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Ottery and West Hill bus usersare set to get a greatly improv-ed bus service to Exeter andHoniton. This may seem a littleodd at a time when DevonCounty Council has slashed itsbus support budget by £1.35million, and many Devon busservices have been cut back.

The improvement is because ofthe provision of a service to theCranbrook new community.The bus service connectingCranbrook with Exeter will bethe 60 and 380 service whichconnects Exeter and Ottery(the 60 runs between Exeterand Ottery; the 380 runs be-tween Exeter and Axminstervia Honiton and Ottery). Virt-ually all the 60/380 buses gothrough West Hill. At the moment there is anhourly service between Exeterand Ottery during most of the

day - this will become halfhourly. There is a two-hourlyservice between Ottery andHoniton and Axminster - thiswill become hourly. In additionthere will be later buses. At themoment the last bus fromExeter to Ottery St Mary leavesat 6.30pm.The greatly improved serviceswill take effect during the yearafter occupation of the firstdwelling in Cranbrook. Thiscould well be within the nexttwo years. This is good newsfor Ottery bus users.

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During the Sainbury’s buildingwork there will be an impacton visitors to the town so faras parking and toilets are con-cerned. EDDC’s car park inHind Street closed to the publicon 17th April the contractorsoccupied the site the followingday. Public parking spaces inHind Street will be restrictedand will be subject to changeat short notice.Alternative parking will beavailable at the Land of Canaancar park just a short distance

from the town centre. Parkingfor Sainsbury’s contractors willbe provided on a separate siteoffered by Ottery TownCouncil in Fairmile Lane.

AccessThe building works will alsohave an impact on publictoilets in Hind Street. It hadoriginally been planned toretain the existing toilet blockuntil new facilities could beopened inside the store. How-ever, due to the route that con-struction vehicles must take, the

Car parking and toilets move to Canaan Way

Work has now begun in earnest on the construction of the newSainsbury’s in Ottery. During April we completed thearchaeological excavations and vegetation clearance in the HindStreet car park.We have made good progress with foundations for the new storeand anticipate completing this during early May. In the comingweeks the team will also create the permanent pedestrian accessthrough the Hind Street wall to the store. To ensure public safety,temporary hoarding will be erected along a section of Hind Street,however this should not be disruptive for pedestrians.Temporary toilets will be installed during May on the Land ofCanaan as the toilets in the Hind Street car park close. Thesefacilities will remain in place until the store is opened. Over thebank holiday period we will have some of the construction teamon site however work will be minimal and anticipate no noisywork will take place.I would like to thank local residents for their patience duringthese works; the team are working hard to ensure the programmeis completed on schedule and you can begin enjoying Sainsbury’srange of products as soon as possible. The team welcome your

Sainbury’s Building Update

toilet block will restrict accessand so will need to be demol-ished at an earlier stage.It is proposed that temporarytoilets will be available on agrassed area in Canaan Wayopposite the junction with HindStreet. This provision will be inplace for the duration of thestore building works, withcleaning and security arrangedby Sainsbury’s.Devon County Council andOttery Town Council have beennotified. Notices informing thepublic about the car parkingchanges have been placed onthe Hind Street site. A publicnotice has also appeared in thelocal press and notices are ondisplay at EDDC’s main officein Sidmouth.

ShoppersThere are currently 92 parkingspaces in Hind Street, plus fourdedicated disabled bays. Thiswill fall to a minimum of 40 baysduring building works. Oncethe supermarket has been com-

pleted, there will be parking forshoppers outside the store.The contractors recently con-firmed to build the new foot-bridge and cycleway across theRiver Otter near the TumblingWeir will also have a smallcompound in the Land of Can-aan car park. EDDC’s officersare satisfied that this arrange-ment should not interfere withthe increased usage of the carpark by shoppers who wouldnormally park in Hind Street.

feedback. If you have any questions or comments regarding thework taking place please do contact us on 0800 130 3270 oremail the team directly on communityrelations@sainsburys-ottery.co.uk.I appreciate your continued co-operationMike Mackey. Kier Project Manager

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COUNCILMATTERS

20 Mill Street,Ottery St MaryTel: 01404 812184www.dillysflorist.co.uk

Deliveries Undertaken

FLOWERS FOR ALLOCCASIONS

Dilly’s Florist

The April Town Council Meet-ing received a presentationfrom Devon County Councilregarding local provision ofYouth Services. Budget con-straints mean that there will bea reduction in youth workersand restructuring of youthsessions at the Station YouthCentre may have to occur. Itwas established that the YouthService has no capacity to puta youth worker into a drop-infacility provided by the TownCouncil and it was agreed todefer any further action untilthe Devon Youth Service reorg-anisation is in place and it isclear what the need is. At thesame meeting the Council re-solved to express serious con-cern to East Devon DistrictCouncil Planning at its decisionto fell four Western Red Cedartrees at the Supermarket sitein Hind Street, requesting asecond opinion regarding thenecessity to fell and asking thatthe Council be consulted onany replanting. Also at the Aprilmeeting the PC Thomas gavethe information that from 20thMay major changes at OtteryPolice Station would meanfewer Officers based there and

the more rigid shift patternscould mean that a writtenreport would have to be givento Council meetings.Many of you attended theAnnual Parish Meeting and aswell as hearing an update onCouncil activities during thepast year, witnessed the award-ing of Grants to various organ-isations and had your say in thequestion time period. Ron Berrywas made “Citizen of the Year2011” having received mostvotes from members of the pub-lic for his unstinting work asCaretaker and bookings Secre-tary for the Institute in OtterySt Mary. The Mayor’s Charity ofthe Year 2011 (as voted for bythose present at the meeting)is “Dance Action for Youth”.Pat Lane, the driving force be-hind last year’s Charity of theYear (Ottery and District HelpScheme), was recognised for allshe has done for the Parishover many years by the presen-tation of an inscribed glassbowl and by a heartfelt speechof thanks from one of thescheme’s volunteers.At the Annual Parish Meetinga report from Ottery in Bloom

explained how its smallcommittee is again endeav-ouring to ensure a wonderfulsummer display in the plantersbut that it needs more help.Sarah Clarke is standing downas Chairman and was thankedfor all of her enthusiasm anddriving energy. However, thatleaves a gap and this is anotherplea for anyone who feels theycan help. Watering is a partic-ular concern and if you have aplanter close to where you liveand feel that you can water itregularly please let me know.All of us can help by taking evena bottle of water out whenwalking and giving the flowersa drink! Planting up is usuallydone in early June so look outfor thirsty flowers then!Several Ottery residents havecontacted the Office regardingthe disappearance of dog binsat the Millennium Green,Higher Ridgeway and BrookStreet. These three bins wereprovided through the groupOttery Dogs through sponsor-ship by local businesses and byfundraising and their emptyingwas also to be paid by thatorganisation. Unfortunately thegroup was unable to pay thefee for 2010-2011 which leftthe Council having to foot thebill. This had not been precep-ted for and as it had not beenbudgeted for in 2011-2012either, the District Council was

asked to remove the bins. TheDistrict Council has said thatdog owners should put theirbags of waste into litter bins,preferable double-bagged.Another matter of concernreported to this Office is thatstreet lighting has been off atnight in some residential areasof Ottery St Mary. This is not afault but is part of DevonCounty Council’s effort to re-duce carbon emissions and toreduce energy costs by intro-ducing part-night lighting.The Local Elections are onThursday 5th May. In theOttery Parish there will be noelections for the Town Councilas there were just enoughcandidates for seats in the TownWard and Tipton St John. Ineach of the West Hill Ward andNorth Ward there remains onevacant seat so the Council willneed to co-opt. The mainchanges have been that PeterWilliams has stood down fromthe Town Ward and Paul Carterhas filled that seat. Ray Bloxhamhas stood down from the WestHill Ward and Janice Ahernefrom the Tipton St John Ward.Tipton St John Ward will berepresented by John Hardingand Lyn Harding. I will give fullcontact details for all Counc-illors in the June Gazette.Because of the Elections, theMay Town Council meeting

Continued on page 4

Page 4

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Spring had certainly sprungwhen Pat Penno demonstratedat the Flower Club with a largearray of flowers of many diff-erent colours. Pat spoke of herrecent shows and future eventsand the pupils she teaches. Sheshared her infectious enthus-iasm with us, especially fortulips.The next Flower Club meetingwill be held on Wednesday18th May at 7.30pm at OtteryPrimary School. Visitors andnew members are welcome.

OtteryFlower Club

News

We thought Mrs Chris Laxton’stalk on April 12th was not onlyvery interesting but inform-ative as well. Thank you to Annfor arranging Chris Laxton tovisit us and for the amazing teawhich was completely organ-ised by Ann and Sue. The cakesand sandwiches were home-made which makes such a diff-erence. About 42 people camebut one or two for variousreasons did not make it.The Highgrove trip was morecolourful than when we wentbefore although the CarpetGarden is not open until aboutJune so we missed the rills andmosaics but maybe next time.We must give Nick our drivera big thank you for suggestingthat we stopped off afSaundersWorld instead of Sedgemoor. Afar more interesting eating,drinking and comfort stop.The next outing is to EndsleighGarden Centre for Coffee andLunch, where you will haveenough time to spend your

For advertising and editorial enquiries contact theGazette on 815111 or otterygazette@yahoo.co.uk

Ottery Gardening Club Newsmoney and then on to Lukes-land Gardens. The gardens areusually at their best in the firstfortnight of May (we go on May10th) let’s hope the cold winterhas not effected the plants toomuch. Wear comfortable shoesas the paths can be uneven andslippery. Teas are served in theOld Billard Room.Our next big event is the CoffeeMorning and Plant Sale onSaturday 21st May. It’s a goldenopportunity to purchase plants,shrubs, herbs and vegetables atreasonable prices. The doorswill be open on Friday 20thMay from 6pm to 8.00pm and8.30am on Saturday to acceptany extra plants that you mayhave for us to sell for club funds.Selling will NOT take placebefore 10am on the Saturday.Do come along and buy plantsfor your garden.For more information on anyof the above and to join theGardening Club contact JoanDalton on 01404815082.

(which is also the AnnualMeeting at which the Mayor iselected) will not be until Mon-day 16th May in the CouncilChamber. Please see the noticeelsewhere in the Gazette. Doremember that lots of infor-mation, including Agendas andMinutes for all Council andCommittee Meetings are to befound on the Town Councilwebsite shown below.

enquiries@otterystmary-tc.gov.ukwww.otterystmary-tc.gov.uk

Judith ReynoldsTown ClerkCouncil OfficesThe Old Convent8 Broad StreetOttery St MaryEX11 1BZ01404 812252

The website has recently beenupdated so do please take alook at it.

Council Matters continued from page 3

Readers WriteDear Sir,I was bemused to discover whilst walking my dog along MilleniumGreen this morning, that the dog bin has been replaced by a bagand bucket. The bins along Brook Street and Ridgeway seem tohave disappeared as well.I understand from the Town Council that the bins have beenremoved because the supporting community group, Ottery Dogs,have been unable to foot this years bill of £720 for emptying thethree bins, which I understand were installed by East DevonDistrict Council at the end of 2009 as the result of a communitycamapign following a town clean-up and businesses comingforward to support the issue.This is truly a sad day for Ottery, when the community has endeav-oured to encourage sustained responsible dog ownership,promoted community spirit, cohesion and addressed healthconcerns, despite the local authority’s beligerance to addressthe issue on people’s behalf. Surely, it is time for the ‘Big Society’of Ottery to yet again club together and take matters into theirown hands?Responsible dog walker of Ottery.

Disappearing Dog Bins

Page 5

Page 6

Visit our ShowroomUnit 23/25, FinnimoreTrading Estate,Ottery St MaryTel: 01404 811209

DevonTiles LtdThe NaturalChoice forTiles andBathrooms

Open Monday-Friday8.30 - 5.00pm9.00am - 1.00pmSaturdays

Pixies open another Parlour in centre of Ottery St MaryFed up with trudging back andforth to their Parlour down bythe River Otter, cunning OtteryPixies have opened ‘PixieParlour’, a shop on Mill Street,Ottery St Mary. Could this bea plan to reserve their energyfor mayhem on Pixie Day?A small contingent of them,pictured here, persuaded MayorGlyn Dobson to perform thegrand opening ceremony of theshop during April along withtheir friend Gill McPhee whothey have left in charge of thebusiness side of things.Gill said “ Having moved fromScotland to East Devon in Feb-ruary 2010, I now find myselfliving in Ottery St Mary andworking as a full-time businessowner in Pixie Parlour, Ottery’snew children’s wear shop.“Being a mum of two myself, Irealised that there was nowherelocally to buy clothing andaccessories for my children,especially when the youngestwas potty training! So with alot of research and even moreencouragement from my family

and friends, I decided to openPixie Parlour. It was importantto me to keep the whole con-cept local, hence the name, andto ensure that I sourced theright products at affordableprices.“Currently Pixie Parlour sellschildren’s clothing from birthto 12 years. The new spring/summer ranges are beautiful,good quality and very compet-itively priced. We have a lovely

range of hair accessories, jew-ellery, sunglasses and giftsincluding ‘Fairy Dust’. We alsostock a range of school wearand footwear for summer.“I hope to be able to expandthe current ranges. Thanks toyour feed back I am able to findout what you would like to seein the shop. New lines arebeing added every week soplease feel free to pop in for alook.

“We have been very well re-ceived and welcomed to OtterySt Mary town centre by locals,visitors and other businessowners, which is greatly app-reciated. I will continue to workhard and try to make PixieParlour a success for all mycustomers.”For more information call in tosee Gill at 14 Mill Street or call01404 815008. But watch outfor the Pixies!

Photo Phyllis Baxter

Dance Action for Youth ShowcaseStudents from Dance Action for Youth will be holding their AnnualDance Show on Sundaay 8th May at The King’s School, Ottery StMary. Doors open 2.00pm, show starts at 2.30pm. Tickets will beavailable on the door. Refreshments available kindly provided byMillstone Bakery. For more information on the show or danceclasses contact Janet Forbes on 01404 813399.

Tickets are now on sale for theOttery and District Talent Showwhich promises to be a fan-tastic evening of entertainmentbrought to you by talentedpeople of all ages living in ourlocal community. The Show willbe held on Saturday 4th Juneat the Institute,Ottery St Mary.To collect your registrationform or for more information,call in at the Ottery TouristInformation Office.Jess, Cerys and Paige (OtteryCarnival Royalty 2011/12)would like to thank everyonewho has come forward to sup-port the show including ourperformers, those who have

Countdown to Talent Showvolunteered to help with organ-ising the Talent Show, our host,judges and Phyllis Baxter whohas assisted in publicity.Please remember, if you canspare any time on the eveningof Saturday June 4th to helpserve refreshments or assistbackstage, please call PhyllisBaxter on 01404 813964.Tickets, priced at £4.50 adult,children £2.50, families £10 areavailable now from the OtteryTourist Information Office. Araffle with prizes includingfamily days out will be held andrefreshments, kindly donated byMillstone Bakery, will be avail-able.

Page 7

OTTERY ST MARYOttery St Mary Football ClubWashbrook Meadows,Butts Road.Mondays 7.00pmTel: Dawn 07545 043059

CCA CAR ACCESSORIES6 MILL STREET, OTTERY ST MARY, DEVON

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Open Monday - Friday 8.30am to 6.00pm.Saturday 8.30am to 5.00pm Sunday 9.30am to 1.00pm

Now also supplying Number PlatesOther parts to order

We also have a varied stock ofOil/Air Filters, Spark Plugs and Bulbs

There is more to Pixie Day than the day itself. Following its innova-tion four years ago, we are continuing with the Pixie Scarercompetition. Many towns and villages have competitions whenpeople make scarecrows or similar creatures and exhibit themoutside their houses. But none can have a theme like ours – sowhy don’t you set to and make one? Rules and entry forms canbe obtained from Phyllis in the Tourist Information Office.

Pixie Scarers - will yoursbe scary enough?

They didn’t like it -a previous entry‘Angel of the West’

Pixies plotting to leavetheir mark on new bridge

It’s not Pixie Day yet but it didn’t stop these two pictured hereshowing off what they are planning for the new bridge over theRiver Otter. So when the bridge is open and ready to walkacross, you’d better watch out - there’ll be Pixies about!

Citizens of Ottery St Mary andoutlying areas are urged to rollup, roll up, to the Great Houseat Cadhay at 3 0’clock on Wed-nesday 1st June for Ottery StMary’s own “Piggy Ascot.” Thisunique event, featuring eightExciting Pig Races, Live Musicfrom the distinguished andmuch loved band: “Dixiegrass,”a contest for the finest Decor-ated Hat, a Cream Tea, Raffleand countless other fun-filledevents, The whole event to becompered by our very ownMaster of Ceremonies, RolandSanders, all for a miserly £5 peradult and a bargain FamilyTicket for only £12! The firstrace will be at 3.30pm.Tickets are now available fromOttery Tourist InformationOffice or by contacting TonyRhodes on 01404 811299. Theracing will feature a ‘Tote’

Ottery’s first Piggy Ascotwhereby small wagers may beplaced on the outcome of eachrace, or you may become the‘Owner’ of a pig for the reason-able sum of £3 for each race(those in commerce in the townwill be asked to pay £5). To ‘buy’a pig simply ask at the TouristInformation Office when youbuy your tickets.People of a nervous dispositionand lovers of all creatures greatand small, may rest assured thatno live pigs will be involved.Here in Ottery we are at thecutting edge of technology andwill be using electrically oper-ated pigs, the modern way!All profits from this event willbe shared between Ottery StMary Carnival and the CancerCharity ‘F.O.R.C.E’ Don’t miss the first ever PiggyAscot in East Devon. And it willbe fun for all the family!

