Moor links Apr-May 2016

Moor Links Yelverton • Buckland Monachorum • Walkhampton • Horrabridge • Clearbrook Meavy • Milton Combe • Crapstone • Bere Peninsula • Dousland Princetown • Sampford Spiney • Sheepstor • Postbridge

Apr / May 2016

Safety on Dartmoor Day 16 Pages of What’s On Listings!

Tavistock Festival - A full ‘Pull Out’ Guide

Issue 21 £1.50 where sold

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CONTENTS

It’s all about Music and Art…..

As you will see from our front cover image, the great majority of this magazine seems to be dedicated to music and art. April and May see two months full of events in association with the Tavistock Festival from brass band concerts, choir concerts, musical productions and several art exhibitions throughout the town and the surrounding area. There really is something for everyone, so do look at the full eight page guide we have put together in the centre of the magazine and enjoy some fantastic days and evenings out.

Spurred on by our article from Dr Harriet Doyle about the potential hazards of too much screen time for our children (p24/25) and with the days getting longer and drier, Rebecca Martin has put together some excellent family ideas for getting children outdoors and active within our education section (p15) We have so many wonderful places to explore on our doorstep, not least the great open spaces of Dartmoor, so there really is no excuse!

Another great day out and written up as our Feature for this issue, is the ‘Safety on Dartmoor Day’ held in Lydford, with most, if not all, our emergency services taking part, including displays by the MoD and all being well, a fly past by a Battle of Britain Spitfire (p54).

WE DON’T JUST PUBLISH MAGAZINES!

We mentioned in our last issue that we were launching our new community website – well it is now up and running and jam packed full of articles, events, places to visit as well as a full What’s On guide for the months ahead. Make sure you visit it regularly! We also have the facility for local organisations or individuals to upload any event dates directly on to the website themselves – take a look, known foryou ourthrough magazines or We giveare us avery call well and we’ll talk it. - Tavy Links and Moor Links, but we also provide additional marketing support

www.dartmoorlinks.co.uk services to many local businesses.

From magazine to a brochure, Enjoy the music, art and getting outa full-blown and about!

Lizzie

leaflet, a new logo or business cards as well as design for your social media sites.

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copywriting and print services ensuring you editorial@moorlinks.co.uk 01822 get the right message853110 to your target audience.

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CONTENTS 4. Village News

Gig Rowing, Neighbourhood Plans and Rotary Club Round-Up

15. Education

Rebecca is encouraging us all to get outdoors and active!

18. Kids What’s On

Lots to keep everyone happy during the holidays

20. Charity Focus

Rosemary meets Mark Hoar a supporter of Parkinson’s UK

26. Gardening

Sue Fisher on what we should be planting now and Suzy Kraike on designing a Potager

34. What’s On

Jam packed as usual with events for everyone!

37. Tavistock Festival

Our eight page pull out guide for two months of music, art, drama, film and lectures.

54. Feature

Safety on Dartmoor Day

60. Dog Walk with Angus and Sennen

The Pipe walk from Cadover Bridge to Shaugh Prior and up to the Dewerstone

62. Food & Wine

A delicious Moroccan Lamb Tagine and wine of all varieties.

Moorly is o about an ut and d Our Lady of the Assumption and St Mary sMagdalen potted h - we’ve im Tavistock througho 8 times magazin ut the e. C spot him an you ALL Advertising too?

70. History

design&print WE’D TO HELP… TheContact deadline for anyLIKE inclusions in the June/July Lizzie or Tim for more information 01822 853110 issue is Friday 6th May lizzie@olijam.co.uk www.olijam.co.uk We would like to take this opportunity to say a big thank you to our many contributors for so kindly giving us their time and expertise, in helping keep our magazine so interesting to all.

THE OLIJAM TEAM: Editor: Lizzie Watt Publisher: Tim Randell Deputy Editor: Rosemary Best Publishing Assistant: Liz Whitwell Writers: Rosemary Best, Nichola Williams Design: Terri Reeves, Julian Rees Advertising: Jane Daniel, Kate McCormick

See our new community website www.dartmoorlinks.co.uk

enquiries

Contact Tim, Jane or Kate on 07450 161 929 / 01822 615627 to disuss your advertising enquiries.

Email: advertising@moorlinks.co.uk or visit our website: www.moorlinks.co.uk to view our rate card.

Please note that the opinions expressed in this magazine do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the editorial team.

We have done our utmost to ensure that all the content is correct and accurate at the time of print, but we emphasise that Moor Links or Olijam Communications Ltd accepts no responsibility for any mistakes or omissions. All data contained in advertisements are subject to the Advertising Standards Authority guidelines and are accepted by us in good faith at the time of going to press. Reproduction of editorial is strictly prohibited without prior permission from the publisher.

All rights reserved copyright © 2016

3

VILLAGE NEWS

Dartmoor National Park – Local Plan We have just adopted our “Statement of Community Involvement” (SCI) for Dartmoor National Park planning. This document sets the main ways in which we engage with communities, business, organisations and individuals around planning. This Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) sets out our plans for involving the public in considering planning applications and preparing the Local Plan for Dartmoor National Park. The SCI has the following aims: • To ensure that everyone has the maximum opportunity to participate in and contribute to the review and preparation of planning policy and other planning guidance; • To consult in a way which meets the needs of different groups so that public participation is helpful, effective and relevant; • To target engagement to ensure the appropriate statutory consulted parties and interest groups are involved.

companies and individuals who have asked us to contact them. This list is not published, and if you wish to be added or removed from either list please contact: forwardplanning@ dartmoor.gov.uk The review of the SCI marks the first step in the process of reviewing the local plan. The policies in the local plan are the basis for decisions on planning applications in the national park. As we review the plan we’d like to hear the views of as many people as possible. If you would like to be notified of consultation and events please let us know, and if you would like to tell us how best to talk about the local plan with you, we are keen to hear your ideas.

To view the SCI online go to: www.dartmoor.gov.uk

We hold a list of the main organisations we expect to notify of local plan consultation, as well as a mailing list of private

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MUSIC & ART

VILLAGE NEWS

A Good Year for Tavy Tars

A year in the life of Tamar & Tavy Gig Club

Tavy Tars are a group of nine singers and musicians based in Bere Ferrers, whose repertoire is based on sea shanties and songs of the sea.

The Tars have also done many local events and if you would like to book them, contact details are on their website as are links to videos of them performing.

Mike Grimshaw

The Tars performed at John Lewis in Oxford Street for last year’s Christmas shoppers, Plymouth Pirate weekend, Falmouth International Shanty Festival, Plymouth Seafood Festival plus various Seasalt shop openings. Another highlight was, for the second year running, singing on the Scillonian to Scilly and back as an RNLI fundraiser-and yes it was rolly!

To celebrate their 10th anniversary, Tars recorded a new CD last autumn that was released this spring. Called ‘Take Me in Your Lifeboat’ after the title track of the album, sales from the CD have already raised £530 for the RNLI and a cheque was recently presented on the RNLI’s Plymouth lifeboat. The With a new season upon us and the 2016 race calendar taking album is available from any member of the Tars, through the shape, it’s nice to reflect on the past years’ events.

Tar’s website www.tavytars.co.uk, or iTunes and Amazon The club have had an incredibly successful year not only downloads. competing in our usual races such as the gruelling 5 mile Three Rivers Race in Saltash but adventuring off to uncharted territory (well for us anyway). Back in May we entered The World Pilot Gig Championships, where we shipped our beautiful Saturday 28th February boats Tamar and Ginette over to the Isles of Scilly, along with Walkstock (28th February) on aHaving veteranposted crew, the twodate mensofand two ladies crews.

The race Facebook, we had 42 people saying they were ‘joining’ conditions were rough with some chopping water, wind and rain, within the first hours and some discussing all of which just few helped to increase thewere senseeven of achievement babysitters!

Bearing in mind this was 4 months before the with all the training coming to fruition, with some great results.

Walkstock 2015

event, it shows how keen people are on Walkstock. If you

In late August 2015, we sent our lovely boat Ginette all the haven’t heard about it, let us explain: It is a fundraising way to Fort William in Scotland, with a boat crew of 10 and event for the Walkhampton Preschool, but is for the adults a land crew of 5 (equipped with a van and vital tea making (and older teens.) Local bands play to an overwhelmingly facilities). We began an epic 4 day row along the Caledonian appreciative crowd. For most band members it is the Canal to Inverness, this mammoth trek was a total of 66 miles highlight of their gigging year. The bands are Fallen Cedarsand passed through 29 locks, with camping each night along the with original material and covers, this is a very talented five way. The crew were incredibly lucky with the weather, despite

some wild wind and lumpy water on Loch Ness, there was hardly a drop of rain and plenty of sunshine.

Just a few weeks later and Ginette (with a few of the same hardy crew) was of shipped off again Photo courtesy Barry Perrins (RNLI)for The Great London River Race, at 21 miles through some of London’s most stunning landmarks and some 330 crews from all over the world, it really was a spectacle like no other and now a regular event on our racing schedule.

piece (now with an excellent drummer), Longfaces (originally

With 2016 shaping- this up toband be another great year with covers named Thenow Cashiers) does classic rock/pop the racing season underway and training for the World to really get the party going. Last but not least, Threes a Championships full swing, veryofexcited Crowd- 3 younginlads whosewe’re witty also covers unlikelytopop announce that building work has begun on our new boat shed at songs keep any crowd thoroughly entertained.

Weir Quay.

Venue: Walkhampton Memorial Hall

IfDate: you’dFebruary like to join us 7.30-11.30 on our next adventure or just want to get 28th fit and enjoy the river during ourWoodgate social rows,(details then you find Tickets: £8 available from Pat by can emailing out more at www.tamarandtavygigclub.co.uk facebook.com/ poshpat@live.com) Other details: Bring yourorown drink. tamartavygig.

Fancy dress theme (optional) come as anything beginning

with the letter ‘T’.

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VILLAGE NEWS

Neighbourhood Plan ‘So where do you think new houses should be built in your Parish?’ these may contradict their own. With a Neighbourhood Plan What is it?

You may have read or heard about your Neighbourhood Plan but are still a little confused or in the dark as to what it is and how it may affect you. Among nine other parishes in West Devon, the Parishes of Bere Ferrers and Buckland Monachorum are currently undertaking the lengthy process of building what is called a ‘Neighbourhood Plan’. With the government stipulating that thousands of new homes need to be built throughout the country in the next 10 years and most, if not all areas having to take on a share of this number, a Neighbourhood Plan gives those living in a particular parish the opportunity to have their say on where these new homes might be best placed, the design specifications and the type of property they should be – whether it be affordable homes, starter homes or retired accommodation. It also looks at where small infrastructure projects (such as employment units, village halls etc) may need to be placed too.

in place, the Parish’s views are given equal weight to those of the Local Authority. This allows the vital local knowledge of an area that a parish council and its parishioners have to influence development.

Several major steps are needed before a Neighbourhood Plan can be ‘made’. Firstly the plan needs to be prepared – in this instance the Bere Ferrers plan is being put together by a dedicated steering committee comprising of parish councillors and parish residents, with Councillor Mike Benson as the coordinator. For the parish of Buckland Monachorum, this is being led by the Parish Council with Councillor Ric Cheadle as the coordinator. The plan can only be prepared using

How does it work?

Prior to 2011 Parish Councils could create a Parish Plan setting out things they would like to do, which although good in theory, was little more than a wish list of needs with no real authority to deliver it. However, the Localism Act, introduced in 2011, brought in the concept of Neighbourhood Plans. Once a Neighbourhood Plan has been ‘made’, approved by the Local Authority and endorsed by the community in a referendum, it becomes statutory. In a nutshell this means that once in place, a Neighbourhood Plan will need to be formally taken into account by the Local Authority, giving us, as local parishioners, a real say in, for instance, where new housing or industrial developments are put. Currently the parish councils can have their say and object on a planning matter if they so wish, but the Local Authority has no obligation to consider the Parish’s views where

information and evidence gained through public consultation exercises taking the form of questionnaires, public meetings or door-to-door surveys. Once all this information is collated and the plan is in place, it is checked to ensure that it meets legal

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VILLAGE NEWS requirements and compliments Local and National policy and then it is put to a public referendum, where each and every parishioner is given the opportunity to vote with either a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’, as to whether they agree with the plan.

Once in place a Neighbourhood Plan will give the vision and solid framework for any future developments within that parish, for the next 15 years or so. It will be reviewed at interim times over that period to check that it remains relevant to the needs of the community.

Buckland Monachorum Parish Neighbourhood Plan.

OPEN DAY - Saturday 23rd April in St Paul’s Church Hall, Yelverton (next to the church) from 10am - 3pm.

Or view the plan online at: www.bucklandmonachorumplan. co.uk or email rcheadle@westdevon.gov.uk Bere Ferrers Neighbourhood Plan: The steering group of the Bere Peninsula Plan hope to submit their draft plan for public consultation soon. www.berepeninsulaplan.org.uk or cllr.mike. benson@westdevon.gov.uk Buckland Monachorum Parish with Dartmoor National Park

Why should I be interested?

‘this doesn’t affect me because the proposed site for new housing is in another village’ - perhaps a typical response.

But have another think. If an area of land becomes free for development, it is more than likely that any building developer would in preference build one or two large luxury homes on the site giving him the best profit margins. However, these homes are unaffordable for young people and their families (these young families may well be your own children or future grand-children). Within a short space of time, the village school may be forced to close due to low pupil numbers as fewer young families with children live in the area. The village post office and shops close due to fewer local customers - as wealthy homeowners prefer to shop in the cities. Elderly people downsizing are forced out of the area, due to a lack of smaller affordable homes or bungalows. Within a very few years our much needed infrastructure that is a vital part of our rural community; bus routes, village shops, schools, pubs, village halls, will all slowly become redundant with the demise of our local economy.

A Neighbourhood Plan gives us all a say in how our rural communities will look in the future and how they will survive.

So take an interest in how your community develops and look at the draft plan online or come along to meetings when they are being advertised. Have your say and make a difference.

Our office is open every weekday 10am-3pm for valuations For larger larger consignments consignments or or furniture, furniture aa home visit may be arranged arranged Please telephone for professional advice, or email images to enquiries@eldreds.net

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VILLAGE NEWS

Parish Notes – Buckland Monachorum Buckland Monachorum Parish Council’s new clerk! Introducing Kelly Johns ...

Kelly has worked at West Devon Borough Council since 2001 up to September 2015. Her chosen career up until now has been working as an Environmental Health Officer, but decided it was time to move away from an enforcement role and do something a bit different. This has led to her taking on the role of Buckland Monochorum’s new Parish Clerk, which she is really looking forward to. Kelly took over the role from Debbie Ashton in January and is looking forward to getting stuck into the role.

The clerk’s email address remains unchanged (clerk@bmpc. info). The whole Council would like to record their appreciation for all Debbie’s hard work on behalf of the Parish over the last five years.

Parish Paths

With funding coming from the Parish Council’s application to a WDBC Community fund (the Tap fund for 2014 /15) a project is undertway to create a multi functional path at Yelverton to

allow residents with mobile buggies and mums with buggies to safely access the shops. The original paths had become over grown with vegetation and very difficult to use. The paths will be finished in the new year and the Parish Council hopes to get more funding to do the same on the path from the Rock to Yelverton. (photo attached)

Community Energy Project

The Community Energy project’s feasibility study has completed and 4 sites have been identified as having potential to generate power from solar panels. If the ‘owners’ of these sites, having studied the results of the study, remain keen to participate, the project will form a part of a wider scheme being run by the Tamar Energy Community and the Parish will be able to show that it is playing its part in meeting the Country’s commitment to renewable energy.

Annual Parish Meeting

The Annual Parish Meeting will be held at Clearbrook Village Hall at 1900 on 20th April and include a presentation on High Speed Broadband and the Neighbourhood Plan’s progress. Do come along and support the work your Parish Council does, let them know what you think about living in the Parish and how you would like to see things develop in the years ahead.

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VILLAGE NEWS

Rotary Club Round Up Tavistock and Yelverton The recent weeks of bad weather may not have been the best we’ve ever had but that hasn’t slowed down our two local Rotary clubs, Tavistock and Yelverton. In fact, we’ve been unbelievably busy in the past few weeks.

As in previous years, the two rounds of our annual Youth Speaks Competition held at Mount Kelly and Tavistock College uncovered brilliant speakers from schools throughout the area.

It always amazes us that children as young as 10 and 11 can speak so well on subjects as diverse as “Is it ever right to tell a lie?” and “Should dads be allowed to dance in public?” Six teams, including Mount Kelly College, Tavistock College and Tavistock Community Primary School fought off stiff competition from schools throughout Devon and Cornwall to go through to the District Finals at Torquay.

Tavistock Club also organised our first Young Photographer of the Year Competition. This uncovered a huge range of young local talent and it was no easy job for the judges to declare 17 year-old William Dax from Tavistock College the overall winner, with Amy Brimacombe (Tavistock College) the Intermediate winner and Zi Thomson (Horrabridge Primary School) the Junior winner.

Tavistock Club also joined with the Inner Wheel Club to host a Race Night at the Parish Rooms that raised over £600 for local Parkinsons and Dementia Charities.

The highlight, though, was the derby Rotary District Skittles Semifinal between Yelverton and Tavistock at the Prince of Wales in Princetown. The exhausted losers, Yelverton, argued that they had fought their way through two rounds whilst Tavistock had had it easy since their previous two opponents hadn’t turned up. Tavistock’s captain Tony Parker explained that

superior skill, training and stamina had won through.

In April, the Yelverton Club will host guests from local care homes and the Memory Café at their Spring Tea Party with music and a quiz at the Yelverton Memorial Hall. This year’s party is generously sponsored by Tesco’s Tavistock store, to whom we are massively grateful.

On May 29th, also at the Memorial Hall, Yelverton Club will be running a car boot sale to raise funds for local charities.

Recently, we have supported Princetown Youth Club, two young people taking part in sporting events and a conservation project abroad, and we have provided kitchen equipment and supplies for the Youth 2 Youth club in Bere Alston.

The Tavistock club continues to work with the Tavistock Dementia Action Alliance, Tavistock Lions and other local organisations to create a Sensory Garden in the Meadows and, once again, is a leading light in organising the Tavistock Heritage Festival in the autumn.

If you would like to help in any way, or if you would like to join either Club, please contact us through our websites, or contact grahamparker1@me.com.

Volunteers Wanted Princetown Community Centre and the Plough and Share Credit Union at Princetown are seeking volunteers. If you can spare a couple of ours a week why not call in to the Community Centre on a Wednesday morning after 11.00 to find out more.

Or call Mike Fitzpatrick on 01822 890799

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LOCAL PEOPLE

Liddle Lamzy Divey Pete Gorringe decided on a change of career, which led to a flock of rare breed Jacob sheep..

