Edition 171 - December 2017

 

EDITORIAL

We extend, as always, a warm welcome to all newcomers to the village, and wish all those not feeling too well at present, to get better soon.

Here we are in December and the weather report does not make good reading, but on the few sunny and crisp days, the autumn colours of the trees have been beautiful.

So, Christmas is nearly upon us and the festive rush is about to begin - cards, cakes, puddings, presents! If you are stuck with ideas for gifts, why not visit Fortythree in Ilfracombe. Paul, our artist in residence, currently in South Africa, explains it all on Page 5, and I thank him for continuing to enhance our Newsletter with his illustrations.

It was lovely to hear from Tony and Norma [Holland] from Chippenham, who continue to enjoy their choir singing - in Malmesbury Abbey during December. Unfortunately, Norma has not been well but is continuing to get stronger, whilst Tony remains fit, swimming regularly, averaging 280 lengths a week over 3 days.

Thank you to everyone who has sent Christmas messages to go in the Newsletter, your generous donations will benefit both the Manor Hall and the Newsletter.

I thank everyone who has not only contributed to this issue but throughout the year, your support is very much appreciated. Especial thanks to the Regulars and Debbie for her covers and borders for the Messages. It is also lovely to once again include a Letter from the Rector.

There are many events planned over the coming weeks, so make a note of them in diaries or on calendars and enjoy!

Items for February 2018 will be needed as soon as possible once Christmas and New Year are over, but by Wednesday, 10th January at the latest. Thank you.

In the meantime, I send you and your families very best wishes for Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year.

Judie - Ed

1

ERRATA

My apologies for a couple of errors that crept in to the October issue and which readers may have noticed.

The first is in the article about Bowden between pages 32 and 33, the first line on page 33 should read: author of the . . .'Apology of the Church of England'. which so delighted Queen Elizabeth that she commanded it to be read . . .

The second, and my apologies to PP of DC, is in her Movers and Shakers article about Thomas Burton, when a sentence in the first paragraph was left out. The first paragraph reads: This month, I had in mind to write about the friends Judith Ackland and Mary Stella Edwards, who used as their art studio The Cabin at Bucks Mills. As I knew there was a connection with The Burton Art Gallery, Warren Collum, the Collections and Exhibitions Officer, agreed to see me and offer help. Ed.

2

EYE HALVE A SPELLING CHECKER

3

CAMP CAMBODIA

Hello!

My name is Sam Walls, I am 15 and going on a fundraised expedition to Cambodia with Ilfracombe Academy in the summer of 2019. Whilst there, I shall be giving much needed help to Cambodia by undertaking projects that will make a huge difference, such as:

• Education - helping the children of Cambodia by building new schools and classrooms.
• Housing - constructing vitally needed housing for the most impoverished families.
• Environment protection - replanting saplings in areas affected by deforestation.
• Food, water and security - installing new water supplies to ensure school children have access to fresh, clean, drinking water.

I am currently selling things such as kindling nets outside our house [Lane End, Barton Lane, by the church], as well as plants that my Nan Margaret [Walls] had previously been selling at Lower Rows in the Sterridge Valley. All the earnings will go towards funding the expedition. If anyone has any spare plant pots, around 5-6", please let me know.

I am also looking for any suitable items I could sell at a car boot sale to raise funds. So, if you have any unwanted items that you think would be suitable and would be willing to donate, please let me know. I shall be happy to come and collect them from you or you could drop them off at Lane End.

Or, if you simply wish to donate towards my fundraising, I have a GoFundMe page at https://goo.gl/Nkn3Zo. Contacts details are: sam.walls17@gmail.com,[01271] 883764/07388 044480.

 

4

FORTYTHREE - A UNIQUE SHOPPING EXPERIENCE

Looking for an unusual and original gift this Christmas? The artisans at FORTYTHREE have just the answer.

I am amazed at the wealth of artistic and creative talent in our local area and so I am pleased to report that there is now a new shop in Ilfracombe which offers a showcase for a wide range of original work. FORTYTHREE at the top of Fore Street has been open since July and is fast making a name for itself as a great place for unique and interesting work.

The shop is a co-operative space full of beautifully handmade products from local makers. Originally the concept was devised by four local artisans, Gill, Jenny, Lucy and Heather who previously had organised the Ilfracombe Artisan Market. They have now been joined by five other artists, the mix of which ensures an ever-changing and eclectic mix of work with the ethos being an emphasis on quality and handmade original items. Textiles, including children's clothing and decorative pieces, ceramics, woodwork, paper, sculpture, glasswork, painting. both traditional and modern, and jewellery are all well represented.

The shop is open Tuesday to Saturday, from 10.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. and is staffed by the artists who are always happy to talk about their commissions.

For more information you can follow developments at @fortythreeshop or e-mail:fortythreeshop@hotmail.com

Paul Swailes

 

5

MICHAEL NOEL BOWDEN
24.12.1936-19.10.2017

With much sadness, the Village learnt that Michael had passed away on the 19th October following a short spell in hospital.

St. Peter's Church was filled to capacity with family and friends from the village, locally and further afield for the Thanksgiving Service for his life on the 3rd November, an indication of the love and respect in which he was held. What a fitting floral tribute from the family! 'Michael's Tractor' was known to everyone, but especially to the many children and visiting grandchildren. He will be sadly missed by so many.

Our thoughts are with Lorna, Bobby, Christopher, Richard and all the family at this time of sorrow.

A Family Tribute

Dad was born on the 24th December 1935 at Ruggaton Farm, son to Leonard and Maud Bowden. At the age of 5, his mother left home and he was brought up by his father and step-mother, Valerie.

Dad went to Berrynarbor Primary School and then Combe Martin Secondary Modern, finishing at the age of 14 when he went straight into full time work on the farm, which he loved - ploughing, tilling, combining and thrashing. He used to milk 20 cows by hand in the '40's, '50's and '60's, then the milking machine came in which made life a little easier. He had a large milk round in the village, which doubled when the campsites opened. He would deliver milk in the morning, then go back to the farm to dig potatoes, bag them and then deliver them to the campsites and shops. There would be a few choice words when he got to the last customer and he was a pint short, meaning another trip back to Ruggaton.

A customer stopped him one day and said, "Mr. Bowden, there are bits in my milk!" Dad took the pint, drank it down in one, beat his chest and said, "If I'm not here tomorrow, I won't charge you."

Dad and Mum met at the local dance and were married in November 1962 in Berrynarbor Church. Children soon followed - Bobby, Christopher and Richard.

As Leonard and Valerie's family grew, circumstances changed and he decided to leave the farm to work on his own - logging, contracting, stone walling. There aren't many places in the village where dad hasn't left his mark!

