Hamish, Alex, Claire, Terry, Sue Janet (left early), Bill, Maggie, Nick
Apologies
Cordelia, Pierre, Stella, Steve
Next meet
AGM: Tuesday 2nd July followed by usual meeting
Item
Details
Actions
All actions
Hamish to circulate new fee structure for approval. – done and to be agreed during the meeting Janet to add signatories to bank account. done Alex to check and amend website re deposit taking. Its on the booking form Hamish to write to Combe Estate requesting a copy of lease – not done but have copy of lease. However there still needs to be a discussion with the Estate wrt to future grants to ensure we comply and permission to do some more work to the Hall ( windows etc)Nick to progress Victoria Windows quotation. Alex to lead fix of shed roof – Alex has prepared a quote @£22/sheet – 6 needed. £132 cost OK please proceed. Hamish to use caulking gun around flashing Hamish to replace bathroom tap Hamish to advertise Father’s Day BBQ and liaise with Damien – done needs to be done again. Carol to book Smeatharpe Aerodrome talk – not done yet Hamish to approach Steve M re beekeeping talk – not done yet Stephen to approach Villages in Action – done Everyone to look for a noticeboard for foyer – still to be done Alex to progress Gazette MS Forms survey questions – done to be discussed in the meeting
Finances
Janet presented the accounts for the month. See annexe. Thanks to Carol for help with the PRS license. Now need to define income. Janet has submitted. Defined income £1,600 which should reduce cost of the license. Smart gas meter appointment was planned – but it was cancelled on the day – no idea if /when they will come. Alex has been reading the meter so they are not estimated. HSBC actions undertaken to be authorised bank signatories. Hamish to set up a zoom call with Damian and Janet for discussion over the role of treasurer. Hamish needs to put £20 cash into bank for the proceeds of the skittle evening.
Hamish
Hamish
Hall Charges
Following discussion, the following new rates we agreed, based on 2yrs of CPI and rounded to nearest whole number 2024 new rates effective form 1/9/24
Item Parishioners Non Parishioners Hourly rate £12 Non Parishioners £14 9-1pm or 1-5pm £35 Non Parishioners £41 6pm – midnight £48 Non Parishioners £66 9am – midnight £108 Non Parishioners £119 Wedding (set up night before and full day) £247 Non Parishioners £377 Long term lets Price on application
Existing hirer rates comes into place 1/9/24 New hirers effective from 1st July 2024 Booking clerk still has right to use discretion and discuss with committee if need Booking clerk to let regulars know if price increases and report any issues back to committee
Carol
Village Hall survey
Survey agreed during the meeting sand will be circulated on whataspp group and a link provided to Carol to pass on to regular bookers
Alex/Carol
Bookings
See annexe for list of June bookings.
Future events
Skittle – £20 profit – thanks to Steve – lets do again! Fathers Day BBQ Set up from 9:30 SundayMusic planned – Band members eat free ( Thanks Nick)Cater for 70:Meat – 100 sausages, 50 burgers, 50 chicken pieces – Hamish to shop Sara – will make a peanut salad (thanks Sara)Sue veg , veggie & sauce + bread. Wil do all non meat shopping£6 per head with concession if you can persuade the doorman Other events Cabaret – still want to go ahead – organise at the next meeting Tuesday 28th June – live screening of the football? Talks to be arranged Buckerell – may need a venue. Welcome to use village hall at parishioners rates
Steve
Committee members
Hamish
Sue
Hamish
AOB
Ladies toilet window – now closed When is the grass being cut? Bin store? – add to the list of wants Can carol add times to the bookings so Alex can add into the calendar Press officer vacancy – need to advertise in the paper.
Everyone
Carol
Long term maintenance list, for progression when funds allow. Not in hierarchy order.
(Rising) damp in southern elevation
Extractor fans in kitchen
Drainage pipe replacement
Internal repaint
Loft insulation
Replace all windows, not just front windows
New large range cooker
Bin Store –
Gittisham Parish Hall Accounts – 1st April 2024 to 31 March 2025
Gittisham Parish Hall Accounts – 1st April 2024 to 31 March 2025
A monthly community newsletter published by St Michael’s Church and Gittisham Parish Council
What’s On? at the village hall
Sunday 16th June 12noon Father’s Day BBQ lunch and table tennis tournament
Village Hall AGM Tuesday 2nd July
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
A Gittisham bible is returned to the Church after a long absence
People in the news
Gittisham resident discusses football with the Prime Minister
200 Club winners May
1st Sharon Wensley £75
2nd Mrs K Jackson £50
3rd Peter King £25
Outdoor Church
Sunday 23rd June
Forage in the wild area
Create a collage
Make a bee hotel
Plant a wild flower-seed bomb
Gittisham Fete 31st August Alex Rowe
Dog show, Honiton town band, Morris Dancers, Classic vehicles and much more!
We can always do with more helpers! So I am formulating a spreadsheet rota for volunteers during the fete day. I have a few names up to now but if anyone would like to come forward let me know. I am about to start advertising for pitches so if you know of anyone who would like to sell their craft items or anything else the email is
St Michael’s 200 Club
200 Club The first draw on the new 200 Club draw took place at ‘Coffee Together’ in May. The next draw will take place Sat June 15th so if you register quickly, you are still in with a chance to win the monthly prize of either £75, £50 or £25 with an extra prize draw of £125 in December.
If you would like to join as a new member or have been intending but have as yet to renew your membership please contact Janet Twist, the 200 Club administrator who will be pleased to assist. 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.
New Curate
We look forward to welcoming the Rev Scott Angell, who, fresh from being ordained as a Deacon on Saturday 29th June at Exeter Cathedral, will be taking part in his first service in the Honiton Mission Community (HMC), Sunday 30th June 11am at St Pauls, Honiton followed by a shared lunch. Scott has already moved to Gittisham Vale and so you may see him around and about before then, perhaps making good use of the Combe Garden Centre and Farm Shop vouchers, St Michael’s contribution to the HMC house warming gift.
Gittisham Village Hall
On 16th June the annual Father’s Day BBQ will be held at the village hall, with a table tennis tournament this year. The sun will shine, the food will be lovely with veggie options and we hope to have some music too. Starts at 12 and then well into the afternoon. Spread the word – all welcome and bringing a father is not compulsory.
This is a fundraising event to help with vital maintenance work at the village hall. Please support your village hall.
If you would like to book the Village Hall, contact Carol Hall
Booking rates start from £10.90 per hour or and £43.15 for an evening.
The Beehive, Honiton
Exhibition On Screen: MY NATIONAL GALLERY
The National Gallery of London is one of the world’s greatest art galleries. It is full of masterpieces, an endless resource of history, an endless source of stories. But whose stories are told? Which art has the most impact and on whom? The power of great art lies in its ability to communicate with anyone, no matter their art historical knowledge, their background, their beliefs.
This film gives voice to those who work at the gallery – from cleaner to curator, security guard to director – who identify the one artwork that means the most to them and why. An assortment of people from all walks of life who have a strong connection to the gallery make surprising choices of both well-known and lesser-known artworks. Finally, some well-known celebrities explain what they head for when they visit the gallery.