Ottery St Mary flower arrangement Society will be presenting aFlower Festival at Knightstone Manor, Ottery St Mary (situatedon the Sidmouth Road, between Ottery St Mary and Wiggaton)by kind permission of Mr and Mrs J E Ousterlund.The Festival will be held on Thursday 9th and Friday 10th June2011 from 3.00pm to 7.00pm. There will be afternoon tea, creamteas and a raffle on offer and wheelchair access will be available.Entrance tickets, priced at £5.00 in advance and £6 on the daywill be availble from Ottery Tourist Information Centre (01404813964) or from Carol Bennett on 01404 812031. A donationfrom the proceeds will be made to the Parish Church.

Flower Festival at the Manor

Page 8

Foot Health ProfessionalLorraine Gill - Home Visits

M.C.F.H.P. M.A.F.H.P. (R.G.N.)

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ALL FOOT DISCOMFORTS,VERRUCAS, CORNS,

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The Honiton, Ottery andDistrict Association of theNational Trust has just endedits winter season of talks witha well-attended lecture on JaneAusten and her West CountryLinks. This was followed by theannual Wine and CheeseEvening in West Hill Village Hall.The first outing of the summerwas to Oakham Treasures nearBristol. The three hours allowedfor the visit was hardly enoughto do justice to this wide-ranging collection of bygones.There were all sorts of domesticitems dating from the middleof the twentieth century andearlier. Groceries, cleaningproducts, patent medicines,toys, hardware, and advertisingsigns were there in profusion,and the owner’s interest infarming was indicated by thelarge collection of vintage trac-

tors and varous veterinaryproducts. Light lunches wereavailable for a very reasonablecost, and there was also a well-stocked farm shop. The next visit is to Pencarrow,a privately-owned Georgianhouse set in Grade II listed gar-dens near Bodmin, on 5th May.Membership of the Associationis open to all members of theNational Trust, who will also bevery welcome at the annualCoffee Morning which is to beheld at Cadhay from 10.00amto 12pm on Tuesday 31st May.Apart from the opportunity tobuy plants and home-madecakes, visitors will be free towander round the splendidgardens of this lovely Tudormansion. Further details areavailable from the MembershipSecretary, Mrs Gill Goodes,telephone 01404 42081.

Ottery & District Associationof the National Trust

Cadhay

Parlez-vous français?Initially a five-week (10 hours in total) informal and friendlySummer course will start on Monday 9th May at Ottery TownCouncil Offices. Why not join us to learn the language but alsoto go on a journey to discover the French way of life and whatmakes the French…so French, from a French national. Classeswill carry on throughout the year should you wish for an ‘encore’.Monday 10.00am to 12.00noon and Wednesday 7.00pm to9.00pm: ‘Bonjour’: a course for beginners to enable you to learnquickly with a minimum of efforts.Tuesday 7.00pm to 9.00pm and Wednesday 10.00am to12.00noon: ‘Déjà Vu’: a course for students at intermediate levelwho wish to consolidate their knowledge of the language andimprove their conversational skills.Free coffee and tea facilities during the two-hour sessions. Weprovide all the material necessary during the course. Competitivefees. To book a place or obtain more information please contactSylvie Leroy at 01823 601059 / 07794957938 or by e-mail at:sylvie.leroy65@yahoo.co.uk

New French classes at theOttery Council Offices

We have a basket full of tickets tosell for visits to The Devon CountyShow on the 19th 20th 21st May. Buyin advance and save £££££s. Alsoincluded Cadhay Elizabethan Manoron the 1st June to see Ottery’s veryown Piggy Ascot, listen to DixiegrassJazz Band, with our one and onlycompere Roland Sanders. Cadhayopens from 3.00pm with the firstPiggy Race at 3.30pm raising fundsfor Ottery Carnival and FORCE.Tickets £5 Adults, Family £12. Familyticket to include a Cream Tea!Jazz Picnic at Cadhay Elizabethan Manor on the 2nd June. Listento the City Steam Jazz Band. Tickets £5 adults and £12. Bringyour own picnic or buy refreshments on site. Tickets from OtteryTourist Information Centre on 01404 813964New event this year: Ottery St Mary Flower Arrangement Societypresent a Flower Festival at Knightsone Manor on 9th and 10th June from 3pm to 7pm. Free car parking. Wheelchair accessavailable. Afternoon Tea, Cream Teas, Raffle. Tickets £5 in advanceor £6 on the day, available from Information Centre or fromCarol Bennett on 01404 812031.Also available are vouchers for Crealy, Fleet Air Arm Museum,Woodlands, Paignton Zoo, Living Coasts. The New Offical TownGuide will be available shortly, also new train and bus time-tables are now in.Check out our new website: otterytourism.org.uk.

News from the Ottery TIC

Page 9

Normandy House Restaurant and Bar re-opens in style!

April marked the much antici-pated opening of The Nor-mandy House. After a year of itbeing left in disrepair, it is finallyopen ready for your custom.After 3 long months of hardwork we are finally ready toshow off the all new restaurantand cellar bar, which we hopeyou will enjoy!Consisting of a mother anddaughter team in the kitchenand a father and son team frontof house, we are a small familyrun business. This will be ourfirst venture all together (andperhaps our last!!) Karen andJames ran a successful taste ofthe west award winning deli/food shop in Gloucestershirefor 8 years previously. Mybrother Nick and I have been

plunged into hospitality lifesince we were young, both ofus going on to become chefsand working within some awardwinning establishments inGloucestershire and Bristol.After finding the property inNovember 2010 we instantlyfell in love with its charm andcharacter. The potential of itwas never in question; it wasthe hard graft of getting it upand running that was to provea challenge, but with a clearvision in our minds to be ableto bring a delicious informaldining experience to Ottery StMary, we powered on.Moving to Devon has been adream for foodies like our-selves. With the county so vastwith superb quality produce it’s

been a fun challenge to sourcethe best in local ingredients. Webelieve the quality is incom-parable, it is better for the en-vironment and an ideal oppor-tunity for us to support ourlocal economy.

We are going to be servinglunches and dinners and hope-fully Devon cream teas (in ourlovely garden) and we will beopen from Tuesday lunchtimethrough to Sunday lunchtime.

The cellar bar will be open inthe evening for people whowould just like a drink and wehave lots of tables outside inour courtyard garden.We look forward to seeing yousoon. For more information andbooking queries please call01404 815007RobynPictured: Top left, the spaciousrestaurant. Bottom left: Thecellar bar.

Page 10

The Man with VanFree Quotations Reasonable Rates

Near or far - Large or smallTelephone: 01404 812657

Mobile: 07967 170587e mail: manwithvan@sky.com

STEVE

We all know that with Spring comes lots of work in the garden,visitors, and many other chores that limit the amount of freetime available. Because of that we have planned a whole series ofshort courses for this term to keep our Spanish going withoutthe commitment of a regular 10 week course. The new Spanishshort courses shown below will be held at the Ottery TownCouncil Offices and will all run for 5 weeks.Monday: 7.00pm to 9.00pm - ¡Puedo hablar! - One hundredper cent conversational Spanish. Starting date: 9th MayTuesday: 7.00pm to 9.00pm - ¿Como se dice….? - We arenot beginners anymore and want to put to practice what wehave learnt. Starting date: May 3rd.Wednesday: 10.00am to 12.00pm - Everyday Spanish - Howto deal with day-to-day situations. Starting date: May 4th.Wednesday: 1.00pm to 3.00pm - Getting by - Five subjectsto help us get by when on holiday in Spain. Starting date: May 4th.Wednesday: 7.00pm to 9.00pm - Digame - Learn the essentialseither to get you started with the language or to feel confidentduring your holidays. Starting date: May 4th.Spanish Workshops: As we did last year, we are offering twoworkshops during the summer. Six hours of continuous use ofthe language plus a lunch at the new restaurant in Ottery includ-ed in the fee. Provisional dates: June 25th and August 27th.Free coffee and tea facilities during the two hours sessions. Weprovide all the material necessary during the course. Recordingsfrom TVE (Spanish television) will be shown periodically usingthe audio-visual facilities at the Council Offices. Competitive fees!For more information please contact Josefina Gori at 01297 23777/ 01404 811583 / 07941459441 or e-mail: osmspanish@aol.comor ftnsy62@aol.comPictured above: Spanish students enjoying a typical Spanish mealat the end of term.

Spanish short courseclasses to suit your needs

To place Advertising or free editorial matter for your clubor organisation in the Gazette please call 01404 815111

Every year, East Devon District Council’s Arts team publishes anArts Directory with contact details for local groups and societiesinvolved in art, dance, drama, literature, music, photography andmuch more.The Directory puts readers in touch with local groups wherethey can practise their hobbies and meet people who share theirinterests. There is a section on activities aimed at children andyoung people, and a section on art and disability.Last year several new sections were added, including bell ringingand gardening clubs, and there may be more this year if demandis high. To ensure their place in the 2011/12 Directory, which isdue to be published in June, anyone involved in the cultural lifeof East Devon is asked to contact Deborah Smith on 0140445006 or djsmith@eastdevon.gov.uk with details of their group,festival, event, gallery, society or club. Inclusion in the Directoryis free so don’t waste time – get your entry in now!

Make sure you feature inthe new local Arts Directory

Now we all spend time in our gardens and conservatories at thistime of year. If you listen to the radio you can now save moneyon batteries and buy a new digital radio made by Roberts Radiothat need cost you nothing to run.No batteries to buy. It uses day light and solar power andstores the power within the radio for you to use. It lasts a massive27 hours on a full charge. If the grey skies arrive or you run outof power you can use a mains charger to give the radio a boost.I use one of these Roberts radios at home in our bathroom andit lives on the window sill charging up all day ready for use. I onlyfind that in the winter I may have to give it the occasional boostfrom the mains. If you want to see the solar products and have ademonstration, call into our showroom at John Williams in MillStreet, Ottery St Mary.Martin Williams

John Williams8 MILL STREET, OTTERY ST MARY

Telephone 01404 812308e mail: info@john-williams.co.uk

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Page 11

For a time of worship, teaching and SundaySchool groups for the children.

Also midweek home groups and a Youth Groupmeets every Friday night at the Chapel in

Yonder Street.

All are welcome to come along to any of our meetings.For more details do contact Bruce and Heather Talboton 01404 850900 or email info@newlifeottery.org.uk

New Life Church is part of Churches Together in Ottery.

www.newlifeottery.org.uk

Every Sunday at The King’sSchool main hall at 10.30

PSG HOME &GARDEN CAREINTERIOR AND EXTERIORMAINTENANCE

Your friendly local handymanPaul is available for:

NO JOB TOO SMALLcall me on: 01404 850 160/07767 099 506or e mail me at:paulgillard1974@btinternet.comfor a free quote

Paul Gillard. 10 Mount View, Feniton EX14 3EB

Decorating Home Improvements Painting Garden Maintenance

Devon and Somerset GlidingClub is a non profit makingclub, run by and on behalf ofits members. Gliding is an aff-ordable, challenging and exci-ting sport, and we offer you theopportunity to learn to fly inthe skies above the stunningDevon countryside.The club is based at North Hillairfield on the Blackdown Hillsbetween Honiton and Cullom-pton. We provide training toour members in a modern fleetof two-seater gliders. Oncesolo, members can fly one ofthe club’s single seat gliders. Weoffer launches by winch, and byaerotow using our own PiperPawnee towplane.Gliding spans all age groupsand our members are drawnfrom a variety of backgrounds.Many start before the age of 16,whilst others discover the sportlater in life. Our fully qualifiedBGA (British Gliding Associa-tion) instructors can tailorinstruction around individualneeds according to age andprevious experience.The club will be holding anopen weekend on the 28th and29th May starting at 9.00am.For just £25 will give you theopportunity to experience this

Devon and Somerset Gliding Club Open Weekend

amazing sport first hand. Youwill fly with one of our qualifiedinstructors and will even beable to take the controls.The club has an extensive teamof experienced, fully qualifiedBGA instructors to take mem-bers through from their veryfirst flight to their first solo andbeyond. The club welcomesmembers of all ages, and youngpeople can fly solo from the ageof 16, and there is no upperage limit.The clubhouse will be openthroughout the weekend, withhot and cold drinks, snacks andlight meals available. For moreinformation contact HeatherClarke on 01626 360191.

DIRECTIONS TO THE GLIDING CLUBFrom Exeter - exit the M5 at junction 28 and take the road thatleads towards Honiton. After the Keepers Cottage pub on theright hand hand side of the road, turn left (you will see a brownsign marked Gliding Club) Follow lane uphill and through thewoods. You will pass Forest Glade campsite on the left. Continueon to T junction. Turn right, and the club entrance is just overhalf a mile on the right hand side.From Honiton - take the A373 towards Dunkeswell. At the firstcrossroads past the Wolford Chapel, turn left into Long LaneCarry on to the next crossroads and turn right (signpostedtowards Sheldon) carry on along this road and the club entranceis approx half a mile on the left hand side. Sat Nav: EX14 4QW

TAKE A FLIGHT IN AGLIDER FOR JUST £25

Your Royal Wedding party pics wantedDid you celebrate the royal wedding with an organised event ora street party? If so, the Gazette would like to hear about it for afeature in the June issue. Please e mail your details and a phototo otterygazette@yahoo.co.uk or call in at the office, next doorto Ottery St Mary library, opposite the Parish Church.

Page 12

EAT OUTfrom £5AT THE

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Menu Changes Weekly

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Bookings advisableFriday and Saturday evenings -Play a game of skittles and enjoy

a Buffet - menus start at just£2.95 per person

Tel: 01404 822214

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Telephone: 01404 813318Mobile: 07771 645464

COMPLETE KITCHEN FITTING SERVICEALSO BEDROOMS AND BATHROOMS

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Years of Experience. Professional Planning.

By the time you are readingthis article Busy Otters will besettling in to their new homenext to the Primary Schoolafter the Easter Holidays.Everyone is very excited aboutthe move and we are verygrateful to the staff who areworking hard to ensure asmooth transition for the chil-dren.We must take this opportunityto thank many members of ourlocal community. Firstly wesend a huge thank you to Peterand Mary Gosling who havebeen our landlords for 24 years.Many children have passedthrough those Old Boy’s Schooldoors with happy memories.Secondly, we would like tothank Mr Rylance and the staffand pupils at Ottery PrimarySchool for putting up with somuch disruption.We are also extremely gratefulto the architect, project man-ager, engineers and surveyorswho have realised the buildingand contractors Morgan Sindallwho have gone far beyond theirremit.We would also like to thank thefollowing businesses who havegiven us their continued sup-port over the years: The Nance-kivell Family, Halls EstateAgents, Xcalibur Signs & Print,

Busy Otters Pre-Schoolmove to new premises

Alan Todd & Sons Ltd, MillstoneBakery, Pearsons, Dells, Co-op-erative, Wendy’s, Abbotts D.I.Y.,Ottery Carnival Committee,Otter Nurseries, Escot, Joshua’sHarvest Store, Costcutter,Christopher Piper Wines, EricReynolds, Roger Dyer, Norm-andy House and The Good LifeDeli. And not forgetting parentsand Committee, past and pre-sent, for choosing our wonder-ful Pre-school!Please note our new contactdetails and session times.Busy Otters is located next tothe Primary School at LongdogsLane, Ottery St Mary, EX111HY. We offer pre-school placesfor children from 2 years 6months, up until they beginschool. Morning sessions areMonday to Friday 9.15 - 11.45.Afternoon sessions are Monday,Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday12.45 - 3.15pm. We also haveLunch Club on Monday, Tuesday,Wednesday and Friday11.45 -12.45pm.Toddler sessions for the under5s are on Thursday afternoons,1.15 - 3.15pm. £2 per family.For further information pleasering 01404 812442 or emailbusyotters@googlemail.com.Check out our website atwww.busyotters.co.uk

OTTERY SILVER BAND DIARYThe Band eagerly await ourSpring Concert on the 8th May,at The Institute, Ottery St Mary.Rehearsals have been goingreally well and this will be ourfirst playout with new MusicalDirector Andrew Harris.We will be playing a variedprogramme of music and thejunior band ‘Brass Class’ will begiving a performance also. It isgoing to be a very good nightand we look forward to seeingyou all. The concert starts at7.45pm and tickets are avail-able from the Tourist Infor-mation Centre and Stagestruck,Ottery, from members of theband or on the door priced at£4.00, under 16’s free. (Tea/coffee biscuits will be availablein the interval). See you there!!Well, we have been havinglovely weather and we hopethis continues for our summerconcerts in Connaught Gar-dens, Sidmouth. We will be

playing there every Thursdayevening at 7.45pm from 23rdJune through to 1st September.This is a truly lovely setting andis very much a highlight of theBand’s year. You can comealong and relax in the deckchairs provided or bring a pic-nic and enjoy an hour of freemusic.Before that though, we will beplaying in our home town atthe Ottery Church may Fair on28th May from 1.00pm and wewill also be playing at the BictonCollege Open Day in June(date to be confirmed).We are all really looking for-ward to getting out and aboutand look forward to seeing youall.Should you have any enquiresregarding the main band orjunior band ‘Brass Class’ pleasecontact Brian(Main Band) orVerity (Brass Class) on 01404841502.

