Helipad Spring 2019

DAA Aviators

Armchair Twitcher B rd

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the o

spring 2019 |

d

Jerry Collins

Meet our newest pilots

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Barnstaple All Black

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e o DEVON AIR AMBULANCE

t or

Come with us on a walking tour of

Tudor Exeter

Inspiring stories of patient survival

NORTH TAWTON

the small town with a big personality

FREE MAGAZINE Find out more about: Our Service Our Patients Our Fundraisers & Your Beautiful County!

SHIPWRECKS of Torbay Meet Our Fantastic Fundraisers!

Join Our Weekly

LOTTERY See inside

Devon Air Ambulance’s very own Community Magazine

See the Garden spring into life National Rhododendron Show National Gardening Week Questions & Answers Panel (ticketed) Design For Living Fair Spring Plant Fair

27 & 28 April 29 April – 3 May 1 May 4 – 6 May 11 & 12 May

A glorious festival of springtime colour and events.

Buy garden tickets at rhs.org.uk/rosemoor and save 10%.

Great Torrington, Devon, EX38 8PH. RHS Members go free.

Every visit supports the charitable work of the RHS. RHS Registered Charity No. 222879/SC038262

spring 2019 | WELCOME

3

WELCOME Heléna Holt Chief E ecutive O cer As you may have seen in the local media, 2018 was an incredibly busy year for Devon Air Ambulance – in fact, our busiest ever, helping 1,109 patients! Early 2019 also saw us achieve other significant milestones we attended our 27,000th mission, assisted our 100th patient after dark and opened our 100th Community Landing Site. aving successfully own our E eter-based helicopter until midnight for 16 months, in early we further e tended its operating hours until 2am every morning. This means we are available to get our highly trained Critical Care paramedics and doctors to more patients over a longer period of time. This is largely thanks to local communities championing their own night landing sites, enabling us to y into more towns

and villages after dark.

I am also delighted to announce that we were recently ranked 51st in the UKs ‘100 Best Not for Profit Companies to or for and th in the outh est egional est Companies to or for. This is a great achievement for all of the fantastic sta here at evon Air Ambulance, and we will be working hard to ran even higher ne t year.

Ali Simpson Helipad Editor After 6 years and 19 issues, Debbie Gregory is laying down her Editor s pen and turning her focus towards her role as Patient Liaison O cer. espite ta ing a bac seat, Debbie will still be very much involved with Helipad, providing the patient stories and the fundraising pages, such as Devon People and Business on Board. I am delighted to be taking over as Editor and am committed to making sure Helipad continues to be a great read full of interesting articles and inspiring patient stories. e love to hear from our readers so if you have any ideas on what you would like to see included in future issues, please email me at helipad@daat.org.

As always, this Spring issue of Helipad has something for everyone. e ta e a loo at the mid Devon town of North Tawton, with its diverse mi ture of commerce and culture. As an avid amateur historian, I delve into the fascinating story of Torbay s shipwrec s, we find out about the arnstaple All lac , ta e a tour of Tudor E eter and give you some great tips on how to entice wild birds into your garden this Spring.

Happy reading!

GET IN TOUCH! Devon Air Ambulance Unit 5 Sandpiper Court Harrington Lane E eter E info@daat.org www.daat.org egistered Charity o egistered Company o

Fundraising & Events Lottery Volunteering Cara Jones Patient Contact Debbie Gregory P arah urden Community Landing ites Toby ussell Operations igel are Magazine Advertising Ben Foster Magazine Inserts Gaynor Garton

fundraising@daat.org lottery@daat.org c.jones@daat.org d.gregory@daat.org s.burden@daat.org t.russell@daat.org n.hare@daat.org

© All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or used in any form without prior permission of the publishers. All material is sent at the owner’s risk and whilst every care is taken, Devon Air Ambulance Trust will not accept liability for loss or damage. Every effort has been taken to ensure the accuracy of our content but the publishers cannot be held responsible for any omissions, errors or alterations or for the consequences of any reliance on these details; neither can they vouch for the accuracy of claims made by any advertiser.

The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publishers.

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helipad | www.daat.org

CONTENTS | spring 2019 18

44 xx

Ringing the Changes

The Offical Magazine of Devon Air Ambulance Celebrating the best in Devon 50,000 copies covering the whole county. 35,000+ delivered direct to our supporters Also available online at www.daat.org

9

26 North

Contributors

Tawton

Sarah Chesters Richard Hunt David FitzGerald Neil Devons Dawn Chandler David Simpson Photographers Neil Devons RHS Rosemoor Philip Vile Photography Publisher Heléna Holt h.holt@daat.org 01392 466 666 Editor Alison Simpson 01392 466666 ext 147 a.simpson@daat.org Sub Editor Debbie Gregory 01392 466666 ext 135 d.gregory@daat.org Advertising Sales Ben Foster 01366 728488 b.foster@daat.org Advertisement Copy copy@daat.org Design & Print Management Silver Foxes Publishing 07455 206470 Distribution & Mailing Silver Foxes Publishing 07455 206470 ISSN (Print) 2055-2343 ISSN (Online) 2055-2351 Next issue Summer 2019

is published by DEVON AIR AMBULANCE TRUST

Retail Shop Volunteers

OUR WORK 7

… STOP PRESS … STOP PRESS …

A round-up of Devon Air Ambulance news and views.

23

Meet our new pilots Say hello to our three newest pilots - Steve, Pete and Craig. They tell us why they all wanted to become helicopter pilots, why ying for Devon Air Ambulance is so rewarding, and why it isn’t only ‘Boys Allowed’.

33

Statistically Speaking Every year, our retail shops generate a lot of statistics, from number of bags of items donated to how many customers we serve. Chrissie Peel e plains why having access to these facts and figures is so important in the world of retail.

36

Junior Crew We turn the spotlight on some of the young supporters who raise money for Devon Air Ambulance in lots of creative and fun ways.

40

Business on Board Showcasing just some of the businesses and local companies who support DAA in a variety of ways.

42

Devon People In every issue of Helipad, we introduce you to some of the amazing people who raise money for Devon Air Ambulance.

46

100 and counting We celebrate the county’s 100th Community Landing Site.

48

There’s no I in ‘Teamwork’ Operations Director Nigel Hare explains why the success of DAA is a huge team e ort and how everyone plays a vital part in the Chain of Survival’.

Join Our Weekly

LOTTERY

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spring 2019 | CONTENTS

PEOPLE & PLACES 14

Lost at Sea While we might think of the waters around Torbay as safe and benign, we find out about the surprising number of shipwrecks along this stretch of South Devon coast, and why not all of them were caused by mother nature.

16

The ‘Barnstaple’ All Black Read about the time a famous New Zealand rugby player came to the county, and why his choice of socks made one Devon town very proud!

18

Ringing the Changes Some of Devon’s Anglican churches are being given a new lease of life by a group of dedicated experts and professionals, working creatively to attract a wider audience.

24

An Annual Event Sarah Chesters extols the virtues of annuals and perennials for bringing colour and scent into our borders and gives us gardening tips to take us through to early summer.

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30

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North Tawton – trucks, television and tragedy Despite being the smallest town in Devon, North Tawton has many faces – a vibrant community, a thriving and historic industrial heritage, the backdrop to a much-loved TV comedy drama and home to two of the world’s most celebrated poets.

The Armchair Twitcher You don’t need a camou age ac et and telephoto lens to watch birds in Devon. Learn some top tips from an enthusiastic amateur to bring some of the county’s loveliest birds into your own garden.

New Season, New Flavours Richard Hunt cooks up two recipes to welcome in the new season – a classic rack of lamb with Jersey Royals in anchovy butter, followed by a creamy panna cotta with poached rhubarb and ginger crumb.

Stepping back in time Exeter has a rich and diverse history, so how better to discover it than by taking a free Red Coat Guided Tour. One self-confessed ‘Tudorphile’ spent an afternoon finding out about the city s Tudor connections.

Back Chat Fitz speaks to 2018 Masterchef Winner, Laurence enry, and finds out why the Ashburton Coo ery School played such an important part in his meteoric rise from novice cook to culinary star!

5

10 Stuck in the mud!

GET INVOLVED 9

Volunteering Volunteer manager, Cara Jones, looks at the many and varied tasks undertaken by our retail shop volunteers, and explains why there is a role for everyone helping out in one of DAA’s shops.

21

Canvassing support for our lottery Tracy Owen, Fundraising manager, introduces the newest member of our canvassing team, coming to a retail outlet near you soon.

PATIENTS 10

Stuck in the mud!

When Angela and her son decided to go for a walk on the South West Coastal Path, she never imagined she would end the day having a very short ride in the Devon Air Ambulance!

13

Crashing down to earth When 14-year old Oliver fell 24 feet through a barn roof, he broke both his wrists and sustained a potentially serious head in ury. AA came to the rescue and showed its value to Devon’s rural communities.

17

Happy Coincidences hen he su ered a cardiac arrest, fate and good fortune were smiling on Sean as a number of happy coincidences meant he got the help he needed quickly.

29

Wedding Gifts After DAA came to her aid following a nasty car accident, ophie and her fianc Edward e plain why they are asking their wedding guests for donations to Devon Air Ambulance instead of gifts.

37

It’s never too late early years ago, aniel sustained significant in uries in a car accident and was than ful to the edgling Air Ambulance service. e now uses his experiences to help him in his role as a Rehabilitation Support Worker.

On The Cover Issue No.22 Spring 2019 Exeter Cathedral © OneToRemember

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helipad | www.daat.org

Trustee Update We are delighted to welcome Julie Hawker to Devon Air Ambulance’s board of trustees. Julie is Chief Executive of Cosmic, a digital skills agency based in Honiton and has a very personal connection to the Charity – she was airlifted

by DAA following a serious riding accident and has spent 6 years supporting the charity through fundraising, volunteering and offering staff training.

The latest news from Air Ambulance HQ Wonderful windsock Pilot Richie Tate and Dr Matt Warner pose with the new windsock at our Eaglescott Airbase – not only is a useful flying aid in daylight, it comes into its own after dark – as it’s lit from the inside!

Bloomin’ lovely A spate of ‘competitive amaryllis growing’ broke out at Devon Air Ambulance earlier this year – our thanks go to the former patient who arranged for every member of staff to receive a bulb at Christmas – here’s our IT training support officer, Irfan, with one particularly lovely specimen.

It’s a ‘Thumbs up’ for us all Devon Air Ambulance was recently ranked 51st in the UKs ‘100 Best Not-For-Profit Companies to Work for’ and 38th in the South West’s ’75 Best Companies to Work for’ – congratulations to all our staff for these fantastic achievements.

spring 2019 | NEWS

Close Calls on Camera...

Thankfully, for most of us, the closest we get to seeing the real day-to-day work of the emergency services is on the television. There are a number of increasingly popular programmes available across all our TV channels, including those following our lifeboats, our police and our ambulance services. For Devon Air Ambulance, it’s been a privilege recently to be part of one particular BBC1 series, Close Calls on Camera.

Helipad’s very own Debbie Gregory – who previously worked for Thames Television and the BBC – tells us more about the filming at our Exeter airbase.

The BBC describes the programme, presented by Nick Knowles, as “A series which shows the split-second moments when everyday events are transformed into disasters and meets the people who lived to tell the tale.”

Devon Air Ambulance is featured in two emotional stories in the forthcoming series of Close Calls on Camera. On Tuesday 16th April, it features the story of young Harry Tansley from Exeter, who tore his windpipe when he fell from his scooter on Exmouth esplanade.

Dr ich eed, nding a lost microphone lead

Final reconstr ction lming or Close Calls on Camera with Dave Dungay and Darren Goodwin

Dr ich eed and Jac

eline a l, rod cer or Topical Television

In a future episode, you can see how 15-year old Molly Harris from Northam, near Bideford, saved her step-dad’s life by doing CPR when he suffered a cardiac arrest.

