Council, please don’t be afraid to do

so. We need to hear from you so that we can better

understand what it is that you want us to do for the

community because we really do want to represent

the local community, deliver services to meet local

needs and improve the quality of life and community

well being.

Thorverton Parish Council

Left to right: Chris Pollard, Neville Lane, Mary Ette, Stuart Crang (Chairman), Graham Sims, David Waldron,

Alison Marshall (Clerk), Jan Wills (Vice Chairman), Rob Turner, John Spivey, John Hodge

Focus on Thorverton 15 Vol. 46 No.9 – October 2015

Nature Notes By far the most exciting find in August was

discovered by Dick Vooght in his Thorverton

allotment. What at first he thought was a stick turned

out to be a very large caterpillar which he picked up

and brought home. It was a magnificent Death’s

Head Hawkmoth caterpillar measuring between four

and four and a half inches long. At the allotment it

must have been feeding on potato (Solanum

tuberosum) foliage on which the adult moth had laid

eggs on the upper surface of potato leaves. The moth

would have flown all the way from Southern Europe

or possibly Africa. It is the heaviest moth to visit our

Picture of the Death’s Head Hawkmoth caterpillar –

Lin Balkwill

shores and a similar size to another migrant the

Convolvulus Hawkmoth (I had one on 5th September)

and our native Privet Hawkmoth. It was decided not

to return the caterpillar to the allotment for fear of it

being damaged and was placed on another member of

the potato family, the purple flowering shrub

Solanum crispum Glasnevin in a local garden. If it

does successfully go into pupation it is highly

unlikely to survive our English winter.

At Little Hythe, Raddon Lane, one of the family cars

had a problem, wasn’t running very well so was

taken to a garage to find out where the problem lay.

To his great surprise the mechanic found a cache of

two and a half pounds of peanuts in the air

conditioning system. The peanut feeders are always

well stocked at Little Hythe to supply many regular

visits by birds including several Great Spotted

Woodpeckers. Who would have guessed a little furry

critter was storing a massive peanut supply in a car to

see it through the winter!

At my sister’s, in a stand of mixed larch tree species,

a bees’ nest was discovered on the ground and is

covered in a low pile of larch needles collected by the

bees. We believe it to be the nest of Bombus

Pascuorum the Brown-banded Carder Bee. When the

cover of pine needles is gently pressed down it

causes the bees to buzz in an annoyed fashion!

It was a treat to attend the talk by “Owls ‘R’ Us” put

on by Thorverton WI for the 100 years anniversary of

the Women’s Institute. The gentleman explained all

about the lives of the species brought along plus lots

more information including the law on handling wild

owls, hawks and falcons. We were able to get up

close to the birds, especially Tinkerbelle the Little

Owl, along with a Tawny Owl, Barn Owl and Bengal

Eagle Owl. Last but not least was a female Goshawk

and Hazel the Buzzard.

We have had some pleasant sunny days in September

and I hope we have some equally, if not better ones

in October.

Jenny Garne

01392 860875

jenny.garne2@tiscali.co.uk

Calendar Girls

As some of you may have heard already, a number of

Thorverton ladies have got together to produce a

calendar in aid of FORCE. Come and meet the ladies

on launch day at the Exeter Inn on Saturday 3rd

October from 2.30 to 4.30pm. Come and buy your

calendar and help us raise extra money by joining us

for tea and cake.

Looking forward to seeing you there.

Clare Harris

Poetry

Master of the plot

I am a weed and I will grow

Up through the plants you cherish so,

I do not say, “Oh beg your pardon,

May I seed into your garden?”

I sow my offspring on the breeze

And root them down just where I please.

And I find the choicest spot,

Just where you wish a weed was not.

I deprive the phlox, lily and aster

Of food and space, for I am master;

If you try to kill my root,

You also destroy their living shoot.

My name is Dandelion and so

I proliferate when winds do blow.

I am a weed – I have succeeded!

Right in the plot which you’ve just weeded.

Doreen Beer

Focus on Thorverton 16 Vol. 46 No.9 – October 2015

A parody on a well-known poem, sent in by Sylv Gregory:

If you can start the day without caffeine; If you can get going without pep pills; If you can always be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains; If you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles; If you can eat the same food every day and be grateful for it; If you can understand when your loved ones are too busy to give you any time; If you can forgive a friend's lack of consideration; If you can overlook it when those you love take it out on you, when, through no fault of your own,

something goes wrong; If you can take criticism and blame without resentment; If you can ignore a friend's limited education and never correct him; If you can resist treating a rich friend better than a poor friend; If you can face the world without lies and deceit; If you can conquer tension without medical help; If you can relax without liquor; If you can sleep without the aid of drugs; If you can honestly say that deep in your heart you have no prejudice against creed or colour, religion or

politics; Then, my friend, you're almost as good as your dog.

Anon.

Millennium Green Grass Survey In the spring a survey was carried out of the Millennium Green, the results of which are available on laminated

sheets by the entrance to the Green, but also reproduced here for interest:

Focus on Thorverton 17 Vol. 46 No.9 – October 2015

Focus on Thorverton 18 Vol. 46 No.9 – October 2015

Thorfest 2015 Thorfest 2015 took place on Saturday 5th September at the Memorial Hall and it was tremendous to see so many

people from the village and beyond having such a great time. The weather was very kind to us and Thorfesters

were able to enjoy the music, drinks and barbecue whilst happily basking in the warm sunshine.

The main aim of Thorfest is, of course, to give everybody one last great summertime party before the autumn sets

in; but there is also a genuine philosophy behind the festival. It’s a chance for Thorverton to celebrate itself; a

committee of locals organising a party for the villagers, sponsored by local businesses with the proceeds being fed

back into the community - that and home-grown beer, cider and entertainment to boot.