When Pete left school, he decided that farming was the life for him and embarked upon pig rearing and a college course in milk production. He went on to develop a plant hire and groundworks business in Sussex; an enterprise which is continued today in the capable hands of his sons.

‘Why Jacob sheep?’ I asked him. He told me that, apart from their easy-going nature, these animals produce superb meat with a special flavour, fleece that makes excellent quality knitting yarn and very attractive skins which provide unique sheepskins because of their individual markings.

When he, his wife and family moved to a five-acre home in Bere Ferrers, Pete bought a few Jacob sheep from a friend and was struck by their appearance and quiet, friendly nature. From these small beginnings in 2009, his flock has grown to 20 ewes, 5 rams and, when I visited him in the middle of February, 10 new lambs. Pete estimates that the flock will number 70 by April.

Pete has a ready, local market for all these products. The meat is sold to the village pub and other customers and whilst he has a good reputation for the quality of the lamb, mutton is also back in fashion and is appearing on menus. The sheepskins and wool are sold at craft fairs. Pete is a member of the Jacob Sheep Society in the S.W. Region, an organisation that provides

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Spring has sprung at Shutecombe in Bere Ferrers. The Shutecombe Pedigree Jacob flock is kicking its heels up under the watchful eye of Pete Gorringe. invaluable information and advice to breeders as well as organising sales and shows.

Pete’s track record at shows and competitions is impressive.

In 2014, he won second prize in a large flock competition; a success he hopes to repeat in September this year. He won first prize in a best fleece competition in 2015 and collected a total of eleven rosettes last year. He likes to show at local one-day events and finds that he can do enough business there and at livestock markets without having to look to bigger agricultural shows. He has held an open day on his property but tells me that the next one will be held on 12 June near Honiton. Anyone who is interested in Jacob sheep will find details through the Jacob Sheep Society or on Pete’s website.* There will also be a rare breed sale at Sedgemoor Livestock market in September.

Two weeks’ work goes into preparing sheep for showing. I almost didn’t believe Pete when he told me that they have to be trained to be led on a halter. Apparently, once they’ve learned how to be led, they never forget and take it all in their stride along with the washing, grooming, primping and preening.

So, here we are officially in spring and hopefully, the maintenance of the flock will ease. Pete has checked his animals daily and has brought them in to barns when the weather has been really bad. Sometimes, the sheep have let themselves in when they’ve had enough of being soaked! The ewes have been scanned to see if they are bearing twins or triplets and their feed has been supplemented with haylage before moving on to clover fields. Pete showed me some trees in his fields that had been stripped of ivy. Apparently Jacobs know that it is good for them and had cleared the hedges as well. Jacobs make fine mothers, producing good milk and after weaning in June, Pete will keep some ewe lambs for breeding in 2017.

Let’s hope that the Shutecombe Pedigree Jacob Flock thrives in 2016 and that Pete’s business continues to flourish. You can find him on *shutecombeflock@hotmail.com or shutecombeflock. co.uk Lizzie Spiers

Care Services for your loved ones Devon and Cornwall Care Services

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Devon and Cornwall Care Services t. 01822 610734/611221 email: pauline_daccs@yahoo.co.uk www.daccservices.com

4 Abbey Place (at the side of the main Post Office)

1st Floor, Tavistock, Pl19 0AA

See our new community website www.dartmoorlinks.co.uk

Caring for People in the Community

11

LOCAL PEOPLE

Andrew Wilson

A prolific and talented composer, Andrew will be the new Festival President for this year’s Tavistock Festival.

Andrew has been involved in producing concerts and giving lectures at the Tavistock Festival ever since it first started and he is honoured to follow in the footsteps of Adam Hart-Davis and Sarah Walker. He has watched the festival develop over the years into a celebration of wide-ranging musical genres, art exhibitions, lectures, literary workshops and theatrical performances. He is delighted to be able to support an event which firmly places Tavistock on the map and brings in professional musicians and artists to the South West. The festival offers opportunities for local people, as well as visitors, to appreciate concerts, exhibitions and performances that they otherwise might not have a chance to experience. Despite his new role as President, Andrew is still keen to maintain a handson approach to the festival and this year he will be running a workshop on Coleridge-Taylor’s ‘Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast’.

Andrew Wilson grew up in Bedfordshire and his musical aptitude was evident from a very early age; by the time he was seven he was already composing music. After becoming a chorister in Luton, as well as learning to play the organ and the clarinet, his accomplished performance skills won him a Junior Exhibition Award Scholarship to attend music lessons at Trinity College of Music in London. He went on to study music at the Royal Holloway College of London University before commencing a career teaching music at Papplewick School in Ascot, and later Royal Grammar School in Worcester. He moved to Tavistock with his family in 1992 when he was appointed Director of Music at Kelly College, where he also took on the role of conductor of the Kelly Choral Society. At about the same time he started composing in earnest and his first published works began entering the music scene.

orchestral works. His years of teaching have helped him to acquire at least a rudimentary knowledge of most instruments, in fact he reckons he could play ‘God save the Queen’ on any instrument!

Andrew has a very disciplined approach to composing which stemmed from the necessity to produce compositions in a designated timeframe alongside his teaching career. All of his compositions have been created from a shed in his garden albeit a very comfortable, heated and well-equipped shed. He finds that the confined space aids his creativity and helps him concentrate.

Andrew Wilson’s works have been performed across the UK and in many international venues. In addition he was recently appointed to the board of the National College of Music as Director of Studies. He has won several awards, particularly since he stepped down from teaching and has more time to devote to composing; in the last year he won the international Small Choirs’ Composing Competition 2015, he was a finalist in the composition competition at Greyfriars Festival of Worship and the Arts, and a finalist for The Ray Bardsley Carol Composition Prize 2015. He is obviously delighted that his works have received such acclaim, although he says that the real reward for composition is having your music performed and he is looking forward to the first performance of a new piece for the Tavistock Festival , “A Tavy Dance Suite” which will be played by the Chamber Ensemble of London.

Andrew Wilson’s music is published by Blackingstone Music Publishing and Spartan - for more details about his compositions or to commission a work visit www.andrew-m-wilson.com

Andrew has composed numerous works ranging from sonatas for individual instruments to quartets to full choral and 12

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Rosemary Best

editorial@moorlinks.co.uk

Ashley Beare The new Chair to the Board of Trustees for The Garden House The Garden House, with its rich variety of perennials, wildflower meadow, arboretum and traditional cottage garden, is one of our local ‘treasures’. However it is also a garden of national horticultural repute and its reputation is the result of years of dedicated gardening, initially by Lionel and Katharine Fortescue who purchased the property shortly after the Second World War, and then a number of inspirational head gardeners including Keith Wiley, Matt Bishop and the current incumbent, Nick Haworth. Lionel and Katharine established the Fortescue Garden Trust and bequeathed the house and garden to the charity in the 1980s so that the integrity of the gardens could be preserved for future generations.

Ashley Beare has recently been appointed as the new Chair to the Board of Trustees for the Fortescue Garden Trust and is delighted and honoured to have the opportunity to lead the Trust and continue the excellent work carried out by the previous Chair, David Incoll.

Ashley grew up and lived in Plymouth before moving to the Yelverton area three years ago, after retiring from his role as a senior manager with HMRC. He is still employment lead for Plymouth Area Business Council, which aims to promote a closer working relationship among Plymouth’s business and city leaders, and he is now also Chair of Yelverton Tennis Club, a member of Yelverton Golf Club and a keen squash player.

His wife Sue, is a keen gardener and shortly after moving to Yelverton she enrolled as a volunteer at The Garden House where she is an enthusiastic member of the garden’s team of volunteers. Ashley’s wealth of experience on various boards and committees meant that when Sue mentioned that The Garden House was looking for a new trustee, he leapt at the opportunity

See our new community website www.dartmoorlinks.co.uk

to be involved in preserving and promoting this local inheritance.

Ashley considers himself extremely fortunate to have inherited a fantastic team at the Garden House in terms of fellow trustees, the employees running the garden, office, plant sales and tearoom, and the small army of volunteers. Ashley is keen to build on the success that has been achieved so far and is currently very involved in the marketing strategy for the new season, as well as plans to improve the tea-room and toilet facilities for customers. He would particularly like to encourage more families to visit the gardens and widen their appeal both locally and nationally.

Ashley says: “I am passionate about The Garden House and driven by the potential for creating greater awareness of this amazing 10 acre garden. This really is in my view a local ‘jewel in the crown’ that is recognised nationally as one of the best plantsman’s gardens. Whether you wish to be inspired by a vibrant array of plants that provide an ever- changing backdrop or merely wish to have a relaxing walk and find a quiet area for some peace and reflection, the Garden House really does provide something inspirational for all.”

Rosemary Best

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SHEBBEAR Prep | Senior | Sixth Form

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Free express daily bus from Tavistock centre Weekly boarding scholarships available New Music Building for September New Sixth Form Centre Small class sizes Excellent academic results 85 acre rural campus Outstanding pastoral care

Find out more, come and visit us on our OPEN DAY on MONDAY 2nd MAY 2016 www.shebbearcollege.co.uk

EDUCATION

Outdoors and Active!

Top tips whilst out and about with your children.

At work I have been thinking about getting pupils outside more often and of course when you work in education and have children: life starts to imitate work.

We are all aware that many children today are not playing outside as much as they perhaps should. This is due in part to changes in work patterns for parents and how safe we feel our children are out-and-about. Children are therefore missing out on the health benefits that the outdoors brings, often spending many hours indoors playing on tablets and watching TV. In the pursuit of my own children being healthy and active, I have learnt some very valuable lessons along the way that I wanted to share with you.

My three top tips when taking the children out and about:

Always Pack Snacks Two things will happen when you are outside.

Either you will enjoy yourself so much you spend longer out than expected which will result in hungry children or you will arrive in the middle of no-where and the children will decide they are ‘starving’ and don’t stop moaning until their stomachs have been replenished.

Invest in Pocket Books about Nature There is nothing worse than being out with the children only for them to test your very limited knowledge of the flora and fauna around you.

I can guarantee there will always be someone standing nearby to add to the embarrassment. There are also lots of apps you can download that will help you - from bird identification to types of fungi.

Our Education Section has kindly been put together by Rebecca Martin from Exciting Education

Always Have a Clean Set of Clothes Open 7.30am to 6.00pm Monday to Friday 49 weeks a year From birth to 8-years old

It doesn’t matter whether you say ‘please do not get wet/dirty/roll’ – they will. The water will always be too tempting and always too high for their wellies – despite the numerous times you say ‘I think that is too deep’!

Remember to pack a plastic bags or bin liner for the wet items on the return journey.

Trimal House, Yelverton Business Park

01822 855644 Proprietors: Debbie & Keith Parriss

www.edgemoornursery.com 15

EDUCATION

Out for a Walk with Children of all Ages

How lucky we are to live in such an amazing area of beauty; it is so easy to get the children outside when the adventures are so exciting. We have selected some of our local walks that will keep children of all ages amused and active, whilst taking in all that fresh air!

Burrator Arboretum Suitable for Babies to Adults!

• Paths suitable for pushchairs.

• This walk can be as long or as short as you want it to be.

• There are nature facts for all ages.

• Flat ground and easy walking with a variety of views.

• A nature pond full of interesting mini beasts!

• Free parking Always be careful with children near water and keep an everwatchful eye!

Tamar Trails - Bedford United Trail

Walks for 5 to 9 year olds • Lots of activity at Tree Surfer /Tamar Trails (tree surfing, archery, survival skills etc) • Not too long, not too short – just right!

• Look-out platforms to see the river below • Wildlife – watch ants marching off to ant mounds!

• Free activity bags available from the Tamar Trails team • Stop for lunch, coffee or cake at the Beech Café • Parking £2 all day.

Dartmoor Walks for all ages but perfect for children aged 2 to 4 • Lots of space for running and building physical skills • Generally soft and grassy for falling over • Rocks to climb and jump off (adults need to supervise!)

• Plenty of wildlife to spot • Ponies and sheep to count – everywhere!

• Trees and rocks to hide behind.

Drakes Trail and Geocaching Tavistock to Yelverton Walks for children aged 9+ • Trail can be walked or cycled with relative ease • Hidden treasures – geocaching boxes hidden all along the route • Great pit stops at either Drakes Café, Grenofen or the Dartmoor Bakery, Yelverton • Download the trails at www.drakestrail.co.uk or www.geocaching.com.

16

Following the Pimple Trail Rebecca has put together a walking trail suitable for younger children, with lots to look out for on the way.

Can you spot these places and answer the questions as you go?

Park near Tavistock’s Golf Club and walk onto the moor through the gate.

5. Look at the granite posts around the edge of the pitch. Why do some of them have grooves in?

Head down the hill towards the cricket pitch, walk around the cricket pavilion and back up to The Pimple on the hill.

6. On your way to The Pimple what signs of animals can you find?

1. How may posts lead your way from the gate? There is a hidden one you might miss, so count carefully!

7. At The Pimple you will see a church in the distance on a hill. What is the church called?

2. Can you spot the secret doors leading to secret gardens?

Who wrote the book The Secret Garden?

8. From here you can also see lots of Tors on Dartmoor. Can you name two of them?

3. Can you name this prickly plant? Which month do the flowers come out on it?

9. If it is a clear day you can see two tall aerial masts on the hills in the distance. What are their names?

4. What is a cricket pitch called?

For all the answers see our website: www.dartmoorlinks.co.uk

Established in 1979 providing high quality childcare and education for 2-4 year olds.

Learning through play in a stimulating indoor and outdoor environment.

Opening Hours Monday, Tuesday & Thursday 8am - 1pm Wednesday & Friday 8am - 3pm Please contact us for more information on term dates

Bucklandmonachorumpreschool@outlook.com www.bucklandmonachorumpreschool.co.uk The Village Hall Buckland Monachorum Yelverton Devon PL20 7LZ

Charity Number 1023776 Ofsted registered 106092

17

KIDS WHAT'S ON

EASTER HOLIDAY EVENTS BUCKLAND ABBEY EASTER EGG HUNT SPONSORED BY CADBURYS

Everyday from Good Friday, until 10th April, 10.30am-4.30am Follow in the footsteps of Sir Francis Drake and his clergyman Francis Fletcher, as you circumnavigate the Buckland estate in search of treasure. Will you be able to follow his route to track down your Cadbury chocolate reward?

Normal admission charges apply, £2 per trail.

FAMILY RAG-RUGGING

3rd April, 11am -4pm Drop-in anytime to join Debbie Hastings for her fun, family-friendly rag rug workshop - where you can create a masterpiece to take home.

No booking needed. £2 per person.

DARTMOOR BORDER MORRIS

Sunday 3rd April, 1pm-3pm Dig out your bells and join the Dartmoor Border Morris Group Celebrate the return of spring by grabbing your handkerchiefs, sticks and bells and joining in with the Morris dancing by local troupe Dartmoor Border Morris. The troupe’s performing at Buckland - you’re more than welcome to have a go too.

FAMILY FELT

6th April 2016, 11am – 4pm Join local wool artist Claire Packer for a fun family friendly spring themed felt workshop. Normal admission applies and £3 per person

Meet the mill team dressed in Victorian costume. Milling demonstrations (water permitting) and mill tours.

Normal admission charges apply.

THE ALTERNATIVE FAMILY TRAIL

Tuesday 29 March - Sunday 10 April, 11am-4pm A family and dog-friendly trail from the house to Cotehele Mill with clues and a prize at the end. The trail is designed for families with children of all ages to do together; some of the clues are easy and some more difficult. Some of the clues will include items on your 50 things to do before you’re 11¾ checklist. £2 per child

LYDFORD GORGE BIRD BOX DAY

Thursday 7th April, 1pm – 4pm Come along to Lydford Gorge to make your own bird box with help from our National Trust ranger team. £5 per box

PLYMOUTH MUSEUM PICK UP AND GO

Saturday 2 and 9 April 2016, 10am to 5pm Enjoy some fun self-directed activities connected to their collections and exhibitions. Just pick them up from the Colouring Station Table in the foyer and off you go!

Free. Drop-in. Donations welcome.

COLOUR AND COLLAGE

Wednesday 6 April, 10.30am to 1pm (last entries at 12.30pm) Use arts and crafts materials to colour and collage your own creations inspired by the thousands of objects in the collections and exhibitions.

Free. Drop-in. Donations welcome.

BEADS GALORE! COTHELE COSTUME SUNDAYS AT COTEHELE MILL 3, 10 April, 11am-4.30pm 18

Thursday 7 April, 10.15am to 12.15pm and 2pm to 4pm Enjoy a creative session led by a guest artist and make beads based on some of

the amazing archaeological finds that have been discovered on nearby Dartmoor. £2.50 per child. Booking advised.

TAVISTOCK HOCKEY CLUB TAVISTOCK HOCKEY CLUB EASTER COACHING CAMP

29th, 30th & 31st March 2016 10.00 – 16.00 @ Mount Kelly Astroturf Just £20 – includes a free t – shirt and lunch.

Open to children in school years 2 – 11.

Any ability. Children will have the opportunity to go swimming during the day.

For more information on the holiday camps please email Simon Fenwick at thc-coachingcamps@ outlook.com

MAY HALF TERM EVENTS BUCKLAND ABBEY WHITTLE AND BURN

28th – 30th May, 11am -5pm Get outdoors and head down Cot Lane to see the Buckland outdoor team turn estate trees into charcoal and to discover how they whittle logs into useful objects for the home. Climb aboard a shave horse and whittle yourself an object too.

Free for the activity but normal admission prices apply.

COTEHELE MAY HALF-TERM FUN

Monday 30 May - Friday 3 June, 12.303pm Have fun outdoors. On Mondays discover what’s in a pond, Tuesdays make paper, Wednesdays and Fridays, create some wild art and Thursdays make quoits out of rope. Normal garden rates apply.

Design, Print & Copywriting services - call us to discuss your next project 01822 853110

editorial@moorlinks.co.uk

KIDS WHAT'S ON

OTHER EVENTS IN APRIL AND MAY BUCKLAND ABBEY COOK THE MASTER’S DINNER

Tuesday 19th April 1pm-2pm See the cooks prepare for the master’s dinner in the Abbey kitchen.

Normal admission applies.

BURRATOR FOREST FUN!

First Wed of each month, 9.30am-11.30am on the Lower Lawn, term time.

For parents & toddlers.

For more information contact www. burratoroutdoorpre school.moonfruit.com

under the Calstock viaduct to learn about the Tamar Valley. Trips last for 2 hrs.

Ring 01579 351346 for dates and to book.

Booking essential

as the world marks 400 years since the death of William Shakespeare.

Free but donations are welcome. No need to book.