Tickets: General Admission £13.00
On a Lane in Spring John Clare (1793-1864)
A little lane—the brook runs close beside, And spangles in the sunshine, while the fish glide swiftly by; And hedges leafing with the green springtide; From out their greenery the old birds fly, And chirp and whistle in the morning sun; The pilewort glitter ‘neath the pale blue sky, The little robin has its nest begun The grass green linnets round the bushes fly. How mild the spring comes in! The daisy buds Lift up their golden blossoms to the sky. How lovely are the pingles in the woods! Here a beetle runs—and there a fly Rests on the arum leaf in bottle-green, And all the spring in this sweet lane is seen.”
How many of us are as observant as Clare? When did we last walk slowly as he did seeing everything in that ‘sweet spring lane’ of his? We miss so much as we rush by these precious places.
PARISH COUNCIL – JUNE 2024 REPORT
Seven councillors met for the June meeting along with Nicole Stacey & Mark Sexton (Baker Estates), Justin Lascelles (Combe Estate) and six members of the public.
Hayne Farm development update. At present the development managed by First Port, but Baker Estates said they could provide advice on how residents could set up a management company made up of a board of directors. This would give residents more control over what maintenance is done there and when. Mark Sexton said he was happy to meet residents for a walk around the estate to look at what needs to be done, and take action on whatever falls
within the remit of Baker Estates. He will suggest some dates for a walkabout which will be circulated in due course.
Hayne Farm play area. Some residents feel that there are many gaps in the provision. Baker Estates said the
playground facilities that have been provided have met the legal obligations with EDDC. If residents would like to see additional equipment in the play area, it will need to be under the management of Hayne Farm residents (directors) before this can happen. Maintenance, insurance and safety inspections of this play equipment will also fall under the authority of the directors. This would be same for bins and dog bins. The parish council will be happy to help advise on funding for new equipment, as was done at the village play area.
Finance. Councillors agreed the finances, as well as the annual accounts and governance statement for 2023/24.
Crimes. March 2024: No reported crimes.
Planning applications.
a) 24/0539/LBC – 2 Riverside Cottages, Gittisham EX14 3AG – Replace existing porch with enlarged lead flat roof porch on south elevation; replace existing extension on north elevation to create bedroom and bathroom and glazed
canopy over rear door
b) 24/0988/FUL – Parkers East Gittisham EX14 3AS – Proposal to repair and preserve existing brick and timber greenhouse within the curtilage of a listed building
Councillors had no objections to either application.
Footpath.
Councillors discussed proposals for a traffic-free footpath to connect Hayne Farm with the village and with the garden centre. Justin Lascelles explained that this would have to be a ‘permissive footpath’, not a legal public footpath and the route would need to minimise impact on the environment and on the tenant farmers’ activities. He said there may be some funding the estate can access through stewardship schemes which could provide for capital works and annual maintenance. He invited the parish council to submit a definitive route which he can put before Combe Estate trustees for discussion.
Public transport.
Peter Orchard said he would follow up with Stagecoach regarding the late arrivals or no-shows noted on the clipboard in the village bus shelter.
Next meeting. Thursday 11 th July at 7.30pm in the parish room.
Hamish to circulate new fee structure for approval. Janet to add signatories to bank account. Alex to check and amend website re deposit taking. Hamish to write to Combe Estate requesting a copy of lease Nick to progress Victoria Windows quotation Hamish to advertise working party Alex to lead fix of shed roof Hamish to use caulking gun around flashing Hamish to replace bathroom tap Hamish to advertise Father’s Day BBQ and liaise with Damien Carol to book Smeatharpe Aerodrome talk Hamish to approach Steve M re beekeeping talk Stephen to approach Villages in Action Everyone to look for a noticeboard for foyer Alex to progress Gazette MS Forms survey questions
Finances
Janet presented the accounts for the month. See annexe. We returned to the discussion of increasing the hall booking fees, last discussed at the March meeting. T he committee agreed that a discounted parishioner’s rate should continue to be part of the new fee structure. Hamish is tidying up the analysis of 2023/24 costs and booking utilisation with year-end figures and will circulate a proposed set of fee increases (parishioner/non-parishioner, hour/longer sessions, weddings) via email for consideration and agreement at the next meeting. We are still searching for a new Treasurer to take over from Janet after the AGM. Hamish remains in discussions with a resident. We need to have more signatories to the HSBC bank account as currently it is just Janet. Agreed that Carol and Hamish should both become signatories (the former to enable the taking and returning of booking deposits), plus the new Treasurer when one is found. Is the website clear that a deposit may be taken at the point of a booking? If not we need this to be made clear to support Carol in taking deposits. Alex to check and amend as necessary? Thank you Alex.
Hamish
Janet
Alex
Grants
Lease. A number of the upcoming grant applications need details of our lease arrangements from the estate. Hamish to write to Combe Estate requesting a copy of the lease as we have replaced our original copy. Replacement windows. We have made some progress on quotations (we now have one quotation from Hani and one from Select Windows) but our third quotation from Victoria Windows is still outstanding despite Nick’s best efforts, so we need to pick up this thread again. Thank you Nick. Range cooker. Alex has applied to the South West Water grant scheme (with a video application!), a £2k application for a new range cooker. Many thanks Alex. If this grant is successful then it may be sensible for Phil Twiss’s £1k top up money to also go towards a range cooker (rather than the replacement windows). Decision deferred until we know the success of the application. Community kitchen. Carol is this week submitting the application to the Devon Communities Fund for the next grant for the community kitchen – thank you Carol.Thermal heating and insulation grant. Alex is scoping this out.
Hamish
Nick
Maintenance
We agreed a date for a village hall working party for outdoor maintenance – Saturday 1st June, 11am. All committee to attend if possible, and Hamish to advertise to the wider village. Aim is to get the hall spic and span before the Father’s Day BBQ. Shed roof has been temporarily fixed with tarpaulin, thank you Claire. But long-term fix still needs to happen. Alex has sourced some galvanised roof sheets from his dad and will tackle – thank you Alex. We have made no progress on the occasional leak in the back porch so rolling on the action: Hamish to get up in the loft above and use caulking gun around the flashing. If this doesn’t fix it then we can go for a specialist.The bathroom tap needs replacement. Hamish to take forwards, thanks Hamish.
All of the above and more could be part of the working party work.
Hamish
Alex
Hamish
Hamish
Bookings
See annexe for list of May bookings.
Future events
Saturday 18th May, skittles. £2 for adults, £1 for children, BYO. Stephen to advertise, including poster.Sunday 16th June, Father’s Day BBQ. £5 a head. We will use June meeting to discuss in detail. Hamish to liaise with Damian about table tennis tournament (entry fees for the tournament to go to a men’s charity; money for the Father’s Day BBQ to go to the Village Hall). Hamish also to advertise. July – Smeatharpe Aerodrome DDay Talk. £2 entry. Carol and Hamish to organise a date on either a Tuesday or a Friday. Should be good! Villagers’ talks. All agreed this was a good idea and would get people in. Hopefully Steve M can kick this off with a talk about bees. Hamish to approach him. Then through the late summer / autumn: Alex – stargazingHamish – flood defencesSue and David – eco-agri farming Live music. No progress on this since the last meeting. It would be good if some of our approaches came good. Villages in action. Stephen to approach about late 2024/2025 bookings. Long list of other options discussed previously but not priogresses: Ceilidh, art exhibition with scones, hosting the pizza van.
