Gazette

			Gittisham Gazette	November ‘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 31^st 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 29^th 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

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!

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

What’s On?    at the village hall

Sunday 16^th June 12noon   Father’s Day BBQ lunch and table tennis tournament             

Village Hall AGM                   Tuesday 2^nd July

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

FitforLife class every Tuesday morning

Yoga with Alison             3^rd 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 23^rd June

• Forage in the wild area
• Create a collage
• Make a bee hotel
• Plant a wild flower-seed bomb

Gittisham Fete 31^st 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 16^th 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.

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: 

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

What’s On?         at the village hall

Sunday 12^th May 10-4 Pierre’s Café             07545 214940

Skittles                   Saturday 18^th May

Cake decorating         29^th May homeMeadbake

Father’s Day barbecue Sunday 16^th June

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

FitforLife class every Tuesday morning

Yoga with Alison           3^rd 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 7^th 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 31^st 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 18^th   Coffee Together in the Parish Room

May 21^st 7pm           APCM Tuesday  May  in the Church

Sunday May 26^th           No service

Honiton Beehive

Singalong Encanto   11^th 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.

Flower and Produce Show

At the Village Hall on Saturday 3rd August 

Potato bucket weigh in at 3:15pm

Show opens 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

St Michael’s Church, Gittisham

St Michael’s 200 Club  

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 21^st 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 6^th June 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: 

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

What’s On?   Community Kitchen     A free hot meal for all at the village hall every Thursday at 6.30pm   Sunday 14th April 10-4 Pierre’s Café         07545 214940   Saturday 20th April 7.30pm St George’s Day Quiz at the village hall   Honiton Beehive WICKED LITTLE LETTERS (15) Fri 19 Apr – 7.30pm A 1920s English seaside town bears witness to a sinister scandal in this riotous mystery comedy. Based on a stranger than fiction true story, follows two neighbours: Edith Swan (Olivia Colman) & Rose Gooding (Jessie Buckley).     200 Club Winners   Details available from Julia Barratt   Sunday Services        Details available from Julia Barratt St George’s Day Quiz Saturday 20th April 7.30pm Teams of up to 6 £7 per head including ploughmans supper Contact Nick to book 07973 797447

How’s your broadband?

The government promised national coverage at speeds at or above 24mb/s by 2024, currently most of Gittisham village and most surrounding dwellings achieve less than 10mb/s many as low as 2mb/s.

The Parish Council has contacted and met with our MP Richard Foorde to explain our situation and the delays we’ve experienced. He was given examples that show how inadequate broadband affects our lives of people. More case studies from around the village would be helpful. Please get in touch 07535233558

Grain To Cream Edmond Hayman

It wouldn’t be an appropriate article about farm life if I didn’t first have a moan about the weather. The fields are still saturated and the forecast equally miserable. As you can imagine, this has made for a challenging spring so far, with limited opportunity to get out on the fields and slurry storage nearing capacity. Some of you may have seen that additional slurry storage is being constructed in the form of a clay lined lagoon, although it currently resembles a large duck pond, we hope it will be completed for the coming winter. This will give us the flexibility of spreading slurry when crops require it most, allowing for better nutrient management and less reliance on bought-in fertiliser. On a brighter note than the weather, we have made some notable gains to animal welfare after investing in new calf housing last winter. These ‘Optimum Climate Calf Barns’ (The name hasn’t stuck), are insulated modular pens, which keep our youngest calves out of the elements, and can be easily disinfected between batches. So far, the results have been promising, with a reduction in pneumonia cases and higher growth rates. This early stage for the beef and dairy calves’ is crucial for health and performance in later life. I’ve been back at Gittisham Farm now since last summer, and it’s been great to apply some knowledge gained from Harper Adams in a practical setting, which for Dad has probably been a pain in the backside.

Jokes aside we seem to be working well together. That may change when he sees that I’ve just hijacked his treasured gazette article. Maybe we’ll just have to share it

Gittisham Fete August 31st 2024

St Michael’s Church, Gittisham

St Michael’s has been the focus of spiritual life in Gittisham for over 600 years. The first reference to the original church is in 1244. It was built, or partly so, in 1321 and named St Michael’s – though it was not at that time dedicated to this Saint and it is therefore thought that an earlier church may have existed on the same site. The actual date of dedication is not known but there is a record of the order for dedication being made in 1331 and in1498 mentioned in the will of Thomas Colpriest.  

The church stands in the centre of the village set back from the Village Green. It is built of dressed flint, with lime mortar render and is in the early English and Perpendicular styles. Distinctive architectural features include; C18th Box Pews installed in 1715; a wagon roof; a collection of hatchments; several stained glass windows and monuments and memorials to the Beaumont, Putt and Marker families – the successive owners of the Combe Estate.  There is also a Georgian West Gallery not currently accessible to the public and some interesting carvings on stone pillars including a Green Man.

The churchyard wall was built in 1720 and the oldest grave on which the inscription is still legible is dated 1616. The present Lych- Gate was erected after the Second World War and also serves as a war memorial.  

