Edition 110 - October 2007
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The Men's Institue Cup
EDITORIAL It has become a tradition that the cover of the October issue is provided by the pupils of our Primary School. This year, under the guidance of staff, the subject for their work was the Horticultural Show's theme of 'Music'. The winners received their awards and cups at the Show where their pictures were on display. Thank you to them all and to all the pupils for their colourful and imaginative work. Apologies to Keelan and Mia, the lovely silver on their pictures does not unfortunately scan on to the computer. Weather - that inevitable topic of conversation! Well, the rain did eventually stop and we have enjoyed a few weeks of warm and sunny, but rather autumnal days. There is a nip in the air in the evenings, which have definitely drawn in.
Our thoughts have been with the Ozelton family following the kitchen fire at The Globe. Work is well in hand and we hope that 'normal service will be resumed as soon as possible'. Good luck and best wishes. We also send our very best wishes to all those in the village who are not feeling 'fighting fit' at present - we hope you will soon be feeling better. The next few weeks look as if they are going to be busy, with various Christmas fairs, auction, road shows and other village activities - so make a note of the dates in your diaries and go along to give your support to these events - many to help others as well as our Community Shop.
As always, my sincere thanks to everyone who has contributed to this issue. Unbelievably, the next one will be December and Christmas - can another year nearly be over? Contributions, especially Christmassy ones, are always welcome early but items will be required by Monday, 12th November at the latest please. For those of you wishing to send your Christmas greetings to friends and neighbours via the Newsletter - and I hope many of you will do this again, perhaps even more - please let me have your message and a donation towards Manor Hall funds as soon as possible and again by the 12th November latest. Thank you. Articles and messages may be left either at the Shop or Chicane.
Judie - Ed 1
BERRYNARBOR LADIES' GROUP After the August break, the
Autumn Meetings began on September 4th when Helen Latham gave an interesting
talk about her life in the 20's and 30's.
She was educated at a convent school where she learnt to read, write and
behave impeccably - but little else! Fearing
that she might be put to work as a "skivvy", she went to live with her aunt and
uncle. During this period she was
introduced to life in the theatre but her aunt guided her towards the more
rewarding profession of nursing. After
training and working on the wards in hospitals, she became an industrial nurse
and eventually married the son of the managing director! The raffle was won by Mavis
Pesic and birthday cards were given to Joan Garbett, Ann Hinchliffe and
Margaret Weller. On 2nd October Mrs. Cooke
will be demonstrating Hedgerow Baskets,
and a Cookery Demonstration will be given at the meeting on the 6th
November. The Meeting on 4th December
will be a Christmas party. Trips have been arranged
for shopping in Once again members are
looking forward to a Christmas Lunch at The Lodge on Monday 17th December. Meetings are held on the
first Tuesday of each month at Doreen
Prater 2  ST. PETER'S CHURCH Everyone
rallied round to make the best of the inclement evening for the Summer Fayre on
14th August. Stall holders and those
running the various attractions were kept busy, as were those providing hot
drinks, and a special mention for Ivan and family who as always braved the
elements to do a brilliant job on the barbecue. Our thanks go to everyone who supported us
in so many different ways. Gifts poured
in and the china/bric-a-brac stall did particularly well with 'new' stock for
sale. By the time all expenses had been
paid, £836 was raised towards church funds.
Congratulations
and praise all round were the order of the Bank Holiday week-end when the
Flower Festival was held in the church.
The theme was 'Creation' and included not only set pieces based on
verses from Genesis, but also displays featuring the creative arts. Visitors were most impressed commenting on
the imagination and professionalism displayed and also saying how refreshingly
unique it was against the backdrop of a small village church. Our thanks to Sue Wright and the St. Peter's
team of flower arrangers and also to Ilfracombe Floral Art Club - we could not
have staged the event without them.
Once again Judie kindly produced the informative leaflets and others
gave up time to steward the church.
Donations over the week-end, including proceeds from the wine and cheese
evening, came to £408.50. Expenses were
met from the generosity of the Ilfracombe Club, individual donations and St. Peter's Flower Fund. The
task of redecoration of the interior walls of the church has begun. There will be upheaval and some
inconvenience over the next few weeks and the church will not always be open
for safety reasons, but services will continue as normal. The
special Candle Service for remembering loved ones, family and friends, at All
Saints will be held on Sunday, 4th November at Remembrance
Day falls on Sunday, 11th November this year and the Service will begin in
church at We
have been thinking of the Ozelton family as they deal with the aftermath of the
fire at The Globe. In spite of
everything, they gave thought to the Friendship Lunches and in August we all
went to the Sawmill Inn where we were well looked after and served lovely
meals, which everyone enjoyed. We shall
be there again in September but hope to return to The Globe later in the
year. Our last two lunches for 2007
will be held on Wednesdays 31st October and 28th November. The
PCC has just received a cheque for £130 from Lee Lodge, part of Fremington
Homes. Staff and residents held an Open
Day and Cream Tea on 29th August in support of the church and attracted a lot
of visitors who were very impressed. We
should like to thank everyone involved and
wish Lee Lodge every success in their new venture. Mary Tucker 3 PLEASE! Advance Notice: This autumn, when taking cuttings,
dividing perennials, planting bulbs or sowing seeds, please do a few extra and
keep them for THE GREAT BERRYNARBOR PLANT SALE To be held
on May Bank Holiday 2008 Proceeds
to Berrynarbor Community Shop 4  PARISH
COUNCIL REPORT August
was a fairly quiet month. The Council
met to determine the various planning applications and deal with correspondence
and it was agreed unanimously to request a Parish Survey to determine local
housing needs. This will take place in
the near future. Claude's Garden The new lawns have been seeded by Councillor Clive Richards, our thanks to him;
we now look forward to the next stage. Would
