Torrington Crier October 2024

Crier is produced 10 times a year on behalf of the community, by The Crier Community Interest Company. 5900 copies are distributed throughout Great Torrington and the rural district.

Great Torrington Town and Lands Charity

202801 Voucher Distribution Day

When: Friday, December 6th 2024, 9:30AM - 2:00PM

Where: Great Torrington Town & Community Hall

Eligible households can receive vouchers to spend in local businesses.

To qualify, you must be able to show that you:

• Live within the Great Torrington Parish boundary.

• Are registered to vote for at least 12 months before December 6th, 2024. And receive one or more of the following benefits:

• State Retirement Pension

• Attendance Allowance or Constant Attendance Allowance

• Disability Living Allowance

• Employment and Support Allowance

• Incapacity Benefit

• Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit

• Personal Independence Payment

Please note:

• ONE claim per household only.

• If you're applying for a relative or friend, you MUST bring a letter of authorisation signed by the recipient and also

• Paper evidence of entitlement to the benefits above which MUST be shown on the day to be able to receive the Vouchers.

• Applications can only be accepted during the specified hours.

NO APPLICATIONS WILL BE CONSIDERED BEFORE OR AFTER THE ABOVE HOURS -I M NEWMAN – STEWARD TO THE TRUSTEES

If you don’t normally get the Crier delivered, you can now view the latest issue and back issues online, including all adverts, which can be clicked on to visit their websites.

Would you like the Crier delivered in your village?

Torrington & District Community News & Events

Contact us...

Editorial Enquiries: Becky Huxtable, 07443 491 972

E: torrington.crier@gmail.com

Copy deadline: Second Thursday of each month, 12 noon.

We prefer all submissions and enquiries to the email above but handwritten articles can still be handed in at the Library. All articles are subject to editing, particularly those over 300 words, it is not possible to inform contributors of this prior to publication. Submission does not guarantee publication.

Advertising/Accounts: Esther Williams, 07912 693 858

E: torrington.crieradverts@gmail.com

Costs & sizes: Small advert: 9cm wide x 5cm deep, £26 per issue. Large advert: 19cm wide x 5cm deep, £51 per issue. 10% discount for a run of five adverts. All adverts are accepted in good faith. Single adverts to be paid in advance, please.

Postal address: The Crier, Castle Hill, Torrington, EX38 8AA.

Website: www.great-torringtoncrier.co.uk

Proof reading: Sam Williams

Town Distribution: The Joy family & Esther Williams

Rural Distribution: Sue Crane & the community

Printers: Hedgerow Print, Crediton

Volunteers collect Criers from the Library each issue and drop them off in various villages. If your community doesn’t receive the Crier but would like to, and you can help, please contact Becky on 07443 491972, torrington.crier@gmail. com, or call in to Torrington Library. Disclaimer: The Crier does not warrant or assume any legal liability or responsibility for the quality, accuracy, legality or reliability of any information, product or service represented within our publication or on our web site. The information provided is for informational, educational or entertainment purposes only.

Anyone using the information provided by The Crier, does so at their own risk, and by using such information agrees to indemnify The Crier from any and all liability, loss, injury, damages, costs and expenses (including legal fees and expenses) arising from such use. The Crier does not endorse or recommend any product, service or information found within said articles. The views and opinions of the authors who have submitted articles to The Crier belong to them alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Crier or its team.

Website links from The Crier or its website are provided for convenience only. The Crier is not responsible for the content or availability of any external or 3rd party sites and does not warrant or guarantee the products, services, or information found on these sites.

The

Delicious homemade food & award-winning cakes

Thursday - Monday 11.30am-4.30pm

Just pop in or call 01805 623446 to book

Dig the Castle National Winners!

Dig the Castle has won the prestigious national award we were nominated for, ‘Community Archaeology Project of the Year 2024’ from the CBA/Marsh Charitable Trust.

The awards showcase excellence in archaeology, celebrating the passion and dedication of individuals, and the outstanding contribution of archaeology projects which create social, cultural and environmental benefit. The Dig the Castle team is so delighted to see the hard work of our volunteers, and our town, recognised in this way.

Library News

The CBA said the project was chosen for, “Dig the Castle created a tremendous sense of community and purpose, the benefits of socialising with others and the satisfaction of digging and uncovering finds was clear to see. Local people learnt new skills, made new friends and got to learn more about their town’s heritage.” The award was presented by the Chair of Trustees of the Council for British Archaeology, Gail Boyle at an evening reception at Great Torrington Town Hall on the 2nd August.

The Mayor of Great Torrington, Cllr Phill Cloke, also presented Emily Wapshott and John Eeles of Dig the Castle with the Howe Plate award, for their exemplary service to the community in designing, directing and organizing the project. Emily and her team from Archaeologists Engage, Dr Belinda Tibbetts and Donal Lucey, who co-led the excavation, presented the results and thanked the town council, businesses and partners for all their support and guidance. Emily said “Dig the Castle was always primarily about you, the people of Great Torrington, your heritage and enriching your experiences. Its success on a national scale reflects the strength and value of the community we have here”.

The Dig the Castle team is working hard to bring the next stage of the project to life, and more information will be forthcoming in the autumn, as well as improving the sign boards and public engagement at the site. John says, “Exciting and ambitious plans are now afoot for 2025 and beyond, so watch this space and sharpen those trowels ready for new adventures!!”

Dig the Castle Team

To all Torridge Vale Social Club Members

You are invited to take part in an open meeting at the club, on Wednesday 9th October 2024 at 8pm.

We need as many members to attend as possible to help the Club move forward, but most importantly, to continue running.

If anyone has questions or ideas for what you would like at your club, then come along and have your say. Please do try and make the time to come to this important meeting, and support your club.

With our greatful thanks.

TVSC Committee

Remembering Those We Miss…

Irecently had to go to Scotland, to take part in the funeral of a dear friend with whom I had worked in the past. It was a mixture of sadness at his departure, but also a celebration of a life well lived.

It made me realise that we are so fortunate to have the people we live our lives with, especially those we loved dearly. And we miss them; whether their deaths were recent or longer ago.

Each year at the Methodist Church we have hosted the ‘Light up a Life’ service, encouraged by the hospices. They have decided to go in a different direction with their advocacy; however we did not want to miss out on the importance of remembering and giving thanks for loved ones.

So, on Sunday 27th October at Torrington Methodist Church at 10.30am there will be an opportunity to do that. We shall remember those whom we miss. There will be an opportunity to light a candle in memory and to write names that will be presented on to the Communion Table. We warmly invite you to be present with us. If you are unable, but would like someone remembered, then please get in touch with me. Rob Blackhall, robertjblackhall@gmail.com

We have some exciting events taking place during the autumn, details below:

Celebrate Great Torrington, Saturday 12th October 10am-1pm

This is a community-led event celebrating our town and all it has to offer. We have lots of different activities for you to try or just find out about. Taking place in the Castle Community Centre and gardens it is suitable for adults and children. You can even bring your dog along to try dog agility, or get some tips on obedience! Join us for: Dig the Castle artefacts with Emily Wapshott; cooking with Fork n Feast Café; chair yoga; find the fairy doors; sound bathing; bulb planting; vintage board games; 17th century dressing up; a photographic exhibition and more!

An Evening with International Bestselling Author Sarah Pearse, Friday 1st November 7pm for 7.30pm

We are delighted to announce that South Devon-based author Sarah Pearse (‘The Sanitorium’, ‘The Retreat’) will be with us for the evening to discuss her work and read from her new thriller, ‘The Wilds’. This book is the third instalment in Detective Elin Warner’s story, which travels from the coasts of Devon to the woods of a Portuguese national park, in search of a missing young woman.

Sarah’s debut novel, ‘The Sanitorium’, was an instant No.1 Sunday Times and New York Times Top Ten bestseller in hardback, and a Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick. It has been translated

into over 30 languages and has sold over half a million copies.

Sarah will also be taking questions and will be happy to sign copies of her books which will be on sale.

Tickets are £7 each and include a glass of wine or soft drink and nibbles. Booking essential, via the library.

Let’s Paint Together, Monday 7th, 14th and 21st October, 10am-1pm

Our popular artist Bill Bromfield is back to show you how to paint water and coastal scenes in watercolour. The course is suitable for beginners and intermediate painters looking to learn in a relaxed and friendly setting. The total cost for all three sessions is £45, a bargain! Booking essential.

Summer Reading Challenge 2024

It was wonderful to have the library full of children this summer, engaging in the Summer Reading Challenge and enjoying all our events.

A huge thank you to our fantastic Friends of Great Torrington Library for financially supporting our events programme, and doubling up as Libraries Unlimited volunteers to assist staff in delivering the challenge. Our Friends also supplied the goodies for the Marvellous Makers finishers’ prize draw, through a generous donation from Book Relief UK – Bideford.

Our School Summer Reading Challenge Champions 2024 trophy will have been awarded by the time

this edition of The Crier is published. Congratulations to the school which had the highest percentage of finishers! So what now?! We offer an ongoing reading challenge for children – The Secret Book Quest – children read a total of 50 books, collect stickers along the way, and decipher a code! They are also entered into a Libraries Unlimited prize draw on completion.

We Want Your Recycling! Do you have any old mobile phones, old currency and coins, cameras, gadgets, costume jewellery, watches, old stamps etc that you don’t know what to do with? Then bring them to us! We now have a box for recycling for good causes, which means that as a charity we will benefit from your unwanted items! Please refer to our Facebook page for up-to-date information @ Torringtonlibrarydevon For assistance with any queries please contact us by emailing torrington. library@librariesunlimited.org.uk or telephone 01805 622107. Libraries Unlimited is a registered charity 1170092. Librariesunlimited.org. uk

• Weekly or fortnightly

• 2 or 4

• 5* cleaning trained • DBS checked

• References provided

What’s On at the Town Hall

Summer is drawing to a wet, disappointing close but as far as we are concerned, the best part of the year is around the corner. Autumn, with its beautiful hues of red, gold and orange, the smell of wood smoke, chunky sweaters, scarves and boots!

There always seems to be a sense of anticipation at this time of the year, fresh starts, comfort food, and preparation to hunker down for the winter. However, here at the Town Hall we are throwing our arms and doors open wide to welcome you into the warmth!

JAMES WASTE COLLECTION

House Clearance • Office Clearance • Garage Clearance

Garden Clearance • Scrap metal clearance

For any kind of clearance, please call, text or pm anytime for a no obligation quote. Thank you!

Collect from Torrington, Bideford, Barnstaple, & surrounding areas

Contact James on 07714 819 415

Licensed Waste Carrier No: CBDU269392

this space or call Neil on 07722 321 838.

Wedding FayreSunday 6th October 10am-3pm

Our annual wedding fayre is back!

A variety of local suppliers, a catwalk display by Devon Air Ambulance and our own Town Hall wedding team, all under one roof to assist you in planning your dream day. Free entry. It is extra special that we have held several weddings for people who live in Torrington. One of our lovely brides wrote, “Can you please thank everyone for all their hard work to make our wedding so amazing! All the staff were lovely and I’m glad we had our celebrations in the heart of the town.” Our event organiser is Lucy Lowe –email lucyloweevents@outlook.com, mobile 07518 066 623. Please see her separate ad in this month’s Crier.

Dancing

A great way to keep warm, fit and have the best of fun is to join Neil and Kerry from ‘Step into Swingtime’ and learn how to swing dance. You may have seen their impressive moves at Rosemoor, or been to one of our dances. A really fun way to get those feet moving and you’ll be welcomed with tea, biscuits and smiling faces. As well as the evening classes there will be workshops for Lindy-Hop and Shim Sham coming soon. Watch

We host regular dances at the Town Hall with resident DJ ‘The Sultan of Swing’ and the occasional live band. You don’t need to know how to swing dance to enjoy – any dancing goes. It’s free entry and the bar is cheap. We put donation buckets around if you’re feeling generous (the Town Hall is a stand-alone charity). Dances for the rest of the year are: Friday 4th October; Saturday 2nd November - Halloween Dance Jamboree. A through the decades dance bringing us up to the 80s!; Saturday 14th December - Christmas Swing Jamboree with the amazing ‘Fine Whines’, a duo with a big band sound! Choir - 2nd October 7pm Fancy lowering your stress, boosting immunity and lung function, improving memory and mental health? Yes? Then good news, Rhi and Tom are back with the Torringtones Choir to get us all singing. There are no auditions and you’ll never be asked to sing on your own. Great songs and a very friendly bunch. Come along to see if you enjoy it.

