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FREE February 2019 The 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.

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Contact us... Editorial Enquiries: Becky Huxtable, 01805 603152 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, 01805 601964 E: torrington.crieradverts@gmail.com Costs & sizes: Small advert: 9cm wide x 5cm deep, £24 per issue. Large advert: 19cm wide x 5cm deep, £48 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 Town Distribution: Dy Darch Rural Distribution: Sue Crane & the community Printers: Toptown, Barnstaple The Crier is produced 10 times a year by The Crier Community Interest Company, a social enterprise, and aims to support the local community and local businesses, by providing a publication in which news, events and information can be shared throughout Great Torrington and the rural district. Production costs are covered by advertising income. We would also like to thank Great Torrington Town Council for their support. We would be very grateful if you could please ensure you inform any advertiser of where you saw their advert.

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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. Web site 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.

Gt Torrington Town & Community Hall Update

belated Happy New Year to everyone, and I am delighted to report that there has been tremendous move forward towards the complete renovation of the Town Hall. Our contractors WMS have been working away, even coming in between Christmas and the New Year and Saturdays and Sundays. We are so grateful to Michael Sussex MD of the company who, as many of you know is a ‘local lad’ and his team for all their work, advice and the pride they have shown in doing this build for us. We are currently sorting out all the furniture we need, including all the chairs and tables for weddings and functions, and equipment for a fully functioning catering kitchen. We anticipate everything will be completed by the end of February, so we look forward to welcoming residents and organisations to come along and look at the work which has been done. We will also invite all our funders and people involved in the project for an official opening. Please look out for posters and visit our web site for information. The idea of renovating the Town Hall was first discussed in 2003, and was started with Dr Harry Cramp as Chair. It has taken a tremendous effort by all the people involved, which has resulted in raising over a million pounds since the start of the project. I am confident it will mean that this iconic building will be preserved for generations to come. If you would like any further information please contact me on 01805 625662. Richard Rumbold Chair Gt Torrington Buildings Preservation Trust Gt Torrington Town & Community Hall Project

Job Vacancies at the Town & Community Hall

he Trust is seeking suitable candidates, with the opening of the new multipurpose facility in the Town Centre. P/T Cleaner up to 10hrs per week General cleaning duties to fit in with the day-to-day running of the Town Hall, to include some weekends. P/T Caretaker up to 10hrs a week To open and close the building for hirers during the week, including some weekends, and to ensure all health and safety regulations are complied with. P/T Community and Business Development Officer 12 hrs per week Strong admin/IT/ numeracy/sales and marketing skills together with the ability to create and organise fundraising initiatives and events. Experience in bid writing an advantage, and a valid driving licence. Salaries by negotiation. For more information please ring Mrs Helen Rumbold 01805 625662.

Bag a Bargain for Charity! Sunday 3rd March 10am-3pm 1646 Community Centre South Street Car Park

ast year I asked friends and the good folk of Torrington to donate shoes (ladies’, men’s and children’s) jewellery, shoes and bags to raise money for North Devon Against Domestic Abuse (NADA). We then put on an event so people could come and choose what they liked and leave a donation for this wonderful charity. The event was a huge success and we are going to run another one, this time with the money being split between NADA and our local Alzheimer’s Society. All items left after the event will go to the Re:store Express, who raise funds to keep Devon’s last remaining Refuge doors open, run by North Devon Against Domestic Abuse, a charity that helps men and women. We will also have a VIP lounge with designer goods so come along, bag yourself a bargain and help these two great charities. If you would like to donate, bake a cake, offer a raffle prize, or help on the day please contact Anne Tattersall on Facebook, email anne_communicate@ hotmail.com or phone 0797 1696 192. Thank you. Anne Tattersall

Dog Training Classes at Taddiport Village Hall

Puppies, Teenagers and Adult Classes for all skill levels Trainers formerly from Puppy Gurus Nurturing the bond between you & your canine companion through force free, positive training For more information please call Rachael: 01409 282814 thehavendogcentre@gmail.com

Great Torrington Remembers Every Man... Captain Archibald Alfred Sutcliff

rchibald Sutcliff was born in Great Torrington in 1881 to a large, privileged family; there were six children in all. He was baptised in January of the following year. As early as the 1881 census the family were living at 1 Moreton Villa in the town. His father, Edward, who was originally from Camberwell, Surrey, was a General Practitioner and his mother, Fanny, was also from the Camberwell area. The family also had a governess and servants living with them. Having left school, Archie began studying medicine at the University of London and qualified as an M.B. in 1905. Soon after he enlisted and served in the Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) at the rank of Lieutenant in 1906. For the following three years he served in Singapore and gained promotion to the rank of Captain. In 1912 he became a specialist in state medicine. In 1910 Archie married Natalie Mary, who had been born in Durban, South Africa. At this time he was stationed in Alderney in the Channel Islands. They had two children, Edward and Enid, after whom he would name his army horse. At the outset of war, Archibald was attached to the 4th Field Ambulance and sent to France. They were part attached to 2nd Division when the war broke out in 1914, and were part of the wider BEF. He saw action at the Battle of Mons, which will be remembered as the first engagement that British forces took part in during the Great War. With the British taking up positions close to Mons, to the left of the frontline, they stood in the way of the German push toward Paris, having swept through Luxembourg and Belgium over the previous days and weeks. The first clashes took place on the 22nd August 1914. Archibald was taken prisoner on the

26th August 1914 when the Germans entered Landrecies. According to letters received by Mrs Sutcliff from a fellow officer, it appears that in the retreat from Mons, Archie did noble work in convoying the wounded to Landrecies, finding them quarters and food, and seeing them placed in the hospital at one end of the town. The Germans, however, rushed the place and took them all prisoners. On reaching Germany by train, the prisoners were set upon by an angry mob. Some of the captives were murdered in cold blood. Archie’s life was spared by a passing German Officer who rescued him. Although initially a prisoner at Torgau, on the 10th February Archie and five other medical officers ‘volunteered’ to go to the Wittenburg Camp and treat the sick British prisoners, which German medical staff had abandoned because of a rampant typhus outbreak. The conditions at the camp were appalling, often barbaric. The men there were inadequately clothed for the bitter winter months, food was insufficient, particularly for the ill, there was overcrowding, the washing facilities were inadequate and there was a lack of heating. To add to this, the treatment from the guards was savage. Dogs were often used to terrorise the prisoners and the POWs were flogged by guards or struck with no provocation. Shortly after arriving at the camp Captain Sutcliff contracted typhus and died on the 12th March 1915. He was buried at the Berlin South-Western Cemetery. His children were aged three and one at the time. To learn more about his life, please visit www. greattorringtonremembers.co.uk. You may also wish to ‘like’ the Facebook page for more updates. Michael Newcombe

Commons Fishery Warden News

t is good to see that the work carried out by South West Water, to service the Rolle Road sewer link, has been a success to date. I am glad to report that 2018 saw no pollution events recorded at the Ladywash site, having had 17 such events in the previous year. The installation of safe access steps to the river has been temporarily held up due to a period of high water levels. A benefit is that much silt has been washed away and the river’s gravel beds are much cleaner. Good for the health of the river. There is no fishing at the moment as the season does not open until March 1st. Alan Crawley – Fishery Warden GTCC

Children’s Events at Torrington Library This Month

Craft Club (4-11yrs) Saturday 10.30am - 12.30pm 23rd February Lego Club (5yrs +) Saturdays 2nd &16th February, 10.30am - 12.15pm Paper Games Saturday 9th February 10.30am-12.30pm Spanish Story Time (pre- schoolers) Tuesday 12th February 2-2.30pm Hola amigos, join Lucia and enjoy this fun session with fellow parents/carers and children. We look forward to seeing you. Prose print Wednesday 20th February – half term 10am to 12pm A Proseprint art workshop for families. Two hours of playful printing, poetry and prose writing fun inspired by Nature. No previous experience necessary, suitable for all ages and abilities. We will be using printing inks so please dress to expect some mess. Booking essential, ticket £3, concessions: donations only. Paper flower workshop Friday 22nd February 1.30-4pm, Snowdrops. £3 per ticket, booking essential. Torrington library 01805 622107 Torrington.library@librariesunlimited. org.uk

Commons News

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he winter is a very busy time who would like to join the Friends of for us on the Commons, as the Commons. These are a welcoming it means we can get on with and sociable bunch that helps keep the removing the scrub that encroaches on Commons free of litter, as well assisting the meadows and slopes with conservation tasks if not controlled, as well throughout the year. as doing any tree work Please contact Sandra on that has been identified 07708 144 428 or email during the year. We need clerk.conservators@ to work fast to get this gmail.com if you want to work done before the find out more. birds start nesting in the To kick-start our spring. The snowdrops fundraising for the year are already showing we are holding a pub down on Lady’s Island, quiz. On Friday 1st and the hazel catkins or February Quizmaster “We would like to lamb’s tails are starting to remind you that horses, Stuart Davey, is hosting wave in the wind! a light hearted quiz at ponies and donkeys The end of 2018 saw a the Torrington Arms. are only permitted on lot of changes to the board Entrance fee only £2 the Commons if they of the Great Torrington per person, with teams are ridden or led on the of 4 to 6 people. Lots of Commons Conservators, with the number of people designated horse paths.” exciting raffle prizes to on the board almost be won! Please reserve doubling! This is great news as it means your table by ringing the Torrington Arms we can now move forward with the on 01805 622280. There will be a cash projects the people of Great Torrington prize to the winning team. have told us they would like to see; more Calling All Horse Riders on signage, upgrading the play park etc, as Torrington Commons well as the day-to-day management of We would like to remind you that the Commons. horses, ponies and donkeys are only The current list of people on the board permitted on the Commons if they are is: ridden or led on the designated horse Hugo Barton (Chair); Sue Clarke; Alan paths. The horse paths are planned to Crawley (Fisheries); Sandra Crawley respect the safety of all the users of the (Friends of the Commons); Gerry Duffy; Commons, and riders are not allowed on Mandi Farinacci; John Fitzgerald; footpaths that are designated for walkers Andrew Giles; Mandy Harrison (Vice only. Horses must be under proper Chair); Susan Harrison; Patty Hipkiss; control at all times and not ridden in a Lynda McLaughlin. way that is a danger to pedestrians or We are always looking for people may cause damage to the Commons.

Whilst we thank the responsible horse owners who enjoy and respect the Commons, we have received reports that some are ignoring the bylaws, which is not only compromising public safety, but also causing damage. The bylaws are designed to protect everyone’s interests - including yours - so please respect them before an accident happens. The relevant bylaws are as follows: a) No unauthorised person shall ride or lead any horse, pony or donkey on any footpath on the Commons other than designated horse rides b) No person shall ride any horse, pony or donkey on any other part of the Commons to the danger of any persons using the Commons or property thereof. c) No person shall ride any horse, pony or donkey on any part of the Commons in such a way that it will damage the Commons d) No person shall ride or lead a horse, pony or donkey on any area of the Commons set aside by the Conservators for sporting activities, car parks or picnic areas To ensure that everyone is aware of the designated horse trails, new signage is currently being put in place. A full copy of the bylaws can be found at www.torringtoncommon.co.uk/bylaws. htm If you would like further information regarding the bridlepaths or indeed anything regarding the Commons please contact clerk.conservators@gmail.com or find us on Facebook at Torrington Commons. Mandy Harrison - Vice chair GTCC

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Pause For Thought Vernon Andrew

Supporting Dementia Friendly Great Torrington Dementia Awareness Training Available

reat Torrington Town Council has established a ‘dementia friendly community’ working group with the aim of obtaining dementia friendly accreditation from the Alzheimer’s Society, in recognition of the supportive community in the town. One of the important steps to obtaining, and then maintaining this status for the town, is to ensure that as many businesses as possible have staff trained in dementia awareness. This is a short one hour training course designed by the Alzheimer’s Society and delivered locally. Already the staff, volunteers and trustees at the Plough, Torrington Library and members of Great Torrington Town Council have taken the course. Other organisations such as Lloyd’s the Chemist, Torrington Health Centre and the Fire Service had training a couple of years ago, provided by Mel Ryan. The Memory Cafe is well established and provides excellent support for people living with memory loss and their carers. To provide opportunities for more businesses and members of the public to help increase awareness of what dementia is and how to help, the Dementia Friendly Working Group is offering training sessions as follows: * Friday 1st February 2-3:30pm Torrington Library * Saturday 16th February 10:30am-12pm Hatchmoor Nursing Home * Friday 22nd February 2-3:30pm Great Torrington Town Council Meeting Room * Saturday 16th March 10:30am-12pm Hatchmoor Nursing Home * Friday 22nd March 2-3:30pm Great Torrington Town Council Meeting Room Letters are being sent to local businesses and organisations, such as the churches, who have all expressed support for the project. If you would like a place (10 per course) please contact the Assistant Town Clerk at Great Torrington Town Council at least three days before the date. (01805 626135 or email admin@great-torringtontowncouncil.gov.uk.) What else can you do? Please send any ideas you may have about how we can improve the experience of those living with dementia and memory loss and those caring for them, to the Assistant Town Clerk and we will contact you to see if we can help. So far this project has been very well received and reflects the caring nature of our town. Christine Porter

Friends of Torrington Library Events

he Friends of the Library are supporting the Council in getting Torrington recognised as a dementia friendly community, by developing a local resource pack for people living with, or caring for, those with dementia. If you have any ideas about what we could include, or would like to help, please contact christine.porter45@yahoo.com.

