School holidays have arrived, along with traffic chaos as we cope with the closure of Wolborough Road for three weeks to August 9th for gas mains work. Social media discussions reveal the full extent of the disrup on, and speculate why councils apparently have zero control of when and whether u li es can inconvenience us all so much. On the plus side, Rectory Road is much quieter than usual, and it’s a good opportunity to try out walking or cycling instead of driving! The work will carry on for months a er the ini al full closure, it seems, with temporary traffic lights controlling traffic. But at least the construc on traffic for the prison works is being directed via the Two Mile Oak so shouldn ’t be coming through the village.
Another social media discussion subject rousing passions recently is ragwort, that tall yellow wildflower that is a common sight at this me of year (pictured). People who keep livestock worry that it’s poisonous if their animals eat it and o en maintain it should be eradicated where horses or ca le graze, and in adjacent areas. Others say livestock will eat around live ragwort as it doesn’t taste good, and it is only a risk if it is cut, dried and mixed in with hay. There is no law that compels landowners to remove it, says the Friends of the Earth guide to ragwort myths, and it is an important plant for pollinators. The best way to deal with it, if you don’t want it on your land, is to let it go to seed and die, says the guide. The seeds need bare earth to germinate so just make sure the ground where ragwort is growing is not bare. This is likely to work be er than pulling the plant up, apparently. I, for one, am much more concerned about controlling the three cornered leeks in our garden than the ragwort!
Ramblers Wellbeing Walks
How Far Have We Come?
Where Are We Now?
Thank you to our near 300 Ogwell shop shareholders, who live mainly in Ogwell but also in the surrounding area and as far away as Scotland and Wales. It’s a great achievement, par cularly as the na onal average number of shareholders for this type of project is 185. Our current total from the share offering is just shy of £30,000. We are more than 83% of the way to our £35,000 target.
The Plan
The Ogwell Hub is in the process of seeking grant funding from government and other community bodies. We have a huge opportunity with the Community Ownership Fund (COF). This could provide 80% of the funding for the shop, but it is a considerable task to prove we are worthy. Ogwell Community Hub (OCH) needs to demonstrate that it has community support, and by buying shares people have certainly helped us along that path. We will be boos ng that with £10,000 from fundraising and small grants, having raised over £5,000 so far, and Ogwell Parish Council has agreed in principle to apply to the Public Works Loan Board to bridge our funding requirements, details yet to be confirmed. The COF grant applica on process was paused because of the general elec on held on July 4th. However, we are hopeful the COF will be reopened once the new government has made its decision about this project.
What we need from you
1. Please con nue to buy shares! Applica on forms are easy to obtain, either on paper or online from our website, just get in touch.
2. This is a BIG project so if you think you might be able to help we would love to have you on our team. If you have a good idea, share it! Whether you are a parent, a business owner, re red, a designer, social worker, in retail, manage people or projects, if you have a few spare hours, you can help.
We have been delighted with the volunteer support from the community thus far. When we asked our shareholders for help with a ‘foo all’ survey, we had over 25 offers of help within an hour! That’s why you might have seen people outside the shop and at the end of the Margaret Road logging passing traffic and pedestrians.
Let’s get this done!
Please buy shares at www.ogwell.shop
Forms can be le at:
· 3 Queen Annes Copse, TQ12 6FL, near the former school crossing.
· Adena, Canada Hill, TQ12 6AF, near the green.
· 4 Sunny Hollow, TQ12 6AN, near the church.
Thank you
The Ogwell Community Hub (OCH) Team ogwellcommunityhubltd@gmail.com
What’s On at the Memorial Hall
Can you help the Commi ee and the local community by sugges ng some new weekly or monthly ac vi es which could use the weekday spare capacity that becomes available in the Jubilee Suite in September? We want to take the opportunity of its addi onal availability to broaden our programme and replenish our finances, so all ideas welcome, par cularly if you also know someone who might help organise and run it! Please let me or Carla know, if you have any ideas. The suite can cater for a variety of layouts, with some examples shown below.
In the mean me prepara ons, including pain ng, are taking place over the summer to accommodate the Pre School, on a full me basis, in the Old School Room.
Many thanks to all those (and there were so many) who helped with the building’s 150th anniversary celebra ons. Feedback from those a ending was very posi ve, and it was a joy to hear some of the reminiscences of former school pupils, listen to village and school choirs and, of course, eat cakes!
