Ellacombe & Plainmoor Community Magazine Issue 3 Spring 2023

Craig Bryant

Welcome to YOUR community magazine

Welcome to your Spring edi on of the Ellacombe & Plainmoor Community Magazine.

We have now produced 2 quarterly magazines which have been distributed to 3000 homes in Ellacombe & Plainmoor thanks to a band of folk who have volunteered to distribute it in their streets. It is a free magazine for the community by the community covering local events and items of interest. We are always looking for anyone interested in joining the editorial team by contribu ng ideas, wri ng ar cles, helping source funding / sponsorship or distribu ng the magazines. Do please get in touch if you’d like to be involved in some way.

As Helen Keller says “Alone, we can do so li le; together, we can do so much”

As I write, spring is on it’s way. Spring is such a lovely me of the year, with the warmer weather and the lighter nights and taking walks to see the flowers in bloom and trees in bud. And there’s plenty more going on to get out and enjoy in and around our neighbourhoods.

What’s on

New this year is Moveable Feast: food and conversa on at different loca ons around the bay on every 1st Wednesday of the month from 12-1pm. Call Leah on 07703 715235 or myself on 07702 557723 for details.

The drop in on the 2nd Monday of the month at Coopers Coffee House restarts on 8th May between 10am and 12pm and there is a new drop in incorpora ng cra making on the 3rd Friday of the month from 9:30 to 11:30am star ng on the 21st April at 17 Market Street, the previous Ellacombe Community Café. Drop in to learn about other ac vi es in your area or get support to get something started.

If you enjoy a quiz you can make your way to the Royal Hotel & Carvery on Babbacombe Downs on the third Wednesday of each month from 11am to 12:15pm for a Fun Get-together and Quiz.

Featured in our first edi on, the Evening Stroll Group will re-commence their perambula ons at the end of April on a Monday evening from 7pm with gentle walks alterna ng between Babbacombe Downs and Torquay Harbour.

On every second Friday of the month, Singing for Fun comprises songs, memories, refreshments and chat, and

takes place in Victoria Park Chris an Centre, opposite Lidl in St Marychurch Road from 2:30pm to 4pm and costs £2.

The same venue also hosts a Knit and Na er group from 2:30 to 3:30 every 4th Tuesday of the month, whilst every 2nd Tuesday of the month at 2.30pm is Fellowship with a guest speaker on various topics followed by tea and coffee. Open Church, with homemade soup and cakes, falls on the 3rd Wednesday of the month from Noon2.00pm, when everyone is welcome for fellowship and friendship.

Every Thursday from 10.30am-12.30 you can Take A Break with light refreshments, board games and occasional cra s on offer at the Salva on Army on Market Street. Their New to You shop is open on Monday, Thursday and Friday from 9am to 1:30pm. The shop is currently seeking volunteers and anyone can pop along at opening mes, meet the team and collect an applica on form.

Salva on Army are also looking for a Volunteer Foodbank Coordinator to oversee the smooth running of the foodbank and monitor emails and client referral calls. The commitment for this is on Mondays and Fridays from 9:45am to 1:30pm, plus occasional a endance at mee ngs.

In the course of my work I meet people who, for whatever reason, are unable to get out and about and who would love someone to pop in and see them for a chat to brighten their day and help make a difference to their week. A small commitment of me in reaching out to people experiencing such isola on can make a big difference to their lives. And research has shown that when we help others, we help ourselves, by fulfilling our sense of purpose, making us feel connected and generally improving our mental wellbeing. As David Evans told us in his ar cle Why I volunteer in our last issue, “My life is infinitely richer as a result of volunteering”.

IfÊyouÊwouldÊlikeÊtoÊfindÊoutÊmoreÊ aboutÊmakingÊthatÊneighbourlyÊ gestureÊtoÊsomeoneÊfeelingÊisolatedÊ orÊtoÊfindÊoutÊmoreÊaboutÊanyÊofÊtheÊ aboveÊpleaseÊgiveÊmeÊaÊcallÊtoday!

Torquay’s Big Stink Dr Kevin Dixon

When we look at a picture of Victorian Torquay there’s something that we can’t really see. That’s what the town actually smelled like. And it stank; from a mixture of animal and human waste, body odour and smoke from hundreds of fires, all accentuated by narrow limestone valleys.

The River Fleet and the Ellacombe brook were effec vely open sewers. This was in a town claiming to be the richest in England. But in a deeply divided society the rich lived in their hillside villas while the poor existed in deep valleys.

