EDITORIAL No. 49 NOVEMBER & DECEMBER 2003
A couple of things to ponder – there was a request in the last Magazine for someone under sixteen to attend an occasional meeting of the Parish Council to put forward the views and ideas of their friends and colleagues so that the Council could better serve the youth of the village. Perhaps because only one person was asked for, there was a reluctance for anyone to come forward. However, if you AND a friend would like to go along occasionally to put your point of view or help in any way, you would be welcomed with open arms. Give Nina Ashley a ring (or email) to discuss it further – her details are inside the front cover.
Secondly, if the one-liners in this edition look familiar, it’s because, as in last Novembers issue, they are taken from Rick Jolly’s book ‘In Confidence’
(ISBN 0 9514305 1 3), being extracts from military personnel assessments and staff reports. The book is dedicated to the 252 South Atlantic Task Force personnel who sailed from England in 1982 but did not return and to the three Falkland Islanders who also died during their fight for liberation. All the royalties from the book are donated to the South Atlantic Medal Association and at £9.95, it makes a great Christmas present. Ed.
The Supply Officer magnifies his troubles by looking at them through the bottom of a glass.
WILLANDPRE-SCHOOL
Now that everybody has settled back into Pre-School after the summer break, we can reflect on past events. At our coffee morning held in July the children put on a great performance of Old Macdonald had a Band and one member of staff was a particularly good Old Macdonald (Hollywood beckons). Also on 11 July we held our annual Family Night, this event was very popular and the weather couldn’t have been better for our BBQ. Thanks go to Lloyd Maunder, TDG/Safeway, Homeweb, Fossil’s disco and Rupert Green for a great clown performance and to everyone who helped with the organising and cooking/helping at these events. Thanks, also for all the support from those attending. We raised a grand total of £550 from these two events which we really appreciate. Look out for our future events:-
November -indoor table top sale at the village hall.
December 11th – Christmas Coffee Morning, Play and Graduation – all welcome.Don’t forget the closing date for our ‘biscuit quiz’ is 4 December.
The children at Willand Pre-School are pleased to be using their new outdoor safety play surface and wish to thank the many sponsors who have all helped to make this possible, namely Mid Devon District Council, Willand Parish Council, Awards for All, Willand Village Community Trust, Willand United Charities, The Norman Family Charitable Trust, SuperTramp of Uffculme, The Heathcoat Trust, Viscount Amory Charitable Trust, Royal Bank of Scotland Charitable Trust, Westbury Homes and also to TDG/Safeway for their much appreciated continued support. Lastly, please visit our newly created website – for general information about the Pre-School and our activities.
Hilary Perrett, Secretary
It takes only one drink to make Lieutenant Y drunk but it is difficult to be sure whether it is the ninth or tenth.
SLIM LINE BUS IS A TONIC ON DEVON'S NARROW LANES
Devon County Council is currently trialling a new slim-line bus on routes around the county where existing buses cannot operate or do so with difficulty. This is the first time the bus has been used in England. The new slim-line bus will meet both the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act and maintain bus services to villages where access is along narrow lanes or roads. The 28-seater will be tested on a variety of routes during the next year. If successful, more buses of this type are likely to be introduced.
Recruit N has grown up a lot in the past year and there is some optimism that his IQ will eventually catch up with his shoe size.
FRIENDS OF THE CULMVALLEY NURSING AREA
There’s a Coffee Morning at Willand Village Hall on Saturday, 22nd November, starting at 10.15am. There’ll be the usual stalls, Draw, etc. but we’re no longer holding our Annual Grand Sale and Auction, one of the highlights of the village of the past twenty years. As most people will know, I have moved to Witheridge and last year proved too difficult for me to continue organising such a large event. It has been decided that each surgery or village within our nursing area will hold smaller events, coffee mornings, etc, to continue to raise funds for this very worthy cause. Gill Knight
Our Instructor Officer is somewhat disorganised and has three pairs of spectacles. One is for near sight, the second for far sight and the third is for finding the other two.
BLOOD DONORS – and A. N. OTHER
Still on the medical theme, if you’ve got your nice new 2004 calendar already, you might like to make a note of the dates for next year’s Donor sessions. They are 20th March, 26th July and 1st November. And the A. N. Other refers to the fact that Glenda Frost would like to hand over the reins of organising these sessions after 2004. It’s a case of booking the Hall, and arranging the tea, milk & biccys and the people to make it from the list of volunteers. Glenda will be at all the 2004 sessions, so would be very happy to talk to you about it if you would like to take it on. Ed.
It is a good thing that Midshipman J does not have to pay taxes on what he thinks he is worth.