The DAA aircrews who attended both of these incidents were interviewed and filmed by Jacqueline Paul, Producer/ Director for Topical Television, the production company commissioned by the BBC to film the series, which covers dramatic stories from across the whole country.

For DAA’s Dr Reed, being interviewed brought back many memories of the day he performed a life-saving surgical procedure on young Harry in the back of a land ambulance, a procedure rarely undertaken outside of a hospital.

Critical care paramedic Dave Dungay explains how CPR given by bystanders is crucial in those early moments when someone suffers a cardiac arrest. For Pete Connors, stepdaughter Molly’s calm intervention was absolutely remarkable.

We would like to thank our patients as well as all of the aircrew and staff who feature in the stories and who helped during the recording, and a special thank you to Capital Air Ambulance for the use of their land ambulance.

Young patient Harry Tansley recovering in hospital

 Series 7 of ‘Close Calls on Camera’ begins on Monday 8th April and runs daily at 11.45am on BBC1

7

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helipad | www.daat.org

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spring 2019 | VOLUNTEERING

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VOLUNTEERING Profile: Cara Jones - Volunteer Manager o e @daat.org

l:

Cara is responsible for coordinating volunteering across Devon Air Ambulance, including the recruitment, induction, training and support of our volunteers wor ing in our shops and in the community.

Helping hands...

Devon Air Ambulance needs a whole community of volunteers to keep its 19 charity shops open and its helicopters ying. Cara ones e plains how our shops keep us deeply rooted in the communities across Devon and how our shop volunteers contribute hugely to their success!

W

ith nineteen DAA shops to choose from, volunteering in retail is available to everyone – from Kingsbridge in the south to Barnstaple in the north, from Honiton in the East to Plymouth in the west – and all points in-between!

The great thing about volunteering in our retail shops is that we have a role to suit everyone, whether you are young or old, an outgoing type or someone who likes to work behind the scenes. Our shop volunteers underta e lots of di erent – and varied - tasks, from window dressing and dealing with stock, to helping our customers and using the tills. Our more social volunteers love helping on the shop oor and engaging with our customers. Others prefer to beaver away in the background and help with processing our donations and ma ing them ready for the shop oor, steaming, labelling and pricing clothes and sorting bric-a-brac. We have creative volunteers who enjoy window dressing or producing unique displays. We love our volunteers to tell us if they have a particular interest in any area, as it can be very handy to have someone on the team who can spot an antique vase or a fashion-house label!

Our volunteers also come from all walks of life and cover an incredible age range - from 14 years to the grand age of 94! We have younger volunteers undertaking their Duke of Edinburgh Awards, students who would like to gain work experience, individuals who like to meet new people and those who like to do something worthwhile, all while having fun.

Some of our shop volunteers are also eligible to undertake retail associated ualifications through a partnership with Derby College.

As with all volunteering roles, you can choose where, when and for how long you volunteer. We welcome volunteers who want to help every day or perhaps just a couple of hours every now and then. So, if you would like to learn a new skill, gain a

ualification or simply do something worthwhile, why not give volunteering a go? If you are not sure, we can arrange a trial session before you commit. If you would like to, you can even visit the shop and meet the sta and other volunteers to get a feel for what we do. You don’t even need to have any previous retail e perience, as we o er friendly support, training and lots of encouragement.

The contribution our volunteers makes is enormous, so we would love to welcome you into our amazing volunteer family. o

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helipad | www.daat.org

Stuck in the mud!

Enjoying the great outdoors and embracing Devon’s stunning scenery was all Angela Major from Ipplepen had in mind when she set out for a brisk, bracing walk last February. Angela takes up the story...

“O

n February 15th last year my eldest son, Lawrence, and I decided to go for a walk along the South West Coastal Path from Start Point to Lannacombe. It was a glorious day with bright blue skies following the previous day’s rain. We donned our walking boots and prepared for the walk, which we have done before. We parked at the Start Point car park and et o All was going well until we

were on the section of path towards Lannacombe. We had been avoiding muddy parts but at this point on the path there were gorse bushes both sides so we had to tread in mud from time to time. I put my right foot into one muddy patch which turned out to be deeper than other parts so when I came to make a step I couldn’t! I heard a crack and just knew I had done something serious.

Lawrence helped me up but, although I could stand, I

couldn’t walk! So he helped me to a grassy knoll and went to ring for help. First to arrive were the Volunteer Coastguards who made me more comfortable and reassured me. However, they were already wondering how I was going to get out from where I was. Two paramedics then arrived who cut my boot o and gave me two lots of morphine. It was too far to carry me back to Start Point where the land Ambulance was so the Air Ambulance

was called. At one point they thought I would have to be winched up but the coastguards did a ‘recce’ and found some grass further up between the cli and the sea so the skilful pilot, Richie, landed the helicopter there.

I remember being extremely relieved when I saw the Air Ambulance approaching as I hoped that meant I would soon be on my way, which I was.

The doctor and paramedics from the Air Ambulance

spring 2019 | PATIENTS

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Volunteer Coastguards and crew carry Angela to the Air Ambulance

“ The doctor and paramedics from the Air Ambulance came to the scene and it de ded the hel o ter o ld e to the l d l e t the t rt Po t car park, thus freeing up the helicopter in case someone else needed it ” came to the scene and it was decided the helicopter would y me to the land ambulance at the Start Point car park, thus freeing up the helicopter in case someone else needed it. So the land ambulance paramedics headed back to their vehicle and Lawrence also hotfooted it back to our car.

With the help of the Coastguards I was carried to the helicopter including over a barbed wire fence and delivered into the helicopter, complete with a full medical team. I wanted to sit up in the helicopter to look at the views but, disappointingly, had to stay lying down The ride was e tremely smooth and had a lovely view of the still e tremely blue s y. was then transferred into the land ambulance for the ourney to

Torbay hospital.

I have nothing but praise and admiration for the people who helped me that day - from the olunteer Coastguards who looked after me so well and sorted out a place for the air ambulance to land; to the land ambulance paramedics and of course the whole Devon Air Ambulance team, paramedics Nick and Lee, with Dr Jim and pilot Richie, who were so professional, reassuring and calm. Without them all goodness knows how I would have got out of that predicament Angela had su ered a spiral fracture of the fibula and a broken tibia but, after an intense physio regime for many months, Angela s broken leg is now almost completely healed. o

Angela on the coast path at Start Point just before her accident

“ h e oth t r e d d r t o or the eo le ho hel ed e th t d from the Volunteer Coastguards who looked after me so well and sorted out a place for the air ambulance to land; to the land ambulance paramedics and of course the whole Devon Air Ambulance team ”

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spring 2019 | PATIENTS

13

A scary time...

Fourteen-year old Oliver McKnight from North Tawton was playing with his mates after school last October when things took an unexpected turn as Oli fell 25 feet through the roof of his friend’s barn on to the concrete oor below.

T

he fir t re l t o h r h h d th t o eth ro he l dd t er h ho e th t ter oo r h e l ed l ll l he ro or t o th o o l dd t er o re d lled d he rd h r e d r do o e te d e l r t ll h t h dh e ed r do le rl ho d er orr ed o t l ltho h he l o h d the ore ht to e re th t l re ed l ddd t o e ed tel d lled d r to the r On arrival, Sarah was alarmed to see a ‘hideous

youngster. As Oli was being prepared for the flight, pilot Steve Day instructed Sarah to leave ahead of them, explaining that whilst it would take her over an hour to reach Derriford Hospital in Plymouth, the Air Ambulance would get there in about minutes.

An A&E receptionist took Sarah straight through to see Oli when she arrived at Derriford, where it was learned that Oli needed surgery for nasty breaks on both his wrists but, incredibly, x-rays had revealed that his pelvis, hips, legs and spine had not been damaged. After a scary first 36-hours, Oli remained in Derriford for the next 6 days before heading home

er t e ee the r l e o erhe d h o t o l ord o fi t d the t he r e t the ot l to here he eeded to e ”

“

lump on her son s head. First responders were quickly on scene, followed by the aircrew from Devon Air Ambulance. arah recalls that they all acted so swiftly, with paramedics John Shaddick and Dave Huyton discussing the options of Bristol or Plymouth hospitals whilst cutting Oli’s clothes off and attaching drips to the

for a 10-week programme of physiotherapy and rehabilitation.

Recounting the incident to Helipad’s Debbie Gregory, Sarah explained, “When Oli had his accident, the helicopter and Air Ambulance crew swooped in so very uic ly. t s when things like this happen, you become very aware of how far away you are from

Oli gives a ‘thumbs up’ for Devon Air Ambulance help; we live in West Devon and are about 40 minutes from the nearest hospital. To have the Air Ambulance land so quickly and whisk Oli off to the care he needed was more than reassuring. can t uite articulate what it means actually don’t want to try and articulate it really, because it ma es it all too real again. n the moments the crew are with you ‘everything happens’ and then they re gone. You don t even have the opportunity to say thank you because you don t see them again. . ut every time see the Air Ambulance fly overhead, say Than you... its only words, so insignificant and they can’t hear me.... but they got Oli to

Mum Sarah prese

where he needed to be. The Air Ambulance, the crew and everyone involved, well, you’re worth your weight in gold.

Than you for all that you do.

Fortunately, the bones in Oli’s arms mended well and Oli even hopes to get back to playing rugby next season!

After such a personal and close encounter with the Air Ambulance, Sarah was delighted when her employers, Crediton Dairy, chose Devon Air Ambulance to receive their annual charitable donation at Christmas and was very happy to present a cheque for £500 to DAA volunteer ohn roves. o

nts a cheque from Crediton Dairy to volunteer John Groves

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helipad | www.daat.org

Lost at Sea ...

As a keen amateur historian and Torquay resident, Helipad’s new editor, Ali Simpson, was intrigued to learn about the scale of shipping lost around Torbay and dug a little deeper to find out more about the fascinating - and surprising - history of some of its maritime wrecks.

O

n a still, benign day, you would be forgiven for thinking that the calm, sheltered waters in the ‘bite’ of Torbay would always be a safe haven for shipping, an east facing natural harbour where vessels of all sizes could take refuge from stormy seas.

A quick look at the Shipwreck Index of the British Isles, however, reveals a much darker statistic - over 300 years, 114 ships were wrecked in Torquay and Paignton waters alone.

The second half of the 18th century saw a particularly heavy loss of shipping in the bay. In 1750, the brig St Peter was wrecked about a mile west of Torre Abbey sands. A contemporary account paints a rather unsavoury picture of the aftermath, when local people allegedly plundered the

wreck and even stole the captain’s watch.

A similarly unedifying account reveals that a wrecked French e el hed der ldo l t h ht e a battle ensued between locals from Torre and Torwood estates. Nearby Waldon Hill was Cary land and the Torwood raiders were accused of “much pillaging and wanton damage”.

They were eventually overcome by the Cary steward and a gang of half a dozen men he recruited from the neighbouring Cockington estate. What happened to any hapless French sailors who managed to survive the shipwreck and make it to shore is not known.

In February 1763, HMS Savage – a 144 ton sloop-of-war – was driven onto the shore by an easterly gale near Roundham Head

spring 2019 | DEVON PAST and was lost. While all her guns were salvaged, her remains o le o t rd o the e h der eet o ter other t e r o dh e d M e er le th rd r te h o the l e he l hed d er ed d r l h t the ttle o erdo the orth e o the t h o t the th o e er he dr e t ro d ltho h o t r ll er o her re were lost, but over 500 were eventually saved. Two days later, ll ot ll o other h l d the h red r ed h d rre led ro Pl o th to or to l e o the d h o the r o the o ld he re o the e er le o l e o t rd to the o th e t o the o ther e d o the e h d o ll d le d hot h e e ee retr e ed d er Pro l the re te t le lo o l e d the o t re o e ht or ter h e ed o the th r re t h rr e le de t er o e el ee helter the hored the o te or r re ort re ord ro r h to oodr to the hore dotted th re t ro d d e h ere o hore tot l h ere re ed th t ht d 77 people lost their lives.