Slee Blackwell - Wills & Probate Drop-In Clinic- Thursday 17th October 9am-1pm

Slee Blackwell are award winning solicitors offering a full range of legal services and are holding an advice clinic on writing your will in the Undercroft, so come and talk to Holly and Steve. Knit & Natter – Friday 8th & Saturday 9th November - Exhibition

Those imaginative women from Knit & Natter are creating an exhibition of all their wonderful displays in the Undercroft. Come along to marvel at the woollen innovation and fun they have created for the Town Hall windows over the last few years. Have you seen the

Torrington Museum Update

latest? A knitted chessboard - fabulous. Knowing them there is bound to be tea and cake too! If you’d like to join them, K & N is every Wednesday morning from 10am-12pm. Pop in and have a chat with Rosie.

Nikki Kitt - Thursday 14th November

7.30-9.30pm

This ever-popular medium is with us again. Tickets sell fast so don’t miss out and book direct with her Psychicmediumnikkikitt.com or ring 07788 756 773.

Christmas Fayre - 16th November 10am-3pm

Pop it in your diary and bring all the family to our Special Christmas Event. If you are interested in having a table, please contact Lucy 0751 806 623. Reclamation - 21st December

Following their successful gig in August, those talented boys are back where they started. This band is going places - forget Oasis tickets- come and see them live in our very own Town Hall. In years to come you’ll be able to say that you were there at the beginning. Remember, you can be the star of your own show. The Great Hall, Oak Room and Undercroft are there for you to hire and create any party, celebration, raising funds for your own charity, or any event you can think of. From a small soiree to a full-on banging party - we can accommodate!

For more information, please get in touch with us on 07944 639 739 or admin@greattorrington-townhall.org. All proceeds raised go towards the upkeep and maintenance of the Hall.

Torrington May Fair & Carnival Committee Meeting

Torrington May Fair and Carnival Committee will be holding their next meeting on October 9th at 7pm in the Methodist Church. Please come along and help us plan May Fair 2025.

You'll know that we haven't been open this year, which has been as frustrating for us as it has been for you.

For all your quality bespoke wooden gates, garden furniture & timber needs, inc all fencing materials.

Dry Seasoned, Ready-to-Burn logs Now available!

Do come down and see us at Victoria Sawmills, Merton EX20 3EG, 01805 603429 www.torridgegates.co.uk

It started during Christmas week when a large chunk of the Market House ceiling collapsed; we're in discussions with the owners, Torridge District Council, over the complicated repairs to a Grade II* listed building. It looks like the entire ceiling needs to be removed and replaced.

In the late winter we commissioned a survey of our fire alarm system, which we knew was quite old. It transpired that our entire system needed replacing, a job which was expected to be complete by the end of July but, due to complications, it took longer than expected.

Part of the commissioning process required a survey of the electrical system and, frustratingly, this too was found to be in need of a major overhaul.

We had hoped to be open in time for August Bank Holiday but this hasn't been possible because, to be blunt, it would be illegal for us to open without a clean bill of fire safety.

As things stand, it may be possible for us to open on Saturdays once the work is completed but as yet we simply don't know when that will be.

In the meantime, our fundraising bookshop in Reception remains open every Saturday from 10am-2pm and we'll keep that going for the foreseeable future.

The Trustees and volunteers would like to extend our sincere thanks for your ongoing support during what is proving to be a hugely disappointing and challenging year, and we hope to see you again soon.

Dave Gibbons MInstLM, Chair of Trustees

St Michael's & All Angels Church

At St Michael's & All Angels Church, we warmly invite you to find a moment of peace and reflection within our doors. Whether you're seeking quiet time for personal prayer or simply a space to unwind during the day, our church is open from 10am-4pm Monday-Saturday. For those looking to join us in worship, we hold regular services on Thursdays at 10:30am and Sundays at 10am.

We are also excited to announce our special Harvest Festival Service on Sunday 27th October at 10am. This is a wonderful opportunity to give thanks for the season’s blessings and to help support those in need. All are welcome to join us and we look forward to seeing you there!

Blackberry Farm Shop

Torrington Methodist Church

Awarm welcome from Torrington Methodist Church EX38 8AL, top of Mill Street.

Sunday Worship 10.30am at Church. Evening Worship 6.30pm via Zoom, email sarahrichards185@gmail.com to request the link.

Mid-week Morning Prayer every Wednesday at 9.30am (around 2030 minutes long), tea and coffee afterwards, should you wish to stay. Join us for our ‘Bacon Butty Coffee Morning’ from 10am-12pm, on the third Saturday every month. Our premises (various rooms, incl. wifi, projector) are available to hire, see website or phone Sheila 01805 622949. Blessings from us all, hope to meet you soon.

Murder Mystery in Beaford!

Saturday 28th September

Come and guess who dun it?

Who is the murderer? Test your detective skills. All the ‘actors’ taking part are from Beaford, so it will be very entertaining! Doors open at 6.30pm, murder is discovered at 7pm!

This is a ticketed event, £7.50 which will include a meat chilli or a vegetarian meal. Bar available. To reserve your ticket call Dennis on 07803 232 500; email dennis.buswell@ btinternet.com - pay on the door when you arrive.

Friendly professional lawn mowing and general garden maintenance. Cutting, pruning, planting and weeding.

Garden waste removal service also available. Call or message Matt on: 07808 056 473 or email mferry8@yahoo.co.uk

Great Torrington Commons

Our bookshop at Dartington

Crystal has moved into the main shop. This means that we will now be open 7-days-a-week. One thing that has changed is that you cannot leave any donations of books there now, so please contact me Andrew Giles on 07956 366 390 or by email chair@ torringtoncommons.org, to arrange a different drop off address or to see if I may be able to collect from you.

The shop is doing really well and raising a lot of money to look after your Commons. You will find a vast selection of books in the shop all priced at either £1, £2 or £3. Just visit the shop, select your books and pay at the main till - by either dropping cash in the collection box or paying by card at the till.

The K9 dog show in August on the Old Bowling Green wad another great fundraising day for the Commons. We hosted our ‘Water, Wine or maybe Cider’ lucky dip stall, together with ‘Guess the weight of our knitted cake’. Our next event will be at Castle Hill Community Centre (1646) in November. There will be more details in the next issue of the Crier.

By the time that you read this, the car boot sales will have finished for the year. We managed to raise more than we did last year, which was great. The car boot sales run from the first Sunday in April until the last Sunday in September so we are now looking forward to 2025 when they will start again.

Felicity at Collectability continues to

sell a selection of local interest books for us, as well as postcards and foreign coins, so please go along to her shop in Well Street and have a look. She has managed to raise an exceptional amount of £402 for us so far. I will be delivering more local interest books to her as I get them.

Webbers Estate Agents and Tarka Valley Railway continue to sell our teddy bears. At £5 each they are an ideal stocking filler for Christmas. These bears are brand new with tags, and they were donated to us, and we have about 700 of them in stock. A Torrington resident recently bought 50 teddies and she is sending them to Ukraine for the soldiers to take home to their children when they are on leave. Hopefully they will be very popular and maybe they will want to buy some more from us.

The Torrington Commons 365 Supporters group continues to grow, with more members signing up each week. We are into our 5th year since the project started, and we raise around £4,000 per year.

Please, consider applying to be a Commons 365 Supporter if you can, the funds will be used to continue our goal of maintaining, improving, and protecting the Commons.

As a Commons supporter you are also

able to be a Town supporter by using your membership card to get a discount or other benefit when you shop at the participating businesses.

The 365 Supporters just pay a £2 per month, or a £24 annual donation, which can be increased with Gift Aid by 25% if you are a taxpayer. You can let us know at the application stage if this applies to you.

Joining the 365 Supporters group is simple:

Option 1: Cut out or photocopy the application form in the Crier and post it to the address on the form. You can pay by standing order or by sending a cheque for £24.

Option 2: visit the website www. torringtoncommons.org and navigate to the 365 Supporters page where you can apply online. Here you have the option of paying by PayPal or standing order annually or monthly. You can also print an application form to post in with a cheque.

Option 3: You can email me at vicechair@torringtoncommons.org or phone or text 07956 366 390 and I will get an application form to you. You can also collect an application form from the Post Office. Some of the shops in town also have them.

Andrew Giles, Torrington Commons Conservators Chair

Discrimination Against Job Candidates?

As business owners, you’re aware that the Equality Act 2010 protects your employees from discrimination at work. But did you know that this protection starts before they even step through the door?

Tracy Madgwick says, “Discrimination can happen from the very first interaction with a candidate. Business owners must be aware that discrimination claims can be brought by individuals even before their first day on the job.

“Recruitment can be a creative process - think open house events, video introductions or other fun and innovative ways to attract great candidates. There are no set processes required by law.

“But, whatever route you take, it’s essential to follow a fair process and stick to objective criteria when assessing a candidate’s suitability for the job.”

She goes on to say, “A recent case underscores the importance of this. A London property management firm was slapped with a £90,000 fine after an Employment Tribunal found them guilty of sex discrimination - before the candidate even started with them.

“The issue? During a pre-start meeting, the candidate was asked about the age of her children. Just six days later, her job offer was withdrawn.

“The ET concluded that the withdrawal was likely tied to that conversation - and that she was asked this question because she was a woman.”

Tracy adds, “This eye-watering penalty should be a wake-up call. From the very first moment of contact, you should focus solely on the candidate’s ability to do the job.

“Personal questions about protected characteristics, such as marital status or family plans, for example, are an absolute no-go area.

“Instead, business owners must create objective, clear and specific job descriptions that can be referred back to throughout the recruitment process. Document your decisions and ensure your recruitment process is fair and free from discrimination.

“My team and I are here to support you in building an inclusive hiring process and safeguarding your business from discrimination claims.”

Business owners can arrange a free 15-minute consultation by ringing Tracy on 07899 665 506.

Crafnant HR was formed in 2011 and provides a full range of outsourced HR services to local businesses, as well as a number of learning and development courses.

Tracy Madgwick, Crafnant HR

Please help our local businesses and 'Think Local' whenever possible. Think Local editorial is free for advertisers! Please contact Esther Williams on 07912 693 858 for more information.

Wills & Probate Drop-In Clinic with Slee Blackwell Solicitors

Thursday 17th October 2024 9am-1pm Great Torrington Town Hall

Have a question about your Will or want some initial free advice about a Trusts or Probate query? Steph Rodgers and Holly Gilbert from Slee Blackwell Solicitors will be here to answer your queries.

BASICS Devon: Make a Will Week

We’re partnering with BASICS Devon who provide voluntary emergency specialist care across Devon. From 14th to 18th October, we’ll be offering a FREE simple Will service at our offices for anyone wishing to leave BASICS a legacy in their Will.

Please get in contact with Holly if you have any queries: 01237 714007 holly. gilbert@sleeblackwell.co.uk.

Free Adult Cycle Training Available Across Devon

The sessions cater for all levels to help those who want to get cycling.

Active Devon is making it easier than ever for adults to hop on two wheels and rediscover the joy of cycling with their free Adult Cycle Confidence sessions. Available to anyone over 18 who lives or works in Devon, these free sessions are designed to improve people’s cycling skills and confidence, whether you’re new to cycling or would like a confidence boost when cycling on the road. Cycling has numerous benefits for

Ukrainian Student Overcomes Adversity to Excel at West Buckland School

Dasha joined West Buckland School in Year 12, as an international student after the Russian invasion of Ukraine forced her to leave her home. Despite the challenges of adjusting to a new country, culture, and studying in her third language, Dasha has demonstrated remarkable resilience and determination.

In her two years at West Buckland, Dasha took on significant leadership roles, becoming Head of House and serving as Madam President of the Phoenix Society, for which she was awarded the Hayres Award for her contributions. Her commitment to academics was equally impressive, earning five academic prizes across all her subjects and graduating with top A-level results (A* A* A). In particular, she scored over 90% on a Business paper, the highest score among Business and Economics students this year.