We had 13 musical acts throughout the day – all but three of these hailing from Thorverton itself, which is

something to be really proud of. The quality of the music was sensational I think everybody would agree; and the

quality of the sound was first class as well, thanks to our skilled sound man.

The beer was provided by Hanlons, Exeter Brewery and Exe Valley Brewery with the cider coming from Sandford

Orchards. These proved very popular and there was almost nothing left over by Sunday morning. The Memorial

Hall bar was also a massive hit and was drunk dry by 9pm.

Hungry revellers were helped out by the barbecue that started up at 5pm. We literally could not serve up the

burgers and hot dogs fast enough. Thank you to the hard working chefs who had to endure hot coals and direct

sunshine.

We hope you all had a great time; we raised a lot of money for the village (details to be announced in next month’s

Focus) and it couldn’t have happened but for all the dedication and resourcefulness of the Thorfest Committee

(thanks guys) and the generosity of our wonderful sponsors. See you all again in September 2017.

We would like to express our gratitude to the following sponsors for their generous support:

Bernaville Nurseries

Bush & Co Chartered Accountants

C&R Repairs

Dan Hawke Plastering

Elite Blinds Ltd

Energy Systems (SW) Ltd

Exeter Heating Ltd

Exeter Inn

Focus on Thorverton

Foxfords Ltd

I J Banks

J V Pengelly Building Ltd

John Parry

Manor Mill Ltd

McKinley White

Michelmores Solicitors

Packexe Ltd

Parkers Insurance Ltd

PBS Ltd

Plumbase

Securelec Southwest

Strutt & Parker LLP

The Gro Company

Westexe Forklifts Limited

White Eagle Consulting Limited

There were also a great many other people who gave of their time – you know who you are – we really couldn’t

have done it without you. A hug

Focus on Thorverton 19 Vol. 46 No.9 – October 2015

Photos by John Spivey

Focus on Thorverton 20 Vol. 46 No.9 – October 2015

Focus on Thorverton 21 Vol. 46 No.9 – October 2015

Cricket Club

End of Season Dinner 2015

Exeter City Football Club was our destination once

again as over 80 members and friends of the club

assembled to celebrated the 2015. Bob Rice led us

through the evening as we feasted on a 3 course

dinner interspersed with awards and presentations.

In the absence of our Chairman, Charles Kislingbury,

who sent his humble apologies, Jimmy May

deputised in offering a welcome to the assembled

company and with the assistance of Jock Spry

flowers were given out to Karen Khan for her work

in Colts Administration, to Janeet Rice for her work

as Bar Manager and to Marion Denford for hosting

Kobi and Mieke this summer. The proposed plans for

the new clubhouse were also unveiled and the whole

club was encouraged to support our plans for

development.

Jimmy May was called upon again to present the 3rd

XI Player of the Season Award. There were mentions

for a number of younger players including Pieter

Keenan, Ben Harget, Eva Lloyd, Paddy Gray and

Will Eggleton but in the end the prize went to Gary

Say who led the run scoring chart and turned up week

in week out. It was noted that 45 players were used

by the 3s this season. A 3rd XI cap was awarded to

our overseas player, Mieke Griggs and we are

reliably informed she will be wearing it when she

steps off the plane in a couple of days’ time.

The 2nd XI Player of the Season Award was handed

out by Jock Spry. He thanked Norm Cabburn for his

loyal service as Umpire and noted the contribution of

a number of new players including Gary Farley, Sean

Green and Grant Squire. Matt Milward and John

Farley were singled out for their batting partnerships

and Jacob Broom and Christian Cabburn for their

bowling prowess. Jacob Broom received a special

award of Elastoplast for stepping on his hand during

his delivery stride. The award for 2nd XI Player of

the Season went to John Farley as the leading run

scorer in the side.

Just prior to our next award Kobi “won” our annual

heads and tail competition. He was somewhat

disappointed though with his prize of any empty pot.

He didn’t seem happy with the explanation that it

should have had some ashes in it but they had been

lost.

On to the 1st XI awards. Graham White was able to

reflect on a season which went from struggle to the

cusp of triumph as the 1s struggled in throughout the

1st half of the season to win games they should have

done into an unbeatable side throughout the second

half of the season. Graham was able to draw on

contributions from throughout the team and tonight

saw and opportunity to award three new to 1st XI

caps. These went to Andy Pitt, Christian Cabburn,

and Jamie Khan; the last two once again being

products of the Thorverton Colts set up. This season

Graham’s choice of winner was a player seen by

many as pivotal to the change in fortune of the team

as his return to the side from the world of academia

happened at the same time as results turned around,

hence the award went to Gill Crouch. His mum Sue

stepped up to receive the award on his behalf.

Moving on to the Club Awards it was great to have

Kobi and Mieke still with us and hence Kobi was

able to present the award created in his honour.

Whilst the Kobi Francis-Griggs Young Player of the

Year is decided upon by the committee this year

Kobi was involved in that decision too. In handing

over the award he was able to explain that the reason

it was being given to Jacob Broom was because here

was someone who was showing not only great

progress but great talent and great attitude. Kobi

predicted that he would be challenging for a 1st team

place soon.

Jacob Broom receives the Kobi Francis-Griggs

Young Player of the Season Award from Kobi Griggs

The next presentation was to Kobi and was made by

Jimmy May and Jock Spry. It was pointed out to him

that it has been a privilege to have him with us

several times over the last 7 years. We consider him

to be an asset to the club and hope that he will leave

behind a legacy in terms of how he plays the game

which those he coached and played alongside will

continue to aspire to. To mark Kobi leaving he was

presented with a framed club photo. The committee

felt this was not enough and to mark his outstanding

contribution to the life of the club an additional

presentation of the Freedom of Thorverton Cricket

Club was made to Kobi to express our sentiment that

he is welcome to return at any time. In his acceptance

speech Kobi was keen to stress just how at home he

has felt at Thorverton each time and that the quality

of the people there is something special.