HONITON U3AWedneday 18th May - ‘The Art of Deception. Art Fakes andForgeries over the centuries” with Marilyn Bishop. 2.15pm atBritish Legion Hall, Dowell St, Honiton. Details 01404 823160.

Page 13

Escot Park is creating a unique, open accessRed Squirrel encounter in the heart of the1100 acre estate near Ottery St. Mary. Theencounter will feature a walk-through openair enclosure with a 100metre board walk,which will allow visitors to wander throughthe trees and see the squirrels at closequarters.Red squirrels will be supplied by the BritishWildlife Centre near Lingfield in Surreyfrom their own surplus breeding stock. Inturn this will ensure that they have remotestock to call on in case of unforeseen losses.In the semi-captive environment at Escot, itis hoped that the squirrels will breed as freelyas they would in the wild. There is, however,the possibility that they will breed morerapidly. In the wild red squirrels may breedtwice in a season if sufficient food is availablebut it is common for their food supply tobecome less plentiful during the summer,affecting their ability to produce a secondlitter. This natural food shortage will not bereplicated at Escot and therefore two littersper year may be more commonplace.The project itself is part of a larger ambitionof the Red Squirrel Project South West(RSSW) initiative to eventually return redsto the wild in the South West. This is notcurrently possible as the abundant greysquirrel carries a virus which is fatal to redsbut to which greys are immune.Educating the public about the plight of thisiconic native mammal is a top priority of theproject. An essential part of this educationis allowing the public the opportunity toreally get to know this rarely encounteredand often misunderstood creature.So just how much do you know about redsquirrels? Red squirrels are often associatedwith hazelnuts but their diet is amazinglydiverse, including seeds and nuts, as onewould expect, but they will also dine on

Come and enjoy a red squirrel encounter at Escot Park

So the clocks have gone forward an hour andspring is officially here! Regular visitors toEscot Park, however, will have already noticedthe arrival of spring - the daffodils have longbeen hinting at it. Joining the daffodils noware the earliest of Escot’s large collection ofRhododendrons, looking spectacular againsta backdrop of just about every shade of greenyou could imagine.You don’t have to be an ardent horticul-turalist to enjoy Escot though. Escot is alsoabout getting some fresh air, about enjoyingthe great outdoors (a phrase that could soeasily have been coined at Escot). It’s like aconcentrated dose of nature, containing adiverse range of habitats, from woodland towetland and is home to creatures that help tointerpret the history of British wildlife. TheWild Boar enjoy their woodland setting asthey would have done in days gone by, whilstEscot’s Red Squirrels look forward to theirnew walk-through enclosure (due to open

ESCOT’S HALF TERMWORD LADDER

Sounds like agreeting butactually it’shealthy

Quite mad fora month

If it’s white, it’sprobably a pub

Leave us a little

Pretty andPerky

Hairdo

HALF

TERM

CLUES

Name....................................................................................................................

Address................................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................................

Telephone............................................................................................................

The word ladder is a sequence of words formed by changing justone letter on each step. For example: CAT - COT - DOT - DOG.Using the clues shown, fill in the words between ‘Half ’ and ‘Term’.

WIN A FAMILY DAY TICKET (2 ADULTSAND 2 CHILDREN) TO ESCOT PARK!

Win a Family Day Ticket (2 Adults and 2 Children) to Escot Park! Simply fillin the word ladder left using the clues provided. Then send in your answertogether with your name and address either by letter to Lisa Benton, Escot Ltd,Escot Park. Ottery St Mary EX11 1LU, or by email to: escot@escot-devon.co.uk(if you are entering the competition via email, please include your full name andpostal address). Answers must arrive by 31st May 2011. The first ten correctanswers drawn will each receive a family day ticket to Escot. Conditions apply.Call 01404 822188 for full details.

lichen, flowers, caterpillars and even smallvertebrates. Red squirrels build two dreys(nests) per year, one for summer and one for

winter because they don’t hibernate. As wellas having the opportunity to learn throughobservation, Escot has donated space in alarge barn adjacent to the enclosure whichwill become a classroom and interpretationcentre. Escot’s expert team includes a fulltime Nature Ranger and full time EducationRanger who will be responsible for keepingvisitors up to date with the squirrels’progress once the project is completed.The project is supported by a 50% grant fromMaking it Local, a locally managed grantsscheme in the Blackdown Hills and EastDevon AONB areas, incorporating fundingfrom the EU, Defra, South West RDA andLeader.For more information please contact ProjectManager Mr Kennaway on 01404 822188 orinfo@escot-devon.co.uk

Escot - the ‘Natural Place’

mid-summer 2011) illustrating how ourwoodlands would look if Red Squirrels werere-introduced to the wild in Devon. Theseare just a few of the many reasons that haveled to Escot being known as “the NaturalPlace”.To find out more visit Escot’s websitewww.escot-devon.co.uk or join us on oursocial network groups to keep up to date withall of our news and forthcoming events!Facebook: Escot Gardens, Maze & ForestAdventure or on Twitter: @EscotDevon!

Page 14

EAST DEVON BRANCH

For more information and for General Enquiriescall 01404 811089. For Neutering Advice and help with

Neutering Costs for those eligible Call 01297 22085If you have lost or found a cat please call - 01297 21610

All our cats and kittens are flead, wormed,vaccinated, microchipped and, if over 5months old, neutered. We also help withneutering costs for the kittens we home.

www.eastdevoncats.com

These are onbly a few of the cats in our care who are looking forhomes. If you do not see the cat for you please call 01404 831166

The opening day of The GoodLife shop, Broad Street, OtterySt Mary, during April was agreat success. There was aqueue of people outside on thestreet before opening time.When the doors did open atjust after 2.00pm the custom-ers were even impatient to waitfor the opening ceremony andthe handing over of the keys!Opening was from 2.00pm onthe day and the customers justkept coming all day until thedoors were closed at 8pm, avery busy, enjoyable and suc-cessful day.The new shop interior, pic-tured above, was greeted withgreat delight at the fresh lookand spacious feel to the newdecor in the store. Customersseemed very impressed withthe new lines in the delicatessenand the display of the goods,and very happy at the familiarfrom the old shop they new, agood integration of past andpresent.The ethos of renewable, refill-able and local is also well re-ceived as the consciousness ofshoppers is changing in today’sretail climate. They are happythat they can return with theirempty bottles of household

products, vinegars and oils tobe refilled and the minimalpackaging in the goods on saleprepared at the shop. Thegeneral consensus is that it willbe well supported by theclientele. There was a lot ofgood feed back about the delicounter and availability andchoices of West Country chees-es and locally baked producein the store, and many arelooking forward to locallyproduced vegetables once theyare back in season.The practice rooms upstairsare already promises to be agreat success. The new lookclinic was perused by many onthe day with keen interest inthe therapies available. Therewere many compliments on thenew decor and clear spaceavailable to receive treatments.Please feel free to come andbrowse at your leisure and takea look at all we have to offer instore. Come and enjoy a cupof tea or coffee and a piece ofcake in the coffee corner, orhave a light lunch from the deli-catessen. There is always awelcome for you and a worldof well being. We look forwardto meeting you and greetingyou in the Good Life.

Come and try The Good LifeEast Devon Cats ProtectionThe East Devon branch of CatsProtection covers a very widearea of Devon, totaling about400 square miles. We take inand re home cats and kittenswho are strays or are unwantedand/or abandoned.We have foster homes in ornear Ottery St Mary, Sidmouth,Budleigh Salterton, Exmouth,Seaton and Axminster, wherethe cats are cared for and pre-pared for re homing.Cats are handed in to us formany reasons. One of the mostcommon reasons is when theowner, often elderly is unableto care for his or her cat anymore. These cats are generallyextremely affectionate and arenormally easy to re home.However, sometimes the cat can

be very timid, especially withstrangers.Tiggy who is staying at ourfoster home in Sidford is justsuch a cat. She is a lovely 7 yearold black short haired girl whohas led a very quiet life withher elderly owner who can nolonger look after her. She wasvery timid when she first arr-ived but after several monthsof patient care from her fostermum, she has decided to trusther and is now responding well.She is a beautiful cat who needsa very special person to reas-sure her and be her friend. Areyou that special person? If so,please speak to Gayle on01395 515601.See the accompanying advertfor details of more cats waitingfor homes.

If you are aged between 10 – 17 and love to paint or draw or ifyou work in 3D, you could win the opportunity to exhibit yourwork by entering a local Youth Art Competition organised byOtter Vale Art Society. The exhibition will be held at the Institute,Ottery St Mary on 5th to 14th August 2011.Alan Cotton, internationally acclaimed artist will be judgingand is also offering a unique opportunity for winners to spenda day in his studio learning more about art. There will be greatprizes awarded to the first three winners in the 2 following agegroups: 10-13 year olds and 14-17 year olds. Parents mustaccompany children submitting work.The exhibition will be open to the public daily, but your workis needed by June.....so get painting now! Apply for an applicationform by telephone on 01395 597221.

Youth Art Competition

PATCH (pictured top) and his sisterWHISKY are very friendly 6 year oldblack & white siblings who are staying atour foster home near Tipton St. John.Tel: 01395 577334

MERLIN is a very affectionate 18 monthold semi long haired grey boy who needsa rural home and WOODY is a veryfriendly 10 month old black & white boywho are also staying here. 01395 577334

TIGGY (left) is a very sweet and gentle 7year old black girl who is staying at ourfoster home in Sidford. Tel: 01395 515601

BOBBIE is a friendly 20 month old white,black & tabby boy who is staying inSeaton. Tel: 01297 21610

Page 15

D.I.Y. TIP OFTHE MONTH

BYCHRIS

ABBOTT

Is there a DIY problem, that you would like to see answeredin this column? If so or if you have any other comments

relating to this column visit the Tip of the Month page onthe all new Abbotts website www.abbottsdiy.com

Preparing the ground for a Patio

Does your community project need more manpower?Are there times when you could use an extra pair of hands?

Volunteers are now available in your area offering:* Flexible, versatile and diverse skills, in return for a little

encouragement and appreciation.* Fresh enthusiasm and energy making a real difference

to the lives of other people.* Professional skills and experience adding value to the

running of your organisation.* Regular, one-off, occasional or seasonal help.

Contact the East Devon Volunteer Centreand get help for your community group today!

Call Sandra Chapman for an informal chat to discuss your needson 01404 549045 or e mail: sandra.chapman@edvsa.org.uk

Hello and welcome to May’sDIY tip of the month. Nowassuming the weather is stillwarm and sunny I bet you willmost likely want to make fulluse of your garden and you’llbe cracking out the BBQ andspending plenty of time on yourpatio or decking. However ifyou don’t currently have eitherdecking or a patio then thismonth’s tip of the monthshould be of some use to you,as this month we will be look-ing at how to lay a patio.So to start, the first step is tonegotiate with your partnerquite how much of the lawnyou’re going to be losing - thismay prove to be the hardeststep! Once settled, mark it out.Next you’ll need to start excav-ating the site. You’ll need toremove the top soil to an app-roximate depth of 150mm (6inches in old money) fromfinished patio level. Make sureyou bear in mind that thefinished height of your patioshould be no less than 6 inchesfrom your house’s damp proofcourse.Once all excavation is com-plete you’ll need to ensure thatthe soil you have exposed iswell compacted. If it’s not, yourfinished patio may end up withbig dips in it where the soilbelow has settled over time.Now unless you have a herdof elephants hanging around

your garden it’s not easy to en-sure your soil is well compac-ted, so it is advisable to use aplate compactor to achieve this.Once you’re happy the soil isnice and compact you’ll needto lay approximately 100mm(4" inches) of hardcore acrossthe site. It is recommended thatyou use a MOT type 1 crushedstone for this. Again, once thehardcore is down you’ll needto run across the area with theplate compactor. Now I’m sureyou are left thinking yeah, that’sall sounds straight forward en-ough, but I don’t have a platecompactor or an earth rammerkicking around my garage. Wellmy simple answer is that anyof the equipment I have men-tioned in this article can beeasily hired here at Abbotts,and hopefully for less than youmight expect.So now you’ll be ready to startlaying your patio slabs down onyour well prepared site, whichwe will cover in next month’sGazette. As usual if you needany advice on a DIY problem,please call in to Abbotts oremail Chris@abbottsdiy.comJeff Abbott

At their April meeting in theInstitute, members of OtteryHeritage Society were taken ona light-hearted tour of theinternational wine industry,stopping off here and there forthe occasional anecdote aboutgrowers, producers, bottlersand distributors in this vast,truly international business.Guest speaker David Bond hasbeen purchasing director forlocal vintners ‘ChristopherPiper Wines’ for the past 18years, having been in the winetrade all his working life. Hedescribed to his audience themany conditions which contri-buted to the production ofsome of the world’s best andmost popular wines, whichcountries’ wines were in theascendancy and offering somereasons why others were de-clining in popularity.Members learned something ofthe primary wine-producingregions, known for particulargrape varieties dictated byterrrain.He covered the serious prob-lems of contamination in theproduction processes, and insubsequent storage, corkversus plastic stoppers and theemergence of the screw cap asthe popular alternative. Lookingto the future, he forecast the

demise of the glass bottle infavour of plastic; less weight andless protective packaging beingthe key advantages.Heritage Trustee Betty Williams,herself a wine enthusiast, gavethe vote of thanks on behalf ofthe society, for a most interest-ing and amusing insight into thebusiness of wine.Membership of the Ottery StMary Heritage Society is opento anyone interested in further-ing the work of the Charity.Meetings are held in the OtterySt Mary Institute, usually on thethird Tuesday of each month,unless advertised otherwise.Eminent speakers are invited totalk on their particular areas ofinterest. These meetings arewell-supported social affairsand refreshments are available.Non members are always wel-come.The next meeting will be onTuesday May 17th, when guestspeaker will be Trevor Roberts.His subject is entitled, “TheHistory for ‘Fields of Sidmouth’from 1800.”Robert Neal

Adventures in the wine tradeAmusing reflections by David Bond

Page 16

For that personal service call01404 814963 or Mobile: 07737 419077

WINDOW CLEANER GUTTERS/FACIAS CLEANED HOUSE/PATIO PRESSURE

CLEANING UNDERTAKEN(Excellent references if required)

Sean Harris

75 Slade Close, Ottery St Mary, Devon EX11 1SY

LION’SCORNER

Well, here we are, back at theDeer Park Hotel, Weston, nearHoniton. The hotel has beenre-furbished. The hotel stillmaintains its original basic facil-ities, but everything has beenmade more fresh looking whichhas cheered up the place. Ourwheelbarrow raffle took placeon Mothering Sunday, 3rdApril, and the barrow and itscontents were won by a ladyfrom Honiton who had herprize delivered to her house.We made a presentation of asum of money to UpotterySchool in April, to assist themwith a project they were invol-ved with. The Honiton RunningClub held a race on Sunday10th April, and we were pleasedto supply a number of marsh-alls to assist them during theevent.I want to draw the attention ofparents visiting the ColeridgeMedical Centre, not to allowtheir children to interfere withthe ‘Message in a Bottle’ con-tainers, and remove the con-tents of the bottles. This is avaluable service to the comm-unity. Several bottles have beentampered with, and the con-tents removed, which rendersthem useless.

Lion Stan, sent 1,000 pairs ofused spectacles away to thecollection point. These wouldbe sent to the 3rd world wherethey will be used by providingsight assistance to the residentsof those countries. Don’t forgetour ‘Friend of the Lions’ schemewhich enables you to take alimited part in our activities.For £5 you will be able to re-ceive a newsletter, and be ableto take a non active part in oursocial functions, skittles etc.Our website is still being visitedregularly, there have been wellover 500 visits to the web sitewww.honitonlions.org.uk.There are several links whichwill be of interest to you, witha selection of photographs.Our annual golf day will takeplace on Thursday 26th May atHoniton Golf Course. This isusually well attended, and en-ables us to raise money for ourcharities, which this year willbe in aid of the Devon AirAmbu-lance. We will be holdinga Classic Car Rally on 26th July,which will coincide with theHoniton Charter Day celebra-tions. Then of course we haveour annual Duck Race at theOtter Inn, which will be onSunday 7th August.

Following the EDDC’s decisionto cut back on services, includ-ing the maintenance of flowerbeds in the town, our LionsClub has undertaken the servic-ing of one of the flower beds inCaanan Way, near to the Fire

Station. This should help tobrighten up the road when en-tering the town.For more information on theLions call 01404 813513 orlion.bill@btinternet.comBill King

Have fun at the May Fair!The May Fair to be held on Sat-urday 28th May from 11.00amto 4.00pm promises to be awonderful day out for all agesin the wonderful surroundingsof Cadhay House, by kind per-mission of R. Thistlewaite.The May Fair will provide greatfamily entertainment withNutty Noah, an entertainerwith unusual skills - a perform-ance not to be missed! Jona-than Marshall Falconry - a firmfavorite at the May Fair whereJonathan will be showing hisunique relationship with thesegreat birds of prey. There willalso be entertainment from theTaiko Drummers, Ottery StMary Silver Band, Ferret Racingand a Bouncy Castle.With many stalls including theCadhay Food Hall, Ancient andModern, Plants and Produce,Books, Jewellery and Hats plus

many more. The great Draw willtake place with over thirtyfabulous prizes and tours ofhistoric Cadhay House. Comeand enjoy the barbecue andscrumptious Devon cream teas,as well as O’Hanlon’s beer.A free bus service will beprovided by kind permission ofDowns Garage. Entry £2 adults.Children and car parking free!Come and enjoy all the fun ofthe Fair - and bring your friendsalong.

