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June 2001Tom and Freda Loosemore At the May Luncheon Club held at the Bell Inn, Chittlehampton, Mr Tom Loosemore was presented with a selection of gift tokens and his wife a bouquet of flowers which resulted from a collection around the village of Atherington. Mr and Mrs Loosemore were thanked for their undying support to the village and post office after fifty-four years. Our thanks go to Mrs Rita Arscott for making the collection but who could not attend due to work commitments. THANKS: Carol, Thomas and Megan Sanders would like to thank family and friends for the support they have received since the very tragic and sudden death of Graham. The love and kindness shown by all has been overwhelming. Our hearts are touched as we realise that not only will ourselves and our families miss Graham so much but that a whole community will too. Donations for CLIC from the funeral so far stand at £1,900. THANKS: To everyone for all the cards and good wishes for our Golden Wedding Anniversary and for all the messages of support and cards during the foot and mouth outbreak on our farm. Stan & Eileen Tucker THANKS: Peter and Patricia Tucker and family would like to express their sincere thanks and gratitude to all friends, neighbours, and people of High Bickington for their kindness and support shown during our recent difficult time. We didn’t realise how much our animals meant to so many people in the village, and how sad people are, as we are ourselves at losing them in this terrible way. Sadly, so many other farms have suffered the same fate in the past weeks. We can only hope for better times ahead. St. Mary's GuildRosemary Munson Our May meting was well attended, with only three apologies. Our outing to the Eden Project was well supported, with everyone enjoying the visit. It really was a super venue. We had good weather as well which was a bonus. Crafts are being prepared for our next stall at the Church Fete on Saturday July 14th. Our next outing is to Plymouth on Monday 9th July leaving High Bickington at 9.00a.m. Names to Miss Eileen Thorne or to me. Looking forward to seeing you all again. Our next Guild Meeting will be on Monday 11th June at Miss Eileen Thorne's home the Parsonage at 2.00p.m. From the ArchivesResearched by Richard Lethbridge 12th June 1913 - High Bickington MRS. W. RICHARDS, a respected old age pensioner, passed away on Monday after a protracted illness. AN enjoyable day was spent by the ringers of the Parish Church on Saturday. Leaving the village at 7.30 am in motor buses, supplied by Mr. Parnell, of Torrington, they first visited Winkleigh, where a peal was rung on the Church bells. The party then proceeded straight to Devonport and enjoyed a peal on the bells in the Dockyard Chapel. Charles Church, Plymouth, was also visited, and the ten bells were well handled by the visitors. The party left Plymouth at 8 pm, arriving home at midnight. ARRANGEMENTS have been made by the Committee of the proposed new Recreation Room for a Montenegrin Fete to be held on the Kingford Hill House grounds (the residence of Capt. and Mrs. Barton) on June 18th. The idea of the Fete, which is a novel one, was initiated by Mrs. Barton, and with her co-operation in the affair, success is assured. The energy displayed by Capt. and Mrs. Barton in the efforts to procure the funds for the building have been unceasing, and the Fete should be attended by all, as a mark of appreciation. The picturesque grounds of Kingford Hill are being thrown open for the day and a novel and interesting programme of sports and amusements is being arranged. February 11th 1915 The Devons will next week engage in a second series of route marches with a view to stimulating recruitment in rural districts. The Regiment will start on the first day’s march from Morchard Road at 9.30 next Monday morning, and it will proceed to Torrington by way of Winkleigh (where dinner will be provided), Ashreigney, Burrington, and High Bickington (where tea will be partaken of), Torrington being reached at 6 p.m. The men will march 34 miles. They will remain at Torrington Monday night, and on Tuesday will leave at 9.15, visiting Langtree, Stibb Cross, Shebbear (dinner), Petrockstowe, Merton, Dolton, and Beaford, returning to Torrington for tea at 5, the march covering 29 miles. On Wednesday, February 17th, the Regiment will leave Torrington at 9 a.m., marching to Monkleigh, Buckland Brewer (where bread and cheese will be provided at 10.30), Parkham, Woolsery, Bradworthy (dinner), Sutcombe, and Holsworthy, where the men will remain at night. The third day’s march will cover 29½ miles. On