Hamish
Carol
Hamish
Stephen
AOB
We need a noticeboard in the foyer and to make better use of the noticeboard outside to advertise village hall events. Questionnaire to the village in the April Gazette did not receive any responses – thank you Alex for trying. We need responses to gather data to support grant applications, but we also want the communication to gather ideas on how the hall can be used and to advertise the community asset. Alex is going to have another go, this time using Microsoft Forms to create a light touch survey that shouldn’t take as long to complete. Please circulate around the committee when ready Alex so that we can comment/add questions.
Everyone
Alex
Gittisham Parish Hall Accounts – 1st April 2024 to 31 March 2025
Gittisham Parish Hall Accounts – 1st April 2024 to 31 March 2025
INCOME
EXPENDITURE
2023/24
1.04.23- 30.04.23
1.04.24 – 30.04.24
2023/24
1.04.23-30.04.23
1.04.24-30.04.24
Balance brought forward
3,627.91
Insurance
690.38
0.00
0.00
Non-domestic rates
0.00
0.00
0.00
Hire of Hall
5,588.85
2,025.95
332.50
Cleaning/grass cutting
1,019.62
125.00
153.90
Social Events
1,371.36
68.00
36.31
Maintenance/Equipment
5,840.55
0.00
98.53
Interest
0.00
0.00
0.00
Water/Gas/Electric
3,031.87
345.00
278.27
Miscellaneous
2,005.91
29.51
2,244.00
Miscellaneous(inc. bank charges)
1,014.59
5.80
527.95
1058.65
Balance
5182.07
Total
6240.72
6240.72
Redwood Deposit A/c
£24,811.22
Miscellaneous receipt is the grant received from Devon CC
Miscellaneous includes payments to Hall booker and to accountants for audit check
A monthly community newsletter published by St Michael’s Church and Gittisham Parish Council
What’s On? at the village hall
Sunday 12th May 10-4 Pierre’s Café 07545 214940
Skittles Saturday 18th May
Cake decorating 29th May homeMeadbake
Father’s Day barbecue Sunday 16th June
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 7-week class starts on 7th June
Grain to Cream Russell Hayman
I can’t really write a farming article without mentioning the weather (it’s sodding wet and it’s causing problems). Yes it’s boring so you don’t need me adding to it!
So what else is going on? Well we do now have animals out in the fields at last – it is getting to be a case that it had to happen. Silaging will start when the yellow thingy in the sky makes a sustained appearance. When it does it will very much be a case of watch out there’s a farmer about we have months of work to catch up on so it will be all systems go. I predict this will happen in the middle of May as we have a TB test then and there is no way we can do both at the same time could well make my hair thinner than ever (hopefully the silver ones will drop out!).
Edmund made his radio 4 day-view on farming today; it was about his pumpkin patch
Diversification. Fiona recorded it months ago but the Prime minister turned up at the NFU conference and the BBC thought we would be more interested in what he had to say so Edmund was bumped down the schedule. I know I’m bias but Edmund held my interest much more than the PM.
Earlier in April we had the opening of the Gittisham farm water park! (our new slurry lagoon unfortunately it has not been finished yet so no poo has gone in but there was plenty of water, which is good as we now know it works). Activities were limited as there was only one paddle board with much disappointment Edmund stayed on. There was a valid reason for this other than a good laugh that was to give some idea of the depth of water. To finish the work on it we have to empty it, which we have just about done as we created a syphon and it has gradually emptied so the water park opened and closed all too soon! Views not too good and the contents in the future will be even less inviting than cold water, so its financial future did not look too rosie.
Gittisham Fete 31st August Alex Rowe
Update on fete progress-
It’s been a little slow whilst I prepare the blacksmithing section & competitions for the Devon County Show after taking it over last year but after this the fete preparations will be in full swing!
We’ve the ever-popular dog show returning bigger and better than last year, the Honiton town band, Morris Dancers, Classic vehicles and much more! We can always do with more helpers! So I am formulating a spreadsheet rota for volunteers during the fete day. I have a few names up to now but if anyone would like to come forward let me know. I am about to start advertising for pitches so if you know of anyone who would like to sell their craft items or anything else the email is
Church Services and Events
Sunday May 12th 11am Holy Communion
Saturday May 18th Coffee Together in the Parish Room
May 21st 7pm APCM Tuesday May in the Church
Sunday May 26th No service
Honiton Beehive
Singalong Encanto 11th May 4pm
Dressing-up as the characters is actively encouraged, with prizes awarded for the most imaginative costumes! Get ready to sing along with Mirabel and all her friends at this fundraising Cinema Event.
The magic of the Encanto has blessed every child in the family with a unique gift — every child except Mirabel. However, she soon may be the Madrigals last hope when she discovers that the magic surrounding the Encanto is now in danger.
Stockland Primary School PTA organises fun events to raise funds for improved facilities and enrichment of the pupils at the school. Our current projects include developing a Forest School and allotment area, and adding exciting new playground equipment.
The new St Michael’s 200 club is now up and running and at £3 a ticket per month, it is a simple and affordable way of helping to keep our beautiful village Church for all. Currently it costs £100 per day to look after and keep St Michael’s open!
If you would like to join as a new member or have as yet to renew your membership please contact Janet Twist, the 200 Club administrator who will be please to assist. Email Tel 01404 45484
Also, a gentle reminder to those who are intending to renew their membership but haven’t got round to it yet, payment can be made either by regular standing order or cheque either on a monthly or annual basis as best suits your budget. And/or if you would like to explore alternative ways of giving that can be gift aided e.g. through the Parish Giving Scheme, again Janet will be pleased to assist and answer any questions.
And if you register quickly, you are still in with a chance to win the monthly prize of either £75, £50 or £25 in the May draw with monthly prize draws of £75, £50 and £25 with an extra prize draw of £125 in December.
APCM
All are welcome to our Annual Parish Council Meeting in the Church on Tuesday May 21st at 7pm. We are fortunate to have a dedicated group of people who have served faithfully on our Parish Council (PCC) for many years but we would really welcome new members interested in bringing fresh energy and new ideas to the table!
Also Janet Twist our Treasurer will be stepping at the APCM. She has done a magnificent job and leaves us with our financial affairs in very good order. Janet estimates that on average it involves about 2-3 hours a month. If you are interested and/or know of anyone either as a Treasurer or Bookkeeper who would like to know more please contact Julia at gshaminister@gmail.com or Tel 07763 111367.
Thank you
A BIG thank you to everyone who helped with our graveyard spring clean in the Church yard! If you are interested in Gittisham history, do come and have a look, especially in the Old Churchyard where much work has gone into recovering the overgrown graves.
