Edition 31 - August 1994

 
Artwork by: Helen Armstead

EDITORIAL

By the time this issue reaches you, schools will have broken up and many villagers will either be busy catering for the needs of holiday-makers, or partaking or looking forward to their own holidays. Let's hope that we shall be able to enjoy a few weeks of real summer weather!

I must first thank Helen Armstead for the most attractive cover. We are lucky to have so many artists willing to share their talents through the Newsletter. However, if there are any 'undiscovered' artists whom we could 'tap', please do contact me. Thank you, too, contributors for getting articles in early - now it's up to me to meet the printing deadline!

Secondly, I must apologise to Ann - a verse of her poem eluded me - and to Phil, who got left out!

Recipes, Book Reviews, your favourite Charles Causley or other poem, etc . - items for the next Newsletter by Thursday, 15th September, please. Thank you.

Ed.

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BERRYNARBOR W.I.

On 7th June, 30 members were present to wish Jean Priest "Bon Voyage". To remind her of our lovely village, a water-colour painted by Chris Taylor of the Sterridge Valley, will be taking pride of place in her new home in Florida and with it a signed card to wish her and Geoff every happiness.

 

Podge, being difficult for the photo-grapher, and friend.
Bird Gardens Summer 1994

Five ladies from the Bratton Fleming Hand-bell Ringers then gave an excellent and melodious session and members were invited to 'have a go'. Rosemary, who at one time was a campanologist, gave a worthy vote of thanks.

Our trip, on the 6th July, to the Exmoor Bird Gardens was appreciated by 28 members and friends.The sun shone on us, and dear Podge - the penguin that visited our February meeting - was as cheeky as ever. We were pleased to learn that Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds are having a better year than in 1993 - they certainly deserve it and all their charges looked very content and comfortable.

Members were reminded of the various Fetes and the W.I. Coffee Morning on 17th August, in aid of Children's Hospice S.W., with various stalls and, of course, home produce baked items, please, to tempt our visitors.

Our next meeting will be on 6th September when we shall commence at 2.15 p.m. as we have a full programme. Win Collins will give a report on her visit to the Birmingham Triennial Meeting and Sir Niall Campbell will be our Guest Speaker.

The 20th September is the Annual Party for the members of Ilfracombe Disabled Fellowship. Where do the years go?! Sincere wishes to one and all.

Vi Kingdon - President

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THE PARISH COMMUNITY IN DEVON

An Exhibition produced by the Devon Record Office to celebrate the Parish Councils' Centenary Year in 1994 and to illustrate aspects of life in Devon parishes over six centuries.

This exhibition has been booked for the Village for the 13th, 14th and 15th October, and more details will be available in the October Newsletter.

 

Berrynarbor in 1837

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MAGPIES

Magpies are unfortunately on the increase which is bad news for the farmer and the small bird lover. To some the magpie is an attractive bird, with greeny black and white plumage and white wing bars when in flight. The truth is that it is a vicious predatory killer. Being a member of the crow family, it feeds on invertebrates, hatchlings and young lambs. It is a bird which is found in practically every county in England and Wales, but is found most frequently around private gardens. This is due to the fact that gardens are the habitat of song birds. The magpie's favourite haunts are the tops of fir and ash trees and they tend to roost in dense conifers at night. They can be recognised not only by their striking plumage, but by their 'chak-chak' or rattle-snake call. They nest in hedgerows in April and May in order that when the chicks hatch out, the parents have a regular food supply of young song-birds, robins, blue tits and chaffinches. During the daytime they can often be seen on the rooftops of houses and other high places, where they are watching out for parent birds returning to their nests to feed their young. Their killing time is mainly early in the morning when there are few humans about and it is at this time that they can be seen by the wary, pulling young from their nests, killing them, eating them and carrying them back to their own young.

The reason for the increase in their population is probably due to the fact that farmers no longer shoot them in the quantities that they did in years gone by. The 13th May used to be the date recognised by farmers when they would gather together and go rook shooting from farm to farm, and in so doing would shoot magpies and crows alike. This practice seems to have been declining over the years.

