Alex

Gittisham Village Hall Committee November 2024

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Date 12th November 2024
Present Hamish, Damian, Stella, Claire, Alex, Steve, Nick
Apologies Maggie, Pierre, Bill  
Next meet Special General Meeting: 20th November, 1930, Damian’s house
Next meeting: Tuesday 3rd December
ItemDetailsActions
All actionsTerry has resigned his position from the village hall committee. The Chair put on record the committee’s thanks to Terry for years of service supporting the village, maintaining the hall building and contributing to events. The Chair will write to Terry (and Cordelia who resigned from her position at the October meeting) to express the committee’s thanks. 
Committee membersTerry has resigned his position from the village hall committee. The Chair put on record the committee’s thanks to Terry for years of service supporting the village, maintaining the hall building and contributing to events. The Chair will write to Terry (and Cordelia who resigned her position at the October meeting) to express the committee’s thanks. 
Hamish
FinanceDamian ran through the monthly accounts, a screenshot of which is captured in the below annex (an accessible version of the monthly accounts has been uploaded separately to the village website). Income is significantly up on last year, with the majority of this income ring-fenced for the new cooker. 
Damian set out some of the changes he wanted to make to how we track and monitor finances, including: a tighter reconciliation process between bookings and invoicing; a five-year costed maintenance programme; and the clearer ring-fencing of certain funds (e.g. cooker funds, community kitchen funds) within the accounts. The committee also agreed that expenses should be sent to Damian over email, with a photograph of the receipt, and not over WattsApp. 
Not all financial tools and accounts have been fully transferred to Damian. Hamish took actions to ensure Janet is removed from the HSBC bank, to ensure Damian has access to the Redwood account, and to give Damian a paying in book. 
Damian continues to chase the installation of a smart meter – thank you to Damian for taking this forwards. 






Hamish
Damian
GrantsIt does not look like we have been successful with either the South West Water or Morrisons grant applications. Thank you to Alex for pursuing these on our behalf.

Both EDDC and DCC are running Carbon Offset Grant programmes. The EDDC grant subsidises 90% of carbon offset works (-VAT) and closes on Friday 15th November; results should be announced before the end of the month. The DCC grant pays for 100% of works and makes payments in arrears.

Alex has kindly progressed various quotations for works that would fall under the scope of these two grants, namely: lighting and minor electricals (replacing all interior and exterior lights with LEDs, replacing and upgrading our emergency lighting, replacing the heater in the kitchen); solar panels for the roof elevations at the rear of the hall with accompanying 2x10KW battery storage; and insulation and window replacement. The meeting agreed that the priority grant to submit to EDDC this Friday should be solar panelling, with a larger grant for the various other works to be submitted to DCC prior to the closure of that window.
Hamish took the action to alert the Combe Estate of our intention to install solar panels.  
Alex is once again pursuing the £20k lottery grant, using information from the village survey to support the grant claims. 
Some potentially very good news: a benefactor has expressed an interest in donating a substantial grant to support the running costs for the community kitchen. Nick is liaising and will update the committee at the next meeting.

As always, a huge thank you to Alex in particular for all of the time he spends researching and supporting grant applications for the hall.  














Alex


Hamish





Nick
MaintenanceFurther to October’s extensive review of potential cooker options, Stella and Claire have visited Broadhembury Village Hall to hear their views on the cooker they have installed. The cooker has been in place for 9 years and works very well, with no issues. Further to this information, the committee weighed up again the various cooker options and decided to progress with the purchase of the Broadhembury Village Hall model. Stella will take forward the purchase, researching the best possible deals and keeping an eye on Black Friday sales. Stella also took actions to research the purchase of larger cooking trays, or ‘gastronorms’, and to price up some suitable second hand stainless steel worktops and splashbacks and bring quotations back to the next meeting. Thank you to Stella. 
Taps have been replaced by Alex and are no longer faulty. Thanks to Alex.

Tiles have fallen off in the kitchen. Hamish to sand down and give a quick lick of paint. We don’t want to repair as the whole kitchen will soon have a glow up.
Further long-term maintenance priorities were added to the maintenance schedule in the annex, namely: a new kitchen fit out including sinks, splashbacks and worktops, rewiring of the external cabling and loft space, and a refit of the audio-visual capabilities in the hall.  


Stella
Stella





Hamish
BookingsA full list of November bookings is included in the below annex and is also uploaded on the village website.

Upcoming village hall committee events in October are the next cake sale and Bingo, both on 30th November. Claire updated the committee on the plans for Bingo, which has a wonderful raffle and a lot of people attending and should be a knock out event! Claire to let committee members know how they can be of most help on the day. 
The meeting agreed that a ‘Hall in use’ sign is needed to prevent committee members or others wandering into private events. Maybe someone can make an attractive one of these? 





Claire


Someone
GovernanceThe meeting briefly discussed the governance document circulated by Hamish. Some comments have been submitted in writing. The committee agreed that some dedicated time was needed to consider the committee’s constitution in detail. As such, a Special General Meeting has been called for later in the month to agree a final version of the constitution. 
Future eventsFuture schedule agreed as follows:
5th December, fuel poverty clinic with a free fleece blanket, in place in advance of Community Kitchen. Christmas Quiz, Saturday 14th December – Maggie to speak to Sue about possibly catering.Damian, Joanna Southcott talk, Friday 10th January. Burns Night, Saturday 18th January, Mary Marker is booked.Cabaret, 31st January to 1st Feb. Compressed rehearsals. 
Future events:Hardy talk / Gittisham history talk / gardening talk / astronomy talkSpanish event
Carol to advertise the above programmes in the gazette, Alex to advertise on Facebook. 



Maggie










Carol, Alex
AOBAlex offered the committee the purchase of 20 plain black mugs. No decision made – rolled over to next meeting!

Booking for November

Accounts for November

Gittisham Parish Hall Accounts – 1st April 2024 to 31 March 2025Gittisham Parish Hall Accounts – 1st April 2024 to 31 March 2025
INCOMEEXPENDITURE
2023/2461.37% of 2023-241.04.24 – 11.11.242023/2461.37% of 2023-24
Balance brought forward£3,627.91Insurance£690.38£423.69
Non-domestic rates£0.00£0.00
Hire of Hall£5,588.85£3,429.88£2,946.01Cleaning/grass cutting£1,019.62£625.74
Social Events£1,371.36£841.60£1,247.32Maintenance/Equipment£5,840.55£3,584.35
Interest£0.00£0.00£0.00Water/Gas/Electric£3,031.87£1,860.66
Miscellaneous£2,005.91£1,231.03£6,051.90Miscellaneous(inc. bank charges)£1,014.59£622.65
£8,966.12£5,502.51£10,245.23£11,597.01£7,117.09
Balance
Total£13,873.14
Income includes:Redwood Deposit A/C TBC (awaiting access)£25,654.20
DCC grant (community kitchen)£1,000.00Includes annual interest£842.98
DCC locality budget (oven)£1,000.00N.B. 61.37% is proportion of year passed to date.
Fete donation (oven)£750.00
Fete donation (community kitchen)£750.00Income not yet banked:
Coffee/cakes September (oven)£247.50Tesco donation (oven)£250.00
Donation from Drakes Plumbing (Xmas bingo – oven)£200.00Coffee/cakes October cash (oven)£297.00
Sparklers/bangers (sumup)£61.95Bee Talk cash (oven)£77.00
Bee talk (sumup) (oven)£14.75Sparklers/bangers cash£25.00
October cake/coffee (sumup) (oven)£136.13
Expenses not yet paid:
Sparklers/bangers£38.00

MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE

Long term maintenance list, for progression when funds allow. Rough hierarchy order.
New large range cooker
Rear foyer leaking roof
New kitchen refurb: sink, worktop…or full kitchen
Replace two front windows
Sewerage and drainage pipe replacement
Re-fit audio visual capabilities
Rewiring of cabling, particularly in the loft
Extractor fans in kitchen
(Rising) damp in southern elevation
Internal repaint including / especially ceiling
Loft insulation
Replace all windows, not just front windows
Bin Store

Gittisham Village Hall Committee October 2024

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Date 8th October 2024
Present Hamish, Damian, Maggie, Pierre, Stella, Claire, Alex, Steve, Nick, Bill
Apologies Terry  
Next meet 12th November, 19:00 – a slightly earlier start than normal due to significant agenda items
ItemDetailsActions
All actionsStephen to look at advertising the hall as a flexible workspace (June meeting). 
Damian to explore grant opportunities presented by Gittisham alumni Southcott and Hardy (September meeting). 
Damian and Carol to agree a process to reconcile booking income to list of bookings (September meeting). 
Hamish to speak to Fullers about Ed Fuller talk and agree date if possible (September meeting). 
Pierre to organise Spanish and Flamenco evening for the new year (September meeting).
Hamish to look at transferring the card reader so it works for everyone without linking to any phones (September meeting).  
Bill to organise next cake sale, Saturday 26th October. 
Various members to transfer utility bills to Damian’s address.
Everyone to nominate the Village Hall to the Benefact Group before 11th October.
Alex and Bill to undertake an initial look at the leaking foyer roof Friday 11th.
Maggie to speak to Sue about possibly catering the Christmas quiz.
Hamish to book Mary Marker for Burns Night.
Damian to cut three new keys using Maggie’s key as a template. 
Committee membersAt the start of the meeting Hamish announced that he is resigning his position as Chair of the Village Hall Committee. Hamish will serve as Chair until the end of the calendar year. 
The committee wished to put on record its appreciation for Hamish’s long service over twenty years to the work of the committee and for his dedicated leadership as chair in the past few years. Hamish has been a selfless and energetic chair and has helped to ensure the upkeep of the hall as well as organising a huge number of popular and entertaining events over his time.
The members  expressed their hope that he will remain closely involved in future events, not least in running his fiendish quizzes, wielding the dagger at Robbie Burns night, and  starring in future cabaret turns!

Cordelia has resigned her position from the village hall committee but is happy to remain involved supporting village events.
FinanceDamian ran through the monthly accounts, a screenshot of which is captured in the below annex (an accessible version of the monthly accounts has been uploaded separately to the village website). Thank you to Damian for his work on the accounts. 
With recent grant and fundraising successes the year-to-date position is looking healthier than in previous months’ accounts, though a significant proportion of this income is ringfenced for the new cooker. 
The meeting discussed the size of the funds it needs to keep in reserve.  Whilst a final decision will be reached in conjunction with approving the hall constitution (scheduled for the November meeting), it was noted that Charity Commission guidance stipulates that an appropriate reserve should be at least one year’s running cost, plus sufficient reserve to undertake a programme of necessary and predictable maintenance and be resilient to other significant unforeseen and uninsured costs that may materialise. The £26k in the reserve account is kept in reserve in order to meet these stipulations. Further discussion on an appropriate reserve level will take place in November.  
The committee agreed to change the hall’s electricity provider to take advantage of a smart meter installation and credit offer. Thank you to Damian for taking this forwards. 
Various utilities are currently dealt with by various committee members. Damian suggested that all of these bills are redirected to him to support his bookkeeping. 











Various
GrantsWe were successful with the £1k bid for a new cooker from the locality budget – many thanks to Carol for pursuing this.
We continue to await news on the grants submitted to date: the EDDC Carbon Offset Fund, the South West Water Fund, the Sykes Holiday Cottages Fund. In addition Alex is looking to apply to the McCarthy Stone Foundation. The Lottery Grant remains a long-term option, which the results of our village survey on uses of the hall will support us with. Thank you to Alex for his continued oversight of these grant applications including his liaison with other village halls.  
Nick reminded everyone to nominate the Village Hall to the Benefact Group before 11th October. 










Everyone
MaintenanceThe meeting debated the key maintenance priorities (see annex). It was observed by some committee members that repairing the leaking roof in the rear foyer was of primary significance and should be prioritised ahead of all other maintenance and hall improvements. Alex and Bill are to undertake an initial look at the roof this Friday, the 11th, with Hamish also available on Monday 14th if more work is needed. To discuss again at the next meeting. 
Stella, Alex and Pierre have undertaken significant research into options for a new cooker – thanks to all three for the thorough research and the clear presentation of options. The meeting considered a range of commercial cookers, domestic cookers and standalone oven units, as well as the associated installation costs and some of the other necessary kitchen upgrade work that could accompany a new installation. After deliberation the meeting expressed its preference for a hotplate commercial cooker. Likely costs are £2.5k for the cooker and £1.5k for the installation and associated works. 
However, prior to agreeing a way forwards the committee sought further reassurance on the suitability and safety of the preferred cooker model. To this end Stella agreed to speak with Broadhembury Village Hall, which has the same installed cooker on site, and to report back on that committee’s experience. In addition, the meeting deferred until November a decision on whether a new cooker could be purchased in advance of the fundraising target being fully reached, or at the point of the target being reached. 		Alex and Bill

BookingsA full list of October bookings is loaded on the village website.

Upcoming village hall committee events in October are the Bee Talk on Friday 11th (where the committee agreed a reduced rate for children), the Harvest Supper on Saturday 12th and the next Cake Sale fundraiser on Saturday 26th.  
Future eventsFuture schedule agreed as follows:
Bingo, Saturday 30th November.Christmas Quiz, Saturday 14th December – Maggie to speak to Sue about possible catering.Burns Night, Saturday 25th January – Hamish to book Mary Marker.  Cabaret, Friday 7th and Saturday 8th February. 
Further to Friday’s Bee Talk we will review the potential for and dates of further villager talks, possible topics: Joanna Southcott (Damian), Gittisham history (Paul Wakely), organic gardening (might have got that wrong) (Sue and David), if possible, Ed Fuller to talk on the subject of his Paralympic Gold Medal. 
Hamish/Carol to advertise the above programmes in the gazette, Alex to advertise on Facebook.
Future events:
Pierre and Fiona are investigating running a Spanish and Flamenco evening to raise funds for the Village Hall! Pierre to investigate and return with dates. Thank you Pierre!  


Maggie
Hamish












AOBThree members of the committee need new keys cutting. Damian to have cut using Maggie’s key.   Damian
Long term maintenance list, for progression when funds allow. Rough hierarchy order.
New large range cooker
Rear foyer where roof is leaking
Replace two front windows
Sewerage and drainage pipe replacement
Extractor fans in kitchen
(Rising) damp in southern elevation
Internal repaint including / especially ceiling
Loft insulation
Replace all windows, not just front windows
Bin Store

Gittisham Gazette November 2024

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  Gittisham GazetteNovember ‘24
  A monthly community newsletter published by St Michael’s Church and Gittisham Parish Council
What’s On?
at the village hall in November & December  

Coffee&Cake4ACooker Saturday 30th Nov     2.30-4.30


Bingo Saturday 30th Nov 7pm           

Community Kitchen Every Thurs, village hall 6.30pm.    