anyone like to donate a bench in memory of a loved one? We have had to remove the bench from the
Manor Hall as it was unsafe and beyond repair. The
Public Toilets have caused problems
this last month. I apologise for any inconvenience and would like to thank
those people who allowed others into their own homes to use their facilities. Thank you to Richard Lewis for sorting out a very
unpleasant situation and Brian Davies for all his help. Hedges encroaching onto
the highway are in some places a danger to both walkers and motorists. Please look at your own property and take
the appropriate action. Thank
you to the Berry in Bloom Group for
all their hard work. The village looked
lovely, and it was disappointing not to be placed this year, but I understand
from other competitors, that the judging was rather unusual! Sue
Sussex - Chairman
5  LETTER FROM THE RECTOR The Rectory Dear Friends, Did you see that repeat
programme on the television the other month about those who
have been awarded the V.C. for bravery over
and above that expected by a British serviceman? It was a fascinating
programme highlighting the courage of soldiers, sailors and
airmen. The thing that struck me about
all these brave men is that you would probably just pass them by in the street
without realizing their brave history. They
were all unassuming men. They were not
glory seekers. The main person in the
programme happened to be the presenter's father-in-law who was
at
Then last week on the BBC they did a
series on "Carers" - how one woman was caring day and night for her husband who
had Alzheimer's said that she had "lost"
her husband years ago, and now was his carer not his wife. There were tears in
her eyes as she spoke. It was out of
love for him that she cared for him, although he did not even recognize her. Then there were the children who are carers, who look
after relatives before going to school, then dash home when school is over to
carry on caring until the next school day begins. They have lost their childhood. Again, there
was no "song and dance" about the situation, they just got on with the task in
hand in a most unassuming way. All this part of the real world is in
sharp contrast to those who make the headlines in giving large donations
to party politics and get a seat in the House of Lords as a result. God definitely sides with the lowly and humble
who just get on with their caring and concern. That's why All Saints tide is so important in
the Church. It reminds us not only of
the great saints who were put to death for their faith, shining examples of
Christ's love in action, but also the unnamed millions of Christians who have
quietly got on with their lives of caring for others. They are saints too, although they would never
admit it. A saint is someone who makes it easier to
believe in God, and it's easier to believe in a loving caring God when his
children are loving and caring also. That
is just one of the messages in the festival of All Saints. With all good wishes, Your Friend and Rector, Keith
Wyer 6 YOU CAN DO IT IF YOU . . . When
I was a young man, a friend's girlfriend won some money in a competition. At the time she had quite an ordinary job
and seeing an opportunity to move up the earning ladder, she took herself on a
typing and business course. On
completion, she landed herself a nice secretarial post. I admire people like her. In
another instance, my friend John worked for a firm sharpening lawnmowers. The pressure for that firm became so much
that John set up doing the same work from his mother's garage. His mother helped him by cleaning the
cylinders prior to them being sharpened.
When they were done, she would give them a coat of paint to smarten them
up. Soon John had built up a big
business, even sharpening gang mowers for several local councils. For
my time at school - as I've written before - I was not a model pupil. I learned imperial measures - no good
now. I learned pounds, shillings and
pence - no good now. I learned
Geography, where all the coal mines, potteries, steel manufacturing, etc. were
- not so now. How
things have changed. We now do all
sorts of things we never did before.
Decorating, tree cutting, tilling, gardening, plumbing, etc. Although
I have worked for the same investment firm since 1962, in my spare time I took
up amateur film making. Sadly video
took this over and I lost interest.
However, I did manage to win the local club fiction competition and
three stars in the Ten Best - an international annual event. In
my late forties, I was very fascinated by electronic organs and would listen to
other people playing in music shops or go to concerts. I thought I should like to do that! So, I bought a At
that time, only one of the leading colleges did examinations for the electronic
organ - the Victoria College of Music, On
bumping into Tom Bartlett on one of our visits and telling him some of my
experiences, he said: "Why don't
you write it down?" Well, I did,
and here I am. Love to
Berrynarbor and everyone there. Tony
Beauclerk - 7  BABIES Keith
and Jane are delighted to announce that Edward George Jones, a son for Mark and
Emily, was born on Bernard
and June are proud grandparents once again and happy to announce that Keenan
has a new baby brother, Cormac Regan Pickford weighed
in at 71/2lbs on the 13th September, a second son for Clare and Justin. We
wish all the little ones a warm welcome and congratulate the parents and
grandparents. Best wishes to you all. 8  WEATHER OR NOT July
continued much as June left off - the rain wasn't quite as torrential but it
was still pretty wet and the temperatures were well down for the time of
year. In fact the thermometer didn't
rise above 20 Deg C until the 15th, St. Swithin's Day,
when we also had 11mm [7/16"] of rain which didn't bode well for a dryer
spell! We didn't quite get forty days
and nights of rain, but it sometimes seemed like it and there were twenty days
in the month when there was rain in the gauge. We
were lucky here on the 20th when the It
was a cool month with a maximum temperature of only 21.8 Deg C and in the whole month
there were only seven days which topped 21 Deg C.
July 1998 with a maximum of 22.5 Deg C was the only other year that we have
not recorded at least 24 Deg C in the month and most years the temperature has
reached the high 20's or even up into the 30's. The minimum temperature of 9 Deg C was, however,
if anything slightly up on the average.
The month was fairly windy with a maximum gust of 32 knots, the
strongest we have had in July. August
was an improvement on July, but the first three weeks were still fairly
unsettled with some days pretty wet. On
the 20th we recorded 15mm [9/16"] in about an hour! From the 22nd, high pressure became established and we
had no further rain giving a total for the month of 94mm [33/4"]
which is not particularly wet for August.