ENGLISH: A STRANGE LANGUAGE
Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at an Elingsh uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaerinwhat oredr theltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsatltteer is at the rghit pclae. The rset can be atoatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae we do not raed ervey lteter by itslefbut the wrod as a wlohe. To be continued.
UFFCULMESCHOOL
There will be a Craft Fairat the School on Saturday 22nd November, between 10.00am and 4.00pm. There will be over seventy stalls, a Childrens Craft Room, refreshments will be available all day and admission is FREE. If you would like to know more, or even take part, contact Sue Proud on 01884 821164 or Simon Spalding on 01823 663597. Maggie Thornton
The less you have to do with him, the less you will be worse off.
DOING BUSINESS IN WILLAND
In the 1980’s, my wife kept a small flock of sheep. There were very few lambs to start with. Lloyd Maunder’s were our nearest outlet and we carried them in the back of our rugged Mark I Land Rover. On one trip, a lamb escaped and the staff at Tiverton Junction station helped us to catch it safe and sound and return it to the load.
I also kept geese and when the flock reached thirty, we decided something must be done. We put them in our sheep trailer (which we had by now acquired) and took them to Thorne & Carter’s market in Station Road. The Auctioneer said they did not often get geese, but we got our bid and off they went to another farm. We are glad to be doing business again in Willand – and November 18th is our first anniversary. Tom Penny (Pharmacy)
This cadet must be the one person to have a sixth sense, because there is no evidence of the other five.
AND MORE…..
Willand before the war had few shops but where there’s a void, there is usually an opportunity. Especially in Willand’s case, perhaps, more than Uffculme, with its 20+ shops and Cullompton, which was a comparative rural metropolis… But Willand had trades-people who called. There was a
plethora of them, all presumably scratching a living in one way or another. Here are some that I remember and doubtless there are others, long forgotten, to add to the list.
First of all, the postman on his bicycle. A letter, almost invariably handwritten, was a source of great interest and with few telephones, they were far more numerous. Then there was the milkman, John Martin of Netherexe Farm, who delivered very early in glass bottles, which were carefully washed and put outside for collection the following day. A second delivery was made by a local farmer, Henry Eveleigh, with his churn, milk fresh from the cow, and his pint ‘dipper’, the cannier housewife would have a pint pot handy. A newspaper was delivered by Long’s of Uffculme, who also made a weekly afternoon delivery of the Devon & Somerset News. Sunday papers were a late delivery by Mr Sid Holly on his bicycle, also from Uffculme. Three bakers were regular – Kerslake’s from Uffculme, Gregory’s from Halberton and Ellicott’s from Cullompton. Few people had all three and customers were very loyal, seldom changing suppliers.
Thursdays brought the man from the International Stores at Cullompton, Mr Ford, with his notebook to take orders, which were delivered the following week in a brown paper parcel beautifully packed and tied up with string. Other regular callers were the rent man, the man from the Pru. and several others perhaps not quite so regular. Mr Holland pushing his cart with fruit and vegetables, Mr Western with his motor-bike and sidecar selling fish, when available, then there was a ‘bazaar’, Ellison’s from Sheldon, which came laden with all sorts of everything you could want, from a thimble to a saucepan – a great attraction, this, as there were steps going up inside the van where one could examine the treasures. Mr Dart would deliver cwts. of coal, gypsies with their lucky heather (tolerated but never very welcome) but all were invaluable as a source of information from all the villages around.
In the summer, the two Miss Rowe’s from Uffculme Road would appear, neatly dressed, to know if raspberries or blackcurrants were needed – of course they were and jam was made to keep us right through the winter months. Others who were essential were the local Doctor, in our case Dr. Laidlaw from Uffculme and the Nurse, Jane, the District Nurse from Halberton in an immaculate blue and white uniform on a bicycle with a round leather bag on the carrier, which contained everything necessary (except boiling water for when a new baby arrived).
Our family had no dealings with the Attendance Officer, Mr. Blamey – ‘staying away from school’ carried a real threat against malingering, as he would soon be on the doorstep making sure that reasons given for children being absent from school were genuine.
Mothers ‘going out to work’ were almost unheard of and indeed, how could they? There just had to be someone at home to deal with all the comings and goings. What a different life it was. A Former Resident
Delightful. Can anyone send me details of other local tradesmen/women and shopkeepers at that time? I know of four or five – but I’m not a ‘local’. Ed.
It is stretching the imagination enormously to picture Office Cadet D as the end product of billions of years of evolution.
LADIES CAMEO GROUP
The speaker on September 4th was Mrs.Wedlake, on ‘The History of Hats’. She brought an amazing display, collected over the years to show us. The earliest was a Victorian mourning bonnet, others ranging through wedding hats to hunting hats, including a neat trilby she had made herself and adorned with a pheasant feather, having first shot the pheasant. For Social Time, the members, in pairs, were set a competition to create hats out of newspaper – Pat Clarke & Phyl Pearce were the winning duo.