The Simon Molineux Clubman of the Year Award is

another award decided upon by the Committee. Once

again Jimmy May was called upon to present it and

he explained that this award was for contribution

towards club life. There were a number of candidates

this year including Bob and Janet Rice, and Keith

Cudby. Having said that the winner is someone who

has taken on a wide role of tasks and taken them on

with enthusiasm. Once again this year the winner was

Focus on Thorverton 22 Vol. 46 No.9 – October 2015

Paul Jordan and this was a popular choice with all

those there. In his speech Paul paid tribute to past

winners and encouraged others to get involved too in

keeping our club going.

Mike Denford then stepped up to present a new

award, created to honour his 40 years at the club.

This award is the Mike Denford Outstanding

Performance Award. Mike explained something of

the rationale behind this award in terms of it being

for an achievement within a game but where

performance was close then overall contribution to

the club would be considered. In making his choice

this year Mike noted that the recipient was an unsung

hero who just got on with his cricket but in doing this

season had taken key wickets and scored vital runs.

Jake Crouch got this award for his 1st 5 wicket haul

in 1st XI cricket for the club which included a hat-

trick.

The final part of our formalities, still being delicately

steered by Bob, as he touched on themes around the

Ashes, Jock, and South African Rugby, was to

introduce Will Denford and Kobi Griggs who had

prepared a speech about Mike as a tribute to his 40

years of playing and service to the club. Some of

what they said was true, some wasn’t but all of it

helped to paint a picture of decades of loyal support

and achievement on the pitch which will probably

never be surpassed. Mike was presented with a

double handed teapot from the club to mark his long

service.

And then the dancing began.

The Double Teapot presented to Mike Denford

Thorverton Parish Council – Allotment for rent

The Parish Council have an Allotment in the village

for rent at a cost of £10 per year (plus a £25

refundable deposit) so if you are interested in

extending your garden or having a go at growing

your own fruit, veg. and flowers, please contact the

Clerk to the Council,

Alison Marshall, on Thorverton 861228 for more

information.

For Sale / Offers

*Dark stained solid oak round drop leaf dining table (120cm in diameter) complete with 2 oak carver chairs and 2 oak ordinary chairs.

*Matching solid oak carved front sideboard (117cm wide, 82cm high, 42cm deep) with 2 drawers and 2 cupboards with shelves.

Tel. Colin Marshall, Thorverton 861228, for more information. New owner collects.

Focus on Thorverton 23 Vol. 46 No.9 – October 2015

Devon Open Studios

Gilly Haysom and Chris Cole laid on an excellent display at The Threshing Barn in September as part of Devon

Open Studios.

Ploughing Match

Horse ploughing at the recent Cheriton Fitzpaine and District Ploughing Match in Nether Exe.

Photos by Jane Lane

Focus on Thorverton 24 Vol. 46 No.9 – October 2015

The Royal British Legion

Thorverton Branch 2015

The restoration of the War Memorial path has now been completed. It was made possible by

bequests from departed members, fund raising and a grant from the Community Council Of

Devon.

I would like to thank all who gave their time and expertise so freely and in particular Alex Fice,

Alan Hannaford, Mike Baldwin, Royston Kershaw, James & Ken Foxford.

We hope the restoration to the memorial will be a visible reminder to future generations, of the sacrifice made by

those brave village men and women.

Peter Furneaux

Chairman

The Garden in October 2015

October is an excellent month to spend time in the

garden. The soil is still warm from the summer and

generally pliable but not too wet. General clearance

and tidy up of dead leaves and dying back foliage is

the main occupation and once a bed has been cleared

of tired summer debris, give the soil a turn over

where possible. This allows the air to circulate and

prevents a build up of compaction in the soil.

Compaction can create an area of poor drainage and

make accessibility of nutrients difficult for the plants.

However, just a word of warning, do not be too

vigorous around the base of shrubs or trees as you

can damage adventitious roots which are near the

surface of the soil. Compaction happens mainly

around ground that has been trodden down so always

dig over your foot prints to loosen the soil. This

might mean coming off a plot backwards!

If you have prepared a plot for over-wintering onions

[ah, so this is her secret – Ed (of the small onions as

seen in September’s Focus)] and garlic, give it a

good dig getting the mulch well mixed. If you

haven’t done this yet but would still like to do so, get

onto your plot as soon as possible; there is still time.

A small tip, if you like to have tidy edges, is to do all

the edging around this plot before you put in the

onion sets. Once they have been planted you do not

want to be disturbing them with extra soil thrown on

top from the edge. So make the plot as tidy as you

would like it to be and then mid October onwards

plant your sets.

Focus on Thorverton 25 Vol. 46 No.9 – October 2015

I always plant slightly further apart than the

recommended distance. This was advice from garden

organics to encourage air flow around the plants to

lessen the possibility of fungal diseases when the

plants become full size. I have never regretted this

advice or begrudged the extra 4 centimetres, the

results speak for themselves. Once you are ready to

plant, rake the soil flat and tamp it down with the

back of the rake. Onions like a firm soil. Plant your

onions just below the surface of the soil, the right

way up!! Make sure they are just out of sight with no

trailing stems sticking out of the ground or else you

could find Mr Blackbird has rearranged them for you.

Check regularly for removed onion sets and just push

them back in the ground.