Dasha’s engagement went beyond the classroom, actively participating in the Economic Society and Model United Nations, showcasing her drive to broaden her knowledge and skills.

Reflecting on her time at the school, Dasha said, “West Buckland has been the best place for me during these challenging times. The support from teachers, the range of clubs and societies and the overall learning environment helped me settle in and succeed. Boarding also helped me become more independent and organised.”

Dasha will now continue her journey at Bristol University, studying International Business Management. We are incredibly proud of her achievements and wish her all the best in her future endeavours.

general health, as well as offering a way to save money and decrease your carbon footprint. In our bustling world, it’s also a wonderful way to reconnect with nature and enjoy the beauty of Devon.

North Devon is home to the Tarka Trail, the UK’s longest traffic-free cycle route. Boasting 180 miles of scenic pathways, 30 miles of which is tarmacked for cycling, it’s the perfect location for practicing cycling.

With personalised, 1-2 hour training sessions delivered by qualified cycling

instructors, this initiative ensures that learning to cycle can be a safe, supportive, and empowering experience. From mastering the basics of bike handling to gaining the confidence needed to tackle road cycling, there’s something for everyone. To find out more about free cycle sessions near you, head to Active Devon’s website, activedevon.org, and see the advert below.

Great Torrington Commons Head Rangers Report

Hi all, the Waterloo Monument has been completed. It looks great. You will notice that the top is flat. This is how the Monument looked when it was first built in 1818. The pointy bit was added a lot later. The rendering looks very light but this will dull down with weathering over the years, and now that it is done it should last another 200 years. A big thank you to everyone who made a contribution to the fundraising campaign. There will be a dedication ceremony at some point that may take place during October or November, details will follow when they are ready. I was invited to climb the scaffolding to get a view from the top, it was quite spectacular. My team have been clearing the area of bushes and brambles around it so that we can all get a view from ground level. The Conservators will be discussing acquiring information boards and new seating at their next meeting, and these will be installed as soon as they are ready.

We would like to thank Steven Lawrence and his team for doing the renovation work, as well as Ben Sawyer and his team who – in my opinion - are the best scaffolders in Devon. One of the hardest jobs for all of them was getting the materials down to the site and then back up again. We managed to get all the pathways strimmed this summer, and now we can concentrate on sorting some of the trees that need to be pruned down and, in some cases, felled if they are diseased. There are always lots of jobs to be done on the Commons.

Big Al, Torrington Commons Head Ranger

Completion of Waterloo

Monument Repairs

Restoration of the Waterloo Monument on Castle Hill is nearing completion, and the scaffolding has come down. The work has been supervised by an architectural surveyor, to ensure the structure is sound and finished as close to the original as possible. The old cement repairs, which were contributing to the deterioration, have been replaced by lime mortar. Flush pointing was recommended (unlike before) as it reduces the risk of erosion - there being no ledges for water to gather and penetrate the stonework. Minor finishing works are being undertaken and the Conservators are planning a rededication ceremony.

David Nudd, Conservator

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.

TORRINGTON ARMS

Open daily from 11am

Wednesday Curry Night 6-8pm • Sunday Roast 12-2pm Takeaways Available Function Room available for all occasions

SKY SPORTS • BT SPORT • RACING CHANNELS • POOL DARTS • LIVE MUSIC • QUIZ NIGHTS

For bookings please contact: 01805 622280 or via Facebook

From Your County Councillor…

hope readers of The Crier had a good summer break. The weather did seem to finally improve a bit over August so let’s hope it lasts into the autumn!

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people with special educational needs or disabilities.

deal. I would hope we do get a decision this autumn. Equally, we should get a decision on the future of Levelling Up funding within Torridge and Devon, come the Autumn Statement.

It has been a busy summer at Devon County Council. The Council has agreed to change the way we deliver services at Children’s Centres and remodel the service into new Family Hubs. The move from Children’s Centres to Family Hubs is a national one, with the government announcing the transition in 2021. Local councils across the country have since been making the transition, with preparation and consultations being carried out in Devon over the last year.

Family Hubs are different and broader in scope than previous Children’s Centres, they support a wider age range of children and young people and should link in with the many existing local groups we have in Devon, to offer a wider range of family support.

Whereas Children’s Centres in Devon have, for some years, offered support to families of children aged zero to eight years-old, referred to them by a GP or other professional, the new Family Hubs will offer targeted and universal support to all families of children aged from zero to 19, or up to 25 years old for young

Support available from Family Hubs will be accessible to all families with children in that age range, rather than via a third-party referral. Family Hubs will work more closely with existing care and support providers in local communities, so there will be a wider range of help and advice available.

The County Council has been engaging with families who have been using Devon’s Children’s Centres, including here in Torrington, to give us a better understanding of how families use them, and what they value most from them. Discussions remain ongoing on how we can best use the Children’s Centre building in Torrington, but at the time of writing I would be expecting to see more services being provided in the town for parents and young families.

Equally, I believe this is an opportunity for our rural villages and communities too, as more outreach services should be being run under this new concept. So, instead of making young families travel to a building in Bideford or Barnstaple, the Council can instead go out to see them in their village directly.

Onto other matters; we are still waiting for news (at the time of writing in September) on Devon’s Devolution Deal. The Government has signalled its willingness to progress with the devolution agenda, but has yet to confirm one way or another whether they want to make any changes to the existing

Finally, I hope readers will have seen the increasing amount of serviceability patching, resurfacing repairs and Dragon Patching works being carried out over the summer. There is still more to do, but we are making a dent into the backlog and I am expecting these improvement works to continue into the autumn. As ever, if there are any DCC issues you’d like to raise, you can contact me on Facebook facebook.com/cllrsaywell, ring 07886 446 560 or email andrew. saywell@devon.gov.uk.

Torrington Rotary –Collecting Unwanted Coats

We are collecting unwanted coats from October to the end of November. If you have any unwanted coats just hanging around please donate them and we will find a good home for them. Drop off point is at The Bickford Centre, from 10am-4pm Mon-Sat.

Bickford Centre

We’re open for a cuppa Monday to Saturday 10am-12pm. Come in for a friendly chat and make friends or just a rest while shopping.

Services include: House sitting • Dog walking • Equine care • Emergency cover Contact Isabel on: Tel: 07989 995935

Email: isabelspetsitting@gmx.co.uk Visit: www.isabelspetsitting.co.uk

Fabulous Freddie calling in with all the K9Focus news and hoping you had a great summer.

Summer – I actually think I missed it! However we did manage to eventually run our Torrington Show in August, after having to once again cancel the original date in July! Thank you to everyone who came and supported – it was a great day and the sun shone for the most time and we raised £1500 of much-needed funds! One show left for this season, the Bideford Bikers & Paws on 6th October, to be held in the Bideford Pannier Market. At least the weather won’t be an issue for this one. All the details are on our website www.k9focus.co.uk so hopefully we will see many of you there.

A busy month as always with four more dogs coming to us for rehoming, two of which needed operations costing over £2,000, and so the money from the show is soon spent. Of the 15 dogs we have taken in over the last two months, 10 of them required neutering and vaccinating, which really is a drain on the charity’s finances and the reason our fabulous volunteers keep organising events and

working so hard to keep the pennies rolling in. We are often asked why we charge adoption fees, and if there are so many dogs needing homes why we don’t just let them go for free. Sadly the average cost of each dog that comes to us requiring neutering and vaccinating is £450, and this is without the cost of any kennel fees, flea/worming treatment or food. The other thing that is rather concerning is that when the microchips were checked for several of these dogs, they were not up to date. This is especially true of dogs that had been bought as puppies where the breeder had registered them, for example, as ‘Pink Puppy’ but then the owner had not updated their details. The same really goes for vaccinations, as breeders vaccinated the dogs as puppies but the annual boosters had not been kept up to date. It is hard to know if this is due to financial reasons or lack of knowledge. We have seen several posts on social media where a dog has been found and people are unable to immediately scan to see if the microchip is up to date, but where also the dog was found not wearing a collar tag. It is a legal requirement that dogs wear a collar tag as well as being microchipped, and there is quite a hefty fine for not adhering to

this law, but more importantly it would mean that stray dogs could very quickly be returned to owners. As a rescue we would urge you to check your dog’s microchip NOW.

Last month we reported about the North Devon Animal Ambulance charity closing, and that we were looking to see how we might be able to offer some assistance once their doors were closed.

I can’t quite believe I am writing this but Aunty Lynne and her trustees have now decided that K9Focus is now also going to take in and help cats. Yes CATS –can you believe it! Now I have nothing against cats but well, they don’t bark or play ball for heaven’s sake! Still I am sure I will get used to them.

The rescue has also launched the K9Focus Pet Assist scheme, which has been created to help dogs and cats that need emergency veterinary treatment, and where owners may be considering surrendering their loved pets due to financial hardship. The scheme currently only has a small amount of funds and so each application will be reviewed on an individual basis. It is hoped that this assistance will help keep pets in their home rather than being put up for adoption. Details of the scheme can be found on our website or you can email lynne@k9focus.co.uk for further details and an application form.

Think that’s all the news for this month, have a great October and see you in November.

Woofs & Licks, Fabulous Freddie

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From Your District Councillors…

It has been busy since we last spoke.

At full Council, we approved a raft of strategic documents which will strengthen the Council’s position for the levelling up bid for Torridge, the Appledore Clean Maritime Innovation Centre project, for clean energy, digital businesses and also for innovative sustainable businesses.

A response was sent from TDC to the X-Links solar farm project, which included 20 pages of point-by-point analysis and challenges to every aspect of their project, to ensure that their project delivers the absolute best outcome for our area.

The Corporate Peer Review is a mechanism where experts from other local government organisations come to TDC be a ‘critical friend’ and to question everything the Council does. The review said “TDC is clearly ambitious for the district, and the people of Torridge” when talking about the levelling up bid; they also said that “the Council’s Economic Development team is highly regarded, and is clearly making a positive impact”, and that “the Council has a committed workforce who demonstrate a passion for the district”. The review also pressed for a rethink of the way that Council processes and procedures are used, including leadership meetings, scheme of delegation to officers, and appropriate use of Part 2 (part 2 is when Councils go into private session for discussions).

It also said that TDC should “improve external communications so that the

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Council can proactively celebrate its success”. Generally, we feel that the Council was viewed well, but with a few internal issues that need resolving to make the Council’s processes more robust and future-proof.

The External Overview and Scrutiny committee had a joint meeting with North Devon District Council, discussing dentistry with a panel of local experts which included Ian Mills, who is a partner of Torrington Dental Practice and is also the Chair of Devon Oral and Dental Health. Many issues in the sector were raised, one being changes to some NHS contracts in 2006, and how that year also saw changes to the registration process, and that these two things combined seemed to be the catalyst for the exodus of dental staff. The contracts and registration processes have yet to be improved. One action coming from this is for the Councils to lobby National Government for changes in the dentistry sector.

At Community and Resources Committee, the topic of going cashless was floated for five car parks in Torridge, with a view to save costs as the cash collection cost was £8,621 and is expected to rise by 9% later in the year. However, members felt strongly that it was going to cause additional hassle to residents and visitors, and that the cost savings compared with 22% of users who still use cash was not sufficient to justify going cashless.

TDC also held a workshop to discuss issues around housing, so that a Housing Strategy can be created and used to steer both officers and housing providers to meet the needs in our area.

As we started to delve into the issue, it was clear that there is a minefield of complications to consider, including the challenges in the house-building sector, the types of properties being built compared with those being sought, homelessness, the private rental sector and landlords selling up, improving social cohesion of new developments, the need for social housing, the lack of infrastructure, changing the Government’s right to buy scheme, lack of education/health provisions, to name a few. On top of that, the new Government has increased the number of houses required to be built across the country. While many of these are not directly controllable by the Council, we must still ensure that we are doing all we can to aid those in need, so that they have access to the house they deserve. In July we had a meeting with officers to discuss the car park, and how it is used. We raised the issue that there are only three disabled bays, and that they are nearly always in use, so we requested more disabled bays near the Castle Hill building, which we are pleased to say have already been done! Also, the officer is now looking at marking out the lower end of the car park, which we hope could increase the number of cars which park there if parking was more organised. As always, if you have any concerns about any issue, please contact us: Cllr Doug Smith, Councillor.smith@ torridge.gov.uk, 07970 636 199 Cllr Lauren Bright, Cllr.laurenbright@ torridge.gov.uk, 07595 659 310 Cllr Chris Bright, Councillor.bright@ torridge.gov.uk, 07936 325 909

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Torrington Rotary – Working for the Community

Our club members have been very busy over the last few months and we would like to share some of our recent activities.