LOPWELL DAM CHILDREN IN NATURE

THEATRE ROYAL PLYMOUTH FIRST STEPS: A CHILD’S THE DREAM

Saturday 7th May, 10am – 12noon Each event usually has at least 3 activities, such as a sensory scavenger hunt, wild art or story stones. Activities vary but all of them encourage children to explore and learn while having fun. All children must be accompanied by an adult.

Cost: £15 per child Go to www.wildernesswoman.wix.com/ jacky, or telephone 07516 269656 (Jacky Pearce) for more information.

PLYMOUTH MUSEUM IMAGINATION STATION

Sunday 24 April Themed hands on wildlife activities for all the family with the Wildlife Watch group at Burrator Reservoir with SWLT. £1 per person. Hot chocolate & biscuits provided!

10.30am-12.30pm – Please contact 01822 855700 or heritage@swlakestrust.org.uk

Each Wednesday during term time, 10.30am to 2.30pm Calling all rising fives and their adults - roll up, roll up to our ‘Imagination Station’ to discover, colour and play! This is a self-directed activity enables you to have fun meeting other rising fives as you share activities and play together in our galleries.

Free but donations welcome. Drop-in, no need to book.

COTHELE NANCY BELLE RIVER TRIPS

SHAKESPEARE 400: MUCH ADO ABOUT COLOURING

WILDLIFE ACTIVITIES

Friday 15th April Birmingham’s Royal Ballet introduction to this delightful ballet adaptation of Shakespeare’s comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream – especially made for children aged 3-7 years. An hour long interactive programme of storytelling, music and characters. Followed by a performance of excerpts from the ballet, from dancers and the orchestra. A feast of dance, music and costumes! www.theatreroyal.com

THE GRUFFALO’S CHILD

Tuesday 24 – Wednesday 25 May One wild and windy night the Gruffalo’s child ignores her father’s warning and tiptoes out into the snow. After all, the Big Bad Mouse doesn’t really exist… does he? Tall Stories Theatre Company returns, bringing Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s award winning sequel to life in this magical, musical adaptation.

For ages 3+ www.theatreroyal.com

32 dates between Friday 29 April and Saturday 23 April, 10am to 5pm Friday 9 September your 03/03/2016 hand at our Shakespeare and Tavy Links ad feb 2016 final.pdfTry 1 15:59 Board the Nancy Belle and head up river Drake-themed trail and colouring activities

Go wild in the trees on your birthday

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CM

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Book online @ www.treesurfers.co.uk See our new community website www.dartmoorlinks.co.uk

ages 4 - 12

Birthday Parties 19

CHARITY FOCUS

Parkinson’s UK Parkinson’s affects one person in every 500, or 127,000 people each year in the UK. Rosemary went to meet Mark Hoar, who was diagnosed at the age of 39 but is now a strong campaigner for Parkinson’s UK.

As Mark Hoar welcomes me in I find it difficult to believe he has Parkinson’s. He makes me a cup of tea with apparent ease - there is no sign of the hand tremor that can often be associated with Parkinson’s. Later on though, he shows me a video clip of his hands shaking uncontrollably and explains how he underwent brain surgery for a process called deep brain stimulation* which overrides the false signals sent out in his body and allows him to live a relatively normal life. After the operation he had to wait three months before the pulse generator was switched on; at the flick of a switch his hands stopped shaking instantly and he and his wife were both in tears as the impact of the ‘miraculous’ transformation sank in. And this is why Mark has become a passionate supporter for Parkinson’s UK and trained as a Volunteer Speaker and Ambassador so that he can share his life experience with others. He is one of only five volunteer speakers in the South West and presents a fascinating and compelling account of his experiences and the work of Parkinson’s UK to any group or society looking for a guest speaker with a very personal approach.

Parkinson’s affects one person in every 500 which means that a lot of people may not even know someone with the condition. However one in 500 equates to approximately 127,000 people in the UK, which is a sizeable number of people who struggle every day with the symptoms of Parkinson’s. Parkinson’s is a progressive neurological condition

caused when nerve cells in the brain die and an insufficient amount of the chemical dopamine is produced. Dopamine allows messages to be sent to the parts of the brain that co-ordinate movement. People affected can experience tremor, rigidity and slowness of movement, as well as many other symptoms, such as tiredness, pain, depression, memory loss and bowel problems. There are a several types of Parkinson’s and the symptoms vary, so individual experiences can be quite different. However there are two consistent facts: there is currently no cure for Parkinson’s and it is not yet known why people get the condition. This is where the research work of Parkinson’s UK is so vital in terms of understanding why the nerve cells die and what factors might be involved. Although the causes of certain types of parkinsonism have been

• Waxing • Tinting • F acials • Massage • Manicur e/Pedicur e • CND Shellac/Minx • Spray T an and Mor e t: 01822 854403 e: moorbeauty@hotmail.com T he Rock Complex, Yelver ton www.moor-beauty.com

20

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identified, the cause of Parkinson’s itself is still unknown and it is essential to know what causes certain nerve cells in the brain to die (in Parkinson’s) in order to find a cure.

Mark’s quality of life has improved dramatically as a result of surgery, but the same technique cannot benefit everyone with Parkinson’s. He also has ‘good days and bad days’ and still has to deal with exhaustion, memory loss and other symptoms which can be alleviated by drugs but not cured. Before his diagnosis of Parkinson’s, Mark had a very promising career in the Devon and Cornwall Police. However at the age of 39 early symptoms of the condition started to appear; when Parkinson’s eventually began to affect his role, the police force was extremely supportive and moved him to a new communications department, enabling him to continue working for another five years. However two years ago he realised he needed to make some life changes and took early retirement, enabling him to concentrate on helping to raise public awareness about the need for further research into Parkinson’s .... and persuade his wife they needed a dog!

Mark has raised thousands by abseiling down the side of Derriford Hospital and organising charity golf days with his friend Patrick Stewart, who also has Parkinson’s; the funds

have contributed to providing two dedicated Parkinson’s nurses at Derriford to help treat patients with this debilitating condition. However his dearest wish would be that the next generation could be spared from Parkinson’s altogether.

Mark would be delighted to be invited to community groups as a guest speaker to raise awareness about Parkinson’s or please contact him regarding fundraising events on behalf of Parkinson’s UK at mhoar@parkinsons.org.uk The Tavistock Parkinson’s Support Group meets at The Anchorage Centre, Chapel Street, Tavistock, Devon, PL19 8AG. If you would like to know more about Parkinson’s, make a donation or become a volunteer please visit www.parkinsons.org.uk *Deep brain stimulation involves implanting very fine wires into the brain. The wires have electrodes at their tips and are connected to a pulse generator (a device like a pacemaker), which is placed under the skin around the chest or stomach area. When the device is switched on, the electrodes deliver high frequency stimulation to the targeted area, overriding some of the electrical signals in the brain which cause Parkinson’s symptoms.

Wedding Fairs

The Bedford Hotel Sunday 10th April

Two Bridges Hotel Sunday 17th April

v Free Entry v Free fizz and canapés v Visit our superb wedding venues v 12 noon until 4pm v Meet a range of suppliers to help with your special day

v A chance to win a romantic dinner for two

The Bedford Hotel, 1 Plymouth Road, Tavistock, Devon, PL19 8BB. weddings@bedford-hotel.co.uk Tel: 01822 613221 www.bedford-hotel.co.uk

See our new community website www.dartmoorlinks.co.uk

Two Bridges Hotel, Princetown, Dartmoor, Devon, PL20 6SW. weddings@twobridges.co.uk Tel: 01822 892300 www.twobridges.co.uk 21

CHARITY SPONSORSHIP

Walking 2000 miles and raising £22,000 hear that they were preceded some 600 years by ships that regularly left Plymouth to take pilgrims to Ferrol. From there they would walk the five days it took to reach the tomb of the Apostle St James, whose remains, it is said, lie in a huge silver casket in a crypt under the alter of the cathedral at Santiago de Compostela. A scallop shell is the symbol carried by both ancient and modern pilgrims and a large gold painted version can be found on the wall of the car park in Lambhay Hill to commemorate Plymouth’s part in these voyages.

Now fast forward to Union Street 1898, when the Palace Theatre was opened. The façade then looked much as it does today including the two decorative panels above the main entrance, one depicting the Spanish Armada leaving Ferrol on route to invade England, and the other depicting its defeat.

Over the past few years Roger Mechan (aged 69), from Dousland, has walked 2000 miles along Europe’s pilgrim routes to raise funds for both Help for Heroes and St Luke’s Hospice.

Roger is a retired Policeman from Plymouth and to date has raised a combined total in excess of £22000, toward his target of £25,000. Next month and into June, Roger will add a further 500 miles to his log book by walking the coastal path that stretches from Bilbao to the Atlantic coast at Cabo Fisterra in Northern Spain, passing through the pilgrim city of Santiago de Compostela where it is said the remains of the apostle St James have been laid to rest.

After retirement Roger took up travel writing and photography, but soon needed to fill more of his spare time. Wanting to take up a ‘relatively easy task’, his wife suggested he take himself off for a walk – she probably wasn’t thinking it would take six weeks! Not to be deterred by a knee operation after his first epic journey, Roger is now in his fourth year of walking having previously completed three of the Camino pilgrim routes. Roger chose these pilgrim routes due to the ease of navigation (Roger says he’s never used a map as the routes are clearly defined with markers) and the gentleness of the gradient.

Sandwiched in between these two events are the antics of Queen Elizabeth and Tavistock’s favourite son, Sir Frances Drake. In 1587 Drake laid siege to Corunna and so afraid were the church authorities in Santiago de Compostela that the remains of St James were at risk of being pillaged by him that they hid them. In fact, they hid them so well that for three hundred years they couldn’t find them, which led to a rapid falling off in pilgrims to the cathedral. ‘ When I asked Roger if he has or would like to undertake any challenges in the UK, he replied that he’d consider doing Lands End to John O’Groats but only when he is 75. Why only at 75?

Because the oldest person to walk it, to date, was 74. I sense Roger is just a tad competitive!

Roger funds all his treks himself, with every penny of donations going completely to the charities concerned. So If you want to help him reach his £25000 target you can donate on-line for St Luke’s at www.justgiving.com/stlukespilgrim and for Help for Heroes at www.justgiving.com/thepilgrim Both sites provide links to blogs and videos of his previous treks which are well worth a look!

Lizzie Watt

This fourth trip will see Roger pass alongside the Picos de Europa Mountains and hugging the coast of the Bay of Biscay before spilling out into the Atlantic. The 35 day journey will take him near the ports of Ferrol and Corunna on the northwest tip of Galicia, places that have fascinating historical ties with our local area, as Roger explains.

‘If you thought Brittany Ferries were the first ships to take paying passengers to Spain then you may be surprised to 22

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CHARITY SPONSORSHIP

Project Borneo and the Adventure of a Lifetime Five local boys are going on the adventure of a lifetime to do something amazing for themselves whilst making a profound and lasting impact on disadvantaged local communities and wildlife on the island of Borneo.

Yelverton lads Archie Allen, Jake Houlberg and Christian Wilson, together with their Tavistock College school friends Ben Anning and Tom Roberts have signed up to join a school expedition organised by award-winning Camps International during the summer of 2017, to Borneo.

They would be most grateful for any, and all, contributions the local community could make towards their fundraising. For further information, please visit their website: www.project-Borneo.weebly.com and donate online on: www.gofundme.com/2qzsz7es.

The boys will be spending 4 weeks on the island and live and work alongside local people. Core objectives of this expedition are: • Improvement of educational infrastructure and living standards of a rural community within the Sabah region of Borneo.

• Assistance with environmental conservation programmes along the Kinabatangan River: including seed collection, tree planting and wildlife monitoring.

• Development of key life skills, cultural understanding and a global perspective for an increasingly international 21st century.

All funds for the expedition will have to be raised by the lads themselves, so fundraising is becoming part of their life for the next year and a half. They have made a cracking start with a bag packing day at Tesco, Tavistock just before Valentine’s Day. February half term was spent crafting and making edible little gifts to sell at fairs and they are planning to cycle the same distance as the length of the Borneo coastline, on static bikes in front of local supermarkets in the coming months.

Running the LONDON MARATHON in memory of Aimee I will be running the London Marathon on Sunday 24th April, for the Meningitis Research Foundation in memory of my daughter Aimee. Aimee was 9 months old when she contracted, and sadly died of Meningoccal Septicaemia.

Running the London Marathon will not only help raise much needed funds for the Research Foundation but I am especially hoping to raise awareness of a deadly new strain of the meningococcal bacteria which strikes young adults - raising awareness to both parents and those heading off to University.

See our new community website www.dartmoorlinks.co.uk

Loosing Aimee as a baby was devastating but I can’t imagine the loss of a child as a young adult.

Any donations would be greatly appreciated and make the 26.1 miles all worthwhile.Please donate to my just giving page www.justgiving.com/amandawarnett.

Many thanks for all your support Mandy Warnett, (Owner, Tavistock Bathrooms & Tiles) 23

HEALTH & BEAUTY

Is too much screen time harming our children?

On average children in the UK spend 6 ½ hours a day in front of a screen. How does screen time affect our children’s health?

Kerry Ward ITEC. MAR

Reflexology & Holistic Massage Therapist

On average children in the UK spend 6 1/2 hours a day in front of a screen.

Teenage boys spend the most time, on average 8 hours a day (compared with 3 1/2 hours in 1995). Younger children fare slightly better: in 1995, 5 to 10 year olds averaged around 2 1/2 hours of TV. Fast forward to 2014 and their screen time has risen to 4 1/2 hours. The type of screen has changed too over this period: in 1995 TV was the main source, but this has now been overtaken by the internet viewed via mobiles, tablets and computers and games consoles.

By the age of seven the average child will have spent a full year of 24-hour days watching recreational screen media. Over the course of childhood, children spend more time watching TV than they spend in school.

So does this matter?

Fourward Health t. 01822 855331 m. 07795 057397 www.fourwardhealth.co.uk /fourwardhealth

Well yes, too much screen time can make it hard for children to sleep at night, increase their risk of attention problems, anxiety and depression and put them at significant risk of obesity.

Screen time can lead to obesity for a number of reasons; sitting and watching

a screen is time not spent being physically active. TV commercials can lead to unhealthy food choices. Mostly, the foods in adverts that are aimed at children are high in sugar, salt or fats.

And children eat more when they are watching TV especially if they see ads for food.

In 2015 Cambridge University researchers recorded the activities of more than 800 14-year-olds and analysed their GCSE results at 16. Those spending an extra hour a day on screens (TV, computer, games console, phone) saw a fall in GCSE results equivalent to two grades overall: on average, the 14-year-olds said they spent four hours of their leisure time each day watching TV or in front of a computer. An additional hour of screen-time each day was associated with 9.3 fewer GCSE points at 16, the equivalent of dropping a grade in two subjects. Two extra hours of screen-time was associated with 18 fewer points, or dropping a grade in four subjects. Even if pupils spent more time studying, more time spent watching TV or online, still harmed their results, the analysis suggested.

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could be discounted.

Parents should be able to decide if these strictures are too harsh, and allow some flexibility, but not caring at all about the amount of time your children spend in front of screens may be harmful.

So how much screen time should we allow?

The simple answer is ‘not much’. None for children under two. The experts suggest that babies and toddlers are kept away from all screens. Children aged 2-5 years should have no more than an hour a day and children aged 5-18 years should have no more than two hours a day. That’s a tough call for teenagers, especially with homework often requiring computer time. But the real danger is non-educational, leisure screen time, so homework screen time KEUNE

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Experts advise that teenagers should have a “screen-free” hour before bedtime, after new evidence suggested too much exposure to TVs, smartphones, tablets and computers can affect their sleeping patterns: in a study of 10,000 16 to 19-year-olds, researchers in Norway found that the longer a young person spent looking at an electronic screen before going

to bed, the worse quality sleep they were likely to have. They also found that excessive screen time (more than 4 hours a day) was linked to anxiety and depression and was responsible for limiting a child’s opportunity for social interaction and physical activity, both of which are key factors in reducing childhood distress.

G I F T PA C K

Researchers also suggest that screen viewing early in life is likely to lead to long periods of viewing later on. The way screens are viewed when young forms habits that can persist in the long term. An early taste for entertainment screen media can lead to changes in the brain. Like other addictions, screen time creates significant changes in certain chemicals in the brain: dopamine is produced when we see something that is interesting or new. It is also the chemical involved in most addictions – it’s the reward chemical.There are concerns among some scientists that producing dopamine every single day for many years, through for example playing computer games, may change the reward circuitry in a child’s brain and make them more dependent on screen media. Additionally, although children who are heavy users of electronics may become adept at multitasking, they loose the ability to focus on what is most important, a trait critical to the deep thought and problem solving needed in life.

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25

GARDENING

Spring

evergreens Spring is the ideal season to plant evergreens, both from the point of view of being the best time for plants to settle in, and because any winter-bare spots are still clearly visible.

After trees, I look upon larger structural evergreens as being the most important plants in a garden: creating colour, form and interest right through the year, coming into their own during winter and providing a backdrop to seasonal flowering and foliage plants from spring to autumn. Some are naturally architectural, with bold foliage or a striking shape, like New Zealand flax (Phormium), Yucca, castor oil plant (Fatsia) and many conifers – I’m particularly fond of smaller varieties of pine, and slender upright junipers. Others can have architecture imposed upon them with trimming and shaping: plants that respond well to this include bay, box, Lonicera nitida, pittosporum and yew. For the most part, evergreen shrubs are generally slower-growing than deciduous ones so it can be well worth ‘buying time’ and purchasing readygrown larger specimens for that instant transformation – even one or two will make all the difference. Do choose your plants with care, though, and make sure they’re sufficiently hardy for your site: while there are some splendidly good value Mediterranean-type plants (such as palms and olives) available in large specimen sizes locally, they won’t be a bargain if the next hard winter kills them off!

In between the evergreens, plants like perennials and grasses look wonderful planted in groups or drifts – threes, fives, even sevens – for a natural appearance. There’s still just time to make more of your plants for free, by dividing established clumps of herbaceous perennials (not those which are in flower already, though) and ornamental grasses.

Deciduous grasses can be cut back to just above the ground first if you haven’t done so already, but grasses that are evergreen, such as Stipa species and many Carex, shouldn’t

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SEASONAL JOBS -

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Plant seed potatoes. Even in a tiny garden it’s worth planting a few Earlies in large pots, potato barrels or bags, to enjoy delicious ‘new’ potatoes in early summer.

Enriching soil with potato fertilizer really boosts crop size.

Stake tall-growing perennials such as delphinium, sweet rocket and cone flower, so plants grow through and conceal their supports.

Feed lawns with a slow release fertilizer.

Make regular sowings of quick-growing veg, especially salads.