Page 17

Traditional & Contemporary Framingof the Highest Quality.

Hand Finished by QualifiedArtist/Craftsmen.

Regular Exhibitions of work fromEstablished and Up Coming Artists

and Sculptors.

The Gallery @ Hind Street

WE CAN FRAME ALMOST ANYTHING!!

We are highly expert in thecomplete framing process, allframing work carried out onthe premises.We also offer complete oilpainting restoration

Collectable works of art areexhibiting this month withinspired work from new artist

For our second wF4Wf event,Handsome Dicks Records andMister Fixer are thrilled toannounce that Jim Causley andDenbury Folk will be providinga warm-up to the legendaryguitarist Gordon Giltrap.Advance tickets are only £7.50(£9.00 on the door), and areavailable from Whimple PostOffice, Ottery St Mary TouristInformation Centre, or onlinefrom the website shown below.Over the past forty years,Gordon Giltrap has graced themusic business with his dedi-cation to his craft and his affec-tion for his audience. As one ofthe UK’s most respected guitar-ists, he has consistently provedthe adage that respect cannotbe bought. It must be earned.In the late Seventies, Gordonenjoyed a brief spell as a popstar, with a hit album (PerilousJourney) and two hit singles(‘Heartsong’ and ‘Fear of theDark’). ‘Heartsong’ was nom-inated for an Ivor Novelloaward, and is fondly remem-bered as the theme tune to theBBC’s Holiday programme.In 2008 Gordon received a LifeTime Achievement award fromthe Newtonards Guitar Festival

in Northern Island. Gordon re-gards this as his most treasuredpossession coming as it doesfrom the land of his grand-father’s birth and a country witha musical tradition close to hisheart. Indeed Ireland has takenhim to their heart. The largestguitar store in Belfast, TheGuitar Emporium has engrav-ings of some of the world’sgreatest guitar players on theirfront window. If you visit youwill see engraved images of JimiHendrix, Rory Gallagher, JimmyPage, Brian May and in amongstthese greats there is...GordonGiltrap.Needless to say the self-effacingMr Giltrap feels very humbledby this superb gesture!

‘Whimple Folk for Whimple Folk II’ with Gordon Giltrap

For more Whimple Folk details visit the website:www.handsomedicksrecords.co.uk/gordon

Victory Hall, WhimpleSunday 10th July 2011Show starts 7.00pm

Many of you may already knowJim Causley, either from lastyear’s ‘whimple Folk for Whim-

ple folk’, the annual WhimpleWassail, or his nomination forthe Radio 2 Folk award. Alwaysamusing and very talented, Jimhas kindly agreed to come backfor this year’s event and run thestage for us, so I’m sure he willbe as entertaining for his ‘homecrowd’ as he was last year.Denbury Folk had their firstpublic performance at thisevent last year. They went downa storm, particularly with theaudience sing-alongs. Checkout their rendition of ‘BloomingHeather’ from last year’s eventon YouTube. They are backagain this year by populardemand, with a new selectionof ditties for your delectation.See you there! – Alex & John

Page 18

HASTINGSROOFING

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Telephone: 01404 814517Mobile: 07866 433446 anytime

Fully Insured Over 25 Years experience Free Estimates

DAVID HASTINGSJeanette FreemanCustom Made Curtains and

Soft FurnishingsUnit C1, Westleigh Willows Farm, Feniton,

Honiton, Devon EX14 3BNTelephone: 01404 851027

Hatha Yoga - the practice ofyoga is much more than asystem of physical exercise forhealth. The postures calledasanas in the ancient Sanskritlanguage are actually just asmall part of the whole yogicsystem.The benefits of an holistic yogapractice helps calm the activemind and reduce stress andtension - a result of our ourfast, modern pace of life. It pro-motes relaxation, improvesfitness levels and flexibility andimproves posture, muscle tone,health and wellbeing. Yoga canalso improve health conditionssuch as asthma, hypertension,back pain etc and help you

experience the connection ofthe mind, body and spirit. Theyoga practice will includerelaxation postures, guidedmeditation and breathingexercises.Mixed ability classes will be heldat The Institute, Ottery SyMary on Fridays from 10am to11.30pm. Feniton Village Hallon Tuesdays from 6.30pm to8pm and Wednesdays 9.15amto 10.45am. Cost £6 per class.Please call Lesley prior to start-ing the classes on 07791563674 or 01404 812577. Youwill need to bring a yoga matand blanket to class although Icould provide a mat to beginwith.

New Hatha Yoga classes inOttery St Mary and Feniton

The first coffee morning sincethe re-opening of the churchfollowing the 2008 flood washeld in the church itself. Thenew servery and the movablepews allowed the layout of thechurch to be changed into caféstyle seating which made thespace very user friendly andsuitable for the occasion.It was held in aid of Water Aidwhich was the churches adop-ted Lent charity. The organiser,Mrs Lanning said it was anappropriate charity not only inits own right but appropriateas the church had found itselfwith too much water whilst somany people find themselveswith too little. All the proceedswere given to the charity andthis amounted to £318.The church intends to havecharity Coffee Mornings every

First Coffee Morning atSt Andrew’s Church Feniton

other month to alternate withthose run by the Village Hall sothat the events do not clash.Already the date for the nextone has been set for the 11thJune where the charity will beHelp for Heroes.The church building is nowcomplete with versatile seating,improved heating and lighting,toilets, baby changing facilitiesso it will now become anothervillage resource. Already anannual meeting of ChurchArchitects has been booked totake place in the church wherethe work of re-ordering can beviewed. Visitors to the churchhave also come from manyparts of the diocese who wishto see what has been done andhow their churches can bemade adaptable for present dayneeds.

Well done to all of you who took part in the Spot the Easter Eggand Scrambled Faces Competition over Easter. The winners willbe drawn on May 1st and announced in next month’s Gazette.Many thanks to all of the local shops who made this competitionpossible by displaying the eggs in their windows. We appreciateyour willingness to support our Carnival Royalty. The winnersof the Lucky Square Competition which was held at a cake stallin the Square were Zoe and Jean.Toni Hiscocks

Spot the Easter Egg andLucky Square competitons

Have you broken down anybarriers recently?

Do you have an idea about making your neighbourhood a betterplace to live and are red tape, rules and regulations of nationalgovernment getting in your way? East Devon District Council isencouraging its communities to make use of a new website thatcan help. Called Barrier Busting, the website is run by theDepartment for Communities and Local Government and isdesigned to help you get things done for your local communityby getting rid of barriers that only central government can lift.If you have done everything you reasonably can to resolve theissue at a local level, by talking to your neighbours, othercommunity groups and to your local Councillors, but you stillneed help to get things done, you can fill in a simple form on thewebsite: http://barrierbusting.communities.gov.uk/Here you can see examples of other proposals that have alreadybeen submitted. Let the barrier busting team know what bureau-cracy, regulations or lack of information are stopping you fromachieving what you want to achieve in your area.The team will investigate your concerns and do what they canto get rid of the barriers in your way. This could include re-examining policies, getting rid of unnecessary requirements orchanging the way government departments work. If things can’tbe changed, they will let you know why.So if you have great ideas about making your community a betterplace to live, but you need some barriers removed, please go tothe website – you never know, government policy might bechanged as a result!

Page 19

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Along with other local groups,Payhembury Pre-School werebusy making an array of multi-coloured doiley flowers andbaskets for their display for the48th Village Spring Bulb &Flower Show which was heldat the end of March. After allthese years it is now morepopular than ever with nearly500 entries. Over 150 villagersattended to see all the amazingexhibits and who the winnersof the 9 cups would be!Classes ranged from bulbs andplants, cut flower arrangements,cookery and preserves, handi-craft and a children’s sectionwhich included a garden in a

Payhembury Pre-Schoolersenter Village Flower Show Coleridge Pre-school would

like to congratulate the BusyOtters Playgroup on their newbuilding and wish them all thevery best of success in theirnew premises.April was started with a Moth-er’s Day Celebration party onFriday 1st a great morning hadby all. With the Easter holidaysjust round the corner we werebusy getting ready for Cole-ridge Easter Coffee Morningand table top sale. A big thankyou for all the support we havebeen given. We hope everyonehad a good Easter Holiday andis ready for the New Term.Congratulations to Prince Will-iam and Katie on their marriage29th April.Coleridge would like to say awelcome to the new children,Alesha, Peyton, Miles, andHappy Birthday to Thomas. Areminder that we are currentlycollecting Sainsbury and Tescovouchers, so if you are not surewhat to do with these we willbe grateful for your support.

Coleridge pre-school playgroupis an Ofsted registered, comm-ittee run playgroup based in thecentre of Ottery St Mary. It isrun by professional and friendlystaff that have had many yearsexperience in providing earlyyears education.The playgroup is open 9.15am- 3.15pm on Monday to Fridayexcept Tuesday when it closesat 11.45. Morning sessions runfrom 9.15am - 11.45am, lunchclub is held from 11.45am -12.45pm, and afternoon sess-ions commence at 12.45pm. Atoddler group is held at theschool on Tuesday afternoons,1.15pm to 3pm. All parents andcarers with children aged 0-5are welcome.Coleridge takes children from2½ up to school age. Fundingis available for 3 and 4 yearolds. For more details pleasecall 01404 812663 and ask tospeak to Sharon Cake or SueScott. You can look for Cole-ridge Pre-School on Facebook.There is also the opportunityfor wrap-around care from8.00am - 6.00pm daily forparents who choose to also useHappy Days - the out of schoolprovision that operates indep-endently from our premises.Details can be obtained byringing 01404 812663 askingfor Lynda Hole.

Coleridge Playgroup News

seed tray, a painted thumb printpattern and a face on a slice ofbread! What a lovely afternoonwe all had. Pictured above: Pre-Schoolers with their lovelydisplays.For more information aboutPayhembury Pre-School pleasecontact Gill on 07907 584667or visit www.payhemburypre-school.co.uk

Ottery St Mary Table Tennis Club meets on Thursday eveningsat The Institute, Ottery St Mary, from 7.00pm from Septemberthrough to May. It has 6 Tables and coaching is available on aregular basis. For further details contact Roger Johnson (01297625061) or Ray Puttick (01404 813720).

OTTERY TABLE TENNIS CLUB

Page 20

FROM THE CHURCHESFROM THE CHURCHES IN OTTERY

NEW LIFE CHURCH

ST ANTHONY’S CATHOLIC CHURCH

THE SALVATION ARMY

Easter has been celebrated for another year: Alleluia, andnow we are into that period when we continue to followthe principles put before us in the Bible about how to leadour lives all through the year and work towards the next

important festival. Each of our denominations emphasises these intheir own way so look at the notice boards to see what each churchoffers and remember that you will be welcome to join in any of these.

The church continues to meet at the King’s School main hall at 10.30 amon Sundays where we enjoy lively worship, biblical teaching and SundaySchool groups for the children.Our kids club ‘Groundbreakers’ has now been running for a year. Wehave seen our numbers increase from about 5 to 25 children in the lastyear, which may mean a move to larger premises soon. In the meantimewe will still be meeting at the New Life Chapel on Friday eveningsduring term time, between 6pm and 7.25pm. The Youth Group, for 11 –18 yr olds, also meets every Friday from 7.30pm to 9.30pm.For the fitness freaks among you a date for your diary is July 3rd for ourannual ‘Iron Man’ and ‘Junior Iron Man’ competitions. The event, held inAlphington, consists of a swim-run-cycle-run-swim and is hotlycontested by men, ladies and teenagers in the church – anyone is welcometo enter. We also run a ‘Junior Iron Man’ which is thoroughly enjoyedby children aged between 7 and 11 yrs who undertake a short run-swim-run.On May 13th and 14th a number of people from the church will be goingto Exeter to hear Mark Marx speak about ‘Healing on the Streets’ – asimple ministry where the church becomes active ‘on the streets’,offering prayer for healing and extending the love of Jesus to anyone inneed.If you want to know more about New Life or any of our activitiescontact Bruce and Heather Talbot at info@newlifeottery.org.uk orcheck out our website www.newlifeottery.org.uk.

The coming month promises to be busy as I prepare for The SalvationArmy display in the Churches Tent at the Devon County Show. TheChurch tent is located in Avenue L of the show ground. If you arevisiting the show please come along and see what different Christiantraditions are doing in Devon. The tent also hosts the Pennywell Farmstand which usually includes some piglets. It is well worth a visit.Towards the end of May I will celebrate fifteen years of ministry as aSalvation Army Officer. During that time I have been appointed in theSouth-West. I arrived in Bristol in 1996 before moving to down to thetip of Cornwall, up to Somerset and back down to Devon. It is anyone’sguess where next (but don’t worry, not just yet, the Salvation Army iskeeping me here a bit longer).On Sunday May 29th we are holding a café style worship event in placeof our normal worship meeting. This will commence at 3pm and will bevery informal. Anyone is welcome to join us. It is worship like you havenever experienced before.

Ann Hunt, Catholic Womens League says at St Anthony’s we aredelighted to welcome back Father Francis ( Frank) Umendia OAR asour Parish Priest. He was here some years ago and since that time hasspent several years in London and a year in the USA. We are pleasedtoo that we will still see Father Denis Caddle, who has been takingsuch good care of us. He will still be at St Rita’s as the Parish Priest atHoniton.On Mothering Sunday there was a beautiful Family Mass at which thechildren preparing for their First Holy Communion took starring roles:preparing prayers, singing for us, taking the collection and handingbeautiful flower sprays to all the ladies in the congregation.On April 1st the CWL organised a frugal lunch at the home of memberCarol Russell and her husband Patrick. The soups and the venue werewonderful and what has really captured our interest is the work oftheir daughter Dr Helena Russell. She is an oncologist working at theInternational Hospital in Kampala.We raised over £300 for her work in Hope Ward where patients whocould not otherwise afford it are treated. We look forward to hearingfrom Helena about her work when she visits during the Summer andhope donations will enable us to present a much bigger cheque.

WE’RE BETTER TOGETHER:Remember that Christian Aid Week is May 15th – 21st although thework goes on every day of the year. There will be opportunities for youto contribute and to learn more about the work that Christian Aiddoes across the world. Most of the information will be on display in theParish Church.

Page 21

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Our Tuesday coffee morning goes from strength to strength, with eachteam of helpers bringing its own special expertise to the task. Homemade cakes are often - but not always - available, and the TraidCraft fairtrade stand is always open. However, if anyone has a charity whichwould benefit from facilities in which to hold a fund-raising event thenplease get in touch with Colin Opie (currently our bookings officer -01404 815933) to arrange an opportunity to use our premises.A small hardy bunch joined the Walk of Witness on Good Friday andwas pleased to be part of the continuing ecumenical cooperation thatexists in Ottery. Our services are open to all, and are held on Sundaymornings at 10.30am.

We will have started our stewarding duties from the end of April andthe new shop will be open on a temporary basis in its new area as weare waiting for the cupboards to be finished. We had to alter the designto fit in with the appearance of the whole shop concept which hasmeant applying for another faculty...the church‘s answer to planningpermission and that takes time! Do come in to see how we are doingwith the reordering. The Dorset Aisle is now free of pews and thefloor in a light shade and constructed from Portland Stone gives it alight and spacious feel. The annual parochial church meeting was heldthere and it proved a very good space for that.The Men’s Breakfasts are always very popular; the next one is on May21st at the Tumbling Weir, 8am for 8.30am. Marion Davies, Team Readerbased at Harpford, will be speaking about the charity Vision and Victoryworking in a very poor part of Kenya. Donations will be welcome aswell as the cost of the breakfast. You will need to book early of youwish to come: contact John Masters on 010404 851121 or email:jcr_masters@hotmail.comSoup lunches for Christian Aid will be in the church on Sunday May15th and in the Loft on Friday May 20th...tickets from the church officeor just turn up. Collecting tins will be rattles in the Square on Saturdayand street collections will take place during the week of May 15th –21st. If you would like to help please contact Anitra 812317.The soup lunch NETS was well supported and the Mothers’ Union ispleased to announce that around £400 was raised for the mosquitonets and more that Katie and her family will be taking to Melanesia laterin the summer. We will keep you posted with their news of thisexciting missionary venture.A Men’s Curry and skittles night will be at the Lamb and Flag on ThursdayMay 12th at 8pm. Thai Curry or vegetarian or other alternative on themenu plus either a glass of wine or a pint for £8.95. More informationand booking : John Masters 8121: jcr_masters@hotmailcomMay 28th is our MAY FAIR to be held again at Cadhay, by kind permissionof Rupert Thistlethwaite. There will be a good selection of entertainmentand amusements with the regular stalls and food and drink outlets. £2admission for adults and a guarantee of an enjoyable good day so docome along. The stall holders will be in Elizabethan costume which willadd to the beauty and interest of Cadhay itself. There will be posters inthe town and around giving more details. A grand raffle will be on offeras usual; tickets available beforehand or on the day.

