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February 2001CONDOLENCES: We extend our deepest sympathy to the relatives and friends of Dot Gill who passed away recently. CONDOLENCES: To the Carter family on the death of Vera. CONDOLENCES: To Emily Phillips, Janet and the children, on the death of Derek. MEMORIAL SERVICE: To celebrate the life of Tom Blackmore, who sadly passed away on 6th January in Scotland, all family and friends are invited to attend a Memorial Service in St Mary's Church High Bickington, on Saturday, 24th February at 11.30am. This will be followed by an interment of his Ashes in St Mary's Churchyard, Atherington. Donations in memory of Tom will be sent to Woodland Vale Day Centre, Torrington. DR ARMSTRONG: Will be retiring shortly – any donations please to Maurice Ridd, Moorland View, High Bickington – thank you. WELCOME BACK HOME: To Eve Hill, after having sent Christmas in hospital due to a fall. Lent 2001Ash Wednesday this year will be on 28th February and the Methodist church and St Mary’s Anglican church will together be making this a special day of preparation for Lent. You are invited to make it a day of reflection (perhaps with fasting and prayer), culminating in a simple service of worship in the evening. Please look out for leaflets explaining all this in more detail. The Lent course this year will take place on Tuesday evenings at 7.30pm in The Meeting Point. The course lasts for five weeks and starts on March 6th. This is an “early warning” so that you can note the dates. Further details will appear shortly. High Bickington Parish CouncilAs you will all know, I have resigned as Parish Clerk and have been replaced by Myc Riggulsford. I have greatly enjoyed my time as clerk and have learnt a great deal about local politics and High Bickington. One of the last things I did as clerk at the January meeting was to read out a letter from the solicitors confirming the transfer of the Barton Meadow amenity land to the Parish Council. As the transfer of this land had been on the agenda for every one of the meetings I attended as parish clerk it was good to see it completed! It has been a privilege to work with the Parish Council and the village. My best wishes to all the Councillors and Myc for the future. Diana Lunn Thought for the Month...Mark Thomas Thought for February March is my favourite month. It seems to me to signal the end of Winter and the approach of Spring. January is nice too. After the upheaval of Christmas, it is good to settle back into normality once January arrives. And of course, January is the beginning of a new year, a new start. But what about February? I think February is my least favourite month. New year’s resolutions have been made and broken so there can be a sense of failure. February can be cold and dismal, yet Spring still seems a long way off. Oh dear, February is here! But February also sees the emergence of my favourite flower: the Snowdrop (at least, it does in my garden!). This tiny, delicate, beautiful flower pokes its way up through the frost and snow and, despite the harsh conditions all around, it seems to me to be a symbol of hope in a hostile environment. “God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the strong”1. Jesus’ message of the Kingdom of God was also a message of hope. It is easy to think of God as all-powerful, all-knowing, and somewhat awesome. But to me, the greatest symbol of the Christian faith – the cross – is just like the snowdrop. It signifies weakness and suffering, but it pushes its way up through the surrounding greed, hate and sin and points the way to God as a symbol of hope in a hostile and hurting world. So let’s hear it for the snowdrop. It rescues February from complete disaster. And remember, Spring is coming after all! WHEN WE CAME TO WEEK (continued)Margaret Bolt In sickness and in health We came to Week two years before the National Health Service began in 1948. With its concept of free health, optical and dental care from "the cradle to the grave", this must have been a great relief for the majority of North Devon residents - as for the rest of the country - despite the compulsory weekly contribution by all those in employment. My grandfather (Hewitt) a staunch Liberal, insisted on giving his first child, Lloyd, as one of his Christian names, in honour of Prime Minister Lloyd George who introduced the 1911 National Insurance Act, so my mother was registered as ROSE MARY LLOYD HEWITT. Being severely wounded in one leg in World War I and disabled for the rest of his life, what a difference free health care would have made to Granny and their eight children. My mother paid regularly into the Nursing Association funds for a district nurse and Hospital Aid for in-patient care, but I was never aware of bills being presented by Dr.R.Graham-Pole or his successor, Dr.Morris. They certainly had to be paid somehow for visits to Hacknell and later to Week, and for treatment given. Maybe there was another scheme to cover care by a Doctor. Over the years our family had their share of illness. Bernie had broken his leg soon after coming to Hacknell in 1932. Granny spent some time at Exeter Eye Infirmary after an accident chopping sticks in the back kitchen. I remember seeing her sitting on