We have recorded several years which have topped 100mm [4"]. It
was a cool month with a maximum temperature of 24.8 Deg C, the lowest we have
recorded for an August. The minimum of
8.7 Deg C was about average. Finally, the
highest wind gust of 27 knots was also the strongest we have recorded in an
August. It
is official that it has been the wettest summer since records of 1914 and
looking back at our records this year, in June, July and August we recorded a
total of 444mm [17 5/8"], which is the highest we have recorded for these
three months. In 1997 we had 403mm
[16"] and the following year 337mm [13 15/16"], but all other years
the total has been well under 300mm [12"].
Chicane's sunshine hours
confirm the miserable summer. July in
particular, with 150.97 hours, was well down on previous years. August with 160.81 was well down on last
year but very similar to 2004 and 2005. September
has started much better and the watering can has come into use again, but we
are not complaining! Simon and Sue 9 INVITATION TO THE PALACE - PART 2 To
describe the invitation to meet the Royal Family at Wow,
what gardens! Some 40 acres in size
with a large 3 acre lake in the middle of which was home to a variety of
wildlife. We wondered what stories
these gardens could tell . . . There
were 3 large marquees set up on the main lawn - one for the royals, one for the
diplomats and one for us mere mortals!
Several small bands were playing and as one stopped, another started up. In
heading to the 'mere mortals' marquee, there was limitless food and drink on
offer and at 5 o'clock, the Queen, Prince Philip, Prince Charles and Camilla,
and the Dukes of Kent and Gloucester - amongst others - emerged from the Palace
to the sound of the National Anthem. We
got to shake hands and rub shoulders and met interesting folk there for a
variety of reasons - the Services, someone who had worked to improve sports in
this country, the Deputy Lieutenant of To
burn off some of the food we had just eaten, we took a walk around the
gardens. We speculated as to who might
have played on the Royal Tennis courts situated in the corner of the gardens at
I
recall waking up momentarily and looking out through the train window at the
sun setting somewhere over fields near Didcot - the train moving on at the end
of a fine, memorable day. Michael
& Claire Prentice 10  MANOR HALL MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE We have now put a
new power line in to the kitchen to enable us to install a new water heater and
taps for the sink unit, and exchange the gas cooker for an electric one, which
should prove to be safer than its predecessor. On
Saturday, 13th October, we are holding a Quiz in the Manor Hall in conjunction
with Exmoor Zoo. The money raised will
be shared between the BIAZA Rainforest in 11 HORTICULTURAL & CRAFT SHOW Summer
is past and so is another Show! In
spite of the strange weather this year - from spring right through - and the
'I've nothing in the garden' mumblings of our regular horticultural entrants,
it turned out to be as colourful and well supported as ever. Thank you all! The
Home Cooking table was literally 'groaning' with goodies and the Art and
Handicrafts sections were also well supported, particularly by the Junior entrants, whose models and
other work, especially using recycled items, were most imaginative. Well done!
Mention must be made of the prentice family - Sarah, Olivia and Sam -
who between them put in over 50 entries! It
was a pleasure to welcome Sue Carey, the Headteacher of our Primary School, who
presented the awards. An
arrangement, entitled Nutcracker Suite, of pink rosebuds and white
chrysanthemums, together with a 'sugar plum' by Judie Weedon won the Globe Cup
for Floral Art. In her first show,
Barbara Jordan won the Walls Cup for Home Cooking with a mouth-watering chicken
terrine, whilst Flora Braund's 4 fairy cakes -
beautifully decorated with a bird, a bee, a bat and a butterfly - gave her the
Junior Prize. And they were good, I know
I ate them! The
array of handicrafts, from knitting and embroidery to model making and
woodwork, was most impressive. The
Davis Cup was won by Margaret Mangnall with her applique work Japanese Lady,
whilst Olivia Prentice's little Ladybird won the Junior prize. Jack
Gingell's chair made of oak, sweet chestnut and tulip wood was the undisputable
winner of the Watermouth Cup, as were Poppy and Lewis Andrews model 'Heads' in
the Junior Section. However, Sheila
Stanley's model fancy cakes [1st in their class] looked good enough to eat: "Cooking
is really not my thing Slightly
down on artistic entries this year, the George Hippisley Cup was awarded to
John Thorndycroft and the Junior Prize to Jasmine Pearce. Bruce
Roberts - a regular visitor to the village - took the Vi Kingdon award for
Photography with his close up of a bee on a purple thistle [his stag beetle on
a pink rose was equally special], and Samuel Pearce the Junior Prize. For
the fourth year running, the Derrick Kingdon Cup for Fruit and Vegetables went
to Tony Summers for his Tomatoes - what happened to the onions this year, Tony?
- and Sarah Prentice's apples gave her the Junior award. With
an incredible and fierce-looking cactus, Tom Bartlett is the proud owner of the
Lethaby Cup for Potted Plants and Dave Vincent's magnificent Dahlias gave him
the Manor Stores Rose Bowl for Cut Flowers.
