Edition 170 - October 2017

Cover:As the
weather has been so inclement.
As my last pair of Y-fronts fail to dry on the washing
line.
As the humidity levels rise to 90+
And as my weary, old and damp bones cry out for sun.
I send you this photo . . .
'Storm Clouds over Berrynarbor'
MM

EDITORIAL
Looking back at the issues of ten and twenty years ago, some things never change!
In 2007, we were again complaining of a wet summer but unlike today, as I write this we are having torrential rain, we enjoyed a warm and sunny September!
In 1997, you did not have to suffer a message from the editor! We were sadly paying tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales, as we have been this year, 20 years after her death. Our W.I., under Vi Kingdon's Presidency, were enjoying their monthly meetings; Dave Beagley was baffling us with his Crossword; the Wine Circle was about to have a taste of Rioja, presented by Tony Summers; AA of BL had landed safely after her intrepid sky dive; 'Farewell to Hong Kong' was the theme for the Globe [village] float, winning 1st in Class and Best Overall at both Ilfracombe and Barnstaple Carnivals, and Tom told us about the Harvest Festival of the 1st October 1949. PP of DC had not embarked on her Movers and Shakers but told us about A Bit Of Hungarian Slap & Tickle! Also included were News from the Church, Letter from our Rector, Keith, Reports from the Parish Council and Manor Hall, and the Local Walker took us to the White House on Horsey Island . . . things don't change!
My usual thanks to everyone who has contributed to this issue, happiness in your new homes to all arrivals and departures, and get well soon messages for those not feeling at their best just now.
The next issue will be December and Christmas - can it be here again so soon? Items for inclusion will be needed by Wednesday,
8th November and don't forget, your Christmas message in the Newsletter will also be needed by that date. Thank you and best wishes,
Judie - Ed
1

BERRYNARBOR MANOR HALL TRUST
Welcome back to all our term-time-only
users. We are very pleased to have had
the new lights installed and hope you all agree they make the hall a brighter
and nicer place to be. Further works
will allow the lights to be fully dimmable and this will take place shortly.Repairs to the main hall roof will be carried
out over the coming weeks - apologies for any inconvenience caused.
Many of you may already know that Len
Narborough has stepped down from the position of Chair. Len has put in a tremendous amount of time
and effort on behalf of the Manor Hall and has been instrumental in making some
much needed changes to the way things are done and for the future of the hall
itself, spear-heading the need for funds and securing funding from Awards 4
All, Fullabrook CIC, Berrynarbor
Parish Council and North Devon District Council. He has also acted as the first point of call
for any day-to-day problems and has even turned his hand to a bit of drain
clearing on behalf of the hall, so a huge thank you to Len for all his hard
work. Thanks must also go to Andy Bird
who stepped down from the Trustees in August.
Andy has spent copious amounts of time
overhauling health and safety at the hall and
contributing to funding applications.
We are very pleased to have co-opted
some new Trustees, so a very warm welcome to Alan Hamilton and Phil Crompton,
who both live in the Sterridge Valley, and to Martin Johns from Hagginton
Hill. We are delighted to have some
more new faces and look forward to their support to help to continue to improve
our lovely hall.
And, finally, we are looking to
organise some new events over the coming months, hoping to arrange a few dates
for events that are general socials as well as raising a few more pennies for
the hall and our other great village groups.
It would be lovely to hear from you if there are events you would like
to see at the hall that have not previously been arranged, but think would be
popular.
Many thanks for your continued support.
The Manor Hall
Trustees
Current Trustees:
Acting
Chairman: Julia Fairchild [882783]
Secretary: Natalie Stanbury [882252]
Bookings: Alison
Sharples [882782]
Louise Baddick, Jim Constantine, Karen Coppin
[Treasurer],
Phil Crompton, Alan Hamilton, Martin Johns, Len
Narborough, Denny Reynolds
2

ST. PETER'S CHURCH
As
mentioned in the August edition of the Newsletter, we have been welcoming
visitors to our church services from this country and
overseas. We are not only delighted that this has continued, but from our
Church Visitors Book it is clear to see other visitors' comments relating to
the beauty of St. Peter's, many of whom have travelled from Canada, America, Australia,
New Zealand and other European countries.
On a more pressing note, we are
currently in contact with many charitable organisations in an effort to obtain
grants for the repair of the church roof, reinstatement of associated masonry
and some areas of cast iron guttering which urgently need attention. This has been a long process and we hope that
we shall be successful in the not too distant future, and that work can finally
begin in earnest!
Michael Rogers, Bill Cole and George
Billington continue to take our services with weddings, funerals and baptisms
predominant over the last couple of months.
We offer our thanks to them all
and to the flower
team and church cleaning ladies who make the church look so beautiful.
Some great news from our
Bellringers! At the Combe Martin Carnivalwith ten bell-ringers and helpers,
their float [which depicted our church complete with weather vane and fox]
achieved 1st place in the Out of Town category!
The bells were in 'mini-ring'
mode, all complete with a sign directing everyone to The Globe pub!
As if that were not enough, at the
Ilfracombe Carnival on the Sunday of the August Bank Holiday week-end, they did
it all over again! This time they won
Best Carnival Float and Out of Town Cups with huge support from a combined
total of 14 bell-ringers, helpers and children!
So!
Huge congratulations to them all
especially to all those who helped build the float and not least to Richard
Gingell who drove the towing tractor at both events.
It was with much sadness that we learnt
of the passing of Joan Berry, one of our regular churchgoers over many years, who
spent her remaining days in failing health at Lee Lodge. It is yet another sad blow for Simon who
lost his dear Sue only a short while ago and we send our thoughts and prayers
to him and the wider family at this time.
Our
Harvest Service will be held on Sunday 1st October at 11.00 a.m. and our
Harvest Supper on Wednesday 4th October 6.30 for 7.00 p.m. There will be a
special combined Music and Quiz competition following the supper, which should
be a great deal of fun! Tickets, priced £6.00 to include the super
buffet and first drink, will be available from the Shop and Post Office and members
of the PCC Committee.
Remembrance Sunday is on the 11th of
November with the service commencing promptly at 10.45 a.m. in church, followed
by the two-minute Silence by the War Memorial at 11.00 a.m.
And now, leading up to Christmas, which
may seem early, but put the dates in your diaries and on your calendars! This year we have pleasure in inviting the
Exmoor Carolers to Berrynarbor Church for their jolly renditions of Traditional
and Folk Carols on Sunday 10th December commencing at 4.00 p.m. If you haven't seen and heard these Carolers
before, do not miss this event! Tickets are £7.50 and will include mulled
wine and mince pies following the performance.
A first for Berrynarbor School will be
an evening walk around the village with candles and carol singing on Wednesday,
13th December, when they will visit as many residents as possible.
Our Christmas Carol Service, as usual
with Berrynarbor School, will be held on Monday, 18th December, commencing at
5.45 p.m. for the younger ones with their carols and songs celebrating the Nativity,followed at 6.30
p.m. by the main Carol Service. This
service is usually held on the last Wednesday before Christmas, however, with
the School breaking up earlier it was decided to bring the service forward.
More details about all the above
celebrations will be included in the December Newsletter.
Our services for October and November
will follow the normal pattern commencing at 11.00 a.m.
1st
Sunday Village Service
2nd
SundayHoly Communion
3rd
Sunday Songs of Praise
4th
Sunday Holy Communion
Please note that on the 5th Sunday in
October there will be a Joint Service held at St. Peter's Church, Combe Martin,
commencing at 9.30 a.m.
Friendship Lunches will be held on the
last Wednesday of the month in October and November, but due to the many other
Christmas events, there will not be a Lunch in December.
Stuart
Neale
3