Contact details
For more informa on contact Carla on: 07977 281335 or carlaglanvilleomh23@gmail.com or Peter on 01626 369478 or petane@outlook.com
Shop Project, Prison Work, Speed
Parish Council Report for June and July 2024
To start with a brief update on the Shop Project, the share issue is progressing with around 300 residents buying shares to a value of nearly £30,000. The announcement of the general elec on and the subsequent change of government have delayed the bidding for funding but this is s ll in the pipeline. Meanwhile, the chance to buy shares remains, and the more people involved and showing support, the be er chance the project has of winning the necessary funding. Since the last Parish Council report several events have taken place in the parish and all were well a ended and enjoyed, including May Day celebra ons, the Open Gardens weekend for the Na onal Garden Scheme, the 80th Anniversary of D-Day celebra ons on the Green, followed by the Summer Fair and just recently, the 150th Anniversary of Ogwell Memorial Hall, built in 1874, as the stone outside the Hall entrance tes fies.
I a ended and enjoyed the various opportuni es to look around other peoples’ gardens and sit on the Green with a glass of wine, as well as scoffing a cream tea in the Memorial Hall. We are very lucky to have people in Ogwell prepared to organise and run these events and the Parish Council is pleased to support them with grants and assistance. In the case of the D-Day Event we can thank Councillor Paul Mar n for deciding we would celebrate this important milestone, as well as all those who helped set up and run the event. Next May we have the 80th Anniversary of VE Day –Victory in Europe, and it has been decided that we will have a celebra on on the
Green, hoping the weather will be as kind as it has been for recent ac vi es. Living fairly close to Channings Wood Prison, I can’t help but be aware that a lot of work is being carried out to increase the capacity of the prison. The Parish Council has been anxious that the construc on traffic use the Two Mile Oak route to the prison to reduce heavy traffic through Ogwell but we cannot bar the route to contractors who choose to come through the village. I expect our pa ence will be tried before the work is completed. However, we have another problem with the proposed closure of part of Totnes Road into Newton Abbot as part of a replacement programme for gas mains. There are no easy alterna ve routes and we will no doubt have to live with frustra on for a while. S ll on the subject of roads, a recent survey of traffic speeds on Canada Hill was carried out, at the Parish Council’s request, to see whether a Speed Indica on Device would be helpful. The test showed that average speeds were within the limit of 30mph, although the occasional idiot was recorded at unacceptable speeds. The conclusion was that the Speed Indica on Device was not necessary at that loca on and we were reassured that the vast majority of those using the road were driving within the limit. The next Parish Council Mee ng will take place in the Memorial Hall on Monday August 12th at 7pm and as always we welcome parishioners to our mee ngs.
The children at Woodlands School and Gardening Club have been working really hard to grow vegetables throughout the year with the aim of ge ng them into the school kitchen as part of our new salad bar. We are delighted that this term we have been able to provide all sorts all vegetables for children to try for their lunch. They have been ge ng a taste of fresh peas, broad beans, courge es, le uce, chilli peppers, garlic and loads of cucumbers. As I write, there are reports of tomatoes, aubergines and new potatoes also coming to frui on. The school gardens have also been providing flowering plants for the planters around the school grounds. Next year we aim to grow more, earlier so that the kitchen have even more of our produce.
Skern
Lodge Residen al
Our annual Year 6 residen al trip to Skern Lodge in North Devon was a great success. Children ba led and conquered their fears on the high ropes and abseiling ac vi es, and plunged into the sea to go bodyboarding and surfing. They also enjoyed ra ing and leapt from ra to ra like a bunch of fearless pirates! Needless to say, they were exhausted when they returned to school on the Monday a ernoon, but almost every single Year 6 turned up the following morning to rehearse our Summer Show.
Singing, more singing and cakes at the Ogwell Summer Fair
As ever, we were at the Ogwell Summer Fair serving cakes in the main tent and singing on the green.
The eagle-eyed amongst readers may have spo ed this year’ s stand -in for Mrs Henderson -Leer, with Mr Kirkham making his first of many ou ngs with the school choir. The children sang beau fully and also had impeccable manners when serving cakes to the public.
We also sang at the village hall to help celebrate its 150th anniversary (pictured above).
D-Day Commemora on
As we thought it such a important event to commemorate , we gave four en re days over to learning about D-Day and its significance with all the children in the school. We ended the journey with a short performance of war me songs and the na onal D-Day poem on the school field to parents and grandparents. All the children dressed up as evacuees for the big day and looked and sounded fantas c. We also all had fish and chips for lunch. Our head boys and girls did a terrific job of reading out quite a difficult poem, and then repeated the reading at the beacon ligh ng ceremony on Ogwell Green in the evening. We were very proud of them.
The Lion King
This year our end of year performance is the Lion King, with our Year 5/6 children showing real dedica on and determina on. The show is a real treat for the senses, with beau ful singing, confident ac ng, fabulous dancing and some great comedy ming. There have been a lot of a er school and lunch me rehearsals run by the whole teaching team, which has allowed us to aim high with the quality and give as many children as possible a chance to shine.
