Sheepwash Chronicle Winter 2023

Editorial – Your Chronicle Still Needs You!

Thank you to everyone who gave us feedback on our last issue, and an even bigger thank you to all who have sent us contributions for this one! Remember, we need your input to make the Chronicle what you want it to be. You can do this in lots of ways:

• Give us your news – what has happened since the last issue, and what will be happening in the next few months. We want to hear about special birthdays, anniversaries, new arrivals and departures, forthcoming events - anything and everything that is of interest to you

• Send us a contribution. We don’t want your money! We do want interesting articles, photographs, drawings, cartoons, jokes, puzzles, poems, and stories – anything that will help to make the Chronicle a “good read”. We accept contributions on paper, electronically, or even verbally!

• Write a regular column. We would love to hear from anyone who would like to write a regular column on a hobby such as gardening or cooking, or country diary notes, or observations on village life, or anything else which will give our readers practical advice, or just bring a smile to their faces.

• Give us your feedback. For years the Chronicle has been something we’ve all looked forward to receiving and reading, and we want to keep it that way, and make it even better. We can only do that if you tell us what you think of it, and give us your ideas. We will all be delighted to hear from you. Our contact details are just below, so please get in touch.

The Cover Pictures

The photograph on our front cover was taken by Helen Crossley. As always, please send us your pictures - we need more to choose from! Contents

Deadline for the next issue (but the earlier the

better!)

Please get all your news and contributions to one of us by 24th March, to ensure it is included in the Spring (April / May) issue of the Chronicle.

• Just tell us your news when you see us out and about.

• Send or drop off news and contributions on paper to Alison at The Glebe in West Road, Chris at Larcombe House in North Street, or Jackie at Badger House behind the pub.

• Telephone - Alison: 01409 231196, Chris: 01409 231341, or Jackie: 01409 251019

• Email - We are very pleased to receive contributions or messages in electronic form. Email Alison at alisonansell2@gmail.com, Chris at chris11egg@aol.com, or Jackie at jackie.hornby@hotmail.co.uk

Welcome to Sheepwash!

A big Sheepwash welcome to Jay, Lucy, Poppy, Leo and Oscar Martin and Bridget Ingle who moved into The Stables in North Street around Christmas time, and to Mike Lewis and Jo Kennedy from Bratton Clovelly who moved into Buddle House on West Road on 14th January. We look forward to getting to know you all.

December Table Top in the Village Hall

There was a very Christmassy feel in the village hall on 10th December. The weather was very frosty and icy which meant that not everyone could get there. In spite of the weather it went very well. Plenty of decorations and gifts being sold, some beautiful works of craft and knitting. Mince pies and cream, hot chocolate and bacon rolls aplenty. Gina Tidball donated many Christmas cakes and puddings which were soon snapped up. It was good to see some new faces - very welcome to you. It was a good get-together with folk old and new.

We raised £361 for village hall funds. Thank you!

Please join us again on Saturday 18th February for the next sale. If you would like to book a table, ring Anne on 231231 or Jan on 241884 to reserve a space for just £5.

The Village Hall Committee

Poppy Collection

The villagers raised £332.27 for the Royal British Legion through its annual Poppy Appeal. Well done one and all.

Sheepwash Rainfall

Apart from the extremely cold, dry fortnight in early December, it has so far been a mild, windy and very wet winter. Annual rainfall for 2022 was just over 40 inches which is about 15% below the long term average. So far we haven’t had any exceptional gales and my greenhouse is still in one piece. As I write this in mid-January there is a daffodil in full flower on the lower road to Totleigh!

Charles Inniss

Sheepwash Golfing Society

We will all have our memories of the weather in 2022, particularly the long, hot, rainless summer, with temperatures in the upper thirties and plants struggling to survive. For golfers the abiding memories are of brown, grassless fairways with the ball running for miles. The greens stood out in sharp contrast from surrounding brown grass. It was difficult to distinguish between the course and the beach at Bude!

However, a few months on and the Christmas golf outing, scheduled for 15th December, had to be postponed because the course was frozen, although it was played the following week. One of the beauties of golf is that it is played in just about all weather conditions except snow, and throughout all these contrasting circumstances the Sheepwash Golfing Society (SGS) has soldiered on.

For those of our readers who are relatively new to the parish, l should explain that the Society is a longestablished group of men (so far) who play golf every Thursday at the North Cornwall Golf Club at Bude. The Society originated in Sheepwash, but now our members come from a wider area. However, Sheepwash, and in particular the Half Moon, remains our spiritual home. We have a range of talents among our members – some really good low-handicap players, and some who play more in hope than expectation. The age profile tends to be, let’s say, senior.

The Society is long established; the first winner of the Sheepwash Cup, according to the Honours Board in the pub, was in 1970, 53 years ago. In the early years, their outings were extraordinarily ambitious, with tours to play some of the top courses in Great Britain, Europe, and North America. Now we rarely venture beyond the Southwest. The other remarkable feature of the Society is that it exists without any rules or constitution, no subscription, no officers, no money. But it exists.

Last year saw our normal mixture of activities: Thursdays at Bude followed by dinner in the club house, away-days, the odd match, and one or two more serious competitions.

Last year, we had away-days at Oake Manor, near Taunton, in May, Twilight Golf (rather a misnomer) on the Kigbeare Course, Ashbury in July, followed by supper at the Half Moon, and Carlyon Bay, near St Austell. The Sheepwash Cup, which is open, by invitation, to a wider group, was held on 22 winner was a guest, a Mr Kirby. A list of all past winners can be seen on the Honours Board in the Pool Room at the Half Moon.

We had our annual match against a golfing society who come down from Berkshire. The result, as far as I can remember, was a draw. The year ended with the Christmas outing re-scheduled to 22nd December, at which the SGS player of the year was announced. This is based on Stableford Scores on designated dates throughout the year. The 2022 winner was Phil Davis, from Bude, who is pictured receiving the cherished Mallard Duck trophy from the previous winner, Horace Parsons.

The 2023 season is already under way and a hardy few ventured out yesterday (12th January).

Our annual lunch at the Half Moon will take place on Sunday 19th February. Further details to follow.

The Sheepwash Cup will be held on 16th March and away-days have been arranged at Lanhydrock Golf Club near Bodmin, on 9th May, twilight golf will be on 25th July, at a venue to be decided, and the autumn outing will be at Dainton Park near Newton Abbot on 26th September

We could do with a few more Sheepwash residents amongst our ranks so if anybody is interested in playing with us, please let me know.

David Ansell

Horace Parsons on the right, receiving the Mallard Duck trophy from the previous winner, Phil Davis

Book Review

Wake by Anna Hope

This novel is not an easy read but at the same time it is so well written that I felt compelled to keep going.

It explored the impact of war from another perspective. The setting is post First World War London. It covers a period of five days in November 1920 revealing the lives of a variety of women. These five days are significant because they cover the time it takes for the body of an “Unknown Warrior” to be exhumed in France, taken to England, processed ceremonially through London, and then buried in Westminster Abbey.

The women are different in age and social class - but the unifying aspect is the profound grief they are suffering in the aftermath of the First World War; each is experiencing a deep loss: the loss of a lover, a son, a brother, a father, the loss of their youth.

Although you only get a snapshot of their individual lives, they are so skilfully portrayed that I found myself wanting to know how things worked out for them after the novel had finished.

You get a glimpse of soldiers of all ranks and ages through these women’s eyes: men who have been disabled, shellshocked, embittered and disillusioned, destroyed in body and soul.