the chopping block with blood oozing through her fingers running down her check, waiting to be taken to the Doctor and from there to hospital where she had to have her eye removed. After some time a very natural looking artificial eye was fitted. She also had a huge goitre on her neck - commonplace in those days, but rarely seen now - as well as a very deformed ankle from a badly set broken bone, the result of her horse bolting, throwing her from the trap when returning to Shuteley Farm from Torrington Market. My Uncle Abe had ALOPECIA when a late teenager, losing all his hair. He had a course of "Violet Ray" treatment some time later. I remember the excitement when a little downy fluff began to grow, but the excitement was short-lived when this too fell out, never to grow again. I remember how acutely embarrassed he was at his baldness. If we had visitors he kept his cap on all the time, indoors as well as out. We took no notice, he was just Abe - without hair. My father had treatment for ulcers - he had to drink lots of milk, which now, I believe, is regarded as one of the worst things to drink for this painful complaint, apart from alcohol! Mum had her appendix removed in the North Devon Infirmary in 1939 or 40, followed by phlebitis, for which the treatment in those days was to stay in bed with sandbags to keep the leg still (which I thought excessive fuss for a flea bite) - far different from today's advice. She was very ill with pneumonia shortly before we moved to Week. Despite being only 2lb. when I was born, in January in a big draughty farmhouse, I was a healthy child. The only time I remember being at the surgery for treatment while at Hacknell, was to have stitches in my forehead after being knocked unconscious by falling backwards from the tallet against the stone wall down into the feeding path for the shippon below. Doctors seemed to be much more accessible to their patients pre-N.H.S. and for many years afterwards with morning and evening surgery on most weekdays as far as I remember. No appointments were necessary, surgery began at a stated time and went on till everyone had been seen (evening surgery still going on at 9.00 p.m. was not unusual at Dr.Wingfield's at Chulmleigh) and sent away with their prescription made up by the same doctor. Medicine was in a bottle marked in spoonfuls, tightly corked, wrapped in white paper, scaled with sealing wax. Pills were counted into round card boxes. It was said that doctors always asked for a urine specimen to be brought on future visits as a means of getting bottles returned! In 1948 our family became patients of Dr.Wingfield at Chulmleigh after being unhappy with the lack of care my father received when suffering from Quinsy, an abscess in the throat, and the death of my grandfather, aged 63, from peritonitis, having been treated for an ulcer all the preceding week. In the 1940s and 50s polio was a dreaded disease - even more so than meningitis today. The cause was uncertain and treatment, before vaccines and penicillin were discovered, ineffective! Those who survived were kept alive by being encased in an "iron tune', a machine the size of a large single bed in which the patient lay day and night for months on end. TB was still prevalent, with patients being sent to Sanatoriums at Hawley, Barnstaple and Hawkmoor on Dartmoor to recuperate with complete bed rest and pure air. Measles, whooping cough, diphtheria, scarletina, mumps and chicken pox were all nasty unpreventable childhood illnesses. Boils, carbuncles and whitlows were frequent before antibiotics, often needing to be lanced. Men suffered particularly from carbuncles on the back of the neck where stiff collars rubbed germs into the skin. Few country children escaped the winter affliction of chilblains and seasonal infections of ringworm. At one time Bernie had a huge septic ringworm on his head while I had them around my neck. The memory of the pain caused by the green copper-based lotion used to treat them is with me still. Nowadays, counselling for stress and trauma would surely be offered! ROAD MAINTENANCE BOOST WELCOMED BY DEVON COUNTY COUNCIL
FOLLOWING the Government's announcement of increased spending towards the maintenance of principal and non-principal roads,
Councillor Margaret Rogers, Devon County Council's Executive Chairman for Environment said: WISE UP TO WASTE
An average dustbin breaks down into 32 % paper and card, 30 % vegetables, 10 % glass, 9 % miscellaneous, 8% metal, 7%
plastic and 4% textiles. Wise Up To Waste:
Devon County Council's Wise Up To Waste campaign will be supported by leaflets, posters, advertising and Parish Council information packs. There will also be a mobile exhibition travelling across the county providing information and advice on how to Wise Up To Waste. NEW WEB ADDRESS The domain name of the County Council's website, Information Devon, changed from www.devon-cc.gov.uk to www.devon.gov.uk on 1 October 2000. This new, shorter address brings the County Council in line with most of their partner organisations in Devon. ‘Information Devon’ is a gateway to a variety of information for local people or those wanting to visit the county. DEVON COUNTY COUNCIL SHOWS COMMITMENT TO ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT A new comprehensive renewable energy website for South West England is now live on the Internet at http://www.solardevon.org.uk DEVON INFANT CLASS SIZES SMALLEST IN REGION