I have also witnessed in the field behind my house a pair of magpies harassing a ewe which had just given birth and eventually, whilst one magpie kept the ewe away, the other killed the lamb. I have algo witnessed a magpie standing on a ewe's head and pecking out its eyes. It is indeed a vicious bird.

Over the last two and a half years, I have shot with an air rifle in and around Berrynarbor, 58 magpies and a further four in a friend's garden in Minehead. They can be caught with a Larsen trap but having caught them one still has to dispose of them and by far the most effective weapon is an air rifle - quick, clean and silent. When a bird is shot, its partner dances all round it, calling. In a few minutes, the area is infested with magpies as if in some death wake. At such times, it is possible to shoot even more as they can be caught off-guard and are less wary. A young magpie is dependent on its parents for food for up to four months after hatching, so when seen together it is more productive to shoot the parent rather than the youngster.

The result of shooting so many magpies in and around my garden is that we have, in the last two years, had many more blackbirds, song thrushes, blue tits, robins and chaffinches nests and the young birds have had a chance to develop into adults. Small bird life around Badgers Holt is very prevalent as a consequence of the control of the magpie.

B.L. Jones - Badgers Holt, Barton Lane

This country rhyme for counting magpies must be familiar to many. Once sorrow was the order of the day but nowadays, there are so many secrets waiting to be told!

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OF THIS AND THAT ...

The Bone Anchored Hearinq Aid Equipment has now been purchased and will soon be operational, thanks to the contributions received from so many local people, a total figure of £11,000 was raised.

The United Reformed Church will be holding their Harvest Service on Sunday, 25th September at 6.00 p.m. This will be followed on the Monday morning by a sale of the Produce at 9.30 a.m. in the Chapel Schoolroom.

DON'T FORGET two of our regular social events:

• The Whist Drive, held each Thursday at 7.30 p.m. at the Manor Hall, entry £1.00. Everyone welcome. Contact: Lorna Bowden [883559] and
• The Badminton Club which recommences after the summer break on Monday, 5th September, 8.00 p.m. at the Manor Hall. Every Monday in term time. New members welcome. Contact: Mary Hughes [ 882580]

Congratulations to James Anderson who has been awarded a B.Sc. in Physics from Oriel College, Oxford. Do we have any other new graduates in the Village?

Britain in Bloom Our thanks go to everyone who has helped to make our village 'bloom'. Special thanks to Edna Barber for her all-the-year-round care and to Joy Morrow and Josef Belka for their advice and thoughtfulness and to Gary [Miss Muffet 's] for watering the plants around the village centre.

Vi and Ann

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6

BISHOP JEWELL SCREEN

It was a happy coincidence that in May, the birth month of Bishop John Jewel [24.5.1522 to 21.9.1571], the Parish Council were informed that the unique screen from his birthplace, Bowden Farm, Berrynarbor, would this summer be displayed in Barnstaple. The screen was in very poor condition when removed from the farm by the N.D.D.C. for safekeeping with a specialist firm near Exmouth. The Athaneum Museum Trustees took possession when the firm moved premises. The screen will be housed in St. Anne's Chapel, which is open at set times.

Similar screens were often in farm houses, to separate the human quarters from animal accommodation. Herbert Read Ltd., the specialist firm, describe this screen - although being removed in such poor preservation - as being particularly interesting. Approximately 15 ' 6" wide and 7' high, it has 10 bays with an opening between bays 3 and 5, numbering from the left when facing the side which has carved panels. The opening has a Tudor arch head. It is thought to date from the early 16th Century and has fluted panels and a decorative motif which precedes linenfold. Such detail is a rarity for North Devon and may have been brought from elsewhere. Unsuitable for display in any of the buildings in the Parish, it is pleasing to know that the screen is not now banished from North Devon and can be seen.

Bishop John Jewel, Bishop of Salisbury from 1560 to his death, was a very famous Church Leader of Queen Elizabeth's reign. She regarded him so highly that his book "Apologia" was kept and read in each Anglican Church. A display copy is possessed by Tawstock Church. More details about Bishop Jewel appear in the church Chronicle, July 1994.