The last part of the book takes you to the day the Unknown Warrior is finally laid to rest. The author reflects the profound effect that this symbolic act had for so many who had no other physical focus for their mourning. Far from being “yet another book about the war”, I found it thought-provoking and moving.

Jan Hayward Sheepwash Snooker Club

Many of you may not be aware that the village is very fortunate to have a full-sized snooker table situated in the Snooker Room at the rear of the village hall. I am not sure where the table came from, but as a youngster I remember playing snooker in what was the village school (now The Old School).

When the old school was put up for sale the villagers were determined not to lose their snooker table. Gene Thomas, a local builder, led the community effort in building an extension at the rear of the village hall to house the snooker table.

Today the Snooker Club is widely supported with two teams playing in the local league. The table is well maintained, with the cloth and cushions being regularly replaced. It is a marvellous facility to have in the village and the club welcomes new members. We have three new members already. Why not come and have a go? Call in, phone, or email me.

Charles Inniss

Beeches, East Street

01409 231237 or email charles.inniss@btinternet.com

Arvon at Totleigh Barton

Writing courses have started up again for 2023 at Totleigh Barton. The house had a quiet couple of weeks, with its only guests being those staying for a family Christmas. The last course before Christmas was much more hectic. With the freezing temperatures and icy roads it seemed unlikely that any participants, or tutors Michael Donkor and Sharlene Teo, would arrive.

Incredibly everyone did and, except for one car needing rescue after a ditch-slide, without incident. The driver and car were both absolutely fine, and it was a relief that the Starting to Write course could indeed start.

It was a week of creativity and inspiration fueled by crackling fires and plentiful cake. The writers woke up to frosty mornings worthy of Christmas cards and fell asleep to the sounds of loud owl flirting. Totleigh felt even more distant from ‘real life’ than it normally does, and it was a very special way to end the year. We reopened to Colin Grant and Jude Rogers tutoring a Life Writing course. These are often the most personal ones we facilitate, and the group brought a huge variety of life experiences, as well as endless kindness and support for one another.

The one thing that wasn’t particularly kind that week was our water system, which has got into the habit of creating air locks. We are now the proud owners of a wet vac to suck the pesky air bubbles out of the pipes by hoovering the taps, which has solved the problem for now.

As I’m writing, we have primary school students running around in the garden whilst a small group of them are guided through making sausage and mash for dinner. They have had a gorgeous week, tutored by poets Ann and Peter Sansom, with Tọlá Okogwu visiting as the Wednesday guest. She was an absolute superstar, hosting a Q&A through an unexpected power cut, and making what could have been a scary evening into a joyful one.

With Ann and Peter’s guidance and encouragement, all sorts of poems and stories have been written by the children this week, but the writings that will stay with us the longest are the apology letters that arrived the morning after enthusiastic bed-bouncing led to a broken slat. Although we don’t aim for breakages every week, the letters have definitely been worth the hassle of a repair. Some of the highlights include:

The reason I am writing this is I went into someone’s room and then something happened and now I feel guilty about betraying my teacher.

I am so deeply sorry and I am really sorry of what I’ve done and I mean it when I say sorry, I mean it on my life.

Whilst these letters might be hard to top for best writing of the year, there’s a lot more to look forward to at Totleigh Barton this year. We’ll be hosting a wide variety of courses, from Starting to Write, Poetry, and Fiction, to Songwriting, Teaching Creative Writing, and Writing Masculinity.

Beth Emery

Food Banks

During this exceptional period of economic disruption and hardship, it is especially important to support our local food banks.

Holsworthy Food Bank accepts non-perishable donations on Wednesdays at 2.00 p.m., at the Manor Suite, Memorial Hall.

There is also a collection box in Waitrose in Holsworthy - in fact, most supermarkets now have collection boxes for food banks.

Regular Village Hall Events

Sheepwash Village Hall team are putting on a little extra during the cold winter months. At each Warm Space event, a soup lunch will be available (suggested donation £2) and you can also enjoy a quiet space/reading corner, join in with a jigsaw puzzle, play a board game, bring along your own craft activity, or just have a natter.

events are marked with ** in the list below, with a note about the

Table Top Sales with Bacon Butties

March, 10 a.m. to 12 noon

Lots of stalls, with food, plants, and more, for sale. Great opportunity for a catchup with people over a bacon butty and a cuppa!

March, from 10 a.m. to 12 noon

This is a regular monthly opportunity to meet old friends and new for a chat. We usually have a jigsaw puzzle on the go, and were recently given our very own puzzle mat. Warm Space soup lunch on 20th Feb will be at 12.30 p.m.

Knit and Natter

Monday 6th February**, 6th March**, from 10 a.m. to 12 noon.

We are embarking on some new projects - the Age UK Big Knit and (hopefully) some unique knitted Sheepwash sheep! Warm Space soup lunch at 12:30 p.m.

Tea on Tuesday/Mobile Library

Tuesday 14th February**, 14th March**, from 1.30 p.m. to 2.30 p.m.

Every four weeks, to coincide with the mobile library visits to the Square, we open the hall so that anyone coming to the library can pop in for a cuppa, but it is not an exclusive club, and anyone passing by is welcome to come on in for tea and a chat. Warm Space soup lunch will be at 12.30 p.m.

Skittles

Every Thursday at 7.15 p.m.

This weekly get-together is back after its Christmas break.

Deadline for the next issue

Please get all your news and contributions to one of us by 24th March, to ensure it is included in the Spring (April) issue of the Chronicle

Your Village Hall

Possible exciting developments

We are constantly striving, on behalf of the village, to keep our village hall in a good state of repair so that it provides a welcoming and useful space for us all.

We recently had notice of a special Platinum Jubilee Fund for improvements to village halls. Some of the team are beavering away with an application to see if we qualify. If we are successful, it would go towards our plans to provide a disabled access toilet and improved storage, as well as addressing the chronic damp problem in the existing toilet extension.

You may also have noticed the scaffolding over the past couple of months as some essential external repairs have been completed. These have been paid for out of accrued funds, but there is still more work needed.

Thank you to all those who support the Table Top events as these go towards the ongoing upkeep of the hall.

Hiring the Hall

The hire charges are as follows:

1 to 3 hours - £10

More than 3 hours - £30

Set up overnight, then an event next day - £50

Full use of the kitchen is available for an additional £5.

If you are looking to have a social gathering or family celebration, but don’t quite have the space, then our village hall could provide the answer.

We have enough cutlery, crockery and glasses for around 30 people; the kitchen is equipped with an oven, a microwave, a fridge and a small freezer.

Please contact Anne Gray on 231231 or Jan Hayward on 231884 with your enquiries.

Keeping up with the kids

The village hall now has its own Instagram page. (“Insta” if you run with the pack...) It’s called sheepwashvillagehall and will be used as another method of advertising all village hall related activities.

Village Hall Committee

Can You Contribute Content to the Chronicle?

We are always looking for new content for the Chronicle.

Do you have a story you would like to share?

Is there a hobby or interest you have which you can tell us about?

Have you taken any photographs or made a drawing or painting or sculpture you think other people would like to see?

Do you know any good jokes (suitable for a family audience!)?

Or is there something else you’d like to see in the Chronicle?

We want to see as many villagers as possible in the Chronicle

Please get in touch with your ideas – see our contact details on page 2.

The Village Art Group NEW! EXCITING! WORKSHOPS!