And thank you also to Alex and Julian for their repair to the Lychgate!
Gittisham Village Hall
The Village Hall is managed by a committee of volunteers who run events and see to the maintenance of the hall. It has been used for events ranging from quizzes to concerts, discos, the annual flower & produce show and birthday parties.
Every Wednesday night, Gittisham Folk Dance Club meet from 8pm until 10.15pm to dance the evening away (with local bands and experienced callers).
Anyone is welcome to join the committee or the Dance Club. Do get in touch via
If you would like to book the Village Hall, contact Carol Hall at
Booking rates start from £10.90 per hour or and £43.15 for an evening.
Flower and Produce Show
The show is open to all residents of Gittisham parish, which includes Gittisham Vale and Hayne Farm. We also welcome entries from those who no longer live in the parish, those who actively support the parish, and those with close links to the parish.
Children must be aged 3-11 on 27th July and Juniors must be age 12-16 on 27th July. Children are welcome to enter Sections A,B,C upon paying the entry fee.
A reminder of the children’s classes
0 – 5 years: A painting or drawing of a garden, An animal made of vegetables, 3 decorated biscuits 6 – 11 years: A painting or drawing of a garden, An animal made of vegetables, 4 cheese scones
A reminder of the Homecraft classes:
Date and Walnut loaf, Bakewell Tart, 2 Traditional Cornish Pasties, 2 Vegetable pasties, A jar of redcurrant jelly, Jar of chutney – any variety, Knitted or crochet baby blanket, Homemade wedding invitation, Homemade Gadget, Photo of a rainbow taken in Gittisham parish – recognisable location
Full details, schedule and entry forms available from 01404 850922
PARISH COUNCIL – MAY 2024 REPORT
Six councillors met for the May meeting along with Alasdair Bruce (EDDC), Phil Twiss (DCC) and one member of the public.
Chair & Vice Chair. Carol Hall was elected as chair and Alex Rowe as vice chair for 2024/25, Janet Twist having stood down as vice chair.
Funding for higher energy and food costs Phil Twiss reported that Devon County Council has been allocated a little over £5 million from the government to help households struggling to pay higher bills for energy, food, water, and other essential items. This will be the fifth round of Household Support Funding received from the Department for Work and Pensions, to run between April and September 2024. It will take Devon’s total level of Household Support Funding received so far to just over £30 million. The funding is to support households in most need, but
specifically those that may not be eligible for other support that is already available from the government. Further details will be provided once plans are finalised.
Finance. Members agreed the finances.
Crimes. March 2024: 1 x public order, Meadow Acre 1 x violence & sexual offences, Cypress Close. Members agreed the increase in crime over the past year reflected the growing number of residents in the parish, and a rise in the reporting of crime.
Planning applications.
a) proposed upgrade to the existing radio base station installation at CS_121551, SWEB Tower EX14 3TZ (NGR: E314620, N096545). Councillors had no objections to this application.
Road closures. 3–20 June 2024 road through Alfington is closed for gas works.
4–5 June 2024 Old A30 by Kings Arms farm. Temporary traffic signals for Highways
England works.
Old Elm Road rewilding. Alex Rowe said the parish council would be looking for volunteers to help lay the grass matting that will go underneath a footpath suitable for pushchairs in the rewilded area.
Hayne Farm. Carol Hall said some residents of Hayne Farm had drawn up a list of items they would like to see in the play area. Representatives of Baker Estates will be attending the June parish council meeting to discuss.
Broadband. Phil Twiss encouraged people to register their interest on the Airband website, which appeared to show some Gittisham village postcodes likely to be served by the rollout of superfast broadband at some point in the future. Adam Powell queried this, as he had intelligence that suggested Airband is reassessing the contracts it has with Connecting Devon and Somerset (the rural broadband programme). Phil Twiss said he was waiting for a response from CDS. To share your experience of poor broadband in Gittisham village, please contact or telephone 07535 233558.
Public transport. Peter Orchard said there was now a clipboard in the village bus shelter where passengers should report any late arrivals or no-shows, which helps in gathering evidence to present to Stagecoach.
Village play area. Councillors agreed to attend to the items highlighted in the annual safety inspection report. A table tennis tournament is planned in the play area for Father’s Day.
Next meeting. Thursday 6th June at 7.30pm in the parish room.
To be held at the Parish Hall on Saturday 3rd August 2024
Potato bucket weigh in at 3:15pm The show will open at 2:30pm Teas and raffle
Admission: Adults 50p; Children 5-16 years 10p Entrance fee Sections A,B,C 20p: Children’s entries free Special potato class £1 – payable when your seed potato is collected Sections A,B,C no prize money. Section D prizes 1 st = £1, 2nd = 50p, 3 rd = 25p McCann Junior Cup for most points by a competitor age 12-16 in Sections A,B,C
Awards for Best in Show in Sections A and B
The show is open to all residents of Gittisham parish, which includes Gittisham Vale and Hayne Farm estate. We also welcome entries from those who no longer live in the parish, those who actively support the parish, and those with close links to the
parish.
Children must be aged 3-11 on Saturday 27th July 2024 Juniors must be age 12-16 on Saturday 27th July 2024
Children are welcome to enter Sections A,B,C upon paying the entry fee. All exhibits must have been made or grown by the exhibitor
One entry form per person – no sharing!
Entries must be made in writing on the Entry form enclosed by marking X in
the appropriate box on the form
Entry forms must be accompanied by the correct entrance fees. Entries must reach Sarah and Len Abbott, 4 Church Mead, Gittisham EX14 3AH
by Saturday 27th July 2024 NO ENTRIES WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THIS DATE
Only one exhibit per person per class The decision of the judges will be final and binding
Entries will be received at the Parish Hall between 0900 and 1045 on show day, and must
remain staged until after the presentation of prizes. No exhibit should be named (including children’s exhibits)
SECTION “A” VEGETABLES Class
3 White potatoes
3 Coloured potatoes
1 Cabbage (any variety)
1 Lettuce (any variety)
5 Spring Onions
5 Onion sets
6 Shallots
6 Sprays of Parsley
3 Beetroot
3 Carrots (any variety)
6 Pods of Broad beans
6 Pods of Peas
A pair of Cucumbers
5 Tomatoes
5 Cherry tomatoes
3 Courgettes under 6”
6 Runner beans
2 Parsnips
3 Sticks of Rhubarb
4 different culinary herbs (not parsley) in a jam jar
The longest runner bean SECTION “B” FLOWERS Classes 24-28 to be presented in a clear glass jar (NOT A VASE)
Cactus (pot not exceeding 8”)
5 pansy heads floating in clear water in a clear glass bowl
1 Spike Gladioli
3 Dahlias
6 Stems of Sweet peas
4 stems of different cut flowers
1 Specimen Rose 29. An arrangement of garden flowers on the theme of the Paris Olympics not exceeding 12” or 30cm in any direction. Own vase, not jam jar.