Arts Week
We also had our bi-annual Arts Week. Children stopped normal lessons and spent three days having day-long workshops with teachers from their year group crea ng a different form of art based on a pain ng of Piccadilly Circus by Lowry. We then had a whole school art exhibi on which children toured in the a ernoon and parents enjoyed a er school. The standard of the artwork was phenomenal for such young people.
Summer Fair 2024
A er weeks of poor weather, June 22nd, Ogwell Summer Fair day, turned out dry and fair, thankfully. This year we had more visitors than ever, possibly the most in our fair history.
The fair was opened at noon by Isabelle and Ryan singing and playing a variety of classic songs by great writers across jazz, blues, pop and folk. The Canada Hill Choir then filled the air with singing too.
The Dog show was once again popular, with thanks to Steve and Fiona Reynolds for judging and Caroline Gale (The Ogwell Dog Trainer) for generously sponsoring and running the dog show.
This year we were joined by two adorable mini ponies, which children had fun grooming and stroking. We also had a selec on of owls from across the world for us to see thanks to Torbay Owls. There were cra stalls, plant stalls and we were joined by our local police team who were giving away s ckers and the chance to be locked away in the police van.
There were lots of food and drink op ons with something to suit every pocket, both savoury and sweet. We once again had new ‘Ogwell’ themed fes val cups which were well received.
Two Steam Engines powered and rolled themselves up Canada Hill to join us. They made a big impression with lots of people interested in seeing a li le bit of beau fully preserved history.
The inflatables were in demand with kids (big and small) but so too was a new stand which offered VR gaming experiences. Tradi onal games of wellie wang and beat the goalie, run by the Simmonds family, and the coconut shy by Jerry Ash were all well supported.
Ogwell Olympics, which many of the young people of the village return to take part in, was as always brilliant. Thank you to Katherine McEwen for running this for us each year.
The raffle had two fantas c star prizes; a Dual-Fuel BBQ sponsored by Amity Vets and a Paddle Board donated by Green Overhead. Other prizes included six bo les of wine donated by Wickham Wines, a fruit basket from Ashfords Fruit and Veg, and a number of other fabulous baskets, from cheese and wine, cream tea to beauty.
Two double-deckers carried people from the new part of the village to the green, which meant queues were kept to a minimum and helped significantly reduce the parking around the green. Parking on the new side of the village was also greatly helped by having a ‘park and ride’ field down in Undercleave, thanks to the O’Neil family for allowing us to use their field and to the volunteers who helped park cars. Thank you to all the volunteers who helped with the marquees; to all the many villagers who helped us set up, work the bar or run a
stall; to Ogwild for running the disabled car park; and to Ogwell Tennis Club for manning the BBQ; we really could not do it without you all. And thank you to the commi ee who work relessly to put this event on –well done team!
Finally, thank you to everyone who a ended, we hope you had a great me and we look forward to seeing you at the Sundowner on the 14th of September from 5pm. Ruth, Jon, Brian, Catherine, Louise and Lucy Ogwell Events
Garden Design and a Walled Garden Visit
Ogwell Garden Society Report for June / July
A warm welcome was given to a group of visitors from Kingskerswell Garden Society when we met on June 12th. We had a full house with just enough chairs to listen to our speaker for the evening with Elizabeth Holman, garden designer, speaking on ‘52 weeks of colour ’. She gave many sugges ons and ideas to help this star ng with, choose your plants carefully always check the labels to make sure they have a long flowering season throughout the year. Try to widen your borders and create curved edges and select plants with complimentary colours to give impact to your borders. Elizabeth showed many pictures explaining this and some gardens she had re-created from dull straight lawns and paving. We finished the evening with tea/coffee and cakes and also celebrated our chairman Richard Fitzgerald’s birthday with a card and gi from the society.
The stem of the month winners were: Chris ne Ashton, a yellow Golden Celebra on Rose.; Andrew Mill, a peach Olivia Rose; and Richard Fitzgerald, a spray of yellow roses.
At our July mee ng, a small group of members visited the ‘Walled Garden’ at Staverton (above). The weather was kind to us and we had a lovely a ernoon being shown round by the owner Chris, who with his wife Carmen has completely restored this garden, which is surrounded by a 200 year old wall. Work started in 2018 when they moved in. It now consists of individual areas well planted to cope with the ho er climate. They also opened for NGS on July 7th. Well worth a visit.