• ACRYLICS Saturday 25th February

• OILS Saturday 4th March

If you're interested in painting but not sure where or how to start. If you've used watercolour in the past but are open to a different approach. If you've always wanted to try acrylics and / or oils but don't want to invest in a lot of materials upfront. If you're curious to try out these amazing mediums but...

a) don't think you're creative enough,

b) think you're rubbish at drawing, or

c) you’re afraid your efforts will earn you a D minus and a 'see me' in red ink... then these workshops are for you.

No previous experience needed, no drawing skills required. The aim is just to have fun playing with these fantastic painting mediums. These three hour+ workshops will cover some basic techniques and principles, and give you the confidence to start using and enjoying acrylics or oils. You may even go home with a piece of work that you love! And hopefully it will be yours!!

The workshops will start at 10 a.m. and (officially) end at 1 p.m., although if we’re having too much fun, we’ll keep going for a while.

Wear old clothes or an apron. We will provide everything else, including tea and coffee.

Booking

Limited to eight people in each workshop. Payment of the £5 fee, on a first come first served basis, secures you a place, subject to availability.

For the acrylics workshop, contact Helen Crossley - helen@crossleyoffice.co.uk.

For the oils workshop, contact Jackie Hornby - jackie.hornby@hotmail.co.uk or 07713 869696.

Weekly Wednesday morning painting

Meanwhile, our weekly Wednesday morning sessions continue as usual, from 10.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m. in the Village Hall. We’re delighted to have welcomed two new regulars, Bridget Ingle and Steve Savage.

Themes for the next two months:

• March: Clouds

• April: Good enough to eat!

Helen Crossley and Jackie Hornby

Working Party!

On Saturday 4th March, starting at 2.00 p.m.

Come on folks - Sheepwash needs you!

The Parish Council is hoping to form a working party to meet on an infrequent, ad hoc basis so that various cleaning and tidying tasks can be carried out to keep Sheepwash looking cared for.

All you will need to do is turn up in the Square, preferably with tools like barrows, spades, shears, gloves, shovels, rakes, stiff brooms, and willing arms.

Mike Ritson is organising the first working party, which will meet in the Square at 2.00 p.m. on the first Saturday of March. Please contact him as soon as you can on 01409 231680, or email him at mike.ritson2@btinternet.com to let him know you’re interested.

Last year a working party had an enjoyable couple of hours clearing mud and weeds off Sheepwash bridge. Just to give you an idea of what we will be doing this year, we envisage activities will include maintenance in the Square, clearing the little alley near the village shop, trimming branches, tidying the edges of Jubilee Park, and cleaning village signs.

When we’re done, after a couple of hours of enjoyable graft, we will probably be ready for tea, juice, homemade wine, or beer in Mike’s or anyone else’s garden.

Please come along - helpful folk of all ages are more than welcome!

Mike Ritson

Village Quiz Suspended

We are sad to announce the suspension of the Village Pub Quiz, which has been held in conjunction with the Half Moon for many years.

The quiz is being suspended due to a combination of rising costs and falling attendance, particularly on cold winter nights.

This is a shame, as the quiz has given many of us a cheery Sunday evening over the last fifteen years, with countless moments of hilarity – for those of us who could hear! It has also raised a very useful amount of regular money for a number of village causes.

But fear not, a concerned “entertainments committee” will be meeting shortly to brainstorm some fun ideas that will hopefully bring about a new event with wider appeal.

Simon Crossley

Submission deadlines for the Chronicle in 2023

Here is the last deadline date for 2022, and those for 2023 – obviously, submitting before these cut-off dates is preferred, but these are the latest dates when we can guarantee that content will be included.

For the Spring 2023 edition (covering April/May): 24th March

For the Summer 2023 edition (covering June/July): 19th May

For the Harvest 2023 edition (covering August/September): 21st July

For the Autumn 2023 edition (covering October/November): 22nd September

For the Christmas 2023 edition (covering December/January): 17th November

A belated Happy New Year to you all.

Before we begin to share all the Half Moon news and exciting plans, on a personal level we would like to thank everyone for their messages of condolence and expressions of sympathy. We feel truly blessed to live within such a caring community.

s New

First, we would like to share our exciting news about the restructure of the kitchen team. Stu, our former chef, is no longer with us, and we wish him well with his future.

Lee Baker is now promoted to Executive Chef and Business Development Manager.

Lee has worked at the Half Moon for some time on a part-time basis and now we are delighted to announce him as a full-time member. Lee has fantastic flair. He was responsible for the exceptional New Year’s Eve Gala Dinner and is the creator of the new, delicious, offerings that many of you have already sampled. If you haven’t done so yet, please come and try our new dishes and wonderful homemade desserts.

We would like to thank Bev and all of our fantastic team for their hard work since Stu’s departure. Lee will work closely with them to maintain the high standard of our traditional dishes, create new menus, and share his passion for presentation of fresh, locally sourced, and homemade food.

With this development we are pleased to tell you that on the last Sunday of each month we will be hosting the Half Moon Carvery. The first one will be held on Sunday 26th February in the dining room. We will continue to reserve a limited number of waited tables in the bar but, to avoid disappointment, early booking is highly recommended.

In January we held the annual staff Christmas party and for this occasion we commissioned an Indian chef, who was assisted by our former chef, Richard. They produced a wonderful Indian banquet, and we were so impressed that we aim to host themed nights more regularly. If you have any ideas or feedback on this possibility please speak to Lee or any of the Half Moon management team.

Another new addition to our offerings will be the Tuesday Taster lunch. We will be offering a modest meal portion from our specials board dishes and a homemade dessert for just £10. We hope this will appeal to those of you with a smaller appetite or those wishing for a lighter lunch. Please come along and join us on Tuesdays from 3rd February between 12:00 noon and 14:00 p.m.

Annual events coming up

Over the two months covered by this issue of the Chronicle we have:

Valentines Dinner - Tuesday 14th February

Pre-bookings are essential. Choose between a two- or three-course delicious meal. Our menu can be found on our social media or in the pub.

Mothering Sunday - 19th March

We will be offering a traditional Sunday lunch with a complimentary flower posy for all mothers. Advanced booking advised.

Later in the year

We have plans under development for the Coronation in May, we’re booking return visits of the mostenjoyed live music performers over the summer, and we’ve been listening to your requests for Christmas 2023. We’ll give you all the detail in future issues of the Chronicle

Mussel Brook Cottage

As you are aware we have worked hard to renovate many parts of the Half Moon Inn including essential maintenance, refurbishment of the dining room, outdoor seating, restructure of the side entrance and upgrades of several rooms. We are now ready to launch Mussel Brook Cottage for the spring and fishing season. Renovated to a high standard and split over two floors, Mussel Brook offers flexible accommodation comprising one or two bedrooms with a living area and kitchen. Mussel Brook is ideal for families, small groups and for visiting relatives.

We will now take a break from further renovations to concentrate on what we hope will be a busy spring and summer season. It’s hard to imagine warm, sunny days and balmy nights at the pub, when at the point of writing we are in the middle of another wintry shower! However, we remain optimistic and motivated to have a great season and hope you will join us throughout the coming months as we strive to provide the very best Half Moon food, service, and accommodation.

In the meantime, stay safe and warm.