IN
MEMORIAM
JOAN BERRY 21.6.1924-29.7.2017
It was
with sadness we learnt that Joan had passed away at Lee Lodge on the 29th July,
just a month after her 93rd birthday, and our thoughts are with all her family
at this sad time.
Joan will be fondly remembered as a
kind, warm and caring person and will be much missed.
Joan was born in Bedlington in
Northumberland on the 21st June 1924.
Her father, Thomas, was a coal miner who sadly suffered from being
gassed in the First World War, although he somehow managed to carry on working
in the mines. It is believed that her
mother, Florence, was in service for the local doctor. The family later moved to Washington in
County Durham.
Joan had an older brother, George, and
a younger brother, Jack, followed by a sister, Marjorie. Marjorie was able to attend the funeral
service on the 8th August, along with Joan's daughter Patricia and grandson
Ewen, who both flew over from Australia.
During the Second World War, Joan was
called up to serve in the Army, serving at Chilwell
Army Camp near Nottingham. Whilst
there, she made friends with a girl from London who invited her to stay with
her at her parents' home when they had leave.
Unbeknown to Joan, a blind date was arranged and this turned out to be
William Berry, Bill, who became her husband, marrying in Holy Trinity Church
Washington on the 19th
June 1948.
After serving with the Signals Branch
of the Army during the War, Bill joined the newly-formed communications branch
of the Foreign Office and he and Joan were soon on their way to his first
posting in Trieste. During this
posting, in 1949, Patricia [Trish] was born, and in 1955 during a posting in
Jordan, a second daughter, Susan, was born.
Over the years they travelled to many different parts of the world but
when Bill retired, they moved to enjoy a quiet life in the peace of North
Devon, here in Berrynarbor. Sadly,
after a long illness, Bill passed away in September 1999.
Looked after by Sue and Simon, Joan
continued to live in her home on Mill Lane until earlier this year when, due to
ill health, she moved in to Lee Lodge.
Joan was, until it ceased in the
village, a member of the W.I. and also the Pensioners' Club in Ilfracombe. With her daughter Sue, who sadly died
suddenly in May this year, Joan was a regular member of the congregation at St.
Peter's Church and was often to be seen making her way up
the hill towards the church, whatever the weather, until ill health prevented
her.
An independent person who never wanted
to put anyone to any inconvenience, Joan was much loved by all who knew her and
was the best Mum-in-law that Simon could have wished.
The family would like to say thank you
to everyone for all the messages received and for attending Joan's funeral and
a special thank you to all the staff at Lee Lodge for the great care and
attention they gave Joan during her time there. Simon would like to add his own thanks for
their compassion and support during this very difficult time for him.
PETER R. WEST 22.2.1931-6.1.2017
A sincere thank you to the many kind
people of the Berrynarbor area.
Peter would not have wished to be
outside of this beautiful area he loved so much.
After time spent in hospital, he was
placed in a Wellington [Somerset] Nursing Home. Unfortunately all efforts for Peter to be
cared for nearer to home did not come to fruition and he was there for a period
of two years.
His character, energy and love of
walking was Peter! Also his interest
for others, now so sadly missed.
All donations were credited to Barnardos and gratefully received.
I thank all those who attended Peter's
funeral service at Barnstaple Crematorium and our village church in
Berrynarbor, where Peter's ashes are now buried.
R.I.P.
Helen West
4
BELL-RINGERS PULL AMAZING TREBLE AT LOCAL CARNIVALS
We weren't
given much notice. The year was
slipping by fast. Already in early June, the Combe Martin Carnival Committee having overcome various
problems, finally decided to hold a 2017 carnival
after all.
So our local
Bell-ringers, always
looking to recruit new people, [Ilfracombe and Combe Martin are especially short of ringers] thought this was far too good
an opportunity to miss - let's use the village float to promote bellringing as
a great social activity for all ages.
Over many
long evenings and weekend sessions, a party of Berrynarbor bell-ringers and a few local sympathisers, spent time
building a replica church to sit on the back of the float. We decided, of course, to include a
pub to show that visits to such establishments were regularly made after our
bell ringing sessions! Combe Martin bell-ringers also offered us their large floral bell to display,
and we were offered a 'mini ring' and a training bell to help to demonstrate the art.
So after all
that hard work how did we do?
Well to date,
I am proud to report that we won the Best Topical Float at Combe Martin, and
won both the Best in Show Float and Best Out of Town Float at Ilfracombe a
couple of weeks later. The very large cups we won are currently
on display in the Shop. So we are now
planning a hat trick by finishing off with Barnstaple Carnival on the16th September. If we have brought
people's attention to the art of bellringing and encouraged some to give it a go, then all the very hard work has been worthwhile.
I should like to give a special
mention to the following people who helped to make the float a winner: Rosemary Larkin spent considerable time fashioning our
fabulous stained-glass
windows, Keith Thomas who made the most detailed fox
weathervane for the church tower and the frame and benches for the bell
display. The Devon Association of Bell-ringers Chairman, Christine Ley, brought us a banner, hand bells and training bell
to display. Ian Avery drove all the way from Kingsteignton with a mini ring of 6
bells - this model demonstrates how bells are hung and rung; Tony Piper from Lynton helped with the float's construction
and also acted as our resident clergyman; Richard Gingell who
towed us with his shiny
tractor and Be and Salah for their help on the day. Thanks, too, to Fenella and John Boxall for their donation of spare
wood and use of their barn; Kevin Brooks for his
'church building' skills; Debbie Thomas for
her artistic direction, flower arranging and painting
skills; Karen Loftus for her painting skills and keeping the Shop going when everyone else was
busy floating. And, of course, everyone else who lent a hand
and took part. A final mention and, thanks to Jewson's who kindly donated wood for our
project.

5

RURAL
REFLECTIONS - 81
The subject of my article last autumn was a sycamore leaf I
had collected whilst walking through Worlbury woods
close to where I live.On returning
home, I had studied the leaf whilst reheating my body with a soothing mug of
milky coffee. It was at various stages of its seasonal decay, having colours
ranging from pale green through to jet black.
It no longer had its perfect five-lobed spiky outline and upon its
surface I could make out distinct patches that took on the shapes of animals
and continents, rather like one observes clouds in the sky.
To some this may sound a peculiar way to spend one's time whilst
sipping a hot beverage, but for me it has its benefits.For I was enjoying the moment, in turn
preventing me from cogitating over tasks I needed to accomplish that day or
ruminate over what had happened yesterday.
The future could wait and I could not alter the past.
In this issue I want to broaden the subject to more than
just one leaf and include with it the mention of petals;to be precise, those of the cherry
blossom tree. One such tree is situated
in my neighbours' front garden, and, in spring and
autumn especially, is a pleasure to behold.
It has characteristics which, alongside the chrysanthemum, make it a
national flower of Japan.It is also a
Japanese symbol of clouds due to its blooming en
masse. It represents mortality as well,
its blossom only lasting for a short period and having a liability to change
rapidly - especially if strong spring winds and blustery rain showers prevail.