SECTION “C” HOMECRAFT
30 Date and Walnut loaf – as attached recipe 31 Bakewell Tart – as attached recipe 32 (a) 2 Traditional Cornish Pasties 32(b) 2 Vegetable pasties 33 A jar of redcurrant jelly 34 Jar of chutney – any variety 35 Knitted or crochet baby blanket 36 Homemade wedding invitation 37 Homemade Gadget 38 Photo of a rainbow taken in Gittisham parish – recognisable location 39 MEN ONLY – Marmalade Cake – as attached recipe
SPECIAL CLASS: Potatoes in a bucket – potatoes can be collected from Sue and David Fallows, Parkers East, Gittisham 01404 850922 on or after 1 st April 2024
SECTION “D” CHILDREN’S CLASSES 0 – 5 years 40 A painting or drawing of a garden 41 An animal made of vegetables 42 3 decorated biscuits 6 – 11 years
A painting or drawing of a garden 44. An animal made of vegetables 45. 4 cheese scones
Bakewell Tart Recipe 175g (6oz) Ready-Made Shortcrust pastry For the Filling 2 x 15ml (2 tbsp) Jam or Lemon Curd 1 Large Egg 75 gm (3 oz) Margarine 50g (2 oz) Ground Rice 75 gm (3 oz) Caster Sugar Few Drops Almond Essence 100 gm (4 oz) Ground Almonds Blanched Almonds
Heat oven to 190 o C, 375 o F, Gas Mark 5
Line an 18cm (7 in) flan tin with 2/3 of the pastry. Spread the base with jam or lemon curd
Cream margarine and sugar. Mix together the ground almonds and ground rice; add to the creamed mixture alternately with the beaten egg.
Spread the mixture over the jam then decorate with a lattice of the remaining pastry and the blanched almonds. Bake for about 35-40 minutes Date and Walnut Loaf Recipe 225g (8 oz) self raising flour. 2 Eggs 1 tsp baking powder ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda 200g (7 oz) soft pitted dates chopped 100g (3½ oz) chopped walnuts 125g (4½ oz) unsalted butter softened, + extra for the tin 150g (5 oz) light muscovado sugar 1 tbsp icing sugar Pinch of sea salt 1 Preheat oven to 180 o C/160 o C Fan/ Gas 4; 2 Butter a 2lb loaf tin (22cm x 10cm 6cm deep) and line with baking parchment; 3 Put the butter, dates and bicarb in a large bowl and add 150ml boiling water, give it a stir so that the butter melts and leave to stand for around 20 minutes until the dates have softened; 4 Whisk in the sugar until smooth, then gradually whisk in the eggs until combined. Beat in the baking powder, flour and a pinch of sea salt until there are no lumps of flour left and it’s smooth. 5 Fold in ¾ of the walnuts then pour into the prepared tin. Sprinkle the remaining walnuts over the top. 6 Bake for 20 minutes, then turn the oven down to 170 o C/150 o C Fan/ Gas 3 and cook for another 45-50 minutes until golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. 7 Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, then lightly dust with the icing sugar.
Marmalade Cake Recipe 140g marmalade 175g butter, softened 175g light muscovado sugar 3 eggs, beaten 225g self-raising flour ½ tsp baking powder 1 tsp mixed spice 100g packet pecan halves Heat oven to 180C/160 fan/gas 4. Grease and line a 1kg/2lb loaf tin Set aside 1tbs marmalade in a small pan. In a bowl blend the remaining marmalade, butter, sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder and spices until smooth and light. Stir in about ¾ of the pecans Tip into the prepared tin and sprinkle the remaining pecans on the top. Bake for about 1-1.5 hours , covering loosely with foil after about 40 minutes, until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Cool slightly on a wire rack. Gently heat the remaining marmalade and spread the glaze over the top of the warm loaf.
Gittisham Flower & Produce Show Saturday 3rdAugust 2024 ENTRY FORM Please place an X in the square showing the number of the class(es) you intend to enter. When completed please return this Entry Form, with the correct Entry Fees, as shown on the schedule to: Sarah and Len Abbott, 4 Church Mead, Gittisham EX14 3AH on or before Saturday 27 th July 2024 No entries will be accepted after this date Each entrant must complete a separate entry form. No sharing! Please do not name any exhibit – even the children’s
Entrant’s name……………………………………………………………………… Address…………………………………………………………………………………. Total entry fee enclosed…………………………. Or, if child, state child’s age……………………… Additional entry forms available, if required, from Sue Fallows, Parkers East, Gittisham, EX14 3AS 01404 850922 or
Accounts for the year 1 April 2023 – 31 March 2024
2024
2023
£
£
Income
Hall & Equipment Hire
4596.40
4953.50
Proceeds from Social Events
1371.36
1791.04
Miscellaneous Income
2005.91
175.98
Donations
0
0.00
Grants
992.45
0.00
Redwood Bank Interest
507.98
226.48
9474.10
7147.00
Expenditure
Insurance
690.38
643.79
Council Tax
0
0.00
Water,Gas & Electricity
3031.87
2173.82
Cleaning and Grass Cutting
1019.62
748.57
Hall & Equipment Maintenance
5840.55
3624.97
Stationery & Postage
0
0.00
Miscellaneous Expenses
194.3
193.18
Booking Clerk/Treasurer
749.00
0.00
Bank Charges
71.29
76.32
11597.01
7460.65
Surplus income/loss for the year
(2122.91)
(313.65)
Bank Balances
As at 31.03.2024
As at 31.03.2023
£
£
HSBC Bank
3627.91
6258.8
Redwood Bank
26811.22
26303.24
Cash in hand
81.32
81.32
30520.45
32643.36
Less loss for year ending 31 March 2024
-2122.91
30520.45
I certify that I have audited the books and records of Gittisham Village Hall for the year ending 31st March 2024 and can confirm that the above accounts are in accordance with the books, records and information supplied. To the best of our knowledge and belief, the above accounts give a true and fair view of the financial position of the Parish Hall as at 31st March 2024.
Hamish, Sue, Alex, Janet, Stephen, Maggie, Pierre + Claire, observing
Apologies
Cordelia, Stella, Bill, Terry, Nick
Next meet
Tuesday 14th May AGM date: Tuesday 2nd July
Item
Details
Actions
Actions outstanding / rolled over from previous meeting
Ongoing action to explore grant options, sitting with various committee members.
Various
Treasurer’s report
Janet presented end of year accounts. See screengrab in annexe. The value of the current account loss for the year is very significant, £2,123. However, if our grants received for the community kitchen are allocated to the period to which they actually apply (so one grant within 2023/24 is accounted for in 2022/23, and one grant to be received in 2024/25 is accounted for in 2023/24), then our losses for the year are more like £800. Accounts will go the accountant for auditing at the end of the week, with the usual gift of wine – thank you Janet for organising. The committee agreed the annual payments to treasurer and booking clerk. Janet needs to print off the remittances for Hamish/Nick to sign. We agreed to defer the discussion on charging rates for the hall until the May meeting so that Hamish could prepare another cost proposal based around the final end of year figures, and so that we could have as full an attendance as possible to discuss this important issue. For ease of reference, the action rolled over from the previous meeting is: Hamish agreed to rework his analysis and present a further proposal at the April meeting. Thank you Hamish. New proposal to include for consideration: a cost base with the 2023/24 significant capital expenditure costs (the boiler replacement) removed, so that subsequent price increases do not need to be so steep; separate rates for parishioners and non-parishioners; a cheaper rate for longer bookings; and a hike in wedding costs(?). Grants: Carol Hall is applying for a grant for the community kitchen, and also preparing a bid for grant for replacement windows – see maintenance below. Thank you Carol! No applicants have responded to the advertisements in the Gazette for a new Treasurer. It was suggested that Damien Furniss might be interested – Hamish to ask Damien. Interest in the savings account is 3.9% and raising a not insignificant amount (£508), but could we do better if we move elsewhere? One to debate once new Treasurer in post.