Our next mee ng in the hall is on August 14th at 7.30pm and will be our mini show and Dutch Supper. On September 11th we will be doing an a ernoon visit to ‘Stone Lane Gardens’ near Drewsteignton. For further informa on contact Chris Ashton tel. 016262 364543.
Chris ne Ashton, Secretary
Canada Hill School Governors Needed
Are you enthusias c about educa on?
Do you have some me to spare?
If so, then you may be just the person we need at Canada Hill Community Primary School!
We are currently looking for new co-opted governors to join our friendly governing body. Our governors come from a range of different backgrounds, skills and experience but all share a common interest of wan ng the best possible educa on for the children in our school.
We would be delighted to hear from anyone who:
· Is interested in children’s educa on and the performance of the school
· Is community spirited and would like to represent the community
· Has spare me and the energy for the role
· Is able to work well as part of a team
· Has an enquiring mind and the confidence to ask ques ons and debate issues that affect the school
· Can consider ma ers objec vely and make informed judgements
These volunteer posi ons are open to parents/guardians or other people from our community. Co-opted governors are not elected by a parent elec on but are instead appointed directly by the governing body.
If you would like to nominate yourself or require any addi onal informa on, please contact our clerk, clerk@canadhill.org, who will be more than happy to help.
Ogwell Tennis Club
Ogwell Tennis Club Night has got off to a good start with between 6 – 10 players ge ng together on a Monday evening. We helped out at the Ogwell Fair in June by running the BBQ Burger and Hotdog stall. Thank you to all those members who helped to prep and dish up. It was a busy a ernoon and all the burgers and sausages sold out. Unfortunately our Open A ernoon planned for the next day on Sunday 23rd June wasn ’t such a success as we had no visitors. Those members who came along to help played tennis for the a ernoon and enjoyed themselves instead.
Our “free” Junior Coaching arranged for the school summer holidays on Tuesday
a ernoons from 3-5pm has got off to a good start with bookings for all four weeks now full.
In September we are planning a club social event to be held in the Memorial Hall for members and their family and friends. We have replaced the top fence panels alongside the tennis court and the footpath and also have repaired and improved access through the gate to the court.
Anyone wishing to join the tennis club can contact the club secretary on 01803 813363. We look forward to hearing from you.
Julia Barton, Secretary,
Luncheon Club
We look forward to welcoming our regular diners to our monthly Luncheon Club in the Memorial Hall. Our next lunches are on:
· August no mee ng
· Wednesday 18th September
· Wednesday 16th October
The charge is £6 each for a 3 -course meal, with coffee included. If you wish to bring your own wine, glasses will be provided. Arrive from 12 noon, we start serving at 12.45pm. Please phone for further details, or to let us know you’re coming.
Ogwell ‘Third Agers’
The U3A or 'third agers' is a self-help organisa on for people who are re red, semi -re red or no longer in full- me employment. It provides opportuni es for members to share learning experiences and to pursue educa onal, crea ve and leisure ac vi es. Two of our groups, History and Armchair Travel, each meet monthly in The Jubilee Suite of the Ogwell Memorial Hall at 1:45pm. Annual membership of U3A is £25 but you are welcome to a end one of our mee ngs to find out what we do.
Our mee ngs for August and September
August History Group
Visit to Powderham Castle
No Armchair Travel mee ng
Wednesday 11th September
History: Subject to be confirmed
Monday 30th September
Armchair Travel: Port de Soller, Majorca
Janet – Group Leader History
Mike – Group Leader Armchair Travel
Events, Survey, Owl Box
Li le Green: The agreement made regarding cu ng the Li le Green for parking for events such as the Summer Fair has been working well. Ogwild volunteers supervised the disabled parking there for this year’s fair with no problems at all. A survey of the Li le Green in June by Roger Smith, Botanist and County Recorder, recorded 103 plant species, a significant increase on the 60 or so recorded in a previous survey in July 2023. Roger commented: “Limestone grass land, especially inland, is an uncommon habitat in Devon and the site at East Ogwell includes a number of species that are increasingly scarce inland due to agricultural improvement and the opinion that tall grassland is “un dy”.
Wildflower areas: Ongoing management has kept the various wildflower areas round the village looking good, although in some it was touch and go whether the slugs and snails would eat everything before the plants had a chance to get going! The 10 planters around Ogwell were planted up in May, with help from village volunteers. Many thanks to all those who get involved and help with these ac vi es.
Rectory Field: Back in January we contacted the Barn Owl Trust to suggest placing an owl box in Rectory Field, as it was looking for poten al sites for a research project. A site visit by the Trust iden fied a suitable tree and a box was duly made by and erected by Ogwild volunteers in February. There have been no sigh ngs of a resident barn owl so far.