Graham E. Andrews

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NOW AND THEN
Bowden Farm

Old Berrynarbor - View 17 Newsletter [circa 1930's]

 

 

Taken in 2005

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SUNDAY SCHOOL

We shall be breaking up for the summer holidays on 17th July and will meet again on 11th September, Penn Curzon Room, 10.30 to 11.30 a.m. As I am not too well at the moment and Joy will be away, we have decided not to have an Outing this year, but at Christmas we shall go to a Pantomime - so please let's have some more children joining us in September so there will be plenty to shout "He's behind you !" in December!

Another Sunday School quote: One Sunday there was only one little boy amongst several girls and he was getting teased, but well able to cope. He was asked, "How do you know that you are a boy?" Joy and I held our breath for what seemed a very long time whilst he thought about it. He then said, "Because I wear shorts of course." The feeling of relief was immense!

Sally B and Joy

The following poem is printed on the wall of the chemotherapy ward at Charing Cross Hospital:

I do not know the author of this beautiful poem.

Sally B

Best wishes Sally - Get well soon.

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PAINTING GROUP

It is hoped to start a Painting Group on Thursday evenings at Combe Martin, starting in October. If you are interested in joining, please ring Mary Hughes [882580] or Win Collins [883588).

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ST. PETER'S CHURCH

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BANANA BREAD
Over ripe bananas are ideal for this recipe

Sieve flour & baking powder. Rub in margarine. Add the sugar, beaten egg, lemon zest & mashed bananas. Mix thoroughly. Add enough milk to give a soft consistency. Put mixture in greased & lightly floured loaf tin & bake in the centre of the oven, 350F [180C] for 45 mins. Serve sliced & buttered. Good for picnics & packed lunches.

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OLD BERRYNARBOR - VIEW NO. 30
Berrynarbor Village - No. 7 Garratt

This view, taken yet again by Garratt around 1904, shows Jim Kemp outside his cottage - on the left No. 46. His wife was the village midwife around 1911. The man with the bicycle is Jim Hancock, who lived at 51 The Village [Tower Cottage] with his wife Meta, daughter Emma and son Denzil, who sadly died when he was only six years old. He is buried in the churchyard. Dormer Cottage [House], now Miss Muffet 's, was then a shop [note the sign for "ROBIN STARCH"] kept by Mr. Klee, of German extraction - it was said that his father came over with the German band that played every season in Ilfracombe. The garage and hay loft where the Bassett's horse-drawn carriage was kept when they attended church services can be seen on the left. Having been completely modernised in the late 50's/early 60's by Charles Leyton; it is now known as "Blue Mist" and is the home of Josef and Hedi Belka.

I am anxious to produce articles on both Sawmills and the Berrynarbor Trailer Park, Sterridge Valley, and would welcome information and any pictures relating to them. Thanks

Tom Bartlett
Tower Cottage, July 1994

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KATIE

Dedicated to little Katie, a truly wonderful companion for 17 years.

Vi Kingdon

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LOCAL WALKS - 25
Beach-combing

We are fortunate to have the largest system of sand dunes in the South West within a short distance of Berrynarbor. On the Braunton to Saunton road, we took the turning left [opposite the sign post for Lobb] to the Sandy Lane car park.

The Burrows have attracted botanists since the 17th Century and today almost 1500 acres [2/3 of the Burrows] form a National Nature Reserve. The continuing importance of the area to naturalists is recognised by UNESCO's designating it an International Biosphere Reserve.

With tall mauve flowered comfrey and wild fennel along the track, it was like walking through a herb garden. Once out on the open heath land behind the dunes, the tiny white flowers of eyebright were abundant underfoot. In damp areas we came across the marsh helleborine, a type of orchid.

Over 400 different species of flowering plants have been recorded. Of these the French toadflax, with small linear leaves and short spikes of tiny yellow snapdragon-like flowers, is found nowhere else in the British Isles.

We encountered the picturesque flock of brown Soay sheep, introduced as an experiment by English Nature, which administers the reserve. It is hoped that their grazing will compensate for the decline in the rabbit population, as without close cropping, the shrubby vegetation will spread at the expense of the huge variety of ground-hugging plants like thyme and storksbill.

Two striking red and black, day-flying moths, the burnet and the cinnabar, may be seen here, as both breed on the Burrows in large numbers.

