Plym Links August/September 2022 by Links Magazines

PLYM LINKS August/September 2022 | Issue 16

Singin’ in the Rain is back to make a splash!

MEET

the locals

Lynn Tamsett-White, Woolwell Centre’s new manager Peter Burkill, a former Professor at University of Plymouth

Grateful Dad takes on Dartmoor challenge

TOUR DE MOOR

cycling challenge returns for 2022

Help celebrate

Dartmoor Pony Show’s

NATURE

Managing the growing deer population

30th year

Plymouth College of Art achieves university status

CHARITY

Veteran focused events are a hit at Age UK Plymouth

GARDENING Sustainability was key theme at Chelsea Flower Show In support of Ukraine

Plus Summer tips for your garden

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FROM THE EDITOR

Welcome to the August/September edition of Plym Links!

The deadline date for any inclusions in the October/ November issue of Plym Links is September 2, 2022 For all editorial enquiries please contact Lindsay Turpin via email at: lindsay.turpin@linksmagazines.co.uk THE LINKS TEAM: Publisher: Tim Randell Editor: Lindsay Turpin Design: Julian Rees Advertising: Jane Daniel, Olivia Breyley, Joanne Mallard

To promote your business to 16,100 readers call: ✆ 07450 161929 www.linkspublishing.co.uk ON THE COVER: Singin’ In The Rain (see page 41)

This edition is very much focussed on local life-saving charities and following your passions, so I hope, as you sit down to ﬂick through this magazine with a cup of tea, you will be inspired by what you read. The feature in this edition is all about a life saving charity - South West Blood Bikes. Volunteers provide a free out of hours emergency courier service to the NHS, and other medical facilities, using its ﬂeet of motorcycles and cars, using a concept that dates back to 1962. Read about this incredible charity on pages 6 to 7. For our local people we focus on Woolwell resident Lynn Tamsett-White and former University of Plymouth professor Peter Burkill. Lynn is The Woolwell Centre’s new manager and is bringing her wealth of experience and can do attitude to her new role. Lynn knows the area like the back of her hand and is delighted to have been chosen as the Centre’s new manager. When Peter Burkill was Professor at the University of Plymouth, he started an international programme of research on the Indian Ocean. In his research, he has travelled widely, and is now also a Nikon sponsored

Contents | August & September 6 Feature 8 Local People 12 Noticeboard 19 Business 20 Animal Life 21 Education 22 Nature 24 Gardening 30 Charity 33 Health

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35 Sport 37 What’s On 44 Music & Art 45 Farming 47 Food & Drink 48 Walk 50 History 52 Directory 54 Trade Secrets

wildlife photographer with a particular penchant for pine martens. To read more on Lynn and Peter, see pages 8 to 11. On page 12 we have a feature focussed on a long-standing employee at Theatre Royal Plymouth. Jill Bright has just celebrated her 26th year at the theatre, and I think you will agree that it’s a remarkable achievement. Plus, she is my wonderful Mum, so I am extremely proud of her. There is lots to see and do around Plymouth throughout August and September - take a look at our What’s On pages and Music and Arts section for a little inspiration (pages 37 to 44). Remember to let me know what’s going on in your area, whether it’s regular classes or clubs in the village hall, craft fairs or pre-Christmas parties and nights out. I would love to help publicise them for you. I hope you enjoy reading this issue of Plym Links.

Lindsay

Lindsay Turpin Editor, Plym Links 07738231933 lindsay.turpin@linksmagazines.co.uk

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² @plymlinks

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OUR MISSION IS CLEAR - save lives and improve outcomes for patients’ Have you seen ‘blood’ bikes on your roads and wondered exactly what it is they carry? Well, it’s a lot more than you think.

n line with many similar groups nationwide South West ‘It is important to understand that we are not commercial couriers,’ added Mark: ‘We exist only to Blood Bikes provides a free volunteer out of hours emergency courier service to the NHS, and other medical supply an urgent out of hours service, and not regular contracted work which the NHS use their own courier facilities, using its fleet of motorcycles and cars. network and paid contractors for during office hours. We The concept of Blood Bikes dates back to 1962, when exist to step in when something is needed outside of this Margaret Ryerson, and her husband, became the first arrangement.’ volunteers to help their local hospital in Wallington, South West Blood Bikes was established as a charity Surrey, using her trusted Ariel motorcycle and sidecar. in November 2018. The charity was conceived by a Chairman Mark Bentley said: ‘Our mission is clear number of riders who previously volunteered with a - to save lives and improve outcomes for patients by similar charity elsewhere within the county. They had supporting healthcare providers where rapid movement concerns about the way in which that organisation was of the items we transport will achieve this. being operated and decided to break away and set up a ‘In addition, Blood Bike charities save the NHS, and new and separate organisation Hospices they serve, hundreds of thousands of pounds every The volunteers move Whole which was more transparent its operation, had no paid year. If we were not providing Blood, Pathology and Microbiology in staff, and made no charge for its this service, they would be samples, Donor Breast Milk, Medical service. This is a fundamental forced to use expensive private principle of the Blood Bike Records and X-Rays, Medical couriers or even taxis to do the charities nationwide. same job.’ Equipment and Test Kits, and Today, its founder and trustee, South West Blood Bikes are the medications including controlled Michael Freeman, remains as a only such service in Devon to drugs - in fact anything that is volunteer rider with the charity, be members of the Nationwide but handed responsibility for required urgently by a medical Association of Blood Bikes, the day-to-day operation of meaning they have been facility, providing it can fit on a the charity to Chairman, Mark vetted and found to meet their motorcycle! Bentley. Mark is an experienced standards of operation, and manager with operational form part of a chain of Blood experience, and also has significant experience of running Bikes covering the whole of the UK and Ireland – and charities – as well as being the first rider SWBB brought can move items quickly nationwide by working in relay on board following its formation. with the NABB groups in each county. The charity has 54 working volunteers at this time, The volunteers move Whole Blood, Pathology and most of whom are actively involved in riding or driving Microbiology samples, Donor Breast Milk, Medical to provide the service. The only members who do not Records and X-Rays, Medical Equipment and Test Kits, actively carry out Blood Bike missions for the service are and medications including controlled drugs - in fact six volunteer controllers, who take and allocate the calls anything that is required urgently by a medical facility, received, and four fundraisers. The remaining volunteers providing it can fit on a motorcycle! are all directly involved with providing the service on a The service is from 5pm to 7am weekdays and provides rota basis. 24-hour cover during weekends and public holidays. The group initially commenced operation from a unit in 24-hour cover was maintained during periods of national Plymouth, which is still in use today, but it has expanded, lockdown due to Covid-19.

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FEATURE an estimated saving of £7,500 (at £40 per collection) to with teams based at Torbay and North Devon District the NHS and improved outcomes for approximately 960 Hospital in Barnstaple. patients. Demand for the charity’s services during the Covid-19 ‘We believe therefore we save the local NHS Trusts and crisis has been ‘huge’. Mark added: ‘On top of our usual Hospices around £90k per annum, which can be used work, we have also been assisting University Hospitals instead on patient care. This is based on our current Trust by taking Covid-19 Test Kits to patients’ homes, capability but we estimate once our full potential is waiting while they perform the tests, and taking these realised that saving could rise to £250k.’ to a Microbiology lab for testing. We have carried out Despite starting only three years ago, South West Blood literally thousands of these tests, at no cost to the NHS, Bikes has grown from a very and dealing with Covid patients small operation, just three face to face also involves a riders and bikes, to what it significant personal risk for our is today, and the charity is volunteer riders. We are the immensely proud of the work only Blood Bike service used by that the volunteers undertake. UHP Trust, and have just in fact ‘Our founder had a clear signed a new two year service vision that our service will level agreement with them. always be free to use, will be ‘In addition to this, other transparent and open in its ways we have supported the operation, and that no-one community include delivering will benefit financially from urgent medications to the being involved with the vulnerable shielding patients. charity, and we are proud to When lockdown started, the Mark Anstis (West Team Manager), Matt Newton (Volunteer Driver), Tedward Bear – the Mascot, and Mark Bentley (Chairman) carry on this tradition. community pharmacies were ‘Our view is that we will overwhelmed with delivery requests over and above normal levels and our volunteers always have cover available to all the major hospitals in Devon, and that our teams will be able to respond to stepped in to help with this, and we carried out around urgent calls within a very short time of being asked for 1,000 deliveries in the first few weeks of lockdown.’ help. We are lucky to have a fantastic band of volunteers But this has had an adverse effect on the charity’s making this possible, and we will continue to develop finances. ‘A Blood Bike charity generally raises funds by our service based on the changing needs of our users to physical collections - and of course lockdown meant that we were immediately unable to do this. The current high ensure we support the NHS and Hospices we serve to help save lives and improve patient outcomes. fuel costs are also adding to this pressure, and as we have ‘Our volunteers give much more than their time too. A now taken on significant work, this is driving pressure on little known fact is that of the ten liveried Blood Bikes our funding also.’ we operate, seven of these were purchased by volunteers The financial benefit to the NHS is hard to quantify within the group and donated to the charity.’ n for the charity, but during March 2022 SWBB vehicles completed 187 jobs and covered 3,900 miles. This gives Lindsay Turpin

For more information: Visit www.swbb.org.uk or find them on Facebook ‘South West Blood Bikes’. Please mention PLYM LINKS when responding to adverts

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Lynn Tamsett-White

New Woolwell Centre Manager takes the reins

imaginative and I have so many ideas for the Centre. ‘I want to rethink the things that have always been ynn is The done, just because they have always been done doesn’t Woolwell mean we can’t change it to make things even better. I Centre’s new am willing to take on the challenge but we are in real manager and need for more funding and more money. We are a is bringing charitable trust and rely on Centre users for income her wealth of along with grant funding, which is diminishing in the experience and current climate. If we do not get any grant funding or can do attitude to her new role. community support the Centre will cease to exist. A Woolwell resident for 25 years, Lynn knows the I have already lined up two fantastic events; Friday 30 area like the back of her hand and is delighted to have September, The Jersey Quartet and on Saturday 26 been chosen as the Centre’s new manager. November, Pink World Number One tribute act. Lynn takes over from Carole Spencer who was in the ‘We are able to cater for just about anything that is post for 13 years. asked of us at the Centre and we are always ready for a The Woolwell Centre is situated at the heart of challenge’, added Lynn. Woolwell and its aim is As a Woolwell resident, to encourage local people As a Woolwell resident, Lynn Lynn has the community of all ages to get involved has the community at heart and at heart and volunteers and participate in a range her time as a local Parish of activities and exciting volunteers her time as a local Councillor for Bickleigh events. The Centre strives Parish Councillor for Bickleigh Parish Council and is also to support both businesses Parish Council and is also a trustee a trustee for the Discovery and individuals together. By MAT (Multi Academy encouraging sponsorship, for the Discovery MAT Trust) which incorporates voluntary work and many Oakwood, Beechwood & Weston Mill Primary schools, activities to the centre, the aim is to enhance the led by Alison Nettleship. lives of the local community of Woolwell and the An experienced professional, Lynn has been a dedicated surrounding areas. worker since the age of 16. The centre was built for the benefit of the local Following a week of work experience at Natwest residents and is a large and impressive building set in its Bank, Tavistock, at the age of 15 she was invited to an own grounds. interview with the Bank on her 16th birthday. She was Lynn said: ‘The Woolwell Centre is a building in successful and had a career with the bank for 24 years, the heart of the community but it needs to be better where she rose through the ranks. advertised and I feel it needs a complete makeover, During her time at Natwest, which later became the I hope to use my energy to push it forward. I am