Pierre’s Café Sunday 8th December  

Quiz Night with Hamish Sat 14th December Gingerbread House making Sun 15th & Mon 16th 3-6pm with Emese HomeMeadBakes  

        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, Hare & Hounds. Contact Stella         07813 802292  
 


Upcoming Church Services and Events  
Sun Dec 1st 11am Advent Sunday Morning Service

6pm Advent Carol Service St Paul’s, Honiton  

Sun Dec 8th  11am Holy Communion Sunday Dec

15th 4.30pm St Michael’s Carol Service  

Fri Dec 20th 5pm Carols on the Green with the Honiton Town Band  

Tues Dec 24th 11.30pm Midnight Holy Communion

  Wed Dec 25th 11am Holy Communion  		   Getting Fibre Broadband to Gittisham Village

Thank you for attending our open meeting to discuss Broadband Connectivity in Gittisham Village and surrounds, we had thirty one in attendance, including our guests. We now know for certain that the contract with Airband has now been cancelled. Our guests from Connecting Devon and Somerset CDS, Phil Roberts, and Matt Barrow from Devon County Council DCC explained the historic failure of the three previous cancelled contracts dating back over ten years. In short, our guests suggested we explore other options to get a fibre connection to Gittisham Village. There was a lot of discussion after the meeting, on WhatsApp and in person and some good avenues were suggested.  
To cover all of this thoroughly, the Parish Council has agreed, that
creating an engaged fibre connection working group would be an effective
way to cover these options thoroughly and discounting those that proof
impractical. If you are interested in helping with a group to get Fibre Broadband to Gittisham, whether you attended the last meeting or not, please get in touch with Carol Hall or Adam Powell. Our first meeting will be in The Otter at Weston, provisionally next Friday 6.30 pm 16th November, meeting for no more than an hour.
Lots of folk voiced their woeful experiences of their poor broadband
connection, expressing clearly how it is making their ordinary lives
difficult or aspects impossible. Fast broadband should be available to
everybody enabling efficiency and opening opportunities in our lives so
we can live a rural existence, but take part in the business of the
wider world. The rural population do not deserve to be disadvantaged
in this way, superfast broadband should enable rural lives.

Adam Powell Parish Councilor , 07535233558   The path at the top of Landscore Lane – Paul Wakley   This path is part of the track that used to run from east hill to Combe House. Although the path is in Ottery parish I tend to think of it as Gittisham. At the start of the path, the wooded land on the left were gardens, Mr Marks, an estate carpenter, was, I think, the last person to till them in the thirties. Mr Marks was then living in part of Westgate. He told me that he had planed every plank of wood used in the building of the village hall!   Somewhere around the old gardens once stood a house/shack said to be the last of its kind in the area, where the fire was in a pit and the family had to sit around the edge of it. Carrying on over the track from the top of Tommy Wax, the path passes some beautiful old oaks, carry on a bit further and you come to the site of a chapel, of which nothing remains. I think the site was also subsequently used for a farmstead. The last of the bits of wall from the barns? which were built into the hillside unfortunately were used as ramps for motorbikes etc. to jump and no longer exist.   The fields to the right are very steep and now covered in bracken and scrub. The family who lived there could not afford a horse or donkey to pull the plough, so the wife had to do it!    On the way back I like to visit what I think is the biggest beech tree left on the estate.   I often think when walking out that way how lucky most of us are now.   The story of the families, I heard from people in the village and also from Peter Hill who lived in the house just beyond the style near the end of the path. He collected historic papers and maps to do with Ottery and Gittisham.
 
Beech Walk – photographed by Claire
 
A glimpse of the sun at Church Mead – photographed by Sarah            
Pierre’s Café on Sunday 8th December will celebrate Christmas French style. Piere will be making the traditional French yule log for dessert, along with a mouthwatering selection of homemade cakes, pastries and of course lunch. Bring a friend and be merry!    
200 Club The October draw results: James Fuller 1st prize £75, W Wolsey 2nd prize £50, G Pester 3rd prize £25  

St Clement’s Day at Finch Foundary, Sticklepath Saturday 23rd November 10-4 Free Entry The National Trust invites you to celebrate St Clement the patron saint of blacksmiths and metalworkers with displays by the Blacksmiths and Metalworkers Association of the South West.  Live competitions, the famous snail race, traditional firing of the anvil and see one of the last working water powered forges in England. Health to the jolly blacksmith, the best of all fellows, who works at his anvil while the boy blows the bellows!		Devon County Council Roads and Transport DCC Report a Problem On their website there is a facility to report problems on our roads. This is particularly useful for Gittisham as we do not have a Parish Lengthsman at the moment. You can report potholes, overgrown vegetation, debris or obstructions (thick mud), flooding and blocked drains. You are directed to an interactive map where you can zoom in and select your place of concern. Or please report your ‘problem’ to one of the Parish Councillors who will be happy to do this on your behalf. The Parish Council will be procuring a Lengthsman in due course.  

Village Hall Survey https://forms.gle/zfVMWdBSoLq7weft9 This is an anonymous survey for users (or potential users) of the village hall and the information can be helpful in gaining grants and deciding on events.  

Gittisham Gardening Club? Would this be of interest to anyone in the parish? We could meet once a month to share skills, resources and inspiration. Contact Claire 07718 624456  
 
Reflections from St Michael’s Church. Julia Barratt Lay Minister with responsibility for St Michael’s, Gittisham   In Church, the season of remembering begins with ‘All Saints Day’ when Christians celebrate the lives of the Saints, followed the next day by ‘’All Souls’ traditionally know as All Hallows, when we commemorate the lives of the Faithful departed. As a Christian Minister, people often assume that I disapprove of Halloween celebrations and can be surprised when I say that I don’t. Joining in the fun, while staying firmly in role, is I’ve discovered quite an effective way of playfully scaring little demons! However I am sad that the tradition of remembering and giving thanks for the lives of loved ones on the feast of All Souls appears to be largely forgotten in our secular world today. On Remembrance Sunday the mood turns more sombre when as a nation, we collectively remember all who gave their lives in the First and Second World Wars and in wars since, both past and present, as we offer our prayers and heart felt longing for peace between the nations. Remembering, helps us to make sense of who we are and where we’ve come from, reminding us, as we receive the sacrament afterwards in Church, that we are not alone as we carry the hopes and fears of past and future generations in the way we live our lives today. Though as we look around our world with wars being waged once again in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, it can be tempting to despair. Yet, as November draws to a close and the season of Remembrance gives way to Advent, once again we will wait in hope and longing for the coming of the Christ Child, the mystery of the Word made flesh, dwelling among with us, even in our darkest nights. Julia Barrett. LLM,  		 
   
   

PARISH COUNCIL – NOVEMBER 2024 REPORT

Five councillors met for the November meeting along with Phil Twiss (DCC), Graham Long (rural broadband campaigner), Phil Roberts (Connecting Devon and Somerset Programme Manager), Matt Barrow (CDS Stakeholder Engagement Officer) and 22 members of the public.