Sarah Prentice's entry of roses won her the Junior Award. The
Primary School winners, whose pictures are on the cover, were: Class 1: [The Men's Institute Cup] Class 2: [the Manor Hall Cup] Class 3: The final awards: The
Management Committee Cup for Best in Show Horticultural Exhibit: Tom
Bartlett The Ray
Ludlow Award for Best in Show Non-Horticultural Exhibit: Jack
Gingell The Judie
Weedon The
Junior Rose Bowl for the Entrant with the Highest Cumulative Score: Sarah
Prentice Following
the presentation of awards, flowers, fruit and vegetables, cakes, jams and
home-made wine went under the auctioneer's hammer, raising £70 for the
Community Shop. So,
thanks to all the entrants, the judges who gave time and thought to every
entry, the afternoon visitors and the auction bidders, as well as everyone who
stayed on to help clear away - another Show to remember! The Organising Committee 12 THE
BIRDS OF LUNDY Lying
some ten miles off the nearest point on the We
- that is the Tims of Harpers Mill - have been visiting Lundy for more than 50
years between us. The idea to write a
new book on the island's birds first struck in 1999. Initially we contacted former Lundy Warden
Nick Dymond to ask if he had any plans to update his own book on Lundy's birds,
published by Devon Bird Watching & Preservation Society in 1980. At that stage Nick was part way through
revising the text but, as he put it, 'running out of steam' and with many other
things on his plate. Nick kindly forwarded his notes, giving us a
great starting point. In the intervening
years, as well as scouring every Lundy Field Society (LFS) Annual Report, Devon Bird Report and the surviving LFS logbooks
from the island, we have researched every scrap of information we could find.
This included a fascinating visit to the Alexander Ornithological Library in Most
of the work has been done in our spare time, but, conscious of the years
passing by, we began to step on the accelerator in 2005 until finally, in
February this year, we completed the manuscript. Since
then we've been polishing it and adding bird records for 2007. We took the book to the printer, Short Run
Press Limited of The
Birds of Lundy itself fledged on 29th September at a launch at RM
Young (Bookseller) in The
goals we set ourselves in preparing the book were:
Whether
we succeed in all of these objectives only time will tell. The immediate result is a detailed account of
the 317 species that currently make up the Lundy bird list, plus a further 36
species which for various reasons do not qualify for the full list. Internationally renowned biologist Hugh Boyd,
who began his ornithological career as LFS Warden in 1948/49, has penned the
book's foreword. [Health permitting,
Hugh will be staying with us on the island this October.] As
well as writing the book, we also published it on behalf of Devon Birds and the
LFS. Both organisations contributed
grants to cover the printing costs, and we are grateful also to several other
individuals and organisations that have supported the book financially. All are acknowledged within the books 319
pages, which are enlivened by 20 colour photographs and more than 100 line
drawings by For
more information visit www.birdsoflundy.org.uk or contact us on 882965 [daytime]
or 883807 [evenings and weekends]. If
you have thought about going to Lundy but have yet to do so, we hope that The Birds of Lundy might inspire you to
step onto the island boat, MS Oldenburg, and off at the other end onto the Tim
Davis & Tim Jones 13 WELCOME
Dave & Rose Vincent have been at Smythen Farm since November so
this introduction is somewhat late! However,
we are delighted that they have moved to Berrynarbor from Cullompton and are
already part of the village. Dave
was brought up in the farming world by his father and has been working in this
field, together with building, ever since.
Before her family arrived, Rose worked in the retail trade and later
learnt the art of the holistic range of therapies. They are both now, they say, semi-retired! Between
them they have seven children and thirteen grandchildren - not so many in
comparison to their family of animals:
mother and daughter Bess and Bonnie, the spaniels, and their 'inherited'
cat Pants. Then there are 'lots' of
chipmunks, two rescue pigeons, nine call ducks and 25 chickens - no wonder they
have eggs for sale! Dave
enjoys working the land and is a very keen gardener - and good, too, as we
discovered from his many entries in the Horticultural Show - his dahlias were
magnificent! Whilst Dave is in the
garden, Rose relaxes by drawing and painting and they both, fairly obviously,
enjoy bird watching and nature in general. Just
missing being welcomed in the August issue, April and Jim Gilby moved a long way - from Combe Martin! - to No.
8 Berrynarbor Park at the end of July. April,
a North Devonian in that she has lived here for more than 30 years, worked for
a long time in the banking system but is now assisting on the rental side of a
property centre in Ilfracombe.
Meanwhile Jim, originally from the Between
them they have 3 sons and a daughter, all of whom have flown the nest and are
making their own way in the world. Although
with the recent move and working there is not much time for hobbies, April
skittles for The Pack of Cards and Jim plays darts for the Royal Marine. They also enjoy their motor caravan - have
roof, will travel! Jack and Mary Gingell are currently
living with Richard and Hempster Farm has become home to Nathan and Juliette Holland and their sons Connor who is 4, and
Fergus who is just 8 weeks. Nathan's
mother will also be joining them. The
4-legged members of the family are Tom, Jack and Mary's cat that has stayed on
at the farm to supervise operations, and Uma, their 'Snoodle' dog. A snoodle is a cross between a schnauzer and
a poodle. Banbury
has been home until their move, although Nathan has been coming to the south
west and The
plan is to farm Hempster in due course but they are currently taking time out
to settle in and hobbies and Juliette's skills as a seamstress - wedding
dresses a speciality - have been put, temporarily, on hold. However, they hope to find time to become
acquainted with the village and to take part in some of the many events and
activities. Geoff and Judith Adam are now resident
in the newly-named Flowerdew Cottage, or No. 43. From They
have a son and a daughter: Katrina lives
in Shefffield where she teaches Physics, and Paul and his new wife, Lisa, live
in Ryegate. Currently 'grounded', but
itching to explore, is their cat Harrison, or Harry for short. Judith
enjoys painting, drawing and other creative activities in her spare time, and
together they enjoy gardening, photography and walking - body permitting, as
Judith says! She tells us more about
herself and Geoff in her introduction which follows. We
extend a warm welcome to you all and wish you health and happiness in your new
homes. _________ As
many of you will have seen, the village was invaded by two, large, maroon
removal lorries and four maroon-shirted men on the 4th and 5th September - we
had arrived! Geoff and I have been
coming to Geoff
is a Freelance Marketing Advisor [hates the term 'consultant'] and I am an
English tutor. A trained journalist, he
has been involved with all aspects of marketing, which include PR, advertising,
corporate events and is also a business turn-around man. This career began with the A.A. [cars, not
drink!] and ended as Marketing Director for the In
the '90's, with our two children almost through schooling, I became a mature
undergraduate at a We
have been greeted with warmth and friendliness from day one, and are looking
forward, tremendously, to being active community members of this beautiful
village in 'Glorious Devon'. Geoff and Judith 14 OLD TIMES Memories of Old Berrynarbor from Vera Lewis
[nee Ley]
This photograph, taken about 1923,
shows my sister Evelyn, who was five years older than me, and our cousin, May
Coaker [who was like an older sister to us] taken outside No. 5 Goosewell. May lived with our grandparents at No.