More re e t h tor h l o ee er o h re ed d ot l d e to the r e o other t re

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15

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helipad | www.daat.org

“There is Jerry Collins of New Zealand and Barnstaple...”

aple Barnosctks s Helipad’s Neil Devons recalls how a legend of New Zealand Rugby Union came to represent Barnstaple RFC’s second team on the pitch and how his choice of socks later put the north Devon team on the world rugby map…

I

t’s been said that Rugby Union is one of the great freemasonries in the world.

Go into the clubhouse of any team, on any continent, tell them which local club you belong to or support and you’ll not only be given a very warm welcome but you are also likely to make friends for life.

However, the story of Jerry Collins and his visit to Barnstaple RFC goes even further than that because it has become a true rugby legend.

Jerry Collins was a colossus of the game. Capped 48 times by the All Blacks, the Samoan born back row forward was acknowledged as one of the hardest men in the game. In 2007, after New Zealand were unexpectedly dumped out of the World Cup in France, Collins took a holiday in Croyde, North Devon.

You don’t see many 6’ 3”, 18 stone Samoans in North Devon and not one who is

as hard as flint and sports a bleached crown of hair, so it’s not surprising that the then head coach of Barnstaple, Kevin Squires, recognised him and stopped to chat. Not really expecting him to take up the invitation, Kevin even invited him along to the club’s Pottingdon Road ground.

Against all expectation, not only did Jerry Collins turn up, he met all the players, did some coaching and said he wanted a game. When he was advised that, because he was still registered with Super Rugby’s Hurricanes, he was ineligible to play for Barnstaple’s first team, it was suggested he turn out for the Seconds or Thirds, an offer he readily accepted. He even went into Barnstaple to buy some boots!

So it was that, less than a month after playing in the World Cup for New Zealand - who he had captained for several of the pool games

- Jerry Collins got off the team bus with the Barnstaple second string at Rackerhayes in Newton Abbot to the jaw dropping disbelief of the hosts, and most of the spectators!

He played his part in the game and scored a try, although happily for his opponents, without inflicting too much damage on them.

He even laid down to have his photo taken with a team mate who missed the team photo because of injury and telephoned fellow rugby megastar Dan Carter to tell him where he was playing.

The story has two final twists – one heart-warming, the other tragic.

Collins was selected to play for the Barbarians against South Africa at Twickenham later that year. The Barbarians is an international invitation side who wear black and white hooped shirts but each player

wears his own club socks.

In a rare and heart-warming gesture, Collins chose to wear Barnstaple RFC socks and no one involved with the North Devon club (or anyone involved in rugby come to that) will ever forget the commentator saying, “There is Jerry Collins of New Zealand and Barnstaple”.

Tragically, in 2015, Jerry Collins and his partner Alana Madill were killed in a car crash in Southern France.

Jerry Collins will be remembered not only as a giant of the game who played for the Hurricanes, Toulon, Ospreys, Narbonne, New Zealand – and Barnstaple! but as a genuine ‘one of the boys’ character who loved his rugby and the camaraderie that is an integral part of it. He came to epitomise the true spirit of the game and will always be remembered in North Devon. o

spring 2019 | PATIENTS 17

A series of fortunate coincidences nfortunate though it was when ean estrope su ered a cardiac arrest, a number of fortunate coincidences saved his life.

S

ean and his partner Tina had invited their friend Rich, and his daughter Emily, to visit on Saturday 22nd December. When their other friends, Gary and Joanne and their two children, turned up to visit earlier than expected the same day, Tina rang to see if Rich would take a ‘rain-check’.

Inadvertently, however, Tina had messaged the wrong number so Rich and Emily turned up as originally planned. oon after they arrived, ean suddenly collapsed on the sofa. Coincidentally, as a surf life-saver, ich is trained in first aid. hile Tina phoned , ich immediately started giving ean CP , while ary held his head and listened for breaths.

The next fortunate coincidence was that one of evon s two Air Ambulances was heading bac to its Eaglescott airbase and was almost overhead when the call came through. Able to land in a field near ean s home in the hamlet of est orlington, near Crediton, the aircrew were with ean ust minutes later.

A land ambulance crew also arrived on scene and, as it was getting late in the day and the AA helicopter had to return to Eaglescott, it was necessary for paramedics ave ungay and arren all to assist ean in the land ambulance to the oyal evon E eter ospital.

E changing manual CP for the Lucas device, a specialist machine doing regulated compressions to eep the heart wor ing, ave and

recalls the paramedics involved her throughout their care of ean. They ept as ing me to pass them bits from their medical it - now

“ I have no doubt whatsoever that Darren and Dave saved my life and de the e t d ere e ” arren prepared ean for his ourney to the E. Sean has no memory at all of the incident but Tina

realise that it was to eep me calm. was so frightened but the guys were really reassuring.

Once in E, ean was treated for three bro en ribs and a punctured lung. e had a debrillator fitted into his side under his armpit, wee s after being admitted. e was also given beta-bloc ers to help his heart recover. hile he was recovering in hospital, -year old ean was curious to now why he had su ered a cardiac arrest despite being a fit and active county champion fell runner. e as ed the surgeon to be blunt and honest about any future restrictions and if his life e pectancy was impacted. eassuringly, he was told he had the best anatomy ve ever operated on. ealising that training had seemed more di cult in days leading up to the incident, it is believed that a simple virus had caused ean s lifethreatening condition.

Coincidentally, ean is very familiar with the wor of air ambulances, having wor ed for London Ambulance ervice for a number of years before moving to evon. e is also aware of the impact that evon Air Ambulance had when it attended him. have no doubt whatsoever that arren and ave saved my life and made the biggest di erence. Than goodness they were ying overhead and able to attend so swiftly. am ust so grateful that m alive, and have been able to ma e a full recovery. o

helipad | www.daat.org

18

Helipad s

A

Ringing the Changes...

eil evons finds out how innovative changes to some of our churches are breathing fresh new life into local communities

recent article in The Times demonstrated the challenges currently faced by many of our Anglican churches, not least that pensioners far outnumber young people in the congregation – with a third of all worshippers being over 70 e r o e do l fi th under 18.

We are familiar with many churches wanting to extend their community reach through opening shops and post offices – one has even applied to open as a pub at the weekends. However, the main conundrum now is how to attract younger congregations and provide means of worship that they can relate to without alienating the stalwart parishioners.

As a result, churches everywhere are seeking new ways of reaching out to younger people. Hard

pews and cold floors are going out, and flat screen TVs, professional sound equipment and even gym equipment are coming in.

New ideas often require physical redesign and refurbishment of the church buildings, and permission from the Diocese is required for this. Some projects can prove arduous and frustrating – but there is help at hand...

Fortunately, in Devon, the Diocese of Exeter has a seven year funded project to support churches, particularly in rural areas, to engage with their wider community on these important questions.

The ‘Growing the Rural Church’ Project supports churches to consider new community, cultural and commercial uses of their buildings which benefit the whole community.

The Diocesan Advisory Committee for the Care

of Churches (DAC) offers advice to Parochial Church Councils about proposed work to church buildings and churchyards, as well as support to church officers and congregations.

DAC in Devon oversees, advises and assists the parishes and communities of the county’s 605 Anglican churches and is actively engaged in helping the churches of the diocese to use their buildings to best effect in serving the church’s mission. It also administers every church’s requirement to commission a five yearly inspection to establish what work is required to the buildings. They are also able to assist with finding different uses for church buildings which are no longer needed for public worship.

In January the DAC appointed retired Chartered Surveyor and

former specialist building contractor, Walker Lapthorne, as its new Chair. Walker is supported

by Nigel Pratt, the Senior Buildings Advisor and DAC Secretary and by Church Buildings Advisor, Charlotte Vickers.

The significance of the challenge can clearly be seen in the range of buildings within DAC’s remit. Walker said: “The church stock in Devon reflects a glorious heritage of style and age.

Over 400 are listed Grade I or II*. Some of the buildings date back as far as the 9th and 10th centuries and there are many more with elements dating from after the Norman Conquest.

“Stone parish churches were widespread from the 12th century but many have since been enlarged and rebuilt.

The majority of pre-Victorian Devon churches date from

e

spring 2019 | DEVON PEOPLE the Perpendicular period originating in the second half of the 14th century.

This golden age of church building coincided with Devon’s increasing wealth as a result of the cloth trade. The 19th century also saw a major period of church building in the county.

DAC’s specific responsibility is to advise on the grant of faculties - this can be anything relating to places of worship, churchyards and burial grounds - from the architecture, archaeology and art, to their use and care.

The Committee is composed of a wide range of specialists, including four Archdeacons, one Synod clergy member, one Synod lay member, the Diocesan Archaeological Adviser, nominees from Historic England, the National Amenity Societies and the local authorities, architects experienced in working with historic buildings, experts in heating and lighting, and all

aspects of conservation.

There are also fifteen voluntary specialists who, although not members of the Committee, assist them and individual parishes by advising on artefacts as well as bells, clocks, organs, sound systems, windows and textiles.

Walker added: “We live in changing times and the Church, like every other institution, must adapt.

There is currently a wave of applications for churches that are looking to adapt to reflect the needs of the mission. In order to attract a younger population, churches are beginning to accommodate a more modern style of worship. Open bright and welcoming spaces are enabling the congregations to grow and diversify.

“The needs of the more traditional worshippers also have to be respected and the challenge facing many churches, particularly in the rural areas, is to how

to engage with their wider communities, to offer facilities often lost by commercial pressures hence the Growing the Rural Church project.

“Although not a new concept, sympathetic reordering can revitalise a church as a community asset. This will often involve creating more open and flexible interiors, providing modern controllable heating and lighting systems and introducing toilet and catering facilities. I see this as vital if the church is to stay relevant for future generations.”

Helipad asked Walker what qualities are needed by the Chair of DAC and why has he made such a significant voluntary commitment.

“I think I have a unique perspective on the refurbishment of churches, being not only a qualified building consultant but having worked on many Devon churches whist running my building company. I have experience of chairing

19

committees at a national as well as local level and a large committee such as ours needs careful stewardship.

“If I had to write the specification for my ideal retirement job, this would be it. My faith is important to me and to be able to assist in the care and adaptation of churches throughout the county is wonderful. I am already visiting parts of Devon that I would not have a need or chance to do so and discovering the rich heritage of the churches that we are so lucky to have. Listening to our experts is like taking a master’s degree in Church Architecture!” o

Walker Lapthorne

“ “If I had to write the e fi t o or de l ret re e t o th o ld e t M th ort t to e d to e le to t the re d d t t o o churches throughout the o t o der l lre d t rt o e o th t o ld ot h e eed or h e to do o d d o er the rich heritage of the churches that we are so l to h e te to o r e ert l et ter de ree Church Architecture!” ”

% Service User Number

1

7

7

2

7

4

Please fill out all boxes in the form with a ball-point pen and send it to:

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5 Sandpiper Court, Harrington Lane, Exeter EX4 8NS

spring 2019 | LOTTERY

21

Meet the newest member of our canvassing team –

Canvassing your support...

Since our lottery began way back in September 2001, DAA has been promoting various ways to join. One easy way is through our team of great canvassers. They have an important role, meeting new supporters and raising awareness along the way.

Our canvassers – Marcia and Tim – can be found out and about in the community, at your local garden centre or supermarket, but never on your doorstep! It couldn’t be easier to join - they simply take all your details using a secure electronic system (they will ask to see some proof of identity, such as a bank card or driving licence, for added security) and you will receive confirmation of being part of DAA’s Lottery.

