GREAT TORRINGTON TOWN COUNCIL NEWS

First Place Winners: Devon Wildlife Community of the Year Awards!

Great Torrington Town Council is delighted to announce that it has been awarded first place in the Devon Wildlife Community of the Year Awards, Town & Parish Council category, for the work its volunteers have undertaken to manage Jubilee Wood and Meadow. Cllr Gill Clayton, Chair of the Town Council’s Environment Committee, and Alan Williams, volunteer coordinator for Jubilee Wood and Meadow, attended the awards ceremony on Tuesday 6th December 2022 in Exeter, and were presented with a certificate and a selection of guidebooks as the prize. The judges were very impressed with the breadth of activities undertaken in Jubilee Wood to support and protect Devon’s wildlife. The Town Council would like to thank Alan Williams, his team of volunteers, and everyone in the community who has helped shape Jubilee Wood over the last few years, for all the hard work put into this beautiful oasis on the edge of town.

Abbeyfield

Please come and join us at our ‘Coffee, Cake and Chat morning’, on the third Friday of each month, which is proving popular. We would love to see you here at Glen Tor, Villa Road, anytime between 10.30am and 12 noon, on February 17th. All we ask is that if you have any cold, flu or Covid symptoms, you give it a miss, to keep the residents safe.

We welcome everybody, especially anyone who would like some company, as well as old friends and neighbours. It is a lovely warm and friendly house! We hope to start our usual fund-raising events in 2023, and will be planning the dates for our Spring Coffee Morning and Summer Garden

Message of Thanks

We hope you all had a happy Christmas! We would like to take this opportunity to thank the Cavaliers, who alongside our dedicated technicians Andy and Colin, spent one Sunday morning before Christmas erecting the Christmas tree and the lights, and then another Sunday morning in the New Year taking them down. We all enjoy the lights and they make a lovely festive centre piece for the town, so we all very much appreciate the time and work of this small team in making it happen.

We would also like to thank Andy Winsbury for collecting the fabulous tree, which was supplied by Stacey’s Trees in Holsworthy.

Party, very soon. We have a vacancy for another resident, and the Friday morning events would be a great opportunity, for you to find out more about Abbeyfield for yourself or a loved one. Alternatively, you can always contact the House Manager on 01805 623605 for more information.

NEW PHONE NUMBER! 01805 624141

FOR FAST, FRIENDLY, LOCAL SERVICE CALL ROB ON 01805 624141 OR 07717 313194

Greetings from the Futures Group

Torrington in Bloom

Bideford Music Club Concert

From Your District Councillors…

We hope you all had a lovely Christmas and New Year. In terms of the council, I’m sure most of you will have seen Torridge District Council making the national headlines with Cllr Brenton’s notice of motion, with the suggestion of using a cruise ship as a form of emergency housing off Middledock at Appledore. It will certainly be interesting to see what officers come back with, in a report to the next C&R meeting!

In terms of saving South St car park from housing development, the petitions continue to take signatures in the local shops, and it was great to have Anne Tattersall and Yvonne Matthews talking on behalf of Torrington residents at the December Full Council meeting. They certainly made their feelings heard and spoke very well. We have been calling for the council to remove it from the list of sites, but have been told by the Chief Executive that the council will not make a further decision until after the May elections! So keep up the pressure great people of Torrington!

The C&R committee is also considering future funding for The Plough, following the £25,000 grant to them a couple of years ago. The Plough was recently recognised by its great work by the Arts Council England, and was awarded National Portfolio Organisation Status. We hope that TDC will be able

It’s been a busy couple of months on a number of fronts, but all our current projects are happily continuing apace: updates to the website - onegreattorrington.uk, with some new features (see a refreshed Civil War Trail page); a wellreceived town calendar and further heritage boards in place. Huge thanks to many residents and organisations for their input into these projects, absolutely the unsung heroes of this town.

Dig the Castle project September 22October 8 2023 are currently seeking someone who would be able to document the project on video – a most useful addition to the project outcome..." show a continued commitment to The Plough, with some regular core funding. A relatively small amount of regular core funding would really help our fantastic arts centre, and would help them secure future funding from external sources too. We won’t make any comparisons with The Burton in Bideford, but they

Since our last information release concerning the ‘Dig the Castle’ project, we have been inundated with requests from locals to help and get involved, thank you to all of you for your support, we will be getting in contact when we have further information. Also, we will soon be hoping to contact local groups and organisations to see if you would like to become involved; either coming along to just see what’s taking place in September, or possibly getting involved with the actual digging process, watch this space. We are continuing our quest for financial help; the project operation has many legal and essential costs to commit to, before even putting a spade in the ground!