Autumnal winds can also have the same effect on the tree
although its more robust leaves can withstand the forces of nature just a
little bit longer compared to the delicate blossom petals. A dull shade in overcast weather, the leaves
reignite and will absorb a mellow autumn sun when the clouds disperse. However, the cherry tree pales into
insignificance when compared to the vibrant seasonal shades of the oak, beech,
sweet chestnut and yellow field maple.
Indeed, any of these tree species seen en masse
provide a stunning scene for the onlooker.
Espy as a mixed woodland and the view becomes breathtaking as the
observer attempts to take in a host of russet brown, orange, copper, yellow and
gold.
For those who seek the best woodlands at this time of year,
then the Exploring Woodlands guides, published by Frances Lincoln, are a great
help. Some in the series highlight the
best woods in southern and southwest England for you to seek out. But for those wishing to stay closer to
home, they need only traverse the roads, lanes and paths of North Devon and
West Somerset to reap the rewards of this season. Hornet Water, between Dunkery
and the sea, is one such place with its cleft boasting the complete set of the
aforementioned tree species. But if
Exmoor is too far, then perhaps seeking out a row of beech trees stretching up
from a Devon hedge bank or a small copse may be within walking distance.Alternatively, a tree of any species might be
viewed from one of your own windows, providing an opportunity to observe its
subtle transformation. Or if this is
not possible, perhaps seeking out one of Halsgrove's
books on Exmoor.
Whatever way you choose to enjoy the colours of autumn, hold
onto this thought. Although the end of
autumn will see the trees bare once more, this is merely Mother Nature's way of
resting from her labours since the onset of the
snowdrops last February.Steve McCarthy
6

NEWS FROM THE COMMUNITY SHOP & POST OFFICE

Shop's
Basket of Opportunity
Here is a basket of everyday items
selected by the Manager at our Village Shop - in fact, there's everything here
you need to see you through the day. From
shower gel, deodorant, healthy breakfast, mid-morning cuppa
and biscuit, help with the household chores, lunch and dinner choices and more
besides.
At the time of the Newsletter going to
press we compared our prices for these items with that rather large supermarket
up on top of the hill in Ilfracombe., and we're embarrassed to say your village
shop is more expensive - 14p more expensive! So, for all those of you who can get to
Ilfracombe and back [9.4 miles] for less than 14p, you're going to make a
killing!
The rest of us will console ourselves
with the fact that the cheese, ham, eggs - large and free range too - tea and
coffee in this basket are of fantastic quality and from local suppliers. So, for these items our footprint is more
like a tiny fingerprint.
Another example of your village shop going the extra mile so you don't have to.
Rotary
Mega Draw Tickets now on sale
Don't miss out! Tickets for North Devon Rotary Clubs' mega
draw are now available from the village shop. In November, there will be
a grand draw night and the winners of dozens of top prizes will be pulled out
of the hat. First prize is £300. Now wouldn't that be useful just before
Christmas!
Vote for our Village Shop in the Countryside Alliance Award
The 2017 Countryside Alliance Awards, nicknamed the 'Rural Oscars' is
now
open to public nominations and the Village Shop at Berrynarbor would
like as many nominations as possible.
The 13th annual awards will once again give village shops and post offices
a platform from which to tell their story, and we shall need your support to
help propel us to the top prize!
You can
nominate us by sending an email to awards@countryside-alliance.org
saying who you are and why you are nominating our shop, whether it's because we
have a fabulous range and quality of local produce, inflation-busting special
offers, we go the extra mile so you don't have to, or perhaps it's the warm and
friendly service you get from those behind the counter or just tell them how
important your village Shop and Post Office is to you.
The 2017 Awards will follow the same format as in previous years:
- September
- 12th of November - public nomination via email
- Regional
finalists will be notified in the New Year
- April - The Grand Final will be held at
Parliament. All regional champions
will be invited. British Champions
will be announced at this event.
For more information see www.countryside-alliance.org/awards.
7

CONGRATULATIONS!
Congratulations to Kirsten and James,
who were married at St. Peter's on 5th August.
Kirsten is the daughter of Sally and
John Baddick of Barton Lane, and James the son of Ken and Hilary
Harris from Lincolnshire.
Kirsten was attended by her sister
Hannah, who was chief bridesmaid, and James's sister Amy. Hannah's son Noah was page boy.
The reception was held at Sandy Cove
Hotel and the newly-weds spent their honeymoon at Lake Garda, Italy.
Kirsten and James live in Leamington
Spa, Kirsten working in the Research Department of Warwick University and James
at Jaguar Land Rover.
We wish them both health and happiness
in their future together.
Congratulations and best wishes, as
well, to Juanita and George Billington who celebrated their Golden Wedding with
their family during the week-end of the 19th August.
8

BERRYNARBOR HORTICULTURAL & CRAFT SHOW 2017
A Big Thank You to all who entered and
supported the Show 2017 held on the 19th August in the Manor Hall.Without you there would not be a Show.
On the day, we covered our costs as
well as raising just over £60 for next year.
We also raised £47, which we will
round up to £50, for the British Heart Foundation on the Charity Section, so a
big thank you to those who made a mobile.
We'll soon be planning for next year,
so if anyone has any ideas for next year's classes, then please let us know so
we can consider them - we are always looking for new ideas.
This year's winners are as follows:
Floral
Art The
Globe Cup Sloley Farm
Home
Cooking The Walls Cup Sloley All Stars
HandicraftsThe Davis Cup Mary Gingell
HandicraftsThe Watermouth Cup
Steph Long
Grow
Your Own Spud Kim Beaver
Widest
Sunflower Sloley Farm
ArtThe
George Hippisley Cup
Wendy Applegate
Photography The Vi Kingdon Award Jim Constantine
Fruit
& Vegetables The Derrick Kingdon Cup Tony Summers
Potted
Plants The Lethaby Cup Karen Narborough
Cut
Flowers Manor
Stores Rose BowlRosie Arnold
Best
Horticultural Exhibit - The Manor Hall
Cup:Tony Summers
Best
Non-horticultural Exhibit - Ray Ludlow
Award:Jim Constantine
Best
Exhibit on Show Theme - Watermouth Castle Cup:Mary Gingell
Children's Winners [Cumulative Totals]
Under 5
years - The Mayflower Dish
1stRoxanne Barrow 21 points
2nd Poppy Townsend
6-9
Years - The Wine Goblet
1st
Salah Gingell17
points 2nd Ruby Barrow 15 points,
3rd =
Rosie and May Townsend 10 points
10-13
Years - Men's Institute Cup
1st
Holly Morrish 19 points2nd Jasmine Morris17 points
3rd Ruby
Reynolds8
points
The Organising Group would like to
congratulate all the winners, thank everyone who took part or helped run the
event in any way.
On behalf of those who entered and
everyone who came to the Show in the afternoon, a big thank you to Karen and the
Organising Group for all their hard work in achieving another first-class show
- well done!
9

