Little Nest Cleaning

Cleaning,decluttering & garden maintenance

Your one stop shop for professional & friendly home help,both inside & out

Call Nicci 07917 108 856

Last year’s event sadly had to be cancelled due to the death of the Queen, but the year before was extremely busy so we are once again hoping for bumper crowds. The entrance for the fun run is just £1, and for the dog show the normal £1.50 per dog per class, but do remember Castle Hill are charging an entrance fee to the grounds, which is much reduced at £4 for adults, £3.50 for seniors, £2 for children or £11.50 for a family ticket which covers two adults and three children.

Looks like another busy couple of months!

The rescue side of things has also been extremely busy, with so many requests to help people rehome their dogs for all sorts of reasons. During July we managed to help five people find homes for their dogs, all genuine reasons and also one stray. Sadly though we still haven’t found a home for Diesel, who is a very handsome Husky X Malamute and quite a large lad. With the increase in the number of enquiries the rescue is struggling to keep up with all the various social media and email correspondence, and is looking for a volunteer who may be able to help with our social media – answering messages and keeping the pages up to date. If you are able to help please email lynne@ k9focus.co.uk.

One last reminder as summer is really upon us, is to remember that us woofs do not have shoes, so please be kind and do not walk us on hot pavements. Remember the five second rule: put your hand on the pavement and if it is too hot for you then it is certainly too hot for us. Hope to see you at one of the shows and in the meantime have a great summer. Woofs and licks, Fabulous Freddie

What’s On at RHS Rosemoor

Summer Holidays

Aardman Presents Lloyd of the Flies Saturday 22nd July - Sunday 3rd September

Lloyd and his friends have gone to stay in a luxury bug hotel in Rosemoor’s Gardens but have got lost on the way. Children can enjoy seeking out characters including housefly Lloyd and his little sister PB, best friend Abacus the woodlouse and Cornea the butterfly in locations around the garden as they make their way towards The Grand Bug and Pest Hotel. Along the way, there will be a host of fascinating minibeast facts and interactive fun. The Grand Bug & Pest Hotel Hunt Family Trail

Daily, Saturday 22nd July - Sunday 3rd September 10am-6pm, self-guided trail

Follow the trail around the garden and see if you can spot Lloyd the housefly and some of his friends along the way. Download Aardman’s augmented reality app to ‘shrink down’ to fly size and see the world through insect eyes.

A big mini theatre show with Hot Rock Productions

Every Monday and Tuesday 30-min performances at 10.45am, 11.30am, 12.15pm, 2pm, 2.45pm, Learning Centre lawn

Join Hot Rock Productions for a fun packed family-friendly show, full of lovable characters and exciting mini adventures.

Character meet and games with Marvellous Eventures

Every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Drop-in activities 11am-1pm and 2-4pm, Learning Centre lawn

Imagine being the same size as a fly or snail! Discover the world from their height, take part in a snail race and meet some insects the same size as you.

Insect creation station

Thursday 3rd, 17th and 31st August Drop-in sessions from 11am-1pm and 2-4pm, Cob Shelter.

Create your own insect model using air-dry clay to take home and paint. Activities are suitable for all the family and are included with garden entry (free for members)

RHS Rosemoor Flower Show, Friday 18th - Sunday 20th August

Enjoy a weekend of gardening inspiration and family entertainment, with floral art and displays, talks and demonstrations, over 20 specialist nurseries plus trade stands selling an array of goodies for homes and outdoor spaces of all sizes. The three-day show, sponsored by Atkins Ferrie Wealth Management, will also offer lots of lovely live music, a family area with fairground games, face-painting and circus skills and a wide choice of food and drink throughout the weekend.

Great Hobby Weekend

Saturday 16th - Sunday 17th September

Discover some of the nation’s best past times – from surfing, rambling, photography, and birdwatching to axe throwing plus a whole range of arts and crafts activities. Come and find your favourite!

Events are free with garden entry, members go free. Check online for shuttle bus services.