We are currently seeking someone who would be able to document the project on video – a most useful addition to the project outcome and something we can (hopefully) use to produce more interest, especially if we are able to continue digging next year. If you are that person please do get in touch. Please note that this is being administered by a small band of working volunteers, so communications and contact can be intermittent!

The project now has a logo which will be used to help publicise it, for which more information can be found at: onegreattorrington.uk/digthecastle receive a significant amount of funding from the District council on a regular basis…

For more information on the castle project please contact: torringtondigthecastle@outlook.com.

Cllr Cheryl Cottle-Hunkin, Cllr.cottlehunkin@torridge.gov.uk, 07495 367 801

Cllr Chris Bright, Councillor.bright@ torridge.gov.uk, 07936 325 909

We held our AGM on the 13th December, which was well attended. The Committee continues in much the same manner, with Barry Cubitt as Chair, Dave Squire Vice Chair, Paul Watson Treasurer and Pat Stark as Secretary.

In the absence of the Chair, due to sickness, Dave Squire read the report in which he thanked all those committee members who have worked extremely hard on projects, such as the Secret Memorial Garden and Castle Hill Gardens (which was 1646). He also thanked Val Knight for keeping the planters in the Town Square looking spectacular (the Surfinia Petunias stood the hot weather magnificently and seemed to flower forever).

Paul Ballard and ‘yours truly’ were also thanked for growing and supplying many plants for various planters and beds around the town which enabled us to keep costs to a minimum this year and is much appreciated.

Pat Stark, our Secretary, was thanked for her minute taking and organising meetings, and Paul Watson, our Treasurer for his continued research into suitable funding sources. Talking of funding, we have been extremely fortunate in that the monies from the now defunct Horticultural Club were donated to TIBA and this means we once again have a healthy bank balance. This money will be put to good use; with the new project of renovating the flowerbed outside S&G Carpets being a beneficiary (the club used to maintain and plant it over a number of years before Covid brought activity to a halt).

Special thanks were made to RHS Rosemoor for their continued support, both in supplying plants and mulches, but also for enabling their apprentices to undertake work, especially in Rack Park. Further days are being set aside in early spring for continued renovation and planting.

We were happy to have our County Councillor, Andrew Saywell, as a guest at our meeting. He was delighted with the work that TIBA does around the town and will continue to support us at County level.

Our Town and District Councillors were also thanked for their continued support, including the Town Lands Committee and Rotary. Our two Town employees, Colin and Andy, were given special thanks for their assistance over the past year.

Jo and Sue were thanked for their work in the Secret Memorial Garden (they grow many plants from seed, too) and to Paul Ballard and Pete who have supplied/built cold frames, refurbished greenhouses, and the new shed.

All in all, TIBA has had a very successful year and thank you to everyone who supports us in all their various ways.

Cherry Hammon

Maja Horvat - violin and Roelof Temmingh - piano will be performing for the Bideford Music Club at 7.30pm on Wednesday, 1st March, 2023, at St Mary’s Church Bideford. Tickets cost £15 on the door, (cash or cheques only - no cards), students and children come in free. These two talented young musicians bring with them a repertoire of both classical and modern composers. We are to hear works by Beethoven and Schumann, Messiaen and Boulanger so be prepared to be delighted with their musicianship and their powerful desire to communicate through music of many kinds.

As well as chamber recitalists, they are both recognised as soloists, having worked with orchestras in Europe, the US and beyond. They are both graduates of the Royal College of Music, London where Roelof won the prestigious Tagore Gold Medal for being the best student on any course. He also composed a piece presented to HRH the Prince of Wales. Maja earned an accolade as “One of the most talented, truly charismatic violinists I have come across, with a rare personal voice and a huge passion for music and the violin” (Professor Daniel Rowland). A sparkling duo, well worth hearing.

Fleur’s Gardening Forum

Christmas Gifts of Plants & Bulbs

Many of us will have received lovely pots of bulbs and other plants for Christmas, but what do we do when they have died down?

It is a shame to discard them - here are a few tips so you can enjoy them for longer.