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LOCAL PEOPLE Royal Bank of Scotland Group, Lynn met her wife Angie. They married in September 2008 and share 2 children. When their Plymouth office closed in 2012, Lynn and Angie found themselves contemplating their next move, and what followed was something neither of them could calculate. ‘We wanted to take a gap couple of month’s after our redundancy from the Bank,’ said Lynn. ‘Angie’s mum is German and we wanted to travel through Germany, but I said that if we were going to go to the country then I needed to learn German. I spent six months learning the language and we were ready to go.’ But, part of the redundancy package from the Bank was to teach people how to get back into work. ‘We followed the redundancy guidelines and both gained employment therefore we are yet to fulfil our German travel dream.’ Lynn went on to work for Marjons in 2012 until this year, 2022, when she saw the position of Woolwell Centre manager advertised. ‘After Covid lockdowns everyone was slightly different and had different outlooks on life. It gave me time to reflect, despite working through the pandemic. One thing for me was that our eldest daughter got married in 2015 and had our first grandson in 2018 - it makes you

value your time with them more. Edison is the first boy in Angie’s family, for a long time, and he is a sheer joy to have. We now have a granddaughter Adalin, being a grandparent is beyond words! ‘I used the opportunity to find another career path to spend more time with my family and here we are! ‘I can’t get over how perfect this job is. I timed my walk to work and it’s roughly 4 minutes and 39 seconds; once I managed to get sub-4 minutes - not that I am competitive...’ laughed Lynn. ‘The location from my home to work is great as I can pop in and out throughout the day to help and support staff.’ In her personal time, as well as spending time with her family, Lynn and Angie are keen walkers with their ‘baby’, their 9-yearold black Labrador Louie. For more information on The Woolwell Centre visit the Woolwell Centre Lynn’s Facebook page or www. Labrador woolwellcentre.co.uk n Louie Lindsay Turpin

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Why bother understanding the Indian Ocean? Peter Burkill, former Pofessor of Ocean Science at the University of Plymouth

even years ago, when Peter Burkill was Professor of Ocean Science at the University of Plymouth, he started an international programme of research on the Indian Ocean. In his research, he has travelled widely, and is now also a Nikon sponsored wildlife photographer with a particular penchant for pine martens. In October, Peter will be giving a Tavistock Heritage Trust talk about why we need to understand the Indian Ocean, the least studied and arguably the most sensitive, of all our oceans. The Indian Ocean’s core temperature electricity to dissipate 15kW of heat from the laser. It is rising the fastest of all oceans, and the surrounding was a crazy idea with a lot of teething problems but in populations are also the fastest growing, placing the end it worked extraordinarily well. With this unique increasing pressures on natural systems. ‘Why bother capability, I amassed a very large number of publications understanding the Indian Ocean?’ is on 6 October in and gained fellowships from the Royal Society of Tavistock Guildhall - see What’s On for more details. Biology, the Royal Microscope Society and very recently Peter continues… from the Marine Biological Association of the UK. I was born in Kuala Lumpur in 1950, growing up on I moved back to Southampton University in 2002 as the beaches of Malaya and diving before there were any a professor to head up the George Deacon Division diving qualifications. This was to help my father who for Ocean Science. That involved five years of weekly was working on seaweeds and my job was to harvest commuting between Devon and Hampshire before them from the offshore reefs. moving back permanently to So oceans, wildlife and wild Plymouth as Director of the We enjoy living in an old places have always interested Sir Alister Hardy Foundation farmstead on Dartmoor which we me. for Ocean Studies (SAHFOS) My first degree is in biology on the Hoe. During this time, bought 40 years ago in a derelict and my PhD was gained from became a professor at state and resurrected, although our IthealsoUniversity Southampton University in of Plymouth. In parents thought we were crazy Ocean Science. I then moved 2012, I was elected President to Plymouth in 1975 to join of the Scientific Committee on the Plymouth Marine Laboratory where I eventually Oceanic Research (SCOR). SCOR is an international held a prestigious Individual Merit post. In that time, I non-governmental non-profit organization, with some set up the first marine flow cytometry facility in Europe. 40 members, that coordinates fundamental research I should explain that flow cytometry was a laser-based internationally. To be elected president was a great technique devised for analysing cancer in human blood. honour and I held the post for eight years. Unfortunately, I figured that human blood cells are fundamentally little it was also incompatible with being Director of different from microbes in the sea (that was my research SAHFOS, so I resigned the latter. In 2020 I decided topic) - and that proved correct. There were though to seek new challenges and resigned from my paid huge challenges. Not only was the instrument seriously university post. Judith Petts, the Vice-Chancellor, was expensive (costing hundreds of thousands of pounds) good enough to award me an Emeritus Chair which I but to operate on a ship at sea required a deck-mounted continue to hold. 20-foot container and a chiller that needed 3-phase During the last decade, I have served on many advisory

Peter Burkill

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LOCAL PEOPLE boards including the Scottish Association for Marine Science in Oban. While giving a public lecture in Oban, I was asked if I’d ever photographed pine martens. Like almost everyone, I had not even seen one in the wild. But this question started my interest, as the questioner had pine martens visiting her cottage in the wilds of Argyll where I now visit every year. Although wild and very shy, pine martens are addicted to peanuts so I have found I can tempt them into photographic range when I’m out of sight. I photograph them from inside the cottage using wireless connections to my Nikon cameras and flash guns. There is a lot of technology involved but Nikon cameras are good in low light and I feel I have now mastered this. Nikon’s sponsorship is invaluable particularly if anything goes wrong while I am travelling. I have worked on all the Earth’s continents including Antarctica, and this year I went to Svalbard in July to photograph polar bears and will travel to Ecuador in October to photograph its extensive wildlife. So, I have been lucky both in ocean science and in my wildlife photography, and throughout very ably supported by my wife. We enjoy living in an old farmstead on Dartmoor which we bought 40 years ago in a derelict state and resurrected, although our parents thought we were crazy. We brought up our two boys there - now married with their own children.

My wife is a parish councillor while I am on the village hall committee, so I like to think we are giving back something to our community! n Professor Peter Burkill Pine Marten

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‘There’s nowhere else I’d like to work, genuinely’ As Theatre Royal Plymouth celebrates 40 years in 2022, long-serving staff member Jill Bright, who has worked for the company over the past 26 years, shares her memories of the theatre.

Jill Bright

Currently a stage door keeper, Jill knew from a young age that she wanted to work in a theatre. ‘I grew up in South East London, near Lewisham with my mum, dad and three sisters. I used to go to see shows with my mum all the time, but I’d always want to know what went on behind the scenes.’ Jill recalls how her school teachers dissuaded her from a career in theatre. ‘I wasn’t very good at school at all and left school at 16. My career’s teacher when I was 14 or 15 was Miss Jefferies. I said to her “I want to work in the theatre” and she said “you wouldn’t be an actress”.’ Jill’s first job was a brief stint in McDonald’s before she moved into the admin department at New Scotland Yard, and later Catford Police Station. When Jill decided to relocate to Devon, she enrolled onto a degree course in Drama in the Community at South Devon College, at the age of 30. ‘During the course, we came to the Theatre Royal Plymouth and I loved it. You know when you go to a place and think ‘I’d really like to work there.’ Alongside university, Jill worked as a production manager for the Devon Youth Theatre. ‘I loved the idea of setting up an empty space, seeing the audience come in, watching the show, and then being the last one out.’ It was after completing university and moving to Tavistock that Jill started in the Box Office in 1996. She

also spent time working in the admin department, and then became house manager, where she oversaw many spaces at TRP as well as the TR2 reception. Long hours and having a grandson meant Jill was keen to find a part-time role within the theatre and five years ago, she became one of the stage door keepers. Jill particularly enjoys meeting visiting companies. She is often the first person they see when arriving at the theatre, ahead of a production opening. Meeting celebrities who she idolised as a youngster, is one aspect which Jill looks forward to at stage door. ‘You try to be really cool when you see the famous people,’ Jill laughs. ‘Christopher Biggins is lovely; he’s been here a few times. Lovely, lovely man. David Suchet is one of my favourites as well. I had lunch with Matthew Kelly in the green room once. My absolute favourite is Gary Wilmot. He’s become a good friend and I sometimes go and see him in shows in London. And recently, Brenda Edwards from Loose Women. She was here for Hairspray and the first thing she said to me was “do you want a doughnut?” I thought “we’ll be friends”.’ Away from the theatre, Jill has been a volunteer at Hospital Radio Plymouth for 20 years. She also has two grandchildren who she sees regularly and keep her entertained. Reflecting on a quarter of a century at Theatre Royal Plymouth, Jill concludes: ‘There’s nowhere else I’d like to work, genuinely.’

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Thousands raised for Ukraine by generous bus drivers and passengers Plymouth Citybus and Go Cornwall Bus have sent a combined total of almost £3,000 to support Ukraine, including donations from passengers, drivers and colleagues. A striking double decker bus is being used across Plymouth and Cornwall to show support for the people of Ukraine and to help raise vital funds for those affected by the war. The bus is being used on Plymouth Citybus and Go Cornwall Bus routes to help raise awareness of the Disaster Emergency Committee’s humanitarian appeal, with a donation point inside for those who wish to give cash. Drivers and other colleagues wore blue and yellow for a week in exchange for a donation and to show their support, and other fundraising activities took place. The grand total so far is £2,919.30, which has been sent to the DEC Ukraine Appeal. The bus is still being used across Plymouth and Cornwall, and donations will be monitored and sent to the appeal periodically. Plymouth Citybus and Go Cornwall Bus are also working with the local authorities to provide free bus transport to any refugees arriving in the area as a result of the Ukraine crisis. Richard Stevens, MD of Go South West, which incorporates Plymouth Citybus and Go Cornwall Bus, said: “Like many people we felt saddened and pretty helpless by the Ukraine War. We hope our Peace Bus is going to be a strong visual demonstration of our support wherever it travels across Plymouth and Cornwall. “The events in Ukraine have shocked us all, and we know lots of people will be affected in different ways. Many of our team felt that they wanted to do something positive to

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Great support for Donate for Dartmoor A major cycling sportive has boosted funds for Donate for Dartmoor – helping to replace National Park signs. The Dartmoor Classic Sportive, organised and run by Mid Devon Cycling Club, is an annual cycling challenge open to cyclists of all abilities. A well-known and popular event, three route options allow riders to experience an open road sportive in outstanding National Park scenery. The £2,300 donation contributed towards new ‘gateway’ signs to replace the 20-year-old brown timber information boards seen as you come into Dartmoor via principal roads. The new information boards are interchangeable allowing information to be updated throughout the year so people have timely, helpful information. For example the panels can highlight speed limits, fire risks or warn of snowy and icy conditions plus more. The intention is that all of them will be replaced as part of a special project over the next 2 to 3 years. Donate for Dartmoor is the Dartmoor National Park’s fundraising scheme and is supported by a number of individuals, sporting events and community groups, all of which appreciate the recreational, educational and well-being benefits that Dartmoor provides.