Bell ringing was a big part of his life, starting when he was about 20 and hardly ever missing a Sunday morning, Christmas Eve or Thursday practice night for 60 years. He never liked change and when somebody asked him if he could cancel Thursday's practice because there was a function in the Manor Hall, he looked him straight in the eye and said, "Ringing night is ringing night!" And they were rung.

Dad and Mum were big supporters of the village shops and in the '60's, '70's and 80's, the village had two shops and a butcher's, and they did all their shopping within the village. Dad said, "No need to go over the border to Combe Martin, everything you need is here" and that is what they have done up to a few weeks ago.

Gary Songhurst and friends decided to put on a village show every year to raise money for the Manor Hall and Dad enjoyed taking part. One year, he, Danny Lloyd, Derek Phillips and Johnny Clarke were the group The Village People - Dad was the cowboy and they sang YMCA. He was out of tune and all the actions were wrong, but it was priceless!

Gary also decided to raise money for a big Millennium party for the villagers and a fountain to be built next to the bus shelter. Dad and Danny decided to do a sponsored walk from Berrynarbor to Simonsbath which they achieved in under 8 hours. It would probably have taken longer if there had been a few pubs on the way! They raised £2,000.

Dad took great pride in his family, especially when his grandchildren came along - Samuel, Anna, Jonathon, Tom, Tyler and Archie. He would help with the school run, baby sit and take them for rides on his tractor. He was always checking to make sure we were all alright. Even when he was so very poorly in hospital.

Dad wasn't a great traveller. When he went to Cornwall for a few days he would phone home after about 2 hours and ask if everything was alright. When it was the last day, he would be back in the village by 9.00 a.m. and Mum said he broke all speed limits getting home. After much persuasion, Dad's sister Sheila managed to take him to France for a holiday - we were amazed!When he got back he said he had enjoyed it and it was like going back to the 1960's there were a lot of vintage tractors still being used.

At Christmas he would order the biggest turkey he could. If it didn't fit in the oven, he was pleased, he knew he had got enough for everyone until February. The trouble was, his birthday was on Christmas Eve. So, after he had rung the bells for midnight mass and then been to celebrate his birthday in The Globe, it's a miracle we had Christmas dinner at all.

But we did and it was always ready by one o'clock, with a lot of help from Mum, of course.

Everybody was welcome in Dad's home and if we were having dinner and somebody knocked on the door, he would day, "Come in, sit down and have something to eat." If they didn't, he'd be offended. Roast dinner on a Sunday was very important to him and if you couldn't make it there'd be a court enquiry and woe betide you if you missed the next one!

Dad didn't like fancy food, he was a meat and two veg man. He tried Chinese and Indian once, and once was enough.

Bob and he called into a service station on the way back from a sale and the waitress said to him, "What would you like sir, cappuccino, latte, Americano?" Dad paused for a second or two, and said, "No thanks, I'll have a coffee."

Dad was a generous man and if anybody had any problems and needed somewhere to stay, he and Mum would take them in until things got sorted. A roast dinner was a good start.

Sadly, he suffered from emphysema for 15 years and then in 2014 underwent an operation for oesophagus cancer, which knocked him for six. He made the best of it and when he was strong enough, he even went back to hedge trimming.

Straight talking and not very politically correct, Dad's heart was in the right place. He lived life to the full.

We shall all miss him greatly.

The family have been overwhelmed by the number of messages and cards received, even from as far away as Australia.

Michael would be very humbled.

6

CONGRATULATIONS

The 30th September was the wedding day of Charlotte, daughter of Rob and Shirley Mummery or Holmleigh, and Russell Llewelyn, son of Karen and Andy and step-son of John and Daphne. The ceremony and reception took place at Sandy Cove Hotel, with Charlotte's sister, Sophie, as bridesmaid. The honeymoon was spent in Gran Canaria. Charlotte and Russ live in Bristol where Charlotte organises the hospitality for King Lifting Ltd. and Russ is in accounting.

Charlotte was one of the first three babies to be welcomed in a very early issue of the Newsletter in 1989, so it is particularly pleasing to be able to wish her and Russ every happiness and good health in their future together.

On a very wet and blustery day - the tail end of hurricane Brian - St. Peter's Church on the 21st October was the setting for the marriage of Tia File-Darch, daughter of Sarah and grand-daughter of Joyce and Gary, and Michael, son of Mr. and Mrs. Blackmore. The reception was held at The Dolphin, Combe Martin, and a short honeymoon spent in the North.Tia is Kitchen Manager at the Primary School and the school choir sang for them during the service. Michael is barman at Easewell Farm at Woolacombe.

We wish them, too, health and happiness in their future together.

7

A RED-INDIAN WEDDING PRAYER

8

NEWS FROM THE PRIMARY SCHOOL

We've had a busy time at school this autumn with many different activities alongside the regular curriculum. Here are some of them.

Harvest Festival

On Thursday 5th October we had our Harvest Festival. The whole school really enjoyed singing their songs and doing group performances. Personally, I enjoyed singing "Conkers" the most, and we raised the roof of the church! It was one of the best Harvest Festivals ever!May

Big Bang Event

On 6th October Elderberries (Years 5 & 6) went to Torrington.First, we went to the big hall where there were numerous people with lots of inventions. Thomas almost won a Lego building competition. Then we went to another hall where a crazy scientist showed us magic tricks using science. Afterwards we went to a classroom and did tests such as blood pressure. We saw a cow's heart, ugh, and made slime out of glue, borax and food colouring. Alex A

Robot Coding

Some children from Year 6 went to West Buckland School to an event organised by teachers there. Bray Lino, an advertising company, were there and helped us to build and code robots. We then put the robots in a maze to see which robot could go fastest. Zac

PTFA Treasure Hunt

After school on 6th October we had a Treasure Hunt at Watermouth Castle. It was comprised of lots of questions placed around the castle grounds and marked by balloons. Participants had to write the answers down on one of two sheets of paper (one for adults and one for children). The children had to look for clues to answer the questions. The adults' questions often included trivia about the local area. Afterwards there were jacket potatoes and soup. (leek and potato made by Mr. Newell, and tomato and basil made by Tia, both equally scrumptious!) As an end to the lovely day, the children crowded on to the merry-go-round and begged for 20p's from the adults to make it go round! Altogether it was a fab time, and I hope it will be held again next year. Isabel

School Choir

Our school choir sang at the wedding of Tia and Michael. We sang our own version of "Hallelujah" with special words for a wedding and Mrs. Gill played the church organ. There were 12 people in the choir, and the church was full of people. We all felt very nervous when we were about to sing because everyone was listening to us.It went well, though, and we had a great time singing at the wedding. Ruby B and Rosie T

Art Week

The children enjoyed taking part in an Escher Style Art week. We had help from Ruth and Doug Burton, both established artists and parents to two of our pupils. Ruth has had work displayed at an Escher exhibition.