October is the best month for laying turf. If you

wanted to reseed, you would need to get on with it

immediately as September is really the best month

for this. The problem with October is that colder

weather is on the way and the seed needs warmth to

germinate and grow on well. You might be lucky

here in Devon. However, turves are more robust and

the October temperature more to their liking. Ground

preparation is the vital element. So, if you get this

right and you have good quality turf, the result is

very rewarding. Ground preparation is the same as if

you are sowing seed. Therefore, careful weeding,

digging over and flattening the area to a firm smooth

surface is very important. Make sure the area has

been firmly tamped down and there are no air

pockets to allow subsidence once the turf is laid and

settling.

When you are ready to lay the turf, you will need a

very sharp knife to cut the turf for corners and a

board for you to stand on once you have moved away

from a hard surface. Start to lay the turf from one

side and keep going across using the board to rest on

the previous row. Never work on your prepared soil,

you will have just spoilt your preparation!! Always

remember that turves will shrink and must be laid

with that in mind so don’t leave gaps between turves,

in fact slightly squeeze them together. Each row

needs to be started halfway along the previous turf so

that you create the same effect as roof tiling. Turves

are easy to cut but remember to be generous

especially on small corners and insets. Aftercare is

mainly watering to prevent shrinkage and try not to

walk on it too soon. Leave it to bed in for the winter

and then mow in the spring.

Don’t forget to move the cutting blade to a higher

level this month for your established lawn, it will

cope with cold weather better for being a little longer

and, if time allows, scarifying with a grass rake to

remove dead material and aerating with a fork is very

good. A garden sand preparation can be added to help

keep the holes open and brushed in. Your lawn will

look a mess for a while, don’t panic. These jobs need

to be done as soon as possible if you are going to do

them and are very time consuming and heavy work

so, unless your lawn is showing signs of damage and

overuse, I would wait until spring to give it a good

start.

October is a great month for planting bulbs and the

garden centres now have a good selection to choose

from. If you are going to dot bulbs around the garden

for early spring colour just bear in mind that they

need to be allowed to finish their cycle after

flowering to build up their energy before next year

and at this point can look quite messy. The

temptation is to cut them back but this is not helping

the bulb for the next season. The way around this is

to have small clumps dotted around herbaceous

plants which will have begun to grow when the bulbs

are finishing and can hide this messy stage. Always

plant in groups for a good display of colour. As a

general rule of thumb, plant the bulbs twice the depth

of their height. It also helps to put in a small cane if

planting lots of bulbs for each clump. It is so easy to

forget exactly where they are!

The sun is warm and golden in October and can lull

the inexperienced into a false sense of security, so

don’t get caught napping [It doesn’t sound as though

I will have any time for napping given all these tasks

– Ed]. The end of this month leads into winter so get

out in your garden, Neville, and enjoy some good

healthy exercise and get your garden jobs well under

way. Happy gardening!

Lorraine Colebrook

Legal Eagle

The Consumer Rights Act 2015 came into force on

the 1st October. The Act is primarily a piece of

consolidating legislation but it also introduces some

important changes to consumer law.

As the title implies, the Act is concerned with the

relationship between a ‘consumer’ and a trader.

Section 2(3) of the Act defines a ‘consumer’ as an

individual acting for purposes which are wholly or

mainly outside that individual’s trade, business, craft

or profession.

Focus on Thorverton 26 Vol. 46 No.9 – October 2015

A ‘trader’ is defined as a “person acting for purposes

relating to that person’s trade, business, craft or

profession, whether acting personally or through

another person acting in the trader’s name or on the

trader’s behalf”.

In the event of a dispute and a trader wishing to

challenge the status of the other party, it will be for

the trader to prove that the other party was acting

otherwise than as a consumer.

The Act is divided into three parts. Part 1 deals with

contracts for goods, digital content and services. Part

2 deals with unfair terms. Part 3 contains

miscellaneous and general provisions.

The rights contained in Part 1 of the Act are broadly

similar to those to be found in both the Sale of Goods

Act 1979 and the Supply of Goods and Services Act

1982 which require that goods be of satisfactory

quality, fit for purpose and correspond with

description and with samples. There is, however, a

major addition in relation to digital content. Under

the previous law, intangible digital property was not

considered to come within the definition of ‘goods’.

Chapter 3 of Part 1 treats the supply of digital content

in much the same way as the supply of goods in that

it must be of satisfactory quality etc.

The remedies available to the consumer under the

Act in the event of breach by the trader are the right

to reject the goods for an initial period of 30 days, a

right to repair or replacement and a subsequent right

to a reduction in price whilst retaining the goods or to

reject the goods for a refund, subject, in some cases,

to a deduction for use.

If a trader fails to exercise ‘reasonable care and skill’

in the performance of a service or fails to comply

with information which they have provided to the

consumer about the service, the consumer is entitled

to repeat performance or a price reduction. If the

service is not performed within a reasonable time, or

the trader does not comply with information provided

to the consumer, the consumer is entitled to a price

reduction for the services.

Part 2 of the Act tackles the problem of unfair terms

and in so doing incorporates a combination of the

provisions to be found in the Unfair Contract Terms

Act 1977 and the Unfair Terms in Consumer

Contracts Regulations 1999.

It will be recalled that we looked at unfair terms in

last month’s article when we considered the plight of

Barry Beavis who had overstayed the permitted

parking time at the Riverside Retail Park in

Chelmsford. Section 62(4) of the 2015 Act defines

an unfair term in the same way as the previous law,

namely, a term will be deemed unfair if “contrary to

the requirements of good faith, it causes a significant

imbalance in the parties’ right and obligations under

the contract to the detriment of the consumer”.

A term which falls foul of the legislation will not be

binding on the consumer. However, the Act does

allow the consumer to continue with the contract but

without the unfair term and in some instances it may

be in the best interests of the consumer to do so.