Kimberley, Haydn and Lily

Bay and Bloom (at the Half Moon)

Thank you to everyone who has been so patient and understanding regarding recent events which have meant a small break from Bay and Bloom. Reflecting back over the year, I am very proud of the initial success of Bay and Bloom, including floristry workshops, bespoke orders, Flower Fridays, two weddings, several large commissions, and memorial floral tributes.

I am motivated to build on this success and will be concentrating my time on providing a beautiful bespoke service alongside Flower Fridays. This will resume with the first order for Friday 24th February. I have already had lots of orders for Valentine bouquets and look forward to making many recipients happy with beautiful, unique arrangements.

As you are aware I am committed to using British-grown flowers which are delivered from Cornwall. However, these come at a price. Due to a severe shortage of quality, home-grown flowers, wholesale prices continue to rise. I will have to increase my prices, but will strive to continue to provide quality, affordable posies. To try and minimise this effect we hope to make our dream of growing flowers and vegetables on our allotment a reality this year.

I have many plans for the coming year with Bay and Bloom which are secret for now! But look out for my own Instagram which will be coming soon.

In the meantime, enjoy looking out for signs of spring appearing around us, which give so much joy.

Call Kim on 01409 231376 or 07884132694

Deadline for the next issue

Please get all your news and contributions to one of us by 24th March, to ensure it is included in the Spring (April) issue of the Chronicle.

SHOP OPENING TIMES

Monday 9.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m.

Tuesday 9.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m.

Wednesday 9.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m.

Thursday 9.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m.

Friday 9.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m.

Saturday 9.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m.

Sunday 10.00 a.m. to 12.00 p.m.

The Post Office is open every weekday from 10.00 a.m. to 12 noon, closed weekends.

AGM Chat

Since the last issue of the Chronicle, the shop team has held its AGM and ongoing review. Our biggest cheer and loudest boo were for the following:

For the year ending 31st May 2022 we made a trading loss of £63 which became a surplus of £437 after donations and bank interest are added. The shop turnover increased from £77k to £87K as postCovid crisis normality resumed, bringing with it more visitors, building workers and residents.

The 2022-23 electricity cost is set to rise due to global gas shortages having a direct effect on electricity prices. Our unit electricity costs have risen by 53% including the government subsidy. The level of government subsidy, if any, is not certain after 1st April 2023, so we must prepare ourselves for a 400% rise to 55p/kWh from this point.

So, the game of snakes and ladders continues at the Community Store. We were recovering nicely after Covid, but then we are dealt another bad hand due to the fallout from the war in Ukraine. Sales are continuing to increase, which is very encouraging, but we have had to look very closely at what and how we sell things to see if we can make further savings.

Frozen Out?

Refrigeration represents 80% of our electricity costs. Shop display refrigeration is always going to be inefficient due to the glass-fronted doors and the regularity with which they are opened. The freezer consumes the most, as it must maintain a massive temperature difference. I carried out a bit of a laborious but revealing future annual cost-versus-benefit analysis of our chilled and frozen lines with the following results:

• Future cost to run the two tall refrigerators, £2,372

• Gross profit from goods sold from fridges £3,754, so the fridges will pay their way

• Future cost to run the one freezer, £2,063

• Gross profit from goods sold from freezer £752, so the freezer will run at a heavy loss

So apart from maybe charging £10 a fish finger, we obviously need to review the frozen situation with the likelihood that we will have to get hold of a smaller freezer and dispense with all but ices and frozen meats.

Seasonal Help

After the last issue of the Chronicle, we were delighted to hear that the Bridgeland Trust wanted us to operate a parish pensioners Christmas gift scheme. As the decision came late in the year, the scheme will operate this year until mid-February.

Simon Crossley

Recycling

Anvil Corner Recycling Centre - Opening Times

The recycling centre on the way to Holsworthy has the following opening times:

Winter (October to March)

Friday and Monday: 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Saturday and Sunday: 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Recycling “Soft Plastic”

Summer (April to September)

Friday and Monday: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Saturday and Sunday: 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Did you know that the Co-Op in Hatherleigh takes “soft plastic” for recycling? Just wash it first!

• Plastic bags

• Bread, rice, pasta, lolly and cereal bags

• Ice-cream wrappers

• Biscuit packs

• Frozen food bags

• Fruit and veg bags

• Toilet paper packaging and similar product packaging

• Old green bags (and other re-usable bags)

• Pet food sachets

Recycling medicine blister packs

As a village we must put hundreds of these in the rubbish every week! The only place anywhere nearby to recycle blister packs is Superdrug. There are branches in Exeter and Barnstaple. If a collection point is provided in the village, would anyone else be willing to deliver to one of these Superdrug stores from time to time as part of a trip to either of these places?

Contact Jackie on 07713 869696 if you’d be willing to help out.

Pete’s Prescription Pick-up Persists!

I will keep up the prescription deliveries until this virus is no longer a threat, our surgery is no longer so stretched and, most importantly, as long as there is still a need here in our village.

If you haven’t yet used this free service, please just ask me (phone 231884), so you too can start saving fuel, helping the planet, and doing your bit for the surgery staff.

Pete Hayward

Making Money From Used Stamps

Even in this electronic era of emails and texts, we all still receive letters, many of which have stamps on the envelope.

These stamps are still valuable, even though you can’t re-use them to post another letter –philatelists all over the world are keen to collect them.

There is a box in the community shop where you can deposit your used stamps. All stamps deposited there will help raise funds for the Children’s Hospice South West.

So please save all your used stamps, and drop them into the box next time you’re in the shop. All contributions will be very gratefully received, and this simple act can achieve a lot of good!

Pertinent Particulars from the Parish Council

East Street – large vehicles: we asked Highways if they could suggest solutions (bollards, pinch point, whatever most appropriate, we asked the expert) to minimise the problem of the corner of Wren Cottage on East Street being hit by large vehicles, and opposite to that the Moast’s porch. Keith and Caroline leave a parking bollard outside their house, a bit beyond the porch, as they feel endangered by large vehiclestractors, trailers, animal feed lorries, milk lorries, etc. Haydn and Kim have placed several parking bollards outside their house.

Highways replied saying that they don’t undertake measures to protect private property. We’re looking into the possibility of more permanent bollards on both sides of the road. Whether this goes ahead will depend on permission from Highways and the cost of the bollards. Ongoing.

Footpaths article and map: it was agreed that a simplified map of the parish, showing the footpaths and the permissive paths within the Community Wood would be helpful to walkers, particularly walkers new to the parish. This is a work in progress and will be available before long.

Digital map of parish: just to remind you, we do now have a digital map of Sheepwash Parish. If you’d like a .pdf, or an A4 printed version, just ask me.

Luke’s Farm 106 site Community Hall update: the process of securing planning permission for the Luke’s Farm 106 site is ongoing. The architect has completed the necessary drawings and we will be completing our supporting statement within the next few days.

West Road new village sign: we have a fine new Sheepwash sign for West Road. We still don’t know where to site it. There’s talk of moving the 30mph sign further down West Road and we thought that would be a good place for the village sign, if we can find an appropriate verge.

South Street sign: we’re still considering purchasing a ‘take care pedestrians’ sign (the one of the adult holding a child by the hand) to place at the top of the hill. Highways won’t help us with this.

Reserved matters land at Park Farm, West Road: following our comments to TDC we met with Michael Newcombe from Highways to discuss the exit/entry point of the footpath just down from Lymath and Moys, which we think will be dangerous. As a result, our detailed comments on the potential danger of this exit/entry are being reconsidered. We are optimistic that this exit/entry will be removed.