We have supported Abbeyfield with the purchase of a new greenhouse and were invited to their Mad Hatters Tea Party. Woodland Vale also invited us to the opening of their refurbished garden area, such a wonderful project that is accessible to all their residents and families.

Our ‘Friendship Boxes’ project to support Ukraine has now been completed and we are extremely grateful to all those who donated items, and to all those local businesses who gave generously to enable us to purchase the boxes.

We would like to thank the following local businesses for their tremendous generosity - Hogwash, New Road Garage, Tanya’s Beauty Studio, Duffy’s, Obsessions, Torrington Refill Store, Candles and Pearls, R&S Ware Family Butchers, Hair We Are, Fine Floral Design, Linda Bayliss Antiques, Instant Images, Whiskers Pet Centre, Crafty Needles, The Whole Jar, The Toy Swap, Cornmarket Antiques, Market Café, Handbags and Gladrags, Fiddlesticks Trading Company, Golden Days, Kitch’n’Cupboard, Golden Fade, Jojo’s Hair Salon, Steve Gladwin Family Butchers, Jayne Poole Photography, Hippy Motors (who donated the decals for all 30 boxes), and all our club members.

Have you seen our ‘pop up’ shop in South Street? We’ve lovely clothing, toys, housewares, various DIY bits and lots more… come in for a browse 10am–3pm Mon-Sat. Thank you everyone for supporting us!

Interested in joining us? Want to find out what we are all about?

Please get in touch to find out more. Find us on Facebook, Instagram or email smell19@hotmail.com.

Pat Grimwood-Taylor

Abbeyfield

Everyone at Glen Tor would like to wish Christine Foster a lovely retirement after 18 years volunteering at the house. There are some massive shoes to fill now that Christine has decided to take time for herself and relax a little!

I know I speak on behalf of the residents, volunteers and staff at Abbeyfield, when I say that she will be extremely missed here at the house; not only for all the tasks she seamlessly and quietly does behind the scenes, but also for the warmth, time and support she gives to everyone she comes in to contact with.

I’m pretty sure her retirement will be noticed throughout the town as well. Abbeyfield, Torrington

Castle Hill Creatives

Christmas Art & Craft Fair

Saturday 16th November 10am-4pm

Castle Community Centre Torrington EX38 8AA

Castle Hill

Creatives is a wellestablished group of artists and makers based in and around Great Torrington, who have become well known for the high quality of their work. Much of their work reflects the beauty and distinctive qualities of the local environment and many have sold and exhibited their work across the country.

The group’s first exhibition was held in 2020, and with two events held a year, this is now their ninth event.

A wide variety of art and craft will be on display, all locally made. As well as ceramics and jewellery, there will be glass work and paintings, print and textiles, knitwear and sculpture. As well as ‘buying local’ and helping to support the local artist community, you will meet the artist and have something to cherish from your visit.

There will be around 20 exhibitors in the hall. Little Torrington W.I. will be raising funds by serving mince pies and mulled wine from 11am. For further information about the press notice you may also contact Gill Hedge on gillhedge@gmail.com or telephone 07792 188 128; www.castlehillcreatives. co.uk.

Tarka Valley Railway News

Ican’t believe we are now into autumn, whatever happened to summer 2024?

The season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, as Keats wrote over 200 years ago, is now with us. We are hoping for a decent spell of nice weather so we can finish the many projects still to be completed.

On a cheerier note, our Summer Gala was blessed with good weather on both days. Saturday saw John Puddy from SS Freshspring Trust running passenger rides with his miniature steam traction engine, and the New Orleans Hot Shots provided a wonderful musical accompaniment to the day. Our visitors enjoyed a little jig along to the music. There was a slight change to the itinerary on Sunday, as Bounce and Beyond brought their bouncy castle, and we also welcomed Pete with a fairground hammer and stall. Our normal stalls were present on both days, as were the Commons Conservators and Margaret selling items in aid of Alzheimer’s Society. Naturally, we ran passenger rides on the 143 and our shop was open selling books, puzzles, jams, chutneys and many other items. It was a most successful weekend.

We have been busy tidying the site, constructing the new coal dock gate, fitting the fixed ballast resistors behind the sliding buffer stop, painting the interior and exterior of the brake van, finishing the trolley shed and preparation to make sure everything is in place for the installation of our electrical supply. In short, we have had a particularly busy few weeks since my last report.

Lastly, at the end of July, our friend and colleague Phil Tarry hung up his hi-vis jacket for the final time after ten years at TVR, and a career spanning well over fifty years on mainline and heritage railways. Without his guidance we would not be where we are today. We all wish him a very happy retirement.

Please visit our Facebook and Instagram pages for regular updates, and our new website has much more information about our vision, our locomotives and rolling stock, plus the history of the railway. Do check it out: wwwtarkavalleyrailway.org.

Robert Martin, Tarka Valley Railway

Christmas Caper Sunday December 22nd 11am Save The Date!

Approximately 10 miles of multi-terrain running fun! Ages 17-107!

£16 affiliated; £18 non-affiliated. Online entry will be available soon.

For more information visit www.torringtonaac.co.uk or find us on Facebook - www.facebook.com/TorringtonAAC.

Need to get fit? We offer weekly club sessions on a Wednesday. Meet at Great Torrington School car park at 6.15pm.

The TAAC team

1st Torrington Scouts

The Beavers had plenty of fun before the summer holidays. They completed their gardening badge by planting flowers, cress and pumpkins, which they then took home to look after. We also made a massive collage of chalk flowers on the floor, which was good fun to make and looked very pretty. At district camp we did backwards cooking (cooking on a fire), made baked bananas with chocolate inside and, most importantly, got to toast some marshmallows. The Scouts were also very busy, including geocaching where they walked from the Scout Hut in Torrington to the train station in Bideford. They also did backwards cooking at district camp, but they cooked sausages and then baked dough around them to make sausage rolls, this was an activity that required a lot of patience. For the end of term all three groups came together for a celebration, with a badge presentation, awards for Beaver/ Cub/Scout of the year, food and a water fight to finish it off.

During the summer holidays the Scouts went to Westward Ho! for geocaching, crazy golf, fish and chips rock pooling, ice cream and a visit to the arcade. This was a lovely trip and all had a good time, enjoying catching up with each other.

The group needs your support, for more information please contact our group scout leader Jordon on jordon. whitear@gmail.com.

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GREAT TORRINGTON TOWN COUNCIL NEWS

Your Council, Working for YOU

From the Mayor…

Ihope that you all had a great summer.. I can't remember which exact day summer arrived and swiftly left again, but there we are!

Despite the weather, events organised or sponsored by Great Torrington Town Council went ahead throughout July and August.

I hope you have enjoyed the street music, which is now in its third year and adds a little joy to the town on a Saturday morning.

This year members decided to sponsor a woodland adventure session, in our Trafalgar Drive playpark on the first Friday of the summer holidays. The two sessions were very popular and thoroughly enjoyed by the young people who attended. Yoga in Nature, sponsored by GTTC ran during June/July and was also very popular; I attended the first

session myself and definitely felt the benefit. Finally, we worked with Friends of Great Torrington Conservators to support the K9 Dog Show, by promoting a poster competition to encourage people to pick up after their dogs. The winning posters will be displayed locally very soon.

It is great to see that the renovation work on the Waterloo Monument has been completed! So a ‘monumental’ thank you must go to all involved at every step of this project.

Since last writing, my consort Elizabeth and I have visited both Abbeyfield and Woodland Vale Care homes. Both visits were extremely enjoyable, and we were very impressed by the skill, affection and attention provided by the staff in both organisations - both paid staff and volunteers. I know that one such volunteer, Christine Foster, will be greatly missed by all at Abbeyfield when she retires after 17 years of service.

Thank you Christine!

Tuesday 3rd September saw the AGM of our town's May Fair and Carnival committee, and what a successful evening it proved to be! It really was fantastic to see new members attending and volunteering to take positions on the committee. The Chair, Keeley Allin, couldn't stop smiling. But more help would be great, so if you can, please do come along and involve yourselves. After all, it’s everyone’s May Fair, and Carnival, so get involved, as new members and new ideas are always welcome!

Unfortunately, I was unable to attend Freya Bond's Bake-Off competition at the Town & Community Hall, and my thanks go to my consort and our Deputy Mayor Dave Parish for standing in for me. Judging delicious cakes and savouries by both appearance and TASTE must have been a real hardship for them! But seriously, well done Freya and I hope that a good sum was made to go towards funding your charity trip to Uganda with Edukid.

Until next month, take care, keep safe, and thanks for your continued support.

Phil Cloke

Remembrance Sunday Parade & Service

10th November 2024

This year Remembrance Sunday falls on the 10th November 2024. Great Torrington Town Council, with our local branch of the Royal British Legion, will hold a Remembrance Ceremony at the War Memorial in the Cemetery, commencing at 10.50am.

The parade will assemble (like last year) in the driveway at Woodland Vale Care Home, and parade up and across a short stretch of New Street to the Cemetery.

Please note: there will be NO VEHICULAR ACCESS to Woodland Vale Care Home. Limited parking will be available at the Old Bowling Green; however, we encourage all participants to walk to the event if they are able to do so.

Dismissal at the end of the service: following the National Anthem at the end of the service, the Mayor will thank the parade, who will then be dismissed in the cemetery. The order for dismissal will allow for those at the back to be the first to leave.

Standard-bearer’s practice will take place at the Howe Concert Hall (Torrington Silver Band’s room) in Castle Street on Friday 8th November 2024 at 6pm.

Wreath laying: this year, the Town Council and the Royal British Legion are encouraging organisations who would usually lay a wreath to use one of our recycled wreaths from last year’s Remembrance Sunday service. If your organisation hasn’t yet ordered their wreath and you would like to lay a recycled one and give a donation to the Royal British Legion, please contact the Town Council on 01805 626135 or admin@great-torringtontowncouncil.gov.uk by Tuesday 15th October so we can organise this for you. If you would like to order a wreath direct from the Royal British Legion, you can contact them on 0345 845 1945 and they will post one out to you.

Monday 11th November 2024: everyone is also welcome to attend a short remembrance service in Great Torrington Cemetery at 11am on Monday 11th November 2024.

Recycled Poppy Wreaths

Don’t forget Great Torrington Town Council is encouraging organisations to use a recycled poppy wreath for Remembrance this year.

All organisations who laid a wreath last year have received an email with details of how this process will work. If you haven’t yet responded do please get in touch 01805 626135. We will be organising collection of the wreaths and donations for the Poppy Appeal from Torrington Museum bookshop on Saturday mornings in early November, please contact us for further details.

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Mayor’s Diary

Summer Events brought to you by Great Torrington Town Council

Yoga in Nature: The Council were pleased to support Helen Amey of Elska Yoga to provide six free Yoga in Nature sessions in June/July.

The sessions were held at Torrington Rugby Club and were extremely popular, with participants reporting a variety of positive outcomes as a result of attending. Over 55 people accessed the course across the six weeks, with the average number being 26 each week, 60-69 was the average age of participants.

Another hectic month has passed. Helen and I have represented the Town at many civic events, including church services for the Chairs of North Devon District Council and Torridge District Council.

Quotes from participants: "I didn't know I needed Yoga in Nature until I did Yoga in Nature.” “So relaxing, truly wonderful experience forever grateful for the chance to take part. Wonderful group of people and Helen is truly amazing.” "The classes are really good and improves general well-being.” "So much better being outside, the sounds and space were lovely.” “Thank you so much Helen. I really enjoyed the experience of outdoor yoga.” “A great introduction to yoga, something that I had thought of trying for a long time. Free sessions made all the difference.”

Adrian Wills

IWe enjoyed a trip to Bideford to watch their Regatta and on 10th September watched the spectacular Bideford Massed Pipes and Drums, with visiting bands coming from all over the UK.