On large glass doors and windows which can be deathtraps to young birds learning to fly, fix bird silhouette stickers. These can be bought, or simply search the internet for “printable bird silhouette”; print and cut out; and fix to glass.

be cut back – instead, ‘comb’ through the clump using a rake or your fingers, to pull out dead leaves and stems. To divide, dig up good-sized clumps of plant and separate into pieces, each with plenty of roots and shoot buds, then refresh the ground with compost and slow-release fertilizer before replanting the divisions at the same depth they were growing previously. Firm the soil well and water thoroughly.

They should soon establish and create a really good show even in the coming year.

Looking good now...

Clematis alpine and C. armandii Magnolias Perennials including Bergenia, Epimedium, Euphorbia, Hellebores and Pulmonaria.

Spring bulbs such as later-blooming varieties of narcissi and tulips.

Sue Fisher is a garden designer and writer based on the Bere Peninsula.

Tel 01822 841895.

Email: suefisher@talktalk.net Website: www.suefishergardens.co.uk

See our new community website www.dartmoorlinks.co.uk

27

Design and Installation Waterfalls and Streams Planting and Stocking Water Features Renovation Leak Repair

Dartmoor Pond Services Ellis Taylor

Tel: 01822 852699 M: 07836 576722 www.dartmoorpondservices.co.uk

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GARDENING

Vegetable garden or Potager?

They are in fact one and the same. Potager is French for kitchen garden, derived from the word Potage, meaning soup.

Growing vegetables doesn’t have to be strict rows of wellbehaved vegetables all standing to attention. It can be a riot of colour and texture combining edible flowers, companion planting and flowers to attract pollinators. Biodiversity in the garden is the key to successful fruit and vegetable growing. Plants need pollinators and pollinators need nectar. Wildlife in the garden can help keep nasty pests at bay too.

Designing a potager is more achievable than you might think.

In order for it to work it needs to be functional as well as beautiful. Size is not necessarily a limitation as long as you can achieve four beds in order to rotate your crops annually. This is a vital system as all vegetables have differing requirements of nutrients and some even provide nutrients for others. Legumes (peas and beans) fix nitrogen in the soil, which leafy vegetables will benefit from the following year – natures own fertiliser.

Consider also its position. Your potager needs to be quite close to the kitchen, so you can nip out and quickly harvest those edible flowers, salads and herbs to complete the dish! Also make sure it is accessible for watering, as in the height of summer you’ll be glad that the water butt is close by.

Raised beds, path surfaces, compost bins, wheel barrows – the list goes on. More to follow on these in the future.

‘Growing your own’ is an ever increasing pastime for the novice or the well versed grower, as we increasingly want to know and trust the food we eat. In addition, the process from seed to harvest is a very rewarding one and it will be the best you’ve ever tasted !

Suzy Kraike www.elm.coop suzy@elm.coop

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For information or a quote call Suzy Kraike 07779 343570 01822 834357 suzy@elm.coop www.elm.coop 29

GARDENING

Helping celebrate the work of a true icon of garden design The Garden House is looking forward to a particularly special season this year as it prepares to join in a landmark birthday celebration for one of the most famous names in garden design.

Visit England has designated 2016 as the Year of the English Garden to mark the 300th anniversary of the birth of Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown, renowned for designing some of the country’s greatest landscapes, including Ugbrooke and Mamhead in Devon.

It represents a wonderful opportunity for The Garden House at Buckland Monachorum to raise its profile to as wide an audience as possible - and promote its popular 10 acre English Garden gem that is home to more than 6,000 plant varieties.

There are a number of new developments at the garden to coincide with the celebrations, led by a new planting project in the eye catching Ovals, a particular talking point for visitors with its distinctive curved design.

Ever changing...

Always enchanting

Buckland Monachorum, Yelverton, Devon PL20 7LQ www.thegardenhouse.org.uk

01822 854769 30

Head Gardener Nick Haworth has taken inspiration for the plant combination from one of his predecessors Keith Wiley, who is credited with transforming the majority of the garden site during his 25 year tenure as Head Gardener in the 1980s.

The Ovals will combine yellow and blue colours with a background of Meconopsis cambrica, (Welsh Poppy) Saxifraga ‘Dentata’ and Mitella breweri, while a central ‘stream’ will be picked out

in Corydalis ‘Tory M.P.’ The display is completed with accent planting of purple/ bronze or variegated foliage plants, such as Heucheras and Carex.

“I have always been a great admirer of Keith’s naturalistic approach to garden design and I wanted to capture the essence of his original planting in the Ovals in this new project,” said Nick.

There are a number of other new developments for visitors to look out for this year when the garden opens its doors to the public on Friday 4th March. The area around the garden’s iconic dovecote, inaccessible for a number of years.

More path widening has been carried out too, providing further, improved access to key areas of the garden for those visitors in wheelchairs.

A new path better links the long walk at the Quarry Garden with the Acer Glade, one of the garden’s most iconic views when it is transformed into a kaleidoscope of autumnal colours comes late October, early November. www.thegardenhouse.org.uk

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NATURALIST

‘The most important spring landscape flower in britain’* Over the next few months we can look forward to one of the great treats that the natural floral world has to offer, tall plants that provide a continuous display of flowers lining the verges of many of our well used local highways, an effect that many gardeners spend years to perfect. I wonder why these particular wild flowers are so often under -rated, regularly overlooked and in some locations actively discouraged.

Maybe it is because they are uniformly white and each flower only a few millimetres across. There are hundreds of these florets on each umbrella-shaped head or umbel borne on stems that often exceed a metre in height, many stems to a plant, repeated for mile after mile to create a spectacular display. I love the overall effect of these filmy white clouds set against the bright green foliage of the hedgerow behind. Welcome to the botanical family Umbelliferae, or umbels as they are more conveniently known! The species with the most commonly known name is the hedge or cow parsley, although I think that the more elegant ‘Queen Anne’s Lace’ gives a more apt description of its appearance en masse. They are fairly robust plants, appearing first as a rosette of leaves that do indeed resemble (in appearance only) those of the culinary flat-leaved parsley. The flowering stems grow rapidly when day-length and temperature reach the appropriate levels and burst into flower in a matter of a few weeks in late spring.

Two other species of umbels succeed Anthemis sylvestris (Queen Anne’s Lace); these are rough chervil, Chaerophyllum temulum in early summer and hogweed, Heracleum sphondylium later in the season. Ofcourse you don’t need to know the botanical names to appreciate this succession, perhaps just take the time to observe the changes over the next few months.

The Latin botanical names just make identification easier; in different parts of the country they were often given a local name, often quite strange-sounding such as badman’s oatmeal, grandpa’s pepper or stepmother!

See our new community website www.dartmoorlinks.co.uk

Now that roadside spraying of herbicides has largely stopped there is still one threat to these plants - annual cutting of the verges which has to be carried out in the interest of road safety.

But if the cutting is carried out later in the season after the seeds of the roadside species have been allowed to mature there will be plenty of plants in subsequent years. One year a wonderful display of Queen Anne’s Lace (on the Gulworthy to Bere Alston road) was devastated by an early cut and it took several seasons to return to its former glory. I believe that more care appears to have been taken in recent years helping the survival of many smaller and less common plant species and ofcourse the bees and other insects which feed on them.

Once you start to notice the many species of umbels you will see them in a wide variety of habitats. But beware, to the untrained eye many look very similar and it may take a skilled botanist to provide a positive identification. Some are the wild relatives of well known vegetables or culinary herbs such as carrot, parsnip and fennel. In spring the yellow flowers of alexanders may have caught your eye growing in abundant clumps in hedges or by the side of roads. And many gardeners will recognise the hogweed with its long tap root and its pig-like smell and they may also know that its sap can cause nasty skin blisters particularly in warm weather. Hemlock water dropwort which grows in wet habitats such as ditches and around ponds has been mistaken for celery but is in fact very poisonous. Another umbel which should definitely be avoided and infamously is said to be responsible for the death of Socrates is the deadly hemlock but it is easily distinguished by the purple blotches on its stems and in any case it is quite rare.

I hope I have given you a glimpse of this fascinating and useful but often overlooked group of plants many of which can be found growing here in West Devon and the Tamar Valley. * (from Richard Mabey in ‘Flora Britannica’) Pete Mayston 31

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FARMING DIARY

Lambs and calves...and hangovers!

Spring rolls into Summer at Greenwell Farm Although the ewes started lambing in the middle of March we deliberately stagger the start of each flock to spread the lambing period over a longer more manageable period of time. The ewe’s oestrus cycle is only 17 days so if the rams have done their job and got them all in lamb in one cycle, lambing comes and goes pretty quickly, hence why we stagger it. This spreads the workload but also spreads the risk. Late March and April can deliver lovely spring weather; it can also be pretty brutal. The old sayings about weather have their roots in truth with March being “In like a Lion out like a Lamb, in like a Lamb out like a Lion” and those “April showers” on Dartmoor can suck the heat out of a lamb if it doesn’t have feed in its belly and plenty of shelter. The wet and cold is what we dread and some days when we are lambing outside it can be pretty demoralising. But as I said last time, you just have to get the ewes in good condition, put them in as much shelter as you can and then trust nature to do the rest. There are always a few bad days but lambing for us is spread over a six week period so it will usually average out.

The cows will start to calf in April and like the lambs it is always lovely to see fresh calves clumsily following their mother across the field. Lambing is hard work but with the cows everything is scaled up and the stakes are a lot higher. Like the sheep we tend to let nature run its course and most cows get on with it on their own. The difference with a cow is that instead of feeding her up before she calves you actually try and keep her lean and fit before birth. If the cow looks too well she will grow her calf too big and this can produce problems at birth. So again we walk a tight rope, cows have to be able to grow a fit healthy calf and be able to give birth and feed it. But too much good living and you risk the whole lot.

As they calf they are turned out of the sheds onto the fields.

The young cattle also go out as soon as there is enough grass.

It is always a welcome sight to see young animals that have been housed for the winter turned into a field for the first time in spring. They gallop around and jump about, playing like baby lambs. Then they remember how good fresh spring grass tastes and they eat their heads off, shed their winter coat and hopefully thrive.

March and April are always long months and as a farmer you can lose track of the days in this very busy time of new life. But a week is a long time in the spring and as quick as this hectic period comes, suddenly in late April early May the weather improves, there is new life everywhere, all the animals are in the fields, the workload drops and you can breathe again. We can now see the wood for the trees; there are healthy ewes and lambs in every field dotted around like mushrooms; the grass is finally catching up and the livestock are content. Finally we can say goodbye to winter and hello summer.

Devon County Show is always in late May and it is a great time for farmers to get together. I have shown Whiteface Dartmoor sheep at the show for 28 years and have had some great times.

We are a competitive bunch and we may appear laid back but it is actually a very serious business. It is a great shop window for our livestock and a great opportunity to make new contacts.

Once the showing is done however, everyone relaxes and attention turns to getting a drink out of the winner and enjoying the three day show. It is a great line in the sand for most farmers between the long winter and summer and after trading a few war stories over a glass of ale or whisky you realise your disasters aren’t actually that bad and once you return home with a hangover, summer has hopefully arrived!

Mat Cole, Greenwell Farm

Drake’s Auctions Tavistock

Sales are held at Parade Business Park, Tavistock, fortnightly on Mondays.

Viewings held from 12 - 5pm on the Sunday preceding sale.

See our website for the full auction calendar.

Antiques • Collectables • Jewellery • Quality Furniture • Household Appliances • Garden Furniture • Tools & Machinery We offer house clearance and valuation services, and take in goods at our office, every Monday to Thursday 9.30am - 4pm and Saturday 9am - 12 noon.

For more information call us on: 01822 616992

www.drakesauctions.co.uk Unit 6 Parade Business Park, Pixon Lane, Tavistock PL19 9RQ

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33

WHAT’S ON

REGULAR The Plough and Share Credit Union

Is open every Wednesday between 11.00am and 1.00pm in the Princetown Community Centre. You can save as little as £1.00 a time. Regular savers can obtain loans for 2% or less. Call into the Centre for more information.

Tamar & Tavy Gig Club

Traditional Pilot Gig rowing on the beautiful Tamar river, sessions available for all abilities. To join us for a free taster session please contact rowing captain Katie: mrskatieturner@yahoo.co.uk, or see our current session timetable at facebook. com/tamartavygig.

Homes and Gardens in Cotehele Gallery

Daily (to June) 11am-5pm Exhibition featuring homemade furniture, bird baths and sculpture for your garden.

Normal admission applies.

APRIL Tuesday 5 April

Costume Day

NT Buckland Abbey. Jump into Buckland’s time machine as our resident costume group open up their wardrobes giving you the opportunity to dress like a Tudor outfits available for all. Normal admission charges apply. 11.30am-3.30pm Thursday 7 April

Darling Gowns bridal studio is situated in Yelverton Rock Complex, opposite The Rock Inn, in a relaxed private studio setting.

Private appointments are offered to view our unique bridal collection from worldwide designers.

To make an appointment call 01822 853132 or email darlinggowns@gmail.com www.darlingweddingdresses.com

Kids Go Wild in the Trees Adventure Day

Get the kids out and about to try a real adventure high up in the tree tops. Hang around in the great outdoors with our dedicated instructors for a day of fun with Tree Surfers at The Tamar Trails Centre.

Offering a combination of the best Tree Surfers have to offer, activities include Tree Surfing, Tree Climbing, The Big Zip,

The Leap of Faith and other high wire activities.

Price: £35 per child. Suitable for: Ages 8 upwards 9.30am to 4.30pm Booking Essential: 01822 833409 or email info@tamartrails.co.uk Wednesday 6 April

Family felt

NT Buckland Abbey. Join local wool artist Claire Packer for a fun family friendly spring themed felt workshop. Normal admission plus £3 per person. 11am – 4pm Thursday 7 April

C.S. Retirement Fellowship, Princetown

Come along for a friendly chat in the Prince of Wales, Princetown at 12.30am.

Bookings will be taken for the Queen’s Birthday Celebratory Lunch later in the month. Our Guest Speaker today will be Ian Bertie from the Dartmoor Search and Rescue Team based in Tavistock.

Saturday 9 April

Horrabridge Twinning Association

Annual Quiz starting at 7pm prompt in the Horrabridge Community School Hall.

Teams of 8 maximum - entry £2 a head.

Bring your own refreshments. Proceed in aid of Twinning Funds. Further details contact Jan Cooper 852482 or Roy Young 859020,

Piano Tuition

• 15 years experience • One-to-one to all ages and abilities • Music theory up to Grade 5 • 2 pianos and full resource library Good technique through enjoyable repertoire is the key to success.

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Eleanor Jones DipABRSM 6 Glanville Road, Tavistock PL19 0EA 01822 616 704 / 07850 683 383 www.tavistockpianoteacher.com

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WHAT’S ON Saturday 9 April

Thursday 14 April

Tuesday 19 April

Tamar & Tavy Gig Club – Table Top Sale

Moors Edge U3A

Yelverton & District Local History Society

Books, clothing, bric-a-brac plus tea and cake! All proceeds go towards Tamar & Tavy Gig Club and keeping our club running and racing. Come down and talk to us if you have any questions about joining the club. St Paul’s Church, Yelverton Sunday 10 April

Tavy13

The sixth running of Tavistock’s very own half marathon & kids fun run! Beautiful scenery on the western fringes of Dartmoor (with a four mile downhill run in to the town). Entry fees from an incredible £9. Enter or find out more at www.tavy13. co.uk Sunday 10 April

Conservation day

Practical conservation volunteer day at Burrator Reservoir with SWLT. Hot drinks and biscuits provided! 10.30am. Please contact 01822 855700 or heritage@ swlakestrust.org.uk.

Tuesday 12 April

Water – A history

‘Elizabethan source, 21st Century treatment’. A look into the past and future of Plymouth’s precious drinking water supply’ by Chris Rockey, Science and Water Quality Manager, South West Water. 7pm arrival for refreshments, 7.30pm-8.30pm talk. £3 per person which will be donated to Water Aid. Please book your place in advance on 01822 855700 or heritage@swlakestrust.org.uk

Speaker on St Lukes Open Gardens All meetings are held at the Woolwell Centre starting at 2.30pm Friday 15 April

The Santa Rosa Fund Annual Quiz.

Our quiz with a difference that has become somewhat of an institution with our supporters will be held at Whitchurch Community Hall.

Doors open at 7.00 for a 7.30 start.

Everybody welcome, please phone Pat on 01822 840297 for booking and more details.

Saturday 16 & Sunday 17 April

Stylish Lifestyle Show

The house and grounds of Pentillie Castle will be transformed by Miss Ivy and her team, with an array of stylish lifestyle exhibitors displaying unique products and services alongside talks, demonstrations and entertainment. A marquee will be filled with more exhibitors, live music and a variety of local food stalls. Another popular ‘Miss Ivy’ event. Pentillie Castle 10.30am – 4.30pm www.stylishshows.co.uk for further details and how to book tickets.

“Devon Great Consols – a new History” talk by Rick Stewart Meavy Parish Hall 7.30pm Tuesday 19 April

Cooking the master’s dinner

Buckland Abbey. See the cooks prepare for the master’s dinner in the Abbey kitchen. Normal admission charges. 1-2pm

Jewellery Repairs Antique restoration Bespoke design & commission Ring sizing Re-shanks & remounts Stones supplied & fitted Restringing Valuations General repairs

Monday 18 to Friday 29 April

Photographic Exhibition – ‘Hidden Valley’

10am – 4pm Venue: Tamar Valley Centre All welcome, collection to help defray costs (Official opening 6pm on Monday 18th April – all welcome)

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WHAT’S ON 10am to 4pm in Gallery 26 of the Bedford Hotel

Thursday 21 April

Queen Elizabeth Birthday Lunch

Why not join Princetown Retirement Fellowship Group, for a lunch celebration of our Queen’s Birthday. Coach transport will be provided with pick up points at Tavistock, Yelverton, Princetown and anywhere in between. The venue is a closely guarded secret but be assured it will be a select hostelry. Booking is essential - Call Mike on 01822-890799 for reservations.

Saturday 23 April

All things Mods, Minis & Mopeds

A celebration of the Swinging 60’s with over 60 Vintage, Retro & Artisan exhibitors, live music with Little Miss Mojo, Oh so 60’s fashion show, minis & scooters, beauty parlour, best dressed competition and tearoom. Entry £2.50 (under 12’s free) The Guildhall, Plymouth 10:30 - 4:30pm www.missivyevents.co.uk

Friday 22 April Sunday 24 April

The Filling Station, Yelverton

Guided Walk – Burrator’s abandoned Farms

An informal way of expressing the Christian faith at monthly meetings.

‘Royal Identity’ – John Swanston, Yelverton Golf Club, Golf Links Road, Yelverton 7.30pm – Refreshments, a spiritually uplifting environment and a friendly welcome guaranteed.