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Planning permission granted for major healthcare estate developments University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust is pleased to have secured planning permission on two major developments that will see more than £140-million invested in the region’s largest acute hospital. In addition to this news, Devon CCG has also been granted planning permission on a £35-million project in the heart of Plymouth City Centre. University Hospitals Plymouth will be part of the partnership of providers that will support this important new facility. Urgent and Emergency Care Centre (Future Hospitals Phase 1) University Hospitals Plymouth is on a journey to redevelop the healthcare estate as part of the Government’s New Hospital Programme. The focus for phase one of the ‘Future Hospital’ programme will be on improved provision for urgent and emergency care services at Derriford Hospital. This will involve the development of a new Urgent and Emergency Care Centre; a purpose-built facility, creating space to care for the sickest patients. The new 15,000m2 build will see the co-location of the Emergency Department with urgent care pathways and the addition of dedicated interventional radiology

theatre capacity (hybrid theatres which bring realtime diagnostic imaging capabilities into the operating theatre). Enabling work is due to begin later this year with plans for construction work to start in 2023. The Future Hospital Programme is a long-term programme of change that will fundamentally transform how care is delivered. The new hospital programmes in Plymouth, North Devon and Torbay will form an important part of Devon’s Long-Term Plan. The plan will make sure healthcare services in Devon are fit for the future, providing high-quality care and better health outcomes for people and their families, through every stage of life. New REI (formerly known as the Royal Eye Inﬁrmary) Groundworks will soon begin on the William Prance Road site, with the first patients expected to arrive in the second half of 2022. The three-floor facility will bring together the outpatient and surgical eye treatments that are currently provided at Derriford Hospital. The new site offers improved access for patients with a drop-off zone and parking immediately outside of the building. The internal plans include an increased number of treatment rooms and an expanded area for young patients. West End Health and Wellbeing Centre (Devon CCG) Devon CCG is leading the development of a health and wellbeing hub in Plymouth City Centre, bringing together a wide range of health professionals, with the ambition of providing seamless care in a single setting. Alongside a range of mental, community, outpatient and diagnostic services, the building will contain a community kitchen, café, pharmacy and have a range of facilities for use by the voluntary sector to offer support that is tailored to the needs of the communities.

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Grateful Dad takes on Dartmoor challenge One local man battled the Dartmoor elements for 24-hours in order to raise money for two charities that saved his baby’s life. Lee Wickett completed 49 Tors, covering 56 moorland miles, all in aid of Papyrus UK (on behalf of Derriford Children’s Ward) and Bristol Children’s Hospital. The challenge - Tor24 - was organised by Lee as a way of thanking Derriford Hospital and Bristol Hospital for saving his son Charlie’s life and for the care he received from everyone. The total raised so far is nowover £5,000! Lee, along with friends Steve Andrews and Steve Payne, spent 24 hours on Dartmoor going non-stop to the top of as many tors as possible and the experience was one they will never forget. Lee said: ‘We experienced the worst and best of Dartmoor. Massive thanks to Steve Andrews and Steve Payne as it would not have gone as well without you both doing what you done over the weekend.’ Despite taking on the extreme challenge, Lee was keen to make sure that the focus was not on himself, but on the two hospitals. ‘Our youngest son Charlie was taken poorly at two weeks old back in November when his aorta collapsed and he has two holes in his heart. If it wasn’t for his mum’s intuition and the heroes in the paediatric department at Derriford Hospital Charlie would not be with us today, they were simply incredible. ‘We were taken to Bristol Children’s Hospital by the amazing WATCH team in the intensive care ambulance at 3am in the morning. Bristol have carried on the faultless work when they operated on Charlie to fix his

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aorta when he was 18 days old. ‘We will be forever grateful to everyone involved in saving Charlie’s life so as a thank you I spent 24 hours on Dartmoor and completed as many Tors as I could to raise as much as possible for these two charities. One was chosen by us and the other has been chosen by the team that brought him back to us in Derriford.’ To donate: Visit either www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ Lee-Wickett2 or www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Lee-Wickett1 or use the QR code below:

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Volunteers needed...

Citizens Advice South Hams is calling for volunteers of all backgrounds to deliver advice and support to local people as the mounting pressures of the cost-of-living crisis see more and more people seeking help. The charity is launching a fresh appeal for new recruits who can give one day a week to help people struggling with energy bills, benefit claims and entitlements, housing and debt issues. Last year this local charity supported over 4,700 people with almost 11,000 issues. It can only do this work thanks to its team of volunteers. The charity says no experience is necessary as full training will be provided, but IT skills are essential. Citizens Advice volunteers come from all walks of life and choose to volunteer for a variety of reasons. Many want to give something back to their community, to use their skills and experience for a worthwhile cause, or to enjoy the opportunity to meet new people. Janie Moor, Chief Officer at Citizens Advice South Hams, said : ‘We’re urging people to come forward to do something to help during this cost-of-living crisis, and volunteer with Citizens Advice South Hams. ‘As well as doing something positive for the local community, we know that people who give their time get

a lot back, be it enjoying the camaraderie of working in a team, learning new skills or campaigning on issues that are important to them. We’ll give you all the training you need and would love to hear from you.’

New civic chairman South Hams District Council new Chairman will be Cllr Lance Austen. The Ward Member for Ivybridge West, accepted the chain of office from outgoing Chairman, Cllr Richard Foss. This is the second time he has been a councillor for SHDC. He was first elected for a four-year period from 1999 to 2003 and was re-elected in May 2019. Cllr Austen has a lot of political experience; he has been a member of many Council Committees including Audit, Development Management (Planning) and Overview and Scrutiny. He has enjoyed the role of Vice Chairman of the Council since May 2021.

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NOTICEBOARD

2022 - an exciting year for

Woolwell in Bloom Months of planning, prepping, and planting has created a special space that Woolwell In Bloom team is proud to unveil. The year started with the team busy planning how best to use the space for their 2022 project - and the focus was on the Queen’s Jubilee. A Jubilee tree, a bench with a wheelchair/pushchair friendly path and a group of raised planters were the final ideas. Plans were quickly drawn up for planters and a supplier found, as well as permission from the local council. A Crabapple tree called Royalty was sourced and planted, which was soon covered in a rich deep purple blossom. The team then quickly submitted their entry to the Royal Horticultural Society’s Britain in Bloom Pennant category 2022. When May arrived, the work was in full swing; the residents were showing their support with donations of money, pots and plants, and the Woolwell Centre and local businesses were kindly doing their bit to help. In June, the bench arrived, paid for by Bickleigh Parish Council. The Woolwell in Bloom team has linked with Tavi Men in Sheds, who are building an assortment of nesting boxes, bee and bug houses and butterfly rests, as well as a large water butt enclosure to collect rainwater. Soraya Lewis-Coleman, chair of Woolwell in Bloom, said: ‘This new garden is to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee and we tried to source everything as locally as we could. One lovely local resident gave us a donation which was enough to purchase our Jubilee Tree, in keeping with what is already in the “garden” we have

planted a native crabapple, the variety is called Royalty with a lovely deep purple blossom, lush dark green leaves in summer turning to a rich rust colour in Autumn with red fruit. ‘This garden will be part of our entry into this year’s Britain in Bloom competition and we want it to be as successful as our first entry last year.’ Soraya added that the community has provided overwhelming support but it hasn’t always been smooth sailing: ‘The Woolwell community has been very supportive in everything we had done so far, but sadly we have experienced our first bout of vandalism, with three street sign pots stolen and one smashed. All of our pots were originally donated by our residents and two of the stolen ones and the smashed one were donated in memory of two much loved parents. When our residents heard about this they donated some to replace the others. ‘There are so many people that need thanking in helping us - too many to possibly mention but a very big thank you to our Woolwell Bloomers who give so much of their time to make our community such an amazing

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the surrounding areas.

BUSINESS

It’s our privilege to help...

neral for a loved one tionally challenging go though.

not, the sense of loss is often overwhelming. Take some deep breaths and remember that you don’t need to rush. When you are able, give your chosen funeral provider a call. This is the moment when we step in to support you. ‘We may not be able to bring your loved one straight home to us; for example, if the loss is unexpected then a coroner’s report will be required. However, as soon as we riding ourselves on are able, we will collect your family member and bring very funeral, which them into our care. ‘We will wash and dress them for you, providing a haircut if needed. We will talk to them and our staff may even join them for a cup of tea. Your loved one will be treated as part of our family.’ outhwest Funeral Care is a local, independent Southwest Funeral Care offers an in-house funeral plan family business. Based in Southway, their team has and can also plan services at the local crematoria; a years of experience in the care and funeral sectors, hearse, drivers and pall bearers are available and the ensuring that you and your loved one will be team can liaise with your celebrant and print treated with care and dignity. orders of service. If you’d like to plan a Planning a funeral for a loved one is an special route to the funeral location, this extremely difficult and emotionally can be arranged. challenging experience. Every Paul explained: ‘Your loved one’s person has their own way of funeral will celebrate their life. processing their personal grief; On the way to the crematorium, there is no right or wrong. we can include memorable places Death, and ultimately a funeral, that were part of their personal is our final rite of passage, so it is life story. normal to feel pressure to make ‘Should you find yourself in need things ‘perfect’. Southwest Funeral of our services, you and your Care’s advice is to choose what loved one will be of the upmost Regardless of whether a importance to us from the moment feels right for you. Share your memories and family values, as this death is expected or not, the of first contact. will help your provider to shape a ‘When celebrating somebody’s life, sense of loss is often funeral plan that is both befitting nothing is too much trouble and overwhelming. Take some of your loved one and supportive to there are no right or wrong requests you. deep breaths and remember – we will be privileged to help Paul Warren, Director of Southwest you and hope that our care and that you don’t need to rush Funeral Care, told us: ‘Regardless attention will make things easier for of whether a death is expected or you as you say your goodbyes.’ n