The crests of some of the dunes reach 100' in height. Between the dune ridges are 'slacks' , many of which flood with fresh water in winter and dry out in the summer. A merlin took off from a stunted tree in one of these slacks. The smallest of our falcons, the male is slate-blue above with darker wing tips and yellowish brown underparts, streaked black. It has a broad black band at the tip of its tail.

The creeping willows were peppered with poplar leaf beetles. Shiny and deep red, they resemble very large ladybirds without their spots. When disturbed they give off an antiseptic smell to repel predators.

A grayling, the largest of the brown butterflies, had settled on the sand, looking very dull and inconspicuous. It is to be found especially on sand dunes, lowland heaths and coastal areas in general. More splendid to the eye was a great green bush cricket.

Eventually we reached the beach - three miles of it, stretching from Saunton to Airy Point. Some distance away, a group of seventeen cormorants had lined up along the edge of the sand. At our feet were patches of navy blue from the masses of mussel shells, empty razor shells and the curious decorative skeletons of the heart urchin, pale, hollow and brittle. Also called the sea potato, this creature burrows six inches down into the sand using its spoon shaped spines as trowels.

Sue H

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HAINES-BATH

Our congratulations to Richard Haines and Christine Bath, who were married at Roxton Congregational Church on Saturday, 25th June. For many of us from the Village, Combe Martin, Watermouth and Ilfracombe, that morning started very early, when we boarded a Filers coach at 4.00 a.m. for the journey to Roxton Park, eight miles east of Bedford. Ever thoughtful, Richard and family had laid on the coach as well as hotel changing facilities for us all. The wedding was one that will be remembered by those fortunate to attend - from the marriage service in one of only two thatched churches in this country [and this had been a cow shed until c1810], to the reception held in a huge tithe barn, which had been home to hundreds of sheep during last winter!

As if ordered by Richard, the sun came out as the first photographs were taken. Christine and her two bridesmaids looked radiant in their matching dresses and head-dresses, and Richard looked really smart! There were flowers everywhere and it is difficult to describe how beautiful and stunning the entire day was. During the signing of the register, Iris Diebelius from Ilfracombe, held everyone spellbound by her solo singing, and at the reception Jonathan, as Best Man, gave a down to earth account of Richard for Christine's benefit! Richard, in his speech, said, "few people could say they had been married in a cow shed and held their reception in a sheep barn!"

All too soon it was time to start the long journey home taking us until the small hours, with many of us knowing that we should be working the next day at the Castle or Once Upon A Time.

I am sure that you all join me in wishing Richard and Christine health and happiness for their life together at Watermouth Castle, and congratulations, too, to Rachel [nee Haines] and Peter - out in New Zealand - who are expecting their first baby towards the end of the year.

Tom Bartlett

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CROSSWORD CORNER
David Beagley

Solution in Article 27.

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INDIA

February 3rd, 1994, was to be the date of departure for our long-awaited trip to India. The British Airways 'Maharajah Tour' seemed to cover all the most renowned and interesting historical sites in Northern Central India and what was even more thrilling, included' a four-day visit to Kathmandhu in Nepal.

We were so lucky in finding that our courier on this trip was a fellow member of our local University of the Third Age and lived not far away. This was a great help to us as much had changed since the 'Days of the Raj' in India, when both my husband and I had lived there for various periods of time. She was, therefore, able to put us straight on recent jabs, medication and what to take, etc.

The worries of travel arrangements and care of luggage were totally removed from us by our very capable courier, who also shepherded us around on our quite tight schedule of sightseeing without losing anyone - an amazing feat amongst the milling hordes of people in the big city streets and tortuous alleyways of Delhi, Jaipur, Agra, Veranasi and Kathmandhu. Some of us were very hard to drag away from the wonderful sights we saw - the lure of the erotic temple carvings of Kajuraho [found in dense jungle 150 years ago by British tiger hunters and built between the 10th and 12th centuries], the Taj Mahal [indescribably beautiful], the elephant ride up to Amber Fort outside the Pink City of Jaipur, the wonderful Temples and the river trip on the Ganges at sunrise, where the dead were being burnt on the Ghats and the Pilgrims, many in the last stages of illness, who had come to bathe in Mother Ganges and thus purify themselves. Here people were doing their laundry, ritual bathing, cleaning their teeth - next to the sewer outfall and where dead bullocks were floating down the river - but all seemingly immune from any ill effects.