6. She had a good singing voice and
sang at concerts at the Manor Hall. A
popular song at that time was Sweet Molly Malone for which she dressed as an
Irish fisher girl. She also sang duets
with Gladys Jones who lived at 14 Hagginton Hill.
This is Olive Balkwill, who was the
Infant Teacher at the Primary School for about five years, from 1927 to
1931. She lodged with us. This snap of her was taken sitting on the
gate of the side entrance to Orchard House.
Olive Balkwill
took this snap of me, with a bicycle that was given to me by Mr. Fisher on my
fourteenth birthday. Mr. and Mrs. Fisher
lived at The Lodge. The
picture below is of Orchard House in 1928.
When my father, Tom Ley, bought the land and property, there was an old
barn, plus other buildings.
In
the front there was an orchard and my father and his men turned the property
into a six bedroom house. The low
building on the right is a part of the old building and I don't know why it was
left. He had the apple trees uprooted
[on the left of the picture] and laid out the flower garden, lawns and also
grew lots of vegetables. When I was
twelve, I remember helping him plant the bamboo at the entrance. My
father died in 1931 at the age of 49.
He, Evelyn and I all sang in the Church Choir and went to church twice a
day. My
cousin May had her wedding reception at Orchard House in 1928 but she sadly died
four years later with TB at the age of 27.
My sister Evelyn's wedding to Bill Challacombe was also held there in
1935. My wedding was the third in 1937. From
1932 to 1939 we catered for holiday visitors, serving three meals a day, which
was very hard work! We lived on at
Orchard House with my mother and when the War came, the house was full of
evacuees. Some stayed longer than
others and Mr. and Mrs. R. Harrison stayed for about three years - they had
spent holidays with us. Mr. Harrison
was very fond of children and used to organise parties and concerts for them in
the Manor Hall. He was called up for
service about 1944 and served in In
1944, my mother tired of having families staying with us for very little pay,
so she gave them time to find other
accommodation, and we moved to Ilfracombe in June of that year. She stayed with us until her death in 1951. In
1952 my sister and I sold Orchard House to Mr. and Mrs. Fogg. Interestingly,
there has only been one birth at Orchard House in its 80 years, and that was my
daughter, Wendy. Vera 15 RURAL REFLECTIONS - 33
Autumn is upon us, yet it seems only yesterday that Blackthorn and
Hawthorn were awash with white blossom. Now they are a mass of berries. The
arrival of fruit within the This season's surveys have been different in that I have been
far from alone, the result, indirectly, from carrying out research for my book
on the Cairn at Ilfracombe museum. Ensconced in an old newspaper, I was
approached by the curator regarding the work of the Cairn Conservation Carers [the
curator also being the leader of the Third Ilfracombe Girl Guides]. "It's
just that I have a few girls who need to complete their Service to the
Community and it must be an activity that will be of benefit. Can you help?" My mind instantly recalled the
previous year's wildflower surveys and, more to the point, the time it took me
to undertake a comparatively small area.
More eyes would hopefully mean a bigger area covered. And so it was arranged that on the first
Sunday of every month between May and September, three Girl Guides, along with
their leader, would meet me outside the gates of the Pall Europe factory. From there we were to wander along the Old
Railway Line as far as In order to give the Girl Guides the opportunity to scan the
identification books, the actual recording was done by me. The books themselves caused amusement. Keen at first to use those that were colour
coded, the girls soon came to realise that this did not always make recognition
any easier. "If it's a pink
flower, then it's bound to be in the blue section" became a standing joke.
As did the phrase "never plan to
do anything outside on the first Sunday in the month", for it rained on
every survey, even in August when we started the walk in brilliant sunshine,
and for the first time, actually felt warm. How we mocked one of the Guides for packing
her gloves and raincoat! And how she
laughed when, an hour later, the rest of us were drenched and cold!