Remembrance Concert

would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who took part in and attended the Remembrance concert at St. Michaels church on 9th November. Despite the weather being so atrocious, the church was fairly full and those attending were in good voice. I would also like to thank the ladies from the church for providing such a wonderful spread of cakes and wine for our refreshment afterwards. You generously donated over £300 for the Royal British Legion. After the Remembrance Parade on Sunday 11th November, Mags Zaharia organised a 10k poppy run on the Tarka Trail. Several hardy volunteers turned to run or walk the distance. Together with their donations and the generosity of the walkers out on the trail, she raised a magnificent £200 to add to the British Legion funds. 2018 marked 100 years since the guns fell silent on the Great War. Sadly it was not the war to end all wars and although the events that have taken place across the country have been very poignant for everyone who has taken part, we shall always continue to remember and support our fallen. Liz Harris

p until recently, as you flicked through your copy of the Crier you would always find the ‘Pause for Thought’ article from Vernon Andrew. He faithfully submitted his piece for the Crier for many years. Vern was passionate about his faith; it went way beyond going to church religiously every week. His love of Jesus permeated every area of his life. Those of us fortunate enough to walk with him witnessed this and it’s no surprise that the life changing, life shaping love and joy he had found when he encountered Jesus shone through in his Crier articles. Vern passed away peacefully on the 5th January with his family around his bedside. He had no fear of death; indeed he was at peace and knew exactly where he was going. As well as giving an invitation to discover the same love, peace, hope and joy he had received, Vern also regularly challenged the Crier readers that they could have the same assurance he had; of knowing exactly where he was going when he died. I know I’m being a little morbid for the start of a new year, and many of us will just be glad to get through Brexit let alone look that far ahead! However as we know, death is a fact of life. In truth, Vern’s faith wasn’t just a ticket to heaven; it also shaped the way he loved and lived as well as the manner in which he faced death. It was a real privilege to see him running and finishing his race so well! At Grosvenor Church we will miss him terribly, he was a huge

Torrington-Roscoff Exchange Group

n the dark depths of winter it is traditional to begin planning our summer holidays. This year, as it is Torrington’s turn to visit our French exchange partners, we already have plans to be in Roscoff for their Onion Festival in August. While the festival is a highlight of the Roscovite year there are many more reasons to visit, and this small historic town has something to offer visitors all year round. Not surprisingly, given its location perched on the coast of the Brittany peninsula, Roscoff owes its prosperity to the sea. The 16th century church of Notre Dame de Croaz Batz was built by ship-owners, and three ships carved into the stone façade commemorate their largesse. Pirates also made their living from here, and wandering through the atmospheric cobbled streets it is not hard to imagine them at their dastardly work. Alongside shops and art galleries there is a great variety of bars and restaurants, some housed in the richly decorated former merchants’ houses near the picturebook harbour. With a fish market in the town, seafood is varied and abundant. Crepes are popular, especially washed down with a glass of the local cider, and the local speciality – the savoury, buckwheat galette Bretonne – is a must to try. Perhaps no visit is complete without sampling the caramelised buttery, sugary parcels called Kouign-amann. The landscape here is stunning and varied. There are beautiful and secluded beaches, and the Pink Granite coast has some of the most extraordinary rock formations in France – a spectacular sight at sunset. So when you’re whiling away the winter hours contemplating your next holiday or short break, why not consider discovering Roscoff and its surrounds? If you would like to know more about the exchange group’s activities, please get in touch by calling Nick on 01805 625765 or Antony on 01271 549454. encourager and supporter of our vision to share the good news about Jesus, and the love of God, and he was a lot of fun! So we go into 2019 as a church grieving the loss of a very special person but excited about a new year of continuing the work Vern was so passionate about. Why not come and visit us, especially if you feel something is missing in your life. We meet every Sunday in the Plough at 9:30am for refreshments and a catch up, and then our service starts at 10:30am. Everyone is very, very welcome. Tim Gilbert

From the Crier Team

Tim has said almost all we at the Crier could say, however we would like to add that we were all so saddened to hear the news about Vernon. As mentioned in the article by Tim, Vernon contributed to the Crier for many years. Without regular contributors like Vernon, the Crier wouldn’t exist, and we are very grateful for all of his hard work over the years. We would like to offer our sincerest condolences to his family.

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How is Cllr Saywell Representing the Community?

£10,000 Grant for Beaford Village Green Project Tops Off Year of Giving Back to Communities

ouncillor Andrew Saywell represents us at the following Devon County Council committees: Children’s Scrutiny Committee, Health and Adult Care Scrutiny Committee and Highways Committee. If I have missed out any other committees I apologise. I must also apologise for only having seen two of his reports in the Crier, both re potholes and road closures. I would be interested in hearing how he has represented us on these other committees, especially the Health and Adult Care Scrutiny Committee, which should scrutinise and make vital decisions challenging NHS cuts to beds and services, and the failure to train, recruit and retain frontline staff. Cllr Saywell may not be aware that Torrington people came out in force to vote in a parish poll regarding the retention of our community hospital beds. In this parish poll more people voted than in a normal election and 99% of the people who voted, wanted our community beds to stay. Our community hospital is very dear to us. Many people will watch the DCC committee meeting webcasts with interest, to see his support for the community. In the spirit of openness and transparency, the community would also be grateful to know how you voted and for what, on these committees, and your attendance record. Anne Wardman Cllr Saywell’s response, “Details of my committee membership and voting record are all in the public domain and can be found on the Devon County Council website here - https://democracy.devon.gov.uk/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=1129 I regularly highlight health and adult care and Children’s Services issues, alongside Highways matters, in my Crier articles. I am committed to ensuring Torrington Hospital remains open and provides the widest range of services both to Torrington and the surrounding rural community.”

Lack of Care for the Community?

’m a member of the Torrington Community Hospital League of Friends, and also a member of the Torrington Care Forum. Needless to say if you choose to sit on these groups/committees you put your community first and foremost and take heed of all the latest valid research available. So during a League of Friends meeting I raised the matter of concern regarding the increase in national deaths, which research has suggested is linked to austerity. When I mentioned this during the meeting, I was both horrified and saddened to receive disparaging remarks from some of the members. Why are they sitting on these committees? Clearly they don’t care about anything except for their own prestige, which to be quite honest has very little value in our community. Di Davey

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Comment From The Torrington Care Forum The Torrington Care Forum was founded in 1986 as a network opportunity for those working in health, welfare and care. Much has changed since in those sectors which is reflected in the broad spectrum of attendees, to name just a few: Social Services, NHS, Fire Service, Ageing Well, League of Friends, Memory Cafe, Torrington Town Council, Home Start, Energy 361 and Friends of Torrington library. The Care Forum provides a unique platform for organisations supporting the people of Torrington and Torridge to meet and exchange news and ideas. We meet 12.30 on the second Wednesday each month at Torrington Hospital. It is a relaxed coffee morning format encouraging conversation on a wide range of health, wellbeing and community issues. Bringing these people together has had many positive outcomes. Face to face conversation is so important; it not only shares and highlights problems - but it can lead to practical suggestions and resolutions. Sandra Guard, Chair

eaford’s Village Green project was recently boosted by a £10,000 grant from Torridge District Council’s Community Grants scheme. The money will go towards the refurbishment and renewal of the site which boasts a sports pitch and children’s play area. The overall spend for the scheme is over £73,000, with a large proportion earmarked for the replacement of worn out play equipment which was no longer practical or possible to repair. With some of the play equipment already removed, the project was implemented so that the children of the village would continue to have a safe and fun environment in which to pursue healthy outdoor activities. The plans include new swings, trampoline, birds nest climbing frame, slides, tunnels and other eye catching features. With a thriving primary school nearby, the demands on the play area have never been higher and over the years the equipment has been well used by children after school and at weekends. The green also attracts older generations for walks and other activities, particularly in the summer months, and this interaction between old and young is also something the scheme hopes to keep alive. The whole process was in part kicked off by a parent led pre-school group located at the village hall who had managed to raise £150 through various activities including the selling of homemade cakes on the village green.

Torrington in Bloom Secretary & Chairperson Needed!

“The whole process was in part kicked off by a parent led preschool group located at the village hall who had managed to raise £150 through various activities...” The scheme is just the latest community grant sanctioned by Torridge Council which has seen nearly £1.2M distributed to worthy causes across the district in the last three years. Grant Sponsor and TDC Ward Member Councillor Rosemary Lock said: “I was really pleased that we were able to support this scheme in one of our more rural parishes and look forward with eager anticipation to it being fully completed. The scheme will benefit many people across the community and provide a focal point for outdoor activities in the village. It’s great that the Council can be part of promoting a healthy outdoor lifestyle for young and old alike.”

ollowing the stepping down of our Secretary and Chairperson, we now desperately need a new Secretary to do all the admin., organise competitions and everything else a good PA/administrator would do. This person doesn’t need to have much horticultural knowledge, but does need to be good at liaising with other agencies/ organisations, doesn’t mind paperwork and is computer literate. So, if you are interested in undertaking such a role please contact Torrington in Bloom. Presently, we are coping without a permanent Chairperson but this is under review. The Chair would be required to keep order, be good at networking, listening and making executive decisions when necessary. Torrington in Bloom has no intention of ‘folding’ as a group, by the way, and we shall still be working around the town looking after the planters and flowerbeds because that is what we enjoy doing more than anything. Thanks to Councillor Margaret Brown, the Secret Memorial Garden now has its own green wheelie bin! Although we do compost quite a bit of our garden rubbish, it is not all compostable and having such a bin will really help us out. On a personal level, I hope to remain a member of the Committee and continue to grow plants and help out around the town as necessary. Cherry Hammon Torrington in Bloom Association 01805 625788

The Castle Community Centre Castle Hill, South Street, Great Torrington EX38 8AA Now available for hire!

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GREAT TORRINGTON TOWN COUNCIL NEWS

From Your Mayor...

ith another Christmas over and the decorations put away, for many, it’s back to normality! The evenings are getting lighter so we can now look forward to spring. There have already been reports of daffodils out in full bloom! Many thanks to all the volunteers here in Great Torrington, who helped the town over the Christmas period. The Cavaliers and friends, Torrington Town Band, Town Traders and the super ‘Grinchmas’, together with the Foodbank volunteers and the generous donations from our local community. A very special thanks to all our NHS and social care staff, all staff of our local care homes and all the emergency services for their hard work and dedication throughout the year. Prior to Christmas our TDC Councillors Margaret Brown, Cheryl Cottle-Hunkin and Cathrine Symons ‘called in’ for scrutiny an agenda item regarding the Barley Grove Car Park, and in particular the disparity of car parking charges between Barley Grove and Sydney

House car parks. The latter is free from 12 noon Saturday until Monday 8am, whereas the former is not. Cllr. Margaret Brown spoke strongly in favour of having the same arrangements for Barley Grove Car Park. With the proposed

“We await confirmation of a survey by Torridge District Council and hope that both traders and local community will have a strong input.” regeneration of the Pannier Market and our individual shops in the town, this would be of financial and cultural benefit to our town. We await confirmation of a survey by Torridge District Council and hope that both traders and local community will have a strong input. A very successful initial meeting was held with James Jarroudi, Torridge District Council’s Community Engagement Officer. James is looking to re-establish the former sports meetings, with a broader remit to consider all areas of leisure, recreation and community groups with the intention of facilitating community cohesion and help groups seek guidance in business development and grant aid etc.

The Big Sing in the Pannier Market was, as usual, a great success and well organised thanks to all our local churches and volunteers. As I went to thank the Army Cadets for their help, Captain Trevor Cook introduced me to Stacey Comer, Detachment Commander, who is taking over command of Great Torrington Army Cadet Force from Lt. Matthew Sanders, who will be moving out of the area. We wish Matt well for the future and value the tremendous work he has undertaken with the Cadets. We would like to welcome Stacey and look forward to an equally excellent working relationship. Our Council has recently been informed that as from 31st March 2019, the Community Development Trust (Genesis) will no longer be managing the market for Torridge District Council. Torridge is already actively liaising with appropriate bodies on how they intend to progress this, with a view to taking over the management from the 1st April 2019. More information will be forthcoming in the next month or so. Best wishes Cllr Mrs Di Davey, Mayor of Great Torrington

Castle Hill Opening Hours

Opportunities for Voluntary Role Holders at The Town Council

e currently have vacancies for two different roles within the Town Council. Both roles are undertaken on a voluntary basis, with a small honorarium paid. A brief explanation of duties is set out below, but please contact the Town Council on the details below if you would like more information, or would like to discuss further. Mace Bearer The Mace Bearer accompanies the Town’s Mayor to civic events to ensure that they have ‘free passage’ of the town. The events are currently: May Fair, the Mayor’s Civic Ceremony and the Remembrance Parade and Service. The Mace Bearer will carry a mace whilst on duty and a uniform will be provided. The Council currently has one Mace Bearer and is seeking to appoint a second. Town Marshall The Town Marshall assists the Town Council at civic events where a parade takes place (events as above). It is the Town Marshall’s role to ensure the correct order for the parade and that it departs on time. Please can you provide a written application to include why you think you would be suitable for the role you are applying for. Applications for either of the above posts should be no more than one side of A4 paper. For more information please contact the Town Clerk on 01805 626135 or by email: admin@great-torringtontowncouncil.gov.uk Please forward applications to Great Torrington Town Council, Castle Hill, Great Torrington, EX38 8AA or by email to admin@great-torringtontowncouncil.gov.uk, to be received no later than Friday 1st March. Karen Chapman, Town Clerk

evon County Council is currently working on an economic strategy with a particular emphasis on coastal and market towns in Devon. Cllr Andrew Saywell has asked the Town Council to provide feedback in relation to Great Torrington, and anything that might be pertinent to this matter. The Town Council is currently working with the Futures Group, but also would appreciate any views, thoughts etc. from the general public of Great Torrington. If you have any information/views you would like to put forward, please send to the Town Council either by e-mail or via the post. Email: admin@greattorringtonotwncouncil.gov.uk or write to Castle Hill, Great Torrington, EX38 8AA Thank you Karen Chapman (Town Clerk)

TORRIDGE COMMUNITY MINIBUS SERVICES

Library Book Renewals

01805 622107 0345 155 1001

New Opening times Tues 10am-6pm, Thursday 10am-5pm, Fri & Sat 10am-1pm

Café & Garden @ 1646

01805 626146

Open Mon – Sat 9am-4pm

Tourist Information

01805 626140

Mon, Tues, Thurs 10am – 4pm. Wed, Fri & Sat 10am – 1pm

Torrington Town Council

01805 626135

Tues, Wed & Thurs 9am-1pm answerphone available

Citizens’ Advice Bureau Torrington

03 444 111 444

Tues 9.30am-12.30pm drop in

Community Development Trust

01805 626100

Tues, Wed, Thurs morning

Genesis/Pannier Market Admin

01805 626110

Tues, Wed, Thurs morning

Ring and Ride services operate in the following areas: Mondays from Westward Ho! and Bideford Tuesdays Torrington Wednesdays from Hartland Thursdays High Bickington and south of the area. Fridays Bideford

