February 2012 / 4
PARISH HALL
Football Club Coffee Morning – 11th February
There will be a coffee morning with table top sale from 10am-12noon. In the Parish Hall. Ashwater Football club is one of Waitrose’s three charities for this month – can everyone please put their green tokens into our box!
Sunday Lunch – 19th February
At 1.pm (Snow / Ice Permitting!) at Ashwater Parish Hall
In aid of Children’s Hospice South West, Devon Air Ambulance and the Ashwater Church Wall. Roast Beef & all the trimmings. Chicken or vegetarian on request when booking. Delicious homemade sweets, tea and coffee included. Wine, lager, cider & orange juice will also be on sale
Tickets: Children under 5yrs FOC Children 5yrs – 10yrs - £6
All others - £12. Tickets available from:
Sue Shute: Tel 01409 211 452 and Sophie Gerry Tel 079 20796 551
Please leave a Telephone Number when booking. All tables will be reserved. Please state number required.
Short Mat Bowls – 23rd February
The next short mat bowls session will be on Thursday 23rd February between 10am and 12 Noon. No experience required, just turn up. Flat shoes please, everyone welcome. Cost £2 per person.
Football Club Wine and Wisdom – 25th February
There will be a wine and wisdom with a 7.30 start in the Parish Hall. More details or to book a table contact:
Andrew Stacey on 01409 211 479.
Irish Evening – 17th March
If you enjoyed (or missed) the Italian Evening last year, be sure not to miss the next exciting International evening: The Ashwater Irish Evening. Planned for St Patrick’s Day by Paddy and Sean (the same organizing team! -last year they were Alesandra and Giovanni) will turn the Parish Hall into a little piece of Ireland.
Tickets will (once again) be £6 to include a meal and entertainment…… (£4 under 16) There will be Guinness, coffee and wine bar, games, music…..dancing…. Wear something green!
Book your tickets early as seating will be limited! Phone: Paddy (Ali) 01409 211 222 to book. Café will open at 7pm and food will be available from 7.30pm.
100 club draw for Sept to December.
Sept £10 Ticket No.58 Megan Addicott. £5 Ticket No.92 Arthur Palmer
Oct £10 Ticket No. 50 Edward Gliddon £5 Ticket No. 10 Carol Moon
Nov £10 Ticket No.19 E.Stacey £5 Ticket No 37 Gilbert Luxton
Dec £10 Ticket No.24 Mr+Mrs C. Jones Ticket No.£5 43 Steve Warring
COMMUNITY SHOP AND POST OFFICE
Don’t forget ‘Pancake Day’ Tuesday 21st February – plenty of flour, eggs, milk and lemons in the shop!
The trading period after Christmas is always a difficult one for retailers, but it has been disappointing to see so many Supermarket Food Delivery vehicles in Ashwater – each one has been described as a dagger in the heart of the shop volunteers! Many rural areas are now being targeted for ‘online food shopping’ as the signs are that some well known mega-food stores have suffered a customer backlash for not supporting local communities and offering too many foreign food imports. Some say Internet food shopping will finally kill off all rural shops with the loss of Post Office facilities that go hand in glove with them. Ashwater is not immune to the threat, so if the community shop and PO are to be successful and continue to be conveniently at hand, think twice before picking up that mouse!
ASHWATER HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY
In kindly January weather 27 members (3 dogs, no cats) enjoyed a walk up (and down) Brent Tor and a good lunch at Mary Tavy. The next meeting is on Monday February 13th at 7.30pm in the Parish Hall when George Kestell will give a talk on soils in our garden and demonstrate how to sharpen secateurs. Please bring a SMALL quantity of soil with you. The photo classes for the summer show will be in the shop and hall very shortly. Lastly has anyone got any photos of the Horticultural Shows as far back as possible to help us celebrate our 80th anniversary?
ART CLUB
The Art Club has decided to add an extra day per month to their art classes. They will now meet on every 1st Tuesday in the month starting April 3rd 201 and every 2nd Thursday in the month as usual.