Marcia became a full-time canvasser for Devon Air Ambulance in October 2015; since joining, she has signed up an amazing 11,800 new lottery members!

We are delighted that Tim joined the team at the end of January 2019 – and has already signed up 145 new members! Let Tim tell you a bit about himself :

Timothy Jones (left) with Mark Harris, Area Sales Manager, Tower Lotteries

“As a boy, I lived in North Devon before joining the army. After leaving the military, my family and I finally moved back to Devon and we’ve never looked back! I am a big fan of helicopters having flown in Lynx, Puma, Wessex and Chinooks during my military career, so I am particularly excited about the new Airbus H145 helicopter the charity is buying!”

YOU CAN ALSO JOIN OUR LOTTERY BY: • Completing the Lottery Membership Application Form (overleaf) or printing a copy from our website, www.daat.org/lottery or • picking up a form at any of our 19 shops

Could you be one of our lucky weekly winners? Our ‘you flutter, we fly’ inhouse lottery has gone from strength to strength since it took off nearly 18 years ago. We’re so proud to now have over 39,000 members who raised £2 million pounds for the charity in 2018.

Thank you to all our fantastic lottery members and we look forward to welcoming even more new members in 2019.

1109

pa ents assisted in 2018

LOTTERY

Profile: Tracy Owen - Fundraising Manager Email: t.owen@daat.org Tracy has been with DAA for over 10 years and oversees all aspects of fundraising, including working with those who have nominated us as their Charity of the Year, business supporters and our own in-house lottery.

Lottery Membership Application Lottery Membership Application

Thesum sum of of (tick only) The (tickone onebox box only) 1 Number 1 Chance

£4.34 Monthly Monthly £4.34

DAATLottery Lottery Offi Office, SandpiperCourt, Court,Harrington HarringtonLane, Lane,Exeter ExeterEX4 EX48NS 4NS DAAT ce, 55 Sandpiper The address is all is youallneed us by post.us by post.

Thepostal above postalabove address youwhen needcontacting when contacting Staff I/D Number

❑

£26.00 Quarterly ❑ £26.00 Quarterly £52.00 Half Yearly ❑ £52.00 Annually Six Monthly £104.00 ❑

£52.00 Annually NB: Monthly subscription first£104.00 paymentAnnually is £5 per number FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

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Payments to be paid on either 6th or 20th of each month First payment due immediately and thereafter on 6th or 20th of each month.

HP 04/19 HP1116

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2 Numbers 2 Chances £8.68 £8.68 Monthly Monthly

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Instruction to your bank or building society to pay by Direct Debit Please fill in the form and send to: DAAT Lottery, 5 Sandpiper Court, Harrington Lane, Exeter EX4 8NS.

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14

74

72

22

77

46

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Lottery promoted by Devon Air Ambulance Trust.

Devon Air Ambulance Trust is licensed by the Gambling Commission, Number 000-0005032-N-308657-001.

Responsible person: C. Creer www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk Please gamble responsibly. For advice visit www.gambleaware.co.uk DAAT is a member of the Lotteries Council and is committed to promoting a responsible approach to gambling.

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There is no need to claim as all prizes are paid automatically.

All proceeds go to support the Devon Air Ambulance Trust Charity No 1077998. Your subscription is greatly appreciated as last year it cost £6.4 million to keep both helicopters flying. We receive no funding from either the Government or the National Lottery. We rely on your support, to help us to continue our essential lifesaving service.

Results are printed in the Plymouth & Devon Sunday Independent and published every Friday afternoon on our website at www.daat.org.

Thank you for your support - you are truly making a difference.

Instruction to y our bank or building society Please pay DAAT Lottery Direct Debits from the account detailed in this Instruction subject to the safeguards assured by the Direct Debit Guarantee. I understand that this Instruction may remain with The Air Ambulance Lottery Society and, if so, details will be passed electronically to my bank/building society.

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If DAAT Lottery notify you working daysbeing in advance account being debited request DAAT Lottery to collect payment, confi rmation of the amountaand oryou as otherwise agreed.

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by PSL DAATreLottery your If DAAT or Lottery bank or building society, you are entitled to a fulltoand immediate or your bank or building society, you are entitled a full and immediate refund of refund of the amount paidbank from or your bank or building society. the amount paid from your building society youreceive receiveaarefund refund you you are are not not entitled entitled to, to, you you must – -IfIfyou must pay pay itit back back when when PSL re DAAT DAATLottery Lotteryasks asksyou youto. to.

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Meet our newest pilots

spring

PILOTS IN PROFILE

23

We are all very proud of the amazing team of highly trained and extremely e perienced pilots who y for evon Air Ambulance. Let our three newest pilots introduce themselves...

Steve Day grew up around aviation, spending my free time doing odd obs at the local airfield in return for ying lessons. ew my first solo ight on my th birthday could y before could drive and ualified soon afterwards. I was lucky enough to be part of a sponsorship scheme operated by Bond Helicopters which enabled me to earn my commercial elicopter Pilot s Licence at . ince then, ve own small, medium and large helicopters in various industries around the world, including o shore, police, EM ( elicopter Emergency Medical ervice), aerial filming and lighthouse utility support and first ew for AA as a relief pilot in . aving spent some time ying a police helicopter for the Cayman slands government, returned to the and, after ying as a relief pilot for AA, was luc y enough to become a permanent member of the crew at the end of .

Pete Martin first started ying helicopters in and spent most of my years in the oyal Air Force ying them served in ong ong, orthern reland, the Fal land slands and around the , in both battlefield and earch and escue ( A ) helicopters, leaving the service in as uadron Leader. ince , ve own EM missions for ond and abcoc , and actually ew for evon Air Ambulance for over years before leaving to y counter-drugs and A missions in the Caribbean and on the south coast. ve own around , hours in total, with around , of those being in EM and A They are both really rewarding obs for any helicopter pilot, as you are directly a ecting people s lives in a positive way. am incredibly happy to be bac in the evon Air Ambulance family and feel very fortunate to have been given this opportunity to ‘come home’.

Craig Bisset My ying career started at age when oined a pilot apprentice scheme at a ying school in cotland. later wor ed as a ying instructor and gained e perience ying all over the , then moved to Portugal in to help set up a training school. hen returned to cotland, ew o shore wor ers and e uipment to the oil and gas rigs across the North Sea. ince , ve been ying for the ational Police Air ervice unit at the E eter base. This is where first met the evon Air Ambulance aircrew, who impressed me with their professionalism and care for people. can say, with huge pride, that am now a part of that team ot only is it a challenging and e citing role, but it is also the most rewarding job I have done to date. I feel very lucky to be a part of this important organisation.

Not just a career for the boys …

We would love to see more women thinking about a career as a HEMS pilot.

While we don’t have any female pilots at DAA (yet!), we are inspired by line pilots l e th ho e or lt h re r l e h ee r l e e d th e he t rted her reer the here he e r h d e e hel o ter lot he red to e o e hel o ter lot because she has been fascinated by helicopters since the age of nine and this her dre o he ed o t h he lo e her o l r l e hel e to o e o or hel o ter th providing a really worthwhile, medical service’.

Editor’s Note: Thanks Nicky, you are a great role model for aspiring female pilots everywhere.

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helipad | www.daat.org

Annual

Extravaganza

Sarah Chesters helps us turn our backs on winter and look forward to a riot of colour and scent in our garden borders, courtesy of annuals and perennials

Gaura ‘Rosy Shimmers’

A

s I write this, a cold wind is howling, grey and white clouds are scudding across the sky with the occasional rain shower and the magnolias and primroses re ll loo t d lt to imagine our garden order filled th o er t if we have planted well, the bare soil of winter gradually becomes covered with lush growth. However, most gardens have a patch or two of bare soil somewhere, and the e filled l th annuals or more slowly with perennials, to help reduce moisture loss and prevent weed growth.

Annuals give a good show of colour and if you choose hardy annuals they can be sown where you want them to grow and will withstand a certain amount of cold.

Simply fork through the soil area you want to seed to about 3” (10cm) in depth, gently firm and level it with a rake or the prongs of the hand fork. Thinly scatter the seeds over the area, or in rows if you prefer – mix the seeds with a small quantity of sand before scattering to show where you’ve sown.

Cover the seeds with ¼” (½ cm) soil and gently water using a watering can with a rose on the end, don’t blast the seeds out of the ground with a jet spray on a hose!

Now you know the method it’s time to visit the garden centre for the seeds.

For scent, choose sweet peas, to climb up tripods or fences, and Matthiola incana, deliciously scented stocks, next to a path.

For a blaze of colour try Calendula (marigolds), Nigella (corn owers) of various colours, though blue is my favourite, Californian poppies, and Orlaya grandi ora for a froth of white to mingle with other owers li e the iris in the picture here. For delightful fillers which often seed themselves and are usually too charming to pull up, don’t forget the little pansies.

spring 2019 | GARDENS While annuals are great for quick results, they have to be sown each year, whereas perennials - if bought as a good-si ed plant - will ower every year. The clump will grow and, every few years, you can dig it up and split it into smaller portions to use elsewhere.

Invaluable perennials include Rudbeckia, Agastache, Coreopsis and Helenium with their long-lasting owers and the taller perennial lupins. One

of my favourites is Echinacea (from which the immune system boosting extract is taken for homeopathy), which now comes in so many colour forms. Alstroemerias are excellent for cutting, and Penstemon, though a slightly woody perennial, takes easily from cuttings and owers to the early frosts, so excellent value for money – leave them unpruned over winter and then in late March or early April,

prune back all stems to about 2” (5cm) from the ground.

Look out for the delightful Gaura - two years ago I bought a pin - owered plant,

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placed it in a well-drained sunny spot and it has survived our gales and snow well and produced delicate sprays of owers all summer. o

Spring Events at RHS Rosemoor National Rhododendron Show National Gardening Week Questions & Answers Panel (ticketed) Design For Living Fair Spring Plant Fair

27 & 28 April 29 April – 3 May 1 May 4 – 6 May 11 & 12 May

Rudbeckia hirta ‘Prairie Sun’.

Iris’ mingling in a meadow of colour

TOP TIPS...

Nigella hispanica Echinacea TC40

Agastache ‘Blackadder’ Penstemon ‘Sweet Cherry’

April – Water houseplants more often, as the top growth increases. Wipe their leaves with a soft cloth moistened with water to remove dust. Tie in climbing roses.

May – Keep weeds under control. Open greenhouse doors and vents on warm days to improve air circulation. Many springflowering plants are pruned now.

June/July – Stake tall or floppy plants.

Deadhead perennials to encourage repeat flowering. Water newly planted perennials, shrubs and trees.

GARDENS Profile: Sarah Chesters - Education and Learning Manager at RHS Rosemoor, near Torrington, North Devon

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North Tawton the small town with a big personality

North Tawton is not a big place but don’t go calling it a village - with its own town hall and a population hovering around 2,000, the locals are very proud of its status as the smallest town in Devon

L

ocated on the River Taw between Okehampton and Crediton, North Tawton has been a market town since the 12th century and was an important centre for agriculture and the woollen industry.

The town has consistently been a focus for light industry particularly after the railway arrived in 1865 and a station was built on the edge of town. As agriculture declined as a source of employment, other industries developed.

Milling, tanning, gas works, seed merchants, builders, blacksmiths and mineral water manufacture have all figured in North Tawton’s industrial heritage which, unlike many other rural commu-

nities, helped to ensure the town retained a vibrant range of shops, pubs, cafés and support services.

The industrial mix may have changed over the years but today there remain three significant employers - Taw Valley Creamery, a cheese factory originally built by Express Dairies in 1974, pet products wholesaler Vital Pet Products and Gregory Distribution, a transport business which is celebrating its centenary this year.

Between them, they employ nearly 500 people which also helps the community thrive.