In July, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the dona on of Rectory Field to the Woodland Trust by Kathleen Hacker, who lived at Swallowfield, the property opposite the entrance to Rectory Field. The Devon Wildlife Trust and Elm Wildlife Rescue had stands at the event and there were plenty of hands-on ac vi es for children and adults. There was a coffee and cake van, a raffle, and a fabulous celebratory cake. Rectory Field was looking good a er a team of volunteers spent me cu ng back brambles and thistles and clearing the long grass around the memorial tree areas.
“My
Absolute Ul mate Adventure!”
The Beginning
The End
Ogwell resident Sally, and her dog Basil, set off to walk the South West Coast Path on 1st May. She finished her epic trip of 630 miles in Poole on 15th July
Sally had reached Newquay when we le her in the last issue of the magazine. Here’ s her story of the rest of her trek.
Farewell to busy Newquay and on to St Agnes before camping at Blue Hills, a beau ful site, where an amazing stranger cooked me a veggie chilli with a glass of wine.
A er nine hours of wet, windy weather and sheer cliffs, I arrived, very wet, in Gwithian, to spend an evening with good friends and sleep in their camper van.
A er so much me alone, St Ives seemed crazily busy, but what a stunning coastline. Then a tough day climbing boulders the size of cars for many miles, plus bogs and rocky waterfalls! Camped at Pendeen lighthouse with a stunning view of the ocean.
Rose early to walk through freezing fog to Sennen with my first sight of some sunshine and watching seals play in the sea. I made it past Lands End and arrived at the Minnack Theatre in Porthcurno just in me for an amazing show in the sunshine. Mousehole was next – camped on the
football pitch and used their showers. On to Penzance, which was an easy walk a er the heat and exhaus on of the previous days. So many miles of boulders and extreme climbs (doing the SWCP is equivalent to climbing Mount Everest four mes, according to my book, and it definitely felt like it!). Then it was on to Porthleven. Got lost a lot the next day, but reached the Lizard - and the quirkiest camp site ever.
And then I’d passed the halfway mark, with 325 miles done, 61,000 feet climbed. I was almost in Falmouth, and it felt like home was ge ng closer.
A couple of ferry trips from Falmouth to St Mawes then Place. Lots of uphill, but arrived in sunny Porthloe, camping in the pub garden. Up early and on our way before 7.30. No cafes open so it was cashews and water for us both l 1pm when we finally got to Gorran Haven. We finished the day in stunning Mevagissey, which has to be in the top three of Cornish harbour towns! Par up next.
Sally with the Hope Cove Lifeboat crew. She raised £2,000 for the service on her walk.
The worst day! Up at 6.15am to get the tent down before the storm. We made it to Fowey, the heavens opened and, yay, the ferry wasn't running! We managed to go as passengers on the car ferry but it added four miles to our day! Finally made it to Polperro hypothermic a er 10 hours of lashing rain and 60mph winds. And I fell into s nging ne les, which hurt for days!
Polperro was stunning once the storm had passed. A er a scrummy cooked breakfast I headed to lovely Looe, and finished the day in White Sand Bay with views over Plymouth. A er my long walk around Cornwall, I was so excited to see the Devon coastline. I reflected that the SWCP had become my ‘home’ – feeling safe among other walkers with the same enthusiasm and
The 10 hardest things of my trek
· Not knowing where I’m going to sleep
· Will I have enough food and water
· Having to make every decision myself
· Showering
· Clean clothes
· Looking a er my amazing dog
· Boots falling apart
· Trying to enjoy good mes & bad
· Sunburn
· Hypothermia!
determina on as me.
Things improved once I was back in Devon and reached Hope Cove and Salcombe.
Dartmouth was our 10th ferry crossing and by then, Baz and I had covered 445 miles and climbed 88,000 feet. Wonderful to see Torquay and Teignmouth before heading to Lyme Regis and Golden Cap, the highest point on the south coast.
My lovely son Bobby, visi ng from New Zealand, joined me in Sidmouth and walked with me for 60 miles over four days, trekking the Jurassic Coast.
Dorset absolutely amazed me, the sights and scenery were absolutely stunning! I thought I'd le the severe climbs behind, but nooo, it was one of the hugest challenges of my 630 miles!! A er Lulworth Cove I faced the severe cliffs of St Albans Head before finally arriving at South Haven in Poole.
I’d walked 630 miles, endured and enjoyed; I was ecsta c and emo onal to arrive in Poole to be welcomed by my friends and family, champagne and flowers.
This was my biggest solo adventure with my truly wonderful dog Basil. It was hard, brilliant, and the absolute experience of my life. I’m so proud and humbled by our stunning coast. My advice: if you have a dream, follow it right now!