For me, the survey had three
rewards. Firstly, such an extensive
record would not have been possible without the added help. Secondly, it was nice to see how on the last
survey the Guides no longer needed their books to recognise species which had
regularly been in flower. But better
still, at the presentation of
certificates and appreciation gifts, which took place at one of their meetings,
younger Guides could be heard calling out: "When do next year's surveys begin?" Steve
McCarthy 16 ALL
SYSTEMS GO FOR THE COMMUNITY SHOP It
seems we are now steaming ahead with the new shop project following the
virtually unanimous vote by share-holders to proceed with the building. The important thing now is to ensure that it
is not only built, but remains viable and that can only occur if we use it. From
moving here in 1978, it has always impressed me how community spirited
Berrynarbor is. Not just the fetes and barbecues, horticultural
show, wine circle and annual variety show etc, but the manner in which
virtually everyone is prepared to help a friend or neighbour should they need
assistance in any form. However, what many seem to forget is that
those same friends and neighbours may be dependent on the survival of the shop
for much of their shopping or postal needs, particularly if they are not car
drivers so unable to get to the main shopping centres. It is therefore just as important to support
them by helping ensure that the shop survives. We
all know that shopping at Tesco's or Sainsbury's is convenient because you get
free parking and can wheel your trolley straight to your car. You will be able to do the same once the shop
has been built, but have you ever considered that right now, with a bit of
organising, you can save even more time by shopping in the village? If you phone through your order to the shop
it can be picked out ready for you, so that you only have to pull up outside,
pay for it and load it into the car - even more convenient and saving petrol as
well! Why
not do as a few in the village already do; phone through your vegetable order by Shareholders
have done their bit by putting up the capital to enable the shop to get
started, but share capital alone cannot keep it running. Two years' trading has proved that the shop
is viable and the committee has obtained the funding and planning consents
needed to enable a new shop to be built. Now it is up to all of us to ensure that it
thrives. No
one expects people to do their main weekly shop there, but we can all find
occasion to buy a few items per week where any difference in price to the big
supermarkets is minimal. In fact, there
are quite a few items that are as cheap as or even cheaper than Tesco's. If
you already use the shop, see if you can manage say £5.00 per week more than at
present. If you do not currently use
the shop, please try to spend say £10.00 per household per week - bread, milk,
newspapers and a few vegetables is all it takes. The
shop is a valuable village asset, helping to make Berrynarbor the wonderful
place to live that the visitors all envy us for. SO
DON'T FORGET - WE MUST USE IT OR LOSE IT! 17  NEWS FROM OUR COMMUNITY SHOP & POST
OFFICE With a bit of luck, by the time you read
this the first sod for our new Shop will have been turned! However, we still need to balance the books
with fund raising activities in the village, so dates for your diary so far
are: FRIDAY, 9TH NOVEMBER, OUR OWN Doors
at the Manor Hall will be open from For
just £6.00, Chris will talk about antiques in general and give valuations;
there will be cheese and wine, and later coffee or tea. So,
look around your home and search the attic for one or two items and antiques
[spouses don't count!], and bring them along for Chris to discuss and value. If
you would like to know more about this fun evening and if in your search you
come across a nice item you would be willing to donate for the raffle or, perhaps,
that Chris could auction, please don't hesitate to contact Pam Parke on 883758. Proceeds
of the evening will be shared between Macmillan Cancer Support and our new
Community Shop. Tickets will be on sale
from our Shop, Sue's of Combe Martin, Mike Turton in Ilfracombe or on the door. Do
come along to this very special new event and bring something and someone with
you! 18 SATURDAY, 8TH DECEMBER A GERMAN-STYLE CHRISTMAS MARKET This
will again be held in the Manor Hall - a great addition to the festive season -
and will feature food and drink [including mulled wine and mincepies] as well
as great gift ideas for Christmas.
Entry is free, so do come along and support it. Posters,
giving times, etc., for both these events will remind you of them in good time! Whilst
on the subject of fund-raising, a big thank you to the Horticultural &
Craft Show organisers who following a very successful show on 1st September,
donated the £70 taken at the auction to the new Shop. Meanwhile,
Jackie is continuing to bring in new goodies.
The pre-packed smoked haddock and trout, peppered mackerel, fresh
haddock and pates [including the yummy, if anti-social garlic one!] are all
proving popular. If you see Jackie
looking glum in the next few weeks and months, it may be because her son Tom is
shortly off to Fruit
Salad owner, Marion, has finally decided to hang up her jam kettle. We wish her and her husband a long and happy
retirement - her delicious jams and chutneys will be missed. The last few are in the shop, but you'd
better hurry if you want any! Finally,
we hope that you like the 'Recipe of the Week' [or even month if we're
overloaded with work!]. Those of you
who haven't notices, they are in the rack just beyond the newspapers and,
naturally, most of the ingredients are available in the shop. 19  The For those
new to the village, this is a wine appreciation society which meets every third
Wednesday of the month [except December when it is the second] in the Manor
Hall at Programme 2007/2008 October
17th Majestic of November
21st Brett Stevens of The
Fabulous Wine Company, Barnstaple December
12th Christmas
Food & Drink - presenter Tony Summers January
16th Call My Wine
Bluff - A new panel game! The
remainder of 2008 is yet to be completely organised as we are awaiting
confirmation of their preferred dates from two of the presenters from within the
wine trade but it will include favourites Andy Cloutman of Quay West Wines,
committee member John Hood and the witty and innovative Jan Tonkin. Presentations
are informal, friendly and highly sociable occasions, which normally include a
taste of six wines, three white and three red.
Membership is £3.00 and meetings are normally £4.00, depending on the
presentation. To comply with licensing
regulations, it is important that anyone wishing to become a member gets in
touch with either the Secretary of Treasurer at least 24 hours before the
meeting they are attending. Anyone requiring more information or wishing
to become a member is invited to contact one of the following: Alex
Parke, Chairman 883758; Tony Summers, Secretary 883600 or Jill McCrae, Treasurer,
882121. 20 DECIMALISATION Since
the introduction of the florin a century and a half ago [1/10th of £1], we've come along way along
this road. Now our cash is fully
decimalised [having abandoned the 1/2p] although, thank goodness, we have as
yet refused the Euro. We
have [almost] abandoned Fahrenheit in favour of Centigrade [I refuse to use
that silly word Celsius, which commemorates an idiot who wanted 100 Deg as
freezing point and 0 Deg as boiling point. We
have learnt to cope with grammes, kilos, litres, etc., and even hectares. Can
decimalisation go further? It
can, if what I hear from Of
course we have had decades, centuries and millennia and at the other end of the
scale tenths of a second, as well as milli-seconds and nano-seconds,
so Time is already partly decimalised, but these proposals go much further.