CHRISTIANS TOGETHER IN OTTERYOur next service to celebrate this will be in Taizé style led byADORAMUS in the Parish Church on Sunday May 22nd at 6.30pm.ADORAMUS is a group of singers and musicians who lead worship inlocal parishes and church groups, principally through the use of themusic and prayers of the Taizé Community. They work with localcongregations and their singers and instrumentalists, as well as theirown, to explore and experience together this contemplative approachto prayer and worship.Do you enjoy singing? If so, please do come along to the Parish Churchbetween 5pm and 6pm when Nigel Walsh, Adoramus’ leader, will helpeveryone to practise the music which will be sung in the service at6.30pm. Between 6pm and 6.30pm there will be a break and a cup oftea. Everyone will be very welcome at the service or beforehand at thepractice.The Community of Taize. Taizé is a tiny village hidden away in thehills of Burgundy, in the eastern part of France, not far from the town ofCluny. Since 1940 it has been the home of an ecumenical community ofbrothers whose prayer, three times a day, is at the centre of theircorporate life. Today, Taizé is a place to which thousands of visitors

Sunday 8th May 2011 at 6.30pmat Ottery St Mary Parish Church

All welcome even if you do not normally attend services.

SERVICE OF PRAYERFOR HEALING

A quiet service with sacred music, some space for silentreflection and the opportunity, if you wish, for a listening

ear and prayer for healing for ourselves, for others,or for a situation in the world.

of all ages and backgrounds come to participate in internationalmeetings of prayer and reflection.The Music of Taize. The music of Taizé has grown out of theprayer life of the community and the need to enable the vastnumbers of mainly young visitors from many countries to sharein it. A simple style has evolved; repetitive structures exploringshort musical phrases with singable melodies and harmony whichcan be readily memorised by everyone. Solo singers andinstrumentalists provide variation and ornamentation on the basicvocal line. The music, while having a contemporary impact, isdeeply rooted in tradition.The singular style of worship is appreciated by people of alltraditions and gives another way of joining in prayer and worship.This is one of the monthly services that we celebrate as ChristiansTogether in Ottery and where we try out a variety of worshipstyles. Please do not hesitate to join any of our congregations:you are always assured of a warm welcome.

Page 22

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Reminding everyone of the evening of slides called ‘Memories ofExeter’, to be given by Alan Dolley at the Village Hall, Tipton StJohn, at 7.00pm for 7.30pm start on May 6th. Alan is well knownfor supporting Hospiscare throughout the area with his veryinteresting talks. He will start the evening with slides of the walkfrom the Turf Locks along the canal to Exeter Quay. There will bea break for coffee, followed by his talk ‘Nostalgia’. Ticket price£3.00 to include coffee, are available from the Hospicscare Shop,West Hill Post Office or telephone Jill on 01404 814366 orWendy on 01404 813316.A Reminder the Ladies Midnight Walk, Exmouth on 21st May.This is a great fundraiser for Hospice, a brilliant fun night roundedoff about 2.00pm with bacon butties and a hot drink. You canregister by telephoning 01392 688020 or on the website atwomensmidnightwalk.co.ukTo whet your appetites there will be our extremely popularPudding Club event at the British Legion, West Hill, onSaturday18th June and a Tea Dance at Otter Nurseries, on 6thJuly. Finally, from July 25th to 30th the New Ottregians are againsupporting Hospiscare with their new musical ‘Witchfinder’. Thisshow was premiered in Manchester with terrific reviews so makesure you buy your tickets early.

Does any reader rememberJohn Bradburne? He lived inthis area between the late1940s and early 1960s. He wasthe son of Rev’d Thomas andMrs Erica Bradburne who, ontheir retirement, came to livein Fir Grove, West Hill, and areburied in the Parish Churchgraveyard.After his father’s death he livedin the Ottery area helping torun a hostel for ‘people downon their luck’. Can you remem-ber this hostel and where intown it was? At some time he

Does any reader remember John Bradburne?

The first quarter of the year hasgot off to a great start, withinteresting and stimulatingmeetings taking place in thecomfort of our homes. In Jan-uary we discussed alternativemedicine and each membergive a brief overview of one thatthey had done some researchfor.In February, our play readingwas a hoot! Only those that feltcomfortable with doing so tookthe parts in a very funny ‘playwithin a play’, whilst a few ofus took care of ‘noises off’ andprops. A great time was had byall and we were surprised tofind how many talented actorswe had in our group.At our March meeting each ofus discussed what we knew of

National Womens’ RegisterOTTERY ST MARY BRANCH

‘dossed down’ in the adjacentannex of Raleigh House (thenthe Marist Convent) in a tinyroom under the stairs. He wasalso to be seen ‘busking’ inCathedral Close, Exeter, playingmusic to raise money for muchneeded repairs to the ParishChurch.He ended up in Zimbabwewhere he devoted the last tenyears of his short life to caringfor lepers in a deprived andneglected colony in Mutemwa.Refusing to abandon themwhen his life was threatened,

he was captured and shot. AFrench Deacon, Rev’d DidierRanee, came here on two occa-sions recently to collect mater-ial for the Ottery St Mary chap-ter of the first full biography ofJohn. It is at his request thatthis appeal goes out.If you have any snippet ofinformation please contacteither Paula Parkyn on01404 812676(paula.parkyn@btinternet.com)or Jo Holloway on01404 812999(jo.holloway@btinternet.com).

the history of our favouritepainting. For those of us whogo no further than Beryl Cooke,it was a real eye opener. Alsoin March, a couple of ourMembers went to an NWRSouth West Regional Lunch atthe Thurlestone Hotel to hearthe guest speaker, Peter Stafford,talk about “The Lost Gardensof Heligan – the years ahead”which they reported was veryinteresting and enjoyable.In April we discovered whatother hidden talents we allhad. Our President, Chris, whois herself a published author,took us through the process oflearning to write and how to

get published. Those of us whodidn’t think we could managemuch more than a letter or e-mail were surprised to find thatwe could indeed write some-thing worth reading once a fewsimple techniques were ex-

plained and practiced. A verysatisfying evening.

Our May meeting will be a littlemore light-hearted with a ‘SwopShop’ for plants, and usefulthings to know about ‘before ithappens’. If you would like tojoin us, or learn about ourGroup and the NWR, pleasecall Brenda on 01404 814520.

Page 23

As part of their plannedexpansion, family operatedHorseshoe Taxis have chosenOttery St Mary to be the centreof their first operating baseoutside Honiton where theirservice has been renowned forthe past 30 years. Sheila Huffer,the owner of Horseshoe Taxis,said “After much research wehave chosen Ottery St Mary be-cause we see the town startingto become vibrant and upbeatagain and we feel now wouldbe the right time to offer aproper and proven taxis ser-vice within the town.”The benefit of Horseshoe beingan Ottery based taxi, providingboth a local and national ser-vice, means local people andvisitors to the town and surr-ounding villages will no longerhave to pay a premium for outof town taxis travelling in tocollect customers.All the companies’ drivers arelicensed by East Devon Counciland are required to pass anenhanced criminal recordsbureau (CRB) check to enablethem to drive young and vul-nerable people. The companyalso insist that all driversundertake an advanced DrivingStandards Agency approvedcourse annually to maintain the

highest professional standardsas passenger safety is of para-mount importance.The company operates a fleetof 9 well maintained and mod-ern saloon and estate carswhich include both 4 and 6 seatvehicles, 2 of which are new ex-ecutive level estate cars aimedsquarely at the long distanceand corporate sectors.John Huffer summed up thecompany philosophy by saying“As the oldest licensed taxiservice in the area and havinghad 3 generations in publictransport for over 100 years wehave much to live up to. In thelast 30 years we have under-taken over 650,000 journeyslocally and nationally gainingus a reputation of which we arefiercely proud, and which isOttery St Mary’s guarantee ofour service. Our reputation hasbeen hard won and can so veryeasily be lost. We are veryexcited about our servicebecoming part of Ottery StMary’s thriving and friendlycommunity.”You can contact HorseshoeTaxis on 01404 850800 to dis-cuss any travel plans that wemay be able to help you with.People or packages, local ornational - please give us a call.

Horseshoe Taxis now openin Ottery St Mary

Now that Spring is well andtruly on its way, we can allowour thoughts to turn to picnics,gardens, music and all the goodthings of Summer. With this inmind, here’s a date for yourdiary: Thursday June 2nd atCadhay House, near Ottery StMary, for our annual Jazz Picnic.Following the great success oflast year’s picnic, the owners ofthis lovely Tudor country househave offered the use of theirbeautiful gardens to the OtterySt Mary and District HelpScheme to raise funds. Workingout of the Coleridge MedicalCentre, the Help Scheme pro-vides fantastic support forpatients, carers and relativeswhen they need it most. TheScheme volunteers providetransport, meals, visits andmany other essential servicesfor local people.

Full steam ahead to Cadhay!

You can help the Scheme andhave a brilliant time enjoyingsome great music and a lookaround one of the loveliestgardens in the South West. Youare invited to bring your ownpicnic, the grander the better,or you will be able to buy foodand drinks on site. As beforethe music will be provided bythe joyous City Steam Jazz Band,our much loved local band whoare familiar to patrons of theFive Bells, Clyst Hydon, and TheGolden Lion, Tipton.Tickets will shortly be availabledirect from the Help Schemeat the Coleridge Medical Cen-tre (01404 816700) or fromOttery Tourist Office (01404813964). The price will be £5for adults or a bargain FamilyTicket for just £12.Don’t miss it!Tony Rhodes

Page 24

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The Parish of Talaton hasexcelled itself again; thirteenever-keen gardeners will beopening on Saturday 28th andSunday 29th May from 2-6pmand this year six for the firsttime.These include the re-designedgardens of the former 18thcentury Rectory at TalatonHouse, a small garden with a‘fedge’, smokery and a letter-box water feature, and a steamgarden railway at Lashbrook.These are just some of the newamongst the many old favour-ites. Hidden in each garden youmay spot a small Ladybird,special to these parts. Withplant sales from two of thegardens you will barely havetime to tear yourself away for ahomemade Cream Tea in theParish Hall. Proceeds of whichgo towards the Parish Churchand Hall.£4 entry ticket and map (under17’s go free) may be purchasedfrom most of the participatinggardens, identified by a large

Six of the best at TalatonOpen Gardens Weekend

green card at the entrance, orthey can be bought from theChurch Car Park in the centreof the village, post code EX52RL, where parking is availablewithin easy walking distance ofsix of the gardens.The Talaton Inn serves goodbeer and food, so why not arr-ive early in time for lunch andcall into The Village Shop, runby volunteers, before visitingthe gardens. If you cannot getround them all on the Saturdayplease come back and finishthem on the Sunday, the entryticket covers both days.There is a Talaton Open Gar-dens Crossword especiallycompiled for the weekend.Completed entries must besent in by 4th June to TheVillage Shop or to the compilerat Amara Cottage, Talaton.If you would like more inform-ation please contact PeppiShaw on 01404 822482 or byemail: peppishaw@aol.com orvisit the Talaton village websitewww.talatonparishcouncil.co.uk

Inner Wheel Club NewsMarch is our ‘Birthday’ monthat Otter Valley Inner Wheel andthis year we celebrated our24th year. It doesn’t seem anytime at all since Renee Perkinsbecame our very first ClubPresident and we commencedour Club activities.For our special meeting wewere joined by auctioneer JimRowe of Symonds & Sampsonat Axminster, he entertained uswith tales of an auctioneer andsome of the ‘characters’ (bothanimal and human!) that he hasmet over the years. Jim followedhis father, Frank Rowe, into thefamily business and seems tohave sold everything fromspring lambs to large farmestates and equipment.Our attention is now turningto the busy months of April andMay and the recent goodweather has encouraged us allto ‘spring’ into action. By thetime you read this some of ourmembers will have attendedour National Conference inCardiff and will be bringingback information and suggestedfundraising projects from ourfriends and colleaguesthroughout the Inner Wheel‘family’ – it is always amazingto see what other ideas andprojects come forward and the

various charities. both large andsmall, who need assistance.May will see us assisting at theDevon County Show – mainlyon the various entry gates –with Ottery Valley Rotary Club.We always look forward to theShow which enables us to beactively involved with a keylocal event whilst providing anopportunity to keep in touchwith our traditional Devonroots.We are often asked “What isthe purpose of Inner Wheel?” ,well officially it is to promotetrue friendship, encourage theideals of personal service andto foster understanding but inreality being involved with thisgreat organisation gives us achance to make long lastingfriendships with people from allwalks of life whilst at the sametime raise money for variouslocal groups and charities…achance to ‘give somethingback’.So if you see a group of ladiesin bright yellow safety jacketson the gate at Devon CountyShow this year please stop andsay “hello” or maybe find out alittle more about us!More news next edition.Sue HulleyClub Correspondent

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We have free measuring and quoting service.Carpets Collect caters for all commercialneeds including wet rooms and kitchens.A range of wood and laminateflooring samples to look atWe offer a full fitting serviceor we can deliver to your door

THE YARD, MILL STREET, OTTERY ST MARY, EX11 1EJTel: 01404 812964 / 07866 237935 / 07825 339376

CARPETSCOLLECT

We have an extensive range of 80% wool 20%man made fibre carpets to choose from, plusa large stock collection of cut and loop pilecarpets underlays, vinyls and sundries.

Brand NewStock Range

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11 MILL STREET,OTTERY ST MARY

Tel: 01404 813088

Knife & Scissor Sharpening Shoe Repairs / Accessories Watch Batteries / Straps Dry Ceaning / Duvets Patching & Stitching Key Cutting Service Engraving

Entries to The Talaton Village Shop or Amara Cottage, Talaton, ExeterEX5 2RL by Saturday 4th June 2011.Prize: The first winning entry pulled out of the hat will receive a gifttoken. The solution will be published from Monday 6th June onwww.talatonparishcouncil.co.uk and in the July issue of The OtteryGazette and The Talaton Calendar.

Name....................................................................................................................

Address................................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................................

Telephone Number...........................................................................................

TALATON OPEN GARDENS CROSSWORD PUZZLEFind an 8-letter word hidden twice (going down) in the completed gridand circle its letters (both times). This is the start of a well known saying(8,8,3,4,4) which is completed by 6Ac, 9Dn and 23Dn. Apart from thetop four rows, all squares must be coloured the correct colour so as tomake a picture of our friend.

ACROSS 2 Gosh! Call of a dove (3) 5 Everyone’s included in ballot (3) 7 Right and step back, go over again (5) 8 Elite squad’s a laugh for LADY (5)10 One of the bathtaps stopped just past halfway in Fawlty

Towers say? (3)11 What’s happening in meeting? In confusion managed to

remove leader (6)12 When lacking energy, sad idea to run back to get brand

of trainers (6)13 Briefly, could be Time or - Hello!? (3)15 Racing from Epsom, a local comp (5)17 Important editor used keyboard? (5)19 see 7 down (5)21 Fruit to put in the earth we hear (5)25 Filthy piece of turf in which dirt mostly decomposed (6)26 Sight of six from Rome - a lot of racket when returning (6)27 Flying saucer for all to see next to Foreign Office (3)

28 Arab rulers, leaders of Egypt, mention Isis, Ramases andsphinxes (5)

29 Not sensible form of paving (5)30 Where plants are horribly dried at bottom of garden and

unable to rise (9)DOWN 1 No calf troubled by this BIRD (6) 2 Common part of London to show appreciation for poor

actor ... (7) 3 ...Staff with ego messed around in the wings perhaps (3-5) 4 Harry is moving East in Scots county (8)7,19 Lychnis floscuculi teased BIRD (6)14 Like taking centre stage? (4)16 After start of breakdown maybe verges to harsh criticisms

(10)18 LADY bringing verve to New York (6)20 In earth mostly attempt hard work (8)22 Trapped cuckoo nears end (8)24 A sort of pear cava drunk with duck before party (7)

© Chris Poole 2011

Page 26

COLERIDGE MEDICALCENTRE NEWS

BANK HOLIDAYSAPPROACHING

We will be closed on Friday22nd to Monday 25th April andFriday 29th April to Monday2nd May. Please order yourrepeat prescription so that youdo not run out of medicationover the bank holiday period.WHEN WE ARE CLOSEDIf you have a life threateningemergency please dial 999. Ifyou have an urgent medicalproblem that cannot wait untilwe are open, the emergencyduty doctor on call can becontacted by telephoning thesurgery number on 01404814447. Your call will auto-matically transfer to the out ofhours service. AlternativelyDevon Doctors on Call can becontacted directly on 08456710 270. Please note that foryour safety Devon Doctorsrecord all calls. Medical advicecan be obtained from NHSDirect on 0845 4647 or fromyour local pharmacy.

If you require a routine app-ointment or have a generalenquiry please contact us dur-ing our usual opening hours.

DR JEAN BROWNDr Brown has reduced herhours. To make her list of pat-ients more manageable it hasbeen necessary to reduce DrBrown’s list size. Patients whoare affected by these changeshave been informed that theywill be transferred to the careof Dr Cole and Dr Gibbons.

NEW SURGERY TIMESFrom 19th May 2011 Dr Coleand Dr Gibbons will changetheir work patterns. Dr Cole willsee patients on Monday after-noons, Wednesday morningsand Thursday mornings andafternoons. Dr Gibbons willsee patients on Monday morn-ings, Tuesday mornings andafternoons and Friday after-noons. Dr Stuart will move herWhimple surgery to Mondaymornings and Dr Cole will beat Whimple on Wednesdaymornings.

STAFF NEWSWe are very pleased to ann-ounce that our healthcareassistant, Emma Mullenger gavebirth to a baby boy ‘Max’. Werecently welcomed PippaLoescher, Office Assistant andJulie Jones, Receptionist. Con-gratulations to Teressa Allenwho has been promoted toReceptionist.