Fire, Fire!

Anyone visiting North Tawton will be struck by its narrow

streets and compact houses which make navigating by car somewhat of a challenge.

Back in time, when many of the buildings on this footprint would have been thatched, there was a constant risk of fire. The oo of orth Tawton’ recounts one such catastrophe in 1834 when “70 houses were destroyed, the church steeple was damaged and the charity school, poorhouse and the parish stables together with the Fountain and George Inns also sustained substantial damage.”

It’s not surprising then that the town established a fire service soon after and, over the years, has been pressed into action on an alarmingly regular basis.

Today, the North Tawton Fire Station is part of the Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue ervice and is sta ed by a group of 12 community spirited on-call firefighters.

The Town Square The focal point of North Tawton is probably the Town Square, the centre for its shops and day to day commerce as well as the focus for many community events. A town post once stood in the centre and was used as a lamp post and as a spot to read proclamations, but this was replaced in 1887 by the familiar red brick clock tower erected to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee.

spring 2019 | BEAUTIFUL DEVON

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Jam & Jerusalem North Tawton is generally a quiet place where the residents go about their business without focussing too much attention on themselves. That changed with a bang in 2006 when the town was showcased as the location of Clatterford in a comedy drama about a fictional rural omen s Guild, co-written by Chagford resident Jennifer Saunders.

The programme ran for three series and featured a stellar cast of actors including Saunders herself alongside Sue Johnston, Pauline McLynn, Dawn French, Maggie Steed, David Mitchell, Sally Phillips, Joanna Lumley and Doreen Mantle.

The filming in and around North Tawton and on nearby Dartmoor features many local buildings with local residents acting as extras.

The cast of Jam & Jerusalem

Poetry and Tragedy In 1961, the future Poet Laureate Ted Hughes and his wife, the American poet and novelist Sylvia Plath, moved to North Tawton where they acquired Court Green, a house on Essington Road.

Already a celebrated poet, Hughes was fascinated by nature, wildlife and the countryside, themes which are re ected in much of his work. His career output was prodigious and included over a dozen books of poetry, translations, non-fiction and children s boo s, essays, and critiques.

During her time in North Tawton, Plath also wrote some of her most famous works.

Tragically, she took her own life in 1963. Hughes was devastated and didn t write for some years after her death, spending his time farming near in leigh and walking on Dartmoor.

Hughes married his second wife Carol in 1970 and continued to live in Devon.

He was appointed Poet Laureate in 1984 and received the Order of Merit in 1998

just a few months before his own death at the age of 68. His ashes were scattered over Dartmoor and a carved granite stone marks the spot. A memorial stone in Poets Corner in estminster Abbey was unveiled by fellow poet, friend and Nobel Prize winner Seamus Heaney in 2011. There is also a ‘blue pla ue memorial to the poet on orth Tawton s Town all and a Ted Hughes Poetry Trail around Stover Country Park in South Devon where you can read examples of ughes finest poems relating to the natural world.

Above: Ted Hughes and Sylvia Plath Below: Court Green

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100 Years of trucking In 1919, Archibald ‘Archie’ Gregory was hauling coal from the station to the town’s gas works and woollen mill with a horse and cart but his life was about to change when he ac uired a at back Model T Ford which was surplus to requirements after World War One. Archie could now diversify and started hauling other loads including agricultural produce and animal feeds as well as the rugby team and, on one occasion, the local brass band.

Until 1933, the business operated from modest premises in Barton Street but, as it grew, it further diversified, moving livestoc and building materials. As the business expanded, it soon required a move to Fore Street where the North Tawton Veterinary Practice is now located. By the end of the 1930s, AJ Gregory & Son operated seven vehicles, but

the advent of another World ar had a profound e ect on the business – it lost drivers to conscription and had vehicles requisitioned for the war e ort including several being deployed on the building of Winkleigh Aerodrome.

Archie’s son Jack joined the business in 1947 and, under his stewardship, the eet rose to 36 vehicles, adding long distance contracts to the operation and establishing a sound financial platform and a strong reputation for providing a quality service. In 1963, Gregory moved to North Park which remains the much expanded business group headquarters. The current CEO John Gregory took over the reins in 1985 and further developed the business with increased warehousing, a larger eet and a commercial focus away from agriculture and into food stu s in and out of the South West.

Today Gregory Distribution remains a third generation family owned business operating from 36 sites from Scotland to West Cornwall with over 1,000 trucks, over 2,400 employees (221 in North Tawton) and an annual group turnover in excess of £230 million.

Devon Air Ambulance has good reason to thank Gregory Distribution. It has been a staunch supporter of the Charity for decades with many fundraising events, the loan of trailers for stages at our own events and even promoting the e tended ying hours campaign by having a 44 ft trailer liveried with DAA’s stunning night ying images and campaign message – ‘Help Us Make Night Time Flight Time’.

John Gregory was also a Trustee of the Charity and, of course, North Tawton hosts a Community Landing Site at the town’s rugby club o.

Below Toby Russell (DAA Community Landing Sites Development Officer), Heléna Holt (DAA CEO) and John Gregory Inset: Archie in his Model T Ford

spring 2019 | PATIENTS

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Recovery leads to romance...

Devon Air Ambulance was delighted to learn that a request had gone to the wedding guests of Sophie & Edward for donations to the charity, in lieu of gifts.

Following the story, Debbie Gregory was curious to discover what had prompted this generous idea.

S

ophie advised that she d her fi d rd h d de ded to re e t donations to Devon Air l e l e o edd t ro the r r e d d l he the rr th er he r de to e e l ed th t he h ee r te l to the r l e e er e he h d eeded the er e As a first year student at Plymouth University, Sophie was training with Exeter University O cer Training Corps for an Army Nordic Ski championship.

On 1st January 2009, just one day before she was due to travel abroad to compete in the competition, Sophie was driving on the A30 with her friend (and now bridesmaid) when she crashed her car.

Sophie was trapped in the car by three wooden fencing poles that had come through the engine, though luckily had just missed her. Fortunately, her friend was able to escape from the vehicle and ag down passing motorists for help.

Sophie was pinned in the car but was freed by Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service. Devon Air ambulance attended her at the scene, before conveying her to Derriford Hospital in Plymouth. Sophie remembers how reassuring the crew were and how one of them held her

hand throughout the journey’. he had su ered si bro en ribs causing a punctured lung, a dislocated right shoulder and had broken numerous bones in her upper arm and collar bone. Sophie had a lung

lengthy and involved living in various locations. Firstly, she went to the Army’s base near Blandford Forum in Dorset as her father was based there. Just two weeks later, however, her parents were

“ t ll er oo ro the e thet o h e re e er trod h her o r e d h to the r r e o her t re t AND her boss! ” drain and surgery to have metal plates and pins fi ed in her collar bone and upper arm. After 2 weeks in hospital Sophie was discharged with a bespoke physiotherapy regime. Her recovery was

relocated to New Zealand so Sophie moved in with her grandmother in Newton Abbot for a while before finally moving back into her Halls at Plymouth University. ophie s fitness and self-

discipline undoubtedly helped her recovery but, frustratingly, she struggled with the nerve and tendon damage to her right shoulder and ended up learning to do things with her left hand instead.

She recounts that she had just started working as a waitress when she needed the first of three tendon transfer surgeries after the accident. “I had only been working at the restaurant for a few weeks and I wasn’t really much use – I couldn’t hold a tray, I couldn’t carry anything too heavy and I couldn’t even pull a pint!”

Despite that, however, her boss, Edward, called to see her in hospital on the night of her surgery. Still very woozy from the anaesthetic, Sophie remembers introducing Edward as her boyfriend, much to the surprise of her visiting parents AND her boss They all laughed about it afterwards, however, as Sophie and Edward did become a couple a short while later and are now planning their wedding!

Editor’s note: We are pleased that we were able to assist Sophie at the time of her accident and we wish both Sophie and Edward a very happy engagement and a wonderful wedding this year. o

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helipad | www.daat.org

THE

Armchair Twitcher David Simpson has recently discovered the joy of watching the birds in his Devon garden, and would encourage everyone to have a go at attracting some of our most recognisable, and surprisingly colourful, garden visitors

I

f, like me, the thought of being a hardened twitcher – dre ed o e e r h de the ddle o nowhere at 5am – doesn’t appeal, why not think about bringing the county’s birds into your own garden. We are lucky in the South West to have a temperate environment where garden birds thrive. It’s an easy, relatively low cost, past-time and, even as an enthusiastic amateur like me, you will be surprised by the amount of pleasure and excitement you get as every new species arrives.

top tips

Here are some of my top tips for turning your garden into a bird watchers haven:

• Food is the main way you can attract birds into your garden. Don’t worry if you install a new bird-feeder and nothing happens for a while. Birds are naturally wary and often take a few weeks, or even months, to get comfortable with any new bird feeder in your garden. Your patience will be rewarded…

• Think about where you position your bird feeder.

Preferably not too far from a bush or tree as

they like a short flight to safety, but not too close either, so they can avoid concealed predators like cats!

• If you want to dissuade ‘sneak thieves’ such as gulls and pigeons from eating all your bird food you will need to ensure your feeders are ‘pest proof’ although this doesn’t necessarily mean ‘fool-proof’. If you are of a certain age, and familiar with the classic Carling Black Label advert, you won’t be surprised either at how acrobatic the average squirrel can be!

• Do some research. Birds need different food at different times of the year, depending on whether they are preparing to breed, feeding young or getting ready for the colder weather.

• Birds can also be surprisingly fussy eaters. I’ve found really cheap seed is a false economy, so make sure you have a good quality variety to keep them interested – pre-husked sunflower seeds are a particular favourite of finches.

• Don’t forget water which is just as important when it’s cold as when it’s warm. Birds need to bathe in order to keep their feathers in tip top condition and having a place to drink is essential. Make sure any container is shallow enough or has a lip that they can balance on.

• It’s not just about seeds – many birds, including sparrows, dunnocks,

Male

ll nch

spring 2019 | WILDLIFE

Green nches

blackcaps, robins and blackbirds love meaty protein. You can buy freeze-dried mealworms, but I would suggest softening them in warm water before you put them out as this makes them more palatable and easier to feed to small chicks.

• To ensure a hygienic disease-free environment for your garden birds, make sure you clean your bird feeders regularly with hot, soapy water, and throw away any uneaten seed if it starts to look mouldy. It is also a good idea to make sure there isn’t too much discarded seed lying around on the ground, as this might attract mice and rats.

• If you have the space, make your garden planting bird friendly … trees and dense shrubs provide excellent cover and nesting sites, and plants that have fruit or berries or attract bugs are really good natural sources of food. If you have any tall trees, why not add in a few strategically placed nesting boxes as well.

• You don’t have to worry if your garden isn’t up to ‘Monty Don’ standard and is scruffy, unkempt or, frankly, a bit ‘weedy’ – your own mini-nature reserve will help create additional biodiversity in your garden. Encourage even more bugs, beetles and caterpillars by avoiding garden pesticides and chemicals.

• And don’t forget, get yourself a garden bird identifier book or app and keep a pair of binoculars at hand!

Gold nch

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My personal top 5 favourite garden visitors are: 1 Bullfinch My no. 1 favourite – male and females have distinct, but dramatic, colouring and, as they mate for life, are nearly always seen together. They aren’t common visitors to the bird feeder so it is extra special when they do arrive!

2 Goldfinch Beautiful, multi-coloured finches with flashes of red, green and gold. Normally congregate on the bird feeders in large groups, often taking up the best feeding spots and waiting to be literally knocked ‘off the perch’ by other family members.

3 Long tailed Tit Super cute, super fun little birds. You often hear them before you see them, they tend to arrive at the feeder as a large, twittering, squabbling feathered mob, raid the sunflower seeds, and then disappear en masse almost as soon as they arrive.