INFANT classes in Devon County Council schools are the smallest in the South West according to new Government figures. TRAVELLING ON DEVON'S ROADS THIS WINTER
THIS winter Devon County Council is once again working hard to keep traffic moving as safely and smoothly as possible
during freezing conditions. A round-the-clock watch for worsening weather conditions means that gritters can quickly start
their 45 salting routes, covering over 1,500 miles of Devon's most heavily trafficked routes. ATHERINGTON & UMBERLEIGH WIJudith Domleo The January meeting was a Social, again held at Atherington Baptist Church Hall (Umberleigh Hall is still out of action from the floods in October), for the first time we held a silent auction and raised £100. We had a picture and a brain teaser quiz and they were both won by Jennifer Gooding. Mary Wilson won the flower of the month competition with a hibiscus. Judith Domleo was the competition winner for the year 2000. We all enjoyed a delicious bring & share supper. Birthday plants were presented to Di Drummond, Joy Bruce, Edna Ford, Anne Harrison and Rita Grimes. Two members attended the Resolution Meeting at Filleigh Hall. The next meeting will be on Tuesday, February 6th. Please note this is the first Tuesday, 7.30pm, Umberleigh Hall. The speaker will be Mrs Sylvia Willis who will explain the work of the North Devon Hospice. Everyone welcome. Rainfall, High Bickington 2000... We are grateful to Geoffrey Rowden who writes... The rainfall was 1336.2mm or 52.61”, which beats the previous record of 1279.5mm or 50.37” in 1982. The last three years have had large amounts: 1998: - 1277.4mm - 50.29”
The lowest amount, 878mm (34.57”) was in 1996. Letter to The Times Peter Lindley of Old South Heale in High Bickington had a letter published in The Times on 27 December 2000:
‘Sir, After 100 consecutive days with rain, according to the local press, we are celebrating a dry winter solstice here. Peter writes to us: ‘The early flowering was caused by the rainwater keeping the soil temperature up and the cloud cover at night preventing chilling. What caused the amount of rain is another matter!’ High Bickington Parish CouncilAt the meeting of the Council on 10 January 2001 retiring Parish Clerk Mrs Diana Lunn was warmly thanked for her excellent service during the last three years, she will be much missed by her many friends and colleagues. New clerk Myc Riggulsford was welcomed by the Council. Barton Meadow - Everyone was delighted to hear that High Bickington now owns the Barton Meadow Amenity Land which has finally been transferred to the Parish Council from Pearce Construction. The problem of water running off from this land onto the roads and pavement was not solved before the transfer, so the village will now have to deal with it, especially with the recent frosty weather. We will try to get a salt bin or supply of chippings from Torridge District Council to reduce the danger. Little Bickington Farm – The Council confirmed its support for the Little Bickington Farm project, and has agreed to provide £100 towards the start up funding needed by the project before it can qualify for grants. As soon as the project has set up a proper legal and charitable status it will be able to apply to the Parish Council for the funds. Reduced Fare Travel – From 1 April 2001 new government legislation will make concessionary fare travel passes free of charge, and the authorities in Devon have set up a partnership called Devonwide to offer these in the future. For bus travel there will be very little change, individual passes will still be available from Post Offices and usual outlets, and will last for three years – although because of the trial period to begin with the first ones will only last one year. The new passes will not cover rail travel however. Senior Citizens Railcards which are valid across the whole rail network will be available by post at a discount rate from the Devonwide office. Torridge District Local Plan – The revised Local Plan has now been published for consultation. All objections and representations to the revised parts of the plan have to be made within the six week consultation period, which finishes at 12 noon on 23 February 2001. Copies of the plan are available free for inspection at the Torridge District Council Offices at Riverbank House, Bideford and Bideford, Holsworthy, Appledore, Northam and Great Torrington public libraries. Parish Councillors are circulating a copy for their comments and the parish clerk also holds a reference copy, please ring and make an appointment if you wish to inspect it. The next High Bickington Parish Council meeting will be on Wednesday 14 March 2001 in the Church Hall at 7.30pm. Everyone is welcome to attend. From the archivesResearched by Richard Lethbridge 5th June 1902 THE OLD FONT AT HIGH BICKINGTON Devon is famous for its ancient fonts, and none, perhaps have a more goodly repute than that, of Norman date, in the old Fifteenth Century Church of St. Mary at Highbickington. Other masonic remains in the same edifice prove that formerly a fine Norman Church