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A monthly community newsletter published by St Michael’s Church and Gittisham Parish Council |
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What’s On? at the village hall in October
Bee Talk Friday 11th Oct Harvest Supper Saturday 12th October 7 pm Tickets: 3 children for primary age; 6.50 for an adult or secondary school age. Community Kitchen Every Thurs, village hall 6.30 pm. Fit for Life class with Marjorie every Tuesday at 10 am Pierre’s Cafe Sunday 13th October Coffee & Cake 4 A Cooker 2.30-4.30 Sat 26th Oct
November events at the village hall
Bangers and Sparklers Sunday 3rd Nov 5-7 pm
Broadband in the village Public information event run by the parish council with broadband providers Thursday 7th Nov 7.30 pm
Pierre’s Cafe Sunday 10th November
Christmas Bingo Sat November 30th 7pm
Christmas Bingo Saturday 30th November 7pm One free raffle ticket if you wear something Christmassy
Some great prizes coming forward for the bingo night, so far from Drakes Plumbing, Honiton Golf Cub, The Pig, EV Hair, and Hare & Hounds. Contact Stella 07813 802292
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Memories Paul Wakely The Combe Ice House (Beech Walk Gardens)
The ice house is approximately 10ft in diameter and 23ft deep, it may be deeper depending on how much stone had been thrown in. It is brick lined with a brick dome. The ice to fill it would have been cut from the larger of the ponds in Combe drive. The ice house would have been quite an investment just to supply ices and ice cream for the summer,
A number of ice houses were built during the Georgian period, not that many remain. The photos show the entrance and interior of the ice house, which can be visited on charity garden open days. Thank you to Richard and Nelly for allowing me access, and to Phillip for the interior shot. 
 
 PUMPKINS 2024
Pick your own pumpkins is returning to Gittisham farm this October!
Like last year, entry is free, with no need to book. There will be 25 pumpkin variety s, plenty of refreshments, and farm animals to see! Just arrive and pay for what you pick.
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I first came across the ice house in the seventies, when I was asked to go and clear some camellias which had fallen across the track. This was before Richard and Nelly moved over from Canada, the house was empty, so I had a look around the garden which I hadn’t seen for a few years. I saw what I at first thought was an upturned tree stump, but it looked too regular, so I went over to it and saw an entrance, looked in, there wasn’t any barrier, and saw what I thought was a dry well 
St Michael s Church Julia Barratt Lay Minister with responsibility for St Michael s, Gittisham
What s On: Sunday October 13th Harvest Festival Eucharist 11am
Sunday October 27th 11am Morning Worship
Michaelmas, the Feast of St Michael and All Angels falls on September 29 th . It is one of the four quarter days, along with Lady Day, Midsummer s Day and Christmas Day, each linked to the summer and winter solstice and the mid points in-between. There used to be a tradition of roasting and eating a goose on Michaelmas day and as a child I remember going to the Goose Fair in Tavistock which is still held every year. Michaelmas marks the beginning of autumn when the days draw in and the nights lengthens, when summer has come to an end, the harvest gathered in and winter lies before us. And when naturally we look for the consolation of warmth and light traditionally associated with angels.
Angels wing their way in and out of our lives. We speak of angels in relation to acts of hospitality and generosity. We also speak of guardian angels especially of
children. In some of our towns and cities there are teams of street pastors,
sometimes called street angels , who offer help to homeless people and those in
need on our streets at night. Acts of kindness and generosity, messengers of hope in challenging times are angelic traits. I m sure many of us can tell stories of
encounters with angels in disguise whom when we look back, we realise were there for us just when we most needed them. And at the lowest points in our lives when we feel overwhelmed by loss and a sense of helplessness is when we are most open and receptive to being visited by angels breaking through our ordinary perceptions of reality. We are fortunate here in Gittisham to have such a powerful protector as the Archangel Michael as our Patron Saint. In these troubled times when our world is threatened by the powers of greed and destruction, the story of Michael doing battle with Satan reminds us that we need the strength and courage of all Angels and Archangels to come to our aid in our own day and restore in us a sense of praise and thanksgiving.