Broadband. The majority of the meeting was dominated by the fall-out from the announcement on 31st October that Connecting Devon and Somerset (CDS) and Airband had agreed to scale back Airband’s contract agreements to deliver full fibre broadband to properties in the region. This means that Gittisham will not be included in the areas remaining under Airband’s modified contract. It’s the fourth time in more than ten years the village has been let down by providers promising to bring superfast broadband to the parish. Many people outlined the difficulties they have working from home or attending online appointments with a very poor broadband connection, even for those who have Voneus wifi which is unreliable and for technical reasons cannot serve some properties in the

village. Many residents have weak mobile ‘phone coverage, which makes using 4G impossible. Several teenagers explained how, during the years of the Covid-19 pandemic, having slow broadband had left them particularly disadvantaged as they could not always participate in online lessons and therefore missed out on their education. Adam Powell explained what the parish council had been doing to highlight the issue. Phil Roberts and Matt Barrow from CDS said it was a humbling experience to hear the challenges people face first hand. They outlined the possible scenarios for bringing superfast broadband to the village, acknowledging that none were likely to be delivered quickly. There are voucher initiatives which involve working with providers to find a solution, but finding a provider to take this on could be a challenge. There is also central Government’s Project Gigabit, a £5 billion programme to enable hard-to-reach communities to access superfast gigabit-capable broadband. Building Digital UK (BDUK) is launching phased contracts to deliver this, but none include East Devon at this point. This could change as BDUK continues its market research.

Finance. Councillors agreed the finances.

Crimes. August 2024: Hamlett Close – 1 x violence and sexual offences. Nether Close – 1 x anti-social behaviour. Hedge Field Close – 3 anti-social behaviour, 4 x violence and sexual offences. Cypress Close – 1 x violence and sexual offences. Laburnum Close – 1 x other theft. Rowan Close – 1 x vehicle crime. September 2024: Hedge Field Close – 3 anti-social behaviour, 1 x violence and sexual offences

EDDC Local Plan. David Valentine said he’d attended the Strategic Planning Committee meeting on 29th October, where he had addressed those present on potential site allocations in the Honiton and Axminster areas (including Gittisham). He outlined the parish council’s opposition to the inclusion of two sites in the Local Plan, with a further 310 dwellings proposed west of Hayne Lane towards the Forge. He explained that this is not a sustainable site for residential development and is contrary to EDDC’s own sustainability objectives. He declared himself very frustrated by the process, which he felt was undemocratic in many ways. However, EDDC’s officers’ recommendation to allocate both sites in the Local Plan was approved by a majority of 8 to 3. The final consultation

plan is due to be published before the end of 2024 with an examination in public in 2025.

Next meeting. Thursday 5 th December at 7.30pm in the parish room.

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

Gittisham Gazette October 2024

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A monthly community newsletter published by St Michael’s Church and Gittisham Parish Council

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Memories Paul Wakely The Combe Ice House (Beech Walk Gardens)

       

ICE House photo 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 ( I did feel a bit queasy). When I got back to the village I was told that it was the Combe ice house that had been filled in during the war (there are some stones in the bottom of it). 

 

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.

Bee talk poster

 

Coffee and Cake poster

Bingo Poster

 

 

 

 

 

PUMPKINS 2024

Pick your own pumpkins is returning to Gittisham farm this October!

🗓️When? 12-13th, 19th-20th, 26th-31st of October. From 10am-4pm

📍Where? Gittisham Farm, Honiton, EX14 3AX.

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.

 
           

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

Beehive What's on

 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

 

 

 

 

 

Gittisham Village Hall Committe September 2024

by
Date 10th September 2024
Present Hamish, Damian, Maggie, Pierre, Sue, Stella, Claire, Alex, Steve (arrived late)
Apologies Nick, Bill, Terry  
Next meet 8th October, 7pm start, 30 minutes early to accommodate discussion on Community Kitchen
ItemDetailsActions
All actionsHamish to use caulking gun around flashing (June meeting).Hamish to replace bathroom tap (June meeting).
Stephen to look at advertising the hall as a flexible workspace (June meeting).
Everyone to look for a noticeboard for foyer (July meeting).
Hamish to make contact with Cordelia re committee membership (September meeting).
Hamish to invite Sara Trumper to the next meeting.
Hamish and Alex to meet on Monday 16th September to progress grant applications. 
Damian to explore grant opportunities presented by Gittisham alumni. 
Pierre, Stella and Alex to bring cooker options to next meeting. 
Damian and Carol to agree a process to reconcile booking income to list of bookings.? to take forwards September cake sale. 
Stephen to agree with Steve M a date for beekeeping talk. 
Hamish to speak to Fullers about Ed Fuller talk and agree date if possible. 
Claire to organise Christmas bingo. 
Pierre to organise Spanish and Flamenco evening for the new year. 
Hamish to look at transferring the card reader so it works on phones.
Committee membersHamish to make contact with Cordelia re committee membership.Hamish
FinanceWelcome to Damian, our new treasurer, who presented the monthly finances (see annex). In spite of the increases to hall prices agreed at the turn of the financial year year-to-date expenditure has exceeded income by nearly £1k. The hall also operated at a loss in the previous two financial years; a third consecutive year operating at a loss will stymy our ability to attract grant funding. 
The village fete was a great success and the Village Fete Committee has kindly agree to donate ~£1200 [exact figure not noted] to the Village Hall. The committee discussed how best to utilise this income and agreed, in line with the request of the Village Fete Committee, to split the proceeds between investing in a new cooker and subsidising for a time-limited period the hiring fees for the weekly Community Kitchen.
The Committee will invite Sara Trumper to the next meeting to discuss how best to utilise these funds and ongoing funding models for the Community Kitchen’s hiring of the hall. 





Hamish
GrantsThe meeting agreed the immediate priorities for grant expenditure as follows: a new range cooker, replacement windows, and new replacement drainage / sewers. (Full list of potential remedial works for the hall updated in annex.)
The committee was unsuccessful in its recent application for grant funding for replacement windows. However, Carol Hall has this month applied to the EDDC locality budget for a £1000 grant to go towards a new cooker. 
Alex is also making a huge effort to explore grant opportunities – thank you Alex! – as follows:
The South West Water grant (video) application is still pending and we await a response.
Alex is submitting another video application to the Sykes Holiday Cottages Community Fund (a national fund). 
Alex has approached EDDC about its Carbon Offset Fund. We are on the list to be visited by EDDC officials so the hall can be assessed.
The lottery grant is re-opening and we agreed to submit another bid for the lower threshold amount. The results of our village hall survey (publicised recently in the gazette) will stand us in good stead here and improve our chances of being successful this time around.    
 In addition Hamish has taken an audio-visual company around the hall. They have provided a quotation for improvement works and suggested grant opportunities to fund the works. 
Hamish and Alex to meet on Monday 16th September to progress applications. 
Damian suggested two ways in which we could leverage famous alumni of the village for possible funding opportunities.
The Panacea Trust (Joanna Southcott’s organisation) has a trust fund which may be approached. And Hardy Wines (Australian wine company) may also want to support the home village of their founder.
Damian to explore further.



























Alex and Hamish
Damian
MaintenanceThe priority is researching new cookers. We formed a cooker sub-committee (Stella, Pierre and Alex) to explore potential options. Hamish will provide a more detailed specification but key points: same size as current cooker, two ovens, electric/induction, real knobs not electric interface. Options to be considered at next meeting.  Pierre, Stella, Alex, Hamish. 

BookingsThe list of bookings for September is provided in the annex. Unfortunately we have now lost the regular toddler group booking. 
We need to ensure that the booking income is reconciled to the list of bookings. Damian to discuss with Carol how this will work in practice.  