One significant change, however, is in relation to the

types of contract which are subject to the control of

the legislation. The new Act applies to all trader to

consumer contracts, whether or not those contracts

were individually negotiated with the consumer.

Another major change is to be found in relation to

‘relevant terms’ which are terms specifying the main

subject matter of the contract or setting the price.

These terms are not subject to the ‘fairness’ test

provided that they are both:

*transparent: in plain and intelligible language and, if

in writing, legible;

*prominent: brought to the consumer’s attention in

such a way that the average customer would be aware

of them. The average customer is well informed,

observant and circumspect.

The previous law included the transparency

requirement but not the prominence requirement.

As stated above, the Act serves primarily to

consolidate existing law but at the same time it also

introduces new concepts and as a consequence will

no doubt generate a new body of case law for lawyers

to ponder over.

Clive Hamblin

TARTS news

Thorverton Amblers Ramblers

and Trampers

Recent TARTS walks:

Saturday 29th August we enjoyed some later summer

sunshine on the Eastern fringe of Dartmoor. Starting

from Heathercombe we headed up over the moor to

Grimspound, and then on to Hookney Tor where we

had lunch. Our vantage point allowed us to fully

Focus on Thorverton 27 Vol. 46 No.9 – October 2015

appreciate the size of the enclosure at Grimspound,

and we shared it with some very tame ponies who

were completely unfazed by our presence. After

lunch we continued over the moor to Leapra Cross

where we picked up the Two Moors Way. We

finished with a cream tea at Heathercombe. The

garden is part of the National Garden Scheme and

only usually serves teas when the garden is open. We

were very fortunate they opened especially for us –

some great planning by Jerry and Anne.

Saturday 12th September started ominously in

Ilfracombe, with the heavens opening when we got to

the car park so much so that initially no-one could

bring themselves to get out of the car! However it did

clear up, and as we headed off onto the coastal path

the sky turned to a lighter grey and then to blue. We

paid a visit to the Damien Hirst sculpture on the sea

front, and found a lovely spot in the gardens for

lunch. Picking up the coast path again after lunch we

had some fabulous views of Lundy, and a tidal

swimming pool at 'Tunnels Beaches'.

On our way back to the cars we stopped off to visit

Jane Ristic in her new home, where she gave us some

much needed tea and biscuits, and it was lovely to

catch up with her.

Future walks and events

Saturday 10th October – led by Caroline

Saturday 24th October – led by Jenny

All walks meet opposite the church at 09.30 am, and

are suitable for dogs unless otherwise stated. Shorter

walks are usually 4 to 6 miles in length and longer

walks 6 to 9 miles, however, precise details of each

walk (length, gradient, lunch information etc.) will be

displayed approximately a week before the walk in

the Old Post Office Window and on the village notice

board. If you would like to be included on the email

list, contact Caroline (01626 865465) or Graeme

(860203).

District Council

In September’s Focus I apologised for having omitted some of what District Councillor Bob Deed had given me.

Some villagers may find it helpful to have sight of the following table which sets out the division of responsibilities

between County, District and Parish Councils:

Focus on Thorverton 28 Vol. 46 No.9 – October 2015

Recipe

Apple Cake

Apple cakes are made all over Europe during the

autumn. This recipe adds walnuts and cinnamon. For

a shallow 20cm (8”) tin you will need:

200g (8oz) wholemeal self-raising flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

100g (4oz) local butter

100g (4oz) brown sugar

100g (4oz) sultanas or raisins

50g (2oz) roughly chopped walnuts

25g (1oz) finely chopped mixed peel

150g (6oz) chopped cooking apples

2 beaten eggs and milk to mix

Method

Put flour and cinnamon in a mixing bowl and rub in

the butter until the mixture looks like fine

breadcrumbs. Add the dried fruit, nuts, apples and

sugar and mix to a soft dropping consistency with the

eggs - and milk if necessary. Place the mixture into a

tin lined with greaseproof paper. Sprinkle the top

with a little extra sugar and bake in a moderately hot

oven for approximately 50 minutes or until well

risen, a rich brown in colour and springy to touch.

This cake is best served warm with a good dollop of

Devonshire clotted cream.

Sustainable, Crediton

Sustainable Crediton Sustainable Crediton Give & Take Shop is popping

up again! This time it's in ReFURNISH (next to

Morrisons) for six days:

Wednesday 21st - Friday 23rd October

Wednesday 28th - Friday 30th October

10am - 4pm all days.

GIVE any re-usable household, garden & DIY items,

tools, books, toys or clothes etc. (Sorry no TVs or

VHS videos.)

TAKE any items you can use - FREE!

Local Ethical Savings and Low Interest Loans With Christmas not too far away and the temptation

to spend too much money, perhaps now is the time to

consider opening a savings account with our local

Credit Union – ‘Plough and Share’, based in

Okehampton. Savers get preferential rates on loans

and the loan system is designed to prevent people

getting into bad debt.

Plough and Share works on a co-operative basis so

that all savers are members and shareholders and a

modest dividend is payable in good years. There are

no big profits going to private company owners; the

interest on loans is used to pay the office staff.

Our Crediton service point, staffed by volunteers who

will happy to tell you more, is open on Fridays

between 1.30 and 3.00 pm. The main office can be

contacted on 01837 658123 or you can look up

www.ploughandshare.co.uk An organisation well

worth supporting even if you will never need a loan!

Sustainable, Crediton

Garden Club News UPTON PYNE AND DISTRICT GARDEN CLUB

NEWS – OCTOBER 2015.