stood upon the same site as is the present one. The font, which dates from about the same time as does the celebrated one in the ancient Cathedral Church at St. Geruns, in the neighbouring county, is the handiwork of medieval craftsmen in the days of Bishop Leofric (1050), and, although somewhat rude in the manipulation of its ornamentation, is bold and vigorous, strikingly typical of the best work of the period. The old font at Highbickington is unique in the fact that bowl and base are fashioned out of two blocks of stone, joined only in the middle of the supporting column. It is square at base and top; the lower moulding is cabled, the shaft round, whilst the bowl, which is richly carved, takes the form of a cushioned capital. Although the actual stone appears to be as solid as ever, ill-advised admirers from time to time have introduced numerous iron cramps into the material, obviously to assist in holding it together, and these having naturally oxidised in the damp church, have burst the stone in every direction. So dire, indeed, became its state that, when carefully examined early in the present year by the Rural Dean (the Rev. Ernest Walter Field), grave fears were entertained as to the possibility of its being preserved from destruction, save in fragmentary condition. At the suggestion, however, of the Rural Dean, Mr. Henry Hems, the well-known sculptor and ecclesiastical authority, of Exeter was called in, with the result that the whole (as tenderly as if it were a babe) was conveyed to the expert’s studio in Exon’s fair capital. There it has been for some months, and after much anxious solitude then the part of Mr. Hem’s and his sons has now been truly returned, and last week was re-set up by him upon the old site, a new slab of grey Dartmoor granite being placed beneath at once as a base, and a standing place for the officiating priest at time of baptisms. So often and so thoroughly had the old font been subjected to periodical coats of whitewash and thick layers of cement that it was not without considerable difficulty, and only by the repeated application of powerful chemicals, that they were removed, as also were the iron cramps which were the primary cause of the mischief. Of the iron, there was no less than 16¼ lbs in weight. This done, it was found that the dear old font was in 45 distinct fragments. These have been put together again, stuck permanently, one by one, and bit by bit, until now, the completed work, without doubt, a distinct labour of love by the skilful sculptor, is much what it was originally, and almost as strong, and all enduring. Curiously, the original lead bowl, for ages rendered indistinguishable from the actual stone, through relays numerable of paint and cement, has also been brought to light again, stripped of its coats of many colours and piously reinstated with its old bowl. Of course, the actual lead work itself has been jealously retained in its old condition venerated with holes, scratches, and battered face. No modern tool or chisel of any kind has been allowed to touch either it, or the actual stone of the font, in this most conservative restoration. The old font was fixed during the latter days of last week, and on Monday a fond and proud mother brought her little one to the Church, and the rite of baptism was performed by the Rev. C. V. Wansborough, M.A., the Rector. HIGH BICKINGTON PROJECT 2000Avril Stone The High Bickington Project 2000 is a combined project between the Devon County Council, Torridge District Council, High Bickington Parish Council and the people of High Bickington. The aim is to develop through mutual agreement the property and land of Little Bickington Farm for the good of the community. At a meeting of the committee on 15.01.01 Tim Webb tendered his resignation as chairman as he had be made aware that some people in the village felt his appointment threatening. David Brown was proposed as the new chairman and he agreed to take on the position. Tim Webb will continue as the secretary for the time being. The committee thanked Tim for all the hard work, long hours and enthusiasm he had put into the project to get it well on its way. Mr. Bill Holman, the Head of Devon Property Practice was also present at the meeting and he reiterated that the original offer to the village of Little Bickington Farm and land made at the public meeting is the same and they look forward to the outcome of our Parish Appraisal. The rest of the meeting was taken up with the legal formalities of forming a Limited Company and the application of funds for running the project. The children of High Bickington School are making a scale model of the village to help with the exhibition about the project, which will be held in The Meeting Point within the next few weeks. So watch the notice boards around the village regarding the dates for this exhibition. HIGH BICKINGTON WIJosie Maskell Our first meeting of the New Year was well attended and we welcomed two new members. Final arrangements were made for our New Year’s dinner at Libbaton Golf Club on Friday 12th January. Sponsor forms for the “knit-in” in February were taken by those taking part. We did not have a speaker for this month as an informal craft evening had been arranged. We had a good