The children were able to experience tessellation whilst making their own pictures using Escher's intricate shapes and designs. Each class produced a large design that will be varnished and then displayed in the outdoor classroom as we are making this into a Maths learning area. Doug also worked with the children to make 'brush bots'. These robotic brushes created their own designs and were battery powered.

We should like to wish you all the best over Christmas and into the New Year. Many thanks to you all for the support given to the school throughout 2017.

Sue Carey - Head Teacher

9

For younger readers and those young at heart

TO SEE HER COUSIN

Do you remember our mermaid friend Marina who swam about the beaches of Combe Martin, Sandy Cove and Broadsands? She would often spend the night in that little cave at Broadsands.

Well, Marina had a little cousin who lived at Swansea across the Bristol Channel in Wales. Her cousin was called Seagal and was a pretty little mermaid with fair hair.

Now, Marina had not seen her cousin for quite a while and so she decided to swim across the channel to see her so they could talk about old times and have some fun together.

The sun was shining and it was going to be a fine day, so off she set.

"Marina," he asked, "Where are you going and what are you doing here?"
"Well, I'm going to see my cousin at Swansea."She replied.
"Jolly good," said the whale, "Jump on my back and I'll take you the rest of the way."
"Oh, that would be lovely, you are so kind."

They soon arrived at Swansea where Seagal was waiting for her. She told Marina that she had got her usual dolphin race arranged for the next day.

The slept together on a beach until the next morning when lo and behold, their dolphin friends were just a few years out treading water as though they were standing.

The mermaid wiggled their way down the beach into the water and had soon climbed on to the dolphins' backs. The race was to be around a nearby island and back.

"One, two, three, go," called Marina and off they sped.

Marina's dolphin was the fastest and she won the race with ease.

"Well done!" said Seagal, "Now I have a lovely meal for you.
"It's so good to be with you," Marina replied.

The meal consisted of scallops, mussels, oysters, welks and winkles, dressed with a seaweed sauce.

The next morning, it was time for Marina to return to her cave at Broadsands, but it was a long way home and would make her very tired. Soon she spotted what must have been one of the few coal boats taking coal across from Swansea to Ilfracombe. Trailing behind it was a rope and Marina was able to grab hold of it. Her journey home was much quicker and as soon as she spotted the white coastguard houses, she let go of the rope and swam back to the shore.

What a lovely time she had had, and it had been so nice to see her cousin again.

 

Illustrated by: Debbie Rigler-Cook

. . . and now for a junior mini quiz:

Tony Beauclerk - Stowmarket

Note: The answers to Tony's mini quiz are given in Edition 171, further on.

10

Our Open day

We held our open day on Saturday 16th September at the Pre-school.

It was very successful, meeting new families, allowing children to explore the setting and see all the different learning opportunities we have.It was an opportunity to meet the existing committee members and staff. We drew the winning tickets for our Grand Prize Draw which raised a total of £399.55

In October we had our Bag2School collection and are very grateful to all who supported this clothes recycling fundraising event. We raised £120.00 which will go towards new resources for the children.

New Committee

We held our AGM on Monday 2nd October. Tim and Leah Stedeford, Imogen and Jon Lisle, and David Skedgwell all stepped down from their positions and we thank them for all their voluntary time, work and contributions in supporting and running the Pre-school.

Fortunately, both Tim and Leah extended their position for a month to enable a new Chair and Treasure to step forward which has now been done.

As of Monday 6th November, Ben Heath was voted in and has taken on the role as Chairperson and Diana Norman as Treasurer. We have a new Secretary, Natalie Heath, and they look forward to working with the rest of the Committee to ensure our unique and much-loved Pre-school continues to run and provide the happy child-care that the children enjoy so much.

Autumn Term

Our autumn term has got off to a good start with children excited to learn, make new friends and share their play ideas. They have learnt our Pre-school rules; what we can and can't do as well as how to stay safe. The Topic of Fire Safety and Fire Officers has been very successful and enjoyed by all. This is alongside autumn walks though the village and celebrating harvest time with the School at the Church Service.

It was lovely to be invited to watch Mrs. Wellings' Reception Class's [Years 1 and 2] celebration of learning, Once Upon a Time, in the Hall and see how well previous Pre-school children have settled into primary school.

As this is being written, the Pre-school children are preparing for a short Christmas performance of the Nativity and being very creative making seasonal crafts, gifts and cards.

Fundraising evening

This year we shall be holding a fundraising evening at the Sandy Cove Hotel. This will take place on Thursday 14th December at 7.00 p.m., a Hog Roast and Casino Evening [vegetarian option will be available] with all proceeds going to Berrynarbor Preschool. Tickets are only £12 per head for great food and entertainment. Call Sandy Cove on [01271] 882243 to book now.

We still have spaces available for children to start, so if you would like to book a place for your child/children then please visit us or call us on 07932 851052 or email preschoolberrynarbor@gmail.com for more information.

Our opening times are 8.30am - 4.00pm Monday to Friday.

We are flexible and have a range of session times to meet your needs and these are given in the Manor Hall Diary later in this Newsletter.

We are Ofsted registered and in receipt of the 2-year-old funding and Early Years Entitlement. We are offering 30 hours free childcare to eligible families.

Further information in regards to this funding can be found at www.gov.uk/government/publications/30-hours-free-childcare-eligibility

So, from all the Committee, the children and staff, we wish you all

A Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

11

ST. PETER'S CHURCH

A special joint service with Combe Martin was held at St. Peter's on 5th November and for a pleasant change, Maureen Richards on clarinet, Jenny Cole playing guitar and yours truly on keyboard, presented the hymns in a pleasant new light! Rev. Bill Cole took the service which was attended by a good-sized congregation.

Our Antiques Fair regretfully had to be cancelled with only a few tickets being sold.Our Guest Valuer, who was coming up from Exeter, has kindly offered his services in 2018 when we hope to hold this event in the summer.

Our Harvest Supper was attended by over 40 people and everyone enjoyed themselves with a superb buffet provided by the ladies, who are to be congratulated once again. The evening was rounded off with a music and general knowledge quiz, enjoyed by all! After expenses we made a profit of £92 - which will be sent to the Shelter Box charity.A generous collection of tinned food, fruit and vegetables was donated and this will be given to the Food Bank in Ilfracombe to help those in need.