The Walking Group reported on an enjoyable 5-mile circular walk from Dunkeswell and planned a whole day expedition from Dead Woman’s Ditch in the Quantocks. An evening playing Skittles at the Merry Harriers had ended in a play-off between the three highest scorers, Doris Hunkin finally taking the trophy.
The Art & Craft Fair on September 6th, which we held in conjunction with the Willand Art Group was a grand success. Our thanks go to all those who attended the event and enabled us to raise £836.50 for the League of Friends of Tiverton Hospital. CAMEO members and their friends had worked hard in preparing for the occasion and thanks are due to them too for making this such a worthwhile and rewarding day.
The October meeting was addressed by Mr Max Pipe, who spoke on ‘Memoirs of a Coach Driver’. He kept us interested and often amused by anecdotes from his eleven years driving coach-parties far and wide. One was a tale of a visit to London when, shortly after setting out on the return journey, he found his intended route barred because of a broken water-main. He evidently took his party on quite a sightseeing tour before rejoining the planned route and he listed several landmarks the party passed, including BuckinghamPalace – pause – twice! Also of a lady who, when leaving the coach, popped something into his pocket saying ‘have a drink on me when you get home’ and when he got there, he found it was a teabag! Some of his tales sounded too good to be true, but made for a very jolly evening, for which Jo Hudson expressed the thanks of the group. A great lover of Dartmoor, Bodmin Moor and especially Exmoor, he read us one of his poems and agreed to the suggestion it might be included in the Magazine. Another poem, on the subject of Womens’ Institute meetings which is sometimes invited to address, reminded us of our own W.I. days which ended five years ago.
Christine Sully’s begonia was voted Flower of the Month and our Secretary, Mary Tebby, had the first lucky draw ticket. Future plans include a Dining Club meeting at the Waterloo Cross on October 9th, a shopping trip to Barnstaple on November 11th and the group’s Christmas Meal at Tiverton Hotel on December 9th. Our next meeting is on Thursday November 6th at 7.15pm in the Village Hall, when Mrs Flanagan will talk to us on her experience as a ‘Dog Warden’. Mary Williams
I am told that our Nursing Sister is something of a flower that grows wild in the woods.
WILLAND COMMUNITY COMPOSTING & RECYCLING
I would like to dedicate this column to Gordon Vearncombe who died recently. Our love and support go to his wife Peg at this sad time.
As newcomers to the area some 18 months ago and wanting to get involved in the community, Tony Mander (a neighbour & friend) and I decided to visit the composting area one Sunday. Guess who was there? Gordon, of course. He exuded a passion about the group and was a founder member. After a quick discussion, a mug of coffee and before we could change our minds we were recruited and later met the rest of the team.
Gordon was a driving force for me. He came down as many Sundays as he could and was renowned for his "special coffee" and wicked sense of humour. He played a big part in motivating the whole team, was an inspiration to us all and was to blame for my joining of the Parish Council - I only showed a little interest! On behalf of the whole composting team I must say that we will miss him very much and all of us are determined to carry on his good work.
The composting area is now producing plenty of compost thanks to the work carried out by the volunteers. If anyone reading this would like to participate in this very worthwhile activity, you are invited to come down and see us any Sunday between 10 am and 12 noon. Steve Betsworth
EXMOOR CALLING
What is this hold you have on me, that keeps me coming back
To feel and breathe, absorb your touch, as I walk your moorland track.
Why do I need to feast my eyes on heathered combes and streams,
Why is it when I’m far away, you’re part of all my dreams?
Why must I come to climb your hills, drink in the scene below,
Or dabble toes in babbling brooks, feel gentle ebb and flow.
What magnet draws me here at times of stress or troubled mind,
Why is it here, alone with you, life’s answers I can find?
In lives past I have walked these hills, to dwell upon the view,
Perhaps as man, or bird, or beast, I lived engrossed by you.
As Curlew, Kestrel, Buzzard, did I gaze on you from high,
Or Stag that roamed your dales and hills, curved antlers to the sky?
Was I a sheep of shaggy coat, your moorland tufts to glean,
Or pony, who, with matted mane, slaked waters cool and clean.
As Rabbit, Squirrel, Hare and Fox had I life upon your land,
Or did I toil here on your soil, a man with calloused hand?
For when you call, I can’t resist the need inside of me,
That makes me walk the heathland path, from your heart to the sea.
It’s eerie, it’s a mystery, whose answers I don’t know,
But Exmoor, please hold on to me: Exmoor, don’t let me go.
Max Pipe, Feniton