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ANIMAL LIFE

Life at the helm of an animal charity W

orking on reception at Woodside is not for the faint hearted. While hands on with the animals is hard, albeit rewarding work, reception duty is very much at the sharp end with the general public. A firm knowledge of what the charity is able to do is vital - as is a tough skin. Sadly, verbal abuse is part of the job. Most of our staff are multi-taskers, so there’s a broad range of skills and know-how available when needed. Despite this, phone calls can sometimes be challenging. • I think you may have my cat, can you put him on the phone as I’ll recognise his meow. • Can you run your dogs’ colours by me? I want one to match my sofa. • I’ve lost my completely black cat (sex not known) – do you have it with you? • I want a long-haired ginger kitten with three white paws. • Surely you can make space for my dog if I bring its cage? • I’m going on holiday in two days, can you take my dog? Our saddest caller was a regular one for a while. The gentleman had dementia and thought he’d lost the dog

he’d had as a child. On the whole, most callers have sensible enquiries: • Do you only help cats and dogs? No, up to 18 species to date. • Why won’t you take my unwanted duvets? We’re unable to launder them. • Can I come up and walk your dogs? Yes if we have vacancies and you register with us. • Why is my kitten rolling around and crying a lot? Likely in season! Pregnancy at 5 mths is possible and not good for mum or babies. • Can you neuter my pet at low cost? Yes, subject to conditions. • Do you take rabbits? Yes, but only when you get to the top of a long queue. When one gets adopted, another can come in. ‘What We Do’ is a booklet we’ve created to explain just that. If you would like a copy, it’s available free from all our charity shops and Woodside Sanctuary, Elfordleigh, PL7 5ED. For a copy by post please send a second class stamp. n

Tonga arrives at

artmoor Zoo recently welcomed Tonga, an endangered Lau banded iguana. Found on the Lau Islands of the eastern part of the

Fijian archipelago, this species is considered a national treasure by the Government of Fiji, and its likeness has been featured on postage stamps and currency. There’s something for everyone at this great family event! Populations of these iguanas Borough Farm, Nr Kingsbridge TQ9 7QP have been declining over the Back after a 2 year break for its 141st year! past century and they’re now All the usual animal classes plus over a hundred trade and craft stands - local food sadly listed as Endangered on the and drink, children’s pets corner, donkey IUCN (The International Union rides, vintage and modern tractors, live music, a licensed bar, a wide range of for Conservation of Nature) Red main ring attractions and much more... List. Threats include habitat destruction from logging and Saturday 3rd September 2022 • From 9:00am farming, invasive predators and www.kingsbridgeshow.co.uk the illegal pet trade. n

Kingsbridge Show

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EDUCATION

Achieving full “ university status is just

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Plymouth College of Art achieves university status, becoming Arts University Plymouth

Professor Paul Fieldsend-Danks

Moorsway Moorsway the climate emergency.’ F Federation Federation Professor Paul Fieldsend-Danks was confirmed as Principal of Plymouth College of Art in February 2022, after joining the institution in 2016. As Vice-Chancellor WhereWhere learning learning is is and Chief Executive of Arts University Plymouth, Fieldsend-Danks will now lead the city of an adventure! an adventure! Professor Plymouth’s specialist arts university.

ounded in 1856, Plymouth College of Art has been granted full university status and formally recognised with the new title of Arts University Plymouth, following approval by the Privy Council, becoming Plymouth’s specialist arts university. With 166 years of history in the city, the move to become Arts University Plymouth comes after the institution received Taught Degree Awarding Powers in 2019. Professor Paul Fieldsend-Danks, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of Arts University Plymouth, said: ‘Achieving full university status is just our latest evolution in over 160 years of leading specialist arts education in the South West and internationally. This exciting news recognises the quality of the work already taking place in partnership with our undergraduate and postgraduate students and is testament to the dedication of our staff, and the ambition of our Governing body. Their tireless work has enabled us to demonstrate the value of arts education to students, to the UK economy and to a world that needs creatives now more than ever. ‘Our vision for Arts University Plymouth is a new kind of art school for the 21st century, preparing graduates who are uniquely placed to provide creative solutions to the complex problems faced by modern society, spanning everything from the acceleration of new technologies to the global challenges facing healthcare, sustainability and

Moorsway Federation

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Lady Frances Sorrell OBE, British designer and an Honorary Fellow of Arts University Plymouth, said: ‘There’s a very special spirit of creativity and community that can be found within Arts University Plymouth. The move to formally become a university is well-deserved recognition of the pioneering work that has been undertaken by so many of the team there, but especially former Principal and Professor Emeritus Andrew Brewerton, who initiated this process.’ The university has also won Best Small or Specialist University at the 2022 WhatUni Student Choice Awards and shortlisted for the CSR/Sustainability Transformation Award at the 2022 international Think Global Awards. Arts University Plymouth’s Students’ Union recently won Best Campaign Supporting Student Wellbeing at the Think Student Awards, beating leading international universities to be selected as the winner by the Student Pulse panel of 40,000 students. n

Where learning Moorsway is an adventure! Federation • Small class sizes Where learning is • A broad and balanced curriculum • Experienced teams of dedicated staﬀ • Weekly Forest School programme an adventure! • Each child is valued and known to all the staﬀ The TheErme Erme Primary PrimarySchool School

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The growing deer population

that between 10 and 20 people are killed and over 700 he combined population of deer in Britain today injured every year as a result of accidents involving deer, is estimated to be over two million. Of the six either through direct collisions or swerving to avoid species present, only two are native to Britain, red them. The cost of damage to vehicles alone is estimated deer and roe deer. Fallow deer were introduced by the to be at least £17-million. There is a peak in accidents Normans, and sika, muntjac and Chinese water deer during May, when young roe bucks are dispersing, were all introduced or escaped in the last century. There and also from October to January associated with the is also a small herd of reindeer which were brought to increased movement of fallow, red and sika deer around the Cairngorms in the 1950s and can still be seen there. the rut. You can reduce the Following a survey in 2016, the risk of deer collisions by noting British Deer Society published After spending the day in deer warning signs, and being online distribution maps of deer in Britain; five of the six species woodland, deer regularly move to more careful in wooded areas, around dawn and occur in Devon, only the Chinese more open areas to feed at dusk. especially dusk. Highest-risk times are water deer being absent. Seven Recent research indicates that from sunset to midnight, and sika deer were introduced on Lundy in 1927 and are still present over 74,000 deer may be involved shortly before and after sunrise. Always report any deer-vehicle on the island. in vehicle collisions each year collisions to the police and try to Recently, whilst driving along a in Britain remember to record the incident tree-lined section of a road across at www.deeraware.com/reportthe moor, at the end of the day incident. You can also email the British Deer Society at while still light, I saw two roe deer cross ahead of me. After spending the day in woodland, deer regularly move info@bds.org.uk and include the following information: location, date, time, species and number of deer, plus to more open areas to feed at dusk. Recent research any other comments. What is being done about it? The indicates that over 74,000 deer may be involved in Deer Initiative, a broad partnership of statutory and vehicle collisions each year in Britain. Increases in deer voluntary organisations (including the RSPCA), founded numbers and their distribution, particularly in urban the UK National Deer-Vehicle Collisions Project in areas, combined with more traffic, are resulting in 2003. If you wish to find out more about deer in Britain, many road traffic accidents each year. It is estimated

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NATURALIST the British Deer Society website at bds.org.uk has a lot of useful information. Unfortunately, deer can cause substantial damage to trees and woodlands by browsing trees. Their feeding can cause a range of problems, which can include stripping shoots, flower buds and foliage from plants, damaging woody stems, and eating the bark from younger trees. This mainly happens in winter when other food sources are scarce. In addition to the damage associated with their browsing/ eating activities, male deer damage the trunks of younger trees by rubbing their heads and antlers against them. Deer also graze the understory vegetation, removing the feeding and breeding habitats for insects, birds and mammals.

Birds and butterﬂies If you love your garden birds, a new book all about the robin is due in September, by Helen Wilson (Reaktion Books). One of the best-known studies of robins, described so well in The life of the Robin (first published in 1943), was carried out by David Lack while he was a schoolteacher in South Devon at Dartington in the 1930s. A revised edition of the book is still in print, and is an excellent read. Finally, if you enjoy butterflies, there is still just time to take part in the Big Butterfly Count which runs until Sunday 7 August. All you have to do is choose a spot, count any butterflies you see for 15 minutes, and then enter your results on the website; just search for ‘Big Butterfly Count’ – there is even an online butterfly identification chart to help you. n Anthony John

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Sustainability the key theme at Chelsea Flower Show

Medite Smartply’s Building the Future Garden

Sue Fisher talks about the delights of the show, and gives readers tips and tricks for their gardens this summer

well as inspire, including the Blue Peter garden, Discover he annual Chelsea Flower Show is always packed Soil, and Metas’ Growing the Future that promoted with inspiration and this year was ‘greener’ than the importance of fungal networks. Edible gardening ever before, with sustainability being a key theme of was a big theme in gardens of all sizes, and the varied many gardens. Out of the crowd-pulling large show containers used in the Wild Kitchen Garden showed gardens, the coveted Best in Show award was won how even the smallest of spaces can look wonderful and by A Rewilding Britain Landscape, highlighting the provide a rich harvest too. importance of beavers in mitigating flooding and Of course, every garden was improving water quality. Okay, packed with luscious planting, so introducing beavers isn’t a The spectacular construction with many gardens themed garden-scale possibility, but using of the Medite Smartply’s to support wildlife and boost pretty native plants like sweet woodruff, foxglove, wild carrot Building the Future really drew biodiversity. Most spectacular all was the BBC Studios and honeysuckle, and natural the crowds. Made from waste of Our Green Planet and RHS materials to filter water and for from the timber industry, yet Bee Garden, with a sumptuous making charming features, certainly multi-coloured tapestry of is. Elsewhere, the spectacular stone-like in appearance, nectar and pollen-rich plants. construction of the Medite Lower-growing plants including salvias, geums, verbena, Smartply’s Building the Future really drew the crowds. Made from waste from the timber industry, yet stone-like geraniums, nepeta, and eryngium, woven between taller in appearance, this exterior MDF-like material was used and more structural plants like Euphorbia mellifera, multi-stemmed Euonymus, statuesque angelica, and to construct a huge cave-like structure with a waterfall foxglove spires. Inside the Great Pavilion was total plant cascading dramatically from the roof. The St Mungo’s heaven, with specialist nurseries showcasing a huge garden in cheerfully clashing colours reused material from previous shows. Other gardens aimed to educate as variety of plants, from agapanthus and delphiniums