Exploring some of the abandoned farms around Burrator’. A short guided walk by Paul Rendell. £3 per person. 2pm-4pm Please book a place in advance on 01822 855700 or heritage@swlakestrust.org.uk 29 April

Saturday and Sunday 23 & 24 April

An Exhibition of West Country Artists 2016

Nancy Belle River Trips Cotehele

Now in its 4th year the exhibition aims to present work in a wide variety of styles from around 25 carefully selected artists with a west country link. In previous years Ken Howard has exhibited and this year we will be showing work from Karen Laurence-Rowe (David Shepherd Wildlife Artist of the Year in 2012), Roz Pierson (President of the Royal Society of Miniature Painters, Sculptors and Gravers), Mary Gillett, Ley Roberts, Michael Hill and many others.

(Also 2, 13, 16, 30, 31 May) Board the Nancy Belle and head up river under the Calstock viaduct for this two hour trip - to learn about the Tamar Valley.

Call 01579 351346 for times and to book, £15.

Saturday 30 April

Importance of Being Earnest - Clearbrook The Pantaloons present The Importance of Being Earnest on Saturday 30th April at 7.30 p.m. at Clearbrook Village Hall.

Princetown Community Centre AVAILABLE FOR HIRE.

The Centre provides a choice of large or small halls to suit your requirements.

Also available for hire is a large kitchen and changing rooms with showers.

Ideal for those special events or for regular weekly or monthly events.

Tickets are £12.50 for adults, £8.00 children or £35.00 for a family of 4.

Contact Sue and Cliff for tickets on 01822 854692 Their last show proved very popular so book your tickets early to see this talented and exciting group of actors !

There will be a bar on the evening.

MAY Monday 2 May

Moor things Vintage & Lovely Spring Garden Fete,

Moorland Garden Hotel, Yelverton Over 45 Vintage & Artisan exhibitors, live music with Louise Parker, workshops, children’s entertainment, bbq and lots more. Entry £2.00 (under 5’s free) 10:30 - 4:00pm . www.missivyevents.co.uk Friday 6 May

Plymouth Area Police Choir

Come along to Rock Methodist Church, Yelverton to hear the Plymouth Area Police Choir performing a wide variety of songs. 7.30pm £6 entrance on the door.

Refreshments available during the interval.

All Welcome.

Sunday 8 May

Bluebells at Foxhams

Woodland walk and bluebells at Foxhams House, Bedford Road, Horrabridge by kind permission of Keat Cawrse.

2.30 – 5pm Cream teas, cakes, tea/coffee, raffle. £2 entry per person. Proceeds in aid of Friends of St John’s Church For further info contact: Carolyn 01822 852385

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editorial@moorlinks.co.uk

D

TWO MONTHS OF MUSIC, ART AND LITERARY EVENTS IN DEVON’S TOP AWARD-WINNING MARKET TOWN

MUSIC LITERATURE

ART DRAMA

LECTURES

The Tavistock Festival is pleased to be working in partnership with:

Moor Links Tavy Links In association with the: Dante Summer Festival - 11th to 15th July - www.dantequartet.org Landulph Festival of Music and the Arts - 30th September to 16th October - www.landulphfestival.co.uk

APRIL - MAY 2016 www.tavistockmusic.co.uk

INTRODUCING THIS YEAR’S FESTIVAL: Chairman, Christopher Kirwin Welcome to our 14th Tavistock Festival! The 2016 Tavistock Festival (continuing to trade as the Tavistock Music & Arts Festival Ltd), again will sing the praises of all that our award winning market town has to offer. In recent years Tavistock has been voted Best Market Town in Britain and Best Food Town in the South West and with its charming country atmosphere, a thriving pannier market and many exceptional independent specialist shops, the Tavistock Festival is a wonderful annual addition for locals and visitors alike.

In this, its fourteenth year, the Festival is spread over two months - again a music, arts and literary festival – with art exhibitions and workshops, dramatic performances, literary and music workshops, poetry readings and lectures, in addition to the many varied musical events presenting a broad spectrum of musical styles.

Adam Hart-Davis has now stepped down as President to become our second Life Vice President.

We are delighted that Andrew Wilson, local conductor and renowned composer, has taken up the presidential role.

Barry Gamble will give the tenth Russell Lecture introducing the Celebration of the Tinworking Landscape of Dartmoor in its European Context event. This event will take place in Tavistock from 6th to 11th May. We welcome once again, Professor Jeremy Black, Professor of History at the University of Exeter, who will give the fifth Drake Lecture on ‘The Politics of James Bond’, where he will take James Bond from the Cold War and the world of the Bond novels to the world of film and the modern age.

We are delighted that Wurlitza, who specialise in playing live soundtracks to silent films, are returning to Tavistock to show ‘Sunrise’ with Janet Gaynor,

www.tavistockmusic.co.uk

winner of one of the first Oscars. The Miracle Theatre return to show their film of ‘Tin’ with Jenny Agutter, Benjamin Luxon and Dudley Sutton.

Tavistock’s Tavonians Theatre Company will be presenting (in various venues), their superb production of ‘My Boy Jack’ by David Haig, which tells the poignant story of Rudyard Kipling and his grief for his son John, who died in the First World War. On World Dance Day, the Chamber Ensemble of London will give a dance based programme with accompanying dancer, and Viktor Bijelovic will once again return for this year’s Gala Supper.

A major addition to our programming both during the Festival, but also throughout the year as part of the activity of the Friends of the Festival, is our work in association with the Wharf Arts Centre, in the promotion of Live Performance Broadcasts of ballet, music, opera and theatre from venues such as The Royal Opera House and the Bolshoi theatre; we are very keen to persuade all of our Patrons to support these events - a wonderful way to access live theatre.

2016 sees us receiving invaluable, both old and new, support from our own Friends of the Tavistock Festival, as well as the Bedford Hotel, Olijam Communications Ltd (Tavy Links and Moor Links magazines), Alistair Kinsey, Hansford Bell, Eldred’s, Miller Town & Country, GWR, the Wharf Arts Centre and Mount Kelly Foundation, to all of whom we are most grateful. We would also like to say thank you for the support of all our regular and a number of welcome new, individual event sponsors. We are also glad to receive support from the art galleries involved in the arts element of the Festival and the Town Crier, David Turner.

I look forward to seeing you, often, I hope, during the Festival.

01822 859477 or bridgemoorhouse@gmail.com

TAVISTOCK SINGS! ‘….. come to hear, see and experience the most beautiful things at Devon’s most vibrant and welcoming Arts Festival.’

Andrew Wilson, Festival President

The composer, Andrew Wilson, has lived and worked in Tavistock for a quarter of a century. For many years, he was the Director of Music at Kelly College. His association with the Tavistock Festival goes back to its earliest days and he has written a series of twelve hugely popular cantatas for massed choirs to sing at the ‘Tavistock Sings’ concerts.

Director of Studies of the National College of Music, one of the four London-based examining music grade colleges.

Visit www.andrew-m-wilson.com

He has won numerous international awards for his compositions (for details see website), which have been widely recorded and performed all over the world from Australia to New York to London’s Royal Albert Hall. This year sees the premiere of his children’s operetta ‘The Green Children’, which is also to be filmed for Anglia Television.

He composes in his Tavistock garden shed, overlooking the Tavy Valley, but also finds time to be Director of Music at Okehampton Parish Church and

FRIENDS OF THE FESTIVAL PASS TICKET This year, we are offering members of the Friends of the Festival the chance to buy a Festival Pass; one of these will enable you to obtain a discount on the price you pay for your tickets – minimum cost of Friends Membership is £20.

BRONZE pass

£50

SILVER pass

£100 discount due £30

discount due £10

GOLD pass

£200 discount due £75

PLATINUM pass

by arrangement

Depending on the class of Pass you purchase, you will qualify for varying discounts on your tickets – these tickets will need to be purchased direct from the Chairman; any sum not used by the end of the Festival will be viewed as a donation to the Friends.

Please contact Christopher Kirwin on 01822 859477 or bridgemoorhouse@gmail.com for Friends membership application form and relevant pass request (cheques payable to Tavistock Festival Bridgemoor House, Yelverton, PL20 6EA)

The Wharf Box Office - 01822 611166 enquiries@tavistockwharf.com

The Wharf Box Office - 01822 611166 enquiries@tavistockwharf .com

FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS

FRIDAY 1ST APRIL

Formal Opening of the Festival by the President, Andrew Wilson.

12 noon - The Terrace Restaurant - by Private Invitation

MUSIC

A variety of concerts to be held in St Eustachius’ Church from 16th April through to 2nd May. Highlights include Tavistock’s Stannary Brass Band and Tavistock Sings! with musicians from Mount Kelly, the Chamber Ensemble of London with a guest dancer will be an unmissable event on 29th April.

The Festival Concert Society Recital and The Festival Gala Supper (with guest musician Viktor Bijelovic) will both be held at Mount Kelly.

The Wharf Arts Centre will be hosting a variety of musical entertainment from The Tavy Tars to the Devon County Youth Brass Band.

ART EXHIBITIONS

April & May will come alive with various exhibitions and the Tavistock Arts Market on Saturday 16th April showcasing a number of local artists, will have something for everyone.

DRAMA & FILMS

The Tavonians Theatre Company are presenting their production of ‘My Boy Jack’ at various venues throughout West Devon - a not to be missed production.

Once again the Wharf Arts Centre will be hosting various Live Performance Broadcasts with your chance to see productions such as Giselle from the Royal Opera House and the Bolshoi Theatre with Don Quixote.

LECTURES, PRESENTATIONS & WORKSHOPS A whole host of fascinating lectures and workshops throughout the Festival, from Tinworking on Dartmoor, to William Morris’ connections to Tavistock, alongside a poetry and prose workshop

by Myfanwy Cook ‘Dancing with Words’.

www.tavistockmusic.co.uk

MUSIC SATURDAY 16TH APRIL

WEDNESDAY 20TH APRIL

7.30pm. Venue: St Eustachius’s Church.

Tickets £8 in advance from the Wharf Box Office (or £10 on the door)

Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Nights Dream. GBM Productions, together with international collaborators, will present the world premiere of the completely sung-through musical A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM. 7.30pm. Venue: The Wharf Arts Centre Tickets: £20 from Wharf Box Office, or on the door

Canoryon Lowen

SUNDAY 17TH APRIL

Music & Cakes @ Coffee & Cream Patisserie Throughout the day

Stannary Brass Band Concert with guests, the Kingsmen

‘Shakespeare’s Dreamings’

THURSDAY 21ST APRIL

Violin & Piano Recital by Elisabeth Holman & Andrew Wilson 1.00pm. Venue: St Eustachius’s Church - retiring collection to help defray costs

8.00pm. Venue: The Wharf Arts Centre.

Tickets in advance from the Wharf Arts Centre Box Office £8 (or £10 on the door)

Folk evening with Tavy Tars and friends, including Gypsy Train

MONDAY 18TH APRIL

7.30pm. Venue: Tavy Club - retiring collection to help defray costs

Song Recital – Bianca Phillips and her students, accompanied by Chris Howarth 7.30pm. Venue: Gallery 26, Bedford Hotel. Tickets: £7, bookable in advance from the Bedford Hotel Reception (or on the door)

TUESDAY 19TH APRIL

Organ Recital by Dr Sean Sweeney 1.00pm. Venue: St Eustachius’s Church (retiring collection to help defray costs)

WEDNESDAY 20TH APRIL

Recital by the Mount Kelly Musicians 12.30pm. Venue: The Abbey Chapel Tickets £5 on the door

Concert Society present a Clarinet & Piano Recital by Matthew Scott & Christine Zerafa 7.30pm. Venue: Melvin Hall, Mount Kelly, Parkwood Road Tickets: £13 (students – free) on the door or from concertsociety@mountkelly.com

FRIDAY 22ND APRIL

Limelight Night – visiting bands 8.00pm. Venue: The Wharf Arts Centre Tickets from £4 from the Wharf Arts Centre Box Office

SATURDAY 23RD APRIL

Devon County Youth Brass Band 2.30pm. Venue: United Reformed Church, Russell Street retiring collection to help defray costs

Band TBC 8.00pm. Venue: Wharf Arts Centre. Tickets from £10 from the Wharf Arts Centre Box Office

SUNDAY 24TH APRIL

Music & Cakes @ Coffee & Cream Patisserie Throughout the day

All Folk’d Up A five piece band rooted in Irish and Celtic folk and rock music 8.00pm. Venue: The Wharf Arts Centre Tickets: from £16 from the Wharf Arts Centre Box Office

The Wharf Box Office - 01822 611166 enquiries@tavistockwharf .com

MUSIC TUESDAY 26TH APRIL

SATURDAY 30TH APRIL

1.00pm. Venue: St Eustachius’s Church retiring collection to help defray costs

7.00pm for 7.30pm. Venue: Denis Ball Performing Arts Centre, Mount Kelly, Parkwood Road Tickets: £30 (tables of eight - £200) from the Wharf Arts Centre Box Office or from the Chairman (bridgemoorhouse@gmail.com)

Oboe & Piano Recital by Leslie & Mary Mazur Park

Wurlitza presents ‘Sunrise’ with Janet Gaynor

Festival Supper with entertainment from Viktor Bijelovic

A film and live music extravaganza. 8.00pm. Venue: The Wharf Arts Centre. Tickets: £6.50 from the Wharf Arts Centre Box Office

SUNDAY 1ST MAY

WEDNESDAY 27TH APRIL

Throughout the day

TAVISTOCK SINGS!

A concert by musicians from Mount Kelly who will entertain us with a wide range of musical genres. 7.30 pm Venue: St Eustachius’s Church. Tickets: £2 per adult on the door or in advance from the Wharf Arts Centre Box Office

THURSDAY 28TH APRIL

Violin & Piano Recital by Margaret Morris & David Crocker 1.00pm. Venue: St Eustachius’s Church.

Retiring collection to help defray costs

FRIDAY 29TH APRIL

(UNESCO World Dance Day) Piano Recital by Brian Chapple

1.00pm. Venue: St Eustachius’s Church Retiring collection to help defray costs

Chamber Ensemble of London, together with dancer, Heather Rees 7.30pm. Venue: St Eustachius’s Church. Tickets: £15 (students £8) from the Wharf Arts Centre Box Office, or on the door

SATURDAY 30TH APRIL

Recital by ‘To Music Borne’ and Guest 1.00pm. Venue: Abbey Chapel Tickets: £5 on the door

Music & Cakes @ Coffee & Cream Patisserie ‘Rock and Raise’ A charity live music event in aid of Meningitis Research Foundation. Tickets: £8 (children £4).

3.00pm till late. Venue: Red & Black Club

Festival Evensong - choir augmented by Canticorum 6.00pm. Venue: St Eustachius’s Church

Concert by Canticorum 7.30pm. Venue: St Eustachius’s Church Retiring collection to help defray costs

MONDAY 2ND MAY

Choral Workshop directed by Andrew Wilson – ‘Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast’ 9.30am for 10.00am. Venue: St Eustachius’s Church For further details contact Rosemary Turner – talk2turners@btinternet.com or 07866 488630 Tickets for participants: £10 Workshop will be followed by tea at the Bedford Hotel

TAVISTOCK SINGS! Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast 6.00pm. Venue: St Eustachius’s Church. Retiring collection to help defray costs

An evening of music from local youth musicians/bands 7.30pm. Venue: Gallery 26, Bedford Hotel Tickets: £5, bookable in advance from the Bedford Hotel Reception

www.tavistockmusic.co.uk

ART THROUGHOUT THE FESTIVAL

The Gallery @ The Terrace Restaurant – Collection of work by a range of artists.

SATURDAY 16TH APRIL Festival Artists’ Market

9.00am to 4.00pm. Venue: Bedford Square For details contact taviartsmarket@aol.com

MON 18TH TO FRI 29TH APRIL

Photographic Exhibition – ‘Hidden Valley’ 10.00am to 4.00pm. Venue: Tamar Valley Centre All welcome, collection to help defray costs

MON 2ND TO WED 27TH MAY

An exhibition of paintings and technical illustrations by Graham Schofield The Wharf Arts Centre

LIVE DRAMA PERFORMANCE LITERATURE BROADCAST LECTURES WEDNESDAY 6TH APRIL

From the Royal Opera House – Giselle (A Live Performance Broadcast) 7.00pm. Venue: The Wharf Arts Centre Tickets £13 from The Wharf Arts Centre Box Office or on the door

SUNDAY 10TH APRIL

From the Bolshoi Theatre – Don Quixote (A Live Performance Broadcast) 4.00pm. Venue: The Wharf Arts Centre Tickets £12 from the Wharf Arts Centre Box Office or on the door

MONDAY 25TH APRIL

From the Royal Opera House – Lucia di Lammermoor (A Live Performance Broadcast) 7.00pm. Venue: The Wharf Arts Centre.

Tickets £12 from the Wharf Arts Centre Box Office or on the door

FRIDAY 15TH APRIL

The 10th Russell Lecture given by Barry Gamble. Introducing the “Celebration of the Tinworking

Landscape of Dartmoor in its European Context” Taking place in Tavistock from 6th to 11th May 7.30pm Venue: The Library, Mount Kelly, Parkwood Road. Tickets: £10 (students free) in advance from the Wharf Arts Centre Box Office, or £12 on the door.

SATURDAY 16TH APRIL

‘Cry of the Gulls’ A promotion by local author, Kate Ryder For details, contact 01822 612218 or Tavistock.library@devon. gov.uk 10.00am Venue: Tavistock Library

MONDAY 18TH APRIL

Lunchtime Lecture – Dr Geri Parlby Tavistock’s William Morris Connections 2.00pm. Venue: The Wharf Arts Centre . Tickets: £5 on the door

The Wharf Box Office - 01822 611166 enquiries@tavistockwharf .com

DRAMA

LITERATURE

LECTURES TUESDAY 19TH APRIL

SATURDAY 21ST MAY

7.30pm. Venue: Parish Rooms, Plymouth Road.

Tickets £5 on the door or from Wharf Arts Centre box office.