Damian/Carol
Future eventsWe have agreed that we will use the last Saturday of every month, 2pm-4pm, to run coffee and cake sales to fund the new cooker. 
Autumn schedule agreed as follows:
Harvest Supper,
Saturday 12th October, organised by the church.Sparklers and hot dogs,
Sunday 3rd November, 5-7pm.Christmas Bingo,
Saturday 30th November, Claire to organise.Gittisham Christmas Cabaret,
Friday 13th and Saturday 14th December.   Steve M beekeeping talk.
Date not yet agreed, Stephen to take forwards.If possible, Ed Fuller to talk on the subject of his Paralympic Gold Medal. Hamish to approach Fullers.
Date not yet agreed.   
Hamish/Carol to advertise the above programmes in the gazette, Alex to advertise on Facebook.
Future events:
Pierre and Fiona are investigating running a Spanish and Flamenco evening to raise funds for the Village Hall! Pierre to investigate and return with dates. Thank you Pierre!  		?





Claire



StephenHamish


Carol/Hamish/Alex


Pierre
AOBHamish to look at transferring the card reader so it works on phones.  Hamish
Long term maintenance list, for progression when funds allow. Rough hierarchy order.
New large range cooker
Replace two front windows
Sewerage and drainage pipe replacement
Extractor fans in kitchen
(Rising) damp in southern elevation
Internal repaint including / especially ceiling
Loft insulation
Replace all windows, not just front windows
Bin Store

Gittisham Gazette September 2024

by

 

 

 

A monthly community newsletter published by St Michael s Church and Gittisham Parish Council

What s On?

at the village hall

Coffee & Cake 4 A Cooker

2-4pm Saturday 28th Sept

Harvest Supper

Saturday 12th October 7pm Tickets: £3 children for primary age; £6.50 for an adult or secondary school age.

Community Kitchen

Every Thurs, village hall 6.30pm. All welcome to enjoy a free meal and good company

 

Pierre’s Cafe

Sunday 13th October

 

 

 

200 Club

The August draw results

 

Mrs S Fallows 1st prize 75

Mrs A Acland 2nd prize 50

Ava Marker Morgan 3rd prize 25

 

Congratulations to Ed Fuller on an outstanding performance at the Paralympics Paris 2024. Gold in the PR3 Mixed Coxed Fours. (Ed is 2nd from the right)

 

 Gittisham Fete in Photos 2024 – Alex Rowe, Photos by Mark Hemsley & Robert Rowe

Thank you to all the volunteers and supporters for this year’s fete we are still finalising the figures but it’s looking like we raised around £3000! This will be split between the Hall and the Church.

The weather was on our side again for another packed afternoon, the Village was buzzing with visitors enjoying all we had to offer once the fete was opened by Caroline Kolek Honiton’s town Crier!

The Honiton Town Band gave us a music medley, whilst Mikey and Co. took visitors around the village on a cart behind Whiskey. Then at 3pm came the dog Show which was organised by Will W sponsored by Vale Vets. The much enjoyed & anticipated duck race was sponsored by Heltor Fuels

More photos & videos on the website

We will be having a consolidation meeting on Moday 23rd September at 6pm in the hall to discuss areas we can improve for next years fete (August 30th 2025).

 

Memories Paul Wakely

 

One of my earliest memories is going to the flower show at Pomeroy. The marquee was set up on the lawn, now a field, which has its entrance to the right of the main gate.

     For a time I thought the river had been diverted to run close to Pomeroy gardens to form a leat for Gittisham mill, which was situated on the river, but in the 70’s colonel Starr ( who used to live in Coign cottage) lent me the tythe map of the village. He had borrowed it from the records office on parish business. This shows the mill was further downstream, so the leat theory didn’t work. Then I realised when the village mains sewage was put in the treatment plant had to go in the old river bed. To take the river back to the original bed, a brick pipe of about four feet in diameter was built, this also allowed trout and other fish to reach the village. The pipe was finally washed away in one of the floods.

PARISH COUNCIL SEPTEMBER 2024 REPORT

Six councillors met for the September meeting along with Phil Twiss (DCC) and two members of the public.

Broadband. Phil Twiss reported that discussions are taking place between Connecting Devon and Somerset and Airband as to what the company will be able to deliver before its contract ends. A decision is expected at the end of the month. Adam Powell said three newspapers had published his letter outlining the broadband situation in Gittisham.

Outdoor September. Phil Twiss said that this month Devon County Council is running a campaign encouraging people to embrace the great outdoors and consider ditching the car and, where possible, use an alternative form of transport. It’s all part of Outdoor September, a Devon-wide month-long campaign being promoted by Active Devon. Being active, particularly outdoors, benefits your health and wellbeing and during the course of the month Active Devon and their partners from the Devon Local Nature Partnership, Devon Climate Emergency, Devon County Council’s Public Health team and Travel Devon, will be sharing details of events, ideas and tips to help us all make the most of our environment. For more information visit https://activedevon.org

Finance. Councillors agreed the finances.

Crimes.                May 2024: Meadow Acre – 1 x violence & sexual offences.

June 2024: Nether Close – 1 x other theft , Hamlett Close – 1 anti-social behaviour, Meadow Acre – 1 x criminal damage & arson, Parsonage Lane – 1 x violence & sexual offences

Planning applications.

  1. a) 23/1631/MFUL – Coastguard Road Ltd Devonshire Road Heathpark Industrial Estate Honiton EX14 1SD – Development of 17x commercial units
  2. b) 24/1504/FUL – 6 Honeysuckle Drive Honiton EX14 2YL – Proposed single storey rear extension
  3. c) 24/1420/MRES Land Off Hayne Lane Gittisham Honiton EX14 3PD – Reserved matters application in respect of matters of appearance, landscaping, layout and scale for the construction of 37 no. residential dwellings and associated garages, infrastructure and landscaping all in association with outline permission

22/1322/MOUT Councillors had no objections to the applications. Regarding c) they requested that the

work be completed in one go to minimise disruption to existing residents. They expressed concern over the removal of asbestos and urged that this work should be done in a way which complies with the highest standards of safety. Councillors recommended a flat grassed area which can accommodate family-type activities such as

table tennis, and they would like access to the western boundary to be maintained in managed land rather than private ownership.

Road closures. 25 Sept  01 Oct. Devonshire Road/Rowan Close. Minor works opposite old Jurassic Fibre warehouse for land clearance on north side.

Old Elm Road rewilding. Alex Rowe said that EDDC officers were working on a plan for the Old Elm Road rewilding site. The grass matting has now been laid in the area beyond the rocks.

Next meeting. Thursday 3rd October at 7.30pm in the parish room.

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

St Michael s Church Julia Barratt

Services and Events

Sunday Sept 8th 11am Eucharist

Sunday 29th September at 6pm Choral Evensong led by the Revd Scott and the Honiton Team Choir when we will be joined by members from our fellow churches

Saturday 21st September from 10.30am Coffee Together and 200 Club Draw

Looking ahead

Sunday Oct 13th October 11am Harvest Festival Service.

Fete and Flower Show

A big Thank you to all who helped to organise and make the Fete and Flower Show such an enjoyable event with the profits shared between the Church and Village Hall. Well Done Everyone!

 The Flower Arrangers creativity and skill were once again on show in the Church and much appreciated by a constant stream of visitors throughout the afternoon. Many of whom were impressed by the beauty of our village parish church; the colourful stained glass windows and unusual box pews, the Beaumont monument, the decorative ceiling and organ pipes, to mention just a few of the Church s distinctive features. With many lingering to look at the photos of past memorable Gittisham events and share personal and family memories of their own associations with the Church.