Contact Sue Scrutton 01805 622391 or Val Morris 01805 622306

Further details from: Shirley Davies 07776 414740

Heritage Museum & Archive

Your Views Needed

Run by Ilfracombe & District Community Transport

Instant Images Embroidery

Drain clearing CCTV surveys Repairs/Relining Septic Tank and Treatment plant installation

We work closely with our customers to offer quality embroidered and printed garments. 46 South Street, Torrington Tel: 01805 938002 instantimages.devon@btinternet.com www.instantimagesembroidery.co.uk

From Your County Councillor…

hope all readers of The Crier enjoyed their Christmas and New Year break. While it was relatively ‘quiet’ over the Christmas period, there have been a few developments that I would like to update readers on. The first is the welcome news that the Government has now confirmed, following the Autumn Budget, that Devon County Council will be receiving an additional £18.75 million of capital expenditure for Highways. This is extra money over and above the existing funding already allocated for this year. While Officers are still working on how this extra funding will be allocated, the Council is looking at additional investment into our A road network, alongside more work on our rural roads which, for an area like Torrington Rural, is welcome news. I do not yet know whether some of this funding will be allocated to individual County Council divisions, as has happened in previous years with the Pothole Action Fund. But even if this does not happen, I will work with our Parish Councils to proactively identify some of our worst rural roads and will lobby Officers hard to get these roads repaired: either through resurfacing, patching and/or surface dressing with the extra funding. This approach worked well last year as, to give three examples, major works

are now planned for Merton Mill on the Merton to Beaford road; Nethergrove Lane in High Bickington and Upcott in Dowland. Without the input from the Parish Councils and local residents, it is possible that these roads might never have got allocated for repairs, if simply left to Officers at County Hall to decide where the money should go. Finally, the County Council is also looking to use a proportion of this funding to go on our bridge network. Devon has more bridges than any other County in England, so again it is welcome news that the Council now has access to this additional funding, freeing up pressures on other budgets. The start of the New Year also marks one of the busiest periods in the Local Government calendar, working on budget proposals for the next financial year. Writing this article in early January I do not yet have any specific proposals to report back on, however the County Council’s financial settlement from the Government was perceived to be more favourable than was initially expected and it is hoped we will be able to put additional funding into both Children’s and Adult Services. Demand for these services remains extremely high, especially for Children’s Services. Devon County Council has over 700 children in care, and for children in crisis it can sometimes cost over £10,000 a week to care for them. The pressures on these budgets are therefore immense and this is why, when it comes to Highways, we may not always see the improvements we may want. It is easy to see a pothole in the

road, we may not necessarily see that vulnerable child or adult. Nonetheless I believe we are making progress and I will continue to fight for fairer funding and Torrington and the rural Parishes. As ever, if there are any issues you would like to discuss with me you can ring me on 07886 446560 or email email andrew.saywell@devon.gov. uk.

Beavers, Cubs and Scouts Working Together

e would like to say a huge thank you to the Ashreigney Country Fund Raisers, who at the end of last term presented us with a cheque for £300. The members stayed for a cup of tea and met the Scouts, who where busy having a debating competition. These funds will be used to support activities for the members of all of our young groups. We are very much looking forward to 2019 where we hope to continue to increase our group size and ensure our young members have as much fun as possible whilst learning new skills. If you have a son or daughter who may be interested in joining Beavers (age 6-8), Cubs (age 8-10), Scouts (age 10 -14) or if you feel that you may be interested in helping in any way please contact Kirsty Pells on 07887 557 574 or email kirsty. pells@ btinterent. com.

From Your District Councillors

ince my last to refuse a decision to allow the same report I have free parking days and times to apply attended to both car parks, Barley Grove and some very important Sydney House. Three ward members Torridge District and Councillor Pennington called this Council meetings item in to explain the confusion over the representing our car parking and how it impacts on our Community and its Community and the regeneration of our future needs. High Street shops. Two local business District Councillors owners spoke in support of simultaneous met to discuss where free parking in both car parks, and the they would wish to prioritise Capital impact on their businesses of this not funding for 2019. Great Torrington’s voice being resolved. Councillor Simmons must be heard and the need for funding was unable to attend because of illness in many areas must be addressed as and Councillor Cottle Hunkin attended priority as an observer. I managed to persuade I forcefully the Committee “I managed to persuade the Committee to run a pilot explained to run a pilot scheme which was agreed scheme which concerns to unanimously. This will operate in smaller was agreed other District towns to see how free parking helps the unanimously. Councillors: the regeneration of our High Street shops.” This will operate desperate state of our Pannier in smaller Market and the continued flooding, whilst towns to see how free parking helps our town traders are working so hard to the regeneration of our High Street regenerate shopping in our town, and no shops. This recommendation has to go one is taking responsibility for the work to Community Resource Committee for that needs to be done. I also explained consideration then to full Council for this the confusion that is generated both for to be ratified. locals and visitors, over the different On the13th December a Sport and charges between Barley Grove and Leisure Forum heard how our town is Sydney House car parks on Saturday desperately short of space to grow: afternoons and other free days which unlike smaller villages, Torrington has no apply to Sydney House Car Park only, village hall with a large enough space for resulting in angry visitors receiving activities. parking tickets because of this anomaly. As many new houses are planned to On the18th December I attended the be built in Great Torrington, suggestions Internal Overview Scrutiny meeting at on how to tackle this issue and grants Bridge Buildings in Bideford, to speak needed were noted by the Torridge on the decision made previously by District Council Leisure Officer, James the Community Resource Committee, Jarroudi, who chaired the meeting. Also

discussed at this meeting were the topics of cleanliness and the entry prices of the 1610 facilities in the town, especially at the sports hall in the School, all this to be brought forward for action . The next meeting of this Forum is on the 21st March in the Castle Hill Conference room at 7pm, come and join us if you need help with grants and advice. Get your voice heard and together we can make a difference. Cllr Margaret Brown, 01805 624375

Let’s Talk Torrington Support

he group Let’s Talk Torrington takes place every Tuesday at 12-2pm and is run by two qualified counsellors. Our aim is to support people living with mental health issues such as depression, anxiety or loneliness and to help them towards a happier and healthier future. For more details please telephone Clarity on 01271 267474 or email clarity.northdevon@yahoo.co.uk.

Easter Hall Park Stables RIDING & CARRIAGE DRIVING LESSONS FOR ALL ABILITIES & AGES • Small groups or private lessons • Fully licensed and qualified staff • Indoor and outdoor schools

Services include:

LIVERY • DIY, GRASS, PART & RETIREMENTS

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

Petrockstowe, Devon, EX20 3HP, 01837 810350 www.easterhallpark.co.uk

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

What’s On in Great Torrington?

REGULAR CHURCH SERVICES

At a loose end? Need to find a new hobby or activity? There should be something here for you! If you run a sports club or community activity in Great Torrington or the surrounding area, or the exisiting information we have needs amending, please send details in to: torrington.crier@gmail.com. Monthly diary events are on page 12, making it easier to find what’s on!

Gt Torrington Parish Church Services: Thursdays 10.30am Said Mass, Coffee morning 11am-1pm; Fridays 8.30am Said Mass; Sundays 10am Sung Mass & Sunday Club Encounter. Modern worship, exploring faith, meeting with others. Encounter God. Great coffee and cakes.7pm High Bickington Community Centre. Every second Sunday. Catholic Church of the Holy Family Mass every Sun 9.15am

SUPPORT & FRIENDSHIP GROUPS

CHILDREN’S CLUBS, TODDLER GROUPS & PRE-SCHOOLS

FOODBANK Tuesday 10am-12noon at the Baptist Church and Saturday 10am-12noon at Castle Hill Singing for health, for older people, those with dementia and their carers. 10.30am-12pm, Torrington Community Hospital. £1.50 donation per session. For details call 01805 622666. (First & third Wed of the month) Parkinson’s UK Torridge Branch monthly coffee morning every 1st Wed of the month 10.30am-12.30pm @ Phase 1 Common Room, Ethelwynne Brown Close, East the Water Bideford Men’s Shed: Football Club, School Lane 9am-12.30pm. Come and see us in action, every Tuesday & Thursday. Contact Colin on 01805 624030 Memory Cafe 10.30am -12.30pm, Methodist Church at the top of Mill Street. Every second Thursday Torridge Gingerbread Group, every Monday, 10-12 noon, Bluecoat Centre, Beach Room (usually) email: torridgegingerbreadgroup@outlook.com or find us on

Facebook. U.S. Social Group. Get out and meet new friends. We meet every Monday at 8pm @ the Panniers in Barnstaple (Weatherspoons). The age range is 40 plus. Varied interests including skittles, dancing, meals out etc. Mixed social group for people on their own. ‘Hearing Loss Support Group’ Social group via our bus at Bideford Pill Car Park, (opposite the Burton Art Gallery), every first Thursday of the month between 2 and 4pm. Call 01271 373236 The Jolly Dollies is a social support network for widows, offering support and understanding in a social setting. Meets twice monthly in Torrington. For further information please phone 01271 858685 or go to www.thejollydollies.com to discover more about us. Torrington Friendship Club for town residents - over 65. Weekly social event, every Thursday Methodist Church Hall 2-4pm. Contact Margaret Woodman 01805 622096

HEALTH, SPORT & FITNESS (ADULTS & CHILDREN) Torrington Police Amateur Boxing Club training above TVSC, Mondays 6.15pm boxers; Tuesdays 6.30pm Recreational boxers (fitness); Wednesdays 6.30pm carded boxers only; Thursdays 6.30pm Recreational boxers (fitness), Fridays 6.15pm boxers; Saturdays 9.30-11am Junior BoxFit (6 to 10 year olds) Running club every Monday & Wednesday at 6.15pm meet at GTS gym Rugby Training 6.30-8.30pm every Wednesday Wendy’s Fitness for Life classes every Thursday at the Scout Hall Gas Lane 07787 607 322 Slimming World Join us at Howe Concert Hall, Castle Street. Tuesdays 5:30 & 7:30pm. Thursdays 9.30am,11.30am & 5.30pm. Lisa 07515 256 965 Junior Golf Training every Sat 9-10am @ Libbaton Golf Club Fitness with Friends: Castle Community Centre Torrington, gentle exercise class, every Monday weekly in term time, 2 -3.30pm, £3 donation, 01805 622666 Badminton Club every Tues 7-8pm juniors, adults 8-9pm @ High Bickington Community Centre 01769 561387 Short Mat Bowls 2-4pm every Mon & Thurs @ High Bickington Community Centre. Short Mat Bowling at the Clubhouse, Castle Street. Every Monday and Friday 2pm or 6pm. Visitors will be made most welcome. Secretary John Pitts 01805 439100 or visit www.

greattorringtonbowlingclub.co.uk Hatha Yoga Thursdays 10-11.30am, Castle Community Centre, South Street, Torrington, 01805 93812 or 07789 020 668. Email: ruthchambers@gmail.com Pilates in Yarnscombe on Mondays & Tuesdays, contact: Sue 07896 326 024 email sue.spiritunleashed@gmail.com Function Fitness classes 01805 622719: Mondays: X-fit 7am, Spin 9.30am, Total Balance 10.30am, Spin 5.30pm, Pump 45 6.30pm, Hiit circuits 7.30pm Tuesdays: Pump 9.30am, Spin 6.00pm, Legs, Bums, Tums 7pm Wednesdays: X-fit 7am, Spin 9.30am, Youth Inductions 3.45pm, Boxfit 6pm, Ergo rowing circuit 7pm Thursdays: Pump 9.30am, Barre Concept 5.30pm, Spin 6.30pm, Pump 45 7.30pm Fridays: X-fit 7am, Spin 9.30am, Kettlebells & bars 10.30am, Spin 6pm, Pole Fitness 7pm Saturdays: Spin 8am, Pump 9am, Barre Concept 10.15am Sundays: Sunday Circuit 8am, Spin/core/stretch 9am Pilates with Lou Banfield ‘LB Movement’ @ Function Fitness: Mondays 12.15pm & 1.30pm, Tuesdays 6pm & 7pm, Wednesdays 1.30pm, 5.45pm & 6.45pm, Fridays 10.30am Authentic Wado-Ryu Karate-Do “Ken Shu Kan”, Function Fitness. Classes for beginners Mondays 7-7.45pm (12yrs+) Thursdays 6-6.45pm (6-11yrs) & 7-7.45pm (12yrs+) Saturdays 1.30-2.15pm (12yrs+), www.devonwadoryu.co.uk

TORRIDGE VALE SOCIAL CLUB Families Welcome

Cash Bingo on Mondays • Darts • Pool Skittles • Snooker • BT Sports & SKY Large function room for parties/weddings Karaoke every 3rd Saturday of the month Plus other entertainment 14

Contact Sharon 01805 622543

1st Torrington Rainbows at Torrington Rugby Club every Monday term time 6.15-7.15pm l torringtondistrictguiding@ talktalk.net 1st Torrington Brownies at Torrington Rugby Club every Mon term time 6.30-8pm Kathryn Masterson 01805 623212 torringtondistrictguiding@talktalk.net 3rd Torrington Brownies at Torrington Baptist Hall, every Wed term time 6.30-8pm Emma Keil torringtondistrictguiding@talktalk.net Beaford Guides at Beaford School Tuesdays term time only 7.15pm till 8.45pm Bridget Wade 07830 797 050 or email BeafordGuides@outlook.com Beaford Rainbows will meet at Beaford school on Tuesdays 4.15 till 5.15pm for more information please contact Leanne 07842344302 or Email rainbows@girlguidingbeaford.co.uk Beaford Brownies meet at Beaford School on Tuesdays 5.30pm till 7pm contact Bridget Wade on 07830 797 050 or email beafordbrownies@outlook.com 1st Torrington Guides at Torrington Rugby Club every Tues 7-8.30pm Linda Masterson 01805 623212 1st.torrington. guides@gmail.com SCOUTS IN TORRINGTON - All Scouts groups meet at the Scout Hall, Gas Lane. Contact for all groups is Kirsty Pells on 07887 557 574 or email kirsty.pells@btinternet.com 1st Torrington Beaver Scouts (age 6-8) meet during term