BERRYNARBOR WINE CIRCLE
'And
wine can of their wits the wise beguile, Make the sage frolic and the serious
smile,'
Homer,
The Odyssey
Some of you will know that although we
are only a smallish Devon village, Berrynarbor Wine Circle, BWC, was founded in
1988 and is still going strong. I sense
a future celebration ahead! Our new
season starts on Wednesday, 18th October and runs to 16th May 2018, so next
year's programme will include some additional merriment!
For those of you new
to this village, we meet every third Wednesday of the month, but our Christmas
event is always on the second Wednesday.
Our venue is the Manor Hall and our start time is 8.00 p.m.
We are a happy 'band of travellers', as we sample six wines at every meeting, from
far flung points of the globe:the
Americas, Europe or Australasia, all for a ridiculously cheap annual
registration fee of £5.00 per year, plus the monthly admittance sum of £7.00
per person.In addition to the wines,
you can soak up your alcohol intake with bread and cheese and be surrounded by
familiar faces or unfamiliar, and, have a great time!What more could you ask for on a Wednesday
evening?
Currently, our programme looks like the
following:
•
Karen Loftus and Vicki Elden,
from our wonderful village shop, present a cheese and wine selection on October
18th.
•
Our 1st professional of this
season: Peter Rollinson from Bray Valley Wines, South Molton, will be with us
on November 15th.This company has a
superb selection.
•
December [13th] is always
Committee's Choice. Our six committee
members present their choice for your benefit and pleasure. Members supply a superb spread, usually a
three-course meal.
•
Call My Wine Bluff based on the
BBC programme Call My Bluff is our usual topic for our January [17th]
tastings. Three committee members
present six wines and we have to guess who is telling the truth!
•
February, March and April are
still under discussion;
however, a well-known Roscoff,
Brittany, wine supermarket is interested in presenting wines from their vast
selection during this period. A
convenient date for their ferry travel is awaited.
•
Nigel Pound, of Totnes Wines
makes a very popular re-appearance for our May event.
We believe we have compiled an enjoyable
programme for the masses!Our village
hall is a great space, so, on behalf of BWC, I look forward to seeing friends,
after a 'summer recess', and greeting many
new ones.
Judith
Adam
Secretary
and Promotional Co-ordinator
10

NEWS FROM THE PRIMARY SCHOOL
The new school year is now well under way. Last September we welcomed 9 girls and 4 boys
into the Reception Class. This year the tables have turned and we have
welcomed in 3 girls and 9 boys. What a difference a year makes!
They are settling in to school routines
and enjoying their topic of Once Upon a Time, along with the children in Year
1. Many of them have an older sibling
further up the school and, at least one, a parent who attended the school when
they were young.
The Junior aged children in Classes 3
and 4 had their usual night out camping in the first week of term. Blueberry Class camped at Watermouth Cove and
were very glad of their food marquee when the rain set in. It made a cosy venue to sit and chat during
the evening. Elderberry class went to Stowford for their Wild Night Out. It certainly lived up to its name with the
wind and rain. After a late settling
down for the night, the torrential rain and distant rumbles of thunder woke
everyone at around 4.00 a.m. so there were not many hours of sleep for anyone!
Thankfully, they had the weekend to recover and dry out.
Year
6, our oldest children, have a few interesting events planned this term from
Creative and Problem Solving at West Buckland, to The Big Bang at Torrington
School.
We also have a few PTFA events on the
calendar, such as a Treasure Hunt at Watermouth Castle and a Movie Night that
all the children will be able to enjoy and we're
planning ahead for Christmas already. This
year we hope to invite members of the community to join us for a Walking
Nativity around the village. Please look out for posters nearer the time.
Sue Carey - Headteacher
11

NEWS FROM BERRYNARBOR PRE-SCHOOL
At Berrynarbor Pre-school, we provide
care and education for young children between the ages of 2 and 5. Presently we have spaces available and are now
taking bookings.
If you would like to book a place for
your child/children then please visit us or call us on our Telephone No. 07932 851052 or email preschoolberrynarbor@gmail.com
for more information.
Our opening times are 8.30am - 4.00pm
Monday to Friday. We are flexible with
sessions 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 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/30-hours-free-childcare-eligibility
This year's Committee AGM will be held
on Monday 2nd October,
at
7.00 p.m.in the Pre-school.
Without
your input or support preschool cannot open or provide a service.
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.
Our Topics of Learning for this term have
started with a settling in period, making new friends and learning about people
who help us. We have discussed and
learnt our Pre-school rules, what we can and can't do as well as how to stay
safe. We have worked around stories such as Little
Blue Tractor, Gruffalo, Fireman Sam and Octonauts.
We have
observed the changes in our season from summer to autumn and have talked about
animals that hibernate and how farmers look after their animals. We are hoping to explore our environment by
going on nature walks around the village, continue to look after our garden and
we have harvested our runner beans!
Later in the term we shall be practising
those seasonal songs in readiness for a short performance to celebrate
Christmas on Thursday, 7th December. 2.00 to 3.00 p.m. in the Manor Hall.
Clothes
Recycling
Bag2School
will
be collecting from the Pre-school on Tuesday, 17th October. Please bring your filled bag [or bags!] to
the Pre-school before this date and help us have a really good collection.More bags are
available
at Pre-school, so please tell your family and friends and have a good sort out
of your wardrobes and drawers and raise money at the same time for our
Pre-school.
In
our last clothes collection, we raised £100 which went towards resources and
activities for the children.
Used
ink cartridges
We
are still collecting used ink cartridges.
Exclusions apply, so please see the box at preschool. We can
get as much as £1 per ink cartridge!! So, if you have any used ink cartridges
that are accepted, please place them in the box at Pre-school. We are also registered to accept LaserJet ink
cartridges, so if you use them in your work place, we should be grateful to
recycle them and fundraise at the same time.
Please tell your friends and family
about our two recycling schemes, to raise funds for us.
Thank
you from all the staff at Berrynarbor Preschool.
Sue,
Karen and Lynne
12

BERRY IN BLOOM & BEST KEPT VILLAGE
It's been fairly quiet for the group in the village through
the summer holidays with just watering and dead heading being the main jobs.
Autumn though is the start of a big burst of activity as the
summer bedding and hanging baskets are removed and the spring bulbs and bedding
are planted ready for a welcome display in the early months of spring.
We get the results of the Britain in Bloom competition on
the
5th October at the Presentation,
held this year in Torquay.
We hope you can join us for a fun get together on 10th November
when we are having a fund-raising Soup and Pud Evening
in the Manor Hall. Tickets will be available from the Shop and The
Globe in October.We hope you will be
there.
13

Toffee
Apple Cake
I was given some gorgeous maple syrup
all the way from Canada this summer and this is a lovely autumn [fall] inspired
cake that uses four tablespoons. This recipe makes quite a large cake and cuts
into at least 14 slices.
Ingredients
200ml milk
3 whole dessert apples
Juice of half a lemon
250g butter at room temperature
175g soft light brown sugar
4 large free range eggs, at room temperature and lightly beaten
4 tbsp maple syrup
Half tsp vanilla extract
275g self-raising flour
Half tsp baking powder
75g tart apples such as Granny Smith, peeled chopped
and tossed in 3 tbsp of the flour
60g pecans, halved
1 tbsp caster sugar
For
the caramel to drizzle over the cake
40g
butter
65g soft
dark brown sugar
4 tbsp
double cream
Preheat the oven to 180C/gas4.Butter a 30 x 20cm baking tin or equivalent
round cake tin and line with baking parchment so that the parchment hangs a
little over the edges to help remove the cake after baking.
Put the dates and milk in a small pan
and simmer gently for about 4 minutes - don't allow to boil over.Puree the mixture and set aside to cool.
Halve
and core the dessert apples and slice fairly thinly dropping them in to a bowl
with lemon juice to stop discolouring. These will be used on top of the cake.
Beat the butter and sugar together until
fluffy then add the eggs slowly, beating well each time. Add
the maple syrup and the vanilla. Stir in the cooled date puree and fold in the
flour, baking powder, the chopped tart apples tossed in flour and the pecans.
Scrape the mix into the tin and level
the top. Lay the dessert apple slices over the top - in
rows if using a rectangular tin, or circles if using a round tin - and sprinkle
with the caster sugar.
Bake for 50 minutes or until a skewer
comes out clean. Leave in the tin to cool then remove carefully
using the paper to help you.
To make the caramel, melt the butter in
a pan, add the sugar and mix, stirring a little. Bring
to the boil and when it looks like caramel pull the pan off the heat and
carefully add the cream - it will spit! Let it calm down, then stir until smooth.
When the cake is cold, drizzle it with
the caramel.
This is just right after a walk on a
mellow autumn afternoon.
Wendy
14
BEAUTY AND THE BEASTIES