Bulbs, corms and rhizomes, etc: with one or two exceptions, these can all be planted in the ground outdoors. With Narcissi, allow the foliage to die back, then remove bulbs from the pot, clean and store until autumn, then plant out. Or, you can repot them, keep cool until they start to grow away, and once the flower buds start forming, bring them inside. The exception is N. ‘Paperwhite’ which should continue to be grown in pots.

Dwarf Iris (I. reticulata/ I. danfordii) are very hardy bulbs; plant out as soon as they finish flowering if the weather is mild. They prefer a sunny position and welldrained soil, so mix in grit or sharp sand when planting. They can also be repotted, as above, to make a lovely container display.

Amaryllis hippeastrum – these big, blowsy bulbs are not hardy, but can be kept for many years by a careful regime of repotting, feeding, and allowing the bulb to make plenty of summer foliage. They can be kept outside during the summer in a sheltered position. Once they have finished flowering, remove the main stem, and allow the foliage to grow on. Continue to water carefully and keep in a cool position indoors, or a greenhouse/conservatory which is frost free. Once the foliage has died away, the bulb can be repotted in a good, free-draining compost, keeping the top/neck of the bulb proud of the compost. You may need to be patient because these bulbs will have been ‘forced’ into flowering out of season, so can take time to settle in.

Cyclamen bought as houseplants are not hardy; they are usually cultivars of C. persicum and now come in all colours. They do not like warm, dry conditions, preferring a humid atmosphere and good drainage. Water them from the base only when they start to look a bit droopy, and the pot feels light when lifted. Remove any spent flower stems and yellowing leaves. Feed regularly with a houseplant feed. Once the plant has completely died back, cease watering, and allow the corm to dry off (again, keep it in a greenhouse in the shade, if possible, certainly somewhere cool). After a few weeks, you should see signs of regrowth; repot in fresh compost and begin to water carefully. Watch out for vine weevil maggots!

Ferns mostly prefer a humid atmosphere and not hot, dry positions, so a north or east-facing room is ideal. Water regularly but don’t allow them to become waterlogged. They will need repotting as they grow. Most ferns can be kept outside during the summer and can benefit from being rained on (or sprayed with rainwater if kept indoors) from time to time. Many are quite happy as garden plants.

Hellebores are hardy perennials and the most likely cultivar you might receive is H. niger (the Christmas Rose) because this is usually when it flowers. After Christmas, harden them off and plant outside in a sheltered, fairly shady position –under deciduous shrubs is ideal. Other Hellebores should be kept outside. You may have received a basket of various miniature plants, which are frequently unnamed but usually consist of a conifer, a hebe, a kalanchoe (which has often been sprayed with glitter, ugh!), fern, anything really. These tiny plants can be repotted separately to make an attractive houseplant display, although many of them are perfectly hardy to be planted outside, once they have reached a suitable size, either as a potted display or in the garden.

Fleur

Organic & Wholefood Buying Group News

On order collection day our mini social is proving popular - we're enjoying trying different dishes made by other members, along with drinks and a jolly good chat. We tend to be busy with collections from 11.30 till about 12.15, but after that we're freer to socialize. If you'd like to find out more about what we do, who is who and how it all works, then please do feel free to come along around midday. You'll find the dates and other information on our website, please see the link at the end of this article. Collection day is held at Torrington Rugby Club, EX38 7BT, so there's plenty of parking and it's easy to find. Getting into the swing of ordering with us takes a little application to begin with, but it soon becomes second nature!

Wellbeing Tip: Buckwheat is a highly nutritious, delicious and versatile glutenfree pseudo-grain and has absolutely nothing to do with wheat! It makes economic sense to buy it through the Buying Group, by sharing a 5kg bag with other members, especially if like us, you make delicious flour-free buckwheat bread, using just the groats. Here is an excerpt from ‘Healing with Whole Foods’ by Paul Pitchford, on the healing properties of buckwheat: “Neutral thermal nature, sweet flavour, cleans and strengthens the intestines and improved appetite. Rutin, a bioflavonoid, found in buckwheat, strengthens capillaries and blood vessels, inhibits haemorrhages, reduces high blood pressure and increases circulation for the hands and

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.

feet. Rutin is also an antidote to x-rays and other forms of radiation.

If toasted, buckwheat is known as kasha and becomes one of the few alkalizing grains. Commercial kasha is thoroughly toasted and is dark reddish brown; by choosing raw (untoasted) buckwheat (which has an almost white colour); one can choose to toast it less or not at all for the warmer seasons.”