the fourth day 35 miles will be covered in the Tavistock Division, and on the fifth day 23 miles, the march concluding at Morchard Road on Saturday at 4 p.m. after a march of 17½ miles. During the six days the men will cover 165 miles in marching. Thought for the MonthDon Chitty, Atherington Baptist Suddenly the ‘world‘ sprang to life! The months of rain have given way to sunshine, which has rapidly dried the ground, perhaps too quickly! Mowers roared! Gardens dug and seeds sown! With great sighs of relief we wiped our brows! Now to relax and wait for the abundance of colour and goodness! Well, we know it is not that simple! Those wretched weeds never go on holiday and every pest in the vicinity seems to have orders to attack with increased frequency and ferocity. This warns us to be vigilant and diligent as we care for our crops if we are to produce the best. This may help us to draw a moral and spiritual lesson from the words of Paul to Timothy (2 Timothy 2:1-13). There he encouraged him to be faithful as a follower of Jesus Christ. To share the Good News of the Risen Lord through whom we receive salvation. Serve wholeheartedly despite the many ‘enemies and obstacles’ (weeds and pests)! that hinders the gospel. Knowing that it is the Risen Lord who gives the strength and grace to those who “pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart”(v.22). The hardworking farmer/gardener is rewarded for all his work (v.6), and the results are usually worth waiting for! Whatever we face in life the Bible encourages, “be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that our labour is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58 6). HIGH BICKINGTON WIJosie Maskell Our May meeting was our Resolutions Meeting. Owing to the on going foot and mouth situation members from other Institutes did not join us this year as planned. However, we had a lively discussion on the resolutions and agreed to leave the voting to the discretion of our delegate Rosemary Munson when she attends the I.G.M. meeting in Cardiff next month. We had a lovely display of flowers brought by members for the sick – these were delivered to several people in the village on the following day and were much appreciated. Our speaker for the evening was Bryony Sapsford who showed us how to make the most impressive quick puddings with no cooking using a variety of shop bought cakes, a few exotic fruits plus a dash of the odd liqueur and a good imagination. Bryony produced a lovely array of mouth-watering deserts and we were invited to taste them afterwards. Jennifer D’Olley gave the vote of thanks. The competition – an animal made from a vegetable – was won by Jean Checksfield. The flower of the month by Rosemary Munson with a pansy and the raffle by Jenny Gooding. Our next meeting is on June 6th when Mr T A Willows will be talking about the history of canals and life on them. Visitors are always most welcome to join us. ATHERINGTON & UMBERLEIGH WIJudith Domleo Mrs Josie Carter was our speaker at the May meeting. Her subject was flower arranging using figurines. Six beautiful arrangements were demonstrated and they were raffled at the end of the meeting. Refreshments were served by Barbara Down, Eileen Chambers and Eileen Edwards. The competition for a Miniature Flower Arrangement was won by Jane Kneil and the flower of the month winner was Jean Lynch with doronicums. Birthday plants were presented to Sharyn Walker, Cheryl Barrett and Eve Butler. An excellent meal was enjoyed at Fishleigh Barton Restaurant for our Annual Dinner. A special “thank you” to the volunteer wine waiter Robert!! The next meeting will be on Monday June 11th at South Molton “Step by Step” at 7.00 pm. This will be a “hands on” evening to have a go at patchwork in their workshop. Please note DATE, PLACE & TIME! Poem for JUNEFrom The Month of June
It is the month of June Nathaniel Parker Willis (1806 – 1894) St Mary’s Church, High Bickington A.G.M. results:
Chairman: - Rev Carvosso COUNCIL OFFERS FREE COMPOST TO EVERY HOUSEHOLD!A campaign to encourage local residents to compost some of their domestic waste has been launched across the county. It aims to encourage more households to compost grass clippings, hedge prunings and leaves along with kitchen left-overs such as tea bags, egg shells, vegetable and fruit peelings to make a rich organic compost to use in gardens. To help residents join in the scheme, Devon's local authorities are running special offers on compost bins and wormeries to make it cheaper and easier for householders to start composting. Some authorities are even offering composting clinics and home composting books to help householders get to grips with the basics of backyard composting. "Composting will not only benefit you and your garden, but you will help to reduce the thousands of tonnes of waste that go to landfill sites in Devon every year," says Liz Poulter, Devon County Council's Recycling Officer. "More than one third of your dustbin can be recycled into compost and doing this at home is probably the single most effective action that people can take to help the planet," said Liz. Details of Special Offers