FUNDRAISINGThe practice team regularlyraises funds for charity. Bene-ficiaries of this year’s efforts areCancer Research, Children inNeed, Zambia Appeal, DevonCommunity Foundation, Hos-piscare, Help Scheme and Com-ic Relief. We would like to thankeveryone who has generouslydonated prizes, baked cakes,invented all sorts of ingeniousways to get us to part with ourmoney and of course all thosewho give so generously to suchworthwhile causes. In additionwe would like to thank patients,visitors and staff who donatedto the Poppy Appeal. You raised£82.23.

REQUEST FROMRECEPTIONISTS

We have had a few prescrip-tion requests posted in ourrepeat prescription box thathave been held together witha dress pin. Please ask patientsto use paperclips or tape as wedon’t want to be stabbed witha pin!

TRAVEL ADVICEIf you are going to travelabroad please plan your healthrequirements as soon as youbook your trip. We prefer notto give travel advice by emailor phone. Instead we ask thatyou to visit the websitewww.fitfortravel.nhs.uk, printout the travel advice for eachcountry you intend to visit andthen make an appointment inour travel clinic. Please bringyour print out with you. Thenurse will discuss your health

requirements and start treat-ment as required.

CARERS PROJECTThe Carers Project in its curr-ent form ended on the 31stMarch 2011. We joined thisPilot Project in the first stagein July 2008 providing supportand advice appointments forCarers. In the second phasestarting in March 2010 theappointments became morestructured, with a preparatoryworkbook for Carers to com-plete, and the option of a vascu-lar check when indicated. Bothpilots have been subject to anevaluation study carried out bythe University of Plymouth, anddirect feedback to the NHS, tosupport the development ofnew policies focusing on thewelfare of all Carers.When we started in 2008 wehad very limited awareness ofhow many of our patients wereCarers. To date we have nowidentified 302 Carers andprovided 194 of them withCarers check appointmentsand ongoing support andadvice. For the future we awaitdetails of the new specificationfor Carers Support in Devon.More details on this whenavailable, will be posted on ourwebsite and included in thenext Practice Newsletter.MESSAGES TO PATIENTS

USING EMAIL ANDTEXT (SMS)

We have had a good responsefrom patients who would behappy to receive electronicmessages from us, but we wouldlike to encourage more of youto consider this option. Withyour permission we can nowarrange to contact you viaemail or Text message (SMS) Wewill only text or email you withmessages that are relevant toyour ongoing health care e.g.appointment confirmation andreminders, test results, healthscreening opportunities etc. If

Page 27

RICHARD WALKERSpecialist Flooring Contractors

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you would like to receivemessages from us via email ortext (SMS) please complete aconsent form so that we canrecord your agreement on yourpatient record. Forms are avail-able on the Reception andPrescription desks, and in theBranch Surgeries and also onour website.

ORDERING REPEATPRESCRIPTIONS

The most efficient and securemethod for ordering repeatprescriptions is to take advan-tage of our online orderingsystem. You can have directaccess to your own repeatmedication list, tick what youwould like to order, click sendand the order comes directlyto our prescription order desk.If you would like to sign up toaccess this service, please askone of our receptionists. Youwill need to come into thepractice with ID to obtain apassword. It is hoped that inthe future, patients with accessto this system will also be ableto take advantage of onlinebooking for routine follow upappointments. More details ofthis will follow.

RESEARCHIt has been a busy year for ourresearch team and we aregrateful to the sixty people whohave agreed to take part in awide range of studies. Thankyou to those who may havevolunteered but did not quitefit the required criteria for astudy.Last year we recruited patientsto the ‘SNIFS’ (Steam Inhalationand Nasal Irrigation For recur-rent Sinusitis) research projectrun by the University of South-ampton. We have just started apilot study organised by theUniversity of Warwick called‘DDELPHI’ (Doctor DeliveredPhysical activity Intervention) inwhich a select group of sixpeople are given a pedometerand measure the number ofsteps they take in a week. Thesestudies are long term, buteventually we will be able toreport results in our newsletter.We also work with our localresearchers at the RD&E Hos-pital and Peninsula MedicalSchool. The Diabetes depart-ment is particularly active anddiabetic patients get regularinvitations to take part instudies. This research is veryuseful in developing treatmentin the long term but there isno pressure on anyone to takepart. Please let us know if youwould prefer not to be con-tacted.

www.coleridgemedicalcentre.co.uk

COLERIDGE ONLINEThe new name for all our online

services. Join us on Twitter.Follow us on our blog.

Karen Hall’s 10k Run

Karen Hall’s Ottery 10k Racehas now become a fixture inthe diaries of many amateurathletes from an ever wideningarea. This year’s event will startand finish as usual at Ottery StMary Cricket Club, StrawberryLane, on Sunday 15th May at10.30am. There will also be aOne Mile Fun Run for the lessathletic!The race will be run under UKathletics rules (licence 2011101702) and Course Measure-ment Certificate 2007002.There will be prizes for the first3 men and first 3 women. (Firstmen M40/M50/M60, first ladiesF40/F50/F60). There will also bea T shirt for each runner com-pleting the course. Medicalsupport will be provided by StJohn’s Ambulance.

The entry fee is £8.00 or dis-counted to £6.00 for EA licen-sed competitors - pre entry bypost. £2.00 extra for entries onthe day, numbers permitting.(Last entry 10am). Fun Run£3.00 Closing date for postalentries Saturday 7th May 2011.Entrants must be of amateurstatus. The minimum age for10k competitors is 15 years.Entry forms available fromHall’s Estate Agents, 15 BroadStreet, Ottery St Mary, DevonEX11 1BY (Tel: 01404 812000),Millstone Bakery, Colin ToozeSports Centre or from OtteryTourist Information Centre,Broad Street, Ottery St Mary(Tel: 01404 813964).All proceeds to be donated toForce and local organisations.

Download an application from wwww.hallsestateagents.com

19 Broad Street, Ottery St. Mary, DevonCHARACTER & DANCE SHOES

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Page 28

Get thebalanceright!

Supporting theBritish Heart Foundation

The Five Bells InnAT CLYST HYDON

Telephone: 01884 277288

RECOMMENDED IN THE GOOD PUB GUIDE

Di and Roger Shenton welcome you to

Special Two Course Lunch Menu nowavailable Tuesday to Saturday £8.50

LIVE JAZZ EVENINGOn the second Wednesday of the month

- a duo of delightful evening of jazzNext session Wednesday 11th May 2011

The Five Bells is oneof four finalists in

The PublicanMagazine’s ClassicFood Pub of 2008

award

Hi to all my regular readers andto anyone who is reading thisarticle for the first time. Myname is Michele and I run afundraising dance exercisegroup “DanceasSize” for theBritish Heart Foundation. I havebeen running these classes inOttery for over 3 years and inWhimple for two and a halfyears, along with the help ofNicole and Maggie (to whom Iam ever indebted).Each class is one hour long andwe do different routines eachweek which makes it easy to fitinto our ever so busy lifestyles.And as the classes are Pay asyou Go there is no worryingabout being tied into 6 or 8week courses and not beingable to attend them. We haverecently introduced Cha Chaand it is proving to be a big hitalongside Salsa and Charles-ton. The fun element is the key.One of our ladies said “The

hour passes so quickly it is suchgood fun and you know thatyou have had a good workout”.Each class brings different stepsand fabulous music rangingfrom modern to twenties Mich-ael Jackson to Los Gatos, Mich-ael Buble to Amy Winehouseand so many more. So if youwant to keep fit or get back tofitness, why not come alongand give us a try. Have a giggleand a wiggle. Keeping fit andhealthy is easier than you think.There are so many forms ofexercise from simply walking,swimming, running and danc-ing. All forms of exercise donein moderation (within yourown individual level) can help,with a balanced diet, to main-tain a good and healthy figure.The fund-raising murder mys-tery dinner held at the TumblingWeir Hotel in Ottery was ahuge success being well atten-ded with over 80 people. It wasa brain teaser and kept allonlookers minds ticking overwhilst the event took place. Ihad such good feedback withpeople asking when the nextone is. We have already bookedthe our next one for the 12thNovember at the same venuebut this time we have anoptional theme of the TwentiesEra. The choice will be yours. Ifyou would like to get right intothe swing of things and donyour flappers or Charlestondresses (The Ladies that is) or

put on your boaters and jackets– it’s up to you. However, onceagain, I do have to say that theplaces are limited and we canonly take bookings for 70 ofwhich we have already secured38 definite places. So althoughit may seem along way away, Iwould book early to avoiddisappointment.

Hope you had a lovely Easterand we hope to see you at ourclasses when we return toWhimple, Victory Hall onMonday the 9th May at 7.30pmand Otttery Old Boys Schoolon Tuesday 10th May at 8pm.For any further informationplease contact Michele on07984 869498.

Guests at the Murder Mystery dinner at the Tumbling Weir Hotel

We are a small Project offering a variety of supported volunteeringopportunities for people recovering from mental ill health. Wewill be having an Open Day at our Offwell Garden & Craft Centreon Wednesday 6th July from 10.00am to 2.00pm. Our serviceusers have been working hard to put together the Show Garden.The theme is the four seasons represented by 4 small gardens.These will also represent the process of recovery to mentalwellness.The Open Day will provide an opportunity to show the localcommunity, health professionals and press their dedication andhard work. It will also promote the Project and the valuablework we do to a wider audience. For more information contact:Ellen Hunt, Side by Side Project, Telephone: 01404 549045, Mobile:07729 177095 or email: ellen.hunt@edvsa.org.uk

Side by Side Open Day

The New Ottregians are busy polishing their broomsticks inreadiness for this year’s show ‘Witchfinder’. Rehearsals are nowin full swing in the United Reform Church hall in Jesu Street,Ottery St Mary. As Toni Williams-Pugh has mentioned previously,it’s a musical adaptation of the incident involving the witches ofPendle in 1612. There is stirring music, strong duets, love, hate,prejudice and fear - all the usual ingredients. The show premieredin Manchester to rave reviews. More news next month.

New Ottregians ‘Witchfinder’

FOR A FULLY PROFESSIONAL SERVICE, PLEASE CONTACTBRIAN KNAPMAN or EIOHN HAYES

9a Ilsham Road, Wellswood, Torquay TQ1 2JG(24 hour answerphone)

Telephone: 01803 294418

This firm has aclear vision for

Ottery

Opticians Brian Knapmanand Eiohn Hayes have joinedforces to create KnapmanHayes, opticians specialisingin home visits. Brian, whohas been in optics in Torquaysince 1961, disposed of hispractice in 1988 andsubsequently started adomiciliary service forpatients who are house-bound and unable to visit ahigh street optician.

Knapman Hayes expandedinto Ottery St Mary sometime ago and even thoughthe firm is based in Torquay,

Eiohn lives in Chudleigh sovisits to the town are wellwithin reach.There is no charge for theeye examination or visit ifthe patient is over 60 orregistered as housebound,and spectacles are free ifthe patient receives incomesupport or pension creditguarantee credit.Brian said: “The mainproblem we find is thatpeople are unaware thatthis service is available, andseem very surprised whenthey discover they can have

their eyes tested at home,free.”

“We are not in competitionwith high street opticians aswe only do home visits. Infact, several local opticiansalready use our services fortheir own patients.”

Eiohn explained: “We offer acomplete service. Ifspectacles are needed, wesupply them from a largeselection of modern frames,both metal and plastic, andsome designer frames. Wedeliver and fit all ourspectacles so there is noneed for the patient to haveto leave the house. And ifwe are unable to visitourselves, our colleagueKathy will come to visit youfor any alterations oradjustments.”

Knapman-Hayes are basedat 9a Ilsham Road,Wellswood, Torquay,telephone 01803 294418,and they would welcomeany enquiries from peopleliving in Ottery St Mary andenvirons.Please contact them soonfor further information orfor an appointment.

EYE EXAMINATIONS IN THECOMFORT OF YOUR OWN HOME

If you are housebound or unable tovisit an Optician, Brian Knapman or

Eiohn Hayes will visit you.The visit and sight test are

FREE if you are over 60 or onIncome Support.

We offer a complete visitingservice with a large selection of

modern and some designer frames.

Your spectacles are FREE if youreceive Income Support or Pension

Guarantee Credit

Page 29

Page 30

C H SALTER& SON LTD

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Installations & Demonstrations of any makes of:• High Definition Televisions & Freeview Products.• Digital TV Recorders, DVD Recorders & Blu-Ray.• Video Equipment.• Home Cinema Products & Hi Fi.

Solving your Digital TV problemsA SERVICE THROUGHOUT EAST DEVON

S G Digital TV Solutions

Ottery District Rainbows,Brownies and Guides celebra-ted their Centenary year byplanting a tree in the Land ofCanaan. Gill Slocombe, atpresent South West RegionChief Commissioner, but soonto become the new UK ChiefGuide, gave them a helpinghand in planting the whitedouble-flowering cherry tree.Local Rainbows, Brownies,Guides, Leaders and theirparents were joined by OtteryMayor Glyn Dobson and hiswife, Judith Reynolds, the townclerk and Sarah Clarke fromOttery in Bloom, herself aformer Guide, who all came tosupport the event.Gill Slocombe then went on topresent Tracy Levallin, a Leaderwith 1st Ottery Brownies, withher Leadership Certificate, andCatie Dixon and Rebecca

Rainbows, Brownies and Guides celebrate Centenary

Young of Ottery Guides withtheir Baden Powell Certificates.Ottery Guides then returnedto the Scout HQ for theremainder of their meeting,where Gill enrolled a newGuide and a Young Leader and

presented other Guides withbadges.Ottery District Guides wouldlike to thank everyone for theirsupport, especially Robert andPam Joy of Rainbow Plants whosupplied and brought the treeto its resting place and buildingfirm Kier, who are currently

constructing the new Sains-bury’s, who came to the Guidesaid by digging the large holerequired.Pictured top: The tree plantingceremony at The Land ofCanaan. Left: Gill concludes theevent with presentations to theGuides.

Well the answer is yes (well for a short period) Ottery andWhimple Beavers joined together for an enjoyable evening atEscot, ably organised by one of our young leaders.Slightly delayed, waiting for the late arrivals, one leader thoughthe could easily find the Beavers from the excited voices. He setoff to search them out and was amazed at how quiet the areawas. He then came upon the Beavers standing looking though afence into a pen in awe.They were looking at the wild boars and their piglets which theBeavers described as looking like “humbugs” with legs. Therewas absolute silence from the Beavers because they did notwant to disturb the wild boar. This state of affairs did not lastlong and the young people were soon back to their noisy selvesplaying on the slides, balancing along logs and in the maze.Great FUN was had by all and they safely returned, suitablytired to their parents.Do you have a son or daughter interested in joining Beavers? Ifthe answer is YES then please visit our web site atwww.otteryscoutsuk.org.uk and complete the membershipapplication form. If your child is not yet old enough to join butwould like to secure a place when available you can still completethe application form.Fox

Can Beavers really be quiet?

Page 31

EASTERBROOK EATON LTDFor a friendly and efficient local service

contact us on 01404 812555or call in at 8 Jesu Street, Ottery St Mary

Also at Old Fore Street, SidmouthTelephone: 01395 516658

Chartered Accountants - Registered Auditors

For further information see our website atwww.easterbrooks.co.uk

While older Ottery Guides enjoyed their weekend on Dartmoor,six of the slightly younger Guides revisited Woodlands FamilyPark near Dartmouth for the unveiling of the Centenary mosaic.Last September over 1100 Guides, Senior Section and Leaderscamped at the park for a weekend. During the weekend as wellas visiting the park for a couple of hours the girls took park in anamazing variety of activities, games and challenges. Everyonealso had the chance to put their piece or pieces into the mosaic.On Saturday, as well as spending several hours in the park, thesix Ottery girls joined over 60 other Guides from across theCounty to see the mosaic finally unveiled by the County Patronthe Rt Hon Lady Clinton DL. Afterwards everyone went into theEmpire Building for refreshments.Picture shows the six girls with Guider Julia Roberts with CountyCommissioner Mrs Sue Bullock left and County President MrsMary Jones.

Twelve of Ottery’s older Guidesstarted the Easter holiday on aresidential weekend with amythical theme to GirlguidingDevon’s newly refurbishedBowermans Cottage, on theoutskirts of Manaton. SophieChalmers one of its leaders wasbeing assessed for her IndoorLicence which she is doing aspart of her Queens GuideAward. The girls had a fullweekend enjoying the perfectweather and taking part in avariety of activities includingSurvival badge, a speciallyarranged letterbox walk onDartmoor where on Hound TorCatie and Rebecca receivedtheir badges to go with theircertificates, a visit to Princetownto its very interesting visitorscentre and to the nearby Fog-gintor Quarry, craft activitiesincluding felt making, gamesand quizzes.

Everyone on the topof Hound Tor.