And so were delighted this year to welcome the Honiton Team Choir to help celebrate our Patronal Festival with Choral Evensong; one of the great musical jewels in the Church s treasure box. To be followed shortly by Harvest Supper in the Village Hall on Saturday Octpber 12 th at 7pm with the proceeds being donated by the Church to the Community Kitchen. And on Sunday 13 th October, our Harvest Festival Service at 11am when we give thanks for the fruitfulness of the earth, our farming communities, all who sow and gather our crops and care for the land and work in our food, transport and retail industries, that we may have enough to eat and share with those in need.
200 Club The September draw results:
E Read 1st prize 75, S Trumper 2nd prize 50, P Madden 3rd prize 25
PARISH COUNCIL OCTOBER 2024 REPORT
Three councillors met for the October meeting along with Alasdair Bruce (EDDC), PhilTwiss (DCC) and one member of the public.
Pension Credit. Phil Twiss encouraged pensioners to check if they qualify for pension credit, and if so, to
apply for it by 21 st December in order to receive the winter fuel payment. If you get pension credit, you can also get other help potentially including contributions towards NHS dental treatment, a council tax discount, help with your heating costs through the Warm Home Discount Scheme, and a free TV licence if you re aged 75 years and over. Pension credit tops up your weekly income to 218.15 if you are single, or your joint weekly income to 332.95 if you have a partner. You could get additional benefits depending on your circumstances. You can apply for pension credit up to four months before you reach State Pension age. You can apply any time after you reach State Pension age, but your application can only be backdated by three months. Currently only 63 per cent of people who are eligible nationwide for pension credit are receiving it. That s nearly four in every 10 pensioners who, although they are entitled to pension credit because of their low income, are not claiming it. To find out if you are eligible for pension credit, visit https://www.gov.uk/pension-credit
Finance. Councillors agreed the finances.
Crimes. July 2024: Nether Close – 1 anti-social behaviour, 1 x criminal damage & arson, Putts Corner – 1 x other theft, Beech Walk 1 x public order, Nags Head Road – 1 x violence & sexual offences
Planning applications. a) 24/1683/FUL – Combe Garden Centre Hayne Lane Gittisham Proposed extension to existing building to form dry store area to kitchen and new toilets with new orangery to caf . Councillors had no objections to the application.
EDDC Local Plan. David Valentine said he d attended the Strategic Planning Committee meeting on 20th September, where he had addressed those present on potential site allocations in the Honiton and Axminster areas (including Gittisham). He reported much confusion and last minute alterations. Decisions for land near Gittisham were deferred to a later date, but the committee agreed to consider the entirety of the land earmarked between Hayne Lane and Sidmouth Road at the next stage. Alasdair Bruce added that the Local Plan process is not helped by the selection system EDDC has adopted. For example, when site selections are being made, the committee has two choices. Either they adopt a site or move on, but not to refuse one. This leaves the process open ended, allowing the committee to return and review sites if they end up with a shortfall in potential housing
numbers. The result, he argued, is no certainty to communities as to what may happen in the future and is fundamentally unacceptable. This method completely moves away from community-driven development where local needs are paramount.
Road closures.
22-24 Oct. A30 Daisymount to Langford Honiton. Overnight closure for roadworks.
07-17 Oct. A35 Honiton to Axminster. Overnight closure for carriageway works.
Public transport.
09-22 Nov. Railway line closure Honiton to Axminster for engineering works. A bus replacement service will run instead.
Next meeting. Thursday 7 th November at 7.30pm in the village hall.
Parish Council links Who s who https://gittisham.org.uk/parish-council/
Emergency Plan https://gittisham.org.uk/parish-council/emergency-plan/
Parish Council Clerk Email: Tel: 01404 851442