Janet
Hamish
Maintenance
The old shed has gone, the football team picture has been fixed. The tap washer issue has been resolved but alas the whole tap now needs replacement. Hamish to take forwards, thanks Hamish. Shed roof remains a significant issue. Claire kindly offered her tarpaulin as a temporary fix. Alex and Hamish will affix, weighted with sandbags, as a stopgap. Longer-term the committee agreed that galvanised sheeting is probably the way forwards. Alex to speak with Julian to get a quote for some sheeting. Also let’s not forget the stirling board that the church offered us. To discuss again next month. The leak in the back porch was discussed. It’s only an issue in high winds but it still needs sorting. We agreed that the initial action should be to get up in the loft above and use caulking gun around the flashing. Hamish volunteered to tackle this at the same time as doing the shed roof. If this doesn’t fix it then we can go for a specialist. We discussed replacing the windows at the front of the hall, which are badly damaged. On balance the committee agreed to pursue cheaper, better-insulating PVC windows, sympathetically designed, rather than wood frames which will quickly need more work and upkeep. We are applying for a grant and need at least three quotations – we have one already from Hani. Alex will approach Select Windows, Maggie will approach Anglian. Hamish will pursue with the estate how they feel about PVC windows. To discuss at next meeting. We discussed maintenance days, or maintenance evenings: Committee and other volunteers coming together for a few hours to progress a series of maintenance actions. Strong support for this and also for advertising for help in the Gazette. We did not agree a date but should do this at the May meeting if not before.
Hamish
Hamish, Alex, Alex
Hamish
Alex, Maggie, Hamish
Long-term maintenance list, for progression when we land a grant. No hierarchy as yet
(Rising?) damp in southern elevation
TBD
Extractor fans in kitchen
TBD
Drainage pipes
Internal repaint
New large range cooker and oven
Petition
Sadly our questionnaire to the village in the last Gazette did not receive any responses – thank you Alex for trying. We need responses to gather data to support grant applications, but we also want the communication to gather ideas on how the hall can be used and to advertise the community asset. Alex is going to have another go, this time using Microsoft Forms to create a light touch survey that shouldn’t take as long to complete. Please circulate around the committee when ready Alex so that we can comment/add questions.
Alex
Future events
We are all looking forward to the St George’s Day quiz, Saturday 20th April, Nick as quizmaster. Thank you Nick. And a ploughman’s supper – thank you Sue. Cheese, no soup. £7 on the door. Nick to advertise. Please be there by 5 to help set up. We agreed to organise an evening of village Skittles on Saturday 18th May, from 19:30. Steve to organise and advertise. We agreed to run the Father’s Day BBQ on Sunday 16th June, and to coincide this with the opening of the new village table tennis table. The Parish Council will be asking Damien to organise a table tennis tournament that week, with the finals on the Sunday. Entry fees for the tournament to go to a men’s charity; money for the Father’s Day BBQ to go to the Village Hall. We agreed to pursue live music options as priority. Carol will approach Hani to see if he can run a Syrian music and food event on Saturday 20th July. But we need many live music options to pursue as we think this will be great and draw in the punters. Maggie to approach Richard Thorn, Hamish to approach skiffle band that he knows, Claire to get a quote for Joey the Lips. We agreed that more evening talks would be brilliant. Alex to consider / organise an astronomy talk from him / Norman Lockyer colleague, to consider at next meeting.
Long list of other options: Ceilidh Art exhibition with scones… Hosting the pizza van… Sea defences talk Magical mystery bus tour Villages in action
Carol, Hamish, Maggie, Claire
Alex
AOB
On behalf of the committee earlier this month Alex attended the East Devon Village Hall Nest meeting. Thank you Alex for dedicating your time to this. A very useful talk with plenty for us to consider. Listing readout here in full as we did not have much time to discuss and we might want to pick up elements in subsequent meeting: A number of other village halls are adding a supplementary ‘kitchen-use’ fee to their booking prices. ‘Hallmaster’ is an app that could support booking clerk – worth reviewing. South West Water has a regional grant fund called ‘neighbourhood fund’ capped at £2k. One village hall raised £100k simply through…crowdfunding! Alex will attend the next meeting of the committee on Wednesday 12th June – thank you again Alex!
Having observed us in action Claire asked to join the committee – motion approved! Welcome Claire!
Gittisham Parish Hall Accounts – 1st April 2023 to 31 March 2024
INCOME
2022/23
1.04.22- 31.03.23
1.04.23 – 31.03.2024
Balance brought forward
6,258.80
Hire of Hall
4,953.50
4,953.50
5,588.85
Social Events
1,791.04
1,791.04
1,371.36
Interest
226.48
226.48
0.00
Miscellaneous
175.98
175.98
2,005.91
Total
15224.92
Miscellaneous includes the £2000 drawn dow from Redwood Bank
Gittisham Parish Hall Accounts – 1st April 2023 to 31 March 2024
EXPENDITURE
2022/23
1.04.22-31.03.23
1.04.23-31.03.24
Insurance
643.79
643.79
690.38
Non-domestic rates
0.00
0.00
0.00
Cleaning/grass cutting
748.57
748.57
1,019.62
Maintenance/Equipment
3,624.97
3,624.97
5,840.55
Water/Gas/Electric
2,173.82
2,173.82
3,031.87
Miscellaneous(inc. bank charges)
269.50
269.50
1,014.59
11597.01
Balance
3627.91
Total
15224.92
Redwood Deposit A/c
£24,811.22
Miscellaneous includes payments to Treasurer and Hall booker.
Cleaning/grass cutting has risen by 36%, from last year.
A monthly community newsletter published by St Michael’s Church and Gittisham Parish Council
What’s On?
Tufty Tots Every Thursday at the village hall
Pierre’s Cafe Sunday 10th March at the village hall
Mothering Sunday Sunday 10th March 11am the church Family Eucharist with distribution of posies
Palm Sunday March 24th 11am Morning Worship with procession of palms starting at the Lychgate
Good Friday March 29th 10.30am ‘Stations of the Cross’ starting at the Lychgate followed by Hot Cross Buns in the Parish Room.