NORTH DEVON DISTRICT COUNCIL: Reduced priced compost bins available to North Devon residents. Tel: (01271) 374776. Although a compost bin is not essential to composting it can improve the quality of the compost, keeps any smell to a minimum and keeps the garden looking tidy. Even small gardens could make good use of a wormery, which can take up less room then a conventional compost bin and produces both rich compost and an excellent liquid plant feed. Composition of an average dustbin: 32% Paper and card, 30% Organic, 10% Glass, 9% Miscellaneous, 8% Metals, 7% Plastic, 4% Textiles. FOOT AND MOUTH - COUNCIL CONSULTS DEVON ON £180 MILLION RECOVERY PLAN
Devon County Council has launched a consultation programme on a £180 million Recovery Plan to help Devon's economy bounce
back from the impact of Foot and Mouth Disease. The Plan calls for:
Marketing - this includes marketing campaigns to help restore consumer confidence in Devon and its reputation as a
tourism destination. High Bickington Methodist NewsHazel Pearce It was with shock that the Congregation of High Bickington learnt of the tragic death of Graham Sanders on May 8th. Graham was always willing to carry out any tasks asked of him, and with cheerfulness. Carole and Graham had organised the annual BBQ at Landacre Bridge for a number of years, of which we still have many happy memories. He will be sadly missed. It was a delight to share in Rosie Venner’s baptism at Torrington Baptist Church on April 21st and a joy to welcome so many people on that very happy occasion. On the following day we were able to welcome Rosie into Membership of the Methodist Church at High Bickington as we shared in Communion together. Both Fiona Stewart and Rosie Venner intend to do a spell of voluntary work abroad. Fiona has been accepted on the Tearfund Transform International program, in West Africa from July 8th to August 10th. She will be involved in building a library/computer room and also participating in a variety of the Church’s social and developmental activities as well as evangelism and worship. Rosie hopes to spend next year working with Experience Exchange. We had hoped to hold some kind of event to raise some funds towards their expenses but due to the foot and mouth situation this hasn’t been possible. Support from any individuals will be gratefully received. We wish Rosie and Fiona all the best as they take their A levels and for their future plans. The Tuesday Children’s Clubs will not meet during this term, re-starting in the autumn. We thank Heather Bolt who led the May Family Service at short notice, also to Jen Gooding and Shirley Pidner who organised a lunch of soup and sweets in the Schoolroom. The children will lead the 11 am and 6.30 pm services on Sunday 24th June. Please come along and support the children. Dear Lord, So far today, God, I’ve done all right. I haven’t gossiped, haven’t lost my temper, haven’t been greedy, grumpy, nasty, selfish, or over-indulgent. I’m thankful for that. But in a few minutes, God, I’m going to get out of bed. And from then on, I’m probably going to need a lot more help. Amen. HIGH BICKINGTON PARISH COUNCILClerk: Myc Riggulsford High Bickington Annual Parish Meeting – 9 May 2001 The High Bickington Annual Parish Meeting held in the Church Hall on 9 May 2001 observed a minute’s silence before the meeting started for Graham Sanders who was tragically killed in a motor accident. With our chairman Maurice Ridd unwell, vice-chairman Tim Webb reported on this year’s events in the parish, during which the Parish Council has met 16 times in all. Barton Meadow – The handover of the amenity land at Barton Meadow to the parish has now been completed, although some road surfacing work is still needed before Devon County Council takes over responsibility for the roads and footpaths. Safety Barriers – The Parish Council has discussed the road safety dangers for children caused by them playing with skateboards on the footpaths and roads in Barton Meadow at several meetings. We are still waiting for clarification from Devon County Council about the exact ownership boundaries of the footpaths and central amenity land before