And as visitors often do, to admire the kneelers and ask who stitched them. Although one visitor, Christine, had no need to ask, as we searched and found the kneeler she herself had stitched, also with her Geoffrey whose picture was shown in one of the photos on display of himself presenting handmade baby hats to the mothers of babies receiving treatment in a hospital in Ghana, hats knitted by the ladies of the Gittisham Craft Club. And so of course, I took a picture of Christine, Geoffrey and also Comfort originally from Ghana.

The weekend was rounded off cheerfully with Hymns and Pimms on Sunday as a thank you to all who support the Church and in so many ways help to make it a place of welcome, beauty and inspiration for all who visit. An enjoyable occasion, singing favourite hymns, often with personal significance to those who chose them, with a half way break for Pimm s to whet the vocal chords. The service ending with a rousing rendering of God save the King in celebration and honour of Ed Fuller and the GB rowing team winning an Olympian Gold Medal! Though I reckon the proud parents deserve a medal too!

Gittisham Gazette August 2024

by

August 2024

 

 

A monthly community newsletter published by St Michael s Church and Gittisham Parish Council

What s On? at the village hall

 

Saturday 3rd August Flower & Produce Show

 

Sunday 11th August Pierre s Caf 07545 214940

Saturday 31st August Gittisham Fete

 

Community Kitchen A free hot meal for all every Thursday at 6.30pm

 


Our very own Paralympian Rower

 

 

 

 

 

Ed s heats are on Friday 30th August and the final is on Sunday 1st September

You can do it Ed!

Make every stroke count!

CHAAA

 

 

St Michael s 200 Club

June

1st Joanna Marker 75

2nd Ava Marker Morgan 50

3rd Mrs P Broadhurst 25

 

July

1st Alan Broom 75

2nd Ruby Marker Morgan 50

3rd Stephen Howe 25

 

If you would like to join contact Janet Twist, the 200 Club administrator email Tel 01404 45484. At 3 a ticket per month, this is a simple and affordable way of helping to keep our beautiful village Church open. Currently it costs 100 per day to maintain and keep St Michael s open.

 

Coffee and Cake for Cancer

Thank you to all those who supported the afternoon of coffee and cake at the village hall on 27th July. We raised 342 for Breast Cancer Now

 

 

Parish Snippets

Some years ago when I was walking the postmans path from Kercombe up to Gittisham common, I noticed a drain pipe coming out of the side of the hill. A few days later I mentioned this to Mrs (Rosemary) Marker, ‘ho‘ she said that was to drain the fox hole, for a split second I thought why would anybody want to drain a fox’s hole. Then I remembered that there had been an ammunition dump in the sand pits along Beech Walk during the war. I suppose there are worse places to be on guard ! (Paul Wakley)

 

 

Gittisham Parish Council

No meeting in August

 

Next meeting Thursday 5th September at 7.30pm in the parish room.

 

 

The Beehive, Honiton presents

INSIDE OUT 2 (U)

Thu 22 Aug – 11am. Adults 8, U16’s 7, Family x4 26

Teenager Riley’s mind headquarters is undergoing a sudden

demolition to make room for something entirely unexpected: new

Emotions. Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust.

 

Village Fete Alex Rowe

Just under a month to go until of Village Fete, a celebration of our fantastic community. Spread the word to your friends and family. Following on from last year we have Honiton Town band playing a medley of pieces once the fete is opened by Honiton s town crier from 2pm.

At 3pm the competitive dog show will be taking place in Will s field keep an eye out for the classes which will be shared out on social media before the fete.

Grab a cream tea in the Village Hall then hitch a pony and trap ride passing the Morris dancers on your way to the church where you can view the flower display and classic vehicles on the village green. Stoll back visiting the stalls along the main village avenue & Will s field in time for the start of the Duck race around 4:30pm.

As always, we are in need of keen volunteers to spend an hour of their afternoon either helping with car parking, cream teas, cake stall (cake baking), ice creams, the bar, tombola, dog show, setup and pack away.

We are very thankful to the Parish Council, The Pig, Vale Vets and Heltor Fuels for their support! This has meant we can maintain prizes for the Dog Show and Duck Race. I ll be knocking on doors over August selling Duck race tickets they are 1. First prize is 100, 2nd 50, 3rd 25, 4th 10

Stallholders and volunteers contact me pitches are by donation so if you know of a local craftsperson that would like have a pitch share the details. Keep an eye on the Village WhatsApp and the website gittisham.org.uk/fete for updates

 

The Tom Putt Apple Paul Wakley

 

The apple Tom Putt apple is supposed to have been named for an 18th-century landowner, Thomas Putt of Combe (Gittisham), who died in 1787 and was nicknamed “Black Tom”.

 

There is a Tom Putt apple tree in the community orchard at the village playground and another in the churchyard.

 

Some of the Putts were keen gardeners, one, Anna Maria Putt, who I believe lived in Pomroy. Had her paintings, drawings and quotations that she had done, made up into four volumes which she had bound in Honiton in 1789. The books were shown on an Antiques Road Show in 1991 from Darlington. They were then valued at between 3000-4000.

Grain to Cream Russell Hayman

After Helen and I had our trip of a life time in the USA during June which had the added benefit of missing the run up to the general election it is back to good old Blighty. Yes, they have space (directions on the sat nav 200 miles turn left) was not uncommon and a massive hole they call the Grand Canyon which really is big but it did get quite hot 46 C. it s good to be back and see some green. Edmund was keeping the show on the road and confirmed what I already knew. I may be useful but I am far from essential. Silageing has been on the go and we are preparing for harvest so we need some good weather now it does not take long to spoil.

We have wheat and oats this year no oilseed rape which is a good crop to have in the rotation for its soil improvement but it has become very risky to grow and given the horrible autumn we had for sowing last year I am so glad I did not take the risk. We are always looking to how to improve what we do and having a rotation which helps the soil is a major part of that so will have to find a way around it. The wheat and oats are all for animal feed the oats will be all fed to our own stock and about half the wheat is sold rest goes into our animals. It is really difficult to grow wheat for milling in the southwest not impossible but the damp weather compared to the east of the country make it a bit of a lottery plus the bread mills are mostly in the east so any premium is reduced by haulage costs and there is always the risk it may be rejected once it gets there. Animals are so good at making food we can t eat into something highly nutritious plus tasty! ( Angus is so much better than Bison which taste like they look by the way) And what comes out the back in such lovely volumes does wonders for the soil in truth without them the farm would not be sustainable.

We have also been topping the grazed grass, this is to cut off the seed heads which appear during the summer which are not as nutritious and encourage fresh growth to come forward which is both tastier and better feed. The barn owls have done well this year there were six up in the shed this year apparently. I was not here to see them so assuming four chicks usually just see two. I never go to check just what I happen to see as I know my ugly mush will scare them off!!

Pierre s Cafe

 

For Pierre’s next pop-up caf on 11th August in Gittisham Village Hall he will be serving a Ploughman s lunch with a French twist. The main element is a p t en croute – a French meat pie with pork and chicken, served with a range of tempting salads, raw veg, fruit, cheese and chutney.  There will be a selection of home-made cakes and pastries, coffees, teas and soft drinks including Gittisham-grown elderflower cordial served from 10am-4pm.  Vegans and coeliacs catered for.  If the weather is fine you’ll be able to sit and enjoy your food outside.  Please book for lunch if you can, as it helps us with numbers.  Call or text Pierre on 07545 214940.  Cash and cards accepted.