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GARDENING

Growing the future - The Meta Garden

to roses, restios, salvias, and zantedeschias. While it’s not possible to actually buy plants at Chelsea (until the final day when there’s a grand sell-off of exhibits), nurseries were doing a brisk trade in orders. The coveted RHS Chelsea Plant of the Year was won by x Semponium ‘Destiny’ from Surreal Succulents, an eye-catching purple-leaved architectural plant that is the first ever between Aeonium and Sempervivum. The Sustainable Garden Product competition was packed with excellent entries. Peat-free potting composts featured strongly as (thank goodness), gardeners increasingly shun peat that is harvested from fast-dwindling bogs. The big gap in the market for a peat-free John Innes range was the well-deserved winner, from Dobies. Runners-up included two new

The Blue Peter Garden

The Wild Kitchen Garden

composts from Dalefoot, made using sheeps wool and bracken; vibrantly coloured Ocean Plastic pots that are made from recycled fishing nets and rope; ‘Ecoline’ tools from Gardena made with a high proportion of recycled plastic; Oxley’s aluminium garden furniture made from 95% recycled material; and Dartmoor company Twool has added a strong tree and shrub tie to its product range, made from sheep’s wool. Flower arrangers note: ‘Kenzan’ from Niwaki is a reusable alternative to florists’ foam, that securely holds woody as well as soft stems. n

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GARDENING

Seasonal gardening jobs and tips Keep pots and borders looking good by regular deadheading, staking, and weeding. Edging the lawn can make a big diﬀerence to appearances too. Take cuttings, especially of tender and borderline hardy plants. Once rooted, pot individually into 9cm pots and keep under cover for the winter, and these will be your ‘insurance’ plants if a hard winter strikes. Order spring-ﬂowering bulbs to plant from September onwards. Narcissus

(daﬀodils) are particularly appreciative of being planted early. Herbs like mint, parsley, and chives can be potted up ready to keep on windowsills for an autumn supply. Clean out greenhouses or polytunnels now while the weather is good. Take out all the pots and other stuﬀ that tends to accumulate (where snails lurk) and wash the structure inside and out. Good hygiene avoids many pest and disease problems.

GARDEN DESIGNER & HORTICULTURAL SPECIALIST Inspirational ideas to transform your garden

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Visiting the Eden Project

Veteran focused events are a hit at Age UK Plymouth Funding from the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust makes Veteran project a reality

arlier in the year Age UK Plymouth was awarded funding from the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust for Armed Forces Veterans, aged over 50 or living with a disability in the city of Plymouth. After appointing Michael Truelove, a former Royal Marine Commando with over 25 years service, as project lead, Age UK Plymouth started to deliver a number of events for Armed Forces Veterans across the city. An instant hit, Sticky Bun Morning held at Age UK Plymouth’s HQ in Mount Gould every Tuesday has become a mainstay of the weekly calendar at the centre. With an enviable selection of pastries, a steady stream of tea and coffee and a regular crew chatting and socialising, the organisation has been delighted by the engagement and new ‘recruits’ continue to join every week. Michael also established the Veterans Brunch Club held across two Age UK Plymouth Centres on various days throughout the month. A full English with tea, coffee and toast for just £5 is the perfect weekend treat with just the same opportunities for connecting with and enjoying the company of fellow veterans. After all that good grub, the Veterans Walking Football

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Team is a welcome bit of exercise! Meeting each Monday at Brickfields Sports Centre the team are on the lookout for new players; facilities are available to play both indoors and out, so the beautiful game faces no threat from the unpredictable weather. Michael Truelove, Armed Forces Veterans Project Lead, said: ‘We’d like to thank the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust for their funding of this project. It’s wonderful to be able to provide a space and a service for Veterans to come along, drag up a sandbag and swing the Lantern on some incredible experiences while serving and have some banter. No matter whether it was Navy, Army or RAF, we all have one thing in common we are all veterans!’ Whilst attendance has continued to grow, so have the ideas for the project. Suggestions are coming in from the group and so far plans include: day trips, walks, pub lunches and visits to places of interest chosen by the group. There is also an ambition to take a longer trip to the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire. Age UK Plymouth Team has just started facilitating a free weekly shuttle service to transport Plymouth

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CHARITY Veterans to The Eden Project to take part in their Space To Grow Programme; a 12 week series supported by The Veterans’ Foundation to encourage managing mental health and wellbeing through practical horticultural skills. Over the course of the programme veterans are invited to join a small group of like-minded people in a safe and secure garden situated in the grounds of the Eden Project. Anyone over the aged of 50 or living with a disability in the City of Plymouth is welcome to join the

group, for more information visit https://bit.ly/ AUKPVeteranSupport or email michael.truelove@ ageukplymouth.org.uk. n Lindsay Turpin

For the latest news: Follow Age UK Plymouth on social media and sign up to the newsletter at www.ageuk.org.uk/plymouth, you can follow the links on the website to make a donation to Age UK Plymouth and help make projects like these possible. Veterans Club walking football

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What a pain! W

e have all experienced pain – whether it be child birth, a broken bone or touching a hot pan. It’s unpleasant but usually temporary. Pain killers, rest and sometimes even an operation can take these pains away and we feel better. But imagine if you have pain every day , for weeks, months or even years. Chronic or persistent pain, defined as pain that lasts for longer than three months, affects 28 million people in the UK, with back pain, fibromyalgia, arthritis and headaches amongst the commonest causes. Pain’s purpose is to keep us safe - it teaches us what is dangerous and what not to do again. It forces us to rest until something is healed. In chronic pain, however, those pain impulses can keep coming, long after the injury or problem has healed and our bodies can start to feel pain from the slightest stimulus, such as gentle touch or walking a short distance. We are starting to realise that this type of pain is less to do with what is injured, and more to do with a faulty pain pathway. Patients with chronic pain are often at their wits end, desperate for something to take away their suffering. The understandable answer for them is invariably more painkillers. These are often prescribed for acute pain – from straightforward paracetamol and ibuprofen to stronger opiate based prescription drugs like codeine, tramadol and morphine. These drugs can be invaluable for short term pain relief, but not only can these drugs stop working in the longer term, they can also make things much worse. As well as unpleasant side effects such as nausea, constipation, and drowsiness, in the longer term opiate medication can lead to addiction and tolerance, so a person requires bigger and bigger doses to have the same effect, eventually resulting in very little pain killing effect but potentially a lot of long term side effects. However, we do not recommend stopping these medications abruptly, as this can lead to withdrawal side effects. Your doctor or

HEALTH & BEAUTY pharmacist can help with planning a slow reduction. Many patients really want to come off these long term medications, but are fearful that there will be nothing to replace it with. In my experience, most will notice very little difference in their pain levels when they wean off their medication, as the tablets have long stopped being effective. In fact long term opiate medication use can actually increase pain levels in the long term. So what can you do to help persistent pain?

Top Tips 1. Relaxation – stress causes muscle tension which exacerbates pain. Meditation and mindfulness are great ways of helping reduce stress levels and also help distract from pain. 2. Exercise – it may feel like this is the last thing you can manage but gentle exercise such as Tai – Chi can make a huge difference to muscle strength and pain levels. 3. Get outside – Being close to nature has huge therapeutic benefits. Whether it’s getting out to go for some sea air, onto the moor for countryside and views or even just a walk to the bottom of the street or garden, try and get outside as often as possible. 4. Pace yourself – listen to your body’s stop signals. Better to do a small thing each day than try and cram it all into one and spend days afterwards paying the price. 5. Sleep – a good night’s sleep can improve pain levels considerably. See resources below for help with this. 6. Get Help – there are so many resources out there now to help. I have listed some here but do speak to your GP if you are struggling, especially if you want help with reducing medication. www.bodyreprogramming.org www.paintoolkit.org www.torbayandsouthdevon.nhs.uk/services/ pain-service/reconnect2life/ www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters/ mental-health-issues/sleep/

Dr Rachel Tyler is a doctor at Stirling Road Surgery, St Budeaux

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HEALTH & BEAUTY

Expansion & investment for Rock Dental ucy Stevens and Raj Mohanty had the pleasure of taking over The Rock Dental Practice just over a year ago in June 2021. Lucy had worked alongside the previous principal dentist, Miss Pearton, who has now retired. The duo were keen to sustain the same friendly independent ethos of the practice whilst ensuring that it continues to stay up to date with the latest techniques and equipment of modern dentistry. Raj graduated in 2000 from SRMC University and has worked in both the hospital and practice setting in London before settling in Plymouth. She enjoys all aspects of dentistry and has a special interest in Periodontology in which she gained a Masters Degree in India. Raj recently completed training in botox and fillers and consistently attends courses to further her dental techniques and skills. Lucy qualified from Cardiff University with BDS (Hons) in 2010. She carried out her vocational training with Malcom Prideaux in Plymouth before working as a Maxillofacial Senior House Officer at Derriford. Lucy sat her MJDF exam in 2012 to become a member of the Joint Dental Faculties. She was an Associate Dentist at the practice for eight years, before taking up joint ownership with Raj last June. Lucy enjoys all aspects of dentistry and takes the time to build a good rapport with her patients. During this last year they have expanded the practice

to include a newly fitted accessible downstairs reception and surgery. There is ample free parking, helping to ensure the patient experience is as straight forward as possible. The practice has recently invested in a new cone beam CT scanner and intra – oral scanner to further enhance the level of patient care. Lucy and Raj have secured more clinical staff to enable an increased capacity for new private patients, which they are delighted to accept. The team is able to provide comprehensive general dentistry as well as advanced implant solutions and oral surgery with Suresh Somasunduran, who splits his time between the practice and his associate specialist post at Derriford Hospital. Suresh has many years’ experience and can offer a wide range of advanced surgical options from surgical removal of wisdom teeth to more complex treatments, such as ‘All on 4’. He accepts patient selfreferrals as well as referrals from general dentists. The whole team look forward to welcoming patients, both existing and new. n For more information: The Rock Dental Practice 14 The Rock Hotel, Yelverton PL20 6DS. 01822853344 info@rockdentalpractice.co.uk www.rockdentalpractice.co.uk

A FAMILY-FRIENDLY DENTAL PRACTICE OFFERING COMPREHENSIVE DENTAL CARE • Newly installed accessible downstairs surgery and reception • In house oral surgery and implant solutions • New Cone Beam CT Scanner • Free Parking 14 The Rock Hotel | Yelverton | PL20 6DS 01822 853344 | info@rockdentalpractice.co.uk www.rockdentalpractice.co.uk 34