Some of our party even flew by small plane, with awe, around the dizzy heights of Mount Everest and we all found the Stupas [temples] of Kathmandhu, festooned with prayer flags and surrounded by prayer wheels, an amazing sight.

India is a world apart - vast, mysterious, sensual, deeply religious - and one is mesmerised by the scenes that unfold in front of you whilst travelling through the towns and countryside. All life is lived on the streets and in general, by a people - beggars and all - who seem content with their lot. 'Namaste' , the greeting with a smile, met us everywhere.

This had been an unforgettable voyage of discovery through the age-old heritage of this amazing country.

Win Collins

Win [in Di look-alike pose] in front of the Taj Mahal

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MANOR HALL MANAGEMENT COMMIITTEE

BERRYNARBOR HORTICULTURAL AND ART SHOW

Schedules will be available from 8th August at the following locations:

• Berrynarbor Post Office
• Ye Olde Globe
• Willis & Sons, Combe Martin

Please ASK for these schedules.

NEW PROCEDURE FOR SHOW To enable more people to find time for the Show, we shall open the Hall on Friday, 2nd September, from 7.30 to 9.30 p.m. so that you may bring your entries along. Remember, ALL ENTRY FORMS MUST BE IN THE POST OFFICE by NOON ON WEDNESDAY, 31ST AUGUST, or by 6.00 p.m. to Fuchsia Cottage. We look forward to having the Biggest and Best Show ever! Please support this village event and bring along any plants you may wish to sell on the plant stall.

[Open to Residents and Non-Residents of Berrynarbor]

SATURDAY, 3RD SEPTEMBER 1994, 2.30 p.m.
MANOR HALL, BERRYNARBOR

Admission: Adutls 50p, Children Free

Light Refereshments ** Raffle

PRESENTATION OF CUPS: 3.30 p.m.
AUCTION OF EXHIBITS: 3.45 p.m.
[Time are approximate]

ENTRIES CLOSE: WEDNESDAY, 31ST AUGUST, 1994

Entry Forms [no Entry Fees] should be collected from and returned to: The Post Office, Berrynarbor, Willis & Sons, High Street, Combe Martin

The Management Committee has entered our village Hall into the 'Best Run Village Hall Competition' . The judges will have met with some committee members on 22nd July, so let's hope we have done well. At least it will be a learning experience.

WANTED: Any spare tea towels - ours keep going "walkies"!

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SHARE-A-POEM
West Country Poets - by Birth
1. Charles Causley

Charles Causley was born in Launceston in 1917 and still lives there today. He worked for a builder and an electricity company before joining the Navy during the war. Here, in 1940, he began writing poetry. Returning to civvy street, he trained as a primary school teacher, a profession he followed until his retirement, teaching in his home town.

The Seasons in North Cornwall

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IN MEMORIAM

CHRIS HUXTABLE

Old-time residents of the Village will be sad to learn of the death of Chris Huxtable. Chris, son of John and Phyllis and half-brother to Bill, was born at Cockhill Farm and attended our primary school. Chris was a Church Warden at his local church in Bridgewater, to where he moved following his marriage. Our thoughts go to his wife, Josie, and son, Richard.

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CHURCH HOUSES

When time allows, I enjoy visiting the obscure little churches scattered around our rural parishes. Places like the compact little building at Trentishoe or Challacombe, where the belfry is so damp, ferns festoon the internal walls, lending an unique atmosphere to this simple church. At Loxhor, the little church shares its space with a beautiful old farm. The church at East Down hides itself within rhododendron hedges, and here, in the churchyard, stands brave, even if dilapidated, an old church house.

At Kentisbury and East Down, the 'houses' consist of stabling for horses on the ground floor, with a single room above, complete with an open fireplace. The origin of such houses dates back to Saxon times, when various kinds of guilds were established, within the parochial communities, each with its own object and charged with the duty of making collections for that purpose.

