WILLS

PHILIP W TAYLOR LLB LEGAL CONSULTANT

Free initial consultation & estimate, no obligation.

Low rates (no VAT). Free home visits in EX38 area. Evening & weekend appointments available.

Contact me for a free consultation.

Telephone: 01271 858482 or 07766 714503

Email: philipwardtaylor@outlook.com

Rotary Club of Torrington

Our Rotary year ended on 30th June and so now is a time for reflection on all that has been achieved, whilst looking forward to the coming year when we will be continuing ‘Service in the Community’ which is the hallmark of all the local clubs who make up the world-wide organisation of Rotary International.

In Torrington Rotary we organize ourselves into three teams, each concentrating on one aspect of our community. These teams are Local Community Service, International Service and Youth Service.

The Community Service team works with local projects aimed at supporting those who live in our town and surrounding villages. Recently we have completed various projects: installing a new defibrillator on the Tarka Trail; providing new seating for Torrington Library; helping fund the new hanging baskets in the Pannier Market and new plants in Sidney House gardens. We've made many donations to local charities, such as Men's Sheds and the Foodbank. Last Christmas we helped the Salvation Army provide accommodation to local homeless people and recently organised a Supper Quiz that raised £1400 for our local lifeboat stations. We also decided to say 'thank you' to the staff of our NHS surgeries and community hospital in Torrington, with the presentation of three huge hampers of goodies... ranging from gift vouchers and toiletries to Easter eggs and other yummy consumables.

The International Service team is committed to helping those less fortunate than ourselves, in countries around the world, whether through long-term projects in Africa and India (End Polio campaign is just one example), or short-term initiatives which promote education, health and self-sufficiency. Ukraine - Rotary worldwide is committed to helping the Ukrainian people. Last year our club held a street collection which, once again, demonstrated the generosity of our community, so a very big thank you for the amazing donations we received. As a result of this collection (plus the Gift Aid) and other club donations, we have given over £3000 to the appeal. We were overwhelmed by the local response to our Knit a Woolly Hat project to save newborns in Ukraine, thank you to all our knitters. Turkey and Syriaour street collection plus donations in February 2023 raised over £500 (with Gift Aid still to be added). We'll send this via Shelterbox and hope that we can continue to support the countless victims whose lives have been so ravaged by this disaster.

Through our Youth Service team we support the young with several competitions to build leadership (Rotary Youth Leadership Award, RYLA), improve skills individually and within team scenarios. These include Young Chef, Young Musician, Young Photographer and Young Writer. These competitions are mostly held within our local schools, although on a number of occasions our local winners have progressed to regional finals. We also support groups who aid youngsters with specific needs, such as providing holidays to those who are physically or psychologically challenged, as well as organisations whose aims are to improve education, or who offer sporting or artistic opportunities to young people.

That’s what we do but who are we? Well we are a group of local people interested in our community, who enjoy working to help those less fortunate. Some of us work, some of us are retired. We meet fortnightly at Torrington Golf Club, we are always on the lookout for new members, if you would like to join us or maybe you know of someone or an organisation in need and would like to see if we can help, please get in touch.

David Large djl.lawnhouse@gmail.com or 01769 560556

1st Torrington Scouts

The Beavers have had a great term so far, getting out and about exploring the town. During one of their meetings they created some nature art. To do this we used chalk to draw picture frames on the tarmac and then we foraged for leaves, stones, twigs and any other natural items to create pictures using their imagination, they had lots of fun and did some lovely work. To finish off the term they will be learning about fire lighting and also doing their cyclist badge.

The Cubs have been away to the District Cub Camp at Snapper this term. They got the chance to camp with 140 other Cubs, while having a go at lots of different activities. Activities were climbing, archery, tomahawk throwing, air rifle shooting, tunnels, bouldering, Para-cord crafts and so much more. It was an amazing camp and really special to hear 140 young people singing campfire songs together. They all had an amazing time and can’t wait for another camp.

The Scouts have also been busy this term, they have learnt about geocaching and have even made some which will be placed on Torrington Commons for everyone to have a go at finding. They have also been down to Westward Ho! to search in some rock pools, as always they had an amazing time and ended up in the sea, completely drenched with the biggest smiles on their faces. To finish the term the Scouts will be doing some fire lighting, wide games and even their own summer camp, which will take place at the end of July (All that are going are very excited).

As always 1st Torrington is looking for more adult support, this is so we can provide the young people of the area with more opportunities. If you have any questions please contact our group scout leader Jordon Whitear via email on jordon.whitear@gmail.com.

Citizens’ Advice - Scams

Scams are all too prevalent and come in all shapes and sizes. Here it’s a pram, but it could be almost anything.