Easter Day 11am Eucharist followed by Easter Egg Hunt in the old Churchyard
Live music at The Beehive Baskery – the queens of banjo punk. Sat 16th March
Quiz Night At the village hall on 20th April with Nick
Gittisham Fete Saturday 31st August
Auction of Promises! Helen Hayman What a fun, entertaining evening with an amazing gathering of people of all ages participating under the expert eye of Graham Barton who was brilliant in persuading us all to part with our money! With so many great lots from a celebration cake, baby sitting , villa in Crete, holiday getaways to flying high beside The Spitfire ! All going towards our community church which the total looks to be around £3,000.00 ! A huge thankyou must go to so many of you for donating lots, funds and helping to run this event. Also to those who attended, making it a memorable evening! Your Village Hall Your village hall needs you. As you might be aware the village hall committee is trying to source funding in order to maintain and breathe new life into our community space! To do this we need feedback from the users to explain why the village hall is important to them and what they would like to see updated/improved. Without this, we cannot move forward with any grant request. So we would be really grateful to hear from you. Why is the village hall important to you? What change would improve your experience with the hall? How much of an impact does the village hall have on the surrounding community? How can the village hall extend its appeal more widely?
Both Edward and Doreen were faithful members of our telephone service during Covid and we were very pleased at our recent Eucharist Service to welcome Edward, his niece Linda, and Doreen’s daughter Sarah for the blessing by Reverend Robert of a kneeler stitched in memory of Doreen.
Tufty Tots at the village hall 6 months – 5 years old The Tufty Explorer and Learner sessions are planned using the Early Years Framework. Each activity has been tailored to help our little ones reach their developmental milestones in an engaging safe environment. Each session will include singing, dancing and storytelling. Immersing our little ones in new vocabulary, developing their understanding of language and text patterns. To ignite a love of learning we will explore a new story each week… meeting new characters, discovering different settings and embarking on a range of adventures. Nurture Time For You… On arrival you can pre-order your hot drink and treat… it will be waiting for you after the singing and storytelling input. Enjoy some ‘you’ time.
Open Day at The Beehive On Saturday 6th April, The Beehive, Honiton’s community entertainment centre, shall be opening the doors and inviting the public to our open day from 10am until 2pm. The day will give members of the community and visitors from far and wide a chance to discover our diverse range of events, activities, cinema screenings, theatre productions, our café and so much more! During the day, visitors can enjoy live music in the café and free samples of delicious homemade cakes & bakes, discover what events we have coming up in the year, learn more about becoming a volunteer and find out about our venue & room hire. In the auditorium there’ll be stands providing information about a range of our community groups that use The Beehive. These include Honiton’s Community Theatre Company, TASH: Advancing Inclusion, U3A and Slimming World. There will even be a special theatre performance by Theatre Kidz!
A message from Owen and Sophie At this moment Sophie and I would like to reach out to you all in ‘the village’ and thank you dearly for your kind words and support during this time. The sudden nature of Jayne’s passing has been felt by many and by far, and we are strengthened by the outpouring of love given by those who were fortunate to have known her.
St George’s Quiz Night In the village hall on Saturday April 20th starting at 7.30pm.
Ploughman’s supper included, BYOB, £7 a head. Please call or message Nick on 07973 797447 to reserve a table.
Table Talk at the Otter Inn Lent is often mistakenly thought of as a dreary time, a time of self-denial and abstinence that for many does not feel at all life-giving, especially on days when it never seems to stop raining and when much in the news is so awful. So it can be tempting to forget about Lent altogether! But as we have been exploring in Table Talk session at the Otter Inn, hope can shine into the darkest of places. All welcome to come and join us at the Otter Inn Wednesday evenings in Lent at 7pm. Just turn up or for further information email Julia
PARISH COUNCIL – MARCH 2024 REPORT
Seven councillors met for the March meeting. Phil Twiss (DCC), Alasdair Bruce (EDDC) and one member of the public were also present.
Highways Phil Twiss said that thanks to a combination hard work by DCC Highways’ teams and the milder winter, the service has recorded 5,500 safety defect potholes in January, slightly below the 7-year average (5,926). This compares well to the 7,500 in 2023. The significant reduction in the gritting operations frees up resources to continue the planned patching operations, again helping to reduce safety defect potholes across the county. However the prolonged wet weather of the last few months does not help matters when trying to make repairs to the highway. Phil Twiss added that the ‘report a problem’ website now looks somewhat different https://www.devon.gov.uk/roads-and-transport/report-a-problem/ To this Alasdair Bruce added that people should firstly report every relevant hole they find in the road and, secondly, regularly check that it hasn’t been removed from the online map before a successful repair, as this can affect insurance claims. If it has been removed, put it back on and keep doing so until the hole is fixed.
Finance. Members agreed the finances.
Crimes. Due to an ongoing error on the Police UK website which the force is aware of, it is not possible to report crime statistics.
Planning applications.
a) Land at Weston Park Devonshire Road – Construction of new industrial units (Use Class B2) – the clerk agreed to check whether this was another iteration of an application that had come before the parish council last year, to which there was no objection.
Road closures. 20 March: road to Catshayes closed to install sewer level equipment.
Broadband. Adam Powell reported that Richard Foord MP had accepted his invitation to a meeting on 4 th April to discuss the delay in rolling out superfast broadband. He has also invited representatives of other parishes similarly affected, and rural broadband campaigners. To share your experience of poor broadband in Gittisham village, please contact or telephone 07535 233558.
Footpaths Hayne Farm to Gittisham village. Adam Powell and Alex Rowe said they had met representatives of the Combe Estate and the Marker family to discuss a range of traffic-free routes between the new development and the village. The most likely option was a permissive path past the farm
shop and barns to the village along a serviceable farm track that ends by the old marlpit, as it might be more acceptable than a right of way. Conditions of use could be determined by the estate and could potentially be limited to certain times of year. The second route discussed was under the overgrown railway bridge at the Hayne Farm development to follow the hedgerows down to the minor road leading to the garden centre and village. If approved, in both cases the routes and conditions of use may change, as the built landscape is likely to change in the future.
Village play area. The clerk reported that the legal side of releasing the S106 funding for the outdoor ping pong table had been completed, and the parish council could now proceed to purchase the item. This was one of the most popular choices in the public consultation carried out before the pandemic.
Next meeting. Thursday 4 th April at 7.30pm in the parish room.
Of course, we know the answer and yes, the Parish Council is ‘on the case’. Those of us with a connection to the village wifi Voneus do have a fairly good service but it depends on the weather, foliage, pigeons in the way, etc. You do need to have a direct line of sight to the transmitters. Others are left with coping with little more than dial up, How is this affecting you? Your work, your education, your leisure, managing health, finances, etc. Do you feel disadvantaged? It’s not a money thing, it’s just not reached us here in the village. The Parish Council is meeting our MP next month and it will greatly strengthen our case if we can give him some anecdotes from people of all ages, backgrounds and careers. Please send your thoughts to or speak to one of your Parish Councillors. Thank you
The Equinox and Big Tides Hamish Hall
On the 20th March the sun will pass across the earth’s equator, moving from the southern hemisphere to the northern. This means the whole planet gets the same amount of sunlight and we have pretty much equal amounts of sunlight and nighttime (equi -nox). The sun will all rise due east and set due west wherever you are.