Environmental Summer Bucket List (Part 2)

Hi there, my name is May and I m a 16-year-old from Gittisham who s passionate about environmental issues, especially the climate crisis. I have just finished my GCSEs and am enjoying a long summer, and thought I d put together a bucket list of some small things you can do to help the planet which make a real difference. (This is part 2, you ll find points 1-4 in the July Gazette.)

5. Attend a local climate march or talk on the issue. I think a really important part of addressing the climate crisis is educating yourself and those around you, especially as in the UK we are currently less affected by the issue than in other parts of the world. I have also met so many like-minded people by attending these sorts of events, which can feel very liberating when it s an issue that few people in power seem to focus on.

6. Planning on going abroad? Research how you can travel more sustainably. Flying is one of the worst things for the planet, with the average plane emitting 340 times more than the average car. I really recommend the Eurostar from my own experience, though there are other ways you can travel abroad too such as by boat.

Have a great summer everyone!

 

St Michael s Gittisham Julia Barratt


 

Summertime and the living is easy. George Gershwin s words could be aptly applied to August, when many of us take holidays or perhaps visit our

local beaches just a few miles away, or simply make the most of a break in our normal routines to wind down and take life a bit more easily. However, while

summer is a season, it is also a state of mind. We all have periods in life, which are summer-like but can lead us to forget or take for granted the Giver of all good things. So what better way to remember than in music and song; to come together with friends and neighbours to sing our favourite hymns and relax afterwards with a glass of Pimm s! Especially the day after the Fete in our beautiful flower filled Church.

 

A reminder also that the Church is usually open every day 10am- 5pm over the summer but we do need a few more volunteers to help keep it open. Please contact Julia () if you able to assist.

 

Church Services Sunday August 11 th at 11am followed by refreshments

Sunday Sept 1 st at 4pm Hymns and Pimms

 

A Git in Wales Alex Rowe

Last week I made one of my rare trips out of the county of Devon to help steward the metalwork section at the Royal Welsh Show, much like the Devon County Show the Welsh is on the National Blacksmiths Competition Circuit that tours many of the larger shows, the smiths bring static items that are setup and displayed by us these are then judged and the overall winner and reserve winning 10 & 4 points respectively towards the National competition at the end of the year these are added and the winner becoming the Static National Champion Blacksmith.

 

I got involved through my time studying in Hereford 5 years ago and it is nice to catch up with the metalwork team each year. We also were fed well with free stewards breakfast and supper over the 6 days!

Gittisham Gazette July 2024

by

 

 

 

A monthly community newsletter published by St Michael s Church and Gittisham Parish Council

What’s On? at the village hall

 

Sunday 14th July Pierre’s Caf 07545 214940

 

Saturday 27th July 2-3pm Coffee & Cake for Cancer

 

Sunday 28th July 12.30-2.30pm Mary’s Syrian Kitchen 07383 104987

 

Saturday 3rd August Flower & Produce Show

 

Saturday 31st August Gittisham Fete

 

Community Kitchen A free hot meal for all every Thursday at 6.30pm

 

FitforLife class every Tuesday morning

 

Yoga with Alison 3rd Tues of the month

 

Folk Dance Club Wednesday evenings

 

Tufty Tots Toddlers Thursday 9.30-11.30

 

Yoga with Angela Fridays 1pm

 

 

 

Bees in your chimney?

The best way to get rid of a swarm in a chimney is to make a cold fire with lots of smoke and no flame. If the bees have not been there long they will normally exit the chimney. Even if they’ve been there a while it might be worth a go, otherwise it’s a rather protracted job to get them out.

 

St Michael s 200 Club

If you would like to join contact Janet Twist, the 200 Club administrator email Tel 01404 45484. At 3 a ticket per month, this is a simple and affordable way of helping to keep our beautiful village Church open. Currently it costs 100 per day to maintain and keep St Michael s open.

 

St Michael s Services Sunday July 14th 11am Holy Communion

Sunday 28th July 11am Morning Worship

Sat July 20th 10.30- 12 Coffee Together and 200 Club Draw

 

 

Christmas Cabaret

Is there a sketch writer in you struggling to get out or perhaps you are a performer? Our Christmas Cabaret needs sketches involving the humorous side of the Gittisham community plus musicians poets etc
If you can help, please contact Sarah Agg-Manning on 01404 851177 or 

 

 

Gittisham Community Land Trust

The planning application has just been submitted for 6 affordable rent homes and 3 Combe Estate owned open market houses on the land with the agricultural buildings to the west of Town House (in the village).

You now have the opportunity to add your comments to those of the Parish Council, which having initiated the formation of the Gittisham Community Land Trust are fully supportive of these proposals. You can reply via the East Devon planning portal or by email to EDDC, with the reference 24/0514/FUL (with your name and address).

The 6 affordable rent dwellings will provide two 3-bed and four 2-bed dwellings and will be developed and managed by a Housing Association. Any person who wishes to apply for an affordable dwelling must be registered with Devon Home Choice and show that they are in Housing Need and that they have a Local Connection. The Allocations Plan sets out the criteria which will be taken into account when allocating the dwellings when they are ready for occupation. A copy of the Allocations Plan can be found on the GCLT web site at www.gittisham.org.uk/clt.

 

Gittisham Table Tennis Tournament 2024

Now the football is nearly over and we are guaranteed a summer of balmy sunny evenings, last call to join our village table tennis tournament – open to men, women and older children. Message Damian Furniss on 07905 710487 via WhatsApp if you want to join in and then after every game. I’ll invite you to join a GTTT2014 WhatsApp Group so people can organise matches. Round Robin format: everyone plays everyone else once, 3 games of up to 11 points, 2 clear points as per standard rules.

 https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zqnhsg8/revision/3

The league will be settled by points won to incentivise playing all your games, playing for every point, and close games.

 

Whether you call it Table Tennis, Ping Pong or Whiff Whaff – Good luck! The magnificent trophy will be presented at Gittisham village fete on Saturday August 31st.

 

 

Environmental Summer Bucket List (Part 1)

Hi there, my name is May and I m a 16-year-old from Gittisham who s passionate about environmental issues, especially the climate crisis. I have just finished my GCSEs and am enjoying a long summer, and thought I d put together a bucket list of some small things you can do to help the planet which make a real difference.

1. Switch to a more ethical bank. Many of us aren t aware that many banks invest in fossil fuels, though actually since 2015 the 60 largest international banks have donated $5.5 trillion dollars to the fossil fuel industry. Some of the worst banks to mention include HSBC and Barclays, whereas the Co-operative bank is known for its more environmental practices. You can use the interactive website Fossil Banks to find out how much money your bank invests in specific fossil fuel practices.

2. Fancy a barbecue? Try veggie burgers. You can reduce your carbon footprint significantly by eating less meat, with one kg of beef having a carbon footprint that s 24 times larger than one kg of pulses.

3. Volunteer locally. One of my goals this summer is to start volunteering for an environmental charity, such as the WWF, or somewhere like a charity shop, which promotes reusing things rather than constantly buying new items, whilst also giving to a good cause. I think it would be really rewarding personally as well to start volunteering (though I m not sure if I ll be saying that when I m behind a counter rather than lazing in the garden)!

4. Try and buy less new clothes. The IPCC recently said that one of the top 3 things you can do to reduce your carbon footprint is to buy less new clothes and instead buy second hand. I have been trying to buy less and less new clothes for a number of years now, which I ve found quite hard being a teenage girl, but recently realised that all the clothes I ve bought in the last year have been second hand. I mainly buy from charity shops, though I also love a particular stall at Totnes market where you can find so many bargains. If you prefer to shop online, I really recommend the secondhand apps Depop and Vinted.