“I bought a pram online for £400. At checkout it said delivery would take 3-5 working days but I never received any tracking information. I chased the seller and they said they would speak to the delivery company. Now my calls go straight to voicemail. I’ve had no response to emails either. I thought the website looked legit but I’ve seen people posting on review sites about products that never arrived and some saying it is a bogus seller. Have I been scammed and if so, what can I do?”

Unfortunately, scammers are always finding more sophisticated ways to trick shoppers including having some very legitimate looking websites.

The Citizens Advice website has lots of information about scams, how to spot them and how to get your money back. Search - Citizens Advice (www. citizensadvice.org.uk/resources-and-tools/Search/?c=HOME&q=scams) People can also need emotional support when they have been scammed and there is information here about this too.

As you have parted with your money, your first step is to contact your bank and let them know. According to how you paid there are steps to be taken to get your money back. If you paid by debit card, your card provider can contact the seller’s bank and ask for the money to be refunded. (The Chargeback Scheme.) If you paid by credit card and the item cost more than £100 but less than £30,000 you might be able to claim under the Consumer Credit Act Section 75.

Scams should be reported to Action Fraud and Trading Standards can investigate a seller who refuses to deliver an item.

In the event that the seller does get back in touch and it turns out it isn’t a scam, if something you ordered and paid for doesn’t arrive it is the seller’s responsibility to get the item to you. If they say they don’t know where the pram is, you can ask for a redelivery or a refund.

First Winkleigh Antique Fair

New local venture, with big plans

Winkleigh Recreation Centre Trust has a new venture starting on 13th August Not a car boot sale or general table sale, but a genuine antique and collectables sale.

With a wide range of historical, collectable, interesting and beautiful items, from the smallest to statement pieces for your home, there is something for everyone.

Both sellers and buyers are welcome to help us make this first event a success, and a regular Sunday activity. If this works well, we will be looking to use the excellent facility offered by the Winkleigh Recreation/Sports Centre hall and arrange a regular monthly event. Good parking is available and our efficient kitchen will be serving drinks and refreshments.

Citizens Advice has a consumer helpline

(0808 223 1133) or people can ring their FREE, local AdviceLine on 0808 27 87 999 or log onto our website www. ruraldevoncab.org.uk and click on ‘Get Advice’.

School Crossing Patrol Needed!

Five hours per week in school term time £10.50 per hour, 8.30am to 9am and 3.15pm to 3.45pm

For more information or to apply visit devon.cc/scp; phone 01392 383000 and when prompted ask for ‘School Crossing Patrols’; email crossingpatrols@ devon.gov.uk

There will be antiques and collectables from all sources: from recent year collectables to items from the archaeological dig taking place in the village, where we hope Bronze or Iron Age artefacts will be found

Dealers in all forms of antiques and collectables are welcome. Email events@wwmrff.co.uk or phone 01837 682775 to book a pitch. Various sizes are available.

Sellers from 9-30-11am, buyers from 11am-4.30pm.

Rolle 200 Open Day

200 years ago the building of the Rolle Canal began and to celebrate, the Rolle Canal Society is holding an Open Day at Sea Lock on Saturday 12th August from 2.30-6pm

Take a self-guided tour of the lock and visit the wharf-side building which houses an archive of photographs and canal artefacts

Official celebration at 3pm; refreshments; stalls and displays; take a virtual tour of the canal; join the lock side picnic at 4pm (B.Y.O.)

The way into Sea Lock is via the yard at Annery Kiln, Weare Giffard, EX39 5JE. Please be aware that parking is very limited, so why not cycle or even walk?

Contact Chairman - Ian Harrison 01237 475707 halehillfarm@gmail.com

Mike Harper

Pause for Thought

Try praying. One of my favourite paintings is ‘The Angelus’ by Millet. A young peasant couple working in the field stop where they are to pray. The church tower in the background has just rung the hour for prayer. There was a spiritual rhythm to the day. Our word ‘clock’ comes from the word for church bell, and holiday was Holy Day. A time to work and a time to pray. In our busy 24/7 lives I wonder if we have left out some of the most important things - the need for rest and quiet to consider what really matters. For almost

2000 years, after Celtic missionaries first brought us the good news of Jesus, prayer has always been part of life in our country. During WW2 the King called the nation to prayer on eight occasions, and churches were filled with peoplethese were key turning points in the war. Prayer is coming into the presence of God. It is a place where we can share our heartfelt needs with a promise that God hears us when we pray with faith. It is not just asking, but listening, hearing, trusting, hoping and believing. It changes lives. Jesus said ‘Where two or

Rolle Canal Guided Walk

Sunday 3rd September - Rolle Canal Guided Walk

Taddiport and Torrington Commons. Meet at the entrance to the old milk factory at 2:30pm

The headquarters of the Rolle Canal Company was at Taddiport and several associated buildings and structures can be seen here. From the entrance of the old milk factory, the route proceeds along the ‘Rolle Road’, a bridleway which is actually the fairly intact bed of the Rolle Canal, through Torrington Commons. Then, via the back street ‘ginnels’ off Mill Street, down to the beautiful Torridge-side meadows and back to Taddiport Bridge. A fascinating mixture of nature, past industrial sites, proposed developments and efforts to safeguard ecology. Length about two miles.