Torrington Methodist Church, please see diary section. Grosvenor Church Torrington, The Plough10.30am, with an exciting children’s programme. Every Sunday. Tim 07798 670 754. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints meet @ Bradford Village Hall, Holemoor, Bradford, Holsworthy, EX22 7AB. Sunday Sacrament service 10-11am Torrington Baptist Church, please see diary section.

time on Tuesdays 6-7:30pm. 1st Torrington Cub Scouts (age 8-10) meet during term time on Mondays 6-7:30pm 1st Torrington Scouts (age 10-14) meet during term time on Monday 7:30-9pm. Youth Club for 11+ 5-7pm @ High Bickington Community Centre ALLSORTS Children’s Club at Bluecoat Primary School, Fridays, 6.30-8pm. School years 1-6. Phone Morag on 01805 625510 ALLSORTS Plus Youth Club at Bluecoat Primary School, Fridays, 8-9.15pm. School years 6 and upwards. Phone Morag on 01805 625510 Little Otters Baby & Toddler Group, every Friday, 9am11.30am, at The Clinton Hall, Merton Little Fishes Toddler Group at Baptist Church every Thurs term time 9.30am -11.30am £1.50 per family. Jill 01805 624387 Toddler Group 9.30-11am every Thurs @ High Bickington Community Centre Little Frogs sessions Mon – Fri 8.45am-3.45pm term time, Gas Lane, Torrington, contact - 07870 509 674 Little Otters Pre-School, at The Clinton School, Merton MonThurs, 9am till 3.30pm, with lunch club 12–1pm, term time. For more details 01805 603357 admin@clinton.devon.sch.uk

LEISURE, HOBBIES & ENTERTAINMENT (ADULTS & CHILDREN) Plough Workshops: every Monday: Yoga 6:30-8pm; Folk Orchestra 7-9pm; every Tuesday: Yoga 2:30-4pm; Adults ballet 6:30-7:30pm; Ploughcappella 7:30-9pm; every Thursday: French Conversation with Sylvie Guers 6-7pm; Sapta Dance 11am-12:30pm; Tai Chi 2.15-3.15pm. every second Thursday Open Mouth Music & Poetry 8pm; every Friday: Sarah Anne Westcott School of Dance 4-7.15pm; Art on Friday, twice per month 10.30am-2pm; every Saturday: Plough Youth Theatre 9:45am-5:15pm; first Sunday of the month: Plough Story Telling Circle 2.30-5.30pm Bideford Camera Club meets on Tuesdays, 7:30pm, at Bideford Methodist Hall, 60 High Street, Bideford. Phone: 01237 421391, email: enqs@bidefordcameraclub.co.uk. Taddiport Tea Dance 2-4pm Doug 01805 622648 Beryl 01805 624294 all welcome (every second Saturday) Tai Chi 12.30pm every Thursday, Torrington Community Hospital. Ageing Well on 01805 622666. £2.50 donation Cribbage pairs comp, third Wed of the month, Torrington Arms 8pm Tarka Pottery Adult Pottery Classes every Thursday in term time:10-12 noon, 1.30-3.30pm and 7-9pm 07931 306 414. Every Tuesday in term time: 10-12 noon and 7-9pm t: 07931 306 414 Papercrafts & scrapbooking club every Thursday 7-9.30pm, The Owl Barn Studio, EX22 7LW, £2 bring your own project or try something new, 07853 319 250 or owlbarnstudio@ btinternet.com English Folk Dancing 8pm every Fri @ Northam Village Hall with Bideford Ceilidh Club. Info John 01237 476632 Writers Poets & Listeners every first Thursday 7.30pm Conservative Club Tarka Valley Railway. Volunteers meet every Thursday from 9am till about 3pm at Torrington Station (the Puffing Billy), unless weather is appalling. Variety of tasks. 07881 905 260. Bingo at St Giles Parish Hall, eyes down at 7.30pm, last

Thursday of the month Torrington Craft Group, every Monday 1-4pm in the Methodist Church Hall £10 per month or £3.50 per session including refreshments, Jeanne Singleton 01805 622650 Torrington Silver Band practice Mon & Weds 8-9.30pm @ Howe Concert Hall Nick Megson 01805 622150 Cash Bingo TVSC 7.30pm every Mon Hobbies Arts & Crafts Group Langtree Parish Hall every Tues 10.30-12.30pm £1.50 inc tea & coffee Sylvie 01805 601485 Probus Club meets at the Black Horse, High Street, Torrington, 10am. Every fourth Thursday. Torrington Rotary Club meet weekly on Tuesdays at Torrington Golf Club (6pm for 6:30pm) - Secretary Rick Smale on 01805 622419. Prospective members, and members from other Rotary Clubs most welcome. Learn Bellringing for free: Most Mondays 7.30pm at Monkleigh Church and Wednesday, 7.30pm at Torrington Church, contact - Clive Ward 0771078 885 or monk2364@icloud.com Art on Friday meets every second and fourth Friday at The Plough Arts Centre 10.30am-2.30pm. New members always welcome. Contact Hazel 01805 623757. Great Torrington WI meets second Wednesday of each month excluding June (outing) & August (picnic). 7pm at the Methodist Rooms. Visitors & new members welcome. Phoenix Line Dancing Club. New beginner/improver line dance classes at Weare Gifford Village Hall Tuesdays 7.309.30pm. All ages and abilities welcome. Ian 07833 720 050 or Marilyn 07825 278 405 Bideford Folk Dance Club 7.30pm Wednesdays in term time at Northam Hall. Further details from Chris on 01237 423554 Torridge Ramblers walk footpaths in the Torridge area with additional walks further afield. For details of the programme contact 01805 625485 or 01237 429080

be hot! with

Slimming World

Howe Concert Hall, Castle Street, Torrington • Every Tuesday 5.30pm & 7.30pm • Every Thursday 9.30am, 11.30am & 5.30pm Contact Lisa 07515 256 965 slimmingworld.co.uk

Diary

To place an entry in the diary, please either email torrington.crier@gmail.com, call 01805 603152, or write your entry in the diary on the Library counter.

February 2019 Friday 1st

Plough Films: Nae Pasaran (12A) 6pm; Lizzie (15) 8pm Pub Quiz. Stuart Davey is hosting a light hearted quiz at the Torrington Arms. £2 per person teams of 4 to 6 people. Lots of exciting raffle prizes to be won! Call the Torrington Arms to reserve your table on 01805 622280. Cash prize to the winning team.

Saturday 2nd

Plough Music: Swann Songs 8pm Breakfast rolls, coffee and cake 10am to noon, meat raffle, 1st prize £25, 2nd prize £15, takeaway available. In aid of Weare Giffard Village hall refurb/rebuild.

Sunday 3rd

Plough Films: We the Uncivilized (nc) 3pm; Lizzie (15) 7pm Torrington Methodist Church Rev Rob Blackhall Covenant Service 10.30am, Rev Andrew Vidamour 6.30pm

Tuesday 5th

Plough Film: A Star is Born (15) 8pm

Wednesday 6th

Plough Film: Polina (12A) 8pm Devon Sensory Outreach Bickford Centre 11-3pm

Thursday 7th

Plough Film: Mary Poppins Returns (U) 7pm

Friday 8th

Plough Films: Polina (12A) 5:30pm; The Favourite (15) 8pm Plough Comedy: George Lewis: A Man, A Plan, A Girl With Fake Tan at The George, South Molton 8pm

Saturday 9th

Plough Music: Ma Bessie & Her Blues Troupe + Support: Rag and Moan Men 8pm Beaford Village Hall Market 10.30am to 12.30am tasty breakfast baps, coffee and cake and a chance to buy from a range of stalls. Car washing £5. New stall holders welcome, please ring 01805 603199 or 01805 603046 for details.

Sunday 10th

Plough Films: Mary Poppins Returns (U) 3pm; The Favourite (15) 7pm Hearty Breakfast Clinton Hall Merton, adults £5, child £2 (under 11 ). Raffle with a mystery prize. Raising funds for Merton playground phase 2. Torrington Methodist Church 10.30am, Local arrangement, 6.30pm Rev Rob Blackhall

Tuesday 12th

Plough Films: The House by the Sea (12A) 5:30pm; Nae Pasaran (12A) 8pm

Wednesday 13th

Plough Film: The House by the Sea (12A) 8pm Great Torrington WI 7pm at The Methodist Rooms Louise Brown, Hallmarking. Visitors most welcome.

Thursday 14th

Plough Walk: Bygone Brothel Walking Tour of Barnstaple at St. Anne’s, Barnstaple 7.30pm Plough Music: Valentine’s Night with The Snake David Band. Cabaret seating (diners only) + seats on balcony for non-

0344 897 8000

diners 8.30pm Plough Music & Poetry: Open Mouth Music and Poetry (in the Gallery) 8pm BINGO at Beaford village hall! Doors open 7pm, eyes down 7.30pm. Bar, tea and coffee available. Free parking and cash prizes. Second Thursday of every month

(U) 2pm; Bumblebee (PG) 5pm; SpiderMan: Into the Spiderverse (PG) 8pm

Thursday 21st

Plough Theatre: Townsend Productions: ‘The Great Unrest – Mary Macarthur And The Chain-Makers’ 8pm

Friday 22nd

Friday 15th

Plough Workshop: Play-in-a-Day: Wonderland (8-12 yrs) 10am – 4pm Plough Music: Space + Support: Morning Glory (Standing Gig + Bookable Balcony Seats) 8pm; The Blackheart Orchestra at St. Anne’s, Barnstaple 8pm

Saturday 16th

Plough Music: Dire Streets 8pm; Jake’s Progress 2019 – An Evening Without Jake Thackray at The George, South Molton 8pm

Sunday 17th

Plough Films: Stan & Ollie (PG) 3pm; Colette (15) 5pm; Mary Queen of Scots (15) 7pm Plough Music: Rosa Rebecka (In The Gallery) 7.30pm Torrington Methodist Church 10.30am & 6.30pm Rev Rob Blackhall

MARCH COPY DEADLINE 12 NOON TODAY Plough Music: Jamie Smith’s Mabon 8pm Plough Exhibition Preview: Joy Wolfenden-Brown Plough Films: Mary Poppins Returns (U) 5pm; The Favourite (15) 8pm Plough Music: Jason Donovan & His Amazing Midlife Crisis at RHS Garden Rosemoor 8pm Plough Exhibition: Joy WolfendenBrown Plough Films: Mary Poppins Returns (U) 3pm; A Star is Born (15) 7pm Torrington Methodist Church 10.30am, Beverley Bedford, 6.30pm Rev Lynne Burgon

Monday 18th

Plough Films: Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse (PG) 3pm; Stan & Ollie (PG) 5:30pm Mary Poppins Returns (U) 7:30pm

Tuesday 19th

Plough Films: Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse (PG) 5pm; Mary Poppins Returns (U) 8pm

Wednesday 20th

Plough Films: Mary Poppins Returns

Saturday 23rd

Sunday 24th

Monday 25th

Plough Films: Bumblebee (PG) 5:30pm; Colette (15) 8pm

Tuesday 26th

Plough Films: The Mule (15) 5:30pm; Mary Queen of Scots (15) 8pm

Thursday 28th

Plough Films: Mary Queen of Scots (15) 5pm; The Mule (15) 8pm Plough Walk: Ghost Walk No 1: Town Centre at St. Anne’s, Barnstaple 7.30pm Plough Music: A Retro Musical Soiree (In The Gallery) 8.15pm

Bluecoat Go All Out for The Blue Cross

he parents and children of Bluecoat C of E Primary School were very generous last year, and filled a van full of muchneeded food, toys and treats for the Tiverton Blue Cross Animal Rescue Centre.This year, they doubled their efforts and provided another van load of provisions for the North Devon Animal Ambulance, in addition to the Blue Cross. The donations were added to by other establishments including Witten Park Vets, Bradworthy Primary and St. Margarets in Northam. Jasmine Ayres, ardent supporter of the Blue Cross and teacher at Bluecoat, made the deliveries to the centres on the weekend before Christmas and commented, “I was rewarded with doggy snuggles and cat kisses from lots of animals. At the Blue Cross, I met Benny, a lovely young lurcher who has been at the centre for quite some time despite being so friendly and happy, and Diana Lewis had arranged for me to meet the animals at the NDAA clinic in Pottington, Barnstaple. Sadly, there were so many of them to meet. I saw a beautiful ginger and white cat who stayed curled up in a ball for the duration of my visit, and I was told he had been put in a cat carrier and left in a car park one evening in the freezing cold”. Both centres were overwhelmed with gratitude by the donations. Amy Brown, from the Blue Cross, emailed to say “Thank you so much for all your donations. We will be putting some photos on Facebook soon of the animals enjoying all their gifts – I’ve attached a few of some of the pets opening shoeboxes here for you to enjoy in the meantime! Hopefully you recognise some of your boxes? Thanks as ever for your continued support – we couldn’t do the work we do without donations like yours!” The kindness shown to these abandoned animals by the children and adults of Torrington is, we hope, a reflection of the safe and caring environment of our school. Bluecoat C of E Primary School

Appledore Singers Raising Funds for Charity

he annual ‘Charity Christmas Concert’ by the Appledore Singers raised the splendid sum of £750 for the local charity, ‘Families in Grief’ and we’d like to thank all those involved, who made it such a success. We welcome new members, so if you’re interested in joining this local ladies’ choir, then contact our Musical Director, Pam Beechey on 01237 420652, who’ll give you all the information you need.