This is also a time when we often get high tides and this year is pretty special. On the 11th & 12th March, just after the new moon, we will have one of the highest and lowest set of predicted tides for the last eight years. This happens because the tidal forces are strengthened when the moon is closest to the earth in its elliptical orbit and enhanced when the sun is over the equator. The moon is almost at its closest to earth and on these dates (only 356,800km away, compared to 406,500km away in October). You may note that I;ve said predicted tides as the atmospheric pressure and strength of the wind can make big changes to both the height and the time of the tides
Wash out winter ! Jack Bartlett
Rain rain go away, come back another day! It’s been a while since I’ve written, but the weather hasn’t changed much! It really does need to dry up now, fields are saturated and just can’t take any more. The field work needs to begin but we can’t even get into the fields without making a mess. Slurry needs to be applied for nutrients to this coming years crops, and bagged fertiliser for the same reason. We also need to roll the grass fields, this smooths out any lumps, bumps and molehills so that when we cut the grass the mowers don’t hit these lumps and bumps. Soil contamination in the silage doesn’t make for a good feed.
The wet weather doesn’t mean we haven’t had much to, winter time means all the animals are tucked away in the sheds keeping dry, which means lots of feeding, scraping slurry and bedding up! We are also calving a lot of cows and heifers at the moment too, in just one day this week 7 calves were born! They like to keep us on our toes.
You may have seen lots of sheep around, these have done a good job eating down the excess grass through the winter, which in turn helps for making good quality silage in the summer. As the grass is nice and young & fresh.
Some fields will also be turned over and planted to maize, lots to happen in the next couple months!
Some of you will have noticed the track we have built to Catshayes, although still not completely finished yet, this has made a huge difference to get to and back from Catshayes without going all around the village. This will also help with some of the summer tractor traffic.
Hamish, Nick, Sue, Alex, Janet, Bill, Stephen, Maggie, Terry, Pierre
Apologies
Cordelia, Stella
Next meet
Tuesday 9 th April
Item
Details
Actions outstanding / rolled over from previous meeting
Hamish to pass box of files to new Treasurer. Hamish to advertise for a new Treasurer – note to go into April Gazette, including details on stipend. The action remains for us to explore grant options. Hamish to apply for community grant, Alex to try again with lottery fund, but other options available as well. See also summary of grant application discussion in ‘Treasurer’s Report’ section of minutes.
Treasurer’s report
Janet presented accounts. See screengrab in annexe. Hamish needs to submit Burns Night expenditure before accounts closed for year; Helen Hayman needs to be refunded for the auction of promises costs. £1700 has been drawn down from Redwood Bank to pay for the boiler but it will not clear before the Ides of March, so the accounts are currently light. Hamish presented an analysis of hall utilisation, costs and income for the year. The committee expressed its thanks to Carol Hall who has done so much to drive bookings through the year – we have done well, particularly on private functions. In spite (/because of) the high utilisation rate our costs are exceeding our income. This is significantly the case if the costs for the new boiler are included in year’s outgoings, but also true if this large capital expenditures is taken out. The committee agreed that ultimately our hiring costs are too low and that we need to increase them to cover our outgoings. Hamish’s presented an analysis which suggests that eradicating our current variable charging rates and charging a flat £17 an hour would meet our full fat costs for the year. Counter-arguments to this proposal: 1) some of the committee wished to see the cheaper rate retained for parishioners; 2) this flat hourly rate would be felt more significantly by those renting the hall for full days or for significant numbers of hours – a cheaper rate for bookings of long duration could perhaps be retained. Hamish agreed to rework his analysis and present a further proposal at the April meeting. Thank you Hamish. New proposal to include for consideration: a cost base with the 2023/24 significant capital expenditure costs (the boiler replacement) removed, so that subsequent price increases do not need to be so steep; separate rates for parishioners and non parishioners; a cheaper rate for longer bookings; and a hike in wedding costs(?). The committee discussed grants. Nick made the point that we need to settle on an agreed hierarchy of improvement works and engage with grant applications – we may need a sub-committee or a named lead to drive this forwards. For further discussion at next meeting. To support grant work Alex agreed to attend the open days at Membury and Chardstock Village Halls on behalf of the committee and explore some of their funding solutions – thank you Alex. We also agreed to put a questionnaire in the gazette about hall use. This would provide insight into how the parish want the hall to be used and also provide valuable evidence when submitting grant applications. The article / questionnaire should also reference National Village Hall week, coming up this month.
Maintenance
Shed roof is badly damaged. Ply has come off and it needs a temporary tarpaulin, then refelting. Alex has approached Len about the tarpauline – please update when you know more. The longer-term fix will need to be deferred for a month or so but when it happens Nick is bringing buns. The church has stirling (?)board going free that can be used. To return to this at April meeting. The meeting agreed that Hani could remove the dilapidated shed, provided it was disposed of in a reasonable manner. £250. At the same time Hani can repaint around the new boiler flue. Stephen to approach. Big thanks to Alex for unblocking the toilet. Are toilets blocking more due to underlying problem with drains? Inconclusive discussion. Tap needs a new washer. Hamish will do it, thank you Hamish. Hamish may wish to borrow David’s regrinder tool. The picture of the Gittisham football team has cracked glass frame – Stephen to get sorted at Honiton Glass.
Future events
We agreed a St George’s Day quiz, Saturday 20 th April, Nick as quizmaster. Thank you Nick. And a ploughman’s supper – thank you Sue (I think you are leading but apologies if not in fact agreed?). £7 on the door and, as with Burns Night, you have to book ahead. Advertise in the Gazette along with Nick’s number. Nick to advertise. March skittles event was deferred. We will reschedule at next meeting. We agreed to rerun the Father’s Day BBQ – no date agreed but presumably Sunday 16 th June.
Other ideas discussed but not yet agreed: Live music… Midsummer ceilidh Art exhibition with scones… Hosting the pizza van…
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
Gittisham Parish Hall Accounts – 1st April 2023 to 31 March 2024
Gittisham Parish Hall Accounts – 1st April 2023 to 31 March 2024
INCOME
EXPENDITURE
2022/23
1.04.22- 29.02.23
1.04.23 – 29.02.24
2022/23
1.04.22-29.02.23.23
1.04.23-29.02.24
Balance brought forward
6,258.80
Insurance
643.79
643.79
690.38
Non-domestic rates
0.00
0.00
0.00
Hire of Hall
4,953.50
4,716.56
5,476.75
Cleaning/grass cutting
748.57
748.57
803.62
Social Events
1,791.04
1,767.44
1,371.36
Maintenance/Equipment
3,624.97
3,543.03
3,857.93
Interest
226.48
0.00
0.00
Water/Gas/Electric
2,173.82
2,064.37
2,698.17
Miscellaneous
175.98
175.98
5.91
Miscellaneous(inc. bank charges)
269.50
261.37
991.84
9041.94
Balance
4070.88
Total
13112.82
13112.82
Redwood Deposit A/c
£26,811.22
Total income from Burns night Cash £343.08+ Sum Up £182.86
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