Chairman - Ian Harrison 01237 475707 halehillfarm@gmail.com.

Mike Harper

three are gathered together in my name, I am there in the midst of them.’ (Matthew 18:20) You may have seen the ‘try praying’ adverts on buses, or even been given one of the booklets inviting you to share in a daily reading for a week. In this holiday season I hope you will give it a go! At the Door of Hope we pray for our town and surrounding villages every week. We have been blessed to have many of our prayers answered - prayer works! Please ring 07702 589 799 if you would like us to pray for you.

Triple J Construction

Groundworks & Concrete works

Patios & Fencing

Drainage

Digger Hire

CSCS Competent Operator

HS & E Tested

Call Jason t: 07968 825 811

Great Torrington, North Devon

Triple J Construction

Painting & Decorating

Interior & Exterior

Contact Jason or Tony t: 07968 825 811 t: 07790 645 063

Exploring Great Torrington’s Norman Motte & Bailey Castle

The project will be excavating four test pits onsite between September 22nd and October 8th 2023. Everyone is welcome but we need volunteers to register with us for health and safety reasons, before the start - please email: torringtondigthecastle@outlook.com.

‘Digging’ isn’t just hard work with a shovel, we will have a lot of jobs for people to engage with: photography, measuring and drawing, ‘finds’ washing, ‘finds’ processing. We also need people to help record the archaeology, filling out context sheets etc, taking soil samples.

We are aiming to be onsite everyday between 9am and 5pm, but there will be some special sessions in the evenings and at the weekends. We hope to have a public open day on 30th September/1st October.

Did you know Great Torrington had a castle? Where is it? The castle site is now known as Barley Grove car park, which represents the embanked enclosure in which the people lived and the mound to the side, near the Bowling Green is the remains of a motte mound, upon which would have been a timber defensive lookout tower. We will be looking at part of the mound and part of the ramparts.

Why does the castle matter? Well, rather uniquely it belongs to the people of Torrington, as part of the Great Torrington Commons grounds, confirmed by the Act of Parliament in 1889. The earthen banks of the early, Norman part of the castle have never been studied by archaeologists before, so this gives the people of the town the chance to be the first to explore this ancient site, which is over 1000 years old.

The presence of a castle is a sign that once sleepy Great Torrington was a busy and important place, the castle itself was built by William the Conqueror’s nephew, and the castle became the headquarters of one of the big five Norman baronies of Devon and later a Borough and wealthy market town. It has been the site of some violent and terrifying battles: in the Anarchy, England’s first civil war in 1139-1153AD, when the castle was burnt to the ground. It might be strange to think of knights on horseback marching about the streets of Torrington today, but if you have visited our museum you can see evidence of mediaeval strap mounts for horse harnesses with heraldic arms, fragments of broken armour, glove rings and gold and silver coins, as well as a pair of ancient spurs, proof of the castle garrison knights and visitors.

Always wanted to be Indiana Jones? Do you want to come and discover more treasures, make friends, enjoy an activity in the fresh air, learn new skills, this is your opportunity!

John Eeles

Great Torrington Town Council & Futures Group Calendar 2024

Calling all local photographers! The Town Council in conjunction with the Futures Group is looking to publish a town calendar for 2024.

You will remember our 2023 calendar; we had such a brilliant response we thought we would do it all over again. The calendar raised approximately £1200, of which some of the proceeds will be put towards the ‘Dig the Castle’ project (www.onegreattorrington.uk/ digthecastle).

We are looking for a new set of photographs of the town, whether that’s beautiful landscapes, nature, events, groups, clubs, etc. If you have a favourite photograph, or a few, which you have taken and are happy for it to be used in the calendar and on the OneGreatTorrington.uk website, please send it through. We will ensure all photographs are credited to the photographer and photographers featuring in the calendar will receive their own copy of the calendar for FREE as a thank you. Please send your high quality photographs via email to gt.futuregroup@gmail.com or visit www. onegreattorrington.uk/calendar2024

We have taken on board comments and feedback from the 2023 calendar and will be making improvements to the layout. We are also considering selling calendars through the OneGreatTorrington.uk website.