On Sunday 30th August a group of 10 members plus

one dog managed to get together for a visit to

Fursdon House enjoying a stroll around the terraced

and walled gardens with wonderful views across

parkland towards Dartmoor, a visit to the house and

tea and scones in the Coach House. Some also

managed to visit the wild meadow garden and the

tour of the house and museum was certainly very

informative.

On Monday 21st September Kevin Cude came to give

a very enjoyable “picture show” entitled

“Serendipidy”. Accompanied by music it covered

Heller – the botanical garden near Lake Garda, a

Balloon Ride over the Tiverton Canal area including

aerial views of the church at Sampford Peverell,

Keugenhof Tulip gardens in Holland, the annual

Flower festival at St. Thomas’ Methodist Church

Exwick and finally the Mystic Gardens at Chagford

where you can see many statues, some very mythical

and others very amusing – this last feature very

appropriately accompanied by the theme music from

Harry Potter! A lovely evening and very well

presented.

Our next talk will be on Monday 19th October when

Elizabeth Holman will be talking about renovating a

tired garden which should provide some very useful

tips.

New members are always welcome and do please

give me a ring if you would like further details (tell:

861 205).

Ros Rowlerson

Focus on Thorverton 29 Vol. 46 No.9 – October 2015

Golf Society

Monday Bank Holiday 31st August

A lovely day with overnight rain cleared out, this was

the day for the annual Texas Scramble Competition.

Today’s winning team was David & Chris Harlow

with a level par gross score and a net score of

32.8.The runners up were Geoff Bulley, Dave

Whalley and Rhys Roberts with 34.03 and third were

Ken Galvin and Paul Richards with a score of 38.4.

This was the last GSPOT competition for Chris

Harlow and Paul Richards who are both going

abroad, Chris for 8 months and Paul for a couple. We

wish them both all the best and look forward to

seeing them on their return.

Sunday 13th

September

Fortunately another day when the weather forecast

was wrong, as although rain was forecast it turned

out to be a lovely sunny morning, but only a very

small number of golfers turned up.

The winner today was Steve Gidley with 18 points

which got him a one shot handicap cut. Runner up

was Jim Chappelle with 17 points and joint third

were Mike Shelton and David Harlow with 12 points.

Shortest drive was Mike Shelton on the 6th, just off

the tee and into the long grass. Mike was also

awarded the Donna-y trophy for his effort on the 4th

hole. After a good tee shot he laid up just short of the

pond, proceeded to chip his third straight into the

water, dropped another ball and also put that one into

the water.

GSPOT Singles Knockout

This has been progressing over the summer. In the

semi-finals Chris Harlow beat Nigel Austburger and

Rhys Roberts beat Geoff Bulley.

The final has now been played and Rhys Roberts was

beaten by Chris Harlow who was also the defending

champion from last year.

The dates arranged for October are Sunday 11th and

25rd

.The dates arranged for November are Sunday 8th

and 29th.

All aspiring golfers welcome, details from the Exeter

Inn.

G S Potter

Chris Harlow being presented with the Russell Ball Memorial Trophy by Sheila Ball

Focus on Thorverton 30 Vol. 46 No.9 – October 2015

Thorverton Parish Information

AIR AMBULANCE EMERGENCY - QUOTE NATIONAL GRID REFERENCE

RECREATION GROUND - Sheet 192 SS 923019 MEMORIAL HALL FIELD - Sheet 192 SS 926019 Carers' Support Group Anne Higman, Wyndham House Surgery, Silverton. 860034. Meetings - 3rd Wednesday of month, Wyndham House, 2.30-4.30 p.m. Church (C of E) Revd Sue Sheppard, Associate Minister, 861022. sue.sheppard@netherexe.org Mrs Laura Ford, Reader. 841753. laura.ford@netherexe.org

Mrs Margaret Lowe, Administration Manager, 07594 714590. margaret.admin@netherexe.org Church Wardens Edwin Greed, Fortescue, Netherexe. 841231. Royston Kershaw 25 The Glebe 860419 Church Choir Heather Kershaw 25 The Glebe, Thorverton 860419 P.C.C. Treasurer Jean Brown, Rydal Cottage, Bullen Street. 861176. Friends of Thorverton Parish Church Trust Royston Kershaw 25 The Glebe 860419 Church (Baptist) Minister: Revd Maurice Harrison, 966861. Secretary: Phyllis Langdon, 860932. County Councillor Margaret Squires, 01363 84337, Margaret.squires@devon.gov.uk District Councillor Cllr. Bob Deed. 01392 861258, bdeed@middevon.gov.uk Doctors: Thorverton/Silverton : Dr Jon Wride & Lynne Anderson / Drs O'Brien, Ziegler & Keysell Electricity (Western Power) Report a loss of power: 0800 6783 105 (replaces 0800 365 900). edf Bill Enquiries: 0800 365 000. Street lights: 0870 556 1851. Friends of Thorverton & Silverton Surgeries : Christine Walker, 881501 Gas Emergency 0800 111999 Leonard Trust Secretary: Mrs. E Hughes, 3 Dinham Mews, Exeter EX4 4EH Library (Exeter Mobile) Every 4 weeks 3.35 – 4.20 Thursdays Quarry Car Park Member of Parliament Mel Stride. By writing: Mel Stride MP House of Commons London SW1A 0AA

By phone: 02072197037. By email: mel.stride.mp@parliament.uk Parish Council Chairman Cllr. Stuart Crang, Parish Clerk Mrs Alison Mashall, Dinneford House, Dinneford Street, Thorverton, EX5 5NU. 861228. Parish Council Meetings 2nd Tuesday of month, at The Memorial Hall, 7.30 pm. Parish Allotments Contact the Parish Clerk - 861228 Parish Council Notice Board Situated in School Lane, opposite the Thorverton Arms. Planning notification applications at http://data.gov.uk/apps/planningalerts alert via email when a planning application is published in one’s street, neighbourhood or wider area.