Buckwheat has many uses, I like it mixed with oat groats as a porridge and use it to make lovely flour-free bread,

1. Set the groats to soak in a large bowl, the water should cover the groats by 2". Cover and leave to stand for 24hrs at room temperature

2. Rinse the starch out of the groats, drain well. Blend/process with the salt to a batter consistency in stages, adding just enough of the water at a time to keep the food processor moving well. Do not over blend – some texture is good. Return batter to your large bowl, cover and leave to stand for a further 24 hrs at room temperature.

How do I join? Via our Facebook page or website, full info on the website! What does membership cost? Free What if I need advice or have questions? Ring 01805 623 307/email mary@marycrailwellbeing.co.uk

OWBG Website: owbg.jimdofree.com Facebook: Organic & Wholefood Buying Group. Email: owbg@protonmail.com www.marycrailwellbeing.co.uk but you can also serve it with roasted veggies or make dumplings, risotto or burgers - a quick internet search will provide plenty of ideas.

Easy buckwheat groats bread recipe:

6 cups of buckwheat groats

660ml filtered water

1/2 tsp salt

Sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds to taste.

Method:

3) Grease 2 2lb loaf tins well. Pour in batter and bake at gas 6, 200 for 20 mins, then reduce to gas 4 for the remaining 40 mins+. Your loaf is done when it sounds hollow when you rap on the base of the tin. Cool in the tin for 15 mins or so, then carefully turn out on to a rack to complete cooling. When completely cold, cut in to slices and freeze. My tips: I coat the base and sides of the tins with sunflower seeds which give extra crunch to the crusts.

Sometimes I add layers of seeds or dried fruit and spice as I fill the tins. That way you can easily make two different loaves with one batter. Olives, rosemary and pine nuts are also a very delicious addition.

Upcoming grocery final order dates: 9th Feb, 9th March

Great Torrington Calendar 2023

We are so incredibly pleased with the response of the 2023 town calendars; over £1000 has been raised for projects around the town - amazing! If you have not yet bought yours, there are still some available to - NOW £4 - from Torrington Museum, Collectability, The Refill Shop, Whiskers Pet Centre, Fork'n'Feast, Unique Boutique and Duffy's Hardware Store. A HUGE thank you to those who have purchased one or a few; to traders and shops for selling them for us; to photographers for graciously sending in their photos, and for the Town Council's support. If you have any feedback then please let us know - gt.futuregroup@ gmail.com. Shall we do another for next year? Keep taking photos around town and we will see what we can do...

Ian Great Torrington Futures Group

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Torrington-Roscoff Exchange Group (TREG)

Microsuction Ear Wax Removal Available in Torrington

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New private ear wax removal clinic covering Torrington & North Devon

Riding & Carriage Driving Lessons

Does the word ‘diet’ make you think about being controlled and restricted?

Beginners - to - Advanced Qu alified staff - Fully licensed Indoor & Outdoor Arenas

No more waiting weeks, we can sometimes accomodate same week appointments & occasionally same day!

Call 07367 116 468 or visit our website www.devon-ear-clinic.co.uk

Livery Vacancies, Training for NVQ/BHS Exams Phone 01837 810350

4 Well Street Torrington EX38 8EP

• Disabled Tag-alongs

At my Torrington group, we’ve ditched the diet mentality to focus on making enjoyable, sustainable lifestyle changes that work in the real world. It’s a switch from ‘I shouldn’t’ to ‘I want to’, because Food Optimising is all about choice –and it puts you back in control.

Can help with a variety of health issues

Discover the difference at my supportive group on Wednesdays at Castle Community Centre, Torrington, at 5.30pm or 7pm or call Tracy on 07787 010 400.

The Well St Clinic, Torrington, on Fridays

With registered practitioner Lynne Parkyn MBAcC 07795 073966 for appointments or enquiries

ONew National Police NonEmergency Telephone Number

n behalf of our members, I would like to wish the community of Great Torrington and surrounding areas a belated Happy and Healthy New Year; these are trying times for many and I hope the year ahead will bring some kind of comfort and peace to everyone.

mobile phones. The number to call for emergencies has not changed.

Light of the World I

Dormant Status

From 19 th September 2011, communities across North & West Devon will be able to dial 101, a new national police non-emergency telephone number; and the current non emergency number 08452 777444 will be phased out.

Torrington Players

It's here! This month! 'Hobson's Choice'. If you haven't booked your tickets, hurry up. The dates, time, price and box office number are all on the front cover, or pop into the Plough in person.