Helen Amey said, “I would like to say a massive thank you to the Councillors for sponsoring this project. It was wonderful to see so many people coming together and enjoying and benefiting from this experience, outside in nature. The sense of community was evident to see and people’s enthusiasm each week was quite special. I felt honoured to lead this project.”

Woodland Adventure Sessions with Richard Irvine & Jen Howard: On the first Friday of the summer holidays Great Torrington Town Council organised a morning and afternoon woodland activity session in Trafalgar Drive play park; facilitated by fully qualified forest school teachers Richard Irvine of Richard Irvine Outdoors, and Jen Howard. A total of 22 children attended the sessions and took part in den building, they also made wooden Olympic medals (which involved helping to use the saw) with the highlight of the day for many participants being making a campfire and cooking popcorn.

Barnstaple Fair is always a wellsupported day, with all the “Chain Gang” out in force to celebrate the tradition of the Fair. The weather was kind as we walked around town, whilst the declaration of the opening of the Fair was read. Immediately after the formal part of the proceedings had finished, we dashed down to Newquay. It was time for Helen to put on a ‘posh frock’ for a reception celebrating the ‘South West in Bloom’ competition.

Many thanks to Richard and Jen, for providing an engaging day of woodland entertainment.

Summer Music Programme: Great Torrington Town Council have supported the summer street music programme again for 2024. Thank you to all the performers who entertained us all on Saturday mornings throughout the summer:

• Sticky Flaws - David Wenman, • Roger Colome, • The HooDoo Man - Ian Kevern, • Tuppence Ha’Penny - Jacky Dando, • Dogleg -Tracy Dipper, • Mary and the Medics - Mary Davies, • Calypso Jack - Mark Knott, • WD40+ - Ange WilsonDuffy

We still had to wait until the following day to hear the results, and were proud and delighted when it was announced that the Torrington in Bloom team had won a Silver Gilt (last year it was silver). Thank you to the committee, traders and individuals who work so hard to enhance our surroundings in Great Torrington. We will soon have the opportunity of meeting the judges to find out how we can do even better – our next challenge is GOLD!!

t is with great sadness that we pass on the news that Adrian Wills passed away suddenly, but peacefully, at his home in Weare Giffard, on Tuesday 6th August, aged 74 years. Well known in North Devon as a teacher and a musician, he was a founder member of the Rolle Canal Society and served as Chairman for many years. He was a driving force helping to take the society forward to where it is today. Many of you will have been to one of Adrian’s informative talks about Lord Rolle's canal and will have seen how knowledgeable and passionate he was about the maritime history of the area. One of his biggest passions was the restoration of Sea Lock and the wharves near Annery Kiln. From the time in 1988 that Adrian, together with his wife Hilary, took ownership of the riverside meadow and discovered the remains of the tidal lock, he became fascinated by the history of the former entrance to the canal. His enthusiasm to restore the area transformed it into the heritage site it is today. Over the years he became a fount of knowledge on the history of, not only the canal, but the area surrounding Annery, from the lime kiln to the pottery and lots more.

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was at Hatherleigh Community Centre to see many of their residents receive Community Awards. This is similar to the awards we have in Torrington, which recognise people who have made a difference to their town. It was lovely to at last welcome, and be involved with, the Induction of Father Lawrence MacLean. We hope he and his family will be very happy in our town, and the Church Fete at the Vicarage was a good opportunity for us all to meet them.

The Co-op and Town Traders arranged a Harvest Festival in the Pannier Market on the 11th September. This was the first one organised and I think it will become a regular event on the Torrington calendar. Finally, we tried to attend as many Macmillan coffee mornings as possible and in fact ended up going to five! This is a wonderful charity and it‘s not surprising that it’s so well supported. After all those coffees we went to the Soap Kitchen shop to see Lesley and Richard Phillips who celebrated ten years of business on 30th September. Congratulations to you both. I look forward to hearing from you if you have an event or anniversary you want to tell me about – just call me 01805 625662, or our secretary, Pauline at the Council offices on 01805 626135.

Councillor Richard Rumbold Town Mayor

The Rolle Canal Society will miss him tremendously as a friend and a very hard-working colleague.

Band Week Returns for 2024

We have lots of exciting events for you to enjoy!

Our popular Grand Draw is back with £100 for first prize! The draw will take place at our concert on Saturday 19th October, so to be in with a chance of winning our cash prize or one of many other fantastic prizes, be sure to purchase your tickets!

On Saturday 12th October come along and join us for an evening of Bingo at Howe Concert Hall. Doors will open at 7pm, eyes down at 7:30pm. We will have lots of fantastic prizes up for grabs!! Refreshments will be available throughout the evening and as always, children are very welcome.

Sir Duke here again – wow how quickly a month goes by! Well Autumn is definitely upon us and many of the rescue dogs are gaining their winter coats in readiness for the onset of Winter! We have been as busy as ever with three new dogs being taken in who were due to be put to sleep – I don’t really know why as they are lovely and very friendly – they even like children!

Bruno, our 12-month-old puppy that needs an eye operation, is still bouncing around and we are well on our way to raising the £3,000 needed for his operation.

On Friday 18th October we’re heading out to the Torrington Arms for a good old fashioned Quiz Night with Stuart Davey at 7:30pm. Teams of up to six players, £4 per person. To book in your team, call the Torrington Arms on 01805 622280 or get in touch with them through messenger.

On Saturday 19th October, we’re back at Howe Concert Hall for a ‘Night at the Movies’ where we’ll be bringing you a concert full of fantastic pieces from the big screen. Doors will open at 7pm, the concert starts at 7:30pm. £6 per adult, under 16s free. Plus, free refreshments in the interval and the announcement of our Grand Draw winners.

We have been chosen as one of three charities to participate in a fantastic scheme run by Animal Friends Insurance. Basically the charity that receives the most votes gets a whopping £5,000. So come on all you Facebook fans, please vote for us, and pass the word around to all your friends and family. It is simple to vote, and costs nothing. Just go to: www.facebook.com/feelgoodpark and on the left-hand menu you will see ‘Vote for Charity’. Click this and it will take you through to a page showing charities in the scheme. Then click on

PEE WEE’S CLEANING CO.

Devon Sensory Outreach Service

What is the Devon Sensory Outreach Service?

This outreach service is available around the towns and villages of West Devon and Torridge on a regular timetable, offering a free, confidential, and impartial service for people with a hearing and/or sight loss. Families, carers, neighbours, friends and professionals are also welcome to come and see us. What does the Sensory Outreach Service offer?

• Trained staff who understand the effects of hearing and sight loss and can provide support and advice.

• Demonstrate and short term loan of a wide range of equipment to help with everyday difficulties including - hearing the doorbell and smoke alarm, listening to the television and managing communication on the telephone. Lamps, tactile markers, and talking alarm clocks and watches.

• Manufacturers contact details and up to date catalogues. Help to order equipment.

• A wide range of information on hearing and visual impairment and services available locally and nationally.

• Information and referral to other services provided by Devon County Council or sources of other professional help.

• Maintenance of NHS hospital hearing aids. Batteries and retubing. The service visits The Bickford Centre, South Street EX38 8AA on 1st Wednesday every two months: next visits 2nd October and 4th December.

Anne Humphreys, Rehab Officer - Hearing Impairment Sensory Team 07966 596881 or 01392 386611

Top Music Group Comes to Bideford

Bideford Music Club is pleased to announce that at their first concert in the 2024-2025 season, on Wednesday 2nd October, you will be able to listen to the wonderful ‘Ensemble Renard’. This wind quintet is one of the UK’s most promising chamber ensembles, comprising of five of the country’s most outstanding young musicians. As individuals they regularly play with a number of well-known orchestras: London Symphony Orchestra, City of Birmingham Orchestra, Manchester Camerata and English National Opera, to name but a few. They have also received a number of awards such as Tunnell Trust, Britten Pears Young Artists and Countess of Munster Musical Trusts recital scheme. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear quality professional musicians playing in your home area!

We hope you will be able to join us for this first concert at St. Mary’s Church in Bideford at 7.30pm on Wednesday 2nd October. Doors open at 7pm, tickets are available at the door £16.50. Students, children and attendant carers - free. The November concert will be on Wednesday 6th.

Domestic & Commercial cleaning services

Do you need help around the home?

Regular cleans, One offs, Deep cleans, Whatever your needs, contact Hayley for;

* Vacuuming, Dusting, Polishing, Mopping * * Shopping, Laundry, Ironing * Any household needs catered for Ask for a quote to have your carpets cleaned with professional help of the rug doctor pro.

On Sunday 20th October, we will host our Band Week finale, a Duck Race! At 12pm, we will be launching 500 rubber ducks into the River Torridge and they will race towards victory at Taddiport Bridge! Don't miss outsponsor a duck for £2 and you could splash away with a cool £50 cash prize, if your duck crosses the finish line first! Ducks and draw tickets can be purchased from Dafforn & Son Funeral Directors, Torrington Refill Store, Band members or contact the Band through messenger or email secretary@ TorringtonSilverBand.com

AGM

The 2024 Annual General Meeting of the Great Torrington & District Community Development Trust and Genesis (Great Torrington) Ltd will be held on Wednesday, October 9th at 7pm in the hall, Castle Community Centre, Castle Hill, EX38 8AA. For queries about the AGM or to register your interest in participating, please email torringtoncastlecentre@gmail.com.

Torrington Food Bank

Local author Liz Shakespeare’s latest book is set in Torrington in the late 1870s, and features a character called Lucy Jones. She is a doctor’s daughter and, with her father’s blessing, works as a district visitor ‘to give aid to those who were sick or malnourished, advise those who had family problems, and use her knowledge of the town for those who were seeking work.’ Her mother would have rather she didn’t walk the streets unaccompanied, especially in ‘the poorer parts of town’, but Lucy continued to do what she felt was right, to try and help people less fortunate than herself.

This period was long before the introduction of the Welfare State (post Second World War) and the National Health Service (1948). Infectious diseases, such as smallpox, tuberculosis and influenza, were the greatest cause of Victorian mortality and, before the development of immunization, many children died in infancy. Each Poor Law Union (workhouse) employed one or more Relieving Officer who would visit those applying for assistance and assess what relief, if any, they should be given. Any applicants considered to be in need of immediate assistance could be issued with a note admitting them directly to the workhouse. The workhouse in Torrington was where the Woodland Vale care home is now, opposite the cemetery. Things have gone so awry in this country in recent years, regarding the distribution of wealth and the instability of some jobs, that many people, including those in work, find themselves unable to pay their bills and have to resort to using a food bank in order to be able to

feed their families. This is a shocking state of affairs in the fifth richest country in the world.

A food bank was set up in Torrington in 2011, by a group of people from the Baptist Church, and there are now twelve regular volunteers. At first, about twenty people used the food bank but the total number has grown to around eighty – single people, couples and families. They receive three food ‘parcels’ (a large plastic box of fifty items for a family) in eight weeks. Some long-term users only need one parcel a month now. People can self-refer to use the food bank but, after having received three food parcels, need to show proof of being on benefits. Others are referred by doctors, social services or the job centre. During Covid, volunteers delivered food boxes to people who were unable to leave their homes.

and Lands Charity gives vouchers at Christmas and many of the town’s inhabitants, who are also eligible for these, donate their vouchers to the food bank. Outlying villages, such as Dolton and Petrockstow, hold regular coffee mornings where people donate food, and churches pass on produce from harvest festival services.

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Support from local organisations, churches, businesses and individuals for the food bank has been very generous. The food bank provides and funds £4 vouchers (four for a family) for use in certain local shops. The Town

The food bank is at the Baptist Church in New Street and is open on Tuesdays and Saturdays, 10am-12pm. Food items can be donated at Lidl, Co-op, TIC, Plough and the hospital. Tinned and packet food and UHT milk are the most practical items. There is a ‘grazing table’ of things, such as food just past its sell-by date from the Co-op, from which people can help themselves to just three items.

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Memories of Taddiport, North Devon

Iwas 10 when I first stayed in Taddiport, with my parents at the Buckingham Arms in the summer of 1965, we returned again the next year. The pub was run by Jim and Brenda Horrell and their young son Tony. We were awoken every morning at an unearthly hour by the lorries, full of milk churns, crossing the bridge to get to the Cow & Gate factory.