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Get Outdoors with Friends of Berry Castle!

s with any New Year, along comes the evaluation of the past year and making plans for the upcoming months. Having achieved a number of our goals, such as the clearance of the trees, erecting information boards and excavating areas of the site, the Friends of Berry Castle are no different. We’ve been considering where our group will be heading in 2019 and are developing some ideas, which we are very excited about. As well as offering a range of visits to historical sites, we want to become more involved in the research and surveying of sites, assisting Historic England in their work. We hope that this will offer a new perspective to our usual visits, providing an opportunity for supporters to not only gain an understanding of a site, but also help gather information about its condition. Our intended approach will be more ‘outdoors’ based, involving walks and even local restoration community projects, within the Torridge area. Whether you have an interest in history, or just like getting outdoors for a stroll, the Friends of Berry Castle could be the group for you. Our supporters have a range of backgrounds and ages and are very welcoming. If you are feeling more energetic, then maybe one of our site maintenance mornings would be of interest to you. We intend to begin these in March, where the focus will be on removing saplings from the monument. It’s fairly easy work, for any age or fitness level, and any volunteers will be welcomed. Just bring some gardening gloves and a flask and join our dedicated team in the fresh air. Details will be on our ‘events’ page on our website. www.berycastlehuntshaw. com Our AGM is coming up on Saturday 9th February, 3pm, at the Cranford Inn, please come along and hear, in more detail, about what we have planned for this year. The group values the support it receives and we would like to hear your ideas. Is there a site you’ve visited, which you think others would enjoy, or even a place which you would like to visit, in the future? Do you have a project, which we could assist you with? The AGM is the place to put these ideas forward, as we’d like to know what our supporters want from our group. Other dates for your diary are our visit to Court Castle motte and bailey (Winkleigh) for a snowdrop walk, on Saturday 16th February; a historical walk around Torrington on Saturday 6th April; an Easter Egg Hunt on Friday 19th April, where children (and the young at heart) can join us at Berry Castle, for an egg hunt and quiz. Further dates will be added to our website, as the year progresses. If you are interested in joining us for any of our walks and visits, please email berrycastle1@outlook.com for times and further details. We hope to see you at our AGM and hear your ideas. Friends of Berry Castle

Boys’ Toys Need a New Home?

t’s time to dust off those boxes of well-worn Corgi and Dinky diecast models parked permanently in the loft, as the toy car market is buoyant and hungry for more if the sale results from the 24th November Great Torrington Auction event in the town is anything to go by! Lots of cars from the 1950’s and 60’s performed exceptionally well, with eager buyers trying to outdo each other. What a joy it was for the little boy in me to be reminded of the 1960’s simple pleasures of crashing similar toy cars into each other on our newly laid parquet wooden floor, much to the horror of my Mum! Not to be outdone, Meccano, Scalextric and the more modern Warhammer also did well, proving that ‘boys’ toys’ are very clearly still a thing! In a sale that also saw high-end original art achieve excellent, affordable prices, I would also like to say a huge thank you for the generosity of the good people of Torrington and everyone else at the auction who enthusiastically bid for the legacy lots of crystal and framed tapestries being sold for Cancer Research and the RSPCA. Well done to all for making sure every charity lot was sold. Forget the winter cold and look forward to spring cleaning, see what is gathering dust in your loft that could be in the next auction. Contact Wanye on 07414 173 673 or auctioneer@greattorringtonauctions. com for advice on any items that need to be sold.

Please remember to support our local businesses and ‘Think Local First’! To feature in these pages is free for advertisers, please contact Esther Williams on torrington.crieradverts@gmail.com for information.

A Warm Welcome at Abbeyfield

ell, what can we say? The residents and staff have had a wonderful Christmas at Glen Tor. We’ve eaten gorgeous food and of course had a sherry or two! We had lots of welcomed visitors to the house, Brian, Elaine and Mary to name but a few. 2019 is promising to be a busy year with lots planned at the house, including outings going to Dartington glass, shopping and Little Torrington Panto. Look out for our Easter coffee morning dates. We offer Tai Chi on Saturdays, talks every 3rd Monday, religious services every 2nd Wednesday and lots more! If you would like to be part of any of these give the house a call for more information on 01805 623605 As always we would like to take this opportunity to give a massive thank you to all our volunteers and staff who go above and beyond every time. Glen Tor wouldn’t be what it is without you.

Playgrounds, safety surfacing and more!

K Play is very proud to have been chosen to modernise and improve the play area in Beaford. Following a consultation and tender process we successfully completed the installation on time back in November. Since then we’re very pleased to learn that the children really enjoy playing on the specialist Cantilever swing, and the even more popular Birds Nest Tree which allows children to climb and play around 4 large baskets elevated at different heights. Below the equipment and along the pathways is a fantastic safety surface, similar to rubberised mulch, which absorbs falls and is also soft to run and walk on. Based near Torrington, we’re a local family run business with over 25 years’ experience in the playground industry. Our reputation has meant that we have won many playground contracts locally and throughout the UK. Recently we’ve completed new playground areas and revamped existing ones locally for Parish Councils, North Devon District Council in Barnstaple and Ilfracombe and even a large Multi-Use Games Arena (MUGA) in North Tawton. Details of our projects can be found on our brand new website. Take a look on www.tkplay.co.uk for a lot more details and photos of both large and small projects. Our key focus is to ensure your children are kept safe and entertained when in their play areas, on quality playground equipment. Get in touch with us for more details about our play area equipment or safety surfacing on 01805 625235 or visit our website www.tkplay.co.uk.

Upholstery Services

fter 15 wonderful years in the classroom inspiring teenagers to be the best they could be, I decided to take the plunge and turn my hobby into a business. Thus, A J Humphries Upholstery Studio was established and then moved to the beautiful Devon countryside; realising my dreams of running my own business in my most favourite part of the UK. Everything I do is bespoke to the needs of the client; from the planning process to completing a piece, I make sure my client is fully involved. Every new piece I get to work on is as exciting as the last, whether it is a full restoration of a beautiful antique fireside chair, or a recover of a modern armchair, and I cannot think of anything better than seeing the smiles on my clients’ faces when they get to see their finished piece. There is nothing quite like the feeling of knowing that I have extended the life of a much loved item, restoring it to its former glory or giving it a complete new look. Not everyone gets to turn a passion into a career, I feel very lucky. Amanda Humphries A J Humphries Upholstery Studio 07917 680 475, info@ajhupholstery. co.uk, www.ajhupholstery.co.uk

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Foods Ltd. In August 1979 the Milk Marketing Board purchased a large share of Unigate’s interests, including the Torrington factory, and the dairy became Dairy Crest Foods, Torrington. The last milk churns were used at this time and all deliveries in future were to be by bulk-tanker. A major rebuilding programme was undertaken, which included a new separating and buttermaking area and cold storage, and £5.3 million was invested to enable the whole process to be achieved on a continuous enclosed production line, all controlled by computer. It was one of the most modern milk processing plants in the country producing butter, milk-based desserts and skimmed milk powder. In the 1980s the factory employed 230 production staff and 100 drivers. To be continued in the March Crier. Moira Brewer

Torrington RFC

icking up where we left off for our and been visited by North Tawton on the two tickets for each of the Six Nations 19th January. Our fixtures 1stDiary XV in the league. Wewas should at Hatherleigh Community Centre usually kick off clashes between England and France, Mayor’s have travelled to Totnes on 1st at 2.30pm, with the bar open from 1pm and England and Italy; a case of 12 to see many of their residents receive Another hectic month has passed. we are now to show Gallagher due to thethe enornous wines donated by Torrington Rugby Community and Awards. This is able similar to Helen andDecember I have but represented thepitch awards Premiership we have in Torrington, amount of rain had civic fallen, the rugby on the big screen in Club Committee members; large turkey Town at that many which recognise was waterlogged and consequently the bar.people who have donated by Messrs Lancaster, player and events, including Sir Duke here again – wow how made a difference their town. unplayable. The to annual Dave Hickman Memorial family. church services for the quickly goes by! Wellwere Autumn was lovely to at last welcome, Buckfastleigh Ramblers travelledItup match played betweenand Torrington anda month Other prizes donated by: Sherie Chairs of North Devon definitely upon be involvedBideford with, the Induction District in Council and to Donnacroft atrocious conditions. veterans was inofits usual spot Turner-isThe Old Farmhouse Kitchen; us and of Rosemoor; Lawrence MacLean. Weand hope Torridge District Their arrival was delayed due toFather flooded between Christmas New Year. A Hogwash; RHS many Gardens rescue he and30his family will befor very happy inprovided a roads Council. and the game kicked off nearly late surge Torrington Green the Lantern; Wilddogs Wood and Willow; are Deli gaining theirCelia Lancasterour town, and the Church finish Fete as at the We enjoyed a late. trip toIn Bideford to minutes a good game, played nail-biting teams were level Torrington Browns; th winter coats in Vicarage was a good opportunity for us watch their Regatta on 10 in driving rain and and sleet, against an at three points apiece 15 minutes Love Art Design; Sarah Copp-Hooky readiness for the all to meet them. Septemberunusually watchedstrong the spectacular wind that blew from the end, before Torrington Madness; Joanne Dymond; Sandfords onset of Winter! The Co-op and Town Traders Bideford Massed Pipes and Drums, down the pitch Buckfastleigh arranged a Harvest Festival emerged winners 15-3. Bakery;We Yasmin HutchingsBodyworks; have been as in the with visiting bands coming from all over came out on top 17-26 by With scores from former The Big Sheep; Ware’s Butchers. Our busy as ever with Pannier Market on the UK. th which time darkness was 1st XV Captain Craig very grateful thanks to all those who September. three new dogs the 11 Barnstaple Fair is always a wellenveloping the pitch. Hooper, try converted donated This was the first being taken ingenerously who were due to be and put those who supported day, with all the “Chain Ourforce next to journey by Tom Lock.toAsleep second purchased tickets. one organised and I – I don’t really know why as Gang” out in celebrate the have taken us was try was scoredthey by aare lovely and As always, our Clubhouse is available think it will become a very friendly – they tradition ofshould the Fair. The weather to Dartmouth for the last guest player, one of the three May for hire. Your presence is welcome at our regular event on the even like children! kind as we walked around town, whilst game of the year, but sadly, brothers, who along with Tom games too. C’mon Torrie! Torrington calendar. Bruno, our 12-month-old puppy that the declaration of the opening of the Finally, we triedIreland to attend as many players) needs an eye operation, is still Mark Waterson this was not to be as again (all Barnstaple Fair was read. Immediately after the are well Respect, on theofweather had left theirhad pitch Macmillan coffee mornings kindly as lentpossible their skills bouncing to bolster around and we Teamwork, Discipline, formal part the proceedings and in fact ended up going to five! our way to raising the £3,000 needed underwater in places. Torrington’s squad. Sportsmanship and Enjoyment. finished, we dashed down to Newquay. This is a wonderful charity it‘s not extension for his operation. It was time for to put of onthe a ‘posh OurHelen first game New Year Ourand clubhouse plan so underway, well supported. We have been chosen as one of frock’ for on a reception celebrating thefrom surprising that it’s 5th January was a visit is well with permissions After all thoseand coffees we being went to the The three charities to participate in a ‘South West in Saracens, Bloom’ competition. Exeter and in what was tenders sought. plans Soap Kitchen shop to see Lesley and fantastic We still had to wait until the following a hotly contested game in excellent will extend and completely revamp the scheme run by Animal Richard Phillips who celebrated ten Friends Insurance. Basically the day to hearconditions, the results,Torrington and were took proudan early 70th Anniversary lead layout of the Clubhouse, making it a years of business on 30th September. charity that receives the most votes and delighted when it was announced and bolstered it by having a healthy lead much larger facility. A second set of Torridge Vale Social Club Congratulations to you both. gets a whopping £5,000. So come on that the Torrington in Bloom team hadSarries at half time. After the break changing roomsfrom and you showers areyou alsoFacebook fans, please vote for Icame look forward to hearing if all won a Silver Gilt (last year it was & Dairy Reunion out blazing and scored two veryyou quick the plan. This have anincluded event orinanniversary youwill alleviate us, and pass Saturday the word 23rd around to all silver). Thank you to the committee, Febuary tries to rein in Torrington’s advantage; the continual problem of having to share want to tell me about – just call me your friends and family. It is simple to traders and individuals who work so 8.30pm till Late in a hotly contested second half01805 and 1st andor2ndour teams changing together, 625662, secretary, vote, andor costs nothing. Justmeet go to:old friends and hard to enhance our surroundings in Come and with the last the have game, Sarries using the neighbouring footballwww.facebook.com/feelgoodpark changing Pauline at the Council offices on 01805 andnew members Great Torrington. We kick will of soon colleagues, all old and took the points with a win at 32-34. A rooms. This will be a fair while coming to 626135. on the left-hand menu you will see the opportunity of meeting the judges welcome. fruition, but a worthwhile sure. result given the hard work Councillor Richard Rumboldwait I’m ‘Vote for Charity’. Click this and it will to find out disappointing how we can do even better Light refreshments with music by Our now annual 100 excellent play from all concerned. TownChristmas Mayor take you through to a page showing – our next and challenge is GOLD!! Roger Colome and a raffle in aid of charities draw took place on 23rd December at in the scheme. Then click on the time you read this, we should Our last By out-of-town engagement Prostate Cancer UK. have travelled to New Cross on the 12th, Donnacroft clubhouse. Prizes included:

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encouraged by government policy to enlarge the output of home-grown food, and also to build up an export trade, the factory developed far beyond what its founder could have expected. The main products processed at Torridge Vale Dairies were butter, cream, spray and roller dried milk, and the cooling and dispatch of milk for the liquid market, as and when required. Milk production, with a ready and guaranteed market, was increasing and the dairy was growing at considerable speed; by 1939 the peak intake had increased to 10,500 gallons per day. However, workers’ wages hadn’t increased accordingly and they went on strike carrying placards declaring, ‘Support the men who MAKE cream but can never afford to BUY it’. By 1952 intake had risen to 60,000 gallons per day. By the late 1940s a new larger factory building was completed, equipped with modern dairy machinery with far more powerful engines and five new large boilers to produce the steam required. It had one of the largest milk drying process machines in the world, new methods of purification of river water, and the first reinforced concrete chimney in the country which rose to a height of 175 feet (nearly 54 metres). In 1959 the United Dairies merged with Cow & Gate to form Unigate Ltd and, by 1969, the trading name was Unigate

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What is the Derelict Factory in the River Valley Below Torrington? Part One