Following a lengthy period of uncertainty by the Roscoff Group, a meeting was held by them to determine the way ahead with regard to future exchange/twinning. In the wake of Brexit, Covid and an ageing membership, they were finding difficulty maintaining a cohesive group to meet the aims of exchanging with us. Albeit a small group in comparison to ours, they are not ready to hang up their boots yet and are actively looking for ways to reinvigorate their membership. For the reasons above, the Roscoff group has officially declared a ‘Dormant Status’ until further notice. Unable to actively exchange with Roscoff, we, TREG, have also officially declared a ‘Dormant Status’, but live in hope that we can continue exchanging with Roscoff in the future. Despite the above situation, TREG will continue to be an active social group and stage events throughout the coming year for the enjoyment of members, friends and anyone who wishes to participate; keep your eye on Facebook and local advertising. Already, some members have independently booked their trips to Roscoff in August, to meet up with our Roscoff friends and attend the Onion Festival on the 19th/20th. We are all doing our best to keep this exchange/twinning going.

People who are deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired will be able to text phone 18001 101.

While 999 is a well-recognised number to report emergencies, the 2010 British Crime Survey found that only 54% of the public knew which telephone number to call if they wanted to speak to their local police about policing, non-urgent crime and antisocial behaviour issues.

The cast has been working hard under the direction of Frank Allman, to bring you a memorable evening packed with laughter.

Henry Hobson is played by Joe Umpleby, who alongside learning his lines, finds time to write amusing anecdotes on our website (see below). Hobson's eldest daughter Maggie, the sensible one, is Sara Pruce, her younger, 'bumptious' sisters are Sarah Ford and Jo Wood. Neil Fordham appears as Willie Mossop, (the hero). Frazer Moore, plays Albert, hoping to marry Vickie. Joyce Ridgwell plays Mrs Hepworth and this will be her 30th appearance with TP.

2022 Christmas Lunch. 22 of our members enjoyed a fabulous Christmas lunch at the Torrington Arms on the 3rd December. The food was delicious and plentiful. The service was excellent and a huge thank you to Annie, Vicky and all the staff. Brittany Ferries 50th Anniversary Celebration. Four of our members attended a reception and dinner on-board the Brittany Ferries Flagship, Pont-Aven, on Monday 2nd January. This was exactly 50 years to the day that the ‘Kerisnel’ sailed from Roscoff to Plymouth, carrying a cargo of cauliflowers, onions and no doubt other produce. In 1974 Brittany Ferries established the passenger route from Roscoff to Plymouth. The celebration was attended by several hundred twinners from Brittany and the South West of the UK. It was good to meet up with six of the Roscoff group and the Lady Mayor of Roscoff. An enjoyable evening was had by all and a huge thank you to Brittany Ferries for the privileged invitation.

The introduction of the 101 number provides one easy way to speak directly with local police to report and discuss all non-urgent police-related issues. It will not change the way the police respond to non-urgent calls or connect people to a large national call centre. Calls will still be received by call handlers in police control rooms.

The number is already in use in Wales, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight and Sheffield and will be rolled out across the rest of the country by the end of this year.

For any enquiries, please contact: Chris Cocks (Secretary) 01805 623068, or Nick Roberts (Chairman) 07779 118 690.

Calls to 101 will cost 15p per call, irrespective of how long it may last. This cost applies to landlines and

Much newer members, but very talented are Tony Bedinetz, Colin Mackay, Steve Puttick and Esther Wood. Not forgetting Richard Pitt, who moves from being very Welsh in 'A Child's Christmas in Wales to a very Scottish Dr MacFarlane.

But of course there could not be a show without all the unsung heroes behind the scenes. I wish I could list all

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of them too but it would far exceed my quota of words.

If you want to see pictures of our last show or a list of previous productions, visit www.torringtonplayers.com

Torrington In Bloom

Silver-Gilt Winners 2011 wonder if Christmas is over for you now there are Easter eggs in the shops? I still have four Nativity sets on my piano! I love early Februarydespite the darkness and cold of winter, it begins with a festival of hope for Christians - Candlemas, the Presentation of Christ in the Temple in Jerusalem, celebrated on 2nd February. The baby Jesus, seen by shepherds watching in the fields and a few wise men watching the stars, was now recognised by two others, Anna and Simeon, both watching for the coming of the Messiah, believing they would see him before they died.