An Op mis c View of the Climate Crisis
Book Review: Not the End of the World, by Hannah Ritchie (2024 )
Scene from ‘The Day A er Tomorrow’, a 2004 film depic ng catastrophic climate effects when a major ocean current shuts down.
We have all heard doomsday headlines like: “We will see virtually empty oceans by 2048”, “The real-life Day A er Tomorrow”, or “How close are we to total annihila on?”. I tend to think that faced with headlines like this most people are like me: overwhelmed by the size of perceived problems, unable to make sense of the data and a li le bit frightened of what it means for my family, Ogwell, ...the world! The Ostrich effect occurs (head in the sand) - a er all what can li le old me from Ogwell do?
So, when I stumbled across this book, which offered some op mis c insight into the big climate/environmental issues we face today, along with solu ons (some of which even I could adopt), I felt compelled to read it!
Hannah Ritchie, the author, who is deputy editor and lead researcher at the online publica on Our World in Data, starts by explaining a li le bit about herself, how she felt about these headlines and what made her change how she looked at the problems. Being the lead researcher for Our World in Data she sees lots of sta s cs from all over the world. This book has taken global data and interpreted it for non-experts, providing
an illumina ng view on the size of climate problems and risks we face.
Chapters start with “Air” before working down to the deep ocean. It covers so many climate problems, such as, deforesta on, food, biodiversity, transport, plas c, etc. It does not focus on one specific country but instead zooms out to consider the problems facing the whole world. It o en starts with the history of the problem and how we arrived here, where we are now, what is being done to overcome problems already and what needs to happen to enable us to solve these issues.
I found this book enlightening and the explana ons of environmental issues fantas c. It definitely debunks some headlines and gives you a grasp of environmental and climate problems, providing greater context behind them. Every sec on is backed up with lots of facts, figures and diagrams which are wri en in an accessible manner so anyone can understand them. I took my me reading this book as there was lots of informa on to sink in and process.
Overall, ‘Not the end of the World’ is a thought-provoking book that discusses difficult climate issues and choices we need to make, but it also gives hope that not all is lost. Perhaps more importantly it gives readers a desire to make changes and adopt new thinking, prac ces and solu ons. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who may feel anxious about nega ve headlines that float around or wishes to learn a bit more about the true scale of the climate crisis.
The Ogwell Bookworm
“Farrell” Boot Camp!
Eight family members, ranging in age from 9-70, are preparing for their joint charity walk on Saturday, 3rd August in support of Ac on for Pulmonary Fibrosis, a charity suppor ng a growing number of people, Jane included, affected by this disease whose most common form is progressive and has no known cause or cure. The charity also raises awareness of the disease and funds research which is contribu ng to be er treatments and hopefully an eventual cure. If you would like to support this, Peter can send you an email link to a justgiving page, or just splash the cash in his or Jane's direc on, and please cross your fingers for a mild, dry day on the 3rd!
Thank you
Peter Farrell
Ogwell Parish Magazine is published and distributed by Ogwell Parish Council and printed by Wo on Printers in Newton Abbot
Please send editorial enquiries and contribu ons to Pauline Wynter at opmeditorial@gmail.com by the 18th of the month
Please send adver sing queries to ogpmadver sing@gmail.com
How to Deal With Local Invasive Plant Species
Over the centuries humans have travelled the world and brought back plants we have found a rac ve. Our gardens are full of them and for the most part they are wellbehaved, staying where they are planted. However, some have proved to be invasive, escaping into the countryside, outcompe ng na ve slower growing flora, and
Three-cornered leek (or garlic)
This spring flower looks like a white bluebell with green lines on the petals, smells like garlic or onion, and the flowers have a dis nc ve triangular stem. Don’t be fooled by its good looks – it is a thug, spreading by bulbs and seeds, and takes over where bluebells and wild garlic should grow. In Cornwall you can see how dominant it has become since being introduced over 100 years ago. It can be disposed of in the green waste bin.
Himalayan balsam
This large rela ve of the Busy Lizzie family grows along rivers and streams, crowding out other waterside plants, and because it is a rac ve to bees it can divert them from pollina ng na ve wild flowers. It has purple/pink flowers with a sickly sweet smell, with seed pods that explode when ripe, sca ering seed readily, and enabling it to be carried downstream to colonise new areas. Where it is accessible, the plants can easily be pulled out before they set seed and le in the open to dry out, with the root end posioned so it cannot re-root.
nega vely impac ng biodiversity. The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (Schedule 9) lists 55 plants deemed invasive, that must not be planted or caused to grow in the wild and if you have them on your land you are responsible for stopping them spreading. Here are a few local culprits.