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he dilapidated industrial building standing forlornly by the River Torridge is the remains of a milk factory that had been there since 1874. It closed in 1993, mainly as a result of milk quotas which had been introduced a decade earlier, and 134 people lost their jobs. For many years it was one of the town’s main employers. The pioneering Torridge Vale Dairy was founded by Robert Sandford, a local greengrocer and entrepreneur, on the site of the old Rolle Canal stores near Taddiport Bridge. The coming of the railway to Torrington in 1872 had seen the end of the canal as a means of transporting goods. The steam-driven cream separator, invented in around 1880, was replacing the work of individual dairy maids and men in the production of butter, extracting cream from considerable quantities of milk daily (200 gallons of milk were being dealt with in an hour). The separated cream was either potted into little Barum Ware jars and sold as rich Devonshire cream, or converted into butter. Milk from Torrington could reach London by train on the same day. Over the years the business prospered, buildings and machinery were enlarged and by 1931 milk was being collected from about 50 farms, peaking at 1,850 gallons per day. In 1932 the dairy became associated with Cow & Gate Ltd and the trading name changed to Torridge Vale Dairies (Devon) Ltd. Stimulated by conditions during the Second World War and

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Fleur’s Gardening Forum - Tree planting

rees are remarkable plants, having many forms and species. They grow practically everywhere on this planet, apart from the high Arctic, the Continent of Antarctica and particularly arid desert regions. They are either deciduous, evergreen or coniferous, some very small, some enormous monuments to botany. The definition of a tree is that it is a large, long-lived perennial, usually with a single stem (the trunk) which tends to divide into branches about a quarter to halfway up, or having branches that grow out from the main trunk without division occurring. Thereafter, these branches sub-divide again and again, creating a canopy of smaller branches and twigs. The best time to plant a tree is during autumn when it is dormant, and when the soil is still warm enough to encourage strong growth before the harsh weather sets in. Bare root specimens are the easiest to establish because they are grown outdoors and are, therefore, much hardier than pot grown specimens. It is also wise, and cheaper, to buy young trees up to about five years old than more mature specimens and, if you are buying a fast growing tree, then a ‘whip’ is cheapest of all (one to two years old) and ideal if you are thinking of planting a copse or a hedge. Whips are also much quicker to plant – make a slit in the earth, pop the

little tree into it and firm in with your heel! Choose your site carefully; some trees prefer shade, some sun, the same as any other plant you purchase – read the label! Do not plant too many trees too close together, they will only compete with each other and you may end up having to remove some as they mature. For bare-root, pot grown or rootball (wrapped in hessian) trees, you will need to prepare the site carefully. Dig a generously wide hole, but no deeper than the height the tree is planted in its pot or where the graft is; bare rooted specimens should be planted at the depth where the trunk begins to grow from the roots. Incorporate some fertiliser and, if you like, some mycorrhizal powder which can aid root formation, sprinkling on to the soil you have removed. Place the tree in the centre of the planting hole - you might need an extra pair of hands for the next bit! Make sure the tree is displayed at its best angle and, most importantly, that it is upright! Whilst keeping the tree upright, gradually fill in the planting hole ensuring that the soil is firmed down as you go – wiggle the tree about a bit and tread in lightly. Once the hole is filled, you can add a tree stake if needed, using a proper tree tie. Lastly, make sure the newly planted tree is well watered in and water regularly in very dry conditions. Fleur

The Snowdrops are Here!

he snowdrops at Higher Cherubeer, open for the charities supported by the National Garden Scheme (NGS), get the year’s garden visiting off to a great start. Devon galanthophile, Jo Hynes, has over 300 types of snowdrop in her one acre garden at Higher Cherubeer, two miles east of Dolton, Devon, EX19 8PP, which is open on Friday 8th February, Friday 15th February and Saturday 23rd February from 2-5pm, for the NGS. The woodland paths are lined with around 400 snowdrop varieties, hellebores and winter flowering shrubs. As well as many other spring flowers, Jo has a National Collection of hardy cyclamen. There will be refreshments and plants on sale including snowdrops. Admission is £4 and children are free. At NGS open gardens the money taken at the gate goes to Macmillan Cancer Support, Marie Curie Cancer Care, Hospices UK, Carers Trust and other nursing and caring charities which are supported by the NGS. The money taken for the teas and plants also goes direct to the charities unless stated otherwise. For more information and see all the gardens opening in 2018 please visit www.ngs.org.uk.

Rosemoor Events

Winter Wonders Garden Trail & Winter Sculpture Exhibition

A seasonal self-guided trail around the key winter highlights of the garden to ensure visitors get the most out of a visit. The Winter Sculpture Exhibition has been freshened up with a high proportion (65%) of new artists. It will also include the commemorative display, marking the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War, of an ‘Unknown Soldier’ and ceramic poppies. Both run until 24th February. Snowdrop Weekend 2nd & 3rd February Guided walks to see Rosemoor’s drifts of snowdrops and early spring flowering bulbs. There will be several specialist nurseries with snowdrops for sale, and an illustrated talk on both days entitled ‘Snowdrops in the Wild’ which deals with most of the wild species, their characters, their habitats and what grows with them. In addition, there will be family craft workshops with Wendy Makes Flowers, where you can make your own paper snowdrops.

Making Tax Digital For VAT - Don’t Leave it Until Last Minute

When and who? VAT registered businesses and organisations with a taxable turnover over the VAT threshold (£85,000) will be required to maintain their accounting records and file their VAT returns using MTD compliant software, from the first VAT period starting on or after 1 April 2019. All businesses need to take action! What action is needed will depend largely on the current arrangements you have in place for bookkeeping and preparation of VAT records. You could, for example, be currently using a software package for bookkeeping. If so, then the action you need to take might be much less than someone who, for example, currently uses manual record systems. Affected businesses and their agents need to sign up for MTD for VAT through an online process. Businesses already using accounting software Although most software will be MTD compliant you should take action to check that this will indeed be the case. It may be necessary to upgrade to the latest version in order for it to be MTD compliant. It is also essential to review your procedures to ensure that the quality of bookkeeping itself will stand up to HMRC scrutiny and the level of detail required by the regulations. Businesses using manual records If you do not currently use accounting software, you will either need to select a package and implement it or ask an agent to complete the work for you. This is a time consuming matter and you should start to make arrangements now if you have not yet done so. Where can you get advice and help? For HMRC guidance: www.gov.uk/government/news/hmrc-publishes-moreinformation-on-making-tax-digital. Speak to an advisor. Berrys Chartered Accountants have produced a help sheet and will be running a series of surgeries. For more information email keith.berry@ berrysaccountants.co.uk or call 01805 628122. Keith Berry FCA Half Term Family Fun 16th – 24th February ‘Eco Super Heroes’ Get your hands dirty with a range of family themed activities, whatever the weather! Including a garden trail and drop-in family craft workshops from 11am 1pm and 2pm - 4pm, Learning Centre

South. Exmoor Zoo’s very own Eco Hero Steve Eddy 20th February (ticketed event) Come and enjoy Exmoor Zoo’s very own award-winning ‘Eco Hero’ Steve Eddy with a collection of wild creatures to touch if you dare!

The Plough Arts Centre in 2019!

Colourful ‘Spiders’ in the Garden

here are few winter flowering shrubs that can surpass the witch hazel (Hamamelis). Spicy fragrance and spidery flowers in yellow, orange and red make it a must for the winter border. These fully hardy shrubs with frost resistant flowers enjoy full sun but will tolerate partial shade (full shade makes them grow straggly). If you have heavy clay, add plenty of organic matter and improve the drainage. They perform best in acid to neutral soils, turning yellow (chlorotic) on shallow chalk but if your soil is not suitable to cultivate these lovely flowering shrubs, then try them in a well-drained large pot of ericaceous (limefree) compost. Make sure the roots do not dry out, as they will shed their flower buds. It is a good idea to mulch the root area in late winter or early spring to help keep in the moisture, and, although they need little feeding, your shrub may benefit from a top dressing of a general balanced fertilizer at the same time. Hamamelis can grow quite large, but do not despair if you have a small garden as they can be pruned and even fan trained on a wall or fence. We have just under 30 cultivars here

at Rosemoor, mainly in the Winter Garden, Woodland Garden and Lady Anne’s Arboretum. In the Winter Garden, one of the earliest is also one of the most intensely coloured; Hamamelis × intermedia ‘Diane’ AGM has deep red, lightly scented flowers. ‘Pallida’ has lovely sulphur-yellow flowers but if you want a deeper yellow, then ‘Arnold Promise’ will flower for much of early spring. In Lady Anne’s Arboretum,

‘Aphrodite’ has gorgeous, orange-yellow blooms and the intense orange flowers of H. ‘Brevipetala’ smother the bare branches through much of early spring. This is the best time to decide which cultivars you would like in your garden; there will be a wide selection available in Rosemoor Plant Centre in the autumn, before they start flowering. Sheila Dearing Garden Technical Services Officer Picture: RHS/Sheila Dearing

Torrington Senior Citizens Group

ur AGM for 2019 is on Wednesday 27th March, 2pm at the Methodist Church. We will elect officers and decide our programme of trips for the year. In December we finished our 2018 events with a Christmas lunch. We were generously provided with raffle prizes by many local traders and are so grateful to: Dartington Glass, Duffy’s Hardware, The Plough, Hogwash, Java Gifts, Craft and Creations, Ian’s Hairdressers, Crafty Needles, Kitch’n’Cupboard, Whiskers Pet Centre, Market Cafe, The Wizen Way, Brown’s Deli, Squires Electrics, John Patt’s, Xanadu, Ware’s Butcher,Coop, Spar, Lloyds Chemist, Sandford Bakery, Green Lantern Bakery, M and S, Wildwood and Willow, Taffs and Fine Floral Designs. John Pitts, Secretary

Appledore Singers Raising Funds for Charity

Visual Arts at the Plough

or the first week of February there is a chance to catch our art installation (A Strange Land) by Laura Porter, which takes as its starting point the arrival of the Huguenots in North Devon, and the downstairs space contains a show of work by people supported by the Northam Care Trust. From Saturday February 16th we are showing paintings by Joy Wolfenden Brown in the main gallery. Joy paints at her home in Cornwall. Her early career was spent working as an Art Therapist, but after raising a family she returned to painting. She has, over the past several years, been represented by Anima Mundi Gallery, St. Ives and Beaux Arts Bath. Joy was first prize winner of the 2012 National Open Art Exhibition and was awarded first prize at the Sherbourne Open. She won the Somerville Painting Prize in 2003 and her work has been acquired for numerous private collections. Joy says, “I return to painting daily in the hope of capturing and recording moments when truth breaks through”. Downstairs we will be showing work by John Lane (1930 - 2012) who was a painter, writer and educationalist. He was Chairman of the Dartington Hall Trust, founding director of the Beaford Arts centre and instrumental in the creation of Schumacher College. We will be holding a John Lane Memorial Event on Friday 15th March at 7pm. Pictured: ‘No Birds’ by Joy Wolfenden Brown

n exciting new Spring/Summer 2019 programme will be with you by the end of the month and it’s bursting with live events and a few famous faces you’re sure to recognise. We’re thrilled to bring you some top comedians this year including: ‘family favourite funnyman’ Patrick Monahan; cultural icon Shappi Khorsandi; comic legend Al Murray as ‘The Pub Landlord’; TV star Angus Deayton and friends, and at the end of March two nights with world famous Jack Dee! There’s certainly a lot to look forward to already this year, with musical highlights to include ‘Flash: A Tribute to Queen’ rocking in at the end of March and ‘The Beach Boys Tribute Band’ in early summer at the beautiful RHS Garden Rosemoor. Springtime is packed with folk music from Scottish band ‘Manran’ and multiple BBC Folk Award winner ‘Jon Boden and The Remnant Strings’, to West Country folk-rock duo ‘Sound Of The Sirens’ and award-winning folk musician, dancer and composer ‘Hannah James’ with cellist ‘Toby Kuhn’ at our venue in South Molton – The George. Our gallery gigs continue to entertain and inspire this year, promoting some of the best local talent around and there are plenty of workshops planned to keep kids and adults creative and entertained through the summer. Don’t miss the chance to catch one of our upcoming theatre shows – we’ve got several showcasing breath-taking productions and creative storytelling the whole family will enjoy.

Why is Chocolate Bad for Dogs?

here is a toxic ingredient in chocolate called theobromine (a bit like caffeine) which is poisonous to dogs. It’s naturally found in cacao beans. The amount of theobromine typically depends on the type of chocolate. Darker, purer varieties tend to have the highest levels but it’s also found in milk chocolate. The bottom line is dogs and chocolate don’t mix. What to do if your dog eats chocolate? Urgent treatment may be needed if your dog has eaten chocolate so please contact your vet as soon as possible for advice. It will assist your vet if you can tell them how much chocolate your dog ate, what type it was and when your dog ate it. This will enable them to work out whether your dog has eaten a toxic dose and what treatment they’re likely to need. How much chocolate can a dog eat? Our advice is not to give any to your dog. However, if they have managed to eat some these are some guidelines you need to be aware of: Firstly, you need to know how heavy your dog is. Theobromine doses in the region of 100-150 milligrams per kilogram of bodyweight are toxic to dogs, so if you have a Labrador weighing 30kg, as little as 3000mg of theobromine could be fatal. You’ll find 3000mg of theobromine in one 500 gram bar of dark or 170 grams of baking chocolate, which is often less than a single bar. What happens if a dog eats chocolate?