Guilds raised their income in various ways, consequently they needed a meeting place, equipped for brewing ale and baking, for one such guild would be responsible for public entertainment and games. Wrestling contests, we know, existed well into the 19th Century in connection with 'parish' revels.

In our own churchyard, bowls and other games were Played on the flat area north of the church, much to the displeasure of the Arch-deacon, who, following his visit In 1829, publicly denounced the activity. Squire Bassett defended the age-old tradition, which continued until late in the 1800's.

The old Church House in Berrynarbor probably passed from Church to Manorial ownership following the Reformation, for in 1697 John Berry Esquire gave the house to the parishioners under the trusteeship of Thomas Limebeer and William Morris. The house to be a dwelling place for the poor and the chamber to be used for holding court and parish meetings "as had been accustomed". In 1765, William Morris passed on the stewardship to newly elected trustees, but by 1824 these had died and not been replaced. The house was now being "repaired at the expense of the Parish and inhabited by poor persons placed there by the Parish Officers, except for 1 room, formerly used as a vestry room and now a school room for the poor children of the parish." It was probably pulled down prior to 1862 when the Rev. Furzden records that 20 ilex and yew trees were planted in the churchyard. Most of these are growing still, several where the old Church House stood.

Lorna Bowden

Sources

1. Sketch from an original drawing found by the late Claude Richards in his cottage attic
2. Account of East Down Church - Henry Ayre, 1971
3. Parish and Church Records and 4. Family knowledge

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MORE OF THIS AND THAT ...

Thank You to one and all for supporting the Coffee Morning at Fuchsia Cottage on 23rd June. £230 was raised for the Chapel.

Warning!! Ron Toms is on the lose again! He will soon be knocking on your door as he is off on another walk to raise money for the Historic Churches Trust and he will be round seeking your sponsorship. Each year, Ron has surpassed his own previous contribution [half of which comes back to our Chapel], so please make sure that this trend continues by giving him your generous support .

Book Reviews These have been noticed by their absence! So come on you avid book-lovers, please share with us the books you have enjoyed - or even not enjoyed!

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AT-A-GLANCE DIARY

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CONGRATULATIONS!

Congratulations and best wishes for your future health and happiness to Karen Parr and Matthew Walls, who will be getting married at St. Peter's on Saturday, 24th September.

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CROSSWORD ANSWERS

27

MYSTERY MOTORING

Complete the following travelling tale by filling in the gaps with makes or models of cars [some have to be spoken to make sense!]. The full story will be revealed in the next issue.

It was a _____ day in Paris. As he stepped off the _____ the Italian gigolo, _____, smiled at his _____for the _____ reception. As he held her hand he felt the _____ and _____ ring he had given her. He thought back over some of his earlier conquests that had made him a _____in his own lifetime. The touring holiday in Spain where, after spending time on the island of _____, he flew to _____ and then drove to _____ on the Costa del Sol, before travelling inland over the _____ to dance the _____ at a _____ in _____.

Perhaps his _____ memory was when he was compromising position in Jamaica's _____ Bay with the wife of an American _____ f rom _____ in Texas. The gigolo's life had not been all romance. He enjoyed riding and could _____ at _____. He had hunted for _____ in South America, photographed a giant _____ in China and ridden wild horses in the _____ area of France.

"I'm so worried about this performance, " she said, "I played so badly this afternoon." "Don't worry, " he replied, _____ be alright on the night. "_____ and park the car, " she said. Later she came on stage dressed as an Indian _____ took her _____ at the piano and gave a faultless performance of Beethoven's Moonlight _____ which was a ____ and was greeted with universal _____ and _____.

Later, in her flat, he guessed that there was something wrong. As she prepared food from the _____, the feeling of moving through life with one _____ had gone. He sipped his Captain _____ rum, as she flicked a yellow _____ at imaginary specks of dirt. "It's no good," she said, "I could never marry you, our whole relationship is a _____. You are far too small for me, in fact you are almost a _____."

He walked around the room in a daze, collected his _____ and his signed picture of Anna _____. Sadly her kissed her goodbye, stepped into the street and walked towards the blue _____.

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