We mourn the passing of Michael Bowden who had been poorly for some considerable time and we send our sincere condolences to his wife Lorna and all the family. Michael was Captain of the Bellringers at St. Peter's for many years and not only was he a great character, but an inspiration to the whole team!He will be greatly missed by all the Bellringers and Parishioners here in Berrynarbor.

Remembrance Sunday will have passed by the time this article is read and we are hoping that once again a good-sized congregation will attend this very important service. The Choir will have sung the beautiful song Bring Him Home from Les Miserables, the words of which are so appropriate for remembering not just those who did not return from these two major conflicts, but to those who were badly injured surviving to be reunited with their families.

There will have been a special Holy Communion service held at St. Peter's Church, Combe Martin, on Sunday 26th November when we shall have welcomed parishioners from the whole 'Mission Community' covering Combe Martin, Berrynarbor, Ilfracombe, Woolacombe, Mortehoe and many others in the surrounding area.

Christmas is only just around the corner and. as highlighted in the October issue, our first event in December will be a special Concert given by the Exmoor Carolers in our Church on Sunday 10th, commencing at 4.00 p.m. The Exmoor Carolers have a very high reputation for presenting Carols in an entertaining way, and the evening will close with mulled wine and mince pies.Tickets are available from the village Shop priced at £7.50.As previously mentioned, do not miss this special event!

A reminder to all that, for the very first time, pupils from our Primary School will be walking around the village singing Carols and songs to the community on the evening of Wednesday, 13th December, starting from the Shop car park at 6.00 p.m.We welcome parents and friends to what should be a really fun evening!

Our Christmas Carol Service will be held this year on Monday,

18th starting at 5.45pm for the really young ones, followed at 6.30pm by the main Carol Service.Do come and support this wonderful evening which usually attracts over 100 people. As always, mulled wine and mince pies will be served after the service with soft drinks and chocolates for all the children!

Since Christmas Eve is on a Sunday there will be no morning service because our traditional Christmas Eve Service, which although entitled Midnight Mass, starts, as always, at 9.30 p.m.We welcome everyone from Berrynarbor as well as visitors from other parts of the country and also dear friends from overseas to this annual celebration.

Our Christmas Day Service will be a short Family one, commencing at the usual time of 11.00 a.m.Mums, dads and children are most welcome.

Since there are five Sundays in December, we are not quite sure [at going to press] whether there will be a service on the 31st, which is, of course, New Year's Eve, but we'll inform everyone nearer the time.

Berrynarbor PCC wish to thank Karen and her team for providing the Friendship Lunches throughout the year - but since Christmas is a very busy time at The Globe, there will be no Lunch in December.

We wish all Berrynarbor residents a very Happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year.

Stuart Neale.

12

FRIENDSHIP LUNCH

An informal lunch-time [12'ish] gathering in The Globe on the last Wednesday of the month - usually the 4th Wednesday, but sometimes there are 5 Wednesdays in the month.

Come and join us.

Jill McCrae [01271] 882121

13

NEWS FROM THE VILLAGE SHOP AT BERRYNARBOR

The walrus, the carpenter and the wine circle

Shop committee members, Karen Loftus [aka our village postmistress] and Vicki Elden, recently presented some of the shop's finest wines and cheeses to the village Wine Circle - you can read the Circle's report on page 32).

During the evening the oenophiles were asked to complete a short survey about our village shop. In their response, several of the members seemed to agree with Lewis Carroll's walrus [and the carpenter] when they said 'a loaf of bread is what we chiefly need'.

They were making the point that sometimes the shop runs out of bread or doesn't have the loaf that they want.Shop Manager.

Debbie Thomas, has 'risen' to the challenge.

"We try not to over-stock bread," she explains, "For every loaf we waste, we have to sell seven to make up for it. So, you see our dilemma.

"So, we've decided to offer people an ordering service. If you want bread in the week you can either set up a permanent order, or for our regular bread you can call us from 8.30 in the morning on [01271] 883215 to have a loaf put by for you. We hope this new ordering service will help."

Overall the response to the survey was a huge endorsement for the shop, its products and its staff.Everyone agreed that it was vitally important to the village; they said they love the wide range of local produce on offer and the warm and friendly service made visiting the shop a real pleasure.

Christmas hamper draw

Not one but three! The shop has put together three very special hampers for this year's Christmas draw - a wine and cheese hamper; a port, mince pies and Christmas pudding hamper, and an After Christmas curry kit hamper. Tickets are just a £1 so don't miss out - make sure you get your tickets now. The draw will take place on Thursday, 21st December.

A big thank you to all those who bought tickets in the recent Rotary grand draw. It raised nearly £100 for the shop.

Posting dates for your Christmas mail

For UK post:last date for 2nd class and 2nd class signed for is Wednesday, 20th December. For 1st class and 1st class signed for Thursday, 21st December. Special delivery guaranteed is Friday,

22nd December. For international, airmail, the latest dates for some countries start on Saturday, 2nd December.If you have mail to go abroad, enquire at the Post Office for the dates.

Christmas orders and holiday arrangements

Our popular order forms are now available for all your Christmas meat, vegetables and dairy orders. Orders this year can be picked up on Saturday 23rd December. Because the Bank Holidays fall on the Monday and Tuesday, the shop will close on Saturday, 23rd, and re-open on Wednesday 27th December.

The Shop Management and Committee would like to thank all customers for their loyalty in 2017 and look forward to seeing all of you again soon.

14

CHRISTMAS TREES

 

Fresh Christmas trees will again be available from the Shop. They will be delivered there for you to buy.

There is no need to order and there will be various sizes to choose from.

These trees are, of course, village grown by Richard and Be, who are kindly donating £3 from each sale to the Shop and £1 to the Newsletter.

15

REPORT FROM THE PARISH COUNCIL

Update on the Play Equipment in the Recreation Field

It is with regret that the Parish Council has been left with no choice other than to permanently remove the basket swing and frame from the Recreation Field.Having followed the professional advice from play installation companies prior to the purchase, the current location was found to be the most appropriate position for the equipment.However, not all residents were in agreement and unfortunately the equipment has been the subject of a nuisance claim.

Prior to the claim, and following initial complaints, the Parish Council sought further advice from the company that provided and installed the play equipment on its position, and, although there was one location that was found to be suitable by a Chartered Survey during the process of the claim, this was not found to be suitable by the professional play installation company. The Parish Council did not feel it could ignore the advice of the play installation company, therefore, in the Parish Council's opinion, there is no alternative position for the basket swing within the Recreation Field and the basket swing will be removed in its entirety.The Parish Council is pursuing a donation of the swing and frame to the Berrynarbor Primary School in the hope that those attending the school can still enjoy the equipment. Unfortunately, the school cannot afford the cost to install the basket swing at this time and the Parish Council is looking to fundraise to assist.The Parish Council is in receipt of pledges for private donations and would welcome any further donations.