Holsworthy Rural Community Transport (HRCT) grant request: HRCT asked the Parish Council for a donation to help them to continue to operate. We agreed a £200 donation subject to their amending their Ring and Ride coach trip timetable to better suit Sheepwash users. They have amended their timetable to include Tuesdays, so we have agreed the donation.

Citizen’s Advice Bureau (CAB) grant request: before agreeing a donation we asked for evidence that this is used by Sheepwash parishioners. CAB said that this was sensitive information and expensive for them to gather. We agreed a £150 donation with no more ado.

West Road flooding: we want to keep records of flooding along West Road. If you encounter flooding, please take photos, if possible, and report time, date and location info to Helen Crossley.

West Road closure: PCS (South West) Ltd have been contracted to install a new 150mm foul sewer for the Luke’s Farm housing estate. South West Water have already started work to install a new water main and have a road closure in place until early February 2023. PCS have agreed to carry out their work in conjunction with South West Water, but their works will require a further extension of about two weeks, so expect the road to be closed until 13th February 2023.

Alison Ansell

The Jubilee Park

Please remember that the Jubilee Park, accessed along the pathway beside the Village Hall, is a NO DOGS AREA.

Mike Ritson in the Christmas issue explained in grim detail the ghastliness for volunteer grass-mowers of finding dog poo in their lawnmower collection box. Children visiting over the Christmas period, who took a ball to the Jubilee Park for a kick-about, found the grass polluted here and there with poo which, as we should all know, can make a child sick as a dog (!) if they get it on their hands and then touch their mouth. It also poses a danger of blindness if it accidentally gets into a child’s eyes.

Parish Council

Torridge District Policing

We live in one of the safest low-crime areas in the country. However, we would ask residents to remain extremely vigilant and to report any suspicious activity to us, using one of the methods detailed below. If you have an incident to report, don’t hesitate to ring the Police on 101, or email 101@dc.police.uk for non-emergencies.

Always call 999 if you see a crime taking place.

Crimes can also be reported via our website: https://services.devon-cornwall.police.uk/crimereporting/ and information can be passed using this link:

https://www.devon-cornwall.police.uk/contact/contact-forms/report-something/ or by calling Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

Crime prevention advice is available on our website: https://www.devon-cornwall.police.uk/advice/your-community/rural-crime/

PCSO Jessica McEldon

Holsworthy Police Station Email: 101@dc.police.uk

Your Letters

Dear Editor, Bliss. Great news. I am coming up to 80 soon and received this very good news from the Department of Work and Pensions:

“Now you are approaching 80 you are entitled to a higher amount of state pension - an increase of 25p per week will be payable from your 80th birthday.”

David Ansell

Black Torrington Church of England Primary School

Some changes with respect to the schools serving Sheepwash and the surrounding area.

As of January, Mrs Luxford, Principal at Black Torrington and Bradford Primary Schools, has taken over as Principal at Highampton Primary School in addition to the other two schools. Highampton has joined the Ruby Hub; previously it was in the Moorland Hub. The Ruby Hub is one of four primary Hubs in the Dartmoor Multi Academy Trust. It is a group of small and very small primary schools in Ruby Country that includes: Bridgerule, Bradford and Black Torrington and now also Highampton. The schools have very different characters but work very closely together as a team.

The benefits of close-team working between the schools are huge. Within the Hub we share many things:

• We share staff expertise, supporting and advising one another through sharing subject specialists, training and planning and spending time in one another’s schools.

• We benefit from full time support including weekly school visits from our fantastic Special Educational Needs and Disability Coordinator, Anne Bunning.

• We share resources, particularly outdoor space and provision for Wild Tribe, Clubs, PE and Sport.

• We share a mini bus, which lives at Bradford but which all the schools can use free of charge for trips, visits and sporting events.

• We occasionally share trips, visits and events, for example by getting groups of children from the different schools together to take part in shared workshops or visits.

Most importantly, we acknowledge that the children have a small group of peers in school, so we support them to get to know the children at the other schools very well, forming friendships that last them to secondary school and beyond.

Ruby Hub is always on the look-out for new governors. We’d love to have representation from the community in Sheepwash. If you think you’d like to find out more, please contact one of the schools.

Jo Luxford

Can You Contribute Content to the Chronicle?

We are always looking for new content for the Chronicle

Do you have a story you would like to share?

Is there a hobby or interest you have which you can tell us about?

Have you taken any photographs or made a drawing or painting or sculpture you think other people would like to see?

Do you know any good jokes (suitable for a family audience!)?

Or is there something else you’d like to see in the Chronicle?

We want to see as many villagers as possible in the Chronicle.

Please get in touch with your ideas – see our contact details on page 2.

Midwinter Thoughts

Our regular columnist who writes about gardening, local wildlife, and the changing seasons is not feeling up to penning a new column at present, so we thought we’d take the opportunity to revisit this one, from ten years ago - still very relevant, and well worth another read!

Well, it’s February and still wet, wet, wet, with short days and cold, raw weather. So, what to do? The obvious answer - stay indoors and wait for everything to brighten up!

Therefore, here endeth the gardening thoughts column for this issue of the Chronicle!

Well, it could end, but I suppose I can think of a few things to get on with, as next month things start to get going again.

If you haven’t planted shallots, garlic and onion sets, get on with it as soon as you can in February. They need a good, long season.

Buy seed potatoes and set them in egg boxes with the end with most eyes (shoot buds) upwards. Then put them in a light, airy, frost free place to allow the shoots to develop. Don’t put them in the dark, as then the shoots will get too long and break off easily.

It’s now possible to sow early peas and broad beans, as long as the ground is not too wet. Runner beans need moisture-retaining soil, so dig a trench about two spades deep and half fill it with compost, manure or kitchen peelings. Cover it with the soil you dug out, and don’t forget to mark where it is or you might have forgotten by the time you want to plant the beans!

If you grow rhubarb, what about covering the clump with a large bucket or dustbin, to force the plant to produce tender, long, tasty stems in about six to eight weeks?

Now is the time to cut autumn fruiting raspberries down to ground level, and all soft fruit should be given a good feed, preferably with a high potash content, to boost fruit production. Come to think of it, all fruit bushes and trees will benefit from an early spring feed.

In the flower garden in February, weeding and other maintenance should be completed. Cut back the stems of perennial herbaceous plants and give everything a feed to get things away well.

February is also the time to start on the lawn. If the weather is mild and the grass is growing, give it a light trim, but don’t cut too low at this time of year because of the risk of frosts. Rake out the dead grass with a spring tine rake, to give air and water a chance to get to the roots. You can also use a weedkiller now, as long as the weather is dry and mild, otherwise wait for another month.

It’s now also a good time to get your mower serviced and sharpened before everyone thinks about it and you have to wait in the queue.

Well, I surprised myself writing that - so much to do! It just goes to show – spring is just around the corner, and then the whole merry-go-round will start again!

That’s all for now, folks. I hope you enjoyed it!

Jeremy Burden

Energy Matters

From 2026 We Have To Replace Oil Boilers With Heat Pumps?

Current Situation

As part of its Future Homes Standard, to become law in 2025, HM Government has proposed that we cannot install or replace kerosene oil boilers in domestic buildings from 2026. (1) A consultation with various interested bodies has taken place, but as of December 2022, no final decisions have been made. So, in the meantime, don’t be fooled by companies ringing you up trying to flog you a heat pump and telling you that it’s the law. Currently it isn’t.