4 Greenfinch One of the largest finch species, the males have vibrant green colouring with the females being a bit more muted. They are great for first-time bird watchers – like all finches, they love to sit around on the feeder for extended periods of time, just eating and watching the world go by.

5 Nuthatch A distinctive little bird – like a tiny woodpecker, small and plump with a powerful beak and a characteristic black stripe through the eye. Normally seen sitting in the mealworm feeder. Like the bullfinch, a bit of a rare treat. … and don’t forget blackbirds, wrens, dunnocks, sparrows, robins, great tits, blue tits, coal tits, blackcaps and goldcrests.

And … my personal ‘holy grail’ – the chaffinch. Despite being one of the UKs most common garden birds, I have yet to see one in my garden! o

Happy garden bird watching…

Long-tailed Tit

Long tailed Tit

Nuthatch

spring 2019 | RETAIL

Statistically, our shops had a great 2018!

Retail Operations Manager, Chrissie Peel, looks at some of the facts and figures we gathered from our shops last year, and why statistics are so important in helping us plan for the year ahead

D

e o r l e ho re de l or to e e th o r orter d o te ro the le th d re dth o e o d e o ro o r to er o e t ho h o lo e o to ro e h t th o r ded ted t d ol teer d o te o th re t r Every year - behind the scenes - we gather lots of information and statistics from all aspects of our retail operations, not just how much money we make, but

how many customers we serve, how many bags of donated items we receive and how many hours our volunteers work.

Having access to these statistics helps to us to ensure our shops continue to perform well, provides us with important data which we use when planning the year ahead and also lets us analyse retail trends – just as important to charity retail as it is in the wider commercial sector. It also means we can analysis how and where our income is generated and

128,209

What our customers say...

bags of donated items

• I love this shop!

Lovely staff and great buys to be had.

• Lovely staff, very helpful.

• This is my favourite charity shop, lovely staff and excellent stock.

• The best presented charity shop in town!

• Lovely shop and friendly helpful staff – love coming in here!

RETAIL

even monitor the positive impact the charity has on the environment.

Gathering statistics also helps us see how our shops are improving year-onyear and what a positive contribution they are making across Devon – not only selling good quality products at reasonable prices, but providing upcycling and recycling opportunities, supporting the environment and helping us keep in touch across the whole county with our supporters and fundraisers o .

58,698

retail volunteer hours

�£111,405

additional income claimed via Gift Aid

£127,656

cash donated at our shops

368,663

customers served

£80,655

income generated through recycling

Profile: Chrissie Peel - Retail Operations Manager l: c.peel@daat.org Chrissie is responsible for our 19 retail shops across the county, ensuring we keep up-to-date with high street retail trends and monitoring our environmental impact. Chrissie joined the Charity after being airlifted by the Air Ambulance in 1997.

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helipad | www.daat.org

NEWSeason NEWFlavours Spring is upon us and a new season is the ideal time to start to get our gastronomic taste-buds tingling as we look forward to an abundance of fresh seasonal produce.

For this issue, I have chosen two recipes both with the theme of ‘new season’ nothing says pring li e lamb and ersey oyal potatoes, and why not round o this avoursome main course with a pudding that combines sweet and tartness with a hint of ginger. Enjoy!

Rack of Lamb with crushed Jersey Royals and pea puree Serves 4 rac of lamb ( ribs) g of ersey oyal potatoes, washed For the lamb marinade ml of olive oil garlic clove, minced tsp fresh thyme, chopped tsp fresh rosemary, chopped Salt and pepper For the avo red tter g of softened butter g of anchovy fillets shallot, finely diced g of spring onions, finely sliced g of chives, finely sliced Zest and juice of ½ a lemon ½ tsp Dijon mustard Salt and pepper For the pea p ree g coo ed fresh or frozen garden peas ml vegetable stoc g unsalted butter

Method: To start the process, marinade the lamb by combining the olive oil, garlic and herbs in a bowl with a pinch of salt and pepper. Rub over the meat and place it into a sealed container and leave to marinade in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours.

An hour before you want to serve up, remove the lamb from the fridge and set aside.

Place the washed ersey oyal potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water. ring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for appro imately - minutes until tender.

Meanwhile, melt g of butter in a small saucepan over a low heat. Add the chopped shallots and sweat until very soft and tender.

Add the anchovy fillets and stir through until they brea down in the pan. emove the pan from the heat and allow to cool.

Put the remaining g of softened butter in a large bowl or food mi er. Add in the cooled anchovy butter, the lemon zest and juice, the mustard, spring onions, chives and seasoning. his until thoroughly combined and u y (this mi ture will eep in an airtight container in the fridge for a week).

As soon as the potatoes are ready, drain and allow to cool slightly. hile still warm, hold the potatoes in your hand and use the blade of a small knife to scrape o the s in 9 Using the back of a fork, crush the potatoes, before folding in the butter mixture.

Keep in a warm place until ready to serve.

Pre-heat the oven to C gas mar and remove the lamb from the marinade.

Place a large frying pan over a medium-high heat and, once hot, place the rac , fat-side down, into the pan. Coo for - minutes until crispy and golden brown.

Turn the lamb fre uently until it is browned all over. Either place the frying pan directly into the oven (if oven-proof) or place the lamb onto a ba ing tray. >>

spring 2019 | FOOD & DRINK

Sweet rhubarb with vanilla panna cotta, ginger crumble Serves 4 For the panna cotta 315ml of milk 190g of caster sugar 1 vanilla pod or ½ tsp of vanilla extract 500ml of double cream 4 gelatine leaves For the crumble 50g of caster sugar g of plain our 50g of butter 4 gingernut biscuits, crumbled For the poached rhubarb 4 large sticks of rhubarb 500ml of water 500g of caster sugar 50ml of grenadine syrup

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Method: 1 Soak the gelatine in cold water for 5 minutes, then squeeze out the excess liquid.

Place the gelatine and all the other panna cotta ingredients into a small pan and bring to the boil.

2 To cool the mixture down, put the mixture into a heatproof container and place over a bowl of ice. Whisk continuously until the gelatine has melted, then strain it to remove any bits.

3 Pour the mixture into moulds or, to make it even easier, simply pour into individual serving glasses and leave to set in the fridge.

4 Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas mark 4.

Mi the crumble ingredients together until you have fine crumbs. Place them in a thin layer on a baking tray (lined with baking parchment) and cook for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

6 Peel the rhubarb and cut in to 1-inch pieces or diamond shapes.

7 Make a syrup by combining the rhubarb peelings, water, sugar and grenadine in a saucepan. ring the syrup to a simmer, then turn o the heat and leave to steep for at least 30 minutes before sieving out the bits.

9 Gently poach the rhubarb pieces in the syrup for 8 minutes until tender, then remove gently from the syrup before serving.

10 For maximum chef-y presentation, de-mould each panna cotta onto a plate and spoon a layer of crumble on top. Spoon the poached rhubarb next to the panna cotta and finish by dri ling the rhubarb syrup around the plate. If you are serving the panna cotta in individual glasses, just top with the crumble, poached rhubarb and syrup to taste.

>> Roast for 10 minutes if you like your lamb medium-rare or a little longer if you prefer it slightly more well done.

13 Once cooked to your liking, remove the lamb from the oven and allow to rest for 5-7 minutes.

14 To make the pea puree, put the cooked peas into a blender with the hot vegetable stock. Add the butter and blend for 3 minutes or until completely smooth.

15 Carve and serve the lamb accompanied by the buttery potatoes and pea puree.

FOOD & DRINK Profile: Richard Hunt - Chef Devon born and bred, Richard Hunt, consultant Chef and culinary judge has worked in renowned restaurants and hotels across the UK and Europe and is now proprietor of the Devon Scone Company.

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Junior Crew

We love hearing what the young people in our county get up to in order to raise funds for Devon Air Ambulance.

Engagement with youngsters in our community has long been a priority for us, with our volunteers regularly attending schools to give talks and our fundraising team supporting and encouraging a wide range of activities undertaken by pre-schools, primary and high schools to colleges and universities.

Here are just a few of the young people who have supported us in recent months:

Amelie Carrington’s brother Leo was airlifted following a road tra c collision in August 2017. Amelie and her friend Macy ThorntonBell decided to ask for donations in lieu of presents when they celebrated their 13th birthdays. They donated £100 to DAA. Thank you girls.

Nine-year old Madeleine from Exeter raised £83 busking and entertaining passers by with Christmas carols – well done Madeleine!

Volunteer Chris Woolner was delighted to meet youngsters from Doddiscomsleigh Primary School and collect £250 they raised at their school fete.

Pupils from Woolsery Primary School visited our Bideford shop to donate the funds from their Dress as a Hero day and a e o for Ta e O .

We were thrilled to see that 5-year old George Heath made a full recovery after he was airlifted in October – lovely to see him looking so well and obviously very excited about the Christmas festivities

THINKING OF FUNDRAISING?

i

If your youngster would like to get involved in a fundraising activity, or you would like to book a school talk, please contact Louise on l.newbery@daat.org

spring 2019 | PATIENTS

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Light at the end of the tunnel We hear from around 15% of the patients we treat each year ... it can be days, months or many years later. Such was the case when we heard from Daniel Hopkins of Exeter

D

aniel, now 38, was just 18 years old when he was involved in an accident and needed to be airlifted to hospital by the Air Ambulance. Daniel takes up the story: “It was July 1998 and I was driving a works van, delivering between Tiverton and Honiton. There was a sharp right-hand bend, but I didn’t make it and instead smacked into a large tree.

I was trapped for almost an hour and a half, having fractured both femurs, my left tibia, fibula and kneecap plus a fracture of my left cheek and a basal skull fracture. Thankfully, I was airlifted by Devon Air Ambulance to the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital.”

Daniel’s injuries were significant and, as well as the multiple fractures, he also severed the optic nerve and lost the sight in his left eye as well as losing the hearing in his right ear.

Initially this caused some hand-eye coordination issues, although his brain adapted in time.

Daniel needed multiple surgeries and spent time ventilated and sedated in Intensive Care. One of his first memories when he came round was his left leg strapped into a slowly moving contraption – a

machine designed to aid circulation.

Despite starting physiotherapy just 8 days after the accident, Daniel’s recovery was not straightforward and, following various checkups, in October 1999 medics decided to operate again.

The bone, however, still didn’t unite and, in July 2001, Daniel learned that

Wanting a more rewarding career, Daniel became a Therapy Assistant at the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital in 2013. Daniel completed an NVQ level 3 in Allied Health Professions to become a Rehabilitation Support Worker. He currently works alongside patients recovering from head and spinal cord injuries, strokes and other neurological

“ e fi ll d h r ed ro the fracture clinic in January 2002 – 3½ years after his accident! ” he needed a bone graft. He was finally discharged from the fracture clinic in January 2002 – 3½ years after his accident!

A family holiday to Australia at the end of 2002 was a cause for celebration when Daniel ran across a beach and explains, “It bought tears to my dad’s eyes after everything that I’d been through.”

After leaving hospital Daniel became a carpet fitter and warehouseman but, by 2003, it became apparent that the ongoing issues with his knees were causing di culties, so he retrained as a paint sprayer. That too, however, was tough on his knees and prompted a complete change of direction.

conditions.

“It was such a long road for me to get back to full strength, I feel that I can really relate to the people I work with and help now,” Daniel explained. “I am part of a great team supporting patients with speech and language therapy, physio and occupational therapy.

Every day is so rewarding, I feel my knowledge, skills and passion help enable patients get the most out of their treatment. Knowing just how far I’ve come since my accident, I’m now happily married with two lovely children, I’m keen to encourage people to recognise that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel.” o

Daniel at the beginning of his rehabilitation and below, now helping others with theirs.

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Dawn in a Tudor gown she made herself.

stepping back in time...

