Community News

North Molton Football Club’s history making title

NMFC are sponsored by JFJ Joinery & Wood Flooring, SMS (South Molton Scaffolding) & K&J Electrical Grass-roots sport has taken a big hit during the pandemic, so it’s great to see North Molton Football Club winning the North Devon Premier League for the first time in the club’s history. They were presented with the championship trophy (above) following a 2-0 home win over Hartland on May 19th, which featured goals from Billy Tucker and Joe Southcott. They even had a socially distanced crowd to watch the match and historic presentation.

At the time of writing they’d notched up an impressive 19 wins from 19 games with one remaining. The club paid tribute to staff, players, supporters and sponsors for helping them through the Covid-affected season.

Umberleigh Bridge (right) was struck by a lorry on May 17th causing large blocks of stone to fall onto the riverbank opposite Murchs Antique Emporium. The following morning a truck was left dangling precariously over the edge of Bickleigh Bridge, leaving it badly damaged and closing the A396 for several hours.

May wind causes problems

Unseasonal strong winds and heavy rain throughout May brought down trees, interrupted power supplies and made driving conditions difficult. A removals lorry blew over while negotiating the tricky A39 near Countisbury Hill (right) on the evening of May 20th. The Met Office reports that more rain fell in May than in March and April together.

Photo: John Andow

Photo: Nick Jenkins

Landslip forces café closure, day after lockdown reopening

Photo courtesy: Visit Lynton & Lynmouth

Heavy rain across North Devon and Exmoor during May led to a landslip which forced the popular National Trust Watersmeet café near Lynmouth to close on May 18th, just a day after it reopened following lockdown.

North Devon National Trust said it would be closed “until further notice”. The landslide happened on the narrow access road that runs next to the river, meaning deliveries weren’t possible. The trust says walking in the area remains unaffected.

Exeter Chiefs rugby for West Buckland student

Josh Nalevea (right), was selected to play in the Exeter Chiefs Academy’s first match back after Covid lockdown.

Josh joined West Buckland in the Sixth Form but his passion for rugby was hugely curtailed by the pandemic, which saw grassroots rugby halted completely for months.

Despite this, Josh could be seen out on the school’s playing fields practicing his skills, almost every night.

He had been playing for the Chiefs Academy before the pandemic, but his selection for the first game back against Worcester in May was just reward for all the hours of dedication that he put in on his own.

Plans are underway to ‘re-wild’ part of Sheep Fair Field in South Molton, as a legacy of the town’s South West in Bloom entry. A grant of £300 has been awarded by North Devon Biosphere to the project led by Fran Sendell, which aims to plant native wildflowers to create a permanent meadow as a home for invertebrates, pollinators, small mammals and birds.

In the meantime, a new litter picking group led by Will Lock has been formed. The South Molton Wombles are looking for local people to join them in their efforts to tidy up the town to support the ‘in bloom’ volunteers (you can find them on Facebook).

“South Molton in Bloom would really love everyone in the town to join our enterprise now to make the town colourful, tidy and a great place to live,” said coordinator Sue Harrison. “We are so grateful to the Men’s Shed volunteers who are doing an amazing job creating sponsorship signs for all the fantastic businesses who have supported us.”

The planting is coming on in leaps and bounds all across South Molton, and there’s still time to join in the front garden competition, create some art to display or sponsor some planting.

You can email: sue@southmoltoninbloom.co.uk Alternatively you can leave a message at Daisy Park and The Amory Centre, or find South Molton in Bloom on Facebook.

Photos: Karolina Andreasova Sheep Fair Field where it’s planned to create a permanent meadow, and inset - volunteers raised more than £200 for South Molton in Bloom with plant sales

Alison Hernandez (right) has been voted the Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon and Cornwall for another term.

The Conservative has held the role since she was first elected in 2016. It’s a position which operates to ensure forces in England and Wales are running effectively.

Voting goes through two rounds. Alison Hernandez received 275,217 votes after the runoff of second preferences, 65.2% of the total votes cast.

Second place Gareth Derrick from the Labour Party received 146,979 votes after the second round. Turnout at the Devon and Cornwall PCC Election on May 6th was 37.2%, up from 22.8% in 2016, with a total of 510,381 votes cast.

Alison Hernandez visiting Barnstaple in May Photo: Simon Ellery

Chulmleigh fibre broadband

An application is underway to bring superfast fibre broadband to every property in Chulmleigh.

The scheme through Openreach allows each household to claim a voucher which covers all of the installation costs. To get further information and apply, email Simon Aston: simon.aston@gmail.com or phone him on 07905 757902.

North Devon cancer charity Chemohero has received a donation of £830 from South Molton Freemasons.

The town’s Loyal Lodge of Industry handed over a cheque from the Devonshire Freemasons’ WAKE fund at a socially distanced presentation.

Co-founders of the charity Lisa and Rob Wallis met with the Lodge’s Master John Finch and it’s Chief Fundraiser Peter Kyle (pictured above right).

Chemohero provides ‘Boxes of Kindness’ to patients attending North Devon District Hospital’s Seamoor Unit for chemotherapy treatment. Over 40 different items go into a box of kindness, and since it was founded the charity has donated more than 1,500. The Freemasons’ association with the charity began when John Finch himself received a kindness box while in the hospital in 2019.

“Your first chemotherapy appointment can be stressful and frightening. Receiving a box like this reminds you that you’re not alone, and that there are people who know how you feel, and who are willing to help make things easier for you,” said John.

The charity says it is “enormously grateful’ for the latest donation from the group.