My parents became very friendly with Cyril and Dorothy Diamond, and kept in touch with them for many years. Cyril, in an effort to prove he still felt young, would do handstands in the bar. I also remember that their son Roger was a talented amateur footballer. The river bailiff was named Comer, and would often be in the pub.

We spent nearly every day at Westward-Ho! In 1966 I was allowed into the bar to watch the World Cup final. Due to the fact that Taddiport was in a valley, the TV reception was terrible, it looked like it was snowing at Wembley.

Steve Stokes

BIG SING!

Date for your diary. The return of this popular celebration of the great story of Christmas!

Pannier Market, Wednesday 11th December, 6.30-7.15pm.

Featuring Blue Coat Junior School, Town Band, Churches in Torrington. Come and celebrate Christmas with us. More details to follow!

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Independent Family Owned Funeral Directors

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Great Torrington Water Forum

Rivers are the arteries of nature and riverbanks are also home to rich plant, fish and insect life and are essential to biodiversity. However people across the country using rivers for activities ranging from sports and swimming to fishing, risk falling ill from a toxic mix of pollutants. In this second article we look at agricultural pollution. Farm runoff is a major source of contamination, with approximately 30% of the substances detected in rivers commonly used as insecticides, fungicides, pesticides and medicines for livestock.

Water pollution can be divided into point-source pollution, discharged from a discrete point (e.g., a leaking slurry store), and diffuse pollution, which is caused by an action spread across a large area (e.g., nitrate leaching).

Agricultural water pollution occurs through numerous pathways:

1. Surface runoff: The flow of water over the land carries soluble substances and anything which the flow of water can transport (e.g., soil, material attached to soil particles, manures etc.) into watercourses.

2. Leaching: When water moves downward through layers of soil and rock, soluble substances can dissolve into the water and be transported away from the crop – either into groundwater or into sub-surface flows. When contaminated groundwater upwells through springs or other flows, it pollutes surface waterbodies.

3. Drain-flow and ditch-flow. Field drains collect soil water containing leached nutrients. Ditches subsequently offer a rapid route for leached nutrients and surface runoff to enter watercourses.

4. Direct discharge into watercourses. This category covers point-source pollution, where leaking liquid from slurry, silage, and manure stores, and washings from yards, machinery, and processing, flow directly into watercourses. Livestock which urinate and defecate directly into watercourses and cause sediment

pollution via bank erosion fall within this category, as do sprays of fertilisers and agrochemicals that land in watercourses.

5. Roof drainage from intensive livestock sheds. Some ammonia from intensive pig and poultry settles on shed roofs. When it rains, this ammonia dissolves and can be carried into watercourses.

6. Indirect ammonia pollution. Ammonia in livestock manures and manufactured fertilisers easily volatises, but sooner or later it settles on soil or is deposited by rainfall. From here, nitrogen can be leached or transported in surface runoff.

7. Plastics. Plastics from coatings on seeds, fertilisers and pesticides to control their release and from thin plastic used to mulch vegetables, can degrade into small fragments known as micro plastics, which impair crop growth and plant health at high concentrations. In the water stream they are beginning to be found in drinking water and the human body.

The Farming Rules for Water regulate how and where manures and manufactured fertilisers must be stored and applied. There are minimum distances from watercourses that fertilisers must be stored and livestock feeders positioned. During certain soil conditions (waterlogged, flooded, snow-covered, or recently frozen land) fertilisers must not be spread. Farmers must take “reasonable precautions to prevent significant soil erosion and runoff”, including measures to prevent poaching by livestock and them accessing watercourses. Farmers must plan nutrient applications in advance according to soil and crop needs, as determined by periodic soil testing. While the majority of farmers are putting more sustainable practices in place, unfettered agricultural run-off from other farms is turning many of our rivers, streams and lakes into toxic soup. Inspections and sanctions remain pitifully low. The farming industry needs help and

assistance as well as enforcement of the law, to clean up its act. gtwaterforum@gmail.com www.facebook.com/ greattorringtonwaterforum.

Appledore Singers & Four Lanes Male ChoirJoint Concert

Appledore Singers are delighted to announce that they will be holding a joint concert with Four Lanes Male Choir, on Saturday October 19th 7.30pm at St. Mary’s Church, Bideford.

Four Lanes Male Choir is a wellestablished male voice choir based in Cornwall, which is now in their 80th year of performing. They enjoy singing in and around Cornwall and have even ventured further afield. Bringing joy in their singing is their watch-word! Appledore Singers is a well-known local choir in North Devon in their 40th season of singing a variety of arrangements of songs, old and new, from gospel to top ten hits and showstoppers.

Each choir will bring their own unique sound to their performance, and the audience is sure to have an enjoyable time. Entry: £5 at the door to include a glass of wine/soft drink. All proceeds will go to the church’s Bell Fund. Contact: Pam Beechey 01237 420652.

Torridge Walk & Talk

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Organic & Wholefood Buying Group News

Over the summer we have continued to enjoy delicious lunches at our order collection day and social with members bringing a dish that they make and enjoy, meaning the spread is always a delicious pot luck surprise. Recipes are exchanged and our Talking Point, where we learn about and discuss a subject of interest, continues to be an interesting and enjoyable focus. As I write, September's Talking Point will be sea vegetables, how to use them, the benefits and tasters. Sea vegetables are a powerhouse of minerals and flavour, but not everyone is aware of how to incorporate them in home cooking and in a way that is acceptable to family members who have rather more mainstream eating habits.

We always welcome new active members and anyone is very welcome to join us on the collection day social each month, to discover more about how joining OWBG could be of benefit to you and your family, who we are and what we do. If you're coming, it would be really helpful if you could email owbg@protonmail.com so we have an idea of numbers for shared food and tasters.

Wellbeing Tip: Eating & Lifestyle for Good Sleep

Many people tell me they don't enjoy good, refreshing sleep so here are some of the basic steps to restoring peaceful nights and refreshed waking.

Firstly it's important to establish a wind down routine to relax and prepare for sleep. Eating your evening meal at a time that allows three hours for digestion before bed is a smart move, as lying down, sleeping and proper digestion are incompatible – digestion is compromised and sleep will be poor. This means snacking during the evening is also best avoided. TV, mobile phones and computers stimulate certain parts of the brain and interfere with delta brain waves that are essential for sleep, so make sure to turn these off at least an hour before you retire. Making sure your bedroom is completely free of digital devices works wonders too.

Sleep inducing activities would be a warm candlelit bath, reading something uplifting and inspiring, gentle yoga, listening to relaxing music, meditation, writing a gratitude diary. We're all different, so find what nurtures and relaxes you. If you have a busy mind, writing a to do list before you begin your wind down is really helpful, as then that part of you will be satisfied that you're well prepared for the next day and not likely to forget anything crucial.

Returning to the subject of delta brain waves. The major reason our sleep is so poor these days is because wi-fi and the soup of radiation that we live in interferes majorly with the delta brain waves that are vital for sleep and healing. So at the very least, turn your wi-fi off at the router at night, ideally when you begin your wind down. Please turn your mobile off and be sure to charge it as far away from you as possible!

Devon Wildlife Trust, Halsdon

& Dolton Talks

Devon Wildlife Trust’s Halsdon and Dolton group is hosting talks in Dolton Village Hall. Wednesday 16th October 7.30pm "Rewilding." A beautifully illustrated and informative talk, by Nick Benge of Roborough Rewilders. Adults £2.50. Children free Wednesday 13th November 7.30pm "Baltics Adventure" An illustrated talk by Diana Goodacre. Adults £2.50. Children free.

Torridge Vale Social Club

Table Top Sale is Back!

Our Table Top sale is back on 12th October. Sellers from 8am, buyers from 10am till 1pm, £5 per table. Hot drinks and bacon baps available. To book a table call Jacky 07817 948 165.

Talking About Death Doesn’t Make it Happen!

Do you want to break the taboos around death?

Do you think that talking about dying is a natural part of life?

Then come and join us in an open conversation about all things death related at the Great Torrington Death Café on Tuesday 17th September 7-9pm at the Conservative Club, Torrington, and Monday 4th November at the Methodist Church Hall at the top of Mill Street. For more details please call Nixie Sott James 07974 119 428 or Ruth Chambers 07789 020 668.

A nice 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 01237 421528.

Examples of drinks that support good sleep are chamomile tea, chicory coffee, passion flower tea, but the biggest contributor will be a clean wholefood diet. Having a regular rhythm to our lives is also absolutely key – eating and going to bed at regular times, rising with sun, winding down well before midnight. Upcoming grocery final order dates: 10th October, 14th November.

How do I join? Via our website, where you'll find all the info you need.

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

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.

Wednesday 9am & 10.30am

Debbie Summers 07796 945 039

Oven Cleaning

We clean ovens, so you don’t have to! We are a family run business offering a friendly and reliable cleaning service. We also do end of tenancy and holiday lets. Call us for a quote. Gail 07789 062 131.

The Crier Prize Crossword

The winner of this month’s crossword will receive a free membership and a 6-week countdown. Please send completed crossword with contact details to The Crier, Castle Hill, Torrington, EX38 8AA, or email to torrington.crier@gmail.com. The winner for the last issue is Steve Perry. The winner for this issue will be picked at random from correct entries. Deadline for entries is Thursday 10th October.

Fleur’s Gardening Forum - Grafting

September 29th is World Heart Day

By helping people to lose weight and live a healthier lifestyle, joining Slimming World can dramatically reduce a member’s chances of developing cardiovascular disease.

On average, our members lose a clinically significant 5% within the first three months, which means that they already start seeing health benefits such as less joint pain, improved mobility, less breathlessness, better sleep and reduced blood pressure

Members following Slimming World’s Food Optimising healthy eating plan, enjoy a diet of filling and satisfying everyday foods: including fruit, vegetables, eggs, poultry, lean meat, fish, beans, pulses, pasta, rice and potatoes

Slimming World’s physical activity support programme, Body Magic, encourages members to take small steps and gradually build up to being active at least 150 minutes a week (in line with the Government’s physical activity recommendations for adults) as part of their daily routine, whatever their starting point

Since taking over the Slimming World Torrington group, Debbie’s members have lost a staggering 2962lbs, that’s over 211 stone!

Contact Debbie on 07796 945 039 for more information.

Follow us on Facebook, Slimming World Torrington with Debbie.

Idon’t mean hard work, but a way of vegetative propagation which transfers one part of a plant on to another and is a process that has been carried on for many decades, if not centuries.

Grafting is often used to reproduce plants that are difficult to propagate using other methods and is a means by which commercial growers can increase their stock quickly. This method can also combine the most desirable features of both plants, ie. ornamental or fruiting value, pest and disease resistance, plant vigour, or dwarfing qualities.

Roses are grafted on to a ‘briar’ rootstock which is much more vigorous than the cultivar. This is why, if you find a ‘sucker’ coming from the base of where the graft was inserted, you need to remove it quickly, otherwise it will take over the plant and will be a completely different flower from the cultivar.

Most fruit trees are also grafted, to provide vigour, better quality fruit, hardiness and higher cropping.

Rootstocks are sometimes selected for specific soil types or conditions, enabling fruit species to be grown where otherwise they might not thrive. Trees are often grafted on to dwarfing rootstocks to produce a plant which is more suitable for small gardens.

You will now find many fruiting vegetables, such as tomatoes and aubergines, being available as grafted plants. Although not a new technique to commercial growers, they are

becoming more widely available from the larger garden centres and catalogues, and these plants can provide higher yields and greater disease resistance. However, they are considerably more expensive to purchase than a packet of seeds or seed grown cultivars.

When planting grafted plants you should be careful not to bury the stock, which usually is a bulgy bit just above the roots. It should be at or just below ground level.

Grafting can be fun to try: but you will need a steady hand and a very sharp knife, a gardeners’ pocket knife is best, plus a lot of patience before the graft ‘takes’. Practice makes perfect, and there are a couple of basic methods to try.

Firstly, you need to select two similar sized stems from the tree or bush about pencil thickness or a little bit more. Make sure both stems are healthy and disease free. You must also have all your tools to hand as you need to be quick because you don’t want the cuts to dry out.