Dawn Chandler loves everything about the Tudor period of British history – from its fascinating royal intrigue and political scandals, to its architecture and costumes.

To find out what E eter has to o er a self-confessed Tudorphile , awn spent the afternoon taking a Red Coat guided tour of the city.

M

ost people think of Hampton Court and all things Henry VIII when the word Tudor pops up - myself included d o e h e e o ed dor the ed o el fil and TV series. I even once spent a night at Hampton Court, donning one of my self-made Tudor gowns!

I have tried to recall what spiked my interest about this period in history and I think it was when I realised that the combined roses of York and Lancaster became what we now know as the Tudor Rose. The marriage of Lancastrian Henry VII and Eli abeth of Yor united the two house and brought the warring families together. have lived in E mouth for most of my life and, li e many others, visit E eter s city centre on a regular basis, but it was only quite recently that I realised it has an intriguing Tudor past. While my keen interest in this period often takes me to London, particularly Hampton Court and the Tower of London, I decided to dig a bit deeper into the Tudor history on my doorstep by taking a Red Coat Guided Tour.

On a sunny Tuesday afternoon in late March, I joined a small group of intrepid e plorers and met up with Clive, one of the Red Coat Tour Guides. e started our tour at arguably E eter s most famous building – its cathedral – which has a rich Tudor story to tell. n , -year-old princess, Catherine of Aragon, stayed opposite the Cathedral in the old Deanery. Catherine was on her way from pain to London to marry Prince Arthur, the elder brother of enry (who she married after Arthur s death).

The beautiful carvings at the front of the Cathedral were once brightly coloured but it is alleged that Oliver Cromwell not li ing colour (along with statues of women, dancing and a fair few other things) had the colours washed away. f you loo closely you can still see some of the original colour deep in behind the figures.

The cathedral is the third to be constructed on the original site.

The first was a a on Minster, followed by the ormans, who added the two orman towers that still remain. The cathedral

spring 2019 | DEVON HERITAGE we see today was built in the English Gothic style and boasts the longest nave and medieval vaulted ceiling in the world.

In Cathedral Close, King Henry VII came to address an amassed army that had marched up from Cornwall protesting about taxes and favouring Perkin Warbeck. Warbeck claimed to be one of the original ‘Princes in the Tower’ and had been swapped with a commoner child who went into the Tower of London in his place and was never seen again!

The gathered masses were asked for their allegiance and, sensibly, sided with the monarch, sealing Warbeck’s fate – he was eventually hanged at Tyburn. A plaque on the path at the North side of the Cathedral commemorates the event.

The buildings that run down the Eastern side of the cathedral are all medieval in origin. However, Mols cafe on the corner, with its original Tudor first floor, was said to be where Sir Francis Drake discussed his plans to defeat the Spanish Armada. The building has had many uses over the years including being the Customs House.

At the historic Guildhall (which has been the centre of civil government in the city for at least 600 years), we see the ‘Cap of Maintenance and Ceremonial Sword Scabbard’. This was granted to the city by Henry VII in 1497 when he visited and presented the items to the Mayor in recognition of the city’s loyalty during the Warbeck rebellion. The hall features a magnificent 15th century timber roof and superb Jacobean furnishings installed in 1630. Members of the Guild helped create the woollen cloth trade that made Exeter the third wealthiest city in England at the time.

We pass a 600-year-old Tudor merchants town house, that is now the home of Laura Ashley. As you face the building, you will see on the left-hand side a noticeable red stone vertical wall dividing the properties - this is in fact an original

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‘fire break’, a vital Tudor feature to prevent fire jumping from one wooden building to the next. Just along from this building there is another original Tudor house, said to be the oldest house on the street.

Along the way, Clive points out Tudor features of the city that the casual observer would just pass by, like the intriguing roof tile on the Golden Hind. We also find out that many of the current retail shops have their own hidden Tudor secrets. The jewellery retailer - H Samuel - is home to an original Tudor fireplace and window, and the Conservatory Bistro in North Street retains some stunning Tudor panelling.

We walk along Mint Lane, footprint of an old Tudor street. The Tudor fronted house in this lane has a well in its little garden, which provided clean water for the residents so they could avoid the river water which allegedly caused an outbreak of cholera in 1832.

We soon arrive at St Nicholas Priory, a beautiful medieval building that was later converted into a Tudor townhouse. The Priory retains its vaulted cellars, 15th-century timber roofs and stunning Tudor plasterwork ceilings. Exhibits of Tudor objects that have been gathered from around the city are on display.

Taking the walking tour was a great way to discover lots of new information about Exeter’s hidden Tudor history, and I would recommend anyone who is interested in the history of this fascinating city to explore the other great tours that Red Coat have to offer.

Heritage Open Days England’s largest festival of culture and history will take place between 13-22 September 2019 and offers a unique opportunity to visit some of Exeter’s most interesting and unusual historical sites and buildings free of charge.

It is a once a year chance to discover hidden architectural treasures and enjoy a wide range of tours, events and activities which bring local history and culture to life.  For further information and updates on which attractions will be open around Exeter visit the official website www.heritageopendays.org.uk

Red Coat Guided Tours operate 7-days a week throughout the year (except Christmas Day and Boxing Day) – the 90 minute guided walking tours of Exeter (they are free, with no booking required!) leave from the Richard Hooker statue on Cathedral Green in the city centre and also from the Custom House Visitor Centre on Exeter Quay. You can chose from a number of interesting themes, from Medieval, Georgian or Roman Exeter, to ‘Oddities and Curiosities’, ‘Ghosts and Legends’ and ‘Churches, Cemeteries & the Catacombs’! For more information, download the ed Coat lea et at www.e eter.gov.u guided tours or pop into the Exeter Tourist Information Centre at Dix’s Field.

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Business On Board!

We are very proud to work alongside some fantastic Devon-based and West Country businesses and we are grateful to them all for their continued support.

We chatted with one well-known business, Mason Kings, a family run agricultural and turf dealership and Country Store, about our partnership: Q: How long have you supported DAA? Our records show as far back as 2005 we’ve held DAA collection boxes. And, in the last four years, ‘The Gator Experience’ – driving and riding on our ‘go-anywhere’ 4 x wheel drive work vehicles at the Devon County Show, has raised £3,858.67.

Q: Why were you first inspired to support DAA? Our previous Agricultural Sales Manager had personal experience with his sister needing the Devon Air Ambulance. Ever since, Masons Kings have been proud to work with charity partners who make our home region of the South West a better and safer place to live, work and enjoy! DAA go above and beyond to support the region, its residents and visitors which is why Masons Kings choose to support them.

Q: In what ways do you support?

As well as collection boxes around the depots we provide a Gator every year for the Devon County Show Gator Experience, and further Gator support at DAA’s annual Commando Challenge. This is a massive help when the course is being set up and enables easy transportation between key locations around the course during the challenge.

Q: What are the benefits of partnership?

DAA has directly helped some of our staff and also many of our customers. Our farming customers, in particular those who live in very remote areas of Devon, wouldn’t be without the life-saving support DAA offers.

Q: What do you get out of it?

Working with a county-wide charity is a big part of our Corporate Social Responsibility. The benefit to Masons Kings is that by supporting DAA our staff and customers continue to benefit, just knowing that this phenomenal service exists!

Q: How much has been donated so far? £6,048.53 !

Q: What plans do you have for 2019?

We are again excited to host the Gator Ride and Drive experience at this year’s Devon County Show where we see hundreds of visitors taking to the track with our team in support of DAA.

spring 2019 | BUSINESS SUPPORT

And here we say Thank You to a few more business supporters …

Savills

Elsevier

As part of their Charity of the Year, Estate Agents and property experts Savills held a ‘Glad Rags in Gum Boots’ party and auction in November 2018 and raised a whopping £5,000.

Held at Bowden Farm near Dartmouth, owned by client, Fariba Sutton-ScottTucker, a great time was had by all. One bespoke auction prize was for a visit to DAA’s Exeter Airbase and that alone raised £120!

Volunteers David Brock and David Hartley joined the party representing DAA. Added to their previous fundraising donations, Savills raised over £6,700 during the year. .

The Exeter office of this publishing company supported DAA for a 2-year campaign and raised a fantastic £3,678.27. They took part in our Dragon Boat Festival in 2018, and their fundraising included donations from a range of activities such as charging members of staff to use their private car park, cake bake sales and an Easter egg hunt to name a few.

Thomson Reuters Since 2012, one of their main initiatives along with other, smaller, fundraising activities, has been charging for staff car parking which has helped towards their fantastic total of £14,050.

South West Water... ...has donated a whopping £24,000+ since 2011. Back in 2015 SWW chose three charity partners, including DAA, to be part of a 3-year partnership. In April 2018 this was extended for a further 2 years. Every year each receive a charity partnership donation of £5,625.00.

South West Water’s Head of Community Relations Alan Hyde said: “We already support the communities we serve in many different ways, from education and careers events through to community volunteering and working arrangements with charities such as the river and wildlife trusts, the Citizens’ Advice Bureau, Age UK and the South West Lakes Trust.

“In 2015 we asked staff to help us select charitable partners with a direct relevance to our business and our region. In the free choice section, staff voted overwhelmingly to support the Devon Air Ambulance Trust. We are delighted to continue to support Devon Air Ambulance as part of our family of community and charity partnerships.”

Pavey Group Chartered Insurance Brokers, Pavey, part-sponsored our annual Dragon Boat Festival (2018) as well as entering a team in this fun event. In addition, we received £2,500 from their insurance company, Ecclesiastical Insurance Group.

MAKE DAA YOUR CHOSEN CHARITY

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If you would like to discuss ways in which you or your company could support DAA, please contact Tracy Owen on t.owen@daat.org

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Devon People Real people saving real lives - what could you do to save a life?

Community fundraising is an absolute bedrock of income for the charity and, last year, generated a whopping million pounds plus! We are grateful to EVERYONE who organises or takes part in an event and to those who accept and undertake amazing personal challenges. Here are just a few…

In July last year Leticia Shere completed a 100km Jurassic Coast Walk supporting DAA and raised £745

DAA’s Tony Cannon and Annie Smith were delighted to receive £1,127.40 plus a further £51.40 following a fashion show by the Inner Wheel of Roborough

Rose Chanin’s annual Variety Show raised another £1,600 making nearly £12,000 in total over the past few years

Lisa Cann, Laura Aubry, Bizzie Donavan, Becky Smith, Becky Walker, Sue Martin and Karen Williams raised £2,423.25 when they walked 50km over Dartmoor in ONE day

Tavistock Tractor Run 2018, organised by DAA volunteer John Druett, saw 28 tractors enjoying the run from Tavistock to Princetown and raised £388.47

Kim Buckley, Paul Parkes and Sheila Bradley presented Simon Card with £858 at the end of the 2018 Seaton Air Ambulance week - bringing their total to over £30,000

spring 2019 | DEVON PEOPLE

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East Devon’s Friday Walkers continue their fundraising for DAA, whatever the weather

Evolution ABS and Honiton Young Farmers raised funds at a Charity Ball and presented volunteer Don Waterhouse with a cheque for £1,857

Steve & Alison Tranckle donated over £1,400 following their Charity Ball at the Highbullen Hotel, Chittlehamholt

Exmouth’s Devoncourt Resort presented DAA with a fabulous £907 following donations from their Christmas light switch-on

RD&E Community Child Health Christmas a e raised £276 in memory of Nigel Charnock. Nigel’s widow, Wendy, pulls out the winning ticket

Axminster Young Farmers brave the Boxing Day dip in the sea and raise £184 for DAA

Sisters Hair & Beauty in Tavistock present £2,000 to DAA’s Netty Packer, following celebrations for their 10th birthday

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helipad | www.daat.org Supporter Neil Prout raised £330 at the Burrator Night Walk, matched by DHL bringing his total to £660

Caren Denton from Weare i ord, has raised over £1,600 at various running events, inspired by two family members benefitting from being airlifted by DAA Paul Dunn’s Christmas lights in Tiverton have raised nearly £20,000 in almost 20 years (photo courtesy of Lewis Clark)

Tesco Crediton added a further £800 to their overall total with another fantastic collection at Christmas

ta Forum from South Hams and West Devon Councils donates £510 to DAA.