Extreme close up by Kvejlend
The little pond down in the middle of
our garden has now been enlarged and renovated into a Japanese pagoda Zen
meditation centre where, on a quiet sunny day, one can sit in complete
tranquillity listening to the grass grow around you and watch the small red and
gold fishes dart around as they eye up the pond skaters from below.Cheeky robins come to perch on the young
cherry tree and watch you watching the fishes. Fat rabbits come bobbing over to drop mini
balls of mess under the bright blue hydrangea bush where the squirrels had
stored their nuts.And large frogs often
appear on the big green floating leaves of the pink lilies for a croak or two
after it has been raining, which it seems to do a lot here lately in the
Sterridge Valley. Wildlife utopia. But there is more life in a garden pond than
first meets the eye as we found out during the renovation.
To make the new pond we first had to
clear out the old one in which a couple of dozen protected newts lived down in
the muddy messy bottom. They weren't the only squatters in our old pond. Thousands of tadpoles crowded around the sides
of the pond near the surface and, hidden under the muddy dead and soggy leaves,
were other evil beasties . . .the
dreaded Dragonfly Larvae.
These ugly and greedy creatures, just
over an inch in length, feed on the innocent and pretty black tadpoles. They
sink their teeth into them and suck out the insides. Luckily there are a lot of tadpoles and many manage to grow legs fast and strong enough
to hop out of the pond to go and live in the long grass

Dragonfly larvae by Warren Photographic
down by the
lake. When there are no more tadpoles
left to eat, the larvae find worms and snails and the occasional small fish
supper. The nasty larvae stay in the pond munching away for over a year,
sometimes two years, before they too escape and hang around the long leaves and
stems of plants and eventually turn into beautiful big Dragonflies.

Blue Dragonfly by Patrick Zephyr
I was just 5 or 6 when I saw the first
one.Jill, who lived in the prefab
across the road from ours, was 8 and she had taken me newt hunting in the muddy
pond at the bottom of the field behind the old folks' lawn bowling club. Jill wasn't really a girl then. That only happened much later when she morphed
from wicked Tom Boy into a beautiful blond-haired Barnstaple Dancing Queen. Jill was fun when she was 8. She was probably more fun when she was 18, but
as I was still a younger school boy, I didn't know her so well then.More's the pity!
For the newt hunt Jill brought along
some jam jars and a little fishing net.Newts
are not so easy to catch when you're a kid, especially in a big muddy pond.They are difficult to see unless you have
really good sharp eyes. You have to wait
quietly until they come up to the surface for air or to naff a pond skater. Even then, it's difficult because they are
surprisingly quick. Just as you go for
them they dive back down again. But they
usually eat water lice and fleas and those funny small worms that live in the
muck at the bottom of the pond. So, you
wait quietly until you see a bubble or two come up from the mud, and then it's
in with the net to dig out a newt, and a lot of mud! I was excited and happy when I got two fat
newts that day, well Jill got the two newts for me actually. But I picked them out of the net and, after
playing with them a bit - newt bellies are all nice and soft and slimy - and
looking into their big round green and black eyes, I dropped them into my jar
of pond water to take home. That's when
this bright blue sparkling giant suddenly appeared and hovered above the
surface for just a split second before zipping off and disappearing, like a
flash of lightning, into the tall green pond reeds.It frightened me.
"What
was that?" I asked Jill.
"Don't worry, it's just a tooth fairy,"
she explained."It probably stopped to have a drink before going on its way to find and pick up some kid's
baby tooth and leave a silver sixpence under his pillow."
"My mum only found a
halfpenny after I left my best tooth under the pillow."
"Well, Michael,
that's because you are a very naughty and difficult boy sometimes and you have
to be a very helpful and good kid to get a silver sixpence."
All the way home I promised myself I should
be good from now on. I wanted to get a
silver sixpence.It sounded like a
fortune to me. I could get a fat, red
gobstopper for a halfpenny from the sweet shop in Bear Street. Sixpence would buy me half the shop!
Now I have my own muddy pond at the
bottom of the garden. Some call it Lake Sterrano because it's slightly bigger than the newt pond I
knew back in 1950, and with a lot more bright blue sparkling giants flying
around it. Dragonflies don't look quite
as big to me now as they did when I was five, but they are still a very
impressive size with long blue azure bodies and huge strong gossamer
wings. Absolute beauties.
In August, these massive dragonflies
regularly come to float stealthily at shoulder height up and down the courtyard
outside our kitchen window, like colourfully painted zeppelins hunting for the
right target.
Magical majestic male creatures with
huge bulging eyes searching left and right, stopping, turning, reversing and,
if they can't find what they are looking for, jetting off back to their pond to
see if there is any better action there, unless they do find that one special
damselfly that they can clamp onto for a bit of fascinating mid-air copulation.
Then they both indulge in some crafty acrobatic aeronautics, bending and
twisting their long flexible bodies so that his little naughty bit gets
inserted properly and the dirty deed can be done. The insect equivalent of joining the mile-high
club after a bit of erotic mid-air wrestling. How do they do that? They can actually be at it for nearly an hour,
flying around locked in lusty tandem formation before the lucky girls can go
back to the pond with happy smiles on their faces and drop their crop of
fertilized eggs in the water, whilst the tired old Mr. Dragonfly, in need of a
well-deserved rest, finds somewhere quiet to land like a silent glider with his
wings spread out wide and proud. Then,
after a short rest, he'll be up and at it again. I don't blame him. There is no time to lose because,
unfortunately, for the wonderful dragonfly and his damsel mates, they only live
for a couple of months at the most. But
in that time, apart from their excessive appetite for extended periods of
aeronautical free love, they are ferocious predators tracking mosquitoes, wasps
and bees easily in their spherical view of the world and munching away at them
ravenously.
When the Beauties stop flying and hunting
and entertaining us and disappear to die, we have to go back to the bottom of the
pond for the much longer and nastier stage in the fascinating lives of the
Dragonflies.
The Circle of Life. Pond
Life.
Mike
15

CHILDHOOD LITERATURE
"Who would wave a flag to be rescued if
they had a desert island of their own?"
John, Susan, Titty
and Roger [Walker] are staying on holiday at a farm in the Lake District.Nancy and Peggy [Blackett] live nearby. When they meet they agree to join forces
against a common enemy, the Blackett's uncle James, whom they call Captain Flint. So, begins Swallows and Amazons and the
sequels that follow, telling the tales of outdoor adventures - sailing,
camping, fishing, exploration and piracy - of the two families.