Even access to water was an issue for the poor. Just how many buckets for drinking, washing, cooking, cleaning, and laundry could be carried up to a third-floor tenement in Pimlico, Swan Street or George Street? Local folk began to accept that improvements needed to be made in a rapidly growing town. In 1841 Torquay had a popula on of 5,982. A decade later this was 11,474. It was also being realised that poor sanita on and overcrowding was causing disease. In 1849 sixty-six people died from cholera over a period of six weeks, the deaths occurring mainly in the poorest districts. Many of the dead were buried in 'Cholera Corner' in the churchyard of Torre's St. Saviour's.

Torquay’s authori es then began to take ac on. The first mee ng of the Local Board of Health took place in 1850 and condi ons began to improve. In 1865 “a good wide street between the bo om of Union Street and the Strand” replaced some of the cramped

alleyways. At the same me, the Fleet was confined to a tunnel - and it’s s ll there.

Even so, when the Canadian Isabella Cowen visited in 1892, she s ll recorded, “I have seen more luxury since being in Torquay than in all my previous life, and I never saw such pi able poverty before. Half-clad children with hungry pinched faces, and grown up beggars with something worse than either hunger or squalor upon their countenances are to be seen everywhere.”

Nevertheless, gradually, the health of Torquay's residents was beginning to improve.

The Greek Orthodox Church of St. Andrew., formerly St Saviour’s & the loca on of ‘Cholera Corner.’

Let’s start our first column for 2023 with some good news! The ECP has secured funding to replace the broken benches in Brewery Park. SWISCo will be carrying out the work soon, which will see the broken bench in the top park replaced and one of the missing benches in the dog park also replaced. We hope to secure more funding later this year to replace the second missing bench in the dog park but, for now, at least park users will have something safe to sit on.

Have you visited our Community Café at Temperance Street yet? We had to relocate our café a er Covid as we needed a much bigger space and our café is now a Community Café and Help Hub, a much larger space, allowing more people to pop in for a homecooked lunch, or ask for support if they need it. This winter, we are one of the Council’s official “Warm Spaces”, which means you can visit us and stay for as long as you like, and if you can’t afford a meal, just pay what you can afford – no ques ons asked. Our Hub is open Monday to Friday, 10am to 2pm.

We also run an Over-50’s lunch club every Friday from 11am – a chance to eat well and make new friendseveryone welcome.

If you are interested in helping us as a volunteer, or finding out more about what we do, please email: ecpartnership2017@hotmail.com or call 07720094697.

You can also find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/EllacombeCafe and www.facebook.com/

Ellacombe.Community.Youth.Project

Sarah O’Connor, Coordinator, ECP

The warm and lively space at the Community Café in Temperance Street.

The Story of Warberry Copse

A haven for wildlife and a popular haunt of dog-walkers, Warberry Copse is a predominantly open space at the eastern extent of Ellacombe that includes an area of pine woods and Warberry Hill, the highest point in Torquay.

The site enjoys spectacular views across Torquay and toward Dartmoor and has long been enjoyed by locals, being easily accessible from the summit of Windsor Road.

The east side remains unchanged since the mid-19th century, when the site was known as Warberry Planta ons, with the only development in the area since 1858 having been four co ages and the playing fields of the local Primary School. But this tranquil spot at the crown of Torquay has a long history of ba les between opposing interests and with Mother nature herself.

Early 1900s

Warberry Planta ons began the 20th century with its 8.45 acres put to auc on in 1901. The following year, the Council made an offer to the vendors in excess of a thousand pounds. In considera on they would construct a road as part of the purchase agreement. By way of response, a 1903 covenant applied to the land ensured that “any tree felled due to old age should be replaced by a comparable specimen”. In 1904 the area became known as Warberry Hill Pleasure Grounds’ and is s ll sub- tled ‘pleasure grounds’ on some contemporary maps.

1920s

The Warberry Hill Pleasure Grounds’ pine planta on was established by the March-Phillips family. A pond located beyond the cliff face above Grange Road was originally the water supply to the March-Phillips family residence of Wellswood Hall.

Wellswood Hall Hotel, formerly the home of the March Phillips family, who were responsible for Warberry Copse’s pine planta ons

1970s – 2000

In 1975, residents opposed plans to build an electricity sub-sta on at what was now called Warberry Copse, objec ng that this proposal would lead to the axing of many of the area’s 39 specimen pines and calling into the fray the 1903 covenant that s ll protected the trees.