We know the basket swing was a successful piece of equipment that was enjoyed by a number of children from the parish and surrounding areas.The Parish Council is also saddened by the loss of this equipment.

Festive Lights for Village Centre

On a brighter note the Parish Council would like to say thank you to the District Councillors Mrs. Yvette Gubb and John Lovering for contributing funds from their District Council Community Councillor Grants towards the purchase of lights to enhance the celebrations and festivities that already take place within the village.The lights are on order and should be installed around the centre of the village in time for this year's festive period.

Village Signs

The new wrought iron village signs are almost complete and should be installed at the three main entrance points to the village in the near future.We would again like to thank the County Councillor Andrea Davis for the contribution from her Devon County Council Locality budget which has made the project possible.

Flag Design Competition

The Parish Council would like to thank all the younger members of the community that took part in the Flag Design Competition, there were a

number of creative designs and the Parish Council found it difficult to choose a winner.However, after much consideration, a winner has been chosen who will have their design printed onto a flag and presented to them in the near future.

16

CROSSWORD CORNER
Dave Beagley

 

Solution in Article 26.

17

18

19

20

BERRY IN BLOOM & BEST KEPT VILLAGE

Berrynarbor has won GOLD [the highest award] in the R.H.S. Britain in Bloom Competition 2017.The village was also awarded joint top place for the size of our village in the South West. Obviously, the Berry in Bloom team is thrilled to bits!

The judges came on the 5th July and spent 2 hours driving and walking around the village, from Watermouth Harbour to the Sterridge Valley, but concentrated mostly around the centre of the village.They chatted to several of the team over a cup of tea in the Lodge garden.

Areas they commented on of special achievement are:

• The village Website and Newsletter.
• The village Shop with the new red telephone box Information Centre.
• The renovation of the garden at the Pre-school undertaken by the team and the encouragement to the children to pick up litter in the playground by giving gloves and litter pickers for them to use.
• The thriving village activities, from the Church Choir and Bell Ringers, the village Pub Skittle Teams and Quiz Nights and the numerous activities undertaken in the Manor Hall.
• The Berry in Bloom team is commended for their fund-raising activities and their partnership with Jigsaw who supply the village with almost all the plants used.

Areas the judges felt could be improved are:

• Claude's Garden where there could be some flower borders.
• The shrubbery in the car park could be renovated.

We shall be entering the competition next year and striving for gold again. Meanwhile, the bulbs for the new year are planted and we look forward to spring again.

We held a very successful 'soup and pud' fund raising evening on Friday 10th November.  After expenses £820.00 was raised.  Many thanks to everyone involved and for the donations of homemade soup and yummy puddings.

Wendy Applegate

21

Gingerbread Christmas trees

This year I am making these sweet little gingerbread Christmas trees to go in the hampers that Colin and I make for our many nephews and nieces. Colin is King of the chutneys and jams and my contribution is sweets, cakes and biscuits.

Ingredients

Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6.

Melt the butter, sugar and syrup in a pan slowly.Mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda and ground ginger into a large bowl and then stir in the butter mixture to make stiff dough. If it won't quite come together, add a tiny splash of water.

Put a sheet of baking paper on to your work surface and roll out the mixture, then use a cookie cutter to cut out the biscuits [if you don't have a Christmas tree cutter, you could use a star, reindeer or whatever you fancy]. Slide the sheet of baking paper on to a baking tray and bake for 10/12 minutes until golden and just a little darker at the edges. Leave to cool on the tray for a few minutes and then finish cooling on a wire rack.

When cool use your imagination to decorate.For my Christmas trees I shall use the white icing to look like tinsel and then use the silver balls to look like Christmas baubles.

I shall make these a week before Christmas and keep them in an airtight tin. I shall then put them in cellophane bags and tie them up with Christmas ribbon.

Happy Christmas baking!

Wendy Applegate

22

LOCAL WALK - 165

More often heard than seen

I've never seen a nightjar. This elusive summer visitor spends the day crouched motionless on the ground or along a branch. Cleverly camouflaged;its grey-brown plumage resembled a piece of bark making it difficult to spot. But at dawn or dusk it takes to the wing to hawk for insects, mainly moths. It appears long-winged and narrow tailed, its flight agile and buoyant.

Heath and moorland and clearings where conifers have been felled are its typical habitat. It arrives from Africa late April 'til May and departs from mid-August 'til September. Each summer North Devon bird enthusiasts meet at Welsford or Bursdon Moor near Hartland, for an evening field trip, hoping to see a nightjar or at least to hear its distinctive 'churring' call.

But it is possible that nightjars occur closer to Berrynarbor. Last year an attractive and informative book, The Birds of Exmoor and the Quantocks, was published and one of its authors, David Balance, told me nightjars had been recorded on Trentishoe Down in the past but there had been no records recently because he did not think anyone had gone in search of them. [The last record was in 2012.]

So, he suggested I might like to go there just after sunset or just before dawn. Tempting! But although we frequently walk over Trentishoe Down, we confine our visits to daylight hours. It would be nice though to know whether Trentishoe Down does still host the nightjar. A challenge for next summer perhaps?

Illustrated by: Paul Swailes

A historical note:The Reverend Gilbert White was intrigued by the usually cryptic bird and in his 'The Natural History of Selbourne' published in 1787 described an encounter with a nightjar [which he also called a churn-owl].

Up a steeply wooded hill he had made a zig-zag path leading to a place for holding summer picnics. He wrote: "An uninvited guest one evening was a nightjar. As my neighbours were assembled in a hermitage on the side of a steep hill where we drank tea, one of these Churn-owls came and settled on that edifice and began to chatter and continued his note for many minutes. "We were all struck with wonder to find that the vocal organs of that little animal, when put in motion, gave a sensible vibration to the whole building."

Sue H

23

BERRYNARBOR WINE CIRCLE

'What is better than to sit at the table at the end of the day and drink wine with friends'?James Joyce

Some time ago, the Wine Circle was treated to a presentation by the shop's Managers: Debbie and Karen.It was an excellent evening, so much so that we had no hesitation to offer the shop a 'slot' for our current season.

Karen, supported ably by Vicki Elden, a Shop Volunteer and Wine Circle member, delivered, literally, a Wine and Cheese Evening, with all products from our marvellous village shop.Wine prices sit between £4.50 and £14.99, so a bottle needn't break the bank either. There were some 'stars' on the night and they deserve the following space!