Written by Arthur Mitchell Ransome and
published in 1930, Swallows and Amazons was followed by Swallowdale
[1931], Peter Duck [1932], Winter Holiday [1933], Coot Club [1934], Pigeon Post
[1936], We Didn't Mean to Go to Sea [1937], Secret water [1939], The Big Six
[1940], Missee Lee [1941], The Picts and the Martyrs
[1943], Great Norther [1947] and unfinished, Coots in the North.
Arthur Ransome was born in Leeds in
1884, the eldest of four children - 2 sisters and a brother, who was killed in
the First World War in 1918. He was
educated at Windermere and Rugby. Due
to poor eyesight, lack of athletic skill and limited academic achievement,
schooling was not an enjoyable experience.
In 1902, he abandoned a chemistry degree to become a publisher's office boy
in London, using this time to practice writing and producing in 1907 his
significant first of many books.
In 1909, he married Ivy Constance
Walker and they had one daughter, Tabitha.
Not a happy marriage, Ivy objected to the amount of time Arthur spent
writing and in 1913, to escape, he left Ivy and Tabitha and went to
Russia. Here he was ideally placed to
observe and report on the Russian Revolution, knowing many of the leading
Bolsheviks, including Lenin, Radek, Trotsky and
Trotsky's secretary Evgenia Shvelpina. These friendships led to persistent but
unproved accusations that he was a spy for both the Bolsheviks and Britain.
In 1924, he divorced Ivy and married Evgenia, returning to England to live in the Lake
District. He was, in the late 1920's, a
foreign correspondent and well-respected angling columnist for the Manchester
Guardian, before he began writing Swallows and Amazons and its successors.
The first edition was illustrated by
Steven Spurrier but Ransome
did not like his style and so it was published without illustrations. Spurrier was
followed by Clifford Webb but after Ransome successfully illustrated Peter Duck
himself, he decided to do his own illustrating for all the books, including
those already published.


Arthur Ransome died in June 1967 and he
and Evgenia are buried together at St. Paul's Church,
Rusland, in the Lake District.
Interestingly, his sister's children,
when at home in Leeds, shared a governess with their second cousin, Peter
Middleton, grandfather of Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge.
A second film - the first in 1974 - of
Swallows and Amazons was released in August 2016.
16
TWO & FOUR WHEELS IN BERRYNARBOR
The weekend of 5th and 6th August was
busy in Berrynarbor, playing host to three national motoring events, at Sloley
Park, Ruggaton and Barton Hill.
For more than 15 years, the North Devon
Atlantic Classic Motorcycle Club has held a two-day scramble event at Sloley
Park, part of the British Classic Championship. This was the 5th Round for the 2017
Championship.
The Club provides two-wheeled enjoyment
of classic motorcycles in the South West.
Part of the proceeds of the events are
given away and in the last year £5,000 has been donated to local charities.
Up the Valley, Ruggaton was holding an
event for Challenge South West, formed in 2003 for off-road enthusiasts
interested in off-road winch events, testing their vehicles and their team's
skills.They do not intentionally
destroy the environment and hold events to cater for all levels of skill and
ability.
During the year, some 7 or 8 challenge
events are held all over the south west, which provide extra practice for the
main single event De-Cider
Trophy. The meeting at Ruggaton, now in
its 10th year, is one of such events and usually attracts about 8 drivers and
navigators, the navigator being significant when the terrain is such that the
vehicle has to be winched up the gradient!
The prestigious De-Cider event, with
about 20 vehicles competing, also provides the funds needed to run events,
covering the cost of insurance and other costs, and has gained the Club one of
the best reputations for the way they run events, and look after their marshals who
travel from all over the UK to help out.
The Club also offers Camping Weekends,
Training Days and Non-Competitive events, Dealership Open Days and Main Ring
Demonstrations at 4 x 4 Shows.
Like at all motoring events, safety is
paramount and vehicles are rigorously scrutinised, have roll cages, and on-site
medical assistance is provided.
Challenge South West, like many other
motorsport clubs, has recently joined the Institute of Professional Drivers,
which means competitors must purchase and hold an annual competition licence,
and the running of events tightened even further.
On the western slopes of the Valley, at
Barton Hill, members of the All Wheel Drivers' Club were competing in Round 6
of their National Safari Championship.
Competitive Safaris involve specially modified 4 x 4 vehicles taking a
specially laid out course at high speed.
There are
classes
for a wide variety of vehicles from standard production class through to
purpose built specials with a variety of engine sizes. Each vehicle must complete a prescribed
number of runs over the course during the day with the fastest cumulative time
revealing the winner. All vehicles must
comply with the technical regulations with safety features such as roll cages,
harnesses and crash helmets mandatory.
Some 30 4-wheel vehicles, usually running with both a driver and
navigator, took part.
With between 650 and 700 members, the
All Wheel Drivers' Club was formed in 1968 to allow people to use their
off-road vehicles, regardless of make or model. Today, the Club is the largest all-makes
off-road club in the UK and members organise events to allow others to put
their vehicles through their paces.
Events are organised all year round and
are held on private land, permitted and insured by the Motor Sport
Association. Visitors and spectators
are welcome at all events and there are no charges for admittance. They do so at their own risk.
So, professionally run, the
house-keeping of the event is immaculate, always clearing up and making the
land good again. No rights of way are
crossed.
This year, noticing the pink silage
bales supporting Cancer Research, competitors and their families put their
hands in their pockets and raised an on-the-spot donation to the charity of
£100.
The final rounds of this year's
Championship, 10 rounds in all, are being held in Wales and at Minehead and
Tiverton.
The Club will be returning in 2018, the
50th anniversary year of the Club.
Thanks to Derrick Phillips, Peter
Bowden and Valerie Black for their help.
More information on all three Clubs can be found on the internet at:
www.amca.uk, www.challenge-south-west.co.uk, and www.awdc.co.uk.


17
BOWDEN . BERRYNARBOR
. DEVON
the Birthplace of Bishop Jewel
We live at Bowden Farm Cottage, which
is the other half of Bowden Farm. When
we moved here two years ago, we were very interested to find out all the
history of the house. We found and
purchased the picture that was published in the August newsletter on an
American website. The artist is Mrs.
Ann Tyrell. She was part of a ladies'
art group who sketched throughout the year and the best artwork was then
published in a book with an explanation of where the sketch was and a brief
history. The picture we have is one
sketch from the book. We have studied
it in detail and can see that it is a true likeness, from the back of the
house, using
artistic
licence. Unfortunately, we do
not know the year it was sketched.
We
are interested to find out about John Jewel's life, for example, as this was a
poor farmhouse, who funded his studies in Oxford at the age of 13?