In January 1990, Cyclone Daria, no respector of covenants, ripped through Warberry Copse decima ng half the trees. It was one of the strongest European windstorms on record. It is a testament to people’s enduring fondness for the area that before the end of the year two thousand new trees had been planted to replace those lost in the hurricane. A variety of na ve hardwoods and pines were sown such as Field Maple, Alder, Sweet Chestnut, Oak, Cherry, Beech, Whitebeam, Lime, Hazel, Spindle Fir and Hemlock.

the area in 1993, when plans to build an aerial tower and base sta on in Warberry Copse prompted fears that the building would set a precedent for more such structures to follow. Although Torbay Council subsequently rejected the applica on, the fight to save the Copse was on again by 1997, when objec ons were raised to a proposed house development that would also have led to a loss of trees.

The 21st Century

In 2001, residents and members of the local ac on group held an Ac on Day with many hands helping clear a mountain of rubbish from the pond

wrecked motorbike, builders’ rubble and garden waste together with other rubbish dumped by fly ppers. This renewed community interest in the area, together with the efforts of the 1990 re-plan ng, meant that by 2003 the Copse had been restored to its former glory.

With the strength of local feeling toward Warberry Copse made clear – reinforced by successful opposi on to another proposed aerial development in 2004 – the way was paved in 2010 for Ellacombe Community Partnership to manage the Woodland as part of The Warberry Copse Improvement Project.

Try your hand at iden fying the trees in Warberry Copse

There are thirteen different leaves on this page. Spring is a beau ful me of year in the woodland, so why not take the kids to go and see if you can iden fy the leaf and find the trees these leaves belong to?

A key to the leaves is on page 14.

St Marychurch & Plainmoor Councillors

Councillors and Residents Welcome Ha ield House Affordable Homes.

Councillors Anne Brooks and Hazel Foster joined local residents Fr Paul Jones and Andrew Gibbs-Ripley to see work ge ng underway on plans to build a total of 43 new affordable homes on the Ha ield House site in Bronshill Road.

apartments at an affordable rent to those on the local housing need list. The development includes two wheelchair accessible homes to meet the specific needs of disabled residents.

Cllr Anne Brooks said: ’’There is a real shortage of suitable proper es with an affordable rent in our area, A er such a long delay I welcome the proposed new two bedroomed, 15 one bedroom and 9

Councillors Anne Brooks & Hazel Foster discussing the plans for new homes with local residents.

Cllr Hazel Foster said: “I’ve been calling for the regenera on of this derelict site in the heart of our community for some me. With a major shortage of affordable homes in Torbay, its excellent news Government money from a ‘Homes England Grant’ has helped kick start these homes being built.”

Local Councillors have also been asked to suggest a name for the new housing complex. With it being located close to Torquay United’s Plainmoor Stadium and having a view over our bay, Cllr Foster suggested it is called: “The Gulls Nest”. Torbay Council is yet to announce its final decision.

Housing Help

Torbay Council is working on several ini a ves to house people who might otherwise be rough sleeping, a er receiving £1.9million under the Government’s Rough Sleeping Ini a ve.

The Council has used the funding to secure a six-bedroom house which has given immediate shelter to people who were living on the streets. Two further proper es will be leased this year. The money will also fund specialists to work directly with rough sleepers.

Torbay Council’s outreach team is also working to reach people in need. Any resident who is concerned about someone sleeping rough can be

referred to them via www.streetlink.org.uk

Roadworks Disappointment

Plainmoor Councillors Anne Brooks and Hazel Foster have been pursuing ge ng resurfacing works in Windsor Road underway. Despite previous promises from Torbay Council to get work

underway last Autumn and to start work last month, it has instead been delayed for a second me.

The works would see Windsor Road resurfaced from its junc on with Ellacombe Church Road to the junc on with Congella Road. The work is predicted to take up to three weeks to complete.

Cllr Anne Brooks, Cllr Hazel Foster & Cllr Ray Hill

Councillors Hazel Foster and Anne Brooks inspec ng the site of the delayed resurfacing work

St Marychurch & Plainmoor Councillors

Cllr Anne Brooks said: ‘’Windsor Road is a busy road through Ellacombe, so the resurfacing work needs to get underway. There are other roads, like Bronshill Road, which urgently need a en on. I will keep campaigning to get them repaired.’’