The Group is holding an Art Exhibition in aid of the Devon Air Ambulance and Hall funds at the Parish Hall on
Friday 9th March from 6pm onwards for a preview evening with invited guests and Saturday 10th March between 10am and 4pm with refreshments open to all.
ASHWATER PARISH COUNCIL
The parish council is looking for someone to co-ordinate events for the Queen’s Jubilee celebration in June of this year. If anyone is interested or would like any additional information, please contact Sheila Myers (contact details below).
Ashwater website is in the process of being updated and will be shortly live again.
The parish council is proposing to enter the 2012 Best Kept Village Competition and Pam Parker Village Map Awards and will keep you updated of its progress.
Grass Cutting on Village Green
Contractors are invited to tender for cutting the grass on the village green for this year. The quotation should be for approximately 15 cuts, strim and the cuttings taken away. The contractor should have own public liability insurance, and be able to supply a copy to the parish council. All tenders should be submitted to the parish clerk: Sheila Myers, Springfield Bungalow, Halwill, Beaworthy EX21 5UF Telephone: 01409 220212 or Email:
The next parish council meeting will be held on Wednesday 8th February 2012 at 7.30pm.
ASHWATER PARISH CHURCH
Services during February
Sunday Feb 5th 9.30 am Morning Worship
Sunday Feb 12th 9.30 am Holy Communion
Sunday Feb 19th 8.00 am Holy Communion
10.00 am Morning Praise
Sunday Feb 26th 9.30 am Holy Communion
Sunday Mar 4th 9.30 am Morning Worship
Link Scheme
Members are reminded that subscriptions for 2012 are now due. We thank you for your support during the year and hope that you will renew again for this year. If you are not a member and would like to join please contact Terry Darby on 211229 or Ann Shadrick on 211403.
Ash Wednesday
There will be a Benefice Ash Wednesday Service with Imposition of Ashes at Halwill Church on Wednesday Feb 22nd at 10 am. All are welcome.
Soup Lunches
During the Lent period we are holding a series of Soup Lunches at ‘Ash Green’ on the following dates:-
Wednesday Feb 22nd, Tuesday Feb 28th, Friday March 9th, Saturday Mar17th and Sunday March 25th.
12 noon to 2 pm each day. Please contact Wendy Darby on 211229 for more details and to book a place.
ASHWATER METHODIST CHURCH
5th February - 9.30am Worship led by Rev. John Henry (this service will include The Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper)
12th February - 11.00am A local arrangement service
19th February – 11.00am Worship led by Mrs E Squire
26th February – 11.00am Worship led by Mr R Down
DEVON WILDLIFE TRUST
This year is the 50th Anniversary of Devon Wildlife Trust and there will be a number of special events taking place during the Summer. Meanwhile clearance work will take place at the Nature Reserve at Halwill Junction on 18th February starting at 10am (baked Spuds for everyone attending). Please either ring Ivan on 01409 221073 or email with a contact number/email address if you would like to help. There will also be an illustrated talk at Dolton Village Hall on Wednesday 22nd Feb at 8pm by Hilary Marshall about Animals of the River Bank. There has been a good response to taking part in the House Sparrow Survey but there is still time to sign up - please email for a recording sheet.
CHURCH WALK FOOTPATH – WORKING PARTY NEEDED, 11TH FEBRUARY
Volunteers are required for a working party to help clear leaves and mud from gulleys on the Church Walk Footpath. Meet at 10am in the Hall Carpark on Saturday 11th February. Please bring your own tools suitable for clearance work. Further information from Eric Burnill on 01409 211377
GREAT BRITISH FISH AND CHIP SUPPER – FRIDAY 18TH MAY 2012
Want to do something different? Want to raise money where you live or work? Want to eat Fish and Chips, while raising money for charity? Hold a fish and chip supper on Friday 18th May 2012 whilst raising awareness of spinal cord injury and supporting SIA’s information and support services.
You can hold a fish and chip supper in your own home, at work or hold a larger supper at your local community centre.