display of crafts to show including quilling, various cross stitch items, découpage, knitting and painting. The exhibits were passed around and discussed and any questions answered. The flower of the month was won by Jenny Gooding with violets. The raffle by Glenda Tucker. The competition for a verse including the words ‘New Year’ was won by Eva Burke, second was Jean Checksfield and third, Josie Maskell. (These verses are included elsewhere in this months Ramblings). Our next meeting on 7th February will be in the church Hall at 7.15pm and our speaker will be Mr Steve Bradley on glass restoration. All visitors welcome to join us. High Bickington Methodist NewsHazel Pearce We thank Robert Domleo, Tony Pert, Margaret Bolt, Rev Marilyn and Lorna Ward who led the Morning Services over Christmas and New Year, also to those who contributed to these Worship times Special and Meaningful. Both the 5-7’s and 8-11’s Childrens’ Clubs held New Year parties on January 16th to start the new term, (I must be getting old, but my ears are still ringing as I write this the next morning!). More volunteer helpers are always needed alongside the leaders. Sunday School held its Christmas Party on January 13th. All ages enjoyed the games and delicious tea; each child went home with a gift. The Eisteddfod will be held on Saturday, March 17th. Open to all children in the Sunday School and High Bickington parish. Entry forms from Shirley Pidner. Classes in art, craft, cookery etc. Several of the craft items will be covered on Youth Club evenings. Congratulations to two young ladies who celebrated special birthdays during January, (one being half of the other!) Shirley Pidner and Betty Rouse. High Bickington United Anglican & Methodist ChurchesA Plough Service was held on Sunday, January 14th, 6.30pm at St Mary’s Church. Rev John Carvosso led the service and the address was given by Rev David Ursell. Readers were Robert Domleo and Glenda Tucker. The Plough Team consisted of David Manning, Peter May, Andrew Tucker and Thomas Freeman. The collection of £53-88 went to Rural Network. The next United Service will be on February 11th, 6.30pm at the Methodist Church – Education Sunday. Everyone very welcome. Poem for February To A Snowdrop
Lone flower, hemm’d in with snows, and white as they, William Wordsworth 1770 – 1850 Readers LettersEd. The first letter below has been sent to us by a High Bickington resident who has asked us to withold their name. Dear Editor, Thank you for bringing the poor state of the re-cycling pavilion to people’s notice. Not only had it become unhygienic inside but also quite disgusting with dog’s mess outside. Please could those who ‘walk’ their dogs in the playing-field pay more attention to where their animals do their business and clear up after them. Thank you very much to all those who ring High Bickington church bells on New Year’s Eve. We always listen out for them. It makes a lovely start to the New Year. Dear Mr. Leatham, Whilst we are not resident in High Bickington, we do have a cottage in the village, which we use for weeks and weekends all the year round. We have grown very fond of the village over the 10 years or so that we have been visiting. You will appreciate therefore that we are taking a keen interest in the proposals regarding Little Bickington Farm. Please correct us if we are wrong, but our understanding is that the farm and land have been offered to the Parish, with the outline conditions that any development must be viable and sustainable. What a wonderful opportunity this is for the village, High Bickington must be the envy of the large majority of villages throughout Devon, and indeed beyond. The opportunity to 'Develop' such a substantial property and its adjoining acreage represents a 'Major Project', and there is little doubt in our minds that whatever the final development plan agreed upon, it will have a major impact on the village and of prime importance of course, the villagers themselves. There are many long standing residents in the village who have little appetite for major change, and this is perfectly understandable; hopefully their views, based upon their experience, will act as a 'Control', to ensure no 'Outlandish' plans are agreed. The final development will have an impact on the village, irrespective of its size or complexity, for example: new housing would have an impact on utilities (gas, electricity, water, sewage and telephone) as well as increased wear and tear on the general infrastructure, roads and lanes in particular. We could go on because the questions, the issues and the decisions to be made are, almost, endless. However the advantages of such a project, certainly outweigh the disadvantages, provided of course that everyone involved, and that means the entire village population, adopts an open-minded and positive attitude, as we are sure they will. One important question remains to be answered. A project of this nature can only be accomplished successfully with professional help from the outset. Who will pay or how will funds be raised to pay the bills of the professionals? A great opportunity for High Bickington, we wish the project every success. Yours Sincerely,
Sally and Tony Phillips,
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