A promotion by local author, Rosa Watkinson - 10.00am, Tavistock Library. For details, contact 01822 612218 or tavistock.library@devon.gov.uk

‘Cranford’ - Virtual Radio in Tavistock

SATURDAY 23RD APRIL

‘The Cracked Amulet’

‘Cry of the Gulls’

VARIOUS DATES

A promotion by local author, Kate Ryder for details, contact 01822 612218 or Tavistock.library@devon. gov.uk 10.00am. Venue: Tavistock Library

2.00pm. Venue: The Wharf Arts Centre. Tickets: £5 on the door

TUESDAY 26TH APRIL

The 5th Drake Lecture given by Jeremy Black Professor of History at the University of Exeter – ‘The Politics of James Bond’ 2.30pm. Venue: The Wharf Arts Centre – Tickets: £10 from the Wharf Arts Centre Box Office

THURSDAY 28TH APRIL Miracle Theatre’s Film – TIN

2.15pm, 4.30pm & 7.30pm Tickets £6.50 (£5 students) Venue: The Wharf Arts Centre 4.30pm showing primarily for students - £3

SATURDAY 30TH APRIL

Poetry & Prose Workshop with Myfanwy Cook ‘Dancing with Words’ This event is free but booking is essential (01822 612218 or Tavistock.library@devon.gov.uk) 10.00am. Venue: Tavistock Library

FRIDAY 6TH - 11TH MAY

A Celebration of the Tinworking Landscape of Dartmoor in its European Context event – Prehistory to 20th Century Tavistock Town Hall and other venues For booking details – www.dtrg.org.uk/booking.html

www.tavistockmusic.co.uk

Lunchtime Lectures 4th April 11th April 18th April

25th April 9th May 16th May 23rd May

The Three Hares - Dr Sue Andrew ‘Devon’s Composers - Adrienne Hesketh Tavistock’s William Morris Connections - Dr Geri Parlby Lundy Island, A Virtual Tour - Simon Dell Unexplained Dartmoor - Roger Hutchins Tavistock Abbey - Andrew Thompson Russia & the West: A Family Affair - Catherine Deytrikh.

VARIOUS DATES

Tavonians Theatre Company presents ‘My Boy Jack’ by David Haig A play that tells the story of Rudyard Kipling and his grief for his son, John, who died in the First World War Wednesday 27th April 7.30pm Sourton Parish Hall Thursday 28th April 7.30pm Bere Alston Village Hall Monday 2nd May 7.30pm Milton Abbot Village Hall Tuesday 3rd May 7.30pm Callington Town Hall Tickets £10 (concessions £8) from www.tavonians.org.uk or local venues Wednesday 4th May 7.30pm Wharf Arts Centre Thursday 5th May 8.00pm Wharf Arts Centre Tickets £10 (concessions £8) from the Wharf Arts Centre Box Office.

WHAT’S ON Sunday 8 May

May Folk Sunday – Morwellham Quay

Come and join in the May celebrations with local musicians: Geoff Lakeman –singing a mix of traditional West Country folk songs; Bill Murray–performing old songs rooted in the Dartmoor tradition; Mariners Away – entertaining with a medley of sea shanties; The Minstrel Cyclists – a ukulele band with varied repertoire; John and Carol Butson –duo with guitar, banjo and banter; Plus dancing from Lodestone Border Morris Dancers & Musicians Wednesday 11 May

Gardens Open Day

Hotel Endsleigh. Come along and explore this wonderful garden. One of the most complete Humphrey Repton gardens in the country. Also quality craft stalls and super raffle. Raising much needed funds to maintain Milton Abbot`s beautiful church.

Pre-booked lunches available in the hotel.

Entry £5.00 to include tea/coffee and biscuits. 11am – 4pm

closes at 4pm on 15 May to which all are welcome. 10am to 4pm Friday 13 May

NSPCC – Plant Sale and Cream Teas

Please come and support our annual sale at St Paul’s Church Hall, Yelverton, 2-4pm. Donations of plants would be very welcome. Please contact Sonja Cheadle on 01822 854710 Thursday 12 May

Jazz in the Village Clearbrook

Jazz in the Village at Clearbrook village hall at 8.00pm Tickets are £10.00 each.

This will be a cabaret style evening with a bar and nibbles. Don’t miss these talented musicians. Contact Sue and Cliff on 01822 854692 to reserve tickets.

Tuesday 17 May

Princetown Neighbourhood Watch Meeting

Wednesday 11, Sunday 15 and Wednesday 25 May

Spring walks

NT Buckland Abbey. Head out to discover the sights and smells of spring around the estate as our ranger takes you off the beaten track in the woodlands. Walk approximately 1.5 hours, roughly 3 miles.

Normal admission charges apply. 1pm start.

Commences at 8.00pm in the restaurant of the Prince of Wales, Princetown.

All residents of the Dartmoor Forest Parish Council are welcome to attend.

Did you know that some Insurance Companies offer a discount on your Home Insurance Policy to members of a Neighbourhood Watch Scheme?

Tuesday 17 May

Cooking the master’s dinner

NT Buckland Abbey. See the cooks prepare for the master’s dinner in the Abbey kitchen. Normal admission charges apply. 1- 2pm.

Wednesday 18 May

‘Dartmoor Wildlife – Past, Present & Future’.

Starting at the close of the Last Age ecologist Phil Page takes us on a journey through time that explains why Dartmoor is the way it is now and how it might develop in the future. In his talk he will address issues such as ‘Re-Wilding’ and the legal constraints that might be holding

‘we come to you’

The computer repair service that comes to you!

Friday 13 to Sunday 15 May

• Trading as CVPC since 2003 • Complete repair service • New PCs & laptops for sale • File transfer & setup, old to new • Email and printer set up • Virus and spyware removal • Windows and Apple expert

St Mary’s Sampford Spiney Flower Festival

Home tuition also available - please call for details.

Thursday 12 May

Moors Edge U3A

Speaker on Wildlife in Madagascar All meetings are held at the Woolwell Centre starting at 2.30pm

In aid of repairs to this beautiful 13th century Grade 1 listed moorland church – refreshments and a plant stall will be available and there will be a short Evensong/Compline after the festival

Call: 01822 855822 help@chezvouspc.com

Office Open 9am-5pm Weekdays

See our new community website www.dartmoorlinks.co.uk

45

TAVISTOCK’S MOST FLEXIBLE VENUE Whether you’re holding a meeting, planning a dinner dance, a wedding or even an exercise class, our facilities, friendly and experienced staff and central location make us the ideal place to hold your event.

Call Ross and his team today to discuss your needs and reserve your time and date

01822 617232 Call Ross and his team today to discuss your needs and reserve your time and date

| www.tavistocktownhall.co.uk T. 01822 617232 E. townhall@tavistock.gov.uk townhall@tavistock.gov.uk www.tavistocktownhall.co.uk Tavistock Town Hall, Bedford Square, Tavistock PL19 0AE Tavistock Town Hall, Bedford Square, Tavistock, PL19 0AE

Open Tuesday to Saturday

WHAT’S ON back wildlife resurgence. 7pm arrival for refreshments, 7.30pm-8.30pm talk. £3 per person. Please book your place in advance on 01822 855700 or heritage@ swlakestrust.org.uk

JUNE

Thursday 19 May

Gala Concert at St Eustachius’ Church, Tavistock. Guests: the ‘Three Welsh Tenors’ (Aled Wyn Davies & colleagues), 7pm. Proceeds to Children’s Hospice South West. Tickets available from Bookstop, Tavistock, or at the door.

Yelverton & District Local History Society

“The Siege of Plymouth and its Environs in the English Civil War” talk by Philip Photiou : Meavy Parish Hall 7.30pm

All event listings are FREE

Saturday 18 June

Tamar Valley Male Voice Choir

Thursday 19 May

CSRF Day Trip

Send us event details for our next issue (June/July) by

Friday 6th May

Please get in touch: editorial@moorlinks.co.uk or 01822 853110

Tavonians Theatre Company presents Rudyard Kipling’s family story of patriotism in the Great War

If you are retired, join us for a coach trip visiting places of interest. It will include a lunch stop at a selct hostelry. Booking is essential. Contact Mike on 01822-890799 for more information and/or reservations.

MY BOY JACK Wed 27th April Thurs 28th April Mon 2nd May Tues 3rd May Wed 4th May Thurs 5th May

7.30pm 7.30pm 7.30pm 7.30pm 7.30pm 8.00pm

Sourton Parish Hall Bere Alston Parish Hall Milton Abbot Village Hall Callington Town Hall The Wharf, Tavistock The Wharf, Tavistock

by David Haig

Tickets: £10 Concessions: £8

TICKETS FOR THE WHARF: 01822 611166 ONLINE for other venues: www.tavonians.org.uk Enquiries: 0845 519 6592 (10am - 6pm) Rights by permission of Nick Hern Books

YELVERTON CINEMA Summer Film Programme HELD AT YELVERTON CHURCH HALL Saturday Evenings Café Cinema Apr 16th

The Lady in the Van (12A)

May 21st

Spectre (12A)

Jun 11th

The Danish Girl (15)

Jul 16th

Steve Jobs (15)

Children’s Cinema Apr 16th

Song of the Sea (PG)

May 21st

Snoopy & Charlie Brown The Peanuts Movie (U)

Afternoon screening - Doors open 3.45 Film starts 4pm

Morning screening - Doors open 10.45 Film starts 11.15

Jun 25th BYO and refreshments available £4 on the door

The Force Awakens (12A)

Evening Screening 6pm We are hosting a special, family friendly screening of The Force Awakens. There will be themed refreshments and everyone is encouraged to dress up as their favourite character. May the force be with you!

Suggested donation £2

For film details check our website www.yelvertoncinema.co.uk See our new community website www.dartmoorlinks.co.uk

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WHAT’S ON EXTRA

Saturday 18th June

Meavy Oak Fair – A date for the Diary Plans are underway for Meavy Oak Fair which this year is on Saturday 18th June, but it is a good time to look back on last year and tell you what happened to the proceeds from Oak Fair 2015.

2015 was our best year yet in terms of monetary profit and we made a profit of £4200 and as always all profits from the Fair are given back to local groups and organisations which are recognised for their support of the Fair and of the Meavy community. The recipients were: The

Friends of St Peter’s - £450.00, Sheepstor Village Hall - £400.00, Meavy Parish Hall - £400.00, Burrator Preschool - £150.00, Meavy School - £950.00, Walkham Valley Scouts - £350.00, West Devon Explorers - £400.00, Yelverton Fire Brigade £300.00, Horrabridge Rangers Football Club - £350.00, Meavy Garden Society - £250.00, Meavy Bellringers - £100.00 and Dartmoor Border Morris - £100.00 Over the last 10 years Meavy Oak fair has raised over £35,000.000 which has all been given to local groups and organisations which make our community the great place it is! If there are any other local groups and organisations that would like to be considered for a donation in return for helping out on the day please contact Jenny, details below.

So, looking forward to this year, we

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are again hoping for good weather but whatever that brings, this long running village event will go ahead to provide a great social event for locals and visitors alike . The fair will start at 2pm with a pageant from the children of Meavy Primary School. After this there will be plenty to keep everyone occupied from traditional games such as hoopla, skittles, a coconut shy and ‘splat the rat’ to a bouncy castle for the youngsters.

For the energetically minded the Burrator horseshoe will start at 2:30pm. This 7 mile cross country run is hotly contested by some of the best runners in the area – details on how to register can be found at: www.meavy.org.uk. While you wait for the runners to return you can enjoy a proper cream tea, browse the plants, produce and cake stalls or enter your dog at our very popular Family Dog Show.

There are still spaces available for craft and small trade stalls which are available for £16. Raffle prizes are always welcome and all businesses who contribute a raffle prize will get a free advert in the programme. For further information or offers of help, please get in touch with me, Jenny Sharp, 853652 (evenings) or by email on jennysharp@ meavy.org.uk Jenny Sharp Chair, MOF Organising Committee

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WHAT’S ON EXTRA

6th to 11th May

A Celebration of the Tinworking Landscape of Dartmoor, in its European Context (Prehistory to 20th Century) The tinworking landscape of Dartmoor is perhaps the finest in the world for its extent, completeness, chronological range and accessibility. Most of it falls within Dartmoor National Park and much is on open moorland to which there is unrestricted public access. Although always closely connected historically to the Cornish tin industry, Dartmoor’s tinworking landscape is quite distinct, as it lacked the deep tin deposits of its neighbour and also had an abundance of water resources. In the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries Dartmoor tinworking was on a relatively small scale. Consequently, archaeological remains of these and earlier periods (especially AD 1300-1700)

are still of outstanding extent and quality.

This conference, which marks the 25th anniversary of the Dartmoor Tinworking Research Group, and the 10th anniversary of the UNESCO World Heritage Designation of the Cornwall & West Devon Mining Landscape, will celebrate the diversity of this industrial landscape, and will compare its features and technologies with those of contemporary tinworking areas of continental Europe It will undoubtedly be a stimulus for future research.

Tavistock has been chosen as the conference venue as it was historically one of Devon’s four stannary towns, administering a tinworking district, and was closely connected with mining for hundreds of years.

Tavistock Town Hall and other venues: www.dtrg.org.uk/booking.html

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ENHANCE THE BEAUTY & WARMTH OF YOUR HOME WITH OUR TIMBER, PVC AND ALUMINIUM WINDOWS & DOORS

Whether your home is a country cottage, a townhouse, a modern semi or a converted barn, we have a range of traditional and contemporary windows and doors that will compliment it perfectly. A vast range of products are available to view in our Tavistock showroom and will also be on show in our dedicated timber showroom at Unit 1 Prideaux Close, Saltash.

rchard

See our new community website www.dartmoorlinks.co.uk

For further information please telephone:

01822 614277 info@orchard-windows.com

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Visit our showroom at of PVC-U or aluminium Unit 1F Westbridge Industrial Est • Fascia, soffits and claddings Tavistock PL19 8DE

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WHAT’S ON EXTRA

Sunday 10th April

Tavy 13 Half Marathon Last year Tavistock Athletic Club announced exciting route changes to the fifth running of the Tavy 13 half marathon, and those changes were hugely successful.

the home of TAC on one of the best athletics tracks in the South-West for their very own 100m dash!

For 2016 the course will lead runners along the old railway track cycle path on the edge of Tavistock before heading out towards Peter Tavy. Once runners head off the main road they will follow quiet lanes over the dramatic and stunning moorland areas of Dartmoor which lie on our doorstep, taking in Whitchurch Down & Lutyens folly on their return to Tavistock, via the river walk (St Johns Avenue) and The Meadows . Runners will then finish at

Whilst runners are taking on the half marathon the very popular primary schools challenge & fun run will take place along Crowndale Road and finish on the athletic track. Local businesses Ocean BMW and Mansbridge Balment are supporting the event & runners can pick up forms from their offices or by visiting www.Tavy13.co.uk

Sunday 15 May

Charity Dog Show and Tractor Run “A fun day of pure charity fundraising” Harrowbeer Airfield, Yelverton (next to Knightstone Tea Rooms) will once again be buzzing with the sound of over 50 vintage and modern tractors and the barking of dogs, all in aid of main charities Children’s Hospice SW and the Chestnut Appeal.

Many other charities will have their own stands and displays and the local Yelverton Fireservice have promised to give a

demonstration of a car crash rescue. There will be a BBQ and refreshments of tea and coffee, kindly being served by Spooners and West Dartmoor Hunt.

It all starts at 10am and the tractors will gather together and depart for their ‘Run’ at 11am. All dogs are welcome to join the fun dog show (entry £1 per class) with a grand finale of a ‘Dog Puissance’. (Normally associated with the equestrian world but at this event it is ‘high jump’ for dogs!).

Rosettes will be awarded for 1st, 2nd and 3rd places. All dog classes will be judged by Jacqui Jones starting at 12noon.

For further information please contact Shiela on 01822 859215 No entry fee – a day of raising awareness and money for all the various charities at each of their stalls. The organisers welcome anyone who would like to take part; tractor owners, vintage car owners, charities or anyone wishing to hold a stall.

Charitable donations are asked in return for setting up a stall.

For more details contact Steve Horn on 07899 958493

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WHAT’S ON EXTRA

16 & 17th April

Stylish Lifestyle Show Miss Ivy Events proudly presents The Stylish Lifestyle Show at Pentillie Castle. Exhibitors will be displaying their own unique products and services interwoven throughout the ground floor rooms of the Castle. The show then continues into the grounds of Pentillie with a grand marquee filled with more lifestyle exhibitors, live music and a variety of delicious, local food suppliers; all of which can be enjoyed while taking in the surrounding garden area and stunning views of the River Tamar.

Visitors will be able to get involved in and gain inspiration from a range of workshops and demos that will run throughout the course of the weekend. Fiona Wilson from The Great Interior Design Challenge will be showing visitors how to update their furniture, and how to mix and use chalk paint, as well as Cathryn from Cornish Interiors and Velvet Daisy both bringing their expert, creative ideas to the show.

The Stylish Lifestyle Show offers visitors a unique opportunity to enjoy a full weekend of goods and services, talks, demos and entertainment from our many talented regional businesses, as well as the chance to explore this fantastic location and learn more about the rich history of the area.

To find out more about The Stylish Lifestyle Show, how to book your tickets all the lastest news and infomation, please visit www.stylishshows.co.uk for further details.

19, 20 & 21st May

Devon County Show For the very best of Devon food, farming, fun and rural life, come to the Devon County Show! An entertainment extravaganza:

• • • • • • • • • • •

Shetland Pony Grand National Bolddog Lings Motocross stunt team Titan the Robot (Friday & Saturday) Grand Parade of Livestock (Friday & Saturday) Channel 5’s David Kennard & his farmyard tales Music at the bandstand Meirion Owen and his dogs & ducks Falcons and ferret racing Farm Wise Devon for children 4 x 4 course Local Beers and Cider

And lots, lots more!

See our new community website www.dartmoorlinks.co.uk

51

NATIONAL TRUST

Buckland Abbey in bloom

The Great North Wood will be a sea of colour, from bluebells and rhododendrons, Rembrandt tulips and wild garlic.

Spring has started to at Buckland Abbey with a radiant display of colourings appearing within the gardens and around the estate. Up in Great North Wood you will soon be able to see a sea of colour as bluebells start to bloom, along with the rhododendrons, Rembrandt tulips, wild garlic and ransoms around the gardens and estate. It’s an ideal time to explore Buckland’s estate – be it with family, friends or with the dog.

We’re expecting the bluebells to be in full colour early May, but do check our website for updates.

SPRING WALKS

Buckland Abbey is now open daily from 10.30am-5.30pm. For more details of our events, latest news and more please visit our website www.nationaltrust.org.uk/buckland, give us a call on 01822 853607 or like and follow us on Facebook and Twitter, @ BucklandAbbeyNT.

Wednesday 11, Sunday 15 and Wednesday 25 May, 1pm start Head out to discover the sights and smells of spring around the estate as our ranger takes you off the beaten track in the woodlands. Walk approximately 1.5 hours, roughly 3 miles.

WHITTLE AND BURN

Saturday 28 – Monday 30 May, 11am-4pm Get outdoors by heading down Cot Lane to meet our outdoor team as they turn estate trees into charcoal and whittle logs into useful objects for the home.