Shira Rub, Ashton Wildlife Warden
Skunk cabbage
A member of the Arum lily family, a yellow version of our na ve Lords and Ladies, this plant loves damp woodlands and has an unpleasant smell, as its name suggests. Although slow to establish, it is hard to get rid of because it has deep tubers and roots, and its seed travels readily through the wet habitat. To get rid of it on your land, you will need to dig it up every year and let it rot in a black plas c bag to ensure it cannot regenerate.
Gunnera
More specifically
Gunnera Tinctoria and Gunnera x Cryp ca, originally from South America, are the giant rhubarb plants grown by ponds and streams. These large Gunnera have been recently added to the Schedule 9 list and it is now an offence for them to be sold in the UK. If you already have these Gunnera species you must take steps to prevent it spreading into the wider countryside. To remove it, the advice is to cut it back completely and then dig down deep. Either burn it or take it to landfill.
Our June charity coffee morning raised over £80 for the No Limits Cafe & Hub in Newton Abbot towards its Crowdfunder campaign to raise money to be able to con nue its amazing inclusive services for adults of all abili es. The campaign was match funded by Aviva and so the £80 raised became £160 total contribu on. Thanks to all who came along and supported the coffee morning. You can find out more about them at nolimitscafe.co.uk or pop in for a delicious breakfast or lunch. Our charity coffee mornings take a break in August and return in September, look out for the no ces around the village which will pop up nearer the me. Thanks to a local parishioner and a helpful student we have been able to clear the ivy and climber from the churchyard wall that was encroaching on some of the plots - amazing job done and should also help prevent the wall from becoming damaged. The student, Louis, has gone on to complete his Silver Duke of Edinburgh Award, so a great achievement - big thanks to Louis pu ng in over 26 hours in total volunteering with us, undertaking a number of different ac vi es. Before and a er photos of the churchyard right. As this magazine goes to print, our Curate Ben Maynard, his wife Sarah and family will be looking ahead to a move to the Culm Valley where Ben will be taking up a new post as Rector. We will miss them all greatly having been blessed to have them in our Church family but also in the Ogwell community as residents.
It has been a rollercoaster for the family in their me with us, from arriving as they did during the early days of the Covid pandemic when it was not possible to mix, through Ben comple ng his curacy and all the family becoming established and ac ve members in our community, facing with faith and courage the overwhelming challenges brought by Noah’s illness as well as the blessing of a new baby. There is much to reflect on in gra tude for their contribu on to our Church life and the wider community as parishioners, neighbours and as friends. Thank you Maynard family, we con nue to pray for you all as you start this new chapter.
Samantha, Gwyn and Stella Newton Abbot and Ogwell PCC
Church Message: Elec on Reflec ons
How did you feel on 5th July when the elec on results were confirmed? Were you jumping for joy, or down in the dumps? But whoever we voted for what should our a tude be now? Let me suggest four Chris an ways to respond to the result, however you feel about it.
1: Worship God
Romans 13 reminds us that “there is no authority except that which God has established.” So however you feel, remind yourself that God is sovereign over his world, that He is in charge, and that, for purposes that are perhaps beyond our understanding, the Lord himself will have ordained the results of the elec on.
2: Respect those given authority to rule
Some mes those in posi ons of authority behave in ways which make respec ng them difficult, to say the least! However, given the complexity of modern life and the pressure and scru ny those in public life find themselves under, let’s seek to honour their willingness to serve by trea ng them and their office with respect.
3: Obey the law
Our calling as Chris ans is to submit to the
authority of a lawfully elected government and obey the laws of the land. That includes, and I'm talking to myself here, speed limits and parking restric ons, as well as paying taxes, violence, the and the like. The laws of the land all there to restrain evil and for the common good. We play our part as good ci zens by obeying those laws.
4: Pray for them
Most Sundays we include prayers for our King and his government in our intercessions, but I wonder how o en we pray at home for our Prime Minister, his cabinet and our local MP? Perhaps we would find ourselves more content with our leaders if we spent less me cri cising them and more me praying for them. And who knows, God may answer our prayers and raise up leaders over us who are honest and trustworthy, righteous and just, who will defend the weak, care for the poor, stand up for truth and pursue peace and prosperity for all. The is surely something we can all pray for now this elec on season is over.
Archie Wilson
Rev Dave Brown, Rector, Newton Abbot Parishes
Church Services in Ogwell
Services at St Bartholomew’s will be held on the first and third Sunday of the month at 9.30am. The August dates are 4th and 18th and the September ones are 8th and 22nd.