Cut the stem from the plant you are grafting (the ‘scion’) with a slanting cut so that it passes a node (bud at the leaf joint) but doesn’t cut through it. Trim back any tatty bits. Next, in the stem on the tree you are grafting to, make a ‘T’ shaped cut, again next to a node but not through it. Carefully pare back the vertical cut into two pieces, then insert the scion node upwards into the ‘T’ cut and fold back the two pieces of the vertical cut. Bind the whole cut area with

florist’s tape or similar and tie firmly. The second method doesn’t use the ‘T’ cut but you slant your cut on the tree you are attaching the scion to so that it fits precisely with the scion. Again, bind together firmly as above.

Beaford Village Hall Market & Café B

eaford Village Hall Market & Café is held on the second Saturday of the month 10am1pm. Grab yourself a coffee and a bacon roll, and see what the market has to offer. The stalls vary, but we regularly have: The Body Shop, Usborne Books, Linda's handmade cards, Beaford Ladies Group, local honey, Spencer's Glass, Sam's Household and Stuff and others. Free car park! Follow Beaford Village Hall on Facebook, and follow us to keep up with all of our events!

Torrington Baptist Church

We will be having a Light Lunch on Tuesdays at 12.30pm until about 2.30pm. There will be a suggested donation of £2. Anyone looking for lunch and some good company is welcome.

October events at the plough

Richard Wolfenden-Brown leaves The Plough Arts Centre after 23 Years

WPlease note, a 5% fee will be applied to all bookings

01/10/2024

10:30AM (Every Tuesday) Plough Prism Drama

1:30PM (Every Tuesday) Motion Dance 02/10/2024

8:00PM Music: Eddy Smith and The 507 03/10/2024

2PM Film: Younger: Looking Forward To Getting Older (PG)

7PM ThePlough@StAnne’s, Barnstaple Visual Arts: Getting to know your Camera - 4 week course

7:30PM Film: Lee (15) 10/10/2024

2PM Film: Lee (15)

7:30PM Film: Lee (15) 11/10/2024

10:30AM Art On Friday

21/10/2024

7:30PM PloughCapella with Rosa Rebecka 23/10/2024

8PM Theatre: The People Show 145: 'The Diviners' 24/10/2024

2PM Film: Despicable Me 4 (U)

7:30PM Film: Where Is Heaven? (12A)

hen The Plough Arts Centre was relaunched as a fledgling independent arts centre in 2002, Richard Wolfenden-Brown was asked by the new trustees to take it on as the new Director. There were just a handful of events programmed that year. By 2020 under his leadership this had grown to 390 film screenings, 24 visual arts exhibitions, 296 live events at seventeen venues across North Devon, plus hundreds of outreach and craft workshops, representing a turnover of £750,000. All made possible by dedicated staff, trustees and a small army of 50 volunteers.

Richard brought energy, enthusiasm and creativity to the role, and as the face of The Plough was often to be found welcoming people to open air theatre events and giving press interviews, representing The Plough at Town and District Council meetings, and developing important relationships with the Arts Council.

Richard was made redundant as part of a management restructure. His lasting legacy to us is the fact that The Plough still exists, with a reputation as a small arts centre that punches above its weight. As Richard called it “the largest arts centre in the smallest town” whose “positive impact is felt across the region”.

We wish Richard the best for the future.

5PM Meeting Room at The Plough (Every Thursday, excluding 31st) Workshop: Writing for Performance

7:30PM ThePlough@StAnne’s, Barnstaple Plough Storytelling Circle

7:30PM Film: Younger: Looking Forward To Getting Older (PG)

7:30PM ThePlough@StAnne’s, Haunted History Tour: Barnstaple Town & Workhouse

04/10/2024

1:00PM Dance Studio at the Plough Arts Centre

Monologue/Lyric Writing Workshop with Lucy Bell

8PM Theatre: Documental Theatre present ‘Scaffolding’ by Lucy Bell 05/10/2024

Kateryna Rudiakova Exhibition (Photos of Ukraine) 05/10/24–26/10/2024

10:15AM Dance Studio (Every Saturday, excluding the 26th) Plough Youth TheatreInfants (5-7yrs)

10:15AM (Every Saturday, excluding the 26th) Plough Youth Theatre - “Middlies” (11-14yrs)

10:30AM Meeting Room Workshop: Plough Writers

12:15PM (Every Saturday, excluding the 26th) Workshop: Plough Youth Theatre - Senior Theatre Company (14-18yrs)

1PM (Every Saturday, excluding the 26th) Plough Youth Theatre - Juniors (8-11yrs)

3PM (Every Saturday, excluding the 26th) Creative Dance (8-16yrs)

7:30PM Film: Lee (15)

06/10/2024

2:00PM Music: Heartsong with Alison Whittall 07/10/2024

7:30PM Ploughcappella with Rosa Rebecka 09/10/2024

2PM Film: Lee (15)

2:00PM Film: Lee (15)

8:00PM Music: Steve Knightley 12/10/2024

10:30AM ThePlough@StAnne’s, Barnstaple Festive Soap Making Workshop

11AM ThePlough@StAnne’s, Barnstaple North Devon Poetry Stanza

7:30PM ThePlough@StAnne’s, Barnstaple Haunted History Tour: Barnstaple Town Centre

8:00PM Theatre: 'Dandelion Girl' with Rosamund Clare 14/10/2024

7:30PM PloughCapella with Rosa Rebecka 16/10/2024

2PM Film: I could Never Go Vegan (12A)

7:30PM Film: I could Never Go Vegan (12A) 17/10/2024

2PM Exhibition on Screen: Painting the Modern Garden: : Monet to Matisse

7PM ThePlough@StAnne’s, Barnstaple The Magick of The Viking Runes (part 3)

7:30PM Exhibition on Screen: Painting the Modern Garden: : Monet to Matisse 18/10/2024

10AM Free Climate Change Workshop for Home Ed Children

1:30PM Theatre: 'Stories In The Dust'

5:00PM Theatre: 'Stories In The Dust'

7:30PM ThePlough@StAnne’s, Barnstaple Raventales tell 'Unquiet Tales'.

8PM Film: Joker: Foile a Deux (12A)

8PM Music: Rosa Rebecka 19/10/2024

10AM ThePlough@StAnne’s, Barnstaple Terracotta Gargoyles for your garden/home

10AM ThePlough@StAnne’s, Barnstaple Beautiful Beads - Jewellery Workshop

1PM ThePlough@StAnne’s, Barnstaple Beautiful Beads - Jewellery Workshop

8PM Music: A Gig for Gaza (Hiring) 25/10/2024

10:30AM Art On Friday

8PM Music: Lee Quinney as Elton John + Live Band 26/10/2024

10AM ThePlough@StAnne’s, Barnstaple Visual Arts: Rush Hat Weaving 2 Day Workshop

10AM ThePlough@StAnne’s, Barnstaple Stone Carving 2 day Workshop

2PM Film: Joker: Folie a Deux (12A)

7:30PM Film: Joker: Foile a Deux (12A) 27/10/2024

8PM ThePlough@StAnne’s, Barnstaple David Mynne presents ‘Dracula: the Vampyr 28/10/2024

2PM ThePlough@StAnne’s, Barnstaple Personalised Natural Perfume Workshop

7PM ThePlough@StAnne’s, Barnstaple Natural Lip Balm & Skin Salve Workshop 29/10/2024

11:00AM ThePlough@StAnne’s, Barnstaple Drama: Play in a Day -The House with a Clock in its Walls (8-16 yrs) 30/10/2024

2:00PM Soap Soup Theatre ‘Minny Stynker’ 2:30PM ThePlough@StAnne’s, Barnstaple Spooky Soap Making Children's Workshop 3:30PM Character Design Workshop with Soap Soup Theatre

7PM ThePlough@StAnne’s, Barnstaple Introduction to Soap Making Workshop

7:30PM The Plough Arts Centre Film: Joker: Folie a Deux (12A) 31/10/2024

2PM The Plough Arts Centre Music: The Melting Pot (Young Bands)

7:30PM ThePlough@StAnne’s, Barnstaple Haunted History Tour: Witchy & Weird

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Little Torrington WI

Summer activities in place of an August meeting were a visit to Tapeley Park Gardens. The sun shone and the gardens and surrounding walks in the beautiful grounds overlooking the river Torridge were thoroughly enjoyed by all: along with a visit to the onsite cafe for tea and cake.

We also ran a Death Cafe event, facilitated by WI member, Ruth Chambers. It is a not-for-profit organisation that brings people together to drink tea and discuss all matters death related. It was a lovely sunny afternoon which allowed the group to sit outside and enjoy the summer’s day, whilst discussing death in an open and relaxed way.

September’s meeting was the speaker Dee Medlicot from Penpont Ecology Services, based in North Devon. They undertake Ecological appraisals on both green and brown field sites. Everything from surveying protected species, bats, dormice, reptiles and badgers to migratory species surveys relating to wind and solar farm proposals.

The subject of the speaker at the October meeting will be Cyber Security.

Book Club is currently reading ‘The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie’, by Muriel Spark, and will meet on the third Monday of the month.

The ladies that ‘Coffee’ will meet on the last Wednesday of the month, at the newly-reopened Plough cafe.

The water monitoring groups took part in the ‘Water Blitz’ that runs from the 16th to the 22nd September, by testing at their sites on the Torridge: Rotham Bridge and Undercleave. The results

October Events at RHS Garden Rosemoor

Festival of Flavours, 5th-6th October

Celebrate the bounty of autumn and RHS Rosemoor’s heritage apple harvest with a weekend of cookery demos, expert talks, live music and a fabulous food and craft market.

Meet 40 local traders and craftspeople and browse seasonal produce, deli treats and handmade gifts in the Garden Room before heading out to the gardens.

Admire the Devon Orchard apple displays, try a few varieties to decide which one you think tastes best and watch apple pressing demonstrations. Don’t forget to bring along your own apples for the RHS experts to identify (bring at least two fruits from each tree).Then relax with a drink made three miles away at Honeywood Orchard’s cider bar, and enjoy delicious food as well as live music in the Stream Field.

There’s plenty for families to enjoy too! Have a go at tree climbing and forestry skills with The Kid’s Adventure Company; follow the painted pebble trail and meet birds of prey from North Devon Falconry. Keep an eye out for stilt walkers towering throughout the beautiful gardens, and don’t miss forestry logging using heavy horses, in the Lower Woodland.

October Half Term: Wicked Plants and Spooky Fun, 26th October - 3rd November

Follow the family garden trail to spot the ingredients for a witch’s potion to cast your own magic spell. If you are feeling creative, join in the spooky craft activities making magic wands, Halloween lanterns, spider headbands, and monster stress squeezers, decorate a pumpkin or create your own spooky plant friend to take home with Exmoor Zoo.

Or, if you’d prefer to be entertained, enjoy a weird and wonderful family magic show performed by the strikingly unique Professor Strange or join Witch Hazel for a spooky interactive storytelling session.

For more information and to view all our scheduled courses and workshops visit www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/rosemoor/whats-on

are submitted to the Earth Watch Citizen Science Project, as part of the WI national campaign for cleaner rivers. The Little Torrington Skittles team has its first opponents in the WI league, High Bray & Charles WI at the Poltimore Inn, North Molton. Appledore RNLI was our 20232024 Flower of the Month local charity,

which raised £61.34.

Upcoming events include Meeth Nature Reserve Autumn Walk, as well as Zoom art classes, with local artist and WI member Emily Clark.

If any of the above sounds of interest, please contact Jen Hood, 01805 622433.

In the summer issue, we showcased some speeches from the Year 7 ‘Inspiring a Team’ challenge. Here is Rory’s fantastically motivating speech for the England squad!

The Euros: A Speech for England Football

Squad

This could be a great moment in English history. Great moments come from great opportunities. I would consider playing for your country as a great opportunity. Don’t let that go to waste. You go out there lads, for your sake but also the English nation. The supporters who have travelled over 700 miles just to hope for that great moment to happen. You go out there and withstand every last attack. You won’t ever give up, no matter what happens out there. We don’t just apply for us, we play for them, the English nation. The nation who have awaited glory, for 58 years. The nation who past squads have disappointed in 28 tournaments. Let’s end that streak.