Chocolate poisoning mainly affects For more information and pet care the heart, central nervous system advice, visit www.vets-now.com/pet-careand kidneys. Symptoms usually occur advice, or contact your local vet. between four and 24 hours after your Article & image courtesy of Vets Now dog has eaten chocolate. The effect and signs of chocolate poisoning in dogs Get Together Friends depends on the amount Dates for February eaten and the size of *Sunday 24th - Beetle Drive at the the breed. For example, Bickford Centre 2- 4pm. We have a a Labrador-sized dog couple of spare places. Please book in that’s eaten 200g of milk chocolate is likely to have advance. No charge but remember your tea. a stomach upset such as ‘bring and share’ th * Monday 25 Film at the Plough vomiting and diarrhoea. (date and the film to be confirmed ). At 500g, it’s likely that cardiovascular Watch the notice board in the Bickford problems and increased heart rate will be Centre for details. Start time 2pm, cost seen. Eating 750g may result in seizures. £3.50 to include a cup of tea or coffee Treatment There is no antidote to theobromine. In and a piece of cake. * Tuesday 26th - Lunch will be at the most cases, your vet will make your dog Royal Exchange, 12.45 for 1pm, cost vomit. They may wash out the stomach £7.50. Contact Marcia or Val for menu and feed activated charcoal which will choices, booking and payment. absorb any theobromine left in the Thank you to the Puffing Billy intestine. Other treatments will depend for hosting our Christmas Lunch in on the signs your dog is showing. December, and to the Black Horse for They may also need intravenous fluids our lunch in January both were very (a drip), medication to control heart rate, enjoyable meals. Congratulations to the blood pressure and seizure activity. With management, chef and all the staff. prompt intervention and treatment, the Marcia and Val would like to send prognosis for a poisoned dog is usually their thanks to all the members who good — even in those who have eaten contributed to the Christmas Party in large amounts. the Torridge Vale Social Club; it was a Is cocoa powder dangerous to dogs? very pleasant afternoon. Dry cocoa powder contains up to Marcia and Val can be contacted at 26mg of theobromine per gram so is the Bickford Centre in South Street, on highly toxic to dogs. If you have a dog Wednesday mornings between 10am weighing 10kg, as little as a few grams and noon. of cocoa powder could potentially result The club phone number is Marcia’s in your dog suffering seizures. Drinking mobile number 07881 875 846. chocolate should also be avoided.

communal woodland. Other examples include World War 1 commemoration events, landing arlier in the year Devon County lights for Devon Air Council and Torridge District Ambulance to operate Council set up a £60,000 joint at night, leaflets to fund to encourage parishes to work help a town become more closely together. Grants may be for capital or revenue costs, or for a new dementia friendly project or service. Registered charities, and money to support community magazines. social enterprises, “So far this year around £32,000 Lead Member for voluntary and nothas been allocated for a wide Communities and for-profit community variety of projects.” Leader of Torridge groups are also District Council encouraged to apply, Councillor Jane Whittaker said: through their town or parish councils. “I’m really proud that the Council The fund was launched by Devon are able to offer so many varied ways County Council and is managed locally in which communities can apply for by Torridge. DCC is providing one funding for projects - be it Councillor pound for every elector in the district Grants, New Homes Bonus money or and Torridge is topping up this amount the Communities Together Funding. by 10 pence per elector, bringing the Hopefully we can encourage community total fund to over £60,000 for 2018/19. groups and parishes to make full use This is another valuable addition to of all the money available. Although the Torridge’s own standalone New last year’s funding was very successful Homes Bonus Community Grants and there was still around £6,000/10% not Councillor grants schemes with both offering further opportunities for funding. allocated at the end. Time to get busy applying!” So far this year around £32,000 has The Fund is allocated on a town/ been allocated for a wide variety of parish basis. To find out whether your projects. These range from the more area has money available, or to discuss mundane, but essential, replacement other possible sources of grants, of fire doors in a village hall to some please email leisure@torridge.gov.uk or which might take years to mature, telephone 01237 428700. such as the planting of trees on

Communities Together Fund Still Open For Applications £30,000 Up For Grabs! Adopters in Devon Have a Choice! Information Event at The Plough Saturday 9th February

atest figures show that the number of children waiting for adoption continues to rise in the UK. As a local, specialist adoption agency and charity, Families for Children, want to remind potential adopters that they do still have a choice as to who they adopt through and want to highlight our unique services. We are a specialist adoption agency, independent of the Local Authorities and we understand the trauma and neglect that many of the children waiting to be adopted have suffered, and the effects this can have on the child and whole family, some of which can be unknown for many years. We want to let potential adopters know what makes a good adopter, and talk to them about the skills they will need to parent an adopted child. Whilst we offer the same assessment as Local Authority Agencies we can offer bespoke support packages for the whole family should they need it after adoption. When you adopt through us we promise to be with you every step of the way. Our expertise helps to prepare you for becoming an adopter; the challenges you will face, but also the rewards you will receive. As adoption specialists – we get it! Our record cannot be wrong - we have successfully placed over 600

children in the past 25 years. If you are interested in finding out more, please come to our information event at The Plough Arts Centre, 9-11 Fore Street, Great Torrington, EX38 8HQ

on Saturday 9th February from 11am to 1pm or contact Families for Children today on 01271 612004

Why Advertise in The Crier?

• 5900 copies delivered door-to-door in Torrington, across the rural district and through Lidls, readership 14,500 • FREE entry into our new online business directory for regular advertisers • Every issue can be viewed online with clickable adverts to your website • FREE editorial on our ‘Think Local’ page • FREE colour cover advert with 5 large adverts booked • Your special offers promoted for FREE on our Facebook page Torrington & District Community News & Events • Affordable rates and FREE design of your advert

Wood Versus Coal & Chimney Liners

t’s funny how misconceptions and misunderstandings can easily take root and become the accepted norm. Let’s take chimney liners, in particular stainless steel flexible liners. Speak to many in the trade and you will hear it stated that 316 grade liners are only suitable for wood, and that you must fit a 904 grade liner if you want to burn coal. Now look at this: a typical 316 grade stainless steel liner has a designation code of: T600 N1 D V3 L50012G. The T600 means it has been tested for a maximum operating temperature of 600 degrees centigrade. The N1 shows it is designed for negative pressure, as expected in normal chimney draught. D states that it is suitable for dry use only and not for condensing. The V designation is the corrosion resistance of the liner. Oil and wood can have a V2 designation and for solid fuel in needs to be V3. The L designation is the liner material with L50 being the best quality available. The 012 is the thickness of the material, in this case 0.12mm. The G means it has been tested to withstand a soot fire. Now compare this to a 904 grade liner from the same manufacturer: T600 N1 D V3 L50012G. You see they are exactly the same. From this you can see that the 316 grade liner is just as suitable for burning coal as the 904 grade liner. It is true that there is more Nickel, Manganese and Copper in the 904 grade liner and therefore it should be more corrosion resistant but, they are no match for the concentrated sulphuric acids created when burning coal or hydrochloric acids formed from burning

plastic or salty driftwood. But, before you go thinking you can burn just a little bit of coal and it will be okay, just consider it would be the same as saying just a small amount of paint

stripper on your car’s paintwork will be okay too. Quoting Mamore senior chimney sweep: “Here’s the problem: We have come across many flexi liners that have

corroded in a very short time from new (2 to 3 years!!). The flue gases and soot from smokeless coal is very corrosive. It attacks your stove, your liner and any other metal it comes into contact with. Your stove manufacturer may indicate that smokeless fuel can be burnt on their stoves. The flexi liner manufacturer may indicate that smokeless fuel can be used with their liners. Your coal supplier may tell you that it’s fine to burn smokeless fuel on a multi-fuel stove. We can tell you that if you burn smokeless fuel with a stainless steel liner you WILL be replacing it far sooner rather than later! Our best advice: do not burn smokeless fuel with a steel liner!!” This concurs with our own experience. When the 904 grade liner first came out we, like every other installer, recommended 904 grade liners if they wanted to burn coal. But, we found that the average life was found to be only 5 years when burning coal, with some failing in as little as 2 years. Yet, I could only think of two liners that had failed in the last 30 years that had only been burning wood, and which had a 316 grade liner fitted. There are other liners which are much more suitable for burning coal, such as Isokern pumice and Furanflex resin/ceramic liners being among the best available. These are not affected by acid attack at all but, they are at least three times the cost of a flexible liner to fit. So, until a ceramic coated flexible liner becomes available, it makes sense to stick to burning just wood until it does. Mark Broadhead, Kenwyn Stoves

t’s Freddie here! Carrying a few extra pounds as a result of all the fantastic treats that were sent to me for Christmas! I did share them with the other dogs in the kennels and we all say a massive thank you for your support. Sadly December and January saw the usual number of requests to take in dogs, and so once again our kennels are full. On a brighter note, two of our longer term dogs have found their forever homes and are settling in well. As always at this time of year our thoughts go to fundraising, and our first event is on 13th March when we will be holding our first ‘Woofinar’ at The Grosvenor Church, Barnstaple, 69.30pm. ‘What on earth is that’ I hear you saying?! Well it’s a programme of talks all based around us four legged furbies, and will include presentations from a dog behaviourist, a groomer, a vet and Aunty Lynne will be talking about the rescue

and current dog law as it effects owners. All that will be followed by a yummy buffet, and an opportunity to shop at the various pet and craft stalls – oh and you even get to meet me! Tickets are £15 and can be obtained via our website www. k9focus.co.uk or by calling the rescue on 07971 461 806. I hope to see lots of you there as it promises to be a fun and interesting night plus an opportunity to meet the team. During the coming month we hope to have our on-site kennels and shop completed, and will be announcing the start of my Friday coffee and chat mornings - more information about these next month. In the meantime keep warm and watch out for me on my regular visits into Torrington. Usually around the town centre in my purple jacket on a Tuesday morning, and always happy to accept a treat! Woofs and licks, Freddie

Art on Friday

f you are struggling for inspiration in your art, or feel isolated painting on your own at home, why not join us? We are a group of artists who meet in The Gallery at The Plough - a great place to paint, plenty of ideas to be had from the latest exhibition. We get together every second and fourth Friday in the month from 10.30am to 2pm to paint together; explore different subjects and mediums; exchange ideas and talk about art. For further information contact Hazel Montgomerie on 01805 623757.

The Arts Society North Devon

ebruary lecture to be held at the Durrant House Hotel Bideford on Tuesday 12th February 2019 at 2pm. Shackleton’s Enduranceexpedition captured on camera. The aim of the lecture is to capture Frank Hurley’s achievements as a photographer of the Antarctic in the first flush of human contact when it was still essentially terra incognita. Lecturer – Mark Cottle. Visitors always welcome, a donation of £5 will be requested. For more information please contact Mrs Pamela Selman 01271 866661.

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Transformation

Tattered cloth moves through the sand, always watching, always searching… A glint of metal catches its vision, and it stoops to salvage it, its dry skin crackling with the movement. A compass, only tin, it puts it in the folds of its cloak, despairing at the small price it would fetch. It scrabbles around in the sand, inspecting in hope of more valuable trinkets, but there are none. It might not get as much as a loaf of bread from this. But wait – a golden flare in the dunes, nestled between the rocks - a dirk! Half knife, half sword; inefficient in combat; rare, therefore valuable. It rejoiced! But somehow, the thought was troubling. It could remember the days of its childhood. Aspirations of battle and heroism flooded back to him. Where had his life come since then: a pitiful merchant, scavenging remnants of bandit attacks, scrounging off the little money he had from selling scraps to the dwarves, without comfort, without friends? He cringed in the sand, ashamed. Though the dirk beckoned, ‘it’s never too late to change…’ was it? No, it wasn’t. He would prove his worth, reclaim his identity, and maybe make a tidy profit… He strapped the dirk onto his shoulder, heading east for the hills in the distance before correcting himself. That was where his old life was. He headed south instead, to who knows where? It didn’t care. He didn’t care. Lufetar didn’t care. Lufetar headed towards the fire. He didn’t need to weigh his options much. On the one hand, if it were bandits, he’d likely end up dead. If he didn’t approach however, he would assuredly perish. He hadn’t eaten in three days, or drank in two. His cracking scales flickered in the nearing light, his eyes growing sore from the smoke and from days in the sun. He wasn’t bothered by physical ailments. He’d long hardened his heart and used his skin as a palisade; discomfort and pain were forgotten mindsets to him. But he was no fool; he remained aware as he shuffled along the sand on hands and knees. In the bowl between a set of dunes, a lone figure leant against a stack of crates. Alone. Good. Safe. Next to the figure, a wooden caravan rested against the dunes. On the roof was painted a stalk of wheat, meaning: a Swyrra monk, human. A friend. Probably. Lufetar stood up and walked in plain view down the slope, waving. Yet still the Monk started when he saw him, clambering away to his wagon, until Lufetar let his hood down, dropping his sword in the sand as a universal sign of benevolence. The Swyrra stopped at this, and sat on the steps of his vehicle, until Lufetar grew near. Then he stood up and shook his hand, staring wide eyed the whole while. “Greetings, Piceraak.” “Greetings, Swyrra.” “Something to eat?” Lufetar grinned, following him into the caravan. Nathaniel Bridgeman

Creative writing is one of the options we offer for Enrichment and Intervention sessions on Thursday afternoons. Last term, pupils were asked to produce a piece of writing based on the title ‘Transformation’. Here are very different responses to the prompt.

Autumn’s Kiss

A silken sun, ribbons of warm velvet blazing down in rays from an ocean of sky. Life upon life upon life upon life, each leaf dancing gently, swaying on a sigh. The rift in perfection - like a single freckle on a clear patch of skin, odd but somehow bringing more beauty to a perfect thing, an act of god. Is the speck of rust on the viridescent scape, the first signs of death hidden in the middle of life. Life, which grows and thrives and fades with each passing stroke of time’s cruel fiddle. The unstoppable plague spreads, deadly beauty pouring through the branches, tearing a family apart like a courtroom where no one wins. The looming rust is daring. As a falling bird crashes through the trees, slipping past, careless of what it destroys, death takes. It takes and takes and takes stealthlessly, night gladly employs them all, while she looms closer and longer each turn of the moon. She brings beauty and with it comes fear, as understandable as an ancient rune. Out turns in, in turns down, down falls

Last term we shared with you the wonderful winning entries from our popular competition which celebrates National Poetry Day. We were inundated with quality poems this year choosing winners was especially hard - so we will continue to publish shortlisted poems with you throughout the year. Here are Bella and Jake’s poems on ‘Change’.

deeper, deeper, deeper. Like a blind man, fumbling in the sun but living in the dark: night-time’s keeper holds them soft, an iron grip clawing with a glove hiding, hiding, hiding. Make believe love, make believe laugh, make believe life, reality overriding. Where once were as velvet ribbons, is now mere threads, clinging to life like a terrified child clings to its mother, hoping for safety, only to find a figure, ghostlike, posing as the entity that used to reside in that place. The child screams silent, its hands tense then let go, go, go. It slips, and it dies, the ground roars violent. The forest falls to the floor. As autumn’s cold breath kisses the trees. Sadie Dennis

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Blank

Out on the streets, Nothing to lose, nothing to win; Wrapped up in scraps Yet still frozen to the core. Famine grows within that you chose to ignore. Strangers pass, blanking you out. You would ask them for help but your voice Is too hoarse to shout. Curious dogs run up to sniff you, owners bat them away. One day, a stranger turned your life upside down. Helped you onto your feet, And pressed some cold coins into your hand. They smiled and walked away, waving as they left, not knowing that…

Our Year 7s have had a fantastic first term at GTS and have settled brilliantly into life at ‘big school’. Lily-Mai was inspired to write about this for her poem about ‘change’.