Simeon took the baby in his arms thanking God that he had seen the ‘light to the Gentiles and glory of Israel’. Anna told all those in the courtyard that the Saviour had come. (Luke 2).

Torrington in Bloom is delighted with the above result and would not have been able to achieve it without the help and support of local traders, groups and individuals, we would like to thank you all. A list of sponsors and supporters is available on the noticeboard at the entrance to the council offices/1646.

Around the world this is the day when people still bring their candles to be blessed, so needed to light winter homes. And they eat pancakes!

Were the shepherds, magi and elderly worshippers of God in his Temple right?

Was Jesus really the Saviour of the world? Is there still hope in our troubled world? If true, Jesus is coming again to establish his kingdom. I love these words from the carol ‘Mary’s Child’ ‘Hope of the world, Mary’s child, you're coming soon to reign: King of the earth, Mary’s child, walk in our streets again.’ If you want to know more do speak to one of the leaders of the Churches in Torrington. I will always be happy to talk on the phone or in the Door of Hope.

This is Britain in Bloom’s definition of what constitutes silver-gilt level: ‘Very Good’ (75-84% mark) – a high standard entry, which meets virtually all of the judging criteria and includes sections of exceptionally high standards. Exemplifies best practice in multiple areas and demonstrates very high potential for continuing development and sustainable effort.

The judges’ comments were positive in many areas, too: ‘Torrington in Bloom has learned a lot during the last year and you have the potential to be a very strong entry. 1646 centre improves each year and is a valuable asset to the town. Dartington’s (Crystal) grounds were a valuable addition to the route. The flowerbed at S&G is a vast improvement. The

Kathy Luck 07702 589 799

The Crier Prize Crossword

The winner of this month’s crossword will receive some weighing scales and a box of Hifi bars. Please send completed crossword with contact details, to The Crier, Castle Hill, Torrington, EX38 8AA, or email to torrington.crier@gmail.com. The winner of last issue’s prize is Catherine Knight. The winner for this issue will be picked at random from correct entries. Deadline for entries is Thursday 9th February and the solution and winner will be in the March issue.

Hello, I'm Tracy! I love having pancakes for breakfast and taking long country walks with my dog at the weekends! Best of all I'm doing my dream job as a Slimming World Consultant. As a member myself, and someone who has been overweight in the past, I know exactly how it feels to take that first scary step into the unknown and not look back, probably just like you.

Now I am sharing my journey with the amazing members in the Torrington group, and what a wonderful bunch of people they are! There is amazing support in our welcoming and friendly group and the plan is so easy to follow, I can promise you that you will never be hungry. Get a free week when you sign up for six weeks or two free weeks when you sign up for 12 weeks. Find out more on Facebook: Slimming World Torrington with Tracy, contact me on 07787 010 400 or just come along on Wednesdays, 5.30pm or 7pm at Castle Community Centre, Torrington.

Fabulous Freddie checking in for the first time in 2023.

After the excitement of the Christmas and New Year celebrations, it does seem to be a little miserable, especially with the dreary weather so far – much-needed rain however! Still, brighter days are no doubt on the horizon.

Many of our supporters will know about the issues we experienced in 2022, with regard to our planning issues and the amendments we had to make to the kennels. It was especially pleasing therefore, after 12 months of uncertainty, to receive the formal approval for the removal of the time constraint on Christmas Eve – a fabulous Christmas present for all us rescue dogs. While we can now go back to opening the centre, it is going to take some time before we can be fully operational and accommodate the number of rescue dogs that we used to, due to finances: our reserves have obviously been very much depleted. This is really very disappointing, as already this year we have seen a dramatic increase in the number of requests to take dogs in, and it is heartbreaking as we know that most other rescues are full to capacity too. Aunty Lynne says there is a real national crisis in the rescue world and she has been invited to attend an all-party Parliamentary Dog Advisory Welfare Group at the Houses of Parliament, Westminster on 23rd February, to discuss the current sad state of the UK rescue sector.

Many rescues like K9Focus work closely with local authorities to take in the ever-increasing number of stray dogs, but sadly there is no official funding support for rescues and so this will be high on the agenda. Let’s hope

•

•

01805 something positive comes out of the meeting to help all rescues, so that more dogs like myself get a second chance of a loving home.