Pension Service PO Box 93, Plymouth PL6 5WJ. 0845 60 60 265

Police Non-emergency number: 101. Post Office Portacabin (TCT Ltd) Quarry Car Park, Thorverton EX5 5NG Tel: 860455 Mon. to Fri: 9 am-1.00 pm, 2 - 5.30 pm. Sat: 9 am -12 noon, Sun: 9 - 10.30 am for newspapers only Business Manager: Jan Hamilton 07764461575 Chair and Company Secretary: Heather Kershaw, 25 The Glebe, 860419 Public Telephone Kiosk Opposite the Church, outside the former Bell Inn, Dinneford St. Thorverton C of E Primary School (Part of the Exe Valley Federation)

Executive Headteacher (Exe Valley Federation): Mrs Heather Perry 01392 250821 Head of Teaching and Learning (Thorverton): Mrs Sarah Parkes 01392 860374 School Office (Thorverton): 01392 860374 Chair of Governors (Exe Valley Federation): Marian Beresford 01363 866112 Clerk to the Governors: Ms Jessica Benger: 07795 515048

School P.T.F.A. Chair: Julie Davie 1363 772309, Vice-Chair: Pippa Eyles 861767, Secretary: Annette Emanuel, Treasurer: Carol Pearn 860653.

South West Water 24 Hour Emergency: 0800 169 1144. Helpline: 0800 169 1133. Thorverton Millennium Green Trust Chair: tbc Secretary: Lin Balkwill, 860663, web address: www.thorverton.org.uk

Focus on Thorverton 31 Vol. 46 No.9 – October 2015

Thorverton Organisations Amateur Dramatic Society (TADS) Chair: Sheena Hunter-Hedges 01392 860843, Vice Chair: Bob Hyde, Treasurer: Simon Hedges, Minutes Secretary: Mary Ette. Meetings: last Tuesday of the month at

the Exeter Inn, 8pm. Members and non-members welcome. Art Group Barrie Phillips, Crossmead, School Lane, Thorverton. 860529 Meet Fridays during term-time at the Memorial Hall, 9.30 am-12.00. Arts Exchange Becky Stannard, 7 The Glebe, 860737.

Monthly meetings in members' homes at 8.00 pm. Association Football Club Chairman: Andy Harris, 01392 851664, Secretary: David Gregory, 2 The Orchard, Brampford Speke, 841803. Bridge Circle Graeme Culshaw, 3 The Glebe, Thorverton 860203. Meets 1st/3rd/5th Thursdays at the W.I. Hut from 7.00 p.m.. Brownies Contact Hannah 07925 981786 or Lisa 860609,

Meet Fridays during term-time, 5-6.30pm Thorverton School Hall. Clarinet/Saxophone Group Contact Peter Mason 860727. Meets every Thursday morning. Cricket Club Chair: Charles Kislingbury, Secretary: M C Denford, 14 Moorlands, Tiverton EX16 6UF 01884 255076 Fixture Sec: J Meredith, Grayley, Dinneford Street. Focus Magazine Chair: Michael Ayre, Ratcliffe Farm, Thorverton. Editor: Neville Lane, 2 The Glebe, Thorverton. 861062. Secretary: Geoff Bulley, Broadlands, Thorverton. Treasurer: Bob Swaffield, Schiehallion, School Lane, Thorverton 01392 860309 Friends of Silverton & Thorverton Surgeries Coffee Mornings in the Lamb Inn, Silverton. Held at 10-12 noon on the last Thursday of every month except December Golf Society Players of Thorverton Care of Exeter Inn, 01392 860206 Guides Contact Lisa 860609, Meet Wednesdays during term-time, 7-9pm Memorial Hall History Society Chair: Barrie Phillips, Crossmead, School Lane, Thorverton. 860529 Programme Secretaries: Graham Wills 860895 & Barrie Phillips 860529. Ladies Group Meet 2nd Thursday of month, (Venue and time - see Focus Notices). Memorial Hall Committee Chair: Roger Fieldhouse, tel. 860768. r.fieldhouse@exeter.ac.uk Secretary: Roseanne Benn, tel. 860768. r.c.benn@exeter.ac.uk Events Secretary/bookings: Jeff Grace, tel 860489. jeff.grace@tiscali.co.uk Website: thorvertonmemorialhall.co.uk Memorial Hall Market 2nd Saturday of the month, at the Memorial Hall, 9.30 - 11.00 am. Thorverton & Exe Valley Community Choir Anne Vardy 01392 861184 amvardy@hotmail.com Thorverton Pre-School Wendy Coles 861283./ thorvertonpreschool@gmail.com

Mon 9.00-11.45am, & 12.45-3.15pm & Lunch Club 11.45am-12.45pm, Tues/Weds 9.am-11.45am & Lunch Club 11.45am-12.45pm, Thurs 9.00-11.45am; 12.45- 3.15pm & Lunch Club 11.45am-12.45pm during term-time, at Thorverton Primary School site Thorverton Ambling, Rambling and Tramping Society (TARTS)

Caroline Prince 07749 775304 or Graeme Culshaw 860203 See notices of walks in Old Post Office Window Bullen Street.

Toddler Group Contact : Fiona Benson milestogo@btinternet.com or Amy Crebo Wednesdays at the Memorial Hall, 9.30 - 11.30am Rainbows Contact Jean 860105 or Penny 861136, Meet Tuesdays 3.45-4.45pm Thorverton School Hall Royal British Legion Chairman/Hon.Sec. P Furneaux, Hillcrest, Thorverton 860227,

paf@furno.co.uk Hon. Treasurer: Alex Fice Women's Institute Secretary and Bookings: Sue Maguire 01392 860631 W.I. Meeting: 1st Tuesday of the month at the W.I. Hut, 7.30 pm. Whist, 4th Tuesday of the month, at the W.I. Hut, 7.30 pm. W.I. Market & Coffee 4th Saturday of the month at the W.I. Hut. 10.00 to 11.00 am.