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SPORT

Calling all Wimbledon Warriors

Each year, tennis clubs in the region see an influx of players who become inspired by the major grand slam tennis tournaments. But none of them inspires people more than Wimbledon. This year The South Devon Tennis Centre in Ivybridge is encouraging all those who were inspired by Wimbledon in June/July to join in a friendly Hit and Hoper Session. Paul Butcher, the Director of Tennis at the South Devon Tennis Centre said: ‘Our Hit and Hoper group has been a very popular session because it does exactly what it says on the tin. It is a friendly no pressure session for those people who just want to play and have fun. You don’t need to be a club member or play to a particular standard or

level. Just come along and join in.’ The South Devon Hit and Hoper sessions take place every Friday evening and are perfect for those people who want to play, but don’t want to take it too seriously. Players can book their space on a weekly basis via the LTA booking system ClubSpark – but if you are not sure and you want to come along, meet the coaches and see what it is all about, please feel free to pop by and have a chat. n For more information: visit www.clubspark.lta.org.uk/ SouthDevonTennisCentre

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SPORT

Totnes Caring and Teignbridge Trotters combine to raise almost £25,000.00 for the charity The annual Totnes 10K race is to be held on Sunday, August 7, starting as usual on Borough Park by the Sports Centre. Since the outset of the race in 2000, Teignbridge Trotters have supported Totnes Caring, a local charity dedicated to supporting vulnerable, disabled, and older people to enable them to live independently and free from isolation. To date the race has raised £24,555, so with just £445 to go, this year the landmark point of £25,000 will be passed. The ratio of runners to the amount donated to the charity means that, notionally, the 140th runner to cross the finish line will be the one who sees the total donated pass the £25,000 mark, so the 140th finisher will receive a special prize memento. And, as if that was not enough to celebrate, in the 21 Totnes 10K races to date, 9,733 runners have crossed the finishing line. So the 267th runner to cross the finish line this year will be the 10,000th finisher! This person will also receive a special prize memento. Claire Hill, Chief Officer of Totnes Caring, said: “What amazing significant events happening at this years 10K! Totnes Caring has been very grateful for all the support Teignbridge Trotters have given us over the years and they

have enabled us to support some very vulnerable local people. I feel extremely fortunate to celebrate the year they have raised the landmark point of £25,000 and I am looking forward to cheering everyone on at the race in August.” n

Picture by Mike Rego. Left to right: Bob Small (Race Director); Ruth Johnson (Assistant Race Director); Calypso Byng (Sponsor - New Lion Brewery); Mary Popham (Totnes Caring); Jamie Heron (Sponsor – Sibelco); Claire Hill (Chief Officer, Totnes Caring); Kellie Pitty (Sponsor – China Blue); Roger Hayes (Chair – Teignbridge Trotters). Further information: To enter the Totnes 10K or the 1 mile Fun Run go to www.teignbridgetrotters.co.uk/our-races/totnes-10k

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WHAT’S ON October 9

Tour De Moor The South West’s boldest charity cycling challenge returns for 2022

A local charity marking its 40th anniversary this year is inviting people to get on their bikes for an exciting challenge in aid of compassionate care and support that positively impacts families affected by terminal illness. The popular Tour de Moor biking challenge raising much-needed funds for St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth returns to the rugged wilderness of Dartmoor on Sunday, October 9. The event offers cyclists an adrenalin-packed adventure: the hill-filled, 52km mixed terrain route of mud, sweat and gears. Cycling at its fiercest for those aged 12 and above! Alternatively, participants of 9 years or older can take it down a gear and saddle up for 30km of tough riding over hills and through woods, and there’s also the ‘mini moor’, a gentle 11km ride along the tarmac paths of Drake’s Trail that’s suitable for all the family. Not only does Tour de Moor cater for all cycling abilities, it also raises vital funds for the specialist care St Luke’s provides for patients and ensures they can make precious memories with loved ones in their final months, weeks and days. Sponsored by Print Copy Scan, a local supplier of printers and copiers, funds raised will help the hospice continue providing essential bereavement support for

patients’ family and friends. Having welcomed its first patients to Syrena House in Plymstock in 1982, today the hospice cares for patients in their own homes, at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust and at Turnchapel. Its critical service runs 365 days a year, covering Plymouth, South West Devon and East Cornwall. Penny Hannah, Head of Fundraising at St Luke’s, said: ‘Over the four decades since St Luke’s began, it has been our privilege to have made a difference to many hundreds of local families. So, if someone special to you was looked after by our team, taking on the challenge of Tour de Moor is a fantastic way to pay tribute to them. ‘With three classic routes to choose from, it’s ideal for families as well as more experienced cyclists who really want to push themselves. ‘Every hill climb will be worth the extra effort because the sponsorship money Tour de Moor raises is needed more than ever to help St Luke’s meet the rising demand on our service.’ The Tour de Moor challenge departs from 8.30am at Harrowbeer Airfield, near Yelverton, and finishes there.

Further information: Sign up for the challenge at www.stlukes-hospice.org.uk/ tourdemoor or by calling 01752 492626. Registration costs £35 for the 52km or 30km route, and £15 for the 11km route.

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Come and visit the South Devon Railway for a 14-mile round trip steam train ride along the beautiful valley of the River Dart.

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Come out and play this summer at Buckland Abbey and Cotehele Whether discovering summer wildlife at Buckland Abbey or exploring the shaded woodland paths at Cotehele, there are plenty of activities to keep the whole family entertained and help you create great memories together. Head to Buckland Abbey for lawn games in front of the Abbey, Tudor cooking within the historic kitchen (selected dates), crafts for all the family, complete the summer trail around the garden and beat the rest at a game of skittles within the Great Barn. Peek inside the Nave within Buckland Abbey to discover the Nature Showcase to learn about the estate through its many habitats and compare the history of human activity in these places with the actions of the team there today – don’t forget to add your pledge for nature, a small commitment for a change you can make for a greener planet. This year Cotehele is celebrating 75 years since the estate was given to the National Trust and the Breakfast Room, within the house, hosts an exhibition highlighting memories and how things have changed over

those years. Outside, complete an array of games and challenges whilst exploring the garden and estate, get creative within the orchard by building your own adventure and take a closer look at the natural world around you from the look-out point. Wander down to Cotehele Mill to get even closure to nature within the meadow and catch your breath whilst admiring the view of the River Tamar from Cotehele Quay. It wouldn’t be a National Trust visit without a break for cake and Cotehele and Buckland Abbey has plenty of options. Stop by the cafes for a cream tea, grab an ice cream or locate the perfect picnic spot in the garden. Find local gifts within the shops or something unique in the craft galleries. Every time you visit, join, make a purchase, donate and volunteer, you help the National Trust to look after Cotehele and Buckland Abbey.

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made at Cotehele and Buckland Abbey Open daily from 10am Plan your family day out: nationaltrust.org.uk/bucklandabbey

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WHAT’S ON

September 4

Dartmoor pony and dog show returns to Princetown xx

After a break of two years due to Covid-19, the Dartmoor Pony Moorland Show is celebrating its 30th year with a combined Pony and Dog Show to be held on Sunday, September 4, starting at 10am, at Old Playing Fields in Princetown. The show is run by a small committee of which several members are involved with the Dartmoor Pony Moorland Scheme, with secretarial support from the Duchy of Cornwall. The Duchy has long been involved in working with the Dartmoor Pony Society and local farming community to help ensure a future for the Dartmoor pony and to encourage owners to ‘breed up’ from moorland-bred non-pedigree ponies, to add to the pedigree gene pool. As Dartmoor ponies are listed as being ‘At Risk’ by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust, it is vital that people are encouraged to breed high quality ponies to help ensure a future for one of the UK’s much-loved equine breeds. Dartmoors are especially good family ponies and as well as ‘show’ classes, both in-hand (led) and ridden, the Moorland Show is very much aimed at families and children in particular, with lead rein classes for children 3 years and upwards and young handler classes for youngsters aged 5-14 years. The Show is for pedigree ponies registered with the Dartmoor Pony Society (DPS) and for those listed on the DPS Supplementary Register (SR). The Family Dog Show has 12 classes including Best Youngster (18 months and under), Best Pedigree, Best Crossbreed, Most Handsome Dog and Prettiest Bitch. First prize winners will compete for the Best in Show and Reserve Best in Show. Rosettes 1st to 6th place. Entries on the field from 10.30am and judging starts at 11am. Entry is £1 per class. John Jordan, Chairman of the Show Committee, said: ‘The Dartmoor

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Pony Moorland Show is well known as a wonderful family day out, encouraging people from all over the South West to take part in the showing, but also to have some fun. Everyone is welcome – and we promise an opportunity to see some superb Dartmoor ponies as well as a wide variety of lovely dogs!’ Fees for entering the Dartmoor pony classes before the Show (closing date is August 22) are £4, rising to £8 on the day. Schedules are available from Anne Kelly, Duchy of Cornwall Office, Princetown, on 01822 890205. Further information: Visitor admission is free, directions will be well marked. Refreshments will be supplied by Justine Colton of Tor Royal at Princetown.

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‘I do believe in fairies – I do, I do!’ and who can argue with Peter Pan...

Fairies & Dragons Trail 23rd July to 15th September

This summer the gardens at The Garden House, Buckland Monachorum, will be home to all manner of beautiful woodland fairies and friendly dragons, enticing children and adults alike on a Fairy Trail Adventure! The fairies might be hiding in the woodland dell, or dancing around the magic circle or even letting their hair down from the top of the tower in the medieval walled garden. However, where there are fairies there must be dragons – but friendly ones of course! The woodland fairies are shy creatures, and they are not always easy to find, so visitors will need to look up as well as down, in order to catch a glimpse of these elusive creatures. (The guide map available from Visitor Reception will help.) There is of course always one naughty Sprite – but can you spot her? The circular walk around the garden takes approximately two hours, winding through the various ‘gardens within a garden’, that The Garden House is famous for - culminating in a visit to the wishing tree to place a ribbon and make a wish. (Ribbons, storybook and map available at Visitor Reception.) The gardens are also spectacular during the months of August and September, with The Walled Garden being a particular highlight and a riot of colour. August sees the traditional late summer herbaceous borders really coming into their own, with borders interspersed with later-ﬂowering Hydrangea paniculata, Helenium, Echinacea, Persicaria and Dahlia all offering a stunning sight to behold as you enter the large wooden doors into the medieval walls of this part of the garden - giving all gardeners some fantastic

inspiration to take home to try themselves. The willow fairy and dragon creations have been crafted exclusively for this Trail at The Garden House by Fairy Trails UK, a small family run company that design, manufacture and install each bespoke fairy trail from their base in Broadhempston, Totnes. Each fairy and dragon are created using skilled techniques in willow weaving by a team of local craftsmen and women. Follow the enchanted garden trail and let your imagination lead you to another world of discovery. The t takes place until September 15 and normal admission applies. The Garden House is open daily (except Mondays) from 10.30am to 5pm. No booking is required. Café, Plant Sales, Book Shop and Art Exhibition, by renowned local artist Anita Nowinska, also open. More information: Visit www.thegardenhouse.org.uk

One of the finest gardens in Britain...

www.thegardenhouse.org.uk Buckland Monachorum, Yelverton PL20 7LQ Reg Charity: 203722 40

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WHAT’S ON

August 15 - 20

Singin’ in the Rain arrives at Plymouth

This production of the iconic Singin’ in the Rain opened at Chichester Festival Theatre and was extended due to unprecedented public demand, before a transfer to London which received huge critical acclaim and four Olivier Award nominations. The stage production of Singin’ in the Rain is based on the classic Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film, regularly voted the most popular film musical of all time. The cast for the Theatre Royal Plymouth section of the UK tour includes Adam Cooper as Don Lockwood alongside, Charlotte Gooch as Kathy Selden, Ross McLaren as Cosmo Brown and Jenny Gayner as Lina Lamont. Singin’ in the Rain will play I’m Plymouth from August 15 to 20 and tickets are on sale.