The Parishes of Newton Abbot and Ogwell
The Rectory, Coach Place, Coach Road, Newton Abbot Tel: 01626 335862
Please contact the Parish Office at St Paul’s Church on 01626 211346 or email: office@newtonabbotparishes.co.uk to arrange weddings, bap sms and funerals
Top Quality Chamber Music on Your Doorstep
Nadsa Concerts is a welcoming chamber concert society offering seven concerts from September to April each season at the Courtenay Centre in Newton Abbot. The society’s 78th season offers the usual wide range of both performers and performances, with something for everyone. Tickets, priced £21 (£18 for members), must be bought in advance.
The first concert of the season is on Friday 20th September at 7.30pm when the Hather Duo will perform ‘Dreams and Fantasies’. The duo, flau st Meera Maharaj and harpist Lucy Nolan, offer a rich and varied repertoire, from JS Bach’s Sonata in G Minor and Sain-Saens Fantasie to a composi on by Joseph Bologne, a Guadaloupe/French Classical composer, conductor and virtuoso violinist, and Hamilton Hardy’s ‘In Ireland’. Both Royal Northern College of Music graduates, the duo have graced pres gious stages such as the Bridgewater Hall, Cadogan Hall, and the Royal Albert Hall.
For further details and ckets for the 2024-25 concerts, visit the website: nadsa.co.uk
On Sunday October 20th, 3.30pm, Norwegian pianist Kris an Lindberg offers a capva ng journey through Classical, Roman c, and early 20th-century masterworks. He will play four works for the piano, by Mozart, Beethoven, Ravel and Rachmaninov. Lindberg has performed at Carnegie Hall in New York, Wigmore Hall in London, and the Vienna Konzerthaus, and collaborated with renowned orchestras, including the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra.
Ogwell Online
Here are websites you can visit for informa on and news about what’s going on in Ogwell. Please get in touch if you think something is missing.
Facebook Pages
You will need a Facebook account and login to access some of these pages. Once you are on facebook.com/ add the rest of the address as below: Groups/ogwell Open to anyone who is interested in Ogwell Ogwellparishcouncil About Ogwell Parish Council Groups/539717592783289 Group for people in Ogwell, Denbury and Newton Abbot surrounding area who want to post items for sale Ogwellevents About Ogwell events, including the Summer Fair
Ogwild Wildlife group working to help nature thrive in our village
OgwellStayPlay Church run Stay and Play Group
Ogwell-Pre-School-705584722868238
Ogwell Pre-School held in Memorial Hall Fchcanadahill Friends of Canada Hill Primary School Groups/486663211713078 For Friends of Ogwell Youth FC
Ogwell-Community-Shop-Project105121014405670/ Groups/2814848585418714 Ogwell hedgehogs group
Website Pages
ogwellparishcouncil.gov.uk Parish council website ogwild.org Encouraging residents to improve biodiversity around our parish ogwellpreschool.org Ogwell Pre-School canadahill.devon.sch.uk Canada Hill
Primary School countrybusdevon.co.uk/routes/ Local bus metables
ogwell.wixsite.com/newton-rovers Walks that use the bus to travel or are local
issuu.com/search?q=ogwell Past and current issues of the parish magazine ogwell.wixsite.com/report-it Report potholes, damaged pavements, poor road signs, fly pping, badly maintained hedges and grass areas, weeds, overflowing bins, dog waste ogwell.wixsite.com/documents Phone directories, reports, plans, maps eathorvertonwebcam.org.uk/ Webcammenu/EAFrameset.html? Holbeam Dam webcam
Recycling Days
Mon/Tues/Wed/ Thursday 5th/ 6th/ 7th/ 8th August Green Bin
Mon/Tues/Wed/ Thursday 11th/ 13th/ 14th 15th August Black Bin
Mon/Tues/Wed/ Thursday 19th/ 20th/ 21st/ 22nd August Green Bin
Tues/Wed/Thu/ Friday 27th/ 28th/ 29th/ 30th August Black Bin
Mon/Tues/Wed/ Thursday 2nd/ 3rd/ 4th/ 5th September Green Bin
Mon/Tues/Wed/ Thursday 9th/ 10th/ 11th/ 12th September Black Bin
Mon/Tues/Wed/ Thursday 16th/ 17th/ 18th/ 19th September Green Bin
Mon/Tues/Wed/ Thursday 23rd/ 24th/ 25th/ 26th September Black Bin
Mon/Tues/Wed/ Thursday 30th September/ 1st/ 2nd/ 3rd October Green Bin
Please visit www.teignbridge.gov.uk for more informa on
CONTACTS
Police
NewtonAbbot@devonandcornwall.pnn.police.uk
Force Enquiry Centre/Non-emergency calls - 101
Ogwell Parish Council
Chair: Steve Reynolds: 07852 568552 chair@ogwell.org