We began with a Tanti Prosecco Spumante Extra Dry. The Glera grapes were from the banks of Lake Garda and produced by a leading family-owned vineyard. It would be good with fish, shellfish, appetisers and snacks, or cheeses, and was! Its price, just £7.99, matches equivalents from local supermarkets, but without the mileage!

Our third, the dearest white, is £11.59, but it's dearer online. It was English but, actually, Devonian.Sharpham Dart Valley Reserve 2015 comes from the banks above the Dart, near Totnes. It was described as off-dry with rounded mellowness.Mmmm, I agreed with that; it was lovely. It deserved its award for the Best Dry White Wine in the South West vineyards completion 2017. The Sharpham Estate has been producing wines and unpasteurised cheeses for more than 20 years.

We had their Sharpham Brie too; this was good, extremely good! It was voted runner up in the Best Soft Cheese category in the Great British Cheese Awards this year.On a personal note, we love our cheese and would eat this one every day of the week, if it wasn't for feeling we should watch the cholesterol intake.

Running Duck, Cabernet Sauvignon, £7.99, is a South African organic, and familiar with many Circle members, because we've had it before.Its unusual and memorable name relates to the Indian Running Ducks used by the Trawal vineyard to eat the vineyard's pests. It's a popular purchase from the shop because being organic it, unusually, doesn't contain the sulphites, a preservative, believed to cause RWH. That's red-wine hangover to you and me.It would go well with a punchy pasta dish, pizza and dare I add, duck!As a red wine drinker, I think this is great value and the fact that its makers have created wine without the sulphur dioxide has proved to the industry that you can create wine without the inclusion of chemicals!

Our other white was a Brancott Estate Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2016, £8.49, less than Majestic's. Our 1st and 3rd reds were a Louis Jadot Beaujolais Villages, £10.99 and a Barefoot. The latter was a Californian Merlot, £6.99, and has been a gold medal winner.

In addition to the Sharpham Brie we tried and tested goats' cheese: a Ticklemore Goat, also from the Sharpham dairy and the West Country Billie Goats' cheese.The former was semi-hard, but moist, slightly crumbly.The Devonshire Devil is a great-tasting mature Cheddar. Many people don't like goat's cheese, but, on the other hand, many present liked these.The Devonshire Cheddar was devilishly good: a rich, creamy cheese with a slight nuttiness.

The shop's shelves boast 30 varieties of wine.Up to 50 different cheeses, all from the south west, are in their chilled cabinet, throughout the year! That's a staggering number and very impressive for a rural village shop! Some of the wines are not found on large retailers' shelves, such as the Running Duck range.Local produce has travelled fewer miles than many mass-produced products and small or family-owned producers always seem to manage to include a certain 'je ne sais quoi': an indefinable quality.They are well worth a try!

'God in His goodness sent the grapes to cheer both great and small;'Anonymous

Once upon a time there was a wine company whose business was entirely wholesale. Thankfully, that has changed, because Bray Valley Wines of South Molton are a friendly, professional, knowledgeable, privately-owned company who give great personal service. They claim that their aim is: quality, value and excellent service; it is.They sell easy drinking wines at everyday prices to everybody.

Basa, was produced in Rueda, north-western Spain, from local Verdejo and Viura grapes, in what Peter Rollinson described as a beautiful but barren landscape.Bray Valley described it as packed with crisp, clean flavours; members described it as very drinkable and could be enjoyed without food.This provides strong competition to a good Sauvignon Blanc.I wasn't the only one who loved it!BVW retail it at £8.49.

Muscadet once suffered at the bottom of the market but our second white was lovely, atypical of what many expect from this wine type and would be even better with food.Muscadet Sevre et Maine sur Lie is a Loire wine.It was dry and full-flavoured but still delicate and would be good with fish and seafood.Made with Melon de Bourgogne grapes on vines aged between 15-30 years old, it retails at £8.69.

Chardonnay makes many groan and induces, often," I can't stand it. ABC: Anything But Chardonnay!" Peter produced another atypical wine, as it didn't smell oily, nor did it taste greasy, as many Australian and Californian Chardonnays can, but usually, their wines are heavily oaked; however, Montagny 1er Cru les Saint Morilles is a 2015 White Burgundy, pure Chardonnay and French. Part of its maturing process occurred in

oak barrels; the other was in stainless steel tanks at controlled temperature, which made an obvious difference and many agreed that they would drink it again; however, it retails at £16.99, so it may not be considered as a daily tasting!

Our first red was Beaujolais.Domaine Romy produced the Vieilles Vignes Les Pierres Dorees.It was a light and fruity wine and light red in colour.It was a good example of a Beaujolais, grown on old vines, hence its name and was nicely aromatic, with a refreshing finish. It retails at £8.99.

Californian wine doesn't, usually, have a revered reputation, perhaps the Blossom Hill label has affected that, but in my opinion, and many others, our second red was the obvious winner of the reds' contest. Southern Hills Cabernet Sauvignon comes from the Wente Vineyards' in California.At 2013, it was the oldest wine of the evening, but it wasn't the dearest! Its grapes come from the valley floor and southern hills of the Livermore Valley in California, located close to San Francisco Bay.Sunshine, warm sea breezes and gravelly alluvial soils make wine-making heaven. It was smooth, sweet and delicious, a big wine, perfect with a steak or other grilled red meats, and a great partner to your Christmas roast beef, perhaps!£12.99.

Another French product finished our evening, Chateau La Tour de By is a Medoc, 2014. This was the dearest red at £15.99 and a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot grapes. It is oak matured for 14 months and comes from a Cru Bourgeois estate and one of the leading Cru Bourgeois properties in the Medoc.It was Cabernet-dominated and packed with lively, spicy blackcurrant tastes and would work well with grilled and roasted meats or cheese, but, sorry, France, you've been beaten by a Californian on this occasion!

Our Christmas meeting is traditional: Committee's Choice.Six wines are presented by our six enthusiastic committee members.Presenting one only means that we all enjoy the festive food and fun.

January's Call My Wine Bluff, on the 17th, is another high point.Its hilarity is created by three, straight-faced committee members; however, they all present a plausible description for our six wines.Only one is correct, obviously!

The Wine Beer Supermarket, in Roscoff, Brittany, will make their first presentation to the Circle, although, it's a known wine outlet to many members. Unusually, this will be the fourth Wednesday of February, as the 28th is more convenient for WBS as transportation involves a ferry crossing.