The
explanation for Ann Tyrell's sketch reads as follows:
'XXVIII Bowden,
Berrynarbor, Devonshire (Mrs. Ann Tyrell.)
On the
north coast of Devonshire, not far from Ilfracombe, amidst the most
picturesque scenery, lies the village of Berrynarbor. The accompanying sketch represents
a farm house in that parish, called Bowden, celebrated as the birthplace
of John Jewel, (A.D. 1522) afterwards Bishop of Salisbury, and author of the "Apology
of the Church of England", which so delighted Queen Elizabeth that she
commanded it to be read in every church within the kingdom, and it is still sometimes found in company with Fox's Book of Martyrs,
chained to a desk in our old
village churches. 'Jewel', says old
Fuller, 'was his name, and precious were his virtues'. His
family had dwelt at Bowden for many generations. It is now a poor farm house, and there
are no other memorials of the Bishop about the place.'
Tee and Lloyd
Following up on Fuller's quote,
the internet takes one to The Life of Dr. Jewel, Bishop of Salisbury from the
Works of the Reverend Augustus M. Toplady, B.A.
[4.11.1740-11.8.1778], late vicar of Broad Hembury,
Devon. An interesting read of which the
following are excerpts.
'We
learn from Dr. Fuller* that this great prelate was a native of Devonshire;"John Jewel bearing the Christian name of his
father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, was born at Buden
(or Bowden, of which estate his ancestors had been near two hundred years in
possession), in the parish of Berynarbor, near
Ilfracombe, in that county. His
mother's surname was Bellamy, who with her husband lived happily 50 years in
holy wedlock; and at their deaths left ten children behind them."'
'He was
chiefly bred in the school of Barnstaple;where John Harding, afterwards his
Popish antagonist, was his school fellow.
At thirteen years old, he was admitted into Merton College, Oxford;
under the tuition of Dr. John
Parkhurst, afterwards the ingenious and evangelical bishop of Norwich. Such was his sedulity (rising always at four
in the morning and not going to rest until ten at night), that he was never
punished for any one of his exercises, and but once for absence from
chapel. Hence he was removed to Corpus
Christi College, where he proved an excellent poet, linguist and orator. Such was his memory that he could repeat all
Horace by heart;and
he gave many other surprizing proofs of quickness and retention.'
'In July
1559, Mr. Jewel was appointed one of the Queen's [Elizabeth I] commissioners to
visit the dioceses of Sarum, Exeter, Bristol, Bath and Wells and
Gloucester;and to weed them as much as
possible of Popery. And, not many
months after [viz. Jan 21, 1559-60) as a reward for his distinguished learning
and merit, he was consecrated bishop of Salisbury.'
'With
respect to his person, he was of a thin habit of body, which natural thinness
was increased by his abstemious way of living, his want of exercise, and his
intense studies. So that in the latter
part of his life, he was almost a breathing skeleton.'
*Dr. Thomas Fuller, D.D. [1608-1661] - 'Worthies of
England'
18

LET THE PUNISHMENT FIT THE CRIME
When your children play you up, the law
says you must not slap them, but there are other ways to get around this. The following have been told to me by
frustrated parents.
On one occasion when his children
played up, they were sent to their bedrooms.
The kids thought, 'What a good idea, we can play on our computers or
watch television.' Not so! Father pulled out the appropriate fuses and
lo! darkness - no computer, no television!

Another
dad related the following. His children
kept slamming doors. Despite numerous
requests for them not to do so, they continued.
The answer? He took the doors off their bedrooms and the
bathroom and stood them in the garage for a week. Of course, out came the usual cry, "It's not
fair!"
"That's your problem," said the dad,
"Your mother and I have an en suite."

Another way is limiting pocket money or
stopping taking them to school in the car.
Whoops, I may have trodden on a few corns here, but the walk would do
them good!
A punishment which amused me some
thirty years ago was this. Some vandals
in Ilfracombe took picnic seats and table from a pub. The police had watched this on their
closed-circuit TV. They waited until
the vandals had got as far as Hele, then intercepted them and made them carry
them all the way back to the pub. The
culprits didn't do that again!

However,
punishments can go wrong. In the days
when most people smoked a man kept a bottle of lighter fuel to fill his
cigarette lighter. This refined petrol
could also be used for cleaning grease or other marks off clothes and the man's
daughter would pinch his lighter fuel for this, leaving the bottle empty. The father took his revenge by putting water
in the lighter fuel bottle.
Need I say, he forgot he had done this
and filled his lighter with water!

Illustrations by: Paul Swailes
Tony Beauclerk -
Stowmarket
19
LOCAL WALK - 164
In Search of Little Green Men
We had
gone to Kings Nympton to look for little green
men. Not visitors from outer space but
the faces carved on the oak ceiling bosses at the church there.

We were inspired by Roger Deakin's
book, Wildwood A Journey Through Trees.
In the chapter The Sacred Groves of Devon, he describes going to Kings Nympton where he had an 'appointment with the Green Man' at
St. James church, then lying on his back along a pew, peering up into the half
light of the nave roof at the 'gingham' of beams, each joint finished with a
decorative boss about a foot square.
He commented, 'with the Green Man
concealment is everything, hiding high in the church roof . . .adjusting to the dimness I began to make out
the leaf masked face of the Green Man looking back in half a dozen shapes.'
'He is a reticent figure,' wrote Roger
Deakin, 'always half hidden in the woodwork or carved stone like a wren in a
hedge.'
This description so intrigued me I felt
I wanted to see for myself. We took a
torch but it was not needed as sunshine flooded through the windows that
day. Binoculars though enabled us to
see the detail and variety of the Green Men.
With its copper spire; 18th century box
pews and reredos;fine 15th century rood
screen [here, also, faces may be found among the leaf carvings];Jacobean panelling and chancel ceiling oddly
painted in the early 19th century with sky and clouds, St. James is an
interesting church well worth a visit.
In keeping with the plant theme, the hinges on the doors of the box pews
are in the form of acorns.
From the large car park beside the
Parish Hall at the edge of Kings Nympton, we had a
pleasant walk through the attractive village, entering the churchyard near The
Grove Inn.

Several villages in the area have Nympton or Nymet in their names,
derived from Nemet, a Celtic word meaning a sacred
grove.
We entered the South Porch, with its
staggering total of thirty-six roof bosses, and crossed the granite threshold,
which was originally part of a Celtic cross and looking up soon found the Green
Men staring down.
The face may be surrounded by or
entirely made up of leaves. Or branches
or vines may sprout from eyes, nose and mouth
The former type is called a foliate head;the latter a disgorging head.

Illustrations by: Paul Swailes
The
origins are mysterious but pre-date Roman times and examples have been found in
many cultures around the world.
The Green Man may symbolise a close
interdependence between man and nature.
The Celts had a veneration for sacred trees and believed the head was
the repository of the soul.
In time, the Green Man provided a
bridge between Christianity and a pagan past, but the heyday of the Green Man
occurred between the 12th and 15th centuries which coincided with the building
of a lot of churches. Eventually he
became more of a decorative motif than a symbolic one.
Closer to home two small examples may
be found in Combe Martin's St.
Peter ad Vincula - one carved on the rood screen and more unusually, a Green
Woman in Mediaeval headdress at the top of one of the stone pillars. Although I know they are there, it always
takes me a while to find them. Roger
Deakin was right when he said the Green Man tends to be hidden 'like a wren in
a hedge'.
Sue H
20

NEWS FROM THE GLOBE
Coming
Events:
During National Curry Week, we'll be
running our Curry and Drink for £10 offer every night: So, that's from Sunday 8th - Saturday
14th October [inc.].
But.don't forget, the Curry and Drink for £10
is EVERY FrIday- Eat In or Take Away.
We shall be decorating for Hallowe'en, so
please pop in for some sweets if you are trick or treating. Free squash for the kids, too, to keep them
refreshed on their walk!
Our All You Can Eat Nights are
on Saturdays 28th October and
25th
November, look out for details nearer the time.
. . . and our Christmas Menu is now ready
for posting/emailing, so get in touch if you would like to book for a Christmas
meal during December.
For other events please keep an eye out
for posters, emails (if you're on the database) and chalkboards. See you soon.
Karen & Team
21
CHRISTMAS GREETINGS THROUGH THE NEWSLETTER

Although
it may seem rather early to be thinking about Christmas, cards are already on
sale but fortunately no advertising on the television as yet! However, it won't be too long!
Sending
your seasonal greetings to friends and neighbours here in the village through
the Newsletter has become both traditional and popular, and you will be able to
do so once again this year.
To
everyone, especially newcomers, if you would like to do this, it is very
simple. Just decide on your message and
leave it, with a donation, either at Chicane or the Shop and by Wednesday, 8th
November at the latest, please.
After
covering the costs of printing, donations will be shared between the Newsletter
and the much-needed funds for the Manor Hall and the Church.Donations have always been very generous, so
please carry on with that tradition as well!
22
MOVERS AND SHAKERS NO. 71
THOMAS
BURTON
Businessman,
philanthropist and co-founder of The Burton at Bideford
[formerly
The Burton Art Gallery and Museum]
1875
- December 1959

Thomas
Burton adapted from a sketch by his daughter, Mary
This month, I had in mind to write about the
two lifelong 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. My 'better
half' came with me and towards the end of the meeting, casually asked, "How did
the Burton Art Gallery get its name?" [It's difficult to use the new name of The
Burton at Bideford after so many years, but it changed in April 2016 at the
recommendation of the Charities Commission when it became a registered
charity.]
The rest of the meeting was centred on Thomas Burton, and it became clear to me that
logically, he should come first - but I shan't forget those two ladies!
In partnership with his friend Hubert
Coop, a successful artist, he built the Burton Art Gallery as a memorial to his
only daughter Mary, another established artist, who died of cancer at the age
of only 44.