EARLY-BIRD NATUREMAKE Friday 3 June, 10.30am

Join the Naturemake team for an early-bird workshop creating wonderful fairy-tale inspired sculptures, from dragons and maidens, woodland fortresses to enchanted pixie gardens and more. Booking essential. £12 per person.

Discover tales of Drake, explore the woodland walks, marvel at our Rembrandt and find your place of peace and tranquility at Buckland Abbey.

01822 853607 nationaltrust.org.uk/buckland

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© National Trust Images. Registered Charity Number 205846.

Buckland Abbey

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NATIONAL TRUST

Blossoms Galore Cotehele is well know for its gardens full of daffodils, but enjoy some of their more exotic species like the orange Chilean Firebush too!

The gardeners have been working all winter getting the beds planted and the trees pruned in preparation for this annual springtime show. Tulips will be a showstopper in The Terraces on the east side of the house and sometime in mid-May the gardeners will pick the first flower for the annual Christmas garland, which this year will be celebrating its 60th anniversary.

NANCY BELLE RIVER TRIPS

The gardeners have also been improving access in the steep, tranquil Valley Garden, whilst making sure to retain its charm.

The plant collection is wide and varied as one would expect in a traditional Cornish garden with a good collection of magnolias, camellias and rhododendrons. There’s also a twist with some exotic species like the century-old Trachycarpus palm trees, tree ferns, Gunnera (giant rhubarb) and the bright orange Chilean firebush in summer.

Daily (to June) 11am-5pm Exhibition featuring homemade furniture, bird baths and sculpture for your garden. Normal admission.

Find details at www.nationaltrust.org.uk/cotehele, or like Cotehele on Facebook and Twitter. The staff and volunteers always look forward to welcoming you to Cotehele on the Cornish bank of the River Tamar.

29 April and 2, 13, 16, 30, 31 May Board the Nancy Belle and head up river under the Calstock viaduct to learn about the Tamar Valley. 2 hrs, ring 01579 351346 for times and to book, £15.

HOMES AND GARDENS IN COTEHELE GALLERY

FIRST WORLD WAR: ON THE HOME FRONT

Daily 11am-4pm Year three of Cotehele’s First World War exhibition featuring photos, trench art and personal items loaned from members of the local community. Normal admission.

Cotehele in the Spring

Members and under 5s go free.

01579 351346 nationaltrust.org.uk/cotehele

See our new community website www.dartmoorlinks.co.uk

© National Trust Images. Registered Charity Number 205846.

Stunning spring gardens, tranquil walks, tapestry clad rooms, eating and shopping. Something for everyone at Cotehele.

53

FEATURE

Safety on Dartmoor Day

Saturday 28th May, Lydford Sports Field.

This fun and informative event has now been running very successfully for five years and there will once again be representatives from Dartmoor National Park Authority, Lydford Gorge National Trust, the emergency services, MOD, Dartmoor Search and Rescue Team, Camels Head specialist rescue team, Devon Air Ambulance Trust and St John’s Ambulance.

There will be plenty of opportunities to sit in fire engines, police cars, land rovers, ambulances and vintage tractors as well as meet some of the Dartmoor rescue dogs and police dogs, and talk to fire-fighters, police officers and ambulance staff who will all be giving up their time to attend this worthwhile event. The MoD will have ammunition displays and be able to advise on walking safely in areas used for Dartmoor’s military ranges. Rob Taylor, sector ranger for the DNPA, will be on hand to discuss Dartmoor’s attractions and the best areas to visit, as well as how to enjoy Dartmoor responsibly. The fire service may also bring along a portable driving simulator that demonstrates the dangers of drunk driving or texting and driving. The air ambulance and police helicopter will both be making a fly-past during the day as long as call-outs permit and there is also a chance that this might be the year that a Battle of Britain Spitfire completes a fly-past for the event; the organisers have tried to book the Spitfire for the last four years but due to the weather or other commitments it has not been possible up to now - so fingers crossed for this year!

communities in crisis around the world. Okehampton ATC will again be at the event after last year’s popular climbing experience on their seven-metre-climbing tower. Devon Wheels 2 Work will also be on hand to talk about their valuable work helping people in Devon and Somerset to get on the road and access work and training, with cost-effective scooter and motorcycle rental.

Shelterbox will be attending for the first time, with some of the emergency shelters and supplies they provide to support 54

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Safety on Dartmoor Day will be combining with Lydford Summer Fair again to provide an excellent day out for all the family over the bank holiday weekend.

In addition there will be all the fun of the Summer Fair with stalls, games, refreshments and a family dog show run by Margaret Green Animal Rescue’s Wingletang Centre, where canines of all descriptions are encouraged to try their paw at winning one of the categories. Kountry Kit will have a stall, as will Dartmoor Conservation Meat and a number of local businesses and producers of arts and crafts.

This is an excellent opportunity for everyone who lives and works on Dartmoor or just enjoys spending recreational time on Devon’s beautiful moorland, to find out a little more about how Dartmoor National Park rangers and the emergency services and charities work in partnership to keep people safe on Dartmoor.

They hope that by sharing that information with the public it will enable them to provide a better service and that people will either avoid danger or know who to turn to for help if they find themselves in a difficult situation. So come along and meet the people who help to look after Dartmoor and keep its users safe.

Rosemary Best

See our new community website www.dartmoorlinks.co.uk

55

MUSIC & ART

Dartmoor Border Morris – dance season begins!

Dartmoor Border Morris are getting ready for a big launch to their dance season this year, with an appearance in an advert due to be aired on Saturday 9th April on Channel 4, during the Grand National horse race for the Black Farmer Company.

Despite television fame, Dartmoor Border Morris have still got have their feet firmly on the floor in Meavy. Their summer dance season includes: 24th April – Plymouth Barbican Mayday - Upton Folk Fest 4th May – Royal Oak Inn, Meavy Every Wednesday – various pubs across Dartmoor 19th May – joining with Lodestone Border Morris at ‘Who’d Have Thought It Inn’, Milton Combe Charity collections for Action Nepal www.dartmoorbordermorris.com or on Facebook

Tamar Valley Male Voice Choir Ten years old! What a birthday year for the Tamar Valley Male Voice Choir who first came together with a concert at Chillington South Devon in April 2006. Since that first concert with just nine members, the Choir, now numbering nearly forty members of all ages and diverse backgrounds has raised many thousands of pounds for local charities.

Having gained recognition nationally and internationally for the high quality of their concerts, 2016 is an especially exciting year for the Tamar Valley Male Voice Choir as the choir celebrates the return visit of the Welsh Tenor Aled Wyn Davies who was such a wow at the Choir’s Annual Tavistock Gala Concert last year.

The Tamar Valley Male Voice Choir Gala Concert audience 2016 can look forward to an evening to remember on the 18th June when Aled returns to St Eustachius’ Church Tavistock, as choir guest, bringing with him his two colleagues from the group collectively known as “The Three Welsh Tenors”. The 2016 Gala Concert revenues will be in aid of Children’s Hospice South West.

With a very busy program of concerts for 2016 further details/ dates can be viewed on the choir website. Tickets for the Gala Concert at Tavistock’s St Eustachius’ Church on 18th June will be available from Bookstop, Tavistock or Terry Pearce 01822810648 from Mid-April onwards. Adult price £12.50 and children under 14 years £5.

Saturday 23 April and Sunday 24 April

An Exhibition of West Country Artists 2016 In 2012, St Mary’s Sampford Spiney started to raise money to repair their leaky tower(doesn’t every church have one……..?!) and early on it was pretty clear that the 100 souls living in the community would be unlikely to able to raise the sums involved.

The only solution seemed to be to run a series of events that would attract the wider community to have some fun and raise money at the same time. One idea was to run an art exhibition each year and, with no public space or parking available in Sampford Spiney, it was decided to use the excellent Gallery 26 at the Bedford Hotel Now in its 4th year An Exhibition of West Country Artists was inspired, at least in part, by Ken Howard, a former resident of Sampford Spiney and world renowned artist. He told the organisers that on leaving the Royal Marines he moved to Sampford Spiney to learn to paint snow! He exhibited at and opened the first exhibition in 2013 and encouraged all those there to buy something. Amusingly he pointed out that we all 56

seem happy to buy a car which will be a valueless pile of rust in 10 years time, whereas buying a picture could be the investment of a lifetime! He cited selling his first picture to David Brown (one time owner of Aston Martin) for a very few pounds which is now worth some thousands – happily the attendees took, and over the years have continued to take, the hint!

From the outset the organisers wanted it to be a quality exhibition offering selected artists the opportunity to show their work at a high quality venue. As in previous years, around 25 artists will be offering around 120 pieces in a very wide variety of styles and mediums. This year we have work on show from the former David Shepherd Wildlife Artist of the Year, Karen Laurence Rowe; miniatures by Roz Pierson, President of the Royal Society of Miniature Artists and co-Founder of the Hilliard Society; as well as work by Mary Gillett, Ley Roberts, Ian Pethers, John Dodson, Janet Brady and many others.

Gallery 26, Bedford Hotel. 10am - 4pm

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MUSIC & ART 30th April to 2nd May

Everyday throughout May

Buckland Art Group Annual Art & Craft Ehibition

Delamore Art - Over 100 Artists Exhibition

An exhibition of original paintings by local artists alongside craft stalls displaying a variety of locally made goods. Our eighth annual exhibition which we hope will be as successful and attract as much interest as our past events. For a number of years we have been able to exhibit over 100 original paintings created, with few exceptions, by our members.

Buckland Monachorum Village Hall between 10am and 5pm each day.

For more information or to join the group, contact: Derek. mahoney@care4free.net Every year Delamore gathers together the work of over 100 artists from across the UK and hosts one of the largest collections of paintings and sculpture for sale in the South West.

The exhibition, which is particularly renowned for its outdoor sculpture and magnificent gardens, is now in its 14th year and during the time it has been running has raised over £100,000 for charity. This year our supported charity is www.moorvision. org. Also this year we are hosting the South West Academy (SWAc) Annual exhibition in the new gallery at Delamore Park, and featuring a collaborative artwork by Stephen Quick and our visitors! Finally, along with our expanding woodland arts trail with interactive exhibits for children, and our Café serving homemade soups and sandwiches we will be holding a number of art talks and demonstrations. More information is available at www.delamore-art.co.uk Delamore is open every day in May 10.301am to 4.30pm.

Delamore ad for Moorlinks 2016_Layout 1 07/01/2016 14:53 Page

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www.delamore-art.co.uk See our new community website www.dartmoorlinks.co.uk

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MUSIC & ART

Knitting on the Edge 2016 Knitting on the Edge 2016 is part of the wider Tavistock Edge festival which takes place in July. Anyone who knits or crochets and wants to get involved in a bit of art and a bit of fun, with wool, is encouraged to get in touch and join in.

The Edge has been running a wool amnesty since January where people can donate any spare wool which will be used to create Twiddlemuffs for dementia sufferers at Derriford Hospital and Izzy Dolls for children in conflict and war zones. These are the two main projects for 2016. As last year, there will also be knitted window displays in July and several other colourful surprises!

Twiddle muffs are already being passed onto dementia sufferers. A strong relationship has been established with the Hembury Ward at Derriford Hospital and more than 50 have already been passed on to individual patients in need. The Edge plan to make at least 100 more. The Twiddlemuffs help to calm patients down as those with dementia often become agitated and distressed.

Izzy dolls are the other major project with a plan to make at least 1000. They are colourful, little dolls, about six inches high and

again are easy to knit or crochet. Hundreds have already been sent to refugee children in Turkey. IHP UK an organisation that coordinates Doctors Travel Packs have never previously put Izzy dolls in their packs, but when approached by the Edge and the plan to knit 1000 Izzy dolls, they were very keen to include them for the traumatised children they work with.

The wool amnesty is ongoing. Please take any spare wool you have to Knitting Korner on Pepper Street and Yarns of Tavistock on West Street. If you want to get involved, the shops also have the patterns for muffs and dolls, and of course wool if you need it.

Knitters can also join the group’s weekly knits at Kings Church every Wednesday morning from 10am to noon, where knitting is accompanied by friendly chatter, coffee and cake.

Saturday 16th April

Mozart Workshop An opportunity to sing some of Mozart’s most beautiful works at a workshop with Marcus Alleyne - Musical Director of Plymouth Phoenix Chorale Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is widely recognized as one of the greatest composers of all time and was also an incredibly talented musician who started performing in public at the age of six. He composed hundreds of works including sonatas, symphonies, masses, concertos and operas over the course of his lifetime of just 35 years. Our Mozart Workshop offers the opportunity to sing excerpts from some of Mozart’s finest and most beautiful compositions. There will also be a performances of Mozart’s piano concerto No.21 in C major and the horn concerto in E flat by Mark Smith and Marcus Alleyne.

Marcus Alleyne is an accomplished musical director, musician and singer. Marcus took on the role of Musical Director of Plymouth Phoenix Chorale in September 2013 and has gained a reputation for teaching complex music whilst creating a professional yet fun environment. He also holds the position of Musical Director with The Music of The Night Choral Foundation, Sterts Theatre Company, Sounds Musicals Theatre 58

Company and Palace Theatre Philharmonia and Chorus.

All levels of singers are welcome to join us for the workshop which costs £15 and will run from 10:00am to 4:00pm at St Peter’s Church, Wyndham Square, Plymouth PL1 5EG. Registration opens at 9:30am and a music booklet will be provided on the day. Hot and cold drinks will be served during the day and there will be a light lunch available for £3. Friends and family are invited to drop in at 3:15pm to listen to an informal performance.

To book a place email rosemary101@ orangehome.co.uk

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DOG WALK

The Pipe Walk

Cadover Bridge to Shaugh Bridge and the Dewerstone 2 hours with some steep and rough ground.

Cadover Bridge is half way between Yelverton and Plympton. A very popular picnic spot in the summer, it has a large car park and usually an ice cream van or two. Our favourite time is throughout the winter months when you rarely see a soul, let alone an ice cream van, but get the most fantastic views through the bare trees, accompanied by the babbling River Plym in full spate.

are known as Devils Rocks with three distinct pillars, which, for climbers, range from easy to very difficult. The highest is said to be around 150 feet tall. They are named after Dewer, the dreaded Wisht Huntsman, who legend suggests, terrorised the moor at night as he hunted with his dreaded pack of phantom hounds whilst haunting the lofty heights of the Dewerstone.

RHS CHELSEA GOLD MEDALIST 2014

For centuries the Dewerstone has been regarded as one of the most ‘picturesque’ spots on Dartmoor. The rocky crags have attracted and inspired numerous poets, artists, and authors whose works can be found in libraries and galleries around the world. It is presumed that the huge crag at the top is the Dewerstone but Dewerstone actually refers to the whole area of rocks to the right of the summit. On their own these rocks

60

Workshops available

One to one’s or groups Experience playing with flowers with your friends and learning techniques you can use at home.

MDPF

Master Florist 07973 226710 01822 870888

www.amandarandell.co.uk Design, Print & Copywriting services - call us to discuss your next project 01822 853110

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Don’t let this put you off – this is a stunning walk and Angus and Sennen have not come across any ‘phantom’ hounds, just other very playful ones!

Park at Cadover Bridge car park (1) and take the small gated path on the left following the flow of the river downstream. The path is irregular and in places can be very muddy so suitable footwear is strongly advised. The path leads all the way down the valley to Shaugh Bridge and the Dewerstone car park (2) - as you walk along the valley you will see old remnants of clay pipe in the ground – hence the name of the walk given by locals. Go through the car-park towards the river and once at the bridge you need to cross over the river, by the small wooden foot bridge (3)), and take the path between the two rivers. There is a broad, stone, stepped path on the right leading steeply up, follow the U bend around to the left and keep on the track high above the

river Meavy. Keep on this path until a fork (4). Take the steep right hand track up old tram way stones (formed by the granite miners) until you reach the old tram pulley workings. It is thought the Dewerstone quarry supplied the granite of which London’s Blackfriars Bridge pillars are faced with. Head uphill through woodland until you reach open moor. In the winter the bracken is sparse and it’s easy to follow sheep tracks. Keep walking to the right until eventually you can see the outcrop (5) of the Dewerstone with 360’ views. Walk east along the grass ridge back toward Cadover Bridge, and if like Angus and Sennen your dog is now nice and muddy then entice them in the shallows of the river for a much needed wash!

RockinBikes

.CO.UK

For more information on the Dewerstone see: www.legendarydartmoor.co.uk - Tim Sandalls © 2007

A range of bikes, clothing and accessories to suit all needs • • • • • •

Sales Cycle Hire Servicing and Repairs Gift Vouchers Custom Build Specialists Premium Scott E-Bike Test Centre Quality Brands, Quality Service and Friendly Expert Knowledge Unit 7+8 Harrowbeer Mews, Leg O’ Mutton, Yelverton, Devon PL20 6WE

01822 258 022 Open 7 days a week. Free parking.

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61

FOOD & WINE

Easy Spicy Moroccan Lamb Tagine A delicious and alternative way to use this season’s spring lamb – and so easy!

Ingredients (serves 4)

Method

800g (1 lb 12 oz) lean lamb leg steak 125g (4 1/2 oz) onions, chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 5cm (2 in) cinnamon stick, broken in half 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon paprika 2 teaspoons ground turmeric salt and black pepper 125g (4 1/2 oz) dried apricots, quartered 175g (6 oz) carrots, diced 100g (3 1/2 oz) courgettes, diced 350g (12 oz) tomatoes, chopped 2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 300g (10 1/2 oz) couscous To garnish: 1 tablespoon each of chopped fresh coriander and parsley

Trim any fat off the lamb and cut it into 2.5 cm (1 in) cubes.

Put the meat, onions, garlic, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, ginger, paprika and turmeric into a large heavy based saucepan or casserole, season to taste and add enough water to cover. Bring the contents to the boil, then cover the pan, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 1 hour 30 minutes or transfer to a low oven (160*).

stew for 15 minutes until warm, fluffed up and tender. Add salt to taste.

To serve, spoon the couscous onto a serving dish; lift the lamb and vegetables from the pan with a slotted spoon and lay them on top of the couscous and sprinkle them with chopped coriander and parsley. Pour the broth into a jug or bowl to serve separately and let people help themselves at the table.

Add the apricots, carrots, courgettes, tomatoes, coriander and parsley to the pan and cook, covered, for a further 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, put the couscous into a bowl, add just enough cold water to cover it and leave it for 5 minutes to absorb the liquid.