The standard unit of time will remain the Day, i.e. the average period
of the earth's rotation, but will be renamed the Jour to please the French and
secure their co-operation. The Jour
will be divided into 10 decijours, replacing hours - so now we'll have still
more cause to complain there aren't enough in a day! The decijour will be divided into centijours replacing minutes, these again sub-divided
into millijours, replacing seconds, while tenths of a second become
microjours. Expanding the other way, 10
Jours will make a Decajour, replacing the week - no complaints now that there
aren't enough days in the week - and 10 Decajours a Hectojour, replacing the
months - too much month at the end of the salary! Naturally, this will affect the calendar,
which will now only have 10 sheets in a Kilojour, saving a considerable amount
of paper and thus benefiting the ecology.
On the other hand, astrologers must do some complicated calculations to
readjust the Zodiac. Another effect
will be on the date. If we go back to
nought, according to my calculations, we are now in Kilojour 735 AD or thereabouts,
so there's a long wait before we can celebrate the first millennium, never mind
the second. And
if by now you are beginning to feel one leg slightly longer, let me apologise
for gently pulling it! Trev The
above is an elaboration of a spoof from a draughtsman colleague at the time of
currency decimalisation. 21  At
last we have had a bit of sunshine again and amazingly there is still a good
show from the hanging baskets in the centre of the village, but on the whole it
has been a slightly disappointing year for us.
The results of the Hundreds
of polyanthus plugs have arrived and been potted up by Phil ready for the
winter bedding displays, and that will be the next ask to be completed. But in the meantime, we continue to do the
litter picks [on the last one some holiday makers joined in!] and have work
parties to tidy up. Do not forget - all
are welcome to join and enjoy the tea break afterwards. 22  Recipe for October FRESH PLUM CAKE I
think this is a lovely time of year and part of the mellow fruitfulness of
autumn is usually a glut of plums. This
is a deliciously moist cake that lasts for ages: 1/2 teaspoon Salt 2 teaspoons cinnamon 6oz [175g] hard Margarine or Butter 3oz [75g] + 2 tablespoons Soft Brown Sugar 3oz [75g] Sultanas 1lb Plums 6 tablespoons Golden Syrup 3 Large Free-range Eggs Sift
the flour, salt and 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon into a large mixing bowl. Rub in the margarine/butter using your
fingers until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Now stir in the sugar and sultanas. Cut
the plums in half and discard the stones, reserving 10 halves for the top. Chop the rest roughly. Put the Golden Syrup and eggs into another
bowl and beat together. Now combine the
dry ingredients and the egg mixture with the chopped plums. Spoon
the mixture into an 8 inch [20cm] greased and lined cake tin. Arrange the halved plums on the top and
sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and the remaining 1
teaspoon of cinnamon. Bake
for approximately 2 hours at gas mark 4, 350 Deg F [180 Deg C] until the cake does not
leave an impression when you press it with your fingers. Allow to cool in the tin. Wrap in foil and leave for two days to
mature before eating. It will keep for
at least a week and taste better every day! Wendy 23 MOVERS
AND SHAKERS NO. 11 24.10.1854 - 26.03.1932
Sir
Horace Curzon Plunkett - cattle rancher, MP, authority on Irish affairs,
pioneer of the agricultural co-operative movement and - of importance to our
community shop - Founder of the Plunkett Foundation. As
you may know, although villagers have been very generous, building our new shop
is only possible because of grants. For
these we have to thank Devon Renaissance, North Devon District Council and The
Plunkett Foundation. Plunkett
is not a common name. Oliver Plunkett
goes down in history as the one-time Catholic Bishop of Fenella
and I were delighted to get a 'phone call from Maureen Plunkett from Lynton, a
descendant who had seen publicity in the North Devon Journal, and was helpful
in giving background information. Yes indeed! Saint Oliver Plunkett was an
ancestor of Horace Plunkett and to this day there is an Oliver Plunkett in the
family. Horace
Curzon Plunkett was born in Sherborne, Dorset, the 6th child of Baron Dunsany
of Co Meath, Meanwhile
in 1892 he was elected MP for Dublin South and from his seat in On Returning
to the man himself, according to "A Man Ahead of his Time" he was "an
extraordinary figure: a combination of the idealist with a man of business; a
poor public speaker, yet a great publicist; a man of strong family affections
who never married; a man who drove his subordinates hard yet inspired in many a
great devotion; an aristocrat of great charm and exquisite manners..." Not a bad CV! In 1923,
during the Civil War, Kilteragh, his splendid home on the outskirts of It is
impossible in a short article to include all this great man's achievements, but
one of his many legacies is a thriving Foundation whose logo still bears the
name "Plunkett" and a strap line Improving livelihoods through co-operative
and social enterprise. And this
is why all of us in this village should be thankful for his life, social
conscience and enterprise. Our new shop has benefited by a grant of £20,000 PP
of DC. 24 IN THE PAPERS 105 YEARS AGO Berrynarbor "Welcome
Home! On Saturday last this village was
the scene of great rejoicing on the occasion of the return to his paternal home
of Lieut. Francis Gully of the 31st Regiment, son of the Rev. Thomas
Slade-Gully rector of the parish, after eleven years service in the "Stealing
by a Servant - Mary Ann Moon, a girl belonging to Berrynarbor, was taken before
N. Vye Esq. on Wednesday last week, charged with stealing a handkerchief, and
other articles, the property of a lady lodging at Mrs. Lammas's, Montpelier
Terrace. She was remanded to the Petty
Sessions at Combe Martin on Monday, when she was convicted and sentenced to
three months' imprisonment." Tom Bartlett 25 LOCAL WALKS - 104 A Scent of Honey and the Ascent of Peter
Rock There
was a heady scent of honey wafting up from the bell heather and ling as we made
our way along the coast path to Peter Rock, high above Heddon's Mouth. It
was early September. The sea was blue
and unruffled. As we started our walk
with Trentishoe Down's bleak, dark presence looming above us, we were cheered
by the sight of the Balmoral passing by.