The news of a further delay in Windsor Road comes despite Anne, Hazel and colleagues’ successful campaign for an extra £600,000 to be added to this year’s budget, resul ng in more road and pot-hole repairs being undertaken, along with road safety improvements.

Cllr Hazel Foster said: “The extra money has also been used to repaint road markings in our area. I am especially pleased to see the Zebra Crossing near Reddenhill Road junc on with Babbacombe Road has been repainted. Road safety for pedestrians should always be a priority.”

Issue 3 Spring 2023

Contributors this issue:

Planning A Street Party?

If your are thinking of holding a street party to mark Corona on Weekend you need to plan a li le bit ahead in terms of sor ng a street closure order to stop traffic ruining the fun.

Torbay Council is advising applica ons for road closures on most residen al roads need to be made by no later than Saturday 8 April. Whilst there are no charges for road closures, residents will need the relevant road closed and diversion signs which can be hired from SWISCo for a fee.

Further details on how to organise a street party and apply for a street party road closure will be available on Torbay Council’s website: www.torbay.gov.uk.

Hazel, Anne and Ray all look forward to seeing you out and about and making our contribu on to the next Ellacombe & Plainmoor Magazine.

Councillor Anne Brooks, Craig Bryant (aerial cover photo & pages 6,7 & 8), David Clements, Dr Kevin Dixon, Kevin Foster MP, Councillor Hazel Foster, Councillor Ray Hill, Sarah O’Connor

See more of Craig Bryant’s work at: www.craigbryantphotography.co.uk

Kevin Foster MP

Cost of Living Support

Further support for those in our community struggling with the cost of living has been confirmed.

The Government will provide a further £900 cash boost for over eight million eligible means-tested benefits claimants, including those on Universal Credit, Pension Credit and tax credits. It starts in spring and will go direct to bank accounts in three payments over the course of the financial year. There will also be a separate £150 for over six million disabled people and £300 for over eight million pensioners on top of

their Winter Fuel Payments.

Exact payment windows will be announced closer to the me, but they will be spread across a longer period to ensure a consistent support offering throughout the year.

In addi on, the £5.25m Torbay Support Scheme will help vulnerable residents deal with the rising cost of living. It is supported by funding the Government has provided to Torbay Council. As part of this scheme a £2.47m Household Support Fund will be available to residents in need, plus a £600,000 Welfare Support Scheme will be

Kevin Foster MP discussing the new support scheme with Roger Heath.

Kevin Foster MP

established to help meet essen al needs such as repairs to boilers, rent in advance or essen al furniture or white goods. All working age claimants of Council Tax Support will also receive a one-off payment of £100. There is also help and advice available at: gov.uk/cost-of-living and torbay.gov.uk/benefits/ cost-of-living/

Weekly Update

I run a weekly email update service about my work in Parliament and here in our bay. It operates under a no party-poli cal point scoring or commercial adver sing rule. If you would like to receive them on a regular basis email me at kevin@kevinjfoster.com with “Subscribe” in the subject line.

Surgery Times

I hold regular face to face advice surgeries, but telephone or video conference appointments can be arranged if preferred. For an appointment you can either email me at: kevin@kevinjfoster.com or leave a message on 01803 214989.

You can also drop into my office at 5-7 East St, Torquay, TQ2 5SD between 10am & 1pm Monday to Friday, where a member of my team will be available to help with any queries.

Warberry Copse Leaf Spo er

Key to the pictures on page 9

1. Field Maple

2. Whitebeam

3. Hazel

4. Alder

5. Spindle

6. Lime

7. Hemlock

8. Sweet chestnut

9. Pine

Oak

Beech

Fir

Cherry

Empire Days David Clements

A while back when restoring the interior of my house I uncovered newspaper used as infill behind plaster (nothing changes). The paper was screwed into a ball and stuffed into a hole in the stonework, then boarded over.

Empire Cinema Ellacombe, located, it says, “Top of Market Street”.

To this day I thought the flats on the corner of Market Street and Ellacombe Road were the site of the old cinema. Today I discovered that I live about six houses down from the old cinema site, on Victoria Road.

Davis Ellis wrote, “The Empire was the first cinema in town to screen Talkies and was adver sed as Torquay’s Premier Talkie Theatre. The first sound film was Broadway Melody screened from the 23rd September 1929 using the Western Electric sound system. This was followed by Jolson’s The Singing Fool.”