Focus on Thorverton 32 Vol. 46 No.9 – October 2015

Doctors’ Surgeries

Focus on Thorverton 33 Vol. 46 No.9 – October 2015

Focus on Thorverton 34 Vol. 46 No.9 – October 2015

Waste Collection Dates for 2015 Generally on Mondays unless stated

a) General refuse and recycling b) Brown bins

(i.e. black sacks, black and green boxes)

(Sincere apologies that the wrong dates were given in September’s Focus. However, at the time of going to print

we have not received the new dates for October onwards. Ed.)

Mobile Library The service provided in Thorverton is every four weeks, in the Quarry Car Park on Thursdays between 3.35 and

4.20pm.

Dates: 22nd

October 19th November 17

th December

Flag Flying days in October None

Road works If you want to see up to date information on road works, visit: http://roadworks.org/.

Bus Services Turner's Tours / Carmel Coaches No 678

Cheriton Fitzpaine – Thorverton section served on Tuesday (renumbered Service 675), Wednesday and Friday

only: 10.09 from The Berry and the Baptist Chapel. Return 13.35 from Exeter bus station, Stand 5.

Stagecoach (service 55B) Mon-Sat (except Bank Holidays)

To Tiverton: 07.55, 10.10, 12.10, 14.10, 16.10, 17.29 (this is the 155 service; on Saturdays it is the 55B and runs at

17.10), 18.10 from The Berry and Broadlands.

Return from Tiverton Bus Station: 07.40, 08.35, 10.45, 12.45, 14.45, 15.55 (Mondays to Fridays term-time only),

16.45, 17.45.

To Exeter: 08.05, 09.00, 11.10, 13.10, 15.10, 16.20 (Mondays to Fridays term-time only), 17.10, 18.10 from The

Berry and Broadlands.

Return from Exeter Bus Station: 07.30, 09.45, 11.45, 13.45, 15.45, 17.05 (this is the 155 service ; on Saturdays it is

the 55B and runs at 16.45), 17.45.

Stagecoach 55 service runs pretty much every half-hour in each direction along the Exeter-Tiverton road, stopping

at the Thorverton turn (the Ruffwell). Please consult Stagecoach 55 Group timetable for details of this service.

Stagecoach free service to the Co-Op, Broadclyst, from Broadlands on Tuesdays 9.20am.

Stagecoach offers a variety of concessions for regular commuters, shoppers, children, students and jobseekers as

well as one-day unlimited-use Explorer tickets. Further details from Stagecoach: 01392 427711 or 01803 664500 or

www.stagecoachbus.com or www.devon.gov.uk/devonbus.

Devonbus Timetable Information: call Traveline 0871 200 2233 Timetables available at the Post Office

Focus on Thorverton 35 Vol. 46 No.9 – October 2015

Diary 2015

Please notify FOCUS Editor of additions or changes.

(Email: thorvertonfocus@gmail.com or phone Neville Lane on 861062)

OCTOBER

Sat 3rd

Calendar Girls Launch Day, with tea and cake, Exeter Inn, 2.30-4.30pm

Mon 5th Royal British Legion Thorverton Branch AGM, Exeter Inn, 7.00pm

Tues 6th WI meeting - George Williams: The man who never flew - life in the RAF as a nurse, WI Hut,

N.B. 2.30pm

Sat 10th Saturday Market with Big Breakfast, Memorial Hall, 9.30-11.00am

TARTS walk, meet opposite church, 9.30am

Sun 11th Harvest Festival at the Baptist Church, 11.00am.

Tues 13th Parish Council meeting, Memorial Hall, 7.30pm

Wed 14th Blues & Country Music, Red Dirt Skinners, Red Lion Inn, Shobrooke, 8pm.

Thur 15th Ladies’ Group opening birthday party for 2015/16, at Julia Culshaw’s, 3 The Glebe. 7.30pm

Fri 23rd

History Society - Grand Western Canal - Mark Baker, WI Hut, 7.30pm

Sat 24th WI coffee morning, WI Hut, 10.00-11.00am

Sun 25th Joint Service, Baptist Church 11.00

Sat 31st Halloween Party, Upton Pyne Village Hall, 7-10pm. In aid of Church funds. Fancy dress or hat.

NOVEMBER

Tues 10th Parish Council meeting, Memorial Hall, 7.30pm

Sat 14th Saturday Market with Big Breakfast, Memorial Hall, 9.30-11.00am

Table-top Sale, Upton Pyne Village Hall, 2 – 4 pm.

Wed 18th Bluegrass Music, Flats & Sharps, Red Lion Inn, Shobrooke, 8pm

Fri 27th History Society Recent advances on our understanding of the archeaology of Exmoor - Rob

Wilson-North, WI Hut, 7.30pm

Sat 28th

WI Christmas Christmas Market and coffee morning, WI Hut, 10.00-11.00am

DECEMBER

Wed 2nd

-Sat 5th TADS Pantomime “Aladdin” – Thorverton Memorial Hall , 7.30pm (Saturday: 2.30pm and

7.30pm)

Tues 8th Parish Council meeting, Memorial Hall, 7.30pm

Sat 12th

Saturday Market with Big Breakfast, Memorial Hall, 9.30-11.00am

Sat 19th WI Christmas coffee morning, WI Hut, 10.00-11.00am

Sun 20th Carol Service, Parish Church, 5pm