They changed everything. Bella Darby, Year 9

The last day of my primary school Was quite a change for me, I had been there for 7 years But now I clearly see, That the start of GTS Is an amazing swap around, And I’m now a better person – Being young is out of bounds!

Change

You’re different and yet the same, As if you’re the shell of the man You used to be, Memories you once cherished become desolate holes. All that remains is the empty stare. It’s the fact that you’ve forgotten how To make your awful cup of tea Or you no longer listen to Ray Charles. It’s like you’re different Yet the same. Jake Ford, Year 11

GTS Is The Best

Now I know my life has Only just begun. And being in Year 7 I actually quite fun. I think that my new life Is honestly the best And I know I’ll have an Amazing time at my new school… GTS! Lily-Mai Rogers, Year 7

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The Crier Prize Crossword This month’s prize is £30 gift voucher for The Globe Inn Beaford. Please send completed crossword with contact details, to The Crier, Castle Hill, Torrington, EX38 8AA, or email to torrington.crier@gmail.com. The winner of last issue’s prize crossword is Jean Barnett. The winner for this issue will be picked at random from correct entries. Deadline for entries is Thursday 14th February the solution and winner will be in the March issue.

With simple, locally-sourced meals; a vast selection of well-kept local ales and craft beers; and a warm, friendly atmosphere it’s easy to see why The Globe Inn was shortlisted for ‘Best Pub’ by Food Drink Devon. Things not to miss… Sunday Roasts are served from 124pm, with a choice of two meats or a vegetarian option. The meat is always local and free-range and the vegetables grown within 10 miles of the pub. Acoustic Folk Jam is on the second Tuesday of each month when Steve Ruffe (Wild Man of Folk) and friends visit the Globe for a lively acoustic night. You can bring an instrument and join in or sit by the fire and listen over a pint or two. The fun starts around 8.30pm. Craft Beer. With over 50 different local, international and craft beers to choose from, the Globe Inn offers the largest selection of beers in North Devon. There’s always something new to try and 15% off for take-out! Boutique B&B Rooms. The Globe Inn now has three stunning bed and breakfast rooms, the perfect place to stay for family and friends or a little treat if you want to stay and sample the craft beers yourself! Open Tues-Thursday from 5pm11.30pm and Fri-Sunday from 12pm11.30pm. Check out their website globeinnpub.co.uk or social media pages @globeinnpub for details of upcoming events and food times/menus. If you fancy going to eat then booking is highly advised.

A History Lesson from the Nursery

Fleur’s Best Trees for Your Garden Prunus spinosa

n a recent history walk around ne of our most well-known native trees is the Blackthorn. As its name Torrington, it was pointed implies, the branches are black and thorny, forming a dense, wideout how the hillsides of the spreading small tree or shrub which also suckers, hence the Blackthorn Commons are often thickly overgrown makes an excellent barrier hedge. with trees and bushes, commonly The other name of Prunus spinosa is, of course, the Sloe. Sloes are the fruit of dismissed as scrubland. This is in this tree; bluish-black in colour with a greyish, waxy bloom (can almost make them contrast to old photographs of the area look a bit mouldy). Most of us know that the sloe is used to flavour that fashionable where the Commons appear as an spirit, gin, but it should not be eaten raw, because it is extremely astringent (very expanse of open grass or heathland. drying and sour). It was explained that the reason for this Blackthorn can reach a height of up to six metres (20 feet), the branches dense transformation of the landscape, which is and wide-spreading. The leaves are alternate, between 2-4.5cm long (1-2 inches), widely deplored by lovers of wildflowers toothed, dull greeny-grey but hairy on the veins underneath. The single, white and butterflies, is that no-one grazes flowers appear well before the leaves during March/April, often very densely, cattle or sheep on Torrington Commons followed by the fruits. any more. Well managed grazing by It is very easy to grow in almost any soil type and makes an excellent tree for livestock is essential to the maintenance wildlife, including bees for the early blossom and sloes for the birds in autumn and of open grassland as without it the winter. natural succession of blackthorn, willow, There are many ancient folk tales associated with the Blackthorn, perhaps the birch and eventually oak and ash, will most well-known being about the weather: ‘If the Thorn be out before the May take over once their seedlings are not (hawthorn), another winter is on the way; continually eaten off by the animals. But if the May is out before the Thorn then spring is here and winter is gone.’ No-one wants to see fences erected Fleur around and within the Commons, as would be necessary if cattle were to be Boy Blue’: the rhyme carries on to query tells the tale of how the young lad is grazed there in the modern way, while where he has got to – and it turns out he given the job of supervising the flock of the ancient traditional is fast asleep under a haycock sheltering sheep, keeping them way of grazing common “The old method is probably from the mid-day sun. within their allotted land appears no longer beyond the memory of It was not only lads who were rough grazing out on to be available to us. The any living farmers, but entrusted with looking after the livestock the common while old method is probably there is a clue remaining the cows are allowed in those happy days before school was beyond the memory of in the traditional nursery the richer grass of the compulsory. Remember ‘Little Bo Peep’ any living farmers, but rhymes...” who lost her sheep after presumably not meadows but must there is a clue remaining paying attention to her job that sunny be kept out of the in the traditional nursery rhymes that cornfields until after the harvest. The lad summer’s afternoon? One might just some mothers may still recite to their wonder what actually went on under that is issued with a hunting horn on which young children. haycock after all! to blow the alarm if his sheep wander Remember ‘Little Boy Blue – Come Chris Hassall out of his control, or are attacked by blow on your horn, the sheep’s in the wolves (and hereby lies another tale – meadow, the cow’s in the corn’? This the boy who cried ‘wolf’). Back to ‘Little

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‘Grow’ by Action fortooChildren of them but it would far exceedDays, my Three Counties, Three Hospices – One Epic Three t Grow, we care you and quota ofabout words. for emergencies Fundraising Cycle Ride your growing If you want to see pictures of our last

yclists of all abilities are being invited to set themselves a challenge in family and show or a list of previous productions, know that you arevisit the www.torringtonplayers.com 2019 by taking part in an epic 205-mile ride in aid of Children’s Hospice on Players South West – and raise £1,000 for the charity. most important part month! 'Hobson's Next summer’s 11th annual ‘Ride for Precious Lives’ takes place from Friday, your baby’s Torrington In Bloom aven't of booked your life. July 12th to Sunday, July 14th and registration for the popular sponsored cycle Ourtime, experiences are Silver-Gilt Winners 2011 he dates, price event is now open, limited to 125 riders. fun,alland mber are onhelp the to grow Torrington in Bloom is delighted with The ride is route marked and will take cyclists from St Austell to Bristol, and nurture you and ont cover, or pop the above result and would not have across three counties and calling in at the charity’s three hospices in Cornwall, o theyour Plough baby orintoddler’s been able to achieve North Devon and North Somerset. Entry is £230, which includes food and hotel erson. well-being and theit without the help and accommodation, printed ride jerseys and access to first aid and mechanical he castprecious has been relationship support of local assistance from an experienced support crew over the three days. orking between hard under you in a traders, groups and CHSW events fundraiser Jayne Jarrett said: “It really is an exceptional event and e direction Frank calmof and relaxed individuals, environment.we would incorporates breath-taking scenery and several hills. Cyclists must be committed lman, to bring you a thank you Our experienceslike areto designed to all. to riding between 65 and 80 miles each day but the event is designed to offer a emorable evening A list of sponsors and promote the development of your challenge to cyclists of all abilities, and as long as you start training early enough, acked with laughter. supporters is available little one from pregnancy to around even new cyclists can take part.” Since 2009, 835 cyclists have taken part in Ride enry three Hobson is on the noticeboard at years, and offer the following at pleby, who alongside for Precious Lives, raising nearly £1million (£869,000) for the charity. t h eCentre. entrance to the council Torrington Children’s finds time to write To take part in Ride for Precious Lives, visit www.chsw.org.uk/ride to find out offices/1646. Grow bump to baby is an ideal place es on our website more information or call your nearest CHSW hospice to speak to a member of the This is Britain in Bloom’s definition of to meet other pregnant couples in your on's eldest daughter what constitutes silver-gilt level: fundraising team. area.isYour relationship with your baby sible one, Sara ‘Very Good’ (75-84% mark) – a high starts before she is born, and r, 'bumptious' sistershe orstandard entry, which meets virtually of baby massage. It promotes a life-long toddler to develop their curiosity. Often of theNeil Grow experience focuses on and Jopart Wood. all of the judging criteria bond and includes between parent and baby and play can be messy when children are helping you get tosections know your unborn as Willie Mossop, of exceptionally high creates a foundation for a happy, healthy discovering, so our experiences give two-hour sessions are warm, best practice in Moore, baby. playsOur Albert, standards. Exemplifies life. your toddler maximum opportunity to friendly and relaxed, providing great ckie. Joyce Ridgwell multiple areas and demonstrates very babies and curious Grow curious have fun, explore and you don’t have to support in her your third h and this will be h i gtrimester h p o t eas n tyou i a l f o r toddlers c o n t i n uisi naggreat way to introduce worry about the mess. pregnancy. ith TP. prepare for life beyond development and sustainable effort. your baby or toddler You can find out more about our Grow is for babies members, Grow but baby very massage The judges’ comments were positive to treasure baskets, classes across Devon by going to Grow ny Bedinetz, from six Colin weeks upinto crawling, makingtoo: it ‘Torrington in many areas, sensory and messy Devon on Facebook or our website Puttick an and idealEsther first experience together. Each Bloom has learned a lot during the last play, while grow.org.uk or emailing Growdevon@ ng Richard Pitt,lasts who about session an and houryou andhave during year the potential to bedeveloping a their natural curiosity. actionforchildren.org.uk. If there isn’t a g very this Welsh 'A learn very strong entry. timeinyou’ll many techniques to 1646 centre You’ll learn different class near you and you have a group in Wales' to a very improves eachinyear help calm and soothe your baby our and is a valuable ways to help your baby of friends who would be interested in lane. baby-friendly settings. asset to the town. Dartington’s discover the world attending, please let us know and we ere couldGrow not parent be a and (Crystal) grounds were a valuable baby yoga is a around them. Our will do our best to arrange a class to suit the unsung heroes addition to the route. The flowerbed at four-week experience which teaches a I wish variety I could of listyoga all exercises sessions help you. S&G isand a breathing vast improvement. The your understanding of how toddlers learn and GROW, good for your well-being and techniques, as well as rhymes, actions play and provides a safe place for your your baby or toddler’s well-being. and sensory play. It is a lovely extension

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Organic & Wholefood Buying Group News

019 got off to brisk start with a Core Group ‘Pow Wow’ to make plans for the coming year. We‘re very happy to welcome Ellen Perrin, whose smiley face and willing hands are accompanied by a wealth of experience as a wholefood shop manager – we’re lucky to have her aboard. We’re getting braver with social media too – by next month we’ll have a Twitter account for the group, which we very much hope will help us to reach yourself instead. The first step is to give younger and different audiences. We your body the basics that it needs to also now use Mailchimp for our email boost the immune system and detoxify, communications, which means anyone at the same time avoiding mucous can subscribe or unsubscribe at any forming foods. The basics are 1.5-2l time and you can find the link on our clean additive free water (no flavourings, Facebook page. sugar, gas, “Mucous forming foods to avoid As I write, we’re colouring etc) per are sugar, fruit juices, animal milk, day, a clean light preparing for our processed or fast foods, refined January Infinity diet of fresh fruit grains and poor quality fats. Freshly and vegetables Foods Wholesale squeezed lemon juice in hot water with with easy to order and we’re a slice of root ginger, a little cinnamon digest one-dish especially and honey has been shown to be at meals such as grateful to Brian for completing least as effective as that well-known soups (miso or everyone’s order bone broth) and brand!” forms for them. stews. Mucous All members need to do is send him forming foods to avoid are sugar, fruit a simple list of stock numbers and the juices, animal milk, processed or fast quantities required, making ordering foods, refined grains and poor quality super easy for us all. Yay! fats. Freshly squeezed lemon juice in hot Wellbeing Tip: Nature’s Food water with a slice of root ginger, a little Remedies for Winter Colds and cinnamon and honey has been shown Coughs to be at least as effective as that wellWe’re now in the season of coughs known brand! and colds with lots of people suffering. Raw garlic is not only an excellent antiMany people are realizing that pill viral and antibiotic, but is also brilliant at popping is not in their body’s best longclearing mucous. If you find it too strong term interests, so here come some on its own, try taking it with a little nut or natural food-based ways of helping seed butter. Chewing parsley afterwards

rectifies garlic breath if that bothers you or others. Ginger tea is very warming as it increases circulation, also detoxifying and can be simply made with a slice of root ginger and boiling water. Black elderberry extract (without sugar) is excellent for the immune system and is pleasant to take. Use oregano and eucalyptus oil in a burner or diffuser. Rest, relaxation and sleep are important, as colds as often a sign of being overloaded – trying to soldier on is actually counterproductive, but a gentle walk in the fresh air, warmly dressed, can be helpful. Next bi-monthly grocery order date: 18th March. Contact me now so you’re primed for the new catalogue on 1st March. Buying Group FAQs How do I join? Ring or email Mary as below What does membership cost? Free Must I order a minimum amount? No Must I order every month? No If I don’t order, can I still apply to share someone else’s order? Yes How do I pay? BACS or cash on collection What if I need advice or have questions? Ring me now 01805 623 307 or email mary@marycrailwellbeing.co.uk. Here to help. Facebook: Organic & Wholefood Buying Group. Facebook: Mary Crail Biofeedback & Wellbeing Website: Mary Crail Wellbeing Wishing you very well. Mary

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