SIA will provide a fundraising pack containing hints and tips, recipes, invitations and donation envelopes. By inviting 7 friends and asking them to donate an additional £5.00 means you will raise at least £35.00 from your supper but we will also give you additional fundraising ideas to raise even more money for SIA. For more information or request a fundraising pack call Elizabeth Wright on 0845 071 4350 or email or visit www.spinal.co.uk/fishandchips
Special Thanks
Mark Colwill and family would like to thank family and friends for all their help, support and kind regards following Mark’s accident in August. After the accident near Brandis Corner an Air Ambulance was called and Mark was taken to Derrisford Hospital where upon he was found to have fractures to his spine, multiple broken ribs and serious injuries to several internal organs including his heart. Doctors immediately told Mark, Karen and family that the smooth and incredibly fast air ambulance trip had probably saved his life! After a month in hospital, Mark returned home to recover. A brief spell back in hospital in late November for a spinal operation after a setback, but now hopefully on the mend.
Mark, Karen and family intend to organize an event in Ashwater Parish Hall soon (probably a wine and wisdom) to raise funds for the Air Ambulance to whom we are eternally grateful! We will advertise the event soon and hope to see our many good friends there to have some fun, drinks and most of all to raise some money!
Thank you to everyone, especially Karen, Natalie and Emma for their love, patience and support. See you all soon – Mark.
Carols on the Green
The amount raised for the Devon Air Ambulance from the Carols on the Green was £32.63. Thank you everyone who donated and to Jane Lucas and Chris March for providing the song sheets and music.
Dartmoor Decorative and Fine Arts Society launches in Okehampton
The National Association of Decorative and Fine Arts Societies (NADFAS) has recently inaugurated a new Dartmoor branch.
Starting in February 2012, the Dartmoor Association of Decorative and Fine Arts will be holding monthly lectures – nine per annum - on a variety of subjects ranging from Faberge to Shackleton.
A membership fee of £45 per annum or £85 for a couple covers the cost of all the lectures and a quarterly arts magazine, NADFAS Review. Lectures will be held on Wednesday mornings in the Charter Hall, Okehampton. Coffee will be served from 10.00 am with the lecture starting at 10.30. Membership will be restricted to 150. The inaugural lecture on February the 8th will be by the historian and broadcaster, Rupert Willoughby, who will be talking about the world of the Bayeux Tapestry. If you would like to join and attend the first lecture please contact Alex Crosthwaite Eyre on .
NADFAS was originally set up in 1968 with the main objective of promoting and advancing the aesthetic education of the public, and the giving of aid to the preservation of Britain’s national artistic heritage for the benefit of the general public.
Support Sport Relief at Shebbear College
Shebbear College is the venue for this year’s Sainsbury’s Sport Relief Mile taking place on Sunday 25thMarch where runners will set off on a rural route starting from the college.
The college has teamed up with the Ruby Country Partnership to host the Shebbear College Ruby Country Mile and invite everyone to come and take part, in fancy dress if you like, to support this worthy cause and make the day a great success.
As well as enjoying the route through picturesque rural North Devon, take advantage of the facilities provided by the college; ample free parking, toilets and changing rooms. There will also be prizes for runners, refreshments, local produce and other attractions and entertainment.
This is a perfect opportunity to see the superb facilities enjoyed by pupils at Shebbear College.
For full details and to register your place just visit www.sportrelief.com and type Shebbear in the search.
See you there!
Small adverts cost £10 per issue and help to cover the cost of paper and printing, which are otherwise donated or paid from parish council funds raised through the local precept.
Thanks to Ashwater School for helping to print last month’s issue and to Sheila Myers for arranging printing this month.
Distribution of Newsletters
My thanks to those who provide articles for and distribute the newsletters. If you know of anybody who did not receive a copy please let me know: copies will always be available at the Village Shop, Parish Hall and in the Village Inn. Any information for inclusion in or offers to help please contact Ivan Buxton on 01409 221073, e-mail . Don’t forget to visit the Ashwater Websites www.ashwaterparish.org.uk and www.ashwaterparishhall.org.uk
Vol 1-108