To be continued next month Have a great summer everyone!

 

Mary’s Syrian Kitchen and Pierre’s Cafe

The village hall is hired out to 2 exciting dining events this month: the well known and loved Pierre ‘s Cafe and another event, already very popular in Ottery and in West Hill is Mary s Syrian Kitchen. Here s what they re offering and how to book:

 

This Sunday 14th July the theme of my caf will be ” This is a Revolution”. England then France decide to vote differently after years asking something need to change. I am proud to have a foot in each countries. My menu will be French ratatouille served with beef or vegan burger, homemade and not as Mc Donald, French countryside way, with an eggs cooked in sauce and lettuce. This is a old way recipe. Lots of cakes, croissants and more. Booking 07545 214940. Bring your own alcoholic drinks. Gittisham Village hall, 10am to 4pm

 

Hi everyone. Mary s Syrian Kitchen will have a pop up in Gittisham Village Hall on the 28th July. We will have Syrian Food and desserts and tea and coffee. Start from 12.30-2.30. Please call to book 07383 104987 (see Facebook page too)

PARISH COUNCIL JULY 2024 REPORT

Seven councillors met for the July meeting along with Alasdair Bruce (EDDC) and two members of the public.

Hayne Farm walkabout. Mark Sexton from Baker Estates has compiled an audit list of action points, following the walkabout with parish councilors and some Hayne Farm residents on 2nd July. This includes points such as lampposts not working, removal of weeds, filling in fences, trimming hedges and planting trees.

DCC Highways. In his absence, Phil Twiss (DCC) compiled a report to update the parish council on the county s highways. Maintaining and improving the highway network across Devon remains a high priority for DCC, where better weather following a frustrating and prolonged winter period is helping staff to get to grips with the backlog of road surface defects, including potholes. An additional 12m has been transferred in the 2024/25 budget and is being allocated to:

         Serviceability repairs and patching across the network (isolated and larger areas of potholes)

         Drainage cleaning and repairs (prevention reduces the need for repair)

         White lining

Both the serviceability repairs and patching along with the drainage improvements will be prioritised using highways intelligence data, together with input from local members like Cllr Twiss, town and parish councils. A non-safety defect patching order has been scheduled for parts of Old Elm Road.

Finance. Councillors agreed the finances.

Crimes. April 2024: 6 x violence and sexual offences, 3 x anti-social behavior, 4 x public order.

Planning applications.

a)       24/0514/FUL – Land adjacent to Town House, Gittisham – Demolition of existing agricultural buildings. Proposed housing scheme for 6no. CLT-owned affordable homes for rent, and 3no. Combe Estate-owned open market houses

b)      24/1197/PIP – Land Adjacent To Hamlet House, Nags Head Road, Gittisham – Permission in principle application for the conversion of an existing building into a single dwelling

Councillors had no objections to either application, and said they welcomed the proposals to incorporate renewable energy into the development at a). Regarding b), councillors noted that the land is in a flood risk zone.

Planning. Alasdair Bruce said he would be speaking to EDDC s scrutiny committee to discuss the way in which the Combe Farm shop planning application had been decided.

Lengthsman. Carol Hall said that Len Abbott had resigned as lengthsman. Councillors thanked him for his outstanding service and dedication to the parish. The scope of lengthsman work will be discussed at the September parish council meeting.

Scams. Janet Twist said that new figures reveal more than 32 million suspicious emails have been reported to the Suspicious Email Reporting Service, with more than a third of all emails reported in the last year.

Play area. Maggie Walker said the wild area was flourishing, and encouraged all to use the village play area particularly over the summer.

Next meeting. Thursday 5th September at 7.30pm in the parish room.

 

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: 

 

 

 

GITTISHAM COMMUNITY LAND TRUST [GCLT]

The GCLT was established in 2018 with the objective of providing an affordable housing scheme to meet an identified local (village and immediate hinterland) need for rented accommodation. The GCLT, in partnership with The Combe Estate, was able to identify a number of possible sites and a preferred site was agreed at a public meeting in May 2019. Then there was COVID. A detailed proposal was presented to a further public meeting in June 2021. There have been many twists and turns over the past 3 years and it has taken much longer than expected to get to this stage but a Full Planning Application has now been registered and validated with the planning department at EDDC.

The application is for the Demolition of existing agricultural buildings. Proposed housing scheme for 6no. CLT owned affordable homes for rent, and 3no. Estate owned open market houses.

The site is the land with the agricultural buildings to the west of Town House.

The 6 affordable rent dwellings will provide 2no 3 bed and 4no 2 bed dwellings and will be developed and managed by a Housing Association. The planning application number is 24/0514/FUL . The application can be viewed in full using the East Devon planning portal or direct by email to EDDC.

The Parish Council having initiated the formation of the GCLT are fully supportive of these proposals. It is difficult to predict a date for completion of the scheme and we still have to find a Housing Association development partner but this is significant milestone in meeting the objectives of the GCLT.

As a reminder, any person who wishes to apply for an affordable dwelling must be registered with Devon Home Choice and show that they are in Housing Need and that they have a Local Connection. The Allocations Plan sets out the criteria which will be taken into account when allocating the dwellings when they are ready for occupation. A copy of the Allocations Plan can be found on the GCLT web site at www.gittisham-clt.org.uk . More information about Devon Home Choice can be found on www.devonhomechoice.com .

David Valentine, Director and Chair of Gittisham Community Land Trust

 

 

 

St Michael s Gittisham Julia Barrat

 

Around the Parishes

We are pleased to welcome our newly ordained deacon, the Rev d Scott Angell to the Honiton Mission Team and look forward to welcoming him to St Michael’s soon. For more information about services in and around the parishes visit https://honitoncofe.org/ Paper copies are available in the church.

 

Sea Sunday July 14th

Join us as we celebrate Sea Sunday. A day when we remember and say prayers for all the brave men and women who work at sea and for the work of the mission to seafarers which provides essential services for seafarers working far from home often in dangerous and lonely conditions. As the summer holidays begin we also remember the work of the RNLI and all who help to save lives at sea and keep our coasts and beaches safe.

 

As I pray also for blessing and safe keeping for all who will be embarking on their summer holidays shortly that it may be a time of relaxation and refreshment and also hopefully not too much rain!

 

200 Club winners June Please contact Julia Barratt

 

Gittisham Village Hall Financial Report 2024

by

Financial Year End Report 1 April 2023-31 March 2024

Income:
Hall hire, a 7% reduction compared to the previous year.
Social events, a 23% reduction compared to the previous year.
The Village Hall received a grant towards the Community Kitchen of £992.45 and earned
£507.98 in interest on the reserve Account.
The Village Hall Committee approved a draw down of £2000 from the Reserve Account.
Total income of £9474.10.

Expenditure:
Insurance increase of 7% on previous year.
Water/gas/electric, an increase of £858.05, a 39% increase on the previous year.
Cleaning/grass cutting, £271.05 more then the previous year, 36% increase.
Hall/equipment maintenance, £2215.58, up 61% on the previous year, external painting, a
new gas water boiler and the removal of an old shed.
The stipend paid to the booking clerk and treasurer.

Expenditure increased by £4136.36, to a total of £11597.01.

The Reserve Account balance £24811.22.

Janet Twist
Treasurer
28 June 2024