Following a talk to Torbay Old Wheels Club, £100 was presented to DAA volunteers Graham Gordon and John Sharman

Teignmouth shanty singers Back Beach Boyz raised £150 at a Christmas gig and will further support DAA throughout 2019

spring 2019 | DEVON PEOPLE

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Supporter Tim Hulme presents Jane Raddon with a cheque following a fundraiser on Facebook after DAA rescued Tim’s friend following an horrific motorcycle accident

Sidmouth Probus donated £600 with funds presented by Roy Purvey and Malcolm avies to ebi Maha y and imon Card

DAA Volunteer Pat Kingston and Bideford Mayor Doug Bushby thank Sylvia Smith on her retirement for raising £1,247 at her stall in Bideford Pannier Market

THINKING OF FUNDRAISING? A Dickensian evening at Karen’s of Tavistock raised a fabulous £630!

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See our GETTING IN TOUCH section on page 3 If you are planning a fundraising activity of any kind, rial such as posters, balloons, collection boxes and ,

Owners of VW Transporters raised £425 for DAA last Christmas

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100th

Community Landing Site Operational The recent launch of the community landing site at Foxhole Community Centre in Paignton marked the 100th site to become operational in Devon. This is an important milestone in the development of the network of landing sites and it’s all down to hard work and commitment by communities throughout the county.

“T

he night landing site project in Foxhole is a great example of how communities are coming together to e t l h r e ed oodl t te or e o r l e d o ell ter e ere t ll o t ted ol teer ro the o t e tre l le to e the r oot ll t h d loo t r t l e t h lighting and emergency access”.

Following a positive public meeting at the centre, volunteers from the community and their local Councillor were able to develop a fundraising campaign which included collecting donations during the week of the Paignton Festival. With wider support from local businesses, the League of Friends and Torbay Council the project quickly gained momentum and the lighting was installed; the site become operational in early January.

Chairman of the community centre, Trevor Burridge, said: “Everyone here is really pleased to have helped set up a community landing site at the community centre. This means Devon Air Ambulance can now provide emergency medical care right into our community during the hours of darkness.

We’d like to thank everyone who has helped support this project - our local Councillor David Thomas, Blue Seafood Company, CP Electrical, The Paignton Hospital League of Friends and all those people who helped raise the funds for the new lighting at the Centre’s pitch. A recent familiarisation ight by evon Air Ambulance into our site showed us all just how quickly medical teams can access our community if needed in an emergency.”

“We’re delighted to have recently celebrated our 100th community landing site which has enabled us to assist 134 patients since 2016” added DAA CEO Heléna Holt. “Also, as announced earlier this year, we have further extended our operations to 2am every day which is another great milestone in the development of your Air Ambulance service.

Well done to everyone from Foxhole who has worked hard to raise the funds needed to make the site ready for our operations and than s to their e orts we are much better able to serve the local people. We look forward to more communities getting on board with this initiative as we continue to build our network of sites across Devon.” o

Foxhole Community Centre Paignton

A amiliarisation ight into Fo hole C

spring 2019 | COMMUNITY LANDING SITES

Sites already live Sites in development

Case study: High Bickington community landing site (CLS) During the early stages of our work with High Bickington Parish Council and High Bickington Community Centre we found that, while a good access path ran from the car par to the raised playing field (used for night operations), by e tending the path further into the field, a patient could be wheeled on a stretcher much closer and more quickly to the waiting aircraft. After the plans were drawn up, a group of local contractors got together to help and with the support of local funders to purchase the materials, they installed a new concrete path bordering the landing area to the new lighting. “The new access path will certainly White of the Devonteams Tractor, Engine improve the transfer ofKeith a patient and helpMid medical using the& Machinery Group presenting a cheque for £700 to of DAA volunteer High Bickington CLS” said Toby “and the contribution local peopleGraham Ley. has reduced the grant re uired from AA ( an L O fines) and ept the costs down to a minimum”.

Peter Worrall, Chairman of High Bickington Parish Council said: “This project has been an excellent example of the community working together to achieve something which will give our village an important service and we thank everyone involved for their help and support”.

New lighting and stretcher access at High Bickington CLS

COMMUNITY LANDING SITES Profile: Toby Russell - Community Landing Sites Development Officer l: t.russell@daat.org Toby wor s with local communities to establish a county-wide networ of night landing sites. To find out more about his wor and how your community can get involved visit www.daat.org.

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Teamwork:

The Chain of Survival eeping evon s two air ambulances ying is only possible due to the huge team e ort of everyone involved.

T

he public and businesses who support us, alongside our volunteers, re re e t the fir t l the ‘Chain of Survival’ for o r te t h le o r t hether or o eo o r ho or he d o e or the dd t o l l eeded to enable our operational crew to reach our patients.

Each person in the chain helps us provide our patients with the very best chance o e lo t o e While elsewhere in this issue of Helipad you can learn

ore o t o r orter te t d o eo o r t th rt le o ld l e to h re th o o e o the e t dert e tho e e er o the te within our Flight Operations and Patient Services de rt e t Flight Operations, led by our Flight Operations Director P e or other t l l the h e r that our helicopters are able to reach our patients. The logistics involved in this are fi t d e e e ore

our aircraft get airborne, there is a considerable o to t t th t t e l e r oth our aircraft are serviced d t ed o the re r orth e the o to o o e er o r t or t rele l the ro d to e re r r t e e t d l licensing, navigational aids, lot tr do e t to pilot rostering, night vision e e t ell ho t of other aspects, are all in place so that our pilots are

ready to deploy when they arrive at the airbase.

Our Patient Services de rt e t the e suggests, is responsible for the er e e ro de to o r t e t e l ht er t o ho the or th t t e l e does so behind the scenes, however, without it, the Chain o r l o ld e ro e and we just wouldn’t be able to treat our patients. Ensuring ll the ed l de e e e t o le ed e d ed l

spring 2019 | OPERATIONS

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“ In the aircraft and at the patient’s side, our pilots, paramedics and doctors form a team whose individual knowledge, skills and experience, coupled with their joint training, all come together to enable us to provide our life-saving service to patients. ” gases such as oxygen are all available for the team, as well as ensuring our clinicians are fully up to date and remain o ete t d l fied each of the areas of specialist care they provide, is just part of the vast amount of work that takes place every day.

This ensures that when our doctors and paramedics arrive for their shift, they are ready to respond and have everything they need to treat our patients.

Our Eaglescott aircraft operates a single shift covering 10 hours each day. In the shorter daylight months, they operate 7am to 5pm and in the longer daylight months 9am to 7pm, to match the times of the day where there is the greatest demand on our service.

Each shift, one pilot and two Critical Care Paramedics come together to form the duty crew.

Our Exeter aircraft operates two shifts. A day shift

running 7am to 5pm and a late shift starting at 4pm running through to 2am. The one-hour handover period between the day and late shifts ensures that when the e rl h t fi he o r l te shift crew are all prepped and ready to respond with no gap in our ability to respond to patients.

In addition to the pilot and two critical care paramedics, every day shift in Exeter has an additional member of our team, one of our Critical Care Doctors. As well as providing education and training for our paramedics, enabling them to deliver an increasingly complex range of advanced treatments and interventions, our doctors, all of whom have developed a specialism for working outside of the hospital in what we call the ‘pre-hospital environment’, can provide additional complex lifesaving surgical procedures.

Critical Care Doctors are

also able to administer an anaesthetic to a patient, e e t el d ed dee sleep, which enables the team to take control of the patient’s physiology to help prevent their condition from deteriorating, aid their recovery and/or facilitate the delivery of certain lifesaving procedures.

With all this in place and our helicopters and crew poised to respond from our airbases, the next link in the Chain of Survival is our Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) Dispatchers. These members of the Devon Air Ambulance team monitor and review thousands of 999 calls that are received by the South Western Ambulance Service every day. Based on the reported condition of the patient, their likely medical needs, the treatment our service can provide as well as the location of the incident and the distance to a specialist treatment centre

the patient might need, dispatch us to those patients where our service is likely to r the re te t e efit In the aircraft and at the patient’s side, our pilots, paramedics and doctors form a team whose individual knowledge, skills and experience, coupled with their joint training, all come together to enable us to provide our life-saving service to patients. However, the Chain of Survival requires every link to be in place – without the support provided by all the members of the team, no matter what role they undertake, we wouldn’t be able to deliver our service.

If you are reading this and have, are, or intend to support our service, you are part of the Devon Air Ambulance team; and a vital link in the Chain of Survival which helps provide our patients with the very best chance of a successful outcome. Thank you! o

OPERATIONS Profile: Nigel Hare - Operations Director l: n.hare@daat.org Nigel is responsible for the provision of our operational service, from the initial procurement of the helicopters and their equipment right through to the care that reaches the patient. He joined Devon Air Ambulance in 1997 as an Aircrew Paramedic.

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King The

of CUISINE Laurence enry - the winner of MasterChef: The Professionals - has returned to the evon coo ery school that sent him on a rollercoaster ride to culinary stardom.

C adio evon s avid Fit erald went to meet the man along with the Chef irector of the school, arrin osegrove Laurence Henry MasterChef winner, that sound good doesn’t it?

“It has just about sunk in by now and it is great to be back hosting the demo here in the kitchens rather than sat there watching. I owe so much to this place and Darrin, as prior to the Ashburton Cookery School my only cooking experience was in a little café. I can still remember the day I walked in, met my tutor Darrin and sat down to start to learn to cook. I was very nervous but excited and I soon settled in and got on with it”. Laurence graduated from the Ashburton Chefs de l fied he in 2012 after embarking on the intensive Diploma in Culinary Arts programme.

From there, Laurence secured a Commis Chef position at London’s Maze restaurant before returning to his home town of Nottingham to develop his career further as a Sous Chef at renowned 2 Michelin-star Restaurant Sat Bains.

What was the pressure like to take part in Masterchef?

“I tried to blank out the cameras but obviously there was a lot going on in the studio which added to the tension of getting the dish right and pleasing the judges”. That pressure often brought out the best in Laurence and this was e e l fied he oo the Michelin-starred kitchen of Paul Ainsworth in Padstow.

Laurence was charged with the responsibility for serving Chef Paul’s newly unveiled dessert course, an homage to his late father. It involved multiple components demanding speed, skill and concentration, and was described as ‘man of the match’ by Paul Ainsworth at the end of service.

So what do you think won you the title, was it one dish?

“I think it was my pork dish - loin and belly of suckling pig, kimchi glaze, braised fermented Hispi cabbage hearts, Nashi pear puree and sliced pears. Dessert was aerated mint white chocolate, lemongrass and coconut ice cream, passion fruit ripple and caramelised white

BACKCHAT Profile: David FitzGerald - BBC Broadcaster and DAAT Patron avid first began broadcasting on commercial radio in the early s, before moving to television. As well as a busy broadcasting career avid still finds time for writing as well as en oying a regular round of golf.

chocolate crumb. I have always enjoyed that type of oo let o r e for themselves and try not to mess with the dish, that’s my style of food in a nutshell!”.

So what does the future hold?

“It’s going to be very busy, I am hoping to get back down to Devon very soon, otherwise there are lots of festivals around the country that I will be at and in the long run…well there may be re t r t the o t early days but I also hope to be appearing back here at The Ashburton Cookery School. Darrin and I are trying to get some courses together, so just keep an eye on their website”. o

Fitz

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