Ian Ashelford

One Great Torrington - Town Website

The town website has been live now for a few years and contains a wealth of information about the town's history, heritage, tourist attractions, accommodation, things to do, exploring the area with maps, walks and trails. We are regularly adding information so have a look and see what is new!

Are you a new shop owner, trader, club, society, etc., in or around town?

If yes, welcome! Are you aware you can get FREE advertising on the town website? Do you have a listing already, have you checked it recently or perhaps have updates or new photos to upload?

Have a look at www.

OneGreatTorrington.uk to log in to your account and to find your listing, you can do it online, anywhere at any time.

If you are having problems please contact us via email gt.futuregroup@ gmail.com or via our Facebook page www.facebook.com/

OneGreatTorrington

Property Market Tips

The Guild of Professional Estate Agents, of which Webbers is a member, reports blue skies and sunshine have put a smile on many faces in recent weeks. Conditions remain challenging, but improved economic forecasts are good news for the housing market.

Mortgage approvals and sales volumes in April remained subdued, as prospective buyers continue to adjust to today’s interest rate environment. However, Zoopla reported the volume of sales agreed in May was up 11% on the 2018-2022 average. Close to two-thirds of sellers are confident they will sell their property within three months and 70% of prospective buyers expect to buy within that time frame (OnTheMarket). Surveyors remain cautious but are their most positive as to the state of play of the market since July 2022. Expectations over the next 12 months point to stable market conditions (RICS).

Consumer confidence. Growth is now predicted for the UK economy in 2023, a significant shift in rhetoric from just a few months ago. While still cautious, consumer confidence continues to rise, registering its strongest level for 15 months in May. An 11-point uptick in consumers’ willingness to make expensive purchases, is a positive sign for the housing market in future months. The average price of a five-year fixed-rate mortgage is fluctuating just above 5%. Inflation fell to 8.7% in April and falling energy prices are set to lower consumer bills in the coming months.

Annual price growth has moderated across all regions of the UK in recent months, but despite marginal month-on-month falls the market has begun to stabilise. Nationwide reported a month-on-month rise of 0.4% in April, followed by a softening of -0.1% in May.

At 270,000, sales volumes in the first four months of 2023 are significantly lower than the frenetic markets of 2021 and 2022. Given the economic challenges prospective home buyers have faced, this is hardly surprising, but as it has time and time again the housing market is proving resilient. Despite rises in the base rate of interest, mortgage rates remain lower than six months ago and Rightmove report the number of sales agreed in the first four months of this year is just 3% lower than for the same period during the last so-called normal market of 2019.

Locally, the market is showing slightly different stats when compared to last year. For the month of June, we agreed more sales this year, and also have more available properties. This will lead to a softening in pricing so consumer choice is good on one hand, but not the other!

Rentals has been a very strong performer for the first quarter and overall is way up on this time last year with most properties being let to locals, working locally here in the town and the surrounds which is good news. A copy of the full report can be obtained via email should you wish one, torrington@webbers.co.uk.

Adrian Hardwick, Local Director

Local Baby & Toddler Groups

Buckland Brewer 'Time Together'

Toddler and Baby Group Mondays during term time at Buckland Brewer Methodist Church from 9.30am to 12noon. £1.50 per family. Dave Watson 07484 223 515

Coldridge Village Hall, 9.45-11.45am every Friday (except 1st Friday of the month) £2 per family.

High Bickington playgroup runs on Mondays 9.30-11am at High Bickington Community Centre. Cost: £2 families, £1 for singletons under 6 months.

Petrockstowe Community Church Tea and Tots coffee morning, for mums, dads, grandparents, carers, babies and toddlers together for a drink and a chat. Every Monday 9.15-11am in the school room of the Chapel. Kate Cutter entertains with songs and stories. St Giles in the Wood ‘Cubs in the Wood’ playgroup for 0-4 year olds on Thursdays 9.30-11am at the Parish Hall £2.50.

Torrington Babies and Toddler Group at the Baptist Church, Thursday mornings term time, 9.30-11.30am. £2 per family, includes a cuppa for parents/ carers, healthy snack for the children.

Castle Community Centre Tuesdays

Busy Bees – 9.30-10.15am (babies

6mths-15mths) Caterpillar Club 10.4511.30am (babies 6wks-6mths)

Torrington Children’s Centre, ‘Noah’s Ark’ Fridays 9.15-10.45am, run by Grosvenor Church Tim Gilbert 07798 670 754.

Torridge Vale Social Club

Families Welcome

Cash Bingo on Mondays • Darts • Pool

Skittles • Snooker • BT Sports & SKY

Large function room for parties/weddings

Karaoke every 3rd Saturday of the month Plus other entertainment

Contact Sharon 01805 622543