October 8

An opportunity too good to miss... Whilst not shouting from the roof tops, Plymouth Philharmonic Choir are certainly singing about their fabulous workshop event with the choral conductor ‘superstar’, David Lawrence, which is being held on Saturday, October 8 at the Meade King Hall, Plymouth College. David has conducted choirs, including youth choirs, across the length and breadth of the country, notably the London Philharmonic Choir and the Hallé Choir. He has adjudicated for international festivals and at the BBC Choir of the Year and Young Musician of the Year competitions. Visiting Singapore, Colombia,

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Don Lockwood is a silent movie star with everything he could want – fame, adulation and a well-publicised ‘romance’ with his co-star Lina Lamont. But Hollywood is about to change forever. There is rumour in the studio of a new kind of film, where the actors actually talk … and sing … and dance. Can Don and the uniquely voiced Lina make the transition, and will chorus girl Kathy Selden fulfil her dream of stardom and capture Don’s heart along the way?

For more information and tickets: visit www.theatreroyal.com Canada, the United States, India, the United Arab Emirates, Europe and Australia, his work has taken him across the world. You only have to travel locally, to enjoy a very special day learning some new, and rehearsing some familiar pieces. David has chosen music to engage and be enjoyed by singers of all levels: Echo Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis composed by Paul Ayres and pieces from Sacred Choruses edited by John Rutter which is a collection of some of the finest oratorio choruses and movements from masses and requiems. David’s positive and engaging manner mean that participants can expect to work hard, learn a lot and, most importantly, have a great deal of fun. The cost is £20 which includes the loan of scores. A light lunch is available for £6. Further details are available from the Plymouth Philharmonic Choir’s website (www.plymouthphilchoir.org) where there is a form to download and a map or from Lily McConville (07519038509 / lilymcconville@gmail.com)

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WHAT’S ON Sunday 7 August

DIARY DATES

The French Dispatch

August

Open from 7.15pm, film starts 8.45pm Dir. Wes Anderson, US, 2021, 104 mins.

What are you doing this summer? Aged 12 to 19? Fancy doing something different?

Friday 19 August

Get involved in a range of practical conservation projects at different places around Dartmoor. Each day is 10am to 3pm. Rangers will provide gloves, tools, instruction/support, hot chocolate and cake! August 2 Drainage work to the Lychway—Bellever August 9 Bridleway repairs - Near Yarner Woods August 12 Ragwort pulling with DPHT—Bellever August 16 Connecting leats & improving drainage, Langaford Farm August 19 Cycling and footpath work on route, Granite Tramway August 23 Help run wildlife activities at Meldon Wildlife Festival, August 26 Installing picnic benches and giving some TLC to new trees with ParkLife, Ivybridge August 30 Wildﬂower seed collecting and plug planting, East Shallowford Farm August 30, 5pm to August 31 12pm ‘Night Under the Stars’ experience: Night orienteering, bat walk, campfire cooking, farm tour, environmental activities, plus much more at East Shallowford Farm. For more info / to book a place contact Emily on 07912 470778 or ecannon@dartmoor.gov.uk

Mamma Mia! Open from 7.15pm, film starts 8.45pm Dir. Phyllida Lloyd, US, 2007, 109 mins. Saturday 20 August

Withnail and I Open from 7.15pm, film starts 8.45pm Dir. Bruce Robinson, UK, 1986, 108 mins. Sunday 21 August

Singin’ in the Rain Open from 7.15pm, film starts 8.45pm Dir. Gene Kelly, US, 1952, 103 mins. Friday 2 September

Blade Runner Open from 7.15pm, film starts 8.30pm Dir. Ridley Scott, US, 1982, 118 mins). Saturday 3 September

September 22 to 24

The Rocky Horror Picture Show

Goosey Quilters Exhibition

Open from 7.15pm, film starts 8.30pm Dir. Jim Sharman, UK, 1975, 100 mins.

Tavistock Town Hall, Bedford Square, Tavistock. There is full disabled access. Opens Thursday 22nd 12pm to 4.30pm, Friday 23rd 10am to 4pm, Saturday 24th 10am to 4pm. Entrance £2 - children under 16 free. There will be a Charity Quilt Rafﬂe the proceeds for Dartmoor Search and Rescue. Refreshments available each day. Contact pennyknee@yahoo.co.uk for more information.

Sunday 4 September

Cabaret Open from 7.15pm, film starts 8.30pm Dir. Bob Fosse, US, 1972, 118 mins.

REGULARS Second Tuesday of each month, 2.30pm (except August) For opening times and how to book, call 01752 206114 or visit www.plymouthartscinema.org/reopening Friday 5 August

West Side Story (2021) Open from 7.15pm, film starts 8.45pm Dir. Steven Spielberg, US, 2022, 156 mins. Saturday 6 August

Top Gun (1986) Open from 7.15pm, film starts 8.45pm Dir. Tony Scott, US, 1986, 111 mins. 42

Moor’s Edge U3A The Woolwell Centre Moor’s Edge U3A is open to anyone retired or semi-retired. Within the group there are many interest sections which cater to those who wish to sit and chat, get out and about or are creative. Visit: www.u3asites.org.uk/moorsedge/events to see what is planned and its Facebook page for additional photographs of what has been happening at Moor’s Edge U3A. August – no meeting, a summer break. September 13 – Ben Mee from The Dartmoor Zoo will bring members up-to-date with the conservation work being done at the Zoo.

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WHAT’S ON First Friday of the month

Quiz Night The Woolwell Centre From 7pm to 9pm on the. £1 per person, maximum team size is 6. Every Monday

Plymouth Sound Choir Bickleigh Suite at Woolwell Centre A new and fun evening to brighten up your Mondays in Woolwell - people are invited to sing your favourite rock, pop and musical numbers in beautiful harmonies. Plymouth Sound Choir is an informal and fun group just singing for joy. From 7pm to 9pm.

Meavy based Dartmoor Border Morris The plucky Morris group are traveling all over Dartmoor and further afield to Morris dance the warm summer evenings and raise money for the Dartmoor Search and Rescue Group. If you haven’t seen or heard them yet in their splendid tatter coats of blue and shins with bells on, time is nearly running out. Check out their website www. dartmoorbordermorris.com or like their Facebook page to see what the side is up to. Some of the places you will see them are in the Parish Hall at Meavy from 7.30pm on Wednesday, August 3. Watch and learn how a dance gets put together and sample a Morris music session in the pub. Dartmoor Border Morris would happily describe themselves as

loud, brash and very energetic, with some great sounds and visually very colourful. Saturday, August 6, you can see Dartmoor Border Morris at the Ernesettle summer Fair, or Tuesday, August 16 at the Rugglestone Inn performing with Black Bess Border Morris. The following Wednesday they are back at the Cornwood Inn with Harberton Navy, followed by a trip to Bittaford and the Horse and Groom. Grimspound Border Morris will be whacking sticks whilst we jingle our bells. Then on Thursday, September 1 at the Blacksmiths Arms, Lamerton, as guests of world famous local side ‘Lodestone Border Morris’. Finally then at Widecombe Fair on Tuesday, September 13. If you would like to ‘have a go’ at Morris, any Wednesday evening from September 21 is an open practice night. Simply turn up at 7.30pm with your dancing shoes or musical instrument.

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MUSIC & ART Edinburgh Festival. John is an established writer and landscape poet with a considerable body of published and exhibited work. His poetry is influenced by the Romantic tradition and Dartmoor, seascapes and his native North East of England. Carol’s early photographs, scanned from original darkroom prints, and recent digital photographs, are presented in the two exhibitions as fine art prints together with John’s poems. Photographer and poet respond to Dartmoor’s ancient woodlands, granite, weather, moonlight, standing stones, rivers, snow and ice. Being a true collaboration it is also about their responses to each other’s work. Rebecca Martin, Dartmoor National Park Authority’s Visitor Services Manager, said: ‘We’re thrilled to hold this two-part exhibition and we hope visitors are inspired to visit both. We’re proud to promote Dartmoor’s beauty and help improve understanding of its special qualities; art is a fantastic way of doing this. Dartmoor Dreams the book is available to buy (£19.95) at our centre alongside photographs and postcards as well our excellent Dartmoor Range of products.’