Ever curious I teased out the fragile artefact and put it between glass to fla en it to reveal an Advert for the

Later in 1949 our adver sement declared, “The first French and Italian films to be shown in Torquay”. Further research revealed the adver sing posters for the three films in the

Empire Days

newspaper. It would be great to somehow show these films again, perhaps at a fes val of Ellacombe (something for later).

The cinema was closed in 1963 and later became The Empire Ballroom, apparently Torquay’s first disco. It ended its life as Monroe’s in the 80s and was demolished in 2004 to be replaced by housing.

So rests “the “flea pit.”

Local Business Focus:

Scruffs dog groomers

standard as well as ultrasound teeth cleaning, treatments for irritated skin and blueberry facials that hep with tear stains. They wash with 100% natural shampoo.

Scruffs are trained in all coat types and experienced in grooming all dog breeds. They also cater for puppies using safe, gentle, natural products for all pups under the age of 4 months. This gets them gently accustomed to being groomed and encourages fear-free future visits.

Scruffs are a dog grooming business run by Debbie and Victor Durbaca. Debbie runs the dog-grooming salon and is fully qualified with dis nc on. Victor’s main role is managing the boarding service and he has a Professional Diploma in home-si ng.

Debbie and Victor opened their business in September 2021 and despite star ng at a difficult me for the economy, they have built up a sizeable customer base in Ellacombe and the surrounding areas. The Scruffs philosophy is that all dogs deserve the love, care and a en on they need and offer everyone a free ini al consulta on to all customers on their pet’s requirements.

Scruffs offer grooming to breed

Debbie and Victor also offer a home boarding service, so owners can go away safe in the knowledge that their dogs are being loved and cared for properly. Boarding dogs are treated as part of the family in the Durbaca home and can enjoy a totally enclosed garden for the dura on of their stay . If you would like to find out more about what Scruffs can do for your dog, visit their website at www.scruffstorbay.co.uk or follow them on Facebook.

Scruffs

2 Ellacombe Rd, Torquay TQ1 3AT 07979 492771

Debbie with another sa sfied customer

Warm Spaces in Torquay

People may visit a Warm Space for a wide variety of reasons. They might be struggling to keep their homes warm, or they might just need a bit of company.

Torquay Community Café & Help Hub

The Playroom

St Mary Magdalene Church

Union Street, Torquay TQ1 4BX 01803 211868

Monday, 10:00 - 12:00 (Term me only)

Large, spacious and well equipped play area. Coffee served all morning. New faces always welcome.

£1 per family

Torquay Library

Temperance Street, Torquay TQ2 5PU 01803 212638

Monday – Friday, 10:00 - 14:30

Home-cooked food, friendship and a variety of support and ac vi es.

Lymington Road, Torquay TQ1 3DT 01803 714452

Mon , Wed & Fri: 09:30 - 18:00

Tue & Thur: 09:30 - 13:00

Sat: 09:30 - 16:00

The Acorn Centre

St Mary Magdalene Church

Union Street, Torquay TQ1 4BX 07562 693938,

Wednesday and Friday, 10:30 to 13:00

Hot food & drink available. No charge is asked, but dona ons welcome.

Lummaton Cross, Torquay TQ2 8ET 01803 328819

Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 16:00

Hot and cold refreshments available on a dona on basis. Free parking and wifi.

Warm Spaces in Torquay

The Precinct Centre

Church Road, St Marychurch, TQ1 4QY

01803 329105

Thursdays, 10:00-16:00

Victoria Park Church Community Kitchen (Turning Heads)

St Marychurch Rd, Torquay TQ1 3HY

01803 400403

Fridays, 11:00 – 16:00

Church Of Assump on of Our Lady

St Marychurch Road (opposite Lidl), Plainmoor, TQ1

07817 777739

Tuiesday to Friday, 10:00 to 15:00

Riviera Life Church

01803 294142

Tuesdays, 14:00 – 16:00

St Ma hias Church

Babbacombe Road, Torquay TQ1 1HW

01803 214175

Tuesdays, 14:00 – 17:00

527 Babbacombe Road TQ1 1HG

01803 291156

Thursdays, 09:30 – 14:00

Warm Spaces are places which are warm, welcoming, and safe. They are free to use, and visitors can have a hot drink. There may be food on offer or ac vi es to enjoy. They may also be able to signpost people to other support if needed. Further details of warm spaces across Torbay at:

h ps://www.torbay.gov.uk/benefits/cost-of-living/warm-spaces