Contact Lay Minister, Julia Barrett, for details email:

07763 11136

How is your broadband ? – meetings and media campaigns

Firstly thank you to all of you who sent in witness statements about the poor broadband service you are getting in Gittisham, and the ways it negatively impacts your lives. I was able to hand three of these strongly worded statements to our MP, Richard Foord, when three Gittisham Parish Councillors (Alex Rowe, Maggie Walker, Adam Powell) met up with him recently to discuss improving broadband speeds in the Parish, specifically to get fibre connection. Richard listened carefully, we explained the uneven broadband speeds in the Parish. It was good to have Alex and Maggie present, as long-term residents as they know the history of failed attempts to install fibre connection. Four points came out of our hour-long meeting. On Richard’s part he would chivvy up the staff responsible for digital connections at Devon County Council, he had spoken up for Gittisham on this matter two years ago, so it was about time he went back to them. Secondly, Richard said he would raise the matter again with the digital minister in parliament, John Widdingdale, this may lead to more questions being asked in the House of Commons.

For our part, Richard suggested we start a media campaign to highlight the issue. Lastly, It was also suggested we work as closely as we can with the Combe Estate in achieving fibre connectivity across the Parish.

We thanked Richard for his interest and time, he didn’t over promise, but I believe he will fight our corner.

So, we need to start a media campaign! I’m sure there is someone out there reading this that can help us with this….

From my limited research a ‘media campaign’ requires three elements ;

1. Data – of download and upload speeds and how these relate to targets, the rest of

the country, dare I say to Europe.

2. Case histories – Specifically how does it affect your lives; ability to working from

home, access to health care, studying, and entertainment.

3. Collective action – this could be a petition, letters to the minister, a strike or demonstration, or probably just a group photo of those affected with a statement. With some or all of the above we will be ready to contact the media ( local and national papers, radio and TV and posts on social media). We need to provide the information, then we can get help on how it is presented. All help and ideas on the above are welcome.

A few facts about broadband.

The government promised national coverage at speeds at or above 24mb/s by 2024,

currently most of Gittisham village and most surrounding dwellings achieve less than

10mb/s many as low as 2mb/s. Would anybody like to help with a poll around residents?

Over £15 million provided for rural fibre connection has been clawed back to Devon

and Somerset County Council.

If you live within 1.6 km of a telephone connection box served with fibre your broadband speeds maybe adequate, unfortunately Gittisham village is further than this from the box at Fenny Bridges and the one opposite Lidl.

I could tell you more….much more

We need more witness statements, how does this effect you?

We need help with our ‘media campaign’, creative ideas please.

Contact Adam Powell on behalf of Gittisham Parish Council 07535233558

PARISH COUNCIL – APRIL 2023 REPORT

Six councillors met for the April meeting.

Public toilets. Alasdair Bruce (EDDC) had emailed the parish council in his absence to tell councillors about a decision taken last week at EDDC’s planning committee. Two public toilet blocks are to be removed and replaced by an ugly pay to use prefab literally craned into place. One in Honiton and the other in Budleigh Salterton. Cllr Bruce said he had always been of the belief that it should be a right to use a public convenience for free. He was

appalled by the decision, and felt it was a backward step to now be faced with the option of needing to use this grotesque monstrosity, in place of the previous sanctuary of relief, and pay for the privilege. Neither buildings contribute any aesthetic value whatsoever to these towns, and to many this change will become a contributing factor in the calculation of a shopping trip out. So in future the public and visitors in Honiton are faced with either

paying to pee (providing the locks work), relying on the good graces of a certain coffee shop, or, use the facilities of the large church and leave a contribution.

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.

1 Beaumonts Cottages, Gittisham – T1, Willow: pollard to approximately 8m above ground level; maximum diameter cuts of 20cm; western limb over building; reduce to 3m off main stem. Councillors had no objections to this application.

Road closures. 20 May–7 June 2024 road through Alfington is closed for water works.

Broadband.

Adam Powell reported that he, Maggie Walker and Alex Rowe had met Richard Foord MP earlier in the day to discuss the delay in rolling out superfast broadband. The MP has agreed to follow up with Devon County Council as well as the Digital Minister in Parliament. It appears that Gittisham parish is no longer on the list of locations for

Airband, the remaining full fibre broadband infrastructure provider in the area. Members thanked Adam Powell for raising the profile of the lack of decent broadband. To share your experience of poor broadband in Gittisham village, please contact or telephone 07535 233558.

Hayne Farm play area.

Janet Twist reported that residents of the Hayne Farm development had been repeating their calls for the play area there to be improved. Members agreed that until the ownership of the land had been established on a more permanent footing (likely in two years’ time), the parish council was limited in what support it could provide. It had been pointed out on previous occasions that the equipment in the village play area was provided through fundraising, not capital expenditure. The parish council is happy to assist with providing advice / support on fundraising. Councillors agreed to invite Baker Estates to a parish council meeting to provide an update on the development, and answer concerns raised by residents about the play area to understand where, if at all, the parish council might be able to get involved.