However, it may well be one day, so let’s have a look at the pros and cons as they stand at the moment. In order to promote the use of heat pumps as an alternative to oil-fired boilers the government is offering £5,000 against the cost of a heat pump alternative using the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (2). But is £5K enough? Also is a heat pump a straight swap? In a nutshell - no and not really.

Capital Costs

An off-the-peg air to water heat pump will cost between £5,000 and £10,000 (3), but then comes the installation cost. Actual case study installations suggest the all-inclusive installed cost is between £15,000 and £18,000, depending upon how much additional radiator upgrade and pipework modification is needed. For comparison, a decent new oil boiler will cost £2,000 plus around £1,500 for installation. So, even with the £5K grant, a heat pump is going to cost £11,500 versus £3,500 for the boiler. Ouch!

Radiator upgrade – what’s that about?

Well, one of the main drawbacks of the heat pump is that hot water circulating around the heating system is going to be at best 55°C compared to 75-80°C from a boiler. So in mid winter you are going to need more heat emitters (radiators) with the heat pump than with the boiler based system. Alarmingly 50% more!

Hot Water

Again, due to the low temperature of the heat pump delivery water it is insufficient to heat the hot water storage tank to 60°C. Further electric immersion heaters and top up temperature controls will be needed.

But then I’ll save on running costs won’t I? Erm, well let’s see.

Due to the super heat absorption and emission rates that take place when a liquid changes phase to a gas and vice versa, over the heating season, a heat pump is able to produce on average 3 kWh of heat energy for every 1 kWh of electricity supplied to the unit.

So if the average property needs 12,000 kWh of heat per year, then the heat pump will consume 4,000 kWh of electricity. At a cost of £1,360 using the current capped electricity price of 34p/kWh.

Meanwhile, a modern oil boiler should return a combustion efficiency of 90%. So the 12,000 kWh of energy will require 13,333 kWh from the oil. Now a litre of kerosene produces 10.32 kWh, so we will need 1,291 litres of oil. This will cost £1,060 at Boilerjuice’s non-urgent oil price of 82.1p/kWh.

So at the time of writing (17th January 2023) the heat pump heating system will cost £300 more to run per year than a modern oil fired boiler-based heating system.

Of course, there may well be other factors involved. You may already have an array of solar panels that produce electricity that could negate some of the daytime heat pump costs. Alternatively you may use oil for cooking (AGA, Rayburn etc) which will also add some useful heat to the kitchen area and beyond. The DIYers may be able to install some of the additional radiator capacity themselves. Or you may be a heat pump salesman! Electricity and oil prices will move again in the future so of course the analysis above is only a snapshot in time.

Finally there is the cost to the environment if something isn’t done about reducing carbon emissions. This is very subjective and I don’t intend to start off on a long discourse about what we and the Government should target first. This essay is just intended to answer a few questions that I often hear concerning heat pumps replacing oil boilers. The size of the carrot and the length of the stick are government-determined variables. However, it looks like one way or another we are all going to be asked to put our hands into our pockets to help the UK Government achieve its Carbon Emission targets.

For new houses, heat pumps will work well with low temperature underfloor or air heating systems specifically designed for them. For existing housing stock, it doesn’t look so good.

So when, in a press release, the Energy Minister Greg Hands said, “Thanks to the Government’s Boiler Upgrade Scheme, heat pumps using clean, cheaper electricity will be the cheaper, obvious choice for households choosing to replace their fossil fuel boiler”, I think that a certain amount of wool was being pulled ...

Alternatives

• Biomass boiler – also eligible for £5K grant, but very expensive (£15K) and more space is required. Also needs regular manual hopper-feeding and ash removal.

• Convert to alternative non-fossil fuel oils – modified veg oil. Coming soon are many exciting and viable options. Of the fuels being developed, Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO), a type of biodiesel, is the most available. HVO offers high levels of carbon emission reduction and will make Sheepwash smell like a Graylings’s Chippy!

• Install a new oil-fired boiler whilst you still can - 20 years breathing space?

• Keep repairing your existing oil-fired unit – 20 hours breathing space!

• Hydrogen gas – great, but may not arrive in time.

• Go all-electric – cheaper installation, but three times dearer to run.

• Hope the Government changes its mind – they have form!

Refs – further reading

(1) https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/ attachment_data/file/1026356/domestic-offgg-consultation.pdf (October 2021)

(2) https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ditching-costly-gas-and-oil-is-cheaper-thanks-toheat-pump-scheme (23rd May 2022)

(3) https://www.checkatrade.com/blog/cost-guides/air-source-heat-pump-cost/ (January 2023)

Simon Crossley

Deadline for the next issue

Please get all your news and contributions to one of us by 24th March, to ensure it is included in the Spring (April) issue of the Chronicle.

The Changing River

I have lived in Sheepwash for 65 years. I am a passionate angler and fishing for salmon and trout in our beautiful river has given me endless pleasure. During that time, I have witnessed great changes to the character of the river.

A feature used to be the mature trees (mostly oak) that lined the riverbank. On hot summer days these gave shade both to the fish and to tired fishermen. Sadly, bank erosion has caused most of these trees to collapse into the river. Nowhere is this more marked than the stretch below Sheepwash Bridge: for a mile the bank used to be lined with trees but now not one remains.

Sixty years ago, after a period of heavy rainfall, the river would rise steadily and if it burst its banks would remain in flood for several days. The locals used to call it “ waters”. How different today. The river rises incredibly quickly, floods and yet within the space of a few hours is back within its banks again. As a result, the banks are being eroded at an alarming rate, undermining the roots of trees some of which must have been over a hundred years old.

Why is this happening? After the Second World War successive governments were determined that Britain should become self-sufficient in food. Farmers were encouraged through grants, subsidies, and guaranteed prices to increase food production. Massive grants were available to drain land, previously too wet to farm. Driving along the A39 from Bude to Bideford was a depressing sight. Huge ditches zigzagged across the marshy waste with JCBs destroying a natural and beautiful landscape. This is where the many moorland streams join together to form the Torridge which then starts its 50-mile journey to the estuary in Bideford Bay. With the land no longer acting as a sponge, any rain rushes directly into the river. This problem is exacerbated by a noticeable change in the pattern of rainfall. Maybe it is something to do with our warming climate but these days, rather than steady rain over several hours, often there are short bursts of intense rainfall. Not only are the banks being eroded at an alarming rate but the gravels on the bed of the river, so vital as spawning and nursery areas for the trout and salmon, are being scoured out and washed downstream. One has to look no further than under the arches of Sheepwash Bridge: where the river used to run freely there are now huge banks of gravel. Rapid run-off, bank erosion and the scouring out of the bed of the river are changing the character of the river and changing it for the worse.

The single most dramatic change has been the spread of the dreaded Himalayan Balsam. The plant is shallow rooting so thrives near a watercourse where there is plenty of moisture. From seed it can grow to a height of eight feet in one year. The growth is so rapid and the spread so widespread that all the natural plant life dies through lack of light. In the autumn the seeds pop out, are washed downstream and in the following spring colonise another stretch of riverbank. In the autumn it dies back leaving the banks bare so allowing the winter spates to wash yet more silt into the river. The flowers in the summer are a delight and a boon for beekeepers, but for the biodiversity of the river

Himalayan Balsam is an unmitigated disaster.

Charles in his younger days with a freshly-caught fish.