Born in Sussex in 1875, Thomas Burton
moved with his family to Warminster in Wiltshire, where at the age of 19 he
joined the Wesleyan Methodist Church and just three years later became a lay
preacher. Shortly afterwards he moved to South Molton to work in a grocer's
shop
Over the next few years, Thomas built up
a chain of grocery shops in the West Country.
Fired with success, he then moved to the London area where he did the
same over the next nine years. The
shops were such a success that Lord Leverhulme bought
the West Country group, and Mac Fisheries his London stores.
Returning to Bideford at the age of 44,
this successful businessman rapidly re-entered in to the life of the town. He became a director of several local
companies, and there were few groups and interests that didn't benefit from his
leadership. He was a School Governor,
Councillor, Mayor, Alderman and eventually in 1950, an Honorary Freeman of the
Borough. He took special interest in
the poor, widows, the sick and unemployed, and many who benefitted from his
generosity, didn't know who had helped them.
He also campaigned for the sale of British goods in Bideford shops,"...they are the
finest in the world...especially local products".
After his daughter's death in 1949,
Thomas and his wife decided that in view of her artistic talents, Mary's
memorial should be an Art Gallery in Bideford.
His friend Hubert Coop wrote to the Bideford Gazette in October of that
year,"It's a
happy chance that two old townsmen have come together to make a last effort to
leave the town richer than they found it..."
He then helped Thomas to build the Burton Art Gallery, which was
officially opened on 31st October, 1951.
In 1994 the Gallery was extended and
refurbished, making it four times larger than its original size.There are now three exhibition areas, a
museum, a craft gallery and French-style bistro. It is planned to extend The Burton at
Bideford considerably and include a library once the money is raised, but
meanwhile there is much to see. Other
than paintings, you may find Napoleonic Model Ships, Silverware [some of it
from Devon], a Bideford fresco and the attractive craft gallery. Mary Stella Edwards also donated water
colours, drawings, dioramas and Jackanda figures, but
more of these in a later newsletter.
It is worth keeping an eye on the
Gallery's website [www.burtongallery.co.uk] for news of special exhibitions and
events. After all, it's only 22 miles
away - and a pretty ride.
Thomas's friend, Hubert Coop, was born
in 1893 in Olney, Buckinghamshire, the son of the Rev Thomas Coop. Educated in Birmingham and Wolverhampton, he
was elected to the Royal Society of British Artists at the young age of 22. He came to Bideford in the late 1920's, and
stayed there! During his lifetime, he
amassed a fine collection of paintings [both his own work and those of others],
porcelain and antiques and because he felt that Bideford would appreciate his
collection, he left it to the town on condition that it would be 'properly housed'. It became part of the permanent collection
of the new Burton Art Gallery. He died
in 1953 at the age of 80.

Appledore
Quay by Hubert Coop
In December 1959, Thomas Burton died
aged 84, but over the past 66 years, he and Hubert Coop brought to Bideford not
only a community venue, but also a place to celebrate, nurture and exhibit all
kinds of artists. That is quite a
legacy, and a very moving tribute not only to Thomas's daughter, but also to
this generous philanthropist and his artist friend!
PP
of DC

The Burton at Bideford [rear view from Victoria Park]
& French-style Bistro
23

OLD BERRYNARBOR - VIEW NO. 169
Berrynarbor Mill

This month I have chosen a postcard of
Berrynarbor Mill [Berry Mills, now Mill Park] taken by the Bristol photographer
William Garratt around 1903. The
photographic postcard shows Miss Jewell sitting with her dog beside the
overshot mill wheel. Her father, John
Jewell, was the miller there between 1883 and 1906.
Wheat grown in the fields around
Berrynarbor would be gathered in, threshed and brought to the mill where it
would be ground into flour. The flour
would then be taken home for making bread.
Each cottage would have a small bread oven beside their open
fireplace. Any wheat grains that fell
where the wheat was stored was raked up as 'rakings' and taken to the mill to
be ground for pig meal.
Note that there is no water coming from
the overshot mill wheel as the miller would only open a sluice to allow water
to feed into the top of the wheel when grinding corn.
Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Smith took over the
Mill around 1905 and Lewis
Smith was born there on the 9th October 1916.
Lewis, whom many of us knew, and who died in 1989, had a brother Park
and sister Evelyn and the family all moved to the larger West Hagginton Farm in
October 1919.
George Burgess then took over as miller
from 1919 until the mills and dairy farm were sold. The sale was on Thursday, 5th June, 1924 at
the auction of portions of the Watermouth Estate, held at the Manor Hall, Berrynarbor, by John Smale,
F.A.I.
The Mill was listed as:
Lot 6:Berry
Mills a very desirable Grist Mill and Dairy Farm.
Comprising Slated Dwelling House containing:Sitting Room,
Kitchen, Back Kitchen, Dairy and Four Bedrooms, with
Garden, Mill and Water Wheel, Tiled Six-stall Shippen,
Dutch Barn, Tiled Piggery, Tiled Shippen, Slated
Two-stall
Stabled, Tiled Calf House, and about 16a, 2r.29p of
Rich
Watered Meadow, Pasture and Woodlands, as now in the
occupation of Mr. C.H. Burgess at a Yearly Michaelmas
Tenant.
James Chugg
was the purchaser remaining there until at least 1939.
Tom Bartlett
Tower
Cottage, August 2017
Please
note new e-mail:tomandinge40@gmail.com
A
tribute to Lewis Smith and a different postcard picture of the Mill appeared in
the first issue of the Newsletter in August 1989.
24

FROM THE PARISH COUNCIL
Berrynarbor Parish Council has received
a prestigious award as part of the Local Council Award Scheme.The Scheme highlights that not only does the
Council meet the requirements for operating lawfully, it also goes beyond its
legal obligations, leading its community and continuously seeking opportunities
to improve and develop further.The
achievement confirms that Berrynarbor Parish Council achieves good practice in
governance, community engagement and council improvement.
Defibrillator - Can
you help?
The
Parish Council needs to ensure that the Defibrillator is in good working order
and is looking for members of the community to help carry out visual checks of
the equipment and report any issues to the Council. If this is something you feel you can help
with, please contact the
Parish Clerk.
Parish Council
Website
The Combe Martin, Berrynarbor and East Down Police
produce monthly newsletters which can be found on the Parish Council's website
at www.berrynarborparishcouncil.org.uk along with other parish related information. If you are part of a community group within
the parish, and would like to add your group's information and contact details
to the website, please do let us know.
Vicki Woodhouse - Clerk to the Parish
Council
25