I believe in you. I believe this squad has what it takes to win. Each and every one of you is here because you show that determination, whether it’s training or in a game. You lot, prove to England and the rest of Europe, why we deserve victory. We shall enter Germany as a team of belief and determination. It’s not the hope we shall win, but the knowing we’ve got what it takes. To be selected in the English squad for a major tournament is an honour. Its an achievement that can be built on by your performance. Each one of you is equally as capable as each other – but we need to work together for success. If you don’t, you’ll be back on a plane to England knowing you’ve disappointed our fans once again. We want to see the best of you lads. To be the best footballers you can possibly be, you need to play like the best. You need to think like the best. You are the best. However, you can’t be the best without other nations challenging your greatness. Whether it’s France, Germany, Spain or Holland. Prove that you’re the best. Its about heart, it’s about who goes out there and dominates. Its about who pays the strongest and who wants it more. Don’t you want it lads? If you can take their attacks and launch one of your own, then you can win. The team who is doing this for their nation is the team who will win. It would be an honour. If you believe you’ve got what it takes to win, then win it. Encourage one another. As a team you work together, attack and defend as a unit. How do you think the squad in 1966 felt? Thye wanted to win and showed West Germany how determined they were. They knew they had what it took to become a champion. They were committed all the way until the whistle blew at the end of extra time. If we win, once again, we will win with our heads held high. And if we lose, we will go out after giving our opponents hell.

Let Europe know we’re ready. Only 17% of people think we will win. Let’s prove 83% wrong. Germany, here we come!

Rory Bidwell, Year 7, (Finalist)

Year 9 English pupils had several opportunities to develop their creative writing last year. Here is an excellent short story from Jaycob, inspired by a photo of a doorway:

Watching

I wonder the beautiful city like yesterday, and the day before, and the day before that. Still, I marvel at the alluring architecture, the immaculate angles not a centimetre out of place, illuminated by the pleasant summer rays which were gently caressing my fair skin. Like the days prior I find myself gazing at the extravagant library standing within the shadows of the city centre. However today I don't continue on my morning route, I am drawn towards the dark spruce panels concealing the magnificence that surely lie within. Suddenly, a chill tip toes down my spine as I am cast within the dark silhouette of the looming building. The barren street glares at me, it feels as though it is scanning through my mind, judging me, questioning me, rifling through every memory for some sort of answer. Shakily, I reach out with my hand grasping on the brilliant brass doorknob, hoping for stability from it but, it flings open guiding me into a great hall.

I glance around the crowded room of books; the library was pristine, not an ounce of dust on any shelf, the wood shone in the golden sunlight seeping through the delicate window occupying the majority of the ceiling. The carpet was colourful, pure purples and royal blues attacking the clay red floor, and although the design was antique it looked as though it was bought yesterday. The grand collection of books were placed in an unsure order, yet there was no one here.

No one was manning the marvelous rustic desk by the exit and there wasn't a single presence navigating the maze of books. I approach the middle of the room, an elegant chandelier looms over me, the precision cut glass refracts the light onto every surface. Here I call out. “Hello, is anyone there?”

My fragile voice is met by an eerie silence that shatters it and flings it from every direction back towards me, causing me to shudder.

I observe the luxurious hotel of books a bit longer, scanning every shelf and something becomes apparent to me. It dawns on me that there isn't a single red book in this entire place. Surely a library as sophisticated and as large would own at least one red book.

I begin to wonder about this sacred palace of knowledge, blatantly ignoring, for a while, the fact I am completely alone, my mind is occupied by a more pressing matter. I stumble down every passage of bookshelves, each leading to yet another section of the library I have yet to discover. There were

summer yellow books, emerald green ones too, infact there was every single colour apart from red: timid teals, plum purples, formal blues and rusty browns, all scrutinising me, as I scour the library shelves.

The scorching sun eventually tells me that the time is now noon as I approach the middle of the labyrinth the chandeliers outline is thrown down directly below it. I override my body and tell it that I really should leave when all of a sudden, a flash of light catches my eye from behind a Victorian rolling ladder leaning against a bookshelf. It reels me in towards it, as the distance between us becomes less I can begin to pinpoint exactly where it originated from. The source of the light is sat on one of the many thousands of identical bookshelves that inhabit every inch of the library. I roll the ladder to one side, to see that it is trapped between a sea of green books, being drowned out by their luscious colours but being only inches away from it now it would be impossible to miss. It is crimson and it is glaring at me like the fiery eye of a dragon, on a quick glance you could easily mistake it for a book however its metalic epidermis betrays this facade on closer inspection.

I attempt to remove this imposter from its confinement except it refuses, it merely tilts forty-five degrees forward then slowly retreats back to its resting place. Unexpectedly, I hear muffled metal groaning from the other side of the bookcase, cogs interlocking and gears whirling. Then abruptly the bookcase pops ajar from its neighbouring

twin, allowing a small stream of white, fluorescent light to protrude through the crack into the chamber I am standing in. I heave the deceitful door, exposing its entryway into the hidden hallway of industrial steel and buzzing lights, a surge of intrigue compels me to investigate further. Towards the end of the long passageway, a wall of monitors are waiting and watching me, their dull blue lights drooping out of their screens. As I saunter down the shiny walkway my footsteps ricochet around me, penetrating my skin causing me to feel uneasy.

At long last I reach the wall of displays receiving footage from cameras. glad to be seeing something other than the sharp curves that encompass the manufactured catwalk, I glance up at the screens, bewilderment in full control of my actions now, and I am horrified... The feed these cameras are relaying is of my ornate hotel room, and the cozy corner shop I have been using, my office, even the library I am somewhere within now.

Whoever created this place is watching me!

Suddenly a faint hissing floods the room and my terrified eyes become droopy. Using my last bit of energy, I wince at the screens relieved to see two men in lavish Nightshade suits striding through the secret bookcase. I take one final shallow breath and everything around me is consumed by a cold, dark abyss.

Jaycob

Marshall, Year 10

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Torrington in Bloom

We hope you enjoyed reading the special article in the summer holiday edition of the Crier which spelt out, more or less, what we all do in and around the town. We would love to have some feedback, and also perhaps meet some enthusiastic gardeners who can spare a bit more time and join our ‘gang’.

Talking of ‘new’ recruits, we now have three lovely people, Sally, Ruth and Frances, who are caretaking the flowerbed by S&G Carpets for us. You will see them busy weeding, deadheading, maintaining and planting as necessary. A big thank you to the trio for volunteering.

Early in October some of us will be travelling to Bath to attend the South West in Bloom Awards Day, when we should find out how our ‘It’s Your Neighbourhood’ entries fared. The results will be in the November issue. We have to thank Val Knight for maintaining a spectacular display of flowers in the Town Centre planters this summer. If you are wondering what the trailing plants are growing out of the Clock Tower, they are a variety of Nepeta. Val’s secret weapon is a regular feed of liquid seaweed, and deadheading.

The Secret Memorial Garden and Castle Hill Community Garden continue to improve and this year saw more people visiting, both local and tourists and hopefully enjoying the ambience of these two areas. We have had some

Pause for Thought

LDrain clearing

Drain clearing

CCTV surveys

CCTV surveys

Repairs/Relining

Repairs/Relining

Septic Tank and Treatment plant installation

Septic Tank and Treatment plant installation

Tel: 07794 586039 or 01271 440251

ast month's theme was hope. This month we look at the opposite of hope - fear.

Did you know that according to psychiatric reference approx. 2,000 classified fears exist? What is more interesting is that we are born with only two: the fear of falling and the fear of loud noises. That means we learn every other fear we may have and, more importantly, we can unlearn them too.

When I was first married I was afraid of the dark and, as we had a downstairs bathroom, if I needed the toilet during the night I would wake up my husband so that he could come with me and wait outside the door, and then walk with me back to bed. You may have your own story of how fear controlled your life and the lives of others (e.g. my husband).

If I asked you to name your own personal fears (superstitions can come in that list too), I wonder how long your list would be?

Most of us are defined by a handful of experiences, for better or for worse, which can plant a seed of hope or vulnerability, confidence or uncertainty, faith or fear.

In the Bible, John in his letter says "there is no fear in love but perfect love casts out fear", 1 John ch 4 v 18. Perfect love does not describe our love but God’s unearned, unfailing and unconditional love for us.

The goal of love is fearlessness, as we grow in a love relationship with God and learn to trust Him more, we unlearn the fears we may have held onto for years and that is exactly what happened to me. Fear of the dark GONE!

There is also the Biblical definition of fear, which has nothing to do with being afraid or frightened, but rather deciding to Love, Honour, Reverence and Respect God. Unlearning our fears is a process of learning to love and trust God more and more, which brings so much peace to our lives.

One of my favourite verses in the Bible is Isaiah ch 26 v 3, "You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast because he trusts in you".

If you would like to find out more about God’s unconditional love for you, you can visit any of our local churches or you can call Trisha 07866 861 156 or Karen 07890 132 081.

God bless.

lovely comments about how pleasant it is to visit somewhere that is maintained to a high standard, but still with nature in mind.

Regarding Rack Park, we are now

discussing the possible creation of a wild flower ‘meadow’ area, but this is in its very early stages, so watch this space!

Cherry Hammon, Torrington in Bloom, 01805 625788

Torrington & District Historical Society

We are always keen to welcome visitors and new members so why not come along and give us a try? We have talks and events on a wide range of historical issues, from local history to more general subjects. Coming up later in the year we will be finding out about Liz Shakespeare’s new book, which is set in Torrington, disease and health remedies in the 17th century and the history of leather making.

Our next talk is on Monday 14th October at 7pm for tea and a chat, our talks start at 7.30pm and we meet at the Methodist Hall in Mill Street. Tom Hynes is our guest and he will be talking about ‘Devon Hedges Past and Present’. We live in a very rural area and we can tell so much from the hedgerows, how old they are, why they were planted, how they have been maintained, what sort of wildlife they support and much more.

In September we were treated to a talk about our neighbouring village of Frithlestock, by Judith Seaman. Judith has spent a lot of time transcribing the church records and furnished us with a list of facts and figures from various eras. She brought these to life with a very informative talk about the social structure of the village during various times. Who knew that hedgehogs were treated as vermin during the 17th century? The village supported a lot of people who were passing through, particularly notable was the number of shipwrecked

Herbs & Sprinkles

Herbs are just so useful: they transform our cooking into aromatic, seasonal dishes; they are great for pollinators (our oregano and garlic chives are covered in bees) and they are super ornamental (even after they have bolted – coriander flowers are beautifully dainty). Our new favourite use is to put them into our posies for the restaurant here at Rosemoor. Spikes of purple mint flowers, umbels of fennel and dill, purple and white pompoms of chives and garlic chives transform our mini arrangements and bring scent as well as fun to the table. Sprigs of lemon balm helped us to capture the lush abundance of late spring in a vase, while purple oregano flowers jazz up the golden rudbeckias.

Every week we fill between 15 and 20 little jewel coloured vases with freshly picked blooms from our cut flower patch. Since we are part of the fruit and veg team, we apply the same discipline to our zinnias as we do to our carrots. Everything starts with a packet of seed. Then the seedlings are grown on in rows and get picked at their prime for the best result. Both end up on the table in the restaurant: zinnia in the vase, carrots on the plate. Most of our ‘crops’ are annuals as they are very productive and fit nicely into our sowing calendar and crop rotation. Our favourites so far include zinnia ‘ Queen Lime Mixed’, rudbeckia ‘Goldilocks’, antirrhinum ‘Chantilly Light Salmon’ and best of all: Panicum elegans ‘Sprinkles’! This lovely little grass is a game changer for creating romantic looking posies while bringing a wild meadow character to the vase. It is useful at giving support to slightly nodding flowers and creates the most beautiful haze that just makes everything look great.

Miriam

Petry, Horticulturist, Image © RHS/Miriam Petry

sailors and, of course, these travellers brought news from outside the area.

If you would like to find out more please contact Pauline on 01805 623089

and keep an eye on our Facebook page for details of future events.

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Maggi Rogers

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Anna has many years of experience successfully treating a wide array of conditions including: Spinal pain & symptoms - Joint problems - Soft tissue & muscle injuries - Sports injuries - Post-operative rehabilitation

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