The numbers of salmon returning every year to spawn in the headwaters are a fraction of what they used to be. There are many reasons for the decline in the numbers of Atlantic salmon, but the lack of suitable gravel for the hen salmon to deposit her eggs is a major factor.

The water vole is another species that has virtually disappeared from our catchment. In the 1970’s the river was infested with American mink. These voracious predators, having escaped or been released by animal rights activists from a local fur farm, adapted readily to life in the wild. Evil creatures that kill for the sake of killing, they cut a swathe through the waterfowl: whole families of ducklings were killed in a just a few seconds. The water vole population was decimated and has never really recovered. Although mink seemed to adapt to life in the wild they have been unable to establish themselves and now it is rare to see a mink on the riverbank.

To conclude on a positive note, while the mink have virtually disappeared, otter numbers have increased. Walking by the river upstream of Sheepwash Bridge you may well catch a glimpse of an otter.

The winding route of the River Torridge from its source near the border with Cornwall. The river describes a long loop through Devon farming country where its tributaries, the Lew and Okement, join before meeting the Taw at Appledore and flowing into the Bristol Channel.

Charles Inniss

A Tribute to Jeff Beck

The sad and sudden news of Jeff’s death in January came as a shock to me, even though I hadn’t seen him for sixty years. He was part of my youth and formative musical ambitions, and for a few brief months, I was privileged to call him my friend.

Back in those heady days of 1962, I had just returned from France playing drums and sharing gigs with such established greats as Bill Hayley and the Comets, arguably the founders of rock and roll. Little did I know then that I was soon going to meet another fledgling great back then, Jeff Beck.

After my French adventures I joined a new band, The Trespassers, but we needed a new lead guitarist, and good ones were thin on the ground. A friend who had a close association with our band suggested someone living in Purley who might be interested. This was Jeff, and following a quick call to his mum, I arranged to call in and have a chat in his parental home. I can still recall that day so clearly. I was ushered in to the living room and there he was, unshaven and with ruffled hair. In the chair opposite rested his white Fender Telecaster. Conversation was at first awkward, but soon the ice melted and Jeff agreed to attend what was essentially an audition with my band at the Cherry Orchard pub in Croydon the following week. He turned up and we soon realised we had an amazing talent in our midst. He knew so well all the lead solos for all the covers in our set, and mimicked other artists’ playing styles and sounds with ease. Soon we were taking bookings at venues in and around Croydon. One memorable night we played in packed basement club under a coffee bar. Jeff was on top form playing Buddy Holly solos, like the great man himself. The manager cancelled the band he booked the following week, to book us again.

I got to know Jeff and his wife Maureen well, until they separated. I used to get invited round their flat to hear selections from Jeff’s massive 45rpm library. One of his favourite bands was The Ripcords, an American vocal group with some raspy guitar lead solos. The solo in Hi Ho Silver Lining was a rip off from that band.

I knew something was happening in his life that I was not aware of. He started missing rehearsals, and I think this was when his marriage was beginning to break up. Then he stopped communicating altogether, and we lost contact. He was with our band for six months, when we discovered he joined The Yardbirds to replace Eric Clapton. The next time I saw him was in the film “Blow Up”, where his band made a guest appearance that ended up in a punk-like smashing up of guitars against amplifiers. Jeff went on to greater things and became a rock legend, packing the crowds in on many solo tours and others with his own band member throughout his career. He had a long and highly successful musical life, that was bizarrely taken away in an instant by bacterial meningitis, a sad departure for someone who was so dynamic and talented right up to the end of his 78 years.

Paul Wheeler

Deadline for the next issue

Please get all your news and contributions to one of us by 24th March, to ensure it is included in the Spring (April) issue of the Chronicle

Caramel Ginger Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

© Jane's Patisserie - www.janespatisserie.com - @janespatisserie

Preparation time: 30 minutes, cook time: 40 minutes, cooling and decoration time: 2 hours. Total time: 3 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

Cake Sponges

• 300g unsalted butter

• 300g light/dark brown soft sugar

• 300g golden syrup

• 300g black treacle

• 600g self-raising flour

• 4 tsp ground ginger

• 4 tsp chopped, fresh ginger

• 4 medium eggs

• 400 ml whole milk

Method

Cake Sponges

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 100g butter, softened

• 1 tbsp orange juice (optional)

• 100g icing sugar, sieved

• 200g full fat cream cheese

Decoration

• 100g caramel

• sprinkles

• biscuit crumbs

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºc/160ºfan and line three 8"/20cm cake tin.

2. In a pan, gently heat the unsalted butter, sugar, golden syrup, and black treacle together smooth. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.

3. In a large bowl, add the self-raising flour and ground ginger together and pour in the butter/sugar/ treacle mix – stir to combine.

4. Add in the eggs and milk and stir to combine.

5. Split the mixture between the three tins.

6. Bake in the oven for 35 to 40+ minutes, or until baked through. Leave to cool fully.

Cream cheese frosting

1. Beat the softened butter to a soft and even consistency.

2. Add the orange juice, if using, then the icing sugar.

3. Cream until you have a smooth, soft buttercream consistency.

4. Add the cream cheese and work it in – don’t beat it in, just slowly mix with a wooden spoon. Depending on how soft the mixture is, you may want to put it in the fridge for 10 mins at this point. If it’s runny, it will firm up again. It should be spreadable and not run off the cake.

Decoration

Pipe a third of the cream cheese frosting onto the first cake with the piping tip of choice, and repeat. Decorate with some caramel sauce, crumbs, and some sprinkles.

Notes

This will keep for three to four days or longer! The flavour keeps on getting better as the days go on. This cake will freeze frosted or unfrosted for up to three months in a freeze-proof container.

Sally Alexander

Upcott Barton Farmhouse - Who Lives in a House Like This?

For this third episode of the Upcott Barton Farmhouse series, we transmogrify from Kevin McCloud to Loyd Grossman.

The current occupants, Barry and Glenys, bought the house, still derelict, from David Hunt who had took it in 2011 with every intention of restoring it to its former glory but, with his mother Diana, was still living in a caravan on the property when he sold it. David believed firmly that the house was haunted. You can still read an article about this from 2019 on the internet. There are some wonderful colour photos in the article showing the state of the house which, when David bought it, had not been lived in for 50 years. https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/inside-abandoned-house-haunted-owner-14015061

Working backwards from David Hunt, it seems that the previous inhabitants were the family of Rhona Parsons. Rhona wrote two articles for the Chronicle in 2012 describing her childhood spent at Upcott Barton Farmhouse. Rhona and her family left Upcott Barton in 1953 and moved into Sheepwash village. Here are her two articles reproduced in part, focusing on what she says about the farmhouse.

“Upcott Barton belonged to the Coham-Fleming family from Black Torrington, and was rented by my family. It had 210 acres of land with it. My grandfather, Heber Jollow, and his wife Emma, moved there from Halwill in 1912 with their two daughters, Maud and Phyllis.

“After the death of my grandfather in 1949, my mother (Maud) and her sister took over the tenancy. It was an all-female household because my father was in the Merchant Navy before the war started and was reported missing on 1st January 1943 in Japanese waters. [Phyllis’ husband was also working away, in a munitions factory in Cheltenham.]

“Upcott Barton had five bedrooms, a library and an apple store room upstairs. I was born in 1940, and it was a lovely place to grow up in, with the company of my two cousins, Carole and Marion.

“We farmed with horses for several years and had two workmen - Percy Jones and Tom Mayne (Brian Mayne’s dad) – who used to keep an eye on some of our escapades!”