Judith Adam - Promotional Co-ordinator and Secretary

24

 

25

CROSSWORD ANSWERS

26

MOVERS AND SHAKERS - NO 72

WENCESLAUS I, DUKE OF BOHEMIA
[907 - 28 September 935]

Celebrated "Good King Wenceslas"

Christmastide again! How quickly it comes around - and ever more quickly the older one gets.As a friend said recently, "It doesn't seem worth putting the decorations back up in the loft"!

 

Wenzeslaus, probably by Peter Parler
St. Vitus Cathedral, Prague
Peter Parler (?)
Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

But who should I write about this year with a Christmas theme? I thought of St Stephen of 'Good King Wenceslas looked out, on the Feast of Stephen' fame. That, also known as St. Stephen's Day in most of the west. is to those who don't know, December 26th.^. This is of course our Boxing Day, so named in the mid-19th century because tradesmen would go around their various employers of that year with a special Christmas box into which said employers would give a gift of money. Nowadays, folk come home with their boxes from the sales on that day!

Having spent some considerable time researching and writing about St Stephen however, I became so depressed by such a sad tale that he didn't seem the right subject for such a joyous occasion. So, I turned to Wenceslaus, who turns out to be a real 'mover and shaker' even though on this earth for only 28 years.

The name Wenceslaus is the Latinised name of the Czech Vaclav, where he was known as Vaclav the Good.

The popular carol Good King Wenceslas was written by John Mason Neale and published in1853. The tune he selected dates back to 1582 when a spring hymn thought to originate in Scandinavia was published. The carol's popularity is in spite of there being no reference whatsoever to the Nativity!

Mr. Neale referred to him as Wenceslas, I will add the extra 'u' to conform with Wenceslaus Square in Prague Centre.

Wenceslaus was born in Prague, the son of Vratislaus l, Duke of Bohemia [a Christian], and Drahomira, [daughter of a pagan chief]. In 921, when Wenceslaus was 13, his father died and his paternal grandmother, Ludmila, who had been responsible for his education, became regent. His mother became jealous of grandma's influence over her son and later that year, on September 15th, arranged for assassins to kill her.It's said that she was strangled with her veil. She was buried in Tetin, one of the oldest villages in Bohemia, but later Wenceslaus arranged for her remains to be removed to the church of St. George in Prague, which had been built by his father.

Drahomira, in her new role of regent, took measures against the Christians, but when Wenceslaus came of age, he took control of the government and by 924 or 5 had exiled his mother. To avoid family disputes, he divided the country between himself and his younger brother, Boleslaus - later known as Boleslaus the Cruel, for reasons you will read about.

Over the years, apart from fighting numerous wars, he founded a rotunda dedicated to St Vitus within Prague Castle which is still there today as St Vitus Cathedral. Within the castle are displayed his armour and helmet.

He was on the whole a kindly and pious ruler. This is borne out in 1119, by Cosmas, a Prague chronicler, who states that:

"...rising every night from his noble bed, with bare feet and only
one chamberlain, he [Wenceslaus] went around to God's
churches and gave alms generously to widows, orphans, those
in prison and afflicted by every difficulty, so much so that he was
considered, not a prince, but the father of all the wretched."

This, no doubt, gave rise to our popular carol, which could be based on facts, although no-one knows why Mr. Neale gives Wenceslaus the job of taking pine logs to a man who lives by the 'forest fence' nor how in the last but one verse can one understand how 'Heat was in the very sod which the Saint had printed'. He must have been very hot-footed! But I still love the carol, and like his last message:

"Therefore, Christian men, be sure
Wealth or rank possessing,
Ye who now will bless the poor,
Shall yourselves find blessing."

These days, it will apply to women, too!

Several centuries later, this story was said to be true by none other than Pope Pius ll, although one wonders how much more he knew of Wenceslaus's life.

But this makes his ending even sadder. On 28th September 935, his wicked brother Boleslaus and a group of nobles arranged to kill him. He was invited to a feast where three of Boleslaus's companions pounced on him and stabbed him to death. As he fell, Wenceslaus was run through with a lance from his brother. September 28th is now his Saint's Day.

 

Statue of St. Wenceslas in Wenceslas Square
Sculpture by Josef Vaclav Myslbek
Polyparadigm~commonswiki assumed (based on copyright claims).
CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Shortly after his death, Wenceslaus was declared a martyr and saint, and a cult of Wenceslaus grew up in both Bohemia and England. Within a few decades, several popular biographies added to his reputation for heroic goodness by declaring that he was a monarch whose power came from "piety and princely vigour".

Although only a duke during his lifetime, he was posthumously declared a king by the Holy Roman Emperor Otto l and hence Good King Wenceslas emerged. [This man is not to be confused with King Wenceslaus l of Bohemia who lived three centuries later.]

Wenceslaus's influence wasn't yet finished. In Wenceslaus Square a communal meeting place in the centre of Prague, you can see a statue of him on horseback.He has a chapel dedicated to him in St Vitus Cathedral, where his remains lie; in the same place is a statue of him. Although the head looks far too big, it is apparently the same size as his skull.And a 12th century Czech popular religious song,

Saint Wenceslaus Chorale, was in1918 considered a possibility for the Czechoslovak National Anthem. During the Nazi occupation it was often played with the official anthem.

In 2000 Wenceslaus was declared Patron Saint of the Czech Republic. After so many centuries, what a legacy - and a justifiable mover and shaker.

With the hopes of none of us suffering 'the rude wind's wild lament', Happy Christmas everyone!

PP of DC

27

28

Enjoy an evening with friends with a grand selection of
homemade soups and puddings. You won't go home hungry!
Bring your own drinks and glasses. Raffle. All proceeds to Charity.
Tickets will be available shortly from Berrynarbor Village Shop or contact Be and Richard on [01271] 882885

29

Junior Mini Quiz Answers

30

BERRYNARBOR MANOR HALL TRUST

We hope our regular users are enjoying the new lighting and have worked out how to use them - it is easy when you know how!

At present we are unable to use our one remaining gas heater, this somewhat antiquated heat source is due to be serviced this month so we hope to get it up and working again soon. In the mean-time though, please let us know if your user group needs the heating put on for a time before you start your session as well as during. Of course, we are desperate to change our heating to a more efficient and user-friendly system but until we can secure a large amount of funding it will not sadly be happening this winter so we must accept big heating bills to keep our loyal users warm.

On funding news - we are still ploughing our way through this complicated process but are hopeful that various applications will be in place by the beginning of the new year.

We have lots of ideas for fundraising and general socials in the pipeline, our first, to get you feeling festive will be a

Please join us for this friendly village get together.