She looks at her most serene when viewed from these lofty There
were a few unseasonal foxgloves and sea campions still in bloom. We
stopped to watch as the waves washed over a grey seal lying on a rock in At
beautiful East Cleave, where the path divides, we turned left for Peter
Rock. This is raven country and it is
also one of the most vertiginous and rugged sections of our local coast
path. Someone who does not enjoy
heights would probably feel very uncomfortable here. Otherwise, this wild terrain is quite
exciting. As
we turned a steep corner we saw a female Dartford Warbler perched on a gorse
bush, flicking her long tail - her colours a little duller than the male. Several times she disappeared in the clumps
of heather soon to re-emerge long enough for us to observe the jewel-like ruby
eye with its distinct red eye-ring. Once
exclusively a bird of lowland heaths, the Dartford Warbler has settled on
inland and sat among shiny golden
moss, with blueberry and scarlet rowan on either side, overlooking this
spectacular view. A Small Copper
butterfly landed on a scabious flower. There were isolated spikes of golden
rod. We were surprised to see near the
horizon, the steam of a train at the restored Woody Bay Station.
On returning, when we reached the dramatic North Cleave Gut, we took the
footpath across the field to A
fluffy, spotted pheasant chick tottered down the bank joining its two siblings
and their anxious mother squeaking and chirping in the dry ditch. I suppose she was a pheasant but with a warm
russet colouring to her neck and shoulders and a red patch on her face near the
eye, she did not look like a typical hen pheasant and the markings on her back were also
more streaked.
Illustrations by: Paul Swailes Sue H 26  OLD BERRYNARBOR Silver Street, Berrynarbor, View 109 Helen
C. Armstead drew this sketch of
Always
active, Helen was a regular member of the Berrynarbor Badminton Club. She very much enjoyed painting and
sketching, most of which was carried out around the village. She was a person with a very strong
character who really loved her garden and her dogs, and also had very happy
memories of holidays on the Isles of Scilly. The
sketch of Helen's
three other sketches reproduced as postcards were St. Peter's Church,
Berrynarbor, which was drawn from the west and showed Tower Cottage; The Village, Berrynarbor showing the Square, Bessemer
Thatch and Dormer Cottage, now known as Miss Muffets Tea Rooms and finally, a
sketch of Watermouth Castle from the Cove. My
photograph shows Helen outside her beloved Court Cottage, together with her
golden Labrador Bonnie. Tom
Bartlett,
Tower Cottage, September 2007 e-mail: tombartlett40@hotmail.com
27  NEWS FROM THE PRIMARY SCHOOL It's
great to be back at the beginning of a new academic year. We are working to a new timetable this term
and have lots of exciting and inspiring projects and activities planned. The children have settled back into school
well and Year 2 is enjoying their new classroom. Nine
of our Year 6 pupils have moved on to secondary education. We are pleased to welcome six new pupils in
to our Reception Class, three more are due to start after Christmas. We have one place available in our Reception
group, one in Year 5 and one in Year 1.
Could you please convey this information to anyone you may know who is
looking for a place for their child. Driving
and parking in A
very big thank you for the wonderful support at our School Fayre in July. £1,880 was raised towards school funds. We
shall be holding our Harvest Festival on the 26th September at Moules Farm,
Castle Hill. Mr. and Mrs. Dave Richards
have very kindly given permission for us to hold it in their field, but if the
weather is not good, we shall use their barn.
We shall be supporting the Drop-In Centre for the Homeless in I
was delighted to be invited to present the prizes at the Horticultural Show at
the beginning of September. Such
wonderful support and an exceedingly high standard of entries. Our children enjoyed preparing their entries
and we were excited at how well we did in the prize and trophy stakes! These events take a lot of planning and
organising and Berrynarbor is very lucky to have such a wonderful team
dedicated to making the Show such a success. Mrs.
Lucas will be holding the Evening Dinner in December for the Berrynarbor Senior
Citizens. Please keep a look out for
details which will be available in the Community Shop. Another
big thank you, for all the Tesco Computers for Schools vouchers which were
dropped in to the Community Shop for us.
We have collected 10,890 this year, which is a great achievement for a
small school like ours and have carried these forward to next year's scheme -
we now have a total of 17,911 including last year's vouchers. Susan Carey - Headteacher Berrynarbor
VC Primary School [01271] 883493. 28 NEWS FROM THE GLOBE & SAWMILL We
should like to thank everyone who very kindly offered their help following the
fire at The Globe. Particular thanks to
Chris and Wendy for taking mum in for a much needed coffee. We are hoping to have the kitchen open by
mid-October. The
Quiz Nights have started again and so far have been very well attended. Everyone is welcome, so join us once a
fortnight at The
next 'All You Can Eat' Night at The Sawmill is on Saturday, 3rd
November. Karl and John will be cooking Asian dishes
to include Thai, Indian and Chinese.
Booking is advised so 'phone 882259 to reserve your table. Christmas
menus will be available soon from both pubs or phone and let us know if you
would like the menus posting to you.
Lady skittlers, don't forget to use your discount for carvery at The
Sawmill as advertised in your books. 29 JUST
IN TIME!
The Village
Barbecue on Sunday, 23rd September, which due to the inclement weather had to
be held at Sloley Farm Barn, raised the sum of £342 [with more to come] to be
shared between the North Devon Hospice and the Children's Ward, Queen Elizabeth
Medical Centre, Blantyre, Malawi. A
further £200 is to be sent to the North Devon Hospice from the sale of plants
at Middle Lee. It is hoped to give an
update on 30 |