“My earliest memories of Upcott were the use of German and Italian prisoners of war in the 1940s. Our water supply came from a well opposite the main farm yard entrance. The prisoners of war were in a camp in Holsworthy and each day they came in lorries to the farm where they dug a six-foot deep trench the whole length of the farm yard to the house. As children, my cousins and I were out there every day, watching and probably getting in the way.

“The prisoners’ midday meal consisted of two very thick pieces of bread with cheese in between. My mother used to make pasties every day to supplement their meals, and big kettles of tea. In return they made us some lovely wooden toys. They were so appreciative of the extra food, and we received several letters from them when they were repatriated to their own countries after the war.

“Another memory is of our visits to Upcott Avenel (not by invitation every time!) when Colonel Carnegy and his sister lived there in the early 1940s. [ ] Upcott Avenel was a lovely house, with a long entrance passage with French doors at each end, and highly polished, shiny wooden floors. The driveways were so tidy, and trees overhung them.

“Following the tragedy, Commander Martin bought the Avenel. We used to go there quite often as they had a lovely walled garden, with flower beds edged by low box hedges.”

Two items from Rhona’s story seemed to need further investigation. Did her father ever return from going missing? What was the tragedy at Upcott Avenel?

I didn’t know Rhona’s maiden name in order to be able to look up her father, but a bit of research on ancestry.co.uk told me that Rhona’s mum, Maud Jollow, had married a man called Frank Densem. I then found a short notice in The North Devon Journal-Herald from 9th May 1946.

“The latest list of war casualties issued by the Ministry of Transport includes the name of Lt. RadioOfficer Frank Densem, of Upcott Barton, Sheepwash, Beaworthy. He is a nephew of Mr J Vanstone, of Rolle-street, Barnstaple.”

From the perspective of a baby-boomer, the idea of not knowing for three years whether your husband / father is alive or dead seems ghastly, but it’s certain that there would have been thousands of families in the same situation.

What was the tragedy touched on by Rhona? I was pleased to discover that nobody died. However, Colonel Carnegy, a retired Indian Army Officer, now living alone after the death of his sister, was shot and badly injured (large parts of his arm were blown off) in what was eventually adjudged to have been an “act of folly” rather than a deliberate criminal act. The assailant was conditionally discharged as being no danger to anyone.

This seems to have been more of a tragic story than a tragic event. But there was huge national interest with the story appearing in the papers as far afield as Dundee. A very sad tale, from all angles.

One very notable inhabitant of Upcott Avenel features in the 1891 census: Thomas Fisher, a retired medical practitioner, and his wife, Arabella, whose profession is described as “authoress on science subjects”. This is Arabella Burton Buckley, who is worth a look-up on Wikipedia!

BUT - to return to Upcott Barton Farmhouse.

The 1891 census shows us Mervyn Rowland, farmer, living at Upcott Barton Farmhouse while the Fishers were at the Avenel. With Mervyn are his wife, Mary, and a brother Robert seven years older than him, described in the disabilities column as a “paralytic”. Twenty years earlier, the 1871 census shows their father, another Robert, as head of the family, widowed, with six children all of whom are described as “farmer’s son” or “farmer’s daughter, with the exception of Robert junior, who’s described as “scholar”, with nothing in the disabilities column. What had happened to Robert junior? These kinds of questions emerging from the censuses are very hard to answer, but always remind us that we are looking at a snapshot of the complicated lives of real people .

There’s a sad story associated with the farmhouse. Here’s the newspaper report from the Western Times, 13th January 1913.

“A great gloom was cast over Sheepwash and the neighbourhood on Friday evening, when it became known that Mrs Squance, wife of Mr James Squance, Upcott Barton Farmhouse, Sheepwash, had been found dead at the bottom of the staircase. The maid does not appear to have been aware of the accident, for the discovery was made by Mr William Squance, the son, on returning to the house from his farming duties. Deceased’s skull was fractured, and it is presumed that she fell down the staircase. Mr Squance is a well-known successful exhibitor of well-bred cattle at the various exhibitions in Devon. The death plunges many well-known families into mourning. The deceased lady’s married children include Mr J Squance (Chairman of Torrington Board of Guardians), and Mrs W Finnamore, of the “Half Moon” Hotel in Sheepwash”.

The earliest information I have been able to find about the ownership and inhabitants of Upcott (whether or not the existing building or a predecessor) can be found online using the following link. This is hard to read and even harder to follow, but goes all the way back to William the Conqueror. It’s a bit Jim begat Fred who begat George who begat Fred who begat Jim, but if you’re interested, you can read it online!

https://www.haunted-devon.co.uk/articles/hauntings/devon/black-friar-s-distillery/32hauntings/128-upcott-barton-farmhouse-history

Jackie Hornby

(With apologies for omissions and / or errors, to all who know more, or remember differently).

Useful Contacts

Buses to and from Sheepwash

Turner’s Tours of Chumleigh operate the following bus services to and from the village. All buses pick up and drop off at the bus shelter in the village square.

On Mondays (to Bideford):

Bus number 642 leaves Sheepwash at 9.30 a.m. and arrives in Bideford at 10.35 a.m.

Bus number 642 leaves Bideford at 1.30 p.m. and arrives in Sheepwash at 2.35 p.m.

On Wednesdays (to Holsworthy):

Bus number 639 leaves Sheepwash at 9.52 a.m. and arrives in Holsworthy at 10.30 a.m.

Bus number 639 leaves Holsworthy at 1.30 p.m. and arrives in Sheepwash at 2.08 p.m.

On Saturdays (to Okehampton):

Bus number 631 leaves Sheepwash at 10.00 a.m. and arrives in Okehampton at 10.37 a.m.

Bus number 631 leaves Okehampton at 12.30 p.m. and arrives in Sheepwash at 1.07 p.m.

For further information about bus routes and timetables, call Turner’s Tours on 01769 580242

EXTRA COPIES OF THE CHRONICLE

A copy of the Sheepwash Chronicle is delivered free to every house in Sheepwash. Extra copies are available in the community shop on a first come, first served basis, at a cost of £2.00 each.

However, if you would like one or more extra copies of every issue in a year (perhaps to send to family or friends), please let us know and we will deliver them with your free copy.

We only charge £10.00 a year for each extra copy, saving £2.00 on the shop price (so you get 6 copies for the price of 5). It also guarantees you will get your extra copy – the shop can sell out fast!

The Sheepwash Chronicle is printed by Hedgerow Print Ltd 13-14 Meadow Business Park Lords Meadow Crediton Devon EX17 1DN

Phone:

Telephone: 01363 777595

Web: www.hedgerowprint.co.uk

Christmas at the Ruby Hub Schools

At Black Torrington we celebrated the Swedish festival of Lucia with a candle-lit procession followed by a service in St Mary’s Church.

Arc Toddlers had a special Christmas treat with a visit from Little City- the children loved exploring role play opportunities in Black Torrington village hall

Father

All the Ruby schools enjoyed a delicious Christmas lunch cooked by the team at Holsworthy College. Here’s Highampton enjoying theirs.

We love to bake at Black Torrington! We made all sorts of Christmas goodies including saffron buns and Christmas cakes.

Black Torrington and Bradford staged a very funny show called Straw and Order.

Thank you Mrs Luxton for the super photos!

Highampton put on a beautiful performance of Stable by Starlight

Christmas was delighted with his outdoor Grotto at Highampton!