anyone can put safety barriers in place. Traffic Calming – Heavy through traffic has continued to concern the village during the year, most recently with Ebberley residents worried about heavy goods vehicles using the back lanes as a shortcut. The Parish Council supports the Ebberley concerns and brought them up with Devon County Council. Dog Fouling – Owners failing to clear up mess after their pets has continued to plague the village streets, footpaths, Barton Meadow and the playing field. Mr Webb said that although the foot & mouth restrictions on walking have made the situation worse, this cannot excuse the selfish behaviour of some owners. The Mollie Hare memorial seat made by Derek Herniman has now been installed near the top of Nethergrove Lane, but we still have no news about the proposed parish boundary stones. The accounts for 2000/2001 were then presented, copies of which are available for inspection from the new parish clerk Myc Riggulsford, who thanked Diana Lunn for all her voluntary extra time and hard work as clerk during the past year. Members of the public then raised the issue of traffic calming, white lines and possible 20 mph speed limits in the village. Mr Webb reported that the Parish Council has written on several occasions and also invited Mr Lawrence from Devon County Council to meet in the village to discuss all our road safety concerns. We will try again. The next Annual Parish Meeting will be on Wednesday 8 May 2002. High Bickington Annual Parish Council Meeting – 9 May 2001 The High Bickington Annual Parish Council Meeting immediately followed the Annual Parish Meeting. A chairman could not be elected due to the illness of Mr Maurice Ridd, and the councillors unanimously decided to defer the appointment of a chairman and vice-chairman until the next meeting on Wednesday 11 July 2001. Mr Tim Webb will continue acting as vice chairman until these offices can be regularised. All parish councillors will remain on the planning committee, Mr Stan Maskell and Mr Peter Tucker were re-elected as our representatives on the Torridge Area Advisory Group, and Mr Roger Keen agreed to continue as our tree and footpath warden. Barton Meadow – Pearce Construction requires payment of £15,000 before 30 June 2002 if a sports hall or other buildings are to be built by the village on the Barton Meadow site, and this agreement will be discussed at the next Parish Council meeting in July 2001. Meanwhile the Barton Meadow Recreational Area Committee is keen to seed the land with grass, and the Parish Council will get the fence moved as soon as possible. A377 Umberleigh to Portsmouth Arms – The parish has been consulted by Devon County Council about the need for improvements to the A377 over the next few years. The Parish Council feels that both drainage and visibility are poor throughout this section and need improving. Footpaths, Foot & Mouth restrictions, and dog bins – The Parish Council discussed re-opening the parish’s green lanes, bridleways, and footpaths but decided that in spite of the devastating loss of so many of our animals through culling, there is still a risk to our remaining sheep and cattle so the paths cannot be re-opened yet. Mr Webb said we must please go on taking every precaution to protect our animals, and the biggest danger is complacency. Mr Keen will make replacing the stile at Taylor’s Lane at priority as soon as the foot & mouth restrictions are lifted. Meanwhile dog fouling has become a real problem in the village with selfish owners failing to clear up after their pets. The Parish Council has investigated installing special dog bins, which are provided by Torridge District Council. The district council has no special budget for dog bins, and there is currently an average two-year wait. The parish cannot afford the £340 needed to pay for two bins to reduce the wait, even if the district council pays for installation and a special collection vehicle, so dog owners are once again urged to behave responsibly until our village’s turn comes. The trees kindly offered to the village through the International Tree Foundation have now all been distributed and planted, including three beeches at Little Silver retirement home. If any village groups or individuals want trees next year, please let the parish clerk know as early as possible. The next scheduled High Bickington Parish Council meeting will be on Wednesday 11 July 2001 in the Church Hall at 7.30pm, although it is likely that a planning meeting will be called before then, so look for details on the parish notice board. Everyone is welcome to attend.
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