Residential weekend for 12 Ottery Guides

Guides attend unveilingof Centenary Mosaic

WEST COUNTRY EMBROIDERERSOTTERY ST MARY

EMBROIDERY EXHIBITIONFriday 6th and 7th May 2011 from 9.30am to 3.30pm

At The Institute, Ottery St Mary.Coffee/Tea, Cakes and Pickles for sale

Page 32

Rotary Round-UpNEWS FROM THE ROTARYCLUB OF OTTER VALLEY

Finally, with the start of Marchcame the first vestige of spring;apart from the odd shower thatwas how the month progressedwith ever increasing tempera-tures more like those of May/June. The first of March fell ona Tuesday, a club day, so it beingSt David’s Day it was decidedthat our Business Meetingcould wait, and we would cele-brate with a Welsh evening.Accordingly we needed a Welshspeaker; for this occasion it wasSimon Hardy, a Welsh Lawyer,from Stones Solicitors. TheTumbling Weir went to greatlengths to provide an excellentmeal with Welsh Cakes, Lamband other typical ingredientsfrom Wales. Simon spoke abouthis association with The LordsTaverners, the organisation thatdoes so much for Children andprovides Buses/Transportthroughout the UK. Whenanswering questions, in typicalLords Taverner mode, he fieldedall the jibes about Englandbeating Wales in the 6 Nationsthis season!!The Business Meeting tookplace on the 8th, and followedits usual pattern. On the 15th,the Club moved to The Kings

School again for the second halfof “Youth Presents Music”. Thistime it was the turn of thesenior classes to perform.Among the performers wereKing’s School students LilyPearson and Maddy Robertson the piano, fellow King’sSchool student, Emma Dickson,singing and playing guitar andformer Tipton St John pupil,now an Exeter College student,Alice Greenwood on the cello.The event also featured acollection by the Rotary club,for the Japanese earthquakeand tsunami disaster withproceeds going to Shelterboxalong with monies alreadyraised in street collections.Rotarian Keith Spittlehousesaid: “The performers gave theaudience a wonderful exampleof how young people makemusic. The quality of the per-formances was as good as it’sever been, if not better, and thequality of the singing, in part-icular, was exceptional. It wasone of the best events that wehave held and we shall con-tinue to hold it every year”. Thisis a brief summary of the articlewhich appeared in the lastedition of the Gazette.

Our speaker on the 22ndMarch was George Williams, aman who had walked aroundthe coastline of the British Islesraising funds for charity. Thiswas the first of three visits thathe intends to make to the club;on this occasion, he coveredthe stretch from Topsham toHull. He entitled his talk“Walking with Jack”, Jack beinghis mongrel dog which he hadsecured especially for the walk.It was George’s view thatwithout Jack he would prob-ably failed in his endeavour.George’s style was bothamusing and riveting. He spokewithout notes and kept hisaudience totally absorbed for45 minutes. His anecdotes andstories included the tale of anearly morning visit from amilkman whilst he slept on thesteps of St Paul’s Cathedral inLondon; a near death experi-ence when he chose to ignorelocal advice not to try to beatthe tide below cliffs nearCromer in east Anglia and aneven nearer death experiencewhen he chose to sunbatheamongst the dunes on a Lin-

colnshire R.A.F firing rangewhilst the R.A.F were conduct-ing exercises!!!. Throughout, hisaudience was transfixed,amused and impressed. We alllook forward to his return forpart two.For our meeting on the 29thMarch, our speaker was PatLane from the Ottery HelpScheme. Many local residentswill have benefited from theservice provided by this out-standing local communitygroup. Pat regaled memberswith instances of the hard workprovided by volunteers both asdrivers and as friends of localpatients, about bereavementsupport and about the work ofthe Memory Cafe.Pat’s easy going style keptmembers absorbed and gave usassurances that any supportthat we, as a club, might chooseto provide to the organization,would be money well spent. Patis soon to retire from her co-or-dinating roll in this excellentorganization; we all wish herwell and congratulate her on ajob well done.

We are starting a Meet & Make once a month on Tuesdays for 2hours from 10.00am to 12.00pm for anyone who enjoys knitting,crocheting, sewing, embroidery, paper-crafting and any other sortof “mobile” crafting. The Idea is for this to be a completely informaltime to have a natter and a cuppa (and, of course a biscuit ortwo!!) and to share hints and tips on your particular craft, ormaybe learn a new one, or even just watch!!We hope that the age group will be wide with, perhaps, theseasoned crafters (note I didn’t say “old”!!) sharing their craftwith others. So. whether you’re 99 or 19 this could be for you.We know that many people in this area would really enjoymeeting others for a relaxing, friendly time. Why not give it a go?We really hope you can come. The first session is Tuesday 1stMarch 2011 from 10.00am - 12.00pm and will be held in TheSalvation Army Hall, Ottery St Mary (opposite Hind Street carpark). Phone Stella on 07515 798568 if you want more details.

Want to meet other people?Do you Knit, Crochet, Embroider, Sew, Paint,

Make Cards, Scrapbook?

To advertise in the Gazette call 815111

1 BROAD STREET, OTTERY ST MARY

01404 814306TIM WRIGHT

Ask for free valuationwww.redfernsproperty.co.uk

Page 33

EVER THOUGHT OFADOPTING A CAT?

Cats Protection is one of the UK’s leading welfare charityand helps around 140,000 cats and kittens each year.

60,000 of these are found loving new homes through ouradoption centres and branches nationwide. We rely

entirely on public generosity to finance the vital welfarework. Your nearest Adoption Centre is:

EXETER AXHAYES ADOPTION CENTRELittle Hill Cottage, Clyst Honiton, Exeter, EX5 2HS

Telephone: 01395 232377 www.axhayes.cats.org.ukSituated on the A3052 Exeter to Sidmouth Road, between

Westpoint Arena and Crealy Adventure Park.Currently we have over 100+ cats and kittens looking for

new homes at our adoption centre. Do you live in theDevon Area and are looking for an addition to your family,company within your home, then please feel to call us and

we can explain the easy adoption process to you.

Christine AshbyS O L I C I T O R

61 Mill Street, Ottery St MaryTelephone: 01404 814303

E mail: mail@christineashby.co.ukRegulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority

Local solicitor offering a friendly and professional serviceWills and probate, Inheritance tax planning,

Administration of Estates, Trusts, Powers of attorney,Long term care, Member of Solicitors for the Elderly

A group of Scout Leaders havejust returned from a recent visitto Holland. The visit was to pre-pare the way for the contingentof 48 Explorers, Scouts andLeaders.The group will leave Ottery on31st July for a 9 day adventure.Based in Delft, the youngpeople will have a packed prog-ramme of activities both landand water based.The advance party went out tovisit the accommodation thegroup will be based in, as wellas sorting out the arrangementsfor the visits to places such asGouda, Amsterdam, Arnhemand Delft itself.Chris Evans – Scout Leadercommented “It was a hecticvisit with much to do and so

The countdown has startedfor Scouts Dutch adventure

little time to do it in. Since wereturned we have had somevery good news with regardraising the necessary funds tohelp cover the cost. We havereceived 2 significant donationsin excess of £2,000 each fromThe Pains Trust and TheGibbons Trust. In addition wealso received a donation fromthe Otter Valley Rotary Club.These will make a huge differ-ence to the whole adventureand we thank these donors”.Chris also added “We are plan-ning some additional fundraising events – Bag Packing atTesco Exeter on 21 May and aFamily Quiz night in Ottery on24 June (more details to followin the Gazette) which will beopen to anyone.”

The Ottery St Mary Scouts haverecently returned from BelleverYouth Hostel on Dartmoor. Weleft on Saturday morning andreached Bellever just beforenoon – lovely weather to startthe first activity of a map-reading exercise! Four groupsof Scouts were dropped off indifferent locations with a Leaderper group and were instructedto find their way back to theYouth Hostel within 2 hours –using points of reference intheir surroundings and com-paring them to a map they weregiven. I’m pleased to report thatall the groups managed to findtheir way back on time – agreat testament to their map-reading skills.Upon returning to the YouthHostel, the Scouts had time fora quick lunch and then it wasback out onto Dartmoor againfor an orienteering exercise,

Dartmoor map reading excercise for Ottery Scouts

trying to find poles with codedpunches to gain points. It wasthen back to the Youth Hostelfor a well-deserved rest andmeal! The next morning, wewent for a 13km hike over themoors from Bellever to theWarren House Inn. Thescenery during the hike was

fantastic and we couldn’t haveasked for better weather. Again,we were all impressed by theScouts’ map-reading skillsduring the hike. Once at theWarren House Inn, we all piledback onto the minibus andwent home, all tired but happyafter a brilliant weekend on

Dartmoor. If you are aged 10½ - 14 and would like to joinScouts please complete theonline membership applicationform shown on our web sitewww.otteryscoutsuk.org.ukChris DaviesAssistantScout Leader

Tonight (19th April) something different, we are off Rockbeare VillageHall to play for the Golden Years, I think that includes us as wellbut we shall see. Our next invite is to Whimple, somewhere wehave been to a few times before and is one of our favouritevenues, so let’s hope we play at our best.We hope that everybody had a happy and enjoyable Easter andplease pop hi and see us at anytime between 1.30pm and 3.30pmon Mondays hi the Institute. For any extra information pleasecontact Joan Dalton on 01404 815082.

Talatones Handbell Ringers

Page 34

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NEWSOn a dark cloudy morning wemet at the car park of TheGreat Western Canal, Tiverton.After booting up we werepleased that the dark cloudshad rolled away and the sunwas putting in a very welcomeappearance. The first part of thecanal, eleven miles to theSomerset border, was comple-ted in 1814 and twenty yearslater was extended to Taunton.It was used until the 1920swhen it went into decline butwas later revived to its presentstate.We followed the canal towpathpast many neat and colourfulgardens. On the water wereducks, moorhens and even twoscullers from the local rowingclub. Along the path is a plaqueand information board relatingto a tragic event in 1961 whena R.A.F plane from Germanyon a low level exercise overDevon developed a problemover Tiverton. The pilot and nav-igator managed to fly thestricken plane away from thetown where it crashed into thecanal killing both of the crewbut saving many lives in thetown.

Leaving the canal at ManleyBridge we followed high bankedlanes and tracks. We passedfresh green hedgerows andbanks covered in primroses toreach the 17th century Butter-leigh Inn for our lunch break,which was enjoyed in thegarden beneath a cloudless skyand warm sunshine.After lunch we took paths andtracks across lush fields wherelambs enjoyed the warm sun.We followed the Burn Riverwhere the banks were coveredwith flowers. Leaving the riverwe had to climb a 1 in 8 hillbefore descending past Bick-leigh church. There is an inter-esting story regarding the sonof the Rector of Bickleigh,who

made a living as a beggar, notonly in Devon but also inAmerica. He is buried in thechurchyard. We then walked onto Bickleigh Mill, a beautiful oldwater mill which is now a seriesof shops and a working Potterywith a tea garden by the river.After a short stop we joined TheExe Valley Way following theRiver Exe back to Tiverton forour journey home. A verypleasant walk in warm andsunny spring weather enjoyedby our 14 walkers.Why not join us for one of ourforthcoming walks. All walksmeet at the Land of CanaanCar Park, Ottery St Mary at9.00am and we share cars tothe start of the walk. For furtherinformation and a programmeof walks, please contact Trevor

on 01404 811830 or Barbaraon 01404 814204.

Saturday Walks(about 10 miles)

7th May - Start Lambert’sCastle car park SY 366988. ViaHawk-church then parts ofMonarch’s way, Liberty Trail andWessex Ridgeway.

Thursday Walks(5 to 6 miles)

5th May - Start at Land ofCanaan CP. Walk along theOtter and fields to Feniton andback via Taleford.19th May - Start at Kersbrook.Walk to Shortwood Commonand return via the old railwayline and coastal path.2nd June - Start at BickleighMill CP. Walk along lanes androlling hills. Two options fordrinks or lunch afterwards.

Chorale Singers wanted!Ottery Chorale is a community choir looking for new members,especially tenors and basses, to join and take part in a concert tobe performed at Ottery St Mary Parish Church on Saturday 25thJune 2011. Rehearsals are held at the United Reformed Church7.30pm - 9.30pm on Fridays on a weekly basis until the concert.Conducted by Ben Scott, Ottery Chorale will be performing choralpieces by Widor, Vierne, Dupré, Franck, Bellenot, Fauré, Bairstowand Stanford. All abilities are welcome.If you would like to join us, please call Sandra Chapman on01404 814528 or 07863 325415.

Page 35

BROAD STREET, OTTERY ST MARYTelephone: 01404 813240

email:robertsottery@btconnect.com

ROBERTSTRADITIONAL HOMEWARE/

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A good oldfashioned shop,

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At Roberts we always like tosolve problems for our custom-ers, whether it is a nasty stainon a carpet; keeping the flies atbay, or simply a single nut andbolt to repair the lawn mower.We take pleasure in doing ourutmost to help.Therefore, when we were look-ing for an additional productrange to ensure our futuresuccess, living and mobility aidsseemed a natural extension tothe thousands of other usefulproducts we stock.We know our customers are adetermined lot and won’t giveup their independence easily.Our new range will help witheveryday tasks and save thema trek out of town or carriagecharges incurred with cata-logue shopping. I also believeour customers trust that wewould never sell them some-thing they don’t need and willoffer a cheaper alternative if atall possible.Roberts will be stocking theproducts most frequentlyrequired, that are not availableelsewhere in the town. We willalso have an in store cataloguecontaining thousands of lines,which can be ordered in.Alternatively we can provide afree ‘Ways and Means’ cata-

logue to be perused at leisure.Customers eligible for VATexemption will be welcome.Roberts has served the localcommunity for over a hundredyears and Adrian and I wouldhave celebrated our fifth ann-iversary as proprietors in Aug-ust last year. I am very optimis-tic about the new range andbelieve this initiative will securemy future and the future ofRoberts in Ottery for manymore years to come.I would like to thank Alastairand Sharon Keen for theirenthusiasm for this venture andsharing the headache andbackache of shifting stock tomake room.Rosalind Browne Roberts.

New - Living and MobilityAids from Roberts

A new Timetable of Events for children up to 5 years oldNON-BOOKABLE SESSIONS

Thursdays:Alfington Stay and Play, at Alfington Village Hall.May 5th, June 2nd, and July 7th. 10:00 - 11:30 a.m.Childminders Sessions (joint with Sidmouth) at OtteryChildren’s Centre.May12th, June 9th and July 14th. 10:00 - 11:30 a.m.Feniton Stay and Play, at Feniton Youth Centre.May 12th and 26th, June 9th and 23rd, July 7th and 21st.1:30 - 3:00pm.

BOOKABLE ONLY SESSIONSThursdays:Here’s Looking at You Baby – 9 week course for parents andbabies up to the age of 6 months. Sidmouth Health CentreStarting 19th May (excluding 31st May) 10:00 - 11:30am.Tuesdays at Ottery Children’s CentreParenting Programme - 10 week course. Starting 10th May(excluding 31st May) 9:30 - 11:30am.Music and Movement - 4 weeks course. May 3rd – 24th1:30 - 2:30pm.Baby Massage - 4 week course. June 7th - 28th. 1:30 - 2:30pm.Play Workshop - 4 week course. July 5th - 19th. 1:30 - 2:30pm.

Ottery Children’s Centreevents for Summer term

If you would like to book a place on any of the courses or if youwould like to register with the centre please contact the OtteryChildren’s Centre by telephoning 01404 813642 or by emailing:-East.devon@actionforchildren.org.uk

Learn to play Taiko DrumsOtter Taiko are now looking for new members to come alongand learn to play Taiko Drums. Rehearsals will start after Easterat the Parish Church on Wednesday evenings. If you are interested,please contact Sandra Chapman on 07863 325415. We will beperforming at the May Fair at Cadhay on May 28th and at PixieDay on June 11th. Come and give it a try!

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Page 36

OTTERY FOOTBALLCLUB NEWS

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Looking back at AprilThe First team’s up and downseason carried on in April witha defeat at home to Alphingtonone week followed by victoryaway at Teignmouth the next.A great win according to thosewho travelled to watch. Theseason is drawing to a closeand our Youth teams are stillhaving mixed fortunes. OurU12s suffered another defeatthis weekend and I have tocommend the lads for puttingthemselves forward each week,and for turning up for trainingregularly. All our teams will belooking forward to a few weeksrest when the season closes ina couple of weeks.The Veterans had a great week-end down in Cornwall at theend of March. We travelleddown on the Friday eveningand played matches againstBodmin Veterans on the Satur-day, and St Agnes Veterans onthe Sunday. We did plenty ofsocialising, which probablycontributed to the two defeatswe suffered, and picked up oneor two injuries. A great week-end though. At the moment weare waiting to find out whenand where we play our finalfixture against Barnstaple in the

league title decider. We arepushing for Wembley or StJames’s but we have to waitand see!!

Upcoming EventsThere are lots of end of seasonactivities coming up in May. OnThursday 5th May there is themain club AGM. On Tuesday10th May we have the YouthSection AGM. Tipton will behaving their end of season din-ner and presentations on Sat-urday 14th May. The Youth endof season tournament andpresentation day will take placeon Sunday 22nd May. First teamand Veterans end of season din-ner date is still to be finalised.How to contact the ClubCome along and visit, whetheryou are into Football or not.The Club has Pool Table, DartsBoard and Bar. If you haveyoung kids, bring them along ifyou want somewhere to relaxin a child friendly atmosphere.Better still get them involved intheir Youth Age group if theylike the idea of playing. The Clubis open from Wednesday toFriday from 7.00pm, and onSaturdays is open all day from12.00 midday. Sundays the Clubis open from 12.00 midday till6.00pm.