Talking of a loving home, I now have my feet firmly under the table in Aunty Lynne’s house and, although I have spent six years in kennels, she says I have adapted well, which shows that with patience and understanding most of us rescue dogs can adapt. I still have some guarding issues, but I’m much better now around food as I know that no one is going to take it away – I still like to run off with tea towels though, they are my favourite thing!

As we head into 2023 we are already thinking about all the fundraising events we need to run to get the rescue back on its feet. We are planning our usual dog shows, with the first one being our Valentine Show at South Molton Pannier Market on Sunday 12th February at

12 noon. This show was run for the first time last year and was extremely popular. Full details of the event can be found on our Facebook page (www. facebook.com/K9focus) or, of course, you can always email lynne@k9focus. co.uk for details. Hope to see you there. We are in desperate need of volunteers to help us run these shows, and so if you are able and would like to get involved with your local dog rescue, then please do call us on 07971 461 806 – our dogs need you! We also have many collection days planned at local shops and, again are desperate for people to help. Most people who volunteer support want to walk the dogs, but it is fundraising where we really need your help. Our volunteers are brilliant and give up so much of their time, but we are a small team and we simply need more bodies. While the rescue was unable to take dogs in on-site during the latter part of 2022, we still did manage to find homes for six dogs, together with other rescue placements for a further eight dogs, which is really pleasing, although I miss being able to play with them on-site. We also rehomed four cats – not sure what I would have made of those mind you! Lastly, before I sign off, I would like to thank everyone for the massive amount of presents received for Christmas, which of course I did share with other less fortunate dogs. Hope to meet some of you in February, and in the meantime keep warm and snug.

Licks & woofs, Freddie

1st Torrington Scouts

During the second half of the winter term the Scouts held an open evening. Young people who were interested in joining came along and had a go at lots of different challenges. The Scouts did all the planning and ran the mini games on the night, as well as looking after the Beavers who helped out. At the following meeting they created Christmas crafts to sell at our Christmas Fair, this was a messy but fun. The following week the Scouts played indoor archery, this was made into a competition between the two patrols to see who could score the most points, and it was a close competition. They then got one last camp of the year in the Scout Hut, our Christmas camp. They all helped to cook a roast dinner and took part in mini games to earn more patrol points. The camp was definitely one to be remembered as it snowed, we then had to go out for a walk in it. To finish the term off the Beavers, Cubs and Scouts all took a trip to the pantomime in The Queens Theatre Barnstaple, they were all very well behaved and enjoyed the show, especially the part when they got ice cream!

For the second half for the winter term the Beavers completed their Cooking Badge where they made mini pizzas, mini chocolate cheesecakes and smoothies. After all the fun of making it all, we then sat down and enjoyed eating it all. The following meeting was then

Bucks Mills Lime Kiln Works Confirm Precarious State of Old Structure

The safety works at Bucks Mills Lime Kiln have been completed by Torridge District Council, as part of plans to stabilise the listed structure and manage the immediate health and safety risk identified by engineers. The footpath from the village to the beach has also been reopened.

The works, undertaken by Gilpins Demolition Ltd, were arranged following a recent routine inspection of the kiln, which revealed significant movement in sections of the stonework. A subsequent Geotechnical Engineer inspection recommended the removal of a section of the upper kiln, identified as the main area of concern. Engineers were mindful that hot weather followed by very wet conditions were the precursor to previous slippages and damage at the kiln in 1990. The precarious state of the kiln was evidenced during the works where only a small amount of contact was needed to topple large sections of the structure. Due to safety concerns the works included the use of a remote demolition robot and long reach excavator.

The works included reducing the overall height of the structure by approximately two metres, with the internal fill material graded back to form a more stable slope designed to mitigate future risk to beach users. A selection of walling stone has been retained on site for reuse, which will reduce maintenance costs in the future, and meant expensive disposal was not required in the meantime. Future plans for the site include the implementation of aesthetically designed safety fencing and walling and continued maintenance to the seawall and slipway.

Given the kiln’s listing and historic significance, Devon County Councils Historic Environment Team and Historic England were involved in the planning and an archaeological survey was undertaken by South West Archaeology, to ensure the features of the structure were recorded prior to and during the removal of material.

indoor archery which all of the Beavers had fun taking part in; they all improved during the hour getting more accurate by the end. To finish the year off they then made Christmas decorations to take home, this was a fun end to the year.

As always, we desperately need help and support within the hall committee and the groups themselves. If you can spare even an hour please can you contact the Group Scout Leader, Jordon via email on jordon.whitear@gmail.com