Torrington RFC

Istart this report with the sad news that one of our founding figures of the modern era, Mike Loud, sadly passed away in June. Our sincere condolences go to Mike’s family.

Onward, and our new season starts earlier than expected, with our first game being played 2nd September. However, we do have two friendlies to prepare us for the forthcoming onslaught.

Both at Donnacroft, Ilfracombe visit on the 12th August and the annual Dicky Cawthorne Trophy Match against South Molton on the 19th August. Both 3pm kick offs.

Upcoming fixtures: 2/9 Sidmouth 2nds (A); 9/9 Exeter Athletic (H); 16/9 Teignmouth 2nds (A); 23/9 New Cross (H); 30/9 Topsham 2nds (A).

Unfortunately, our highly anticipated preseason friendly had to be deferred. The popular colours of Harlequins were to have graced the Torrington turf, with a Quins Amateurs visit. Led by their Captain and ex-Torrington youth player, Harry Stark. We are hoping that they will visit in the not-too-distant future.

Our new-build project is advancing slowly, as anticipated, with drainage etc., now being installed. This exciting project will enable us to double the changing room capacity, thus allowing girls’ teams access to their own facilities with complete independence.

First team training has been ongoing for a while now, Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6.30pm.

If you feel like blowing away the cobwebs, turn up and see how it goes. You’ll always be welcomed.

As always the clubhouse is available for hire. Email us on TRFC1985@ outlook.com.

Enjoy the rest of the summer. We look forward to welcoming you to Torrington RFC and the hospitality of our Donnacroft Clubhouse.

C’mon Torri!

Enjoyment, Respect, Teamwork, Sportsmanship, Enjoyment

Mark Waterson

Torrington's Talented Artists

Many thanks to all involved at the Blue Coat C of E Primary School and Great Torrington School for the fabulous exhibition that was recently staged at the Plough Art's Centre. I was blown away with the level of artistic talent and hope you are going to make this an annual event. I would have bought several pieces had they been for salemaybe something to consider for future exhibitions? Massive thanks in particular to all the talented artists for sharing your work and to the Plough Arts Centre for hosting this wonderful exhibition.

Anne Tattersall

Tarka Valley Railway News

You will have noticed that I alluded to an exciting development being planned for our next Open Day, and I can now confirm that the “Grand Reopening” of the line from Torrington Station will take place on Saturday 5th August at 11am. For the first time in over 40 years, you will be able to catch a train from the station to travel the first 300 yards of track that make up phase 1 of our project. It will give you an idea of what is possible with your support for phase 2 and beyond. Our gift shop and visitor centre will be open, and we are planning plenty of other attractions throughout the day until 4pm. There will be miniature train rides, classic and sports cars on display, various stalls and other attractions which we are currently organising. It will be an historic day for the railway.

We were delighted to welcome children and staff from Shebbear Community School on 29th June. The visit was part of their Key Stage 1 curriculum ‘Transport Past and Present’. The children had a site tour, sat on our new train, watched shunting activities, boarded our Mark 1 TSO to look at old photos of the station when it was a working railway and saw some coal, limestone and Marland bricks, as an example of what freight may have been transported in the goods wagons. Finally, they visited the newly uncovered cattle dock and were given a brief talk about how cattle would have been loaded into wagons. The children enjoyed their visit immensely. Please visit our website to read the very positive comments by the school. In this connection, we are able to offer a tailored range of educational visits to suit different age groups. If you are interested, do contact us at tarkavalleyrailway@gmail.com.

Our Facebook and Instagram pages have the latest news and regular updates, plus our website has been comprehensively overhauled. Do check it out: wwwtarkavalleyrailway.org.

@ torringtoncrier

Torrington Baptist Church

Services on Sunday mornings at 10.30am followed by refreshments.

Everyone is welcome to join our friendly, growing fellowship, as we seek to glorify God in our worship.

Torridge Walk & Talk

Anice way to get fit, make friends and enjoy yourself!

Every Tuesday and Wednesday, with a variety of walks for all levels. Just turn up and join in for free. Full details on our website torridgewalkandtalk.co.uk or call Steve 01273 421528.