Dartmoor Dreams Exhibition The National Park Visitor Centre, Princetown, is proud to host a special exhibition celebrating a 25 year collaboration and the publication of the new enlarged and updated Dartmoor Dreams book. Dartmoor Dreams – Early Work runs to September 1 and will showcase the partnership of Carol Ballenger and John Powls, two artists whose photographs and poetry have been shown widely in this country and abroad. Alongside the Dartmoor Dreams – Early Work exhibition at Princetown, a parallel exhibition called Dartmoor Dreams – New Work will run at Make Southwest, Bovey Tracey, until August 23. Carol is a Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society and a founder member of Arts Live who promote exhibitions, performances and workshops, often combining photography, music and poetry. Inspired by nature, Carol’s work is in collections in this country and abroad and she has exhibited widely including for the National Trust, The Royal Photographic Society and the

For more information about John, Carol and their Arts Live colleagues: Visit Arts Live at www.artslive.org.uk

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FARMING

A busy summer at Greenwell Farm

bottom on price. So please look for Dartmoor lamb in a Morrisons near you! On the back of the success of Lambing Live we are running a Great Gather event in partnership with The Dartmoor Hill Farm project. We are going to take members Mat Cole of the public with us when we round up our sheep on the s a small business we endeavour to mind our own common for shearing. We are expecting lots of people, and business and get on with our seasonal routines. It we will walk into the heart of the moor; whilst the sheep are has felt good that our prices for beef, lamb and all farm being rounded up around us on the common, I will give a produce have risen to a more sustainable level. The blow-by-blow account of what is happening. I will also take trouble of course is that costs have also been exploding the opportunity to talk about farming on Dartmoor, the as fuel and energy have risen. I suppose it just illustrates living history surrounding us and the symbiotic relationship how we are all tied to world events and it would seem between farmers on Dartmoor and the iconic landscape. that the cost-of-living crisis we are experiencing has Tom, our eldest, will be starting big school this September, very little to do with anything in this country. However, moving up from the small village school in Meavy to the we are all affected and sadly businesses will suffer and much larger Tavistock College. Meavy has done a fantastic fail because of it. As a Dartmoor job of nurturing a happy, little boy Farmers director, I met with We have spent 15 years into a very capable, young person Morrisons to finalise details for the helping to build a sustainable who is looking forward to the next lambs going into stores this season. chapter. It was a funny coincidence future for farmers on Dartmoor that I wrote my first links article I was expecting a catch-up with the lamb buyer and his boss, then sign back in the summer of 2015 when by working together, and off some details and off we would go. championing local, sustainable Tom first started at Meavy. Time But it was made very clear that most has flown as both seem to have beef and lamb customers in stores are downgrading passed by in the blink of an eye! their purchases from finest to own brand, lamb to chicken I have briefly introduced Dave in previous articles and or steak to burgers. Everyone is watching their budget. Our I now have another new recruit to the dream team at lamb is a regional offer in their finest range and although Greenwell. Charles has grown up on a nearby farm we are secure and they love the product, they pointed out similar to ours, and was keen to do an apprenticeship that as a result, sales could suffer for this coming lamb on a farm whilst studying at college. He has done really season. As a group of over 100 farmers working very hard well since he started and has already become a valued to promote Dartmoor, the small family farms which are member of our team. He is on a steep learning curve so important in delivering our iconic landscape and rich and Dave and I are giving him plenty of on-the-job tapestry of thriving habitats for wildlife, it made me feel learning and plenty of stick, obviously! The fact that I pretty vulnerable. But we have spent 15 years helping to have my very own Chas and Dave as entertainment will build a sustainable future for farmers on Dartmoor by be lost on the youngsters but it made me chuckle, and working together, and championing local, sustainable beef they will both be getting ‘Rabbit Rabbit’ T-shirts for and lamb. This has to be a better way than just relying Christmas! n on the global market and getting involved in a race to the Mat Cole, Greenwell Farm

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A quick guide to sweet wines and sweetness in wine Let’s start by clarifying what a dry wine is. Wine is made by mushing up (technical jargon!) grapes. Yeast then eats the sugar in the grapes, turning it into alcohol. If all the sugar is eaten, the wine is ‘dry’ meaning it has no sweetness. This is different to the dry sensation tannins create in your mouth. Coming from grape skins, stalks, seeds and sometimes from oak barrels, tannins can help age wines and are mainly found in red wine - they are more a texture than a ﬂavour. If a customer asks for something ‘not too dry’ they normally mean something with low tannins. To make wine sweet you stop the yeast from eating all the sugar (for example by filtering it out) - the remaining sugar provides sweetness. Sugar or concentrated grape juice gets added sometimes, but usually with cheaper products. This is called chaptalisation (because in the wine world everything needs a fancy word!). Most confusion around how sweet wine is, arises from the numerous - not always helpful - terms in use. Some are ‘official’ terms used in the trade, others have been invented to try and describe sweetness in layman terms. When faced with a wine list, “off-dry” means there is a little sweetness in white wine, whilst reds with some sweetness are called “medium sweet”. Why? No idea. You may hear other terms - semi-sweet, semi-dry or medium. It’s unnecessarily confusing, so most wine lists have a 1-5 scale of sweetness on them to help you! Within ‘sweet’ there is still quite a range, so here are some Please mention PLYM LINKS when responding to adverts

FOOD & DRINK

Dave Anning clues. Lighter sweet wines are usually paler in colour with lower levels of alcohol. Icewines may be as low as 6%. Wines such as Rutherglen Muscat are deeply coloured and around 17%. Fortified wines have spirit added to them and usually start at 20% ABV. There are many different styles of sweet or dessert wines, made in wildly different ways! Icewine involves letting grapes freeze on the vine, then crushing them to remove the water, leaving a concentrated and incredibly pure juice. Rutherglen Muscats are made in Australia in furnace-like sheds! Both are delicious but very different. The epitome of dessert wine making involves a form of grey rot! Botrytis Cinerea is a form of rot that coats grapes, gently piercing the skin and allowing water to evaporate. The grapes become raisin-like and have to be picked laboriously by hand to separate them from ‘healthy’ grapes. Unique conditions are needed - the vineyard must be misty in the mornings and bright and sunny in the afternoons. Many of the world’s most famous dessert wines are made this way - Sauternes and Tokaji for example. n Dave Anning Visit our community website www.dartmoorlinks.co.uk 47

The varied moods & aspects of Dartmoor

Plymouth Rambler Ron Smith talks us through a 6-mile walk with lovely views.

he same six miles in the same week of mid-May; eluvial deposits of tin ore, mined out by tinners before but what a difference! Bright sunshine and 1700. The local names for these tinned out gullies are lovely views right across the Moor one day; just a few beams, or gerts. days later, low cloud and blustery drizzle. Both are the The leat was built in the 1790s after this form of tinning Dartmoor us Ramblers know and love - truly one can was no longer in use, to supply what was then called get pleasure from a walk in all Plymouth Dock as it needed weathers. increasingly more water. Norsworthy Bridge is a very The Plymouth Leat, or Drakes good starting point for various Leat, had been put in 200 walks deep into the Moor, with years earlier. Our leat was only generous space for car parking. allowed to be built on the strict Simply drive past Burrator proviso that it did not in any Reservoir to the head of the way interfere with Drakes Leat, valley, park just beyond the so had to draw its water from bridge. beyond Princetown, requiring a Our walk starts up the lane to tunnel under Nuns Cross Farm The end monolith of the stone row Leather Bridge and then heads to reach us here. Today, Drakes right. Emerge from the wood Leat no longer runs, since and continue to Crazywell Pool. This deep excavation it was blocked by the building of Burrator Reservoir. of the medieval tinners is a favourite swimming spot Devonport Leat still runs vigorously to above the end of in high summer. Pass the pool and go up diagonally the reservoir, then tumbles down to assist filling it. onward until you reach the Devonport Leat. Follow this We follow the leat, initially above and parallel to a track. along the hillside noting how it needed to be built up When the track crosses Elder Bridge, keep following the round the tops of several gullies. These were filled with leat nearly to the head of the valley where it emerges 48

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WALK from the tunnel; you do not go that far unless you choose to. When you see a cross above on the left, be ready to cut down right from the leat to cross the head of the narrow valley and climb up the other side onto open moorland. The cross is a modern one erected in 1968 by Lieutenant Commander B. Hutchinson of Stoke Fleming, in memory of his mother. On the open moor keep along a broad unpaved track to pass between a sprawling cairn and an Iron Age enclosure. Here you join the line of a stone row, leading to a tall monolith and a small stone circle. Do not carry straight on to the top of Down Tor, instead veer diagonally left to reach Combshead Tor.

Leather Bridge

This very pretty tor has its summit rocks surrounding a sheltered grassy lawn, an ideal lunch spot in windy weather. An alternative lunch spot with a view is by the strange conical Cuckoo Rock, beyond and below the tor. After lunch continue diagonally right down the hill to the track that leads past a ruined farmstead and back to Norsworthy Bridge. This is a very varied walk, showing many different aspects of our lovely Moor. To join in with such a walking group, Google ‘Plymouth Ramblers’ or phone the author, Ron Smith on 01752 674230. n

Crazywell Pool

Ron Smith

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The infamous Murad Reis

Plymouth’s problems with the

Barbary Corsairs When the Vikings raided up the Tamar in 997AD, they ignored the tiny fishing village of Sutton Harbour. They headed up to loot Tavistock Abbey and rob the King’s mint at Lydford. Ron Smith recounts the tale. 50

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HISTORY

n the 1600s the Barbary Corsairs were after White Gold, but not loot - White Christians were highly valued in the slave markets of North Africa. There was a particular explosion of activity when a new Admiral took over a fleet from Salé, a settlement by Rabat in Morocco. They became known as the Salé Rovers. Murad Reis was a renegade Dutchman and a really inspired leader and organiser. In 1627 he took over Lundy as a base for raids all along the coasts of Devon and Cornwall, across to Ireland and up as far as Iceland. Villages were raided for their inhabitants, fishing vessels were left drifting with their crew abducted, trading vessels were taken into Algiers and the crew enslaved there. Our profitable trade taking pilchards to Italy, bringing

brief paraphrase would be ‘So sorry, suggest you get together and organise security guards.’ From Whitehall May 1633: After commandment of his Majesty, having been pleased to take into his Princely consideration a petition lately delivered unto him in the name of the inhabitants of the Western ports of this kingdom, complaining of divers spoils and outrages done unto them and their goods by the Turkish pirates, hath referred the further consideration thereof to this board, to the end some speedy route might be taken for their relief and safeties, whereupon we have called and hearde the Persons who delivered the said petition… and ﬂannel on!

Above: Slave trading in Algiers Right: Part of the original letter

olive oil back, simply ground to a halt. What merchant would risk his ship, or mariner to risk sailing in one? For two centuries collectors went round the villages and towns with pathetic appeals. The monies were sent over as ransom; a small proportion of the slaves did get home to tell their tale. Many converted to Islam for better food and treatment, though this prevented them from being eligible for ransom. Many were worked to death within a year or two, especially the older men. Women who were captured became maidservants or concubines, used for breeding. Of the 400 taken from Iceland in a 1627 raid, ten got home a decade later. In 1633 the Mayor of Plymouth sent a written petition to Charles I’s Privy Council in Whitehall, London. This was on behalf of all the South West ports and merchants. The Record Office at The Box holds three replies: A Please mention PLYM LINKS when responding to adverts

Five signatures were collected from Francis Cottington, Chancellor of the Exchequer and Francis Windlesham, Secretary of State. And so it went on until an Admiralty Fleet commanded by Cornishman Lord Exmouth bombarded Algiers into submission in 1816, nearly 200 hundred years later. Any group who would like a presentation about the whole matter, contact ronaldfwsmith@gmail.com Post Script: Oxford don Morgan Godwyn in 1680 ‘If someone of this island going for England should happen to be snapped up by an Algerine or Corsair of Barbary; and there to be set on shore and sold; doth he thereupon become a brute? If not, why should an African (suppose of that or any remote part) suffer a greater alteration than one of us?’ n Ron Smith Visit our community website www.dartmoorlinks.co.uk 51

Plym Links August/September 2022

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