Next meeting. Thursday 2 nd May at 7.30pm in the parish room. This is also the annual parish meeting. All welcome.

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:                   

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.

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

How’s your broadband?

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.

Bring on summer !

What’s On?                    Village hall   Auction of promises Saturday 10th February   Pierre’s Kitchen Sunday, Feb 11th   Tip Tip Toe Tuesday, Feb 13th 4.30 pm Open to all children from the parish. Bring a plate of party food.   Skittles and family fun Friday 1st March   Church Services Sunday, Feb 11th 11 am Holy Communion, St Paul’s Honiton with Bishop Jackie   Ash Wednesday, Feb 14th Holy Communion Imposition of Ashes St Paul’s Honiton 11 am & 7 pm St Michael’s Imposition of Ashes 7pm   Sunday, Feb 25th 11 am Holy Communion     Job Vacancy Village Hall Treasurer Details from Hamish Hall 07880 178297

Haggis and dancing at the village hall (Midweek Herald)   A wonderful write-up in the Midweek Herald about our legendary Burn’s Night celebration at the village hall “Haggis, mashed potatoes swedes were served followed by a trio of tray bakes with ice cream. To say the food was delicious is an understatement as it truly was outstanding and there were even seconds for everyone who could manage it after the generous first helpings.” A well-stocked raffle followed, with lovely prizes. Winnie from the Honiton Carers said “Folk dancing followed with caller Mary who as usually kept us going nonstop. This is definitely a highlight of the evening as so much fun is had by all the participants who try to carry out Mary’s instructions with much enthusiasm. “Thank you to organiser Hamish and the committee for allowing us to join them all again this year. We will definitely be back next year, as this is an evening not to be missed for sure.” Get in touch with Win on  or phone 07974 636926, to find out more about the Honiton Carers.   Honiton Youth Club are looking for a fun and dynamic person to join our youth club sessions as a paid, part-time support worker. You’ll be supporting the Lead Youth Worker on Tuesday and Thursday evenings to support and engage the young people and children of Honiton. Experience with young people is highly desired, qualifications are not essential.

Broadband

Please share your experience of issues caused by the continuing delay in installing superfast broadband in Gittisham village with your Parish Council via or telephone 07535 233558.

PARISH COUNCIL – FEBRUARY 2024 REPORT

Five councillors met for the February meeting. Alasdair Bruce (EDDC) was also present.

Water quality. The focus on seawater bathing quality is a hot topic at present and rightly so, said Alasdair Bruce. He explained there is much anecdotal evidence from outdoor swimmers of a major deterioration in the quality of our coastal waters. Many experience stomach illness and ear infections, even dog walkers tell him their animals are sometimes poorly after a stroll on the beach. With this in mind, Alasdair Bruce thought the parish might be interested in some figures recently released by the EDDC coastal officer:

Permitted Discharges from CSOs (storm overflow discharge): In total in 2023 there were the following (the number in brackets is the number that fell within the formal bathing season May 15th  September 30th) Sandy Bay 21 (8), Exmouth 40 (15), Budleigh 44 (15), Sidmouth 28 (10) Beer 32 (13), Seaton 31(12). Given that in their Water Fit document South West Water commits to achieving no more than 20 discharges at any given beach, this is pretty poor performance.

Devolution. In his absence, Phil Twiss sent a report explaining that the Government had published proposals for a deal that could re-draw the future relationship between local government in Devon, Torbay and Whitehall. It’s hoped that additional powers with the cash that follows will happen in future years. This would enable more decisions to be made locally by people who know their areas best and on things that matter to local people such as building more affordable homes, investing in new quality jobs and skills, and improving public transport.

Finance. Members agreed on the finances.

Crimes. Due to an ongoing error on the Police UK website, it is not possible to report crime statistics.

Planning applications.

a) 8 Campion Way, Honiton – T1, Oak approx. 14 metres high and 14 metres wide at all points; to pollard back to the previous pollard position when work was last carried out in 2016. No objection.

b) Rapshayes Farm, Gittisham – Variation of condition 2 (approved plans) of planning permission 20/0782/LBC (Conversion of barn to holiday accommodation) to change the proposed roof covering from clay Roman tiles to natural slate. No objection.

c) Kings Arms Farm Nags Head Road, Gittisham– House of multiple occupation (HMO), that provides individual living-rooms for vulnerable people; the facility includes communal areas for socialising, cooking and dining set with private and secure gardens. No objection.

Road closures. 20 March: the road to Catshayes closed to install sewer-level equipment.

Broadband. Adam Powell said he had drafted a letter to Richard Foorde MP regarding the continuing delay of installing superfast broadband in Gittisham village. Councillors agreed he should use the village WhatsApp group to build a picture of the issues people experience. To share your experience, please contact or telephone 07535 233558.

Play area. The clerk reported that she had accepted the offer of a free silver birch tree from Devon Wildlife Trust. The organisation is offering parish councils in East Devon, North Devon and Torridge a “landmark” tree to help combat the devastating effect Ash Dieback is having on the landscape.

Next meeting. Thursday 7th March at 7.30 pm 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