Transfer the couscous to into a metal sieve, and steam the couscous over the

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FOOD & WINE

The Essence of Wine Flavours and characteristics that make a wine so special

With a sound knowledge of a particular grape variety and its unique characteristics, one is often able to pre-empt the potential flavour and a feel of a wine before you actually try it. That said, even to the most experienced wine buff, there are several factors that can possibly alter ones anticipated perception of a wine. The vintage ... every wine from a specific year will adopt the signature of that unique vintage. The age of vines can change the finished wine, older vines will often result in greater concentration with more texture ... which in turn, can benefit from a little extra bottle aging ... which in turn, might benefit and be enhanced by the use of wood as its influence and such a wine will, as a result, control a much higher price, it goes on .... The use of oak is so complex and intriguing. Whether during fermentation or aging prior to bottling, the influences of oak can radically change a wine. I say ‘can’ change a wine, when skilfully used to a minimum, the apparent end result can sometimes leave you totally unaware that oak has indeed had a part to play in that wine’s production. Maybe used just to add the mouth feel and to help the structure of a wine rather than enhance the flavour; it is a bit like seasoning food, you only notice it if it is not correct.

One can always be forgiven for being confused by the somewhat enormous array of different grape varieties. Whilst I am sure most can rattle off maybe 10-15 of the principal grapes ... keep going, there are just shy of 1000 varieties, and to confuse you further many varieties have many alternative names. It is when a wine is a mix of two or more varieties that one can be

overwhelmed, as each variety will bring its own individuality to the ‘cuvee’ or mix. It is a misconception often aired that blended wines are inferior to single variety wines. This could not be further from the truth. The top and most expensive wines from say Bordeaux are, with very few exceptions, blends of 2, 3, or up to 5 varieties. Indeed, ‘blending’ to perfection requires great skill, a key understanding of how each grape will sit side by side with another and how they will age as one.

Food for thought. Whilst one samples a wine with your mouth, do not underestimate the essential influences of your nose. In short, if you cannot smell, you cannot taste. Trust me, next time you open a bottle of wine, before you smell or sip it, pinch your nose and then have a sip. It is only when you release your nose that you will get the full impact and flavour of the wine. Whilst recently hosting a formal wine dinner I was made aware how important your eyes are in the art of tasting. Without taking note of the intricacies of the delicious plate of food I was eating, I was unable to identify a flavour. I recalled that the plate had basically been made up of brown and green colours yet my palate had been confused. It was only when I checked the menu that I noticed I had eaten golden beetroot. In my world beetroot is dark purple, my eyes had indeed deceived my palate.

Final thought ... you never stop topping up your ‘wine memory bank’ ... so keep practicising!

Charles Steevenson

"Tavistock's Independent Wine Merchant supplying wine throughout the South West" Plymouth Road Industrial Estate, Tavistock, Devon PL19 9QN / www.steevensonwines.co.uk / Tel: 01822 616272 / sales@steevensonwines.co.uk

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BUSINESS News from Geoffrey Cox MP

Fireworks - regulations and legislation Fireworks can be a controversial subject about which, from time to time, I receive letters from concerned constituents. From the impact that they have on our pets and livestock to the anti-social behaviour they are sometimes seen to facilitate, they certainly cause a great deal of distress for those who have written to me and who have raised particular concerns over their use in areas such as ours, which relies on its wildlife and peaceful countryside to promote our tourism industry.

While for many people the use of fireworks on special occasions is something to be enjoyed, whether that is to mark the 5th of November or to celebrate the wedding of a loved one, for some they are nothing but a disturbance and potential danger.

It goes without saying that they can of course be very dangerous and it is right that the use and sale of them is controlled. Events where fireworks are used should be well planned and safety should be paramount.

Firework regulations allow fireworks for home use to be sold during the traditional firework periods of Bonfire Night, New Year’s Eve, Chinese New Year and Diwali. Suppliers who wish to sell fireworks outside the traditional periods, for example during the summer wedding period, must comply with stringent conditions before being granted a licence by their local licensing authority. This means the availability and use of fireworks outside the traditional periods has been greatly reduced. The regulations also created a curfew preventing the use of fireworks between 11pm and 7am all year round with the exception of 5 November, when the curfew starts at 12 midnight, and New Year’s Eve, Chinese New Year and Diwali, when the curfew starts at 1.00 am on the night of celebration. Excessive noise from fireworks, or noise during

the curfew period, can be considered a statutory nuisance and local authority environmental health officers have the power to investigate complaints of fireworks noise and act to prevent it where appropriate.

I also understand concerns about the distress noisy fireworks can cause to pets, livestock and wildlife. This is one of the reasons that there is a noise level limit of 120 decibels on fireworks for home use. The Government recognises, however, that even at this level fireworks noise can be distressing to some animals and refer owners to advice on keeping animals safe during fireworks periods. This is freely available from animal charities, such as the Blue Cross. Although there is some use of fireworks outside the traditional times of the year, the Government believes that the majority of people who use fireworks do so appropriately and have a sensible and responsible attitude towards them. There are no plans at the moment to place further limitations on their use, however, I, with many others, will continue to monitor the situation to ensure that current legislation and guidance is fit for their purpose.

Geoffrey Cox

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BUSINESS

IT FAQs

Gidon from The Technology Company answers your technology questions

Q. I’d like something to track my activity levels. What would you recommend?

Activity trackers or fitness bands, have become very popular and range hugely in their features. Basic activity trackers measure your steps, calories burned and quality of sleep. The waterproof Garmin vivofit 2 would be my pick with over a year of battery life.

Beyond the basic activity trackers, more expensive models introduce wrist based heart rate monitoring for more accurate measurements of calories burned; smart notifications from your Bluetooth connected phone and some even have integrated GPS. Although these really move into the Smart Watch territory.

Battery life suffers with more features, ranging from 7 days to only 24 hours. A few options would be the Garmin Vivosmart HR and the Fitbit Charge HR without GPS, or the Garmin Vivoactive and Fitbit Surge, with GPS. Q. We’d like to play the latest computer games on our desktop PC. Is this possible?

Many desktop PCs bought within the last 3 years can easily be upgraded to play the latest computer games. In most cases, all you’ll need is a graphics card, which simply slots into your

computer’s case. For around £100, an nVidia GTX 750 Ti will handle most games. For under £170, an nVidia GTX 960 will provide performance easily rivalling the latest consoles, with far cheaper games.

With the advent of game distribution services like Steam, purchasing and installing games couldn’t be easier. See my complete article: http://goo.gl/xMlhpR. Q. I’d like to convert a few of my old vinyl records to digital files to play on my smartphone and Bluetooth speaker. How would I go about this?

This can be done fairly cheaply, although it is time consuming. You’ll usually need a phono to 3.5mm cable, to connect from your amp’s audio out, to a computer’s line in port. Download the free sound recording and editing software Audacity, play the record and press the red record button. You can perform basic editing of the created file to remove clicks and pops and other unwanted audio if you want. Finally, export the file as an MP3.

Gidon Reid

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BUSINESS

Mental Capacity It’s something we all take for granted but what happens to us when we lose our mental capacity?

Nowadays, progressive mental illnesses, such as dementia, mean that whilst we may be in good physical health, our mental health can rapidly decline and we can quickly lose the mental capacity to deal with our financial affairs. If this happens and there is no Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) in place, it can be a very costly and lengthy process involving the Court where decisions will need to be made on your behalf by another party. Often, this may be someone who does not know you such as Social Services and has no idea about your wishes and feelings. This person, known as a Deputy, may also be able to charge certain fees for looking after your property and affairs and would have the power to sell your home to pay for any care home fees if this were necessary.

As well as making decisions about finances, you can give the power to your attorney to make decisions about your own health and welfare. This is equally important, especially if you have strong views about whether you wish to move to a care home or want to remain in your own home for as long as possible. Also, you can express your wishes about whether or not you wish to receive life sustaining treatment.

However, if you were to give power to another person (your attorney) whilst you still had the capacity to do so, this would be registered in advance with the Court and if you were ever to lose the capacity to deal with your own property or financial affairs, then the process for your attorney to step in and do so would be very straightforward. Your attorney can be a family member, friend or a solicitor.

If you would like more information about creating a Lasting Power of Attorney, please feel free to call us to speak with one of our team.

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Having the power now to specify your wishes can mean that you have some degree of control over your financial affairs and matters concerning your own health and welfare. The LPA once registered, can also be used immediately, if you would prefer for your attorney to deal with certain matters on your behalf straight away.

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HISTORY

Regarding ‘Pork Hill and Pew Tor’

Reading the article ‘Pork Hill to Pew Tor’, published in the Feb/Mar edition of Moor and Tavy Links I wondered if your readers had observed any of the marks incised into the granite at certain points around Pew Tor, and if so, if they were aware of their significance?

A great deal of granite cutting took place here in years past, particularly in the nineteenth century, for developments in Tavistock and other towns. Around the tor’s summit nine marks can be seen, consisting of a cross within a circle roughly 9 inches in diameter. The taking of granite was authorised under licence from the Duchy of Cornwall and the marks were cut in 1847 to define a protective limit within which none was to be removed.

As the nineteenth century advanced some people were expressing concern at the quantity of granite being taken from the tor’s immediate slopes, to the detriment of its appearance, and so, in 1896, the protective limit was widened, defined by four rather different marks comprising a slightly smaller circle and cross, with 5 holes made by a ‘jumper’ at the crosses’ points and centre. These were recorded on a Duchy map, and those on the north-west, south-west, and south-east corners of the area have been located, but not one on the north-east, despite much searching. However, the north-west rock bears two such marks on different faces. (I often wonder if perhaps the stone-cutter sent out to make the marks had some cider with his midday snack and afterwards dozed off’, then forgot to move on before cutting the last one).

more extensively, and included details of the Pew Tor activities and marks, in my paper: Nineteenth Century Granite Working on Pew Tor and Staple Tor,Western Dartmoor’ presented to the Devonshire Association in 1981, and published in the Transactions of the Devonshire Association 113. 1981. The full range of these Transactions is accessible in the Tavistock Library, and elsewhere. In more recent years some further examples of sett-makers’ bankers have been located in other parts of the moor and described by other writers..

Helen Harris

Much surface granite was also worked on the north side of the Princetown road, on the southern and eastern slopes of Staple Tors. In this area, among the clitter, are a number of settmakers’ bankers, as they were called, – small primitive benches formed into the hillside by the placing of two upright pieces of granite about 1 foot 6 inches apart, and another slab across the top, approximately a foot above ground level. Here the men crouched, cutting small granite setts from larger blocks Several of the bankers are found in small groups, often surrounded by a scatter of granite chips. In this exposed situation weather can be harsh, and sometimes small shelters of galvanised iron were erected for protection. The industry was particularly busy here in the 1870s, before Merrivale Quarry was opened. The setts produced were taken away in wagons for paving roads, in Tavistock, in Plymouth and in London.

I have written about the sett-makers’ bankers in my Industrial Archaeology of Dartmoor (first edition 1968, published by David & Charles). After further research I dealt with the subject

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69

HISTORY

Our Lady of the Assumption and St Mary Magdalen Built by William, eighth Duke of Bedford as a Chapel of Ease, it is now preserved for the future with help from recent parish fund raising and grants.

The Church of Our Lady of the Assumption and St Mary Magdalen is a thriving place of worship in the Catholic Parish of Tavistock with a congregation of about 110 adults and children attending Mass each Sunday. However it was originally built by William, eighth Duke of Bedford as a Chapel of Ease for St Eustachius, the Parish Church of Tavistock, and intended for use by the expanding population of miners who worked in the Great Consoles copper mines during the 19th century. At that time it was known as the Fitzford Church due to its proximity to the Fitz family manor house.

The church was designed by the renowned architect Henry Clutton, and built between 1865-1867 in a style reminiscent of Italian churches, with a tall tower which almost appears detached from the main body of the church. The main entrance is housed in the tower, although there is another much grander entrance on the opposite side which would have been reserved solely for use by the Dukes of Bedford. Local building materials were used in the construction such as the Hurdwick ashlar used for many of the public buildings in the centre of Tavistock.

Vlll, Tavistock was the site of a Benedictine Abbey founded in the 10th century and dedicated to Our Lady and St Rumon.

In the Middle Ages Tavistock also had a leper hospital with a chapel, dedicated to St Mary Magdalen and St Theobald, which became known as the ‘Maudlin Chapel’. The chapel was situated on the west side of Tavistock, slightly to the north east of the current Catholic Church, hence the current name of ‘Our Lady of the Assumption and St Mary Magdalen’ and also the nearby street ‘Maudlins Lane’.

As copper production declined in the mines towards the end of the nineteenth century, so did the population on the western side of Tavistock, rendering a second Anglican church unnecessary. In the early 1900s the Duke of Bedford transferred ownership of his Tavistock buildings to the Town Council and the church became the property of the Parish. The church closed in 1918 but was then reopened in 1936 when the land around the church was sold to fund essential repairs.

It closed again in 1947.

Since the reformation there had not been an official Catholic church in Tavistock, although parishioners used a chapel at Mount Tavy from 1906 to 1922, and then after the Carmelite nuns came to Booking essential at Tavistock they were able to use the small www.torroyal.co.uk Convent Chapel. The number of Catholic or 01822 890189 parishioners steadily increased and so when the parish priest of Tavistock, Father Michael McSweeny, heard that the church in Callington Road was to be sold he set proceedings in motion for the church to become the property of the Catholic Diocese of Plymouth in 1951, when it was also given Grade II* Listing by English Heritage.

Prior to the dissolution of the monasteries in the time of Henry

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How to do Family History Research

The church has a number of interesting features including three stained glass windows erected in the memory of Sarah Ann Trist in 1912 which depict the Annunciation, the Nativity and Christ welcoming the faithful into His kingdom. The Crucifix on the east wall of the Sanctuary was donated by the Bridgetinnes of South Brent. It is believed it was carved in Portugal post 1594 when the nuns moved there following the Reformation, and was then brought back to England when they returned in 1861. There is also an altar which was commissioned in memory of fallen comrades by a group of Polish servicemen stationed in Yelverton during WWII. They worshipped at St Joseph’s Chapel in Gunnislake and when the church closed, the altar was transferred to Tavistock. A more recent addition is the display of Santo Nino procession banners used by the local Filipino community for its January fiesta.

been completed. The parish has raised thousands of pounds to maintain and improve the church building and grants have also been received from English Heritage, Garfield Weston Foundation and Devon Historic Churches. As a consequence this historic church building has been preserved for posterity while also providing a beautiful and functional place of worship for its active congregation which celebrated the church’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012.

From Easter the church will be open to visitors every Saturday from 10:45 am to 3:30 pm. Services are held on Sundays and at various times during the week for more details please visit the parish website: www.ourladytavistock.org.uk

After the first closure of the Chapel of Ease in 1917 very little money was spent on maintaining the church building until the 1990s when the congregation had a new heating system installed and a major part of the church re-roofed. Since then the collapsed Victorian drains have had to be replaced and alterations to provide disabled access and fit internal glass doors have

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In this column we will be bringing you ideas and tips on how to go about researching your ancestors. Each month there will be a theme. To start off, we look at a common question: just where do you start?

The best place to begin is to gather all the information you already have. Do you have any old photos of grandparents or great-grandparents?

Or great-aunts and uncles? What about old letters or diaries or journals? Or the family bible? These can be a mine of information if you look through them carefully. They may tell you where an ancestor lived, or what they did for a living, or give you a birth or death date. They may give you the names of the ancestor’s parents, or brothers and sisters.

All this information will be invaluable when you come to start looking up your ancestors in the records. And there are bound to be family stories which you can collect and write down - but beware, family stories have a way of turning out to be semi-mythical, and need to be taken with a pinch of salt.

Once you have gathered all the information you have, then it will be time to turn to the records. Devon County Council has a website on Family History which will give you an idea of the kinds of records which are available: www.devon.gov.uk/index/ councildemocracy/record_office/ family_history_3.htm Susan Francia is a genealogist and family history researcher.

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TRADE SECRETS

TRADE SECRETS Sarah Gleadall – Communications and PR Consultant

I met Sarah at the newly formed Women’s Networking Group at the Tavistock Enterprise Hub. She has very quickly established herself as a generous font of knowledge, experience and insight.

A fairly recent convert to the freelancing world, Sarah has moved to the South West after years of living and working in London and the South East. She specialises in the not for profit sector (charities and social enterprises).

Why did you become a freelance communications and PR consultant?

I love working for organisations committed to people and communities. Having worked in communications and PR in the non profit sector for twenty years, I realised that I had transferrable skills that could definitely be applied to organisations in the South West.

Where do you work?

I work from home but cover Devon and the South West, with some clients nationally and even internationally.

How much training is involved and what qualifications to you need?

Writing skills are essential, and a strategic mind set is definitely an asset. I think you can either learn by the qualification route, or through experience. Communications and PR are a skill, a discipline in their own right and it’s very easy to get it wrong.

Organisations, even small ones, are increasingly realising that communications sits at the heart of their success – so it’s also a big responsibility to get it right on their behalf.

How long have you been in this kind of role?

I started out as a sales and marketing assistant for a small publisher, then I moved on to a role at Centrepoint (youth homelessness charity) where things really came alive for me.

Marketing for an organisation that directly benefits the lives of vulnerable people makes it all meaningful. While I was there, I learned the art of how to tell the story to galvanise support - I loved helping to tell our young peoples’ stories to people who wanted to help them, including celebrities and very powerful individuals. After a stint with a youth organisation in Australia, I came back to London and worked with the Local Authority in Southwark. It was in the period when Damilola Taylor was tragically murdered. We were trying to turn the Aylesbury Estate around and it was very hard work, but fascinating. From there I went on to work with the British Red Cross, where I Iead emergency response communications including during the 7/7 London bombings. Most recently I was head of Communications at Plymouth Community Homes, and it was a privilege to help this 78

new organisation make such a difference for the city.

Who else works with you?

I collaborate with Giuseppe Baggiani, a colleague and local consultant on digital marketing elements of projects - Insight Communications.

How does you day usually unfold?

There is no such thing as a typical day!

What would you say to someone thinking of this as a career?

Make every effort to understand what organisations are about, where you want to be and don’t see PR as a bubble. Get your fundamental skills, but always think about where you want to apply them and what kind of organisation you want to work for.

What is the best thing about your job?

Seeing that you’re making a difference for the people you’ve worked with. Understanding the vision and needs of an organisation and helping them achieve it.

What is the best thing about working here on the edge of Dartmoor?

It’s a much more diverse community than some might expect, but what binds everybody together is a real sense of community.

When you put that sense of community against the stunning backdrop of Dartmoor, it’s hard to imagine wanting to be anywhere else!

What do you think of the Women’s Networking Group?

It breaks the mould of traditional networks and appeals because it’s made up of real women who aren’t afraid to tell the real story. We’re all from very different businesses, interests and experiences, but I see it as a really creative and inspiring hub of professional energy that people might not always know is there. We’re women who are serious about progressing our own businesses and opportunities for Tavistock.

To join the Tavistock Area Women’s Networking Group contact Rhiannon via www.tavistockenterprisehub.co.uk

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