May we all wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

  The Manor Hall Trustees

31

32

CHRISTMAS AT LEE LODGE
there will be a
PARTY/FETE
on
Tuesday, 19th December
from 2.00 p.m.
Cake Stall, Raffle, Tombola
Tea and Entertainment
ALL WELCOME!

Any donations towards the stalls would be much appreciated

33

CHILLDHOOD LITERATURE

Daisy Ashford's The Young Visiters or Mr Salteenas Plan gives a different meaning to childhood literature. It was written when she was 9 years old but not actually published until 1919, preserving her juvenile spelling and punctuation and with a Preface by J.M. Barrie.

 

Daisy Ashford as a child
No picture credit
Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

In The Young Visiters she tells of the love triangle between Mr Salteena, "an elderly man of forty-two", and his friends Ethel Montecue and Bernard Clark. Ethel and Mr.Salteena visit Bernard's house:

 

Daisy Ashford - 1919
George Grantham Bain Collection (Library of Congress), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

"Well said Mr Salteena lapping up his turtle soup you have a very sumpshous house Bernard. His friend gave a weary smile and swallowed a few drops of sherry wine. It is fairly decent he replied with a bashful glance at Ethel after our repast I will show you over the premisis. Many thanks said Mr Salteena getting rather flustered over his forks."

Margaret Mary Julia Ashford, known as Daisy, was born in Petersham, Surrey in April 1881, the daughter of Emma and William Ashford. Education mainly at home with her two younger sisters, Maria Veronica [Vera] and Angela Mary [Angie], she dictated her first book, The Life of Father Swiney, to her father when she was just four. It was published in 1983.

From 1889 to 1904, the family lived in Lewes where she wrote The Young Visiters, as well as several other stories, a play and another short novel or novella.

She stopped writing during her teenage years and in 1904 moved with her family to Bexhill and then London, where she worked as a secretary. During the First World War she ran a canteen in Dover.

When published in1919, The Young Visiters was an immediate success. It was reprinted 18 times in the first year, dramatized for the stage in 1920, adapted into a musical in 1968, filmed twice, in 1994 and for television in 2003.

In 1920 she married James Devlin and settled in Norfolk running for a time, the Kings Arms Hotel in Reepham, later farming at Hellesdon, Norwich, as well as bringing up their four children. James died in 1956.

Daisy did not write in later years but in old age began an autobiography which she subsequently destroyed. She died, at Hellesdon, in January 1972 at the age 90.

Judie Weedon

34

CAROLS IN THE SQUARE

 

This year's Christmas Carols in the Square will be on Christmas Eve. Meet at 6.00 p.m. in good voice to enjoy singing as well as mulled wine and mince pies. Should the weather be wet, meet in the Function Room at The Globe. Donations of wine would be gratefully received!

35

OLD BERRYNARBOR - VIEW 170

Christmas 2017 and New Year 2018

Not really old Berrynarbor, but like last year I have chosen two Christmas and two New Year greeting postcards from my collection.

The first is a very early postcard published by Raphael Tuck & Sons, chromographed in Germany and numbered 3534. The card has an un-split back and a squared thimble ILLFRACOMBE 5.15 PM DE 24 [19]04postmark. It was sent to Miss W. Creek, Hotel Montebello, Ilfracombe. The fact that it shows a Father Christmas in blue shows how early the card was published.*

 

 

*Father Christmas was originally clothed in either green or blue, but in the 1930's, a certain American soft drinks company decided he should be dressed in red as part of a marketing campaign. And that has stuck!

The second, over-printed Christmas Greetings, shows the view looking down Fore Street, Ilfracombe, and is from the original painting by the famous artist H.B. Wimbush, and numbered 7461. The postmark over a green halfpenny stamp is SAFRON-WALDEN 10PM DE 24 [19]06.

On the address side is states:Fore Street, Ilfracombe, once a seaport of some importance, is now a rapidly increasing watering place, whose popularity is as well-established as the reputation of its mild winters. Fore Street used to be its main street, but there are many new squares and terraces now.

The first New Year postcard has not been posted but is again a fairly early greetings card.

As well as the verse by William Luff, it shows a goldcrest, which is the smallest of all European birds. It weighs just 5 to 6 grams and 8 to 11 eggs are incubated by the hen for 14 days.

 

 

The fourth and final card - A Merry Christmas and Happy New Year - shows a pretty young lady with a feint message:

I was going to send you a letter
To you whose memory is dear
But instead I will wish you by postcard
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Again, the card has been printed in Germany and has a 1912 postmark over a green halfpenny stamp of George V.

Tom Bartlett
Tower Cottage, November 2017
e-mail: tomandinge40@gmail.com

36

NEWS FROM YE OLDE GLOBE

Here are our events for the Christmas period:

• Regular weekly Quiz Nights: Sunday 3rd and 10th December. Arrive 8.00 p.m. for 8.30 p.m. start.
• CHRISTMAS QUIZ: Sunday 17th December. Please book your table in advance as it gets very full. Slightly earlier start so arrive 7.30 p.m. for an 8.00 p.m. start. There will be a music round, tasting round, lots of Christmassy questions and a Christmas Picture round PLUS bonus points for your team if Everyone in the team is wearing something festive.
• End of Year Quiz: Boxing Day, arrive 7.30 for 8.00 p.m. start. Lots of questions on events that occurred during 2017. Booking is strongly advised again as its usually fully booked.
• Our Fabulous Fun Music Nights: Saturday 9th December with Such & Vincent playing in the bar from 9.00 p.m. Friday 15th December with Wayne Green returning for the annual Christmas Sing-a-long. It is also National Christmas Jumper Day so there's a prize for Best Christmas Jumper and have a go at winning our Annual Cream Cracker Eating Contest.
• Our Christmas Draw Tickets are now on sale and the prizes will be drawn on Christmas Eve following the Church Service.
• On Christmas Day the bar will be open from 11.30 a.m. - 2/2.30 p.m. Looking for something to do between Christmas and New Year? Then join us on Thursday 28th December for our fun Games Night. Please put your names down in advance.
• . . . and the theme for this year's New Year's Eve Party is The Wild West. The party starts at 8.00 p.m. There'll be games and activities with a Wild West Theme in the Function Room with Music, and Dancing and a bit of Karaoke in the bar. The buffet is 'on us' as a thank you for your custom throughout the year. Please just let us know how many are in your party so that we can make sure we cater for enough.

We look forward to being able to serve you soon. Have a wonderful Christmas from

Karen, Don, Edith and our Team here at The Globe

37

AT-A-GLANCE DIARY

School, Pre-School and Toddler Group - Term Time only

38