The Football Club has tworooms available for PrivateParties, Christenings, WeddingReceptions, Events or BusinessMeetings daytimes or evenings.To enquire on availability, anddiscuss your requirements forcatering or bar contact us on01404 812781.If you wish to advertise via theClub, sponsor a team or match,then see the website for detailsat http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/otterystmaryfootballclub/

And FinallyTwo major changes to the Clubthis month have been thedeparture of Colin from behindthe bar and the arrival of a newcaterer. Best wishes to Colin andto Anne-Marie for the futureand best wishes to Dave in hisnew catering venture. We havebreakfasts being served onSaturdays and Sundays. Sundayroast is on the menu and Daveis also doing evening meals

Wednesday to Friday at veryreasonable prices.The kitchen has been revamp-ed and the Club interior is alsobeing decorated over theclosed season. There’s plenty ofactivity planned to freshen upthe Club for the future, and asalways we will need to rely onpeople putting in some volun-teer time to make it happen.Anyone who is interested ingetting involved behind thescenes, get in touch by ringingthe Club or by asking to talkto a committee member if youare down at the Club itself. Weare always looking to welcomenew social or committee mem-bers to the Club and there isalways things to do.If you are interested then ringus on 812781 or just comedown and ask behind the barto grab a committee memberfor you to talk to.Bill Hayes

Ladies Netball Players WantedDo you wish to join us to play netball? We are a small group ofladies looking for more players for a fun, not serious, 1 hoursession for anyone aged 11-100. We play on Wednesdays at7.00pm at the Colin Tooze Sports Centre, Ottery St Mary. Comeand join us! For more details phone Caroline on 01404 815910.

BOWLING CLUB CAR BOOT SALEOttery St Mary Bowling Club will be holding a Car Boot Sale onSunday 15th May at the club grounds, Strawberry Lane, EX111RG. Open 8am to Sellers, £5 per car, £7 per van. Free Entry at9.00am for buyers. Refreshments and parking available. For moreinformation telephone: 01404 811195.

Page 37

The CourtDAY CARE . RESPITE CARE

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Telephone: 07949 660 624(OTTERY ST MARY)

West Hill Short Mat BowlingClub held their annual dinnerand prize-giving at the TumblingWeir Hotel, Ottery, on FridayApril 8th. Normally held in Jan-uary, the wintry weather forcedthe evening to be cancelled. Themove to spring proved verysuccessful, good company, goodfood enjoyed by everyone.The prizes were presented byChairman, David Tarr. Ian Will-iams won the Wyatt Cup, sett-ing a new record having nowwon the competition six times;Ann Edwards was runner-up.Ann also won the Acorn Tro-phy, with Terry Herd runner-up.The ‘Mixed Pairs’ was won byWyn De’ath and Terry Herd –runners-up Sheila Duncan andJeff Bellworthy. Margaret Nealwon the ‘Ladies Singles’, runner-up June Juett.Fred Harland won the ‘Men’sSingles’, David Tarr runner-up.Fred with his partner Ann Wardwon the ‘Pairs Knockout’competition, runners-up TriciaTarr and Phyllis Bellworthy.

West Hill Short MatBowling Club News

West Hill will host their AnnualTriples Competition on Satur-day June 4th.Teams from all overEast Devon will attend the day-long event. A donation will bemade to Devon Air Ambulancefrom the proceeds.The club are looking to recruitnew members, so why not giveit a try? Contact Tricia Tarr, Sec-retary on 01404 822681.Photo: Ian Williams, winner ofthe Wyatt Cup.

Did you know that Ottery hasa lawn bowling club just 200yards down Strawberry Lane,just past the cricket club?It has a green in a beautifulsetting with a fine clubhouseand a large parking area for carsand coaches. Our membershipis largely retired people whohave the time to enjoy ourwonderful sport, but we havealso been very successful inattracting younger people whohave given up the more activesports, such as rugby or foot-ball, but still want a competitivesport. It’s a very sociable game,and men and women competeon level terms.

Ottery Bowling club welcomes new members

The cost of membership is justa fraction of what one may payto a golf club.

The club also organises varioussocial events throughout theyear and our licensed bar isbusy on these occasions andon all bowling days.We are fortunate in havingqualified coaches who givetheir time free to help membersimprove their game. Our clubis a particularly friendly one, asshown by the return year afteryear of touring clubs, many of

whom write to compliment uson our hospitality. This is alsoreflected in our expandingmembership. We have a goodmix of couples, singles, widowsand widowers with little sign ofthe cliques which can spoil theatmosphere.If you would like more details,please ring Gerry Beighton on01404 814132, but don’t missout on an opportunity to dis-cover an interest which givesmany people much pleasure.So, what should you do if thisis of interest to you? Well, youare very warmly invited to comeand have a look at us at theclub on Friday evening 20thMay from 6.00pm when youwill, if you wish, be able to tryyour hand at bowling withoutcharge, using our equipment.All we ask is that you bring apair of flat-soled shoes ortrainers. Refreshments will beavailable.

Not too late for plants at SustainableOttery’s Community Market!

There will be still plenty of garden plants for sale at this month’sCommunity Market in Ottery St Mary to fill the empty spaces inyour garden, as well as the usual full house of locally grownvegetables, locally produced preserves and chutneys and homebaked goodies.Shop locally, meet your friends for coffee and treat yourself tothe famous WI goodies at this month’s market on Saturday 28thMay 9.30am - 12.30pm at the Institute in Yonder Street.

Page 38

The PRIORYRESIDENTIAL

CARE

HOME

Why not drop in for a friendly chat andspeak to our manager Margaret?

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Telephone: 01404 811420Mobile: 07775 700535

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What’s On at Otter NurseriesTea Dance Wednesday. 4th May 4pm - 6pm. Come to Otter fora fun-filled afternoon of music and dancing! Enjoy the sounds of livemusic from “Dance with Elaine”, back by popular demand. Ticket price£3.95 each, including delicious refreshments. Tickets must be bookedin advance and are available from the main shop tills.Watering week. 9th - 15th May. With a hot summer forecast thiscould be the ideal week to visit Otter for help, advice and tips onwatering the garden. From micro-irrigation to the trusty old wateringcan and hose pipe, this week will specialise in showing the great offerson all watering equipment and how to keep your plants thriving!British sandwich week. 15th - 21st May. Join in a nationwidecelebration of the sandwich. All sandwiches will be celebrated, includingessential accompaniments such as pickles and chutneys to make thisfavourite quick bite even more tasty!Waterside planting week. 16th - 22nd May. This week has beendedicated to promote the benefits of waterside planting. Experts willbe available to offer help and advice on both the plants to choose forthe best results, and how to achieve them, to enhance your pond orwater feature.Barbecue time! Wednesday 18th May 3.30pm - 8pm. If you arein the market for a new barbecue, or simply need inspiration, thenOtter is the place for you on this date.With cookery demonstrations and advice, why not pop along and samplethe delights on offer whilst learning just how much versatility is offeredwhen cooking on a barbecue? This event will prove invaluable to helpguide you through the ‘maze’ of barbecues available to ensure youpurchase exactly the right one for you.Alpine week. 23rd May - 29th May. This week profiles the vastrange of alpine plants available at Otter Nurseries, including offers oncertain selections with. Again help and advice will be readily available toget you started or even if you are a seasoned gardener looking forextra inspiration.Wednesday 25th May There will be an alpine planting demonstrationfrom 5pm - 6pm, giving customers the chance to sit and watch theexperts, followed by a questions and answers session.

Memory Café has been meeting successfully for a year now. From26th May 2011 the venue will be changing. We are moving toOttery Cricket Club, Strawberry Lane, Ottery St Mary, where wewill continue to meet in a friendly and informal café with a relaxedand welcoming atmosphere for people with memory problemsand their families.We offer support and information, together with access to Healthand Social Care staff with support for carers. For informationplease contact the Ottery St Mary Help Scheme on 01404 816700or email us at info@helpscheme.eclipse.co.uk.

Memory Cafe moving toOttery Cricket Club

On Saturday 16th April, in common with many other Rotaryclubs around the country, The Rotary Club of Otter Valleyorganised its annual Blood Pressure testing session at the ColeridgePlaygroup, Ottery St Mary in conjunction with Stroke Awareness.Two local retired doctors and two nurses measured the bloodpressure of 84 people and, as a result, referred 23 for furtherexamination. Again it was noticeable that the 40/50 age groupwere reluctant to be tested, yet are in an at-risk group.Terry Blackler, the local organiser, commented, “If our actionshave helped to save just one person from the disabling effects ofa stroke, the exercise will have been well worthwhile”.

Stroke Awareness Day 2011

This time it was finger on the button rather than on thepaintbrush as ‘old friend’ artist Ray Balkwill gave us his powerpoint presentation including some lovely work of reflected waterscenes with boats. He continued to encourage us the next day ata workshop in his Exmouth Studio.On Friday May 6th at 7.30pm Vince Peterson will be demon-strating with oil and watercolour. All are welcome at the OtterySt. Mary Institute Yonder Street. For more information callMembership Secretary Ann Brown 01404 814192.

Otter Vale Art Society News

Plans are going ahead to raisemoney for Christian Aid thisyear, the needs around theworld seem greater than everand even a small amount oftargeted aid can help needypeople. Throughout the weekstreet collections will be goingon, with envelopes into whichyou can put your gift and signfor Gift Aid if you are a taxpayer. There will be collectingtins in the square on Saturday21st. There will also be soup

Christian Aid Weeklunches on Sunday 15th in theParish Church and on Friday20th in The Loft. Tickets forthe soup lunches can beobtained from the church office01404 812062 (helpful so thatwe neither run dry nor are leftswimming in soup). If you wouldbe able to help, either by hold-ing a tin or doing street collec-tions or having a coffee morn-ing or whatever then pleasecontact Anitra Lockwood on812317.

May 15th - 21st 2011

PLEASE SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL SHOPS -SHOPPING IN OTTERY SAVES TIME AND FUEL!

Page 39

What’s On in MayArk Pottery. Open daily from 10.00am to 5.00pm. 01404 812628Cadhay House & Gardens. Open each Friday in May and lateSpring Bank Holiday, on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. From 2pm to5.30pm. For more information contact 01404 813511Escot Gardens, Maze & Park Open all year. See the Otters, RedSquirrels, try the Drop Slide. Watch the Falconry displays. Contact01404 822188 for more information about a great day out.

6th Fri Otter Vale Friends of Hospiscare Talk & Slides at VillageHall Tipton St John 7.30pm

7th Sat Otter Vale Friends of Hospiscare Bridge TournementWest Hill Village Hall

7th Sat Cameo Singers at Gittisham Village Hall from 7pm8th Sun Ottery St Mary Silver Band Spring Concert at the

Institute at 7.445pm Tickets £4 under 16’s FreeTickets available from Stagestruck, Ottery TIC.

9th Mon Ottery St Mary WI Meeting at the Roman CatholicChurch Room at 7.30pm Resolution Meetingfollowed by Bingo

10th Tues Ottery St Mary Gardening Club Coach Outing toEndsleigh Garden Centre and Lukesland Gardens – fromLand of Canaan at 10.00am contact Joan on 01404 815082

14th Sat Coffee Morning & Plant Sale at Gittisham Village Hallfrom 10.00am

14th Sat Honiton Festival Concert at The Parish Church 7.30pmWith Crispian Steele-Perkins, tickets on 01404 43716

14th Sat Guided with the Ottery Path Walkers at Escot andEast Hill Strips Book with Information Centre

15th Sunday Karen Hall’s Ottery 10K Race & 1 Mile Fun Runat 10.30am Starting at Ottery St Mary Cricket Club

17th Tues Ottery St Mary Heritage Society evening meeting at theInstitute Yonder Street speaker Brian PhelpsSubject “The Horsedrawn Romany Vardo” at 7.30pm

21st Sat Coach Outing with Yonder Close Social Club toLynton/Lynmouth Coach leaves 9.00am from YonderClose. Book with Downs Motors on 01404812002

PropertyMaintenanceMP

Telephone:01404 81325307891 124025

Roofing, Guttering, Plumbing,Painting and Decorating,Drainwork, Gardening.House/General Repairsand Maintenance.No call out charge, FREE Estimates24 hour call out service

DEADLINE FOR THE JUNE EDITIONOF THE OTTERY GAZETTE

FRIDAY 20TH MAY, 2011 (at the latest)

TOWN COUNCIL MEETING NOTICE

will be held at 7pm on Monday 16th May 2011in the Council Chamber, The Old Convent,

8 Broad Street, Ottery St MaryThe following meeting will be held on

Monday 6th June 2011at the same venue

The Agenda for these meetings will be displayed onParish notice boards and on the Council website

www.otterystmary-tc.gov.ukat least three clear days before the meeting

Members of the public and the Press are welcome to attend.

The next meeting ofOTTERY ST MARY TOWN COUNCIL

VOLUNTEERS are wanted to help escort elderly people toand from Ottery St Mary Day Centre on the hospital mini-bus.No driving or training necessary. For more information telephoneAlison or Karen on 078133 23750.

VOLUNTEERS WANTED

HOSPITAL LEAGUE OF FRIENDSNEEDS STEWARDS

Ottery St Mary Hospital has been open for 16 years. AStewarding Scheme has been in place since then to welcomeanyone who has a reason to visit. We need to keep ournumbers up and are seeking new Volunteers between4.00pm and 7.00pm. If you can help please contact Mandyon 01404 816000 during weekday office hours.

Further info: telephone 813417 after 6pmor visit www.otteryreformed.freeola.net

Is the Apostles’ Teaching from 1 Corinthians 12 for agathering of the Reformed Church at The Old Boy’s School,

on Sunday 29th May at 6.30pm.If you are serious about God why not join us?

A Christianunity god made

The Reformed Church has no connection with Churches Together in Ottery

21st Sat Coffee Morning & Plant Sales at the Institute at 10.00am27th Fri Flower Festival At Gittisham Church.to Theme ‘Favourite Books’30th Mon Refreshments daily27th Fri National Garden Scheme Gardens open at Cadhay

Elizabethan Manor and house 2pm to 5.30pm28th Sat Ottery Community Market at the Institute

From 9.30am to 12.30pm28th Sat The Parish Church May Fair at Cadhay, Elizabethan Manor

from 11.00am onwards Stallholders in Elizabethan Dress.Attractions include: Birds of Prey, Nutty Noah, Beer Tent,Cafe, Food Hall, Grand Draw with £1000 of prizes.

29th Sun Cadhay Elizabeth Manor House and Gardensopen from 2pm to 5.30pm

30th Mon Cadhay Elizabethan Manor House and Gardensopen from 2pm to 5.30pm

31st Tues National Trust Fund raising event Coffee Morning atCadhay. 10.00am to 12 noon- selling plants and cakes.

Continued next column

The Ottery Gazette is typeset, printed and published by the proprietors: John Gaffney Design and Print, The Old Town Hall,The Flexton, Ottery St Mary Devon EX11 1DJ Telephone 01404 815111 email: jongaffney@hotmail.com

The newspaper title ‘Ottery Gazette’ and all artwork contained therein is protected by copyright, 2009.

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During May a new series willbe starting on BBC2 presentedby Dan Cruickshank called‘The Country House Revealed’.To accompany the series theBBC have published a beautifulhardback book packed withcolour photographs of thehouses featured. Dan showshow the story of each house isinseparable from the social andeconomic history of Britain.Each one’s architecture and de-sign is therefore expressive ofthe ambitions, strengths andfrail-ties of those who builtthem. Together they plot thepsychological, economic andsocial route map of our coun-try’s ruling class in a rich newtelling of our island story. Thebook has a cover price of £25but we have £10 off to make itjust £15.In fiction we have books just infrom two big names. FirstlyRobert Goddard’s new novel is‘Blood Count’ which is des-

cribed as mysterious, dramatic,intricate, fascinating andunputdownable. It is only justout in hardback but we have iton offer at the bargain price ofjust £9.99. Second up we have‘The Troubled Man’ fromHenning Mankell featuring hisworld famous detective KurtWallander. This brand newstory marks the return ofWallander for his final case. Theinvestigation not only leads himdown dark and unexpectedavenues but it also forces himto look back over his own pastand consider his hopes andregrets, as he comes to theunsettling realization that eventhose we love the most canremain strangers to us. Inhardback with a cover price of£17.99 we also have this onoffer at just £9.99.As all those of you who visitthe bookshop will know wenow offer a lot more than just

books, stocking notebooks,diaries, Sheaffer Pens and gifts.During April we have just takendelivery of several new giftranges from an innovative de-sign company based in Bathcalled ‘Wild & Wolf ’. Theseproducts are grouped inthemes based on iconic designsand we now have their ‘PenguinTravel’, ‘Ridley’s House of Nov-elties’, ‘Thoughtful Gardener’,‘Ladybird’ and ‘Beano andDandy’ ranges. We can’t poss-ibly do justice to the productson offer in this column – youreally do need to come andlook. Just to give you an ideathough we have enamel gard-eners mugs with ‘Dig ForVictory’ on them, flasks, pass-port holders, key rings andmore bearing the classicPenguin ‘On the Road’ logo.There are activity kits in tinswith Ladybird cover designscovering, learning to sew, magic

tricks, things to make and craftideas. On top of that there aremugs, water bottles, travel bagsand much more with fantasticiconic designs on them. Last butnot least Ridley’s House ofNovelties is a range of tradi-tional toys and games in retropackaging to help get your kidsoff the computer or out fromin front of the television andenjoying something traditional.There are flying planes, kites,magic tricks, whoopee cushions,yo-yo’s, slinky springs, marbles,boules, card tricks and muchmore. Come and give them alook!The Curious Otter is availablefor orders and enquiries on01404 814469

‘Dig For Victory’ enamel gardeners mugs,flasks, passport holders, key rings bearingthe classic Penguin ‘On the Road’ logo.