Burrator

BEACON

Summer 2019

Summer’s here!

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Editorial – Karen Batson Welcome to the Summer issue of the Burrator Beacon. As you will already have noticed, the magazine is now being printed in ‘glorious technicolor’, which gives much more scope to make it more visually attractive. Please do consider sending in photos of interest from our surrounding area, especially with the front page in mind. The autumn issue of the Burrator Beacon will be published at the end of August. Deadline for copy will be Tuesday 6th August, at the latest. That issue will cover the months up until the end of November 2019. Don’t forget, this is your magazine for your parish, so we would like to hear from you! Do consider writing a piece about anything of interest. Please send all submissions as Word attachments, as this makes the cut and pasting process much simpler!

Parish Clerk’s Report – Lucie Luke The election process saw eight uncontested seats allocated leaving EIGHT vacancies. To fill these vacancies and support your fellow Parish Councillors, please telephone the Clerk 01822 614278 or email theclerk@burrator.gov.uk with a brief resume including confirmation that you have resided in the Parish for at least 12 months. Little time is needed, only 10 Council meetings a year, if you can’t make a meeting, we only ask that you read current matters through and make any views/comments known via the Clerk. As you can see the Parish Council voted to print the Burrator Beacon in colour from now on, giving value for money for our advertisers and to maximise publicity for local events. After a successful application to the Communities Together Fund, the Parish Council successfully sourced four defibrillators which will be in place at Walkhampton Memorial Hall, The Burrator Inn, Meavy Parish Hall & the toilet block at Burrator Dam. The Planning Committee have recently been consulted on the following applications with the Parish Council’s comments in bold: 0085/19 Proposed erection of agricultural livestock building, land part of Tor Royal Farm, Princetown. OBJECTION 0072/19 Proposed removal of condition number 5 of approved planning permission 0149/13 to allow the use of lights during the period 1 October to 1 April, land at Woodmans Corner, Dousland. SUPPORTED 0078/19 Proposed erection of two storey extension, Withill Farm, Sampford Spiney. SUPPORTED 0073/19 Proposed demolition of existing shed and erect single storey extension, 1 Timbers, Yelverton Road, Walkhampton. SUPPORTED The first phase of maintenance to the Meavy Oak Tree has been successfully completed. The Parish Council will now consider other recommendations for the immediate area around the tree and also pruning works to the second Oak. The long awaited correction of inscription has also been completed on the War Memorial with all lettering refurbished.

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This year the Royal Oak Inn Committee will be looking at replacement/refurbishment of windows at the Inn and also taking specialist advice on refurbishment of the cobbled area.

Village Halls

Please support our local village halls for your meetings, parties and activities. All the halls have disabled access and they vary in size and facilities so one of them will suit your requirements. All the Halls are run by willing volunteers who strive to keep them in good repair providing vital facilities for our communities.

Meavy Parish Hall Alison Stoker 853389

Sheepstor Village Hall Patrick Drennan 853186

Walkhampton Memorial Hall Sheila Glanville 859215

They will be able to advise you on availability, hire charges and terms & conditions of hire.

What’s on in Sheepstor… Sheepstor Villages in Action - May 2019 Patrick Drennan - Sheepstor Villages in Action promoter The Drystones concert on Saturday April 13th, although not a sell out, was very successful, with an audience of 58 enjoying the foot tapping upbeat music and the great banter. They did even manage to get some audience participation. Once again some of the regular punters commented that it was the best concert yet and asked if could we have them back again in the future. The Sheepstor gig was Alex Garden and Ford Collier’s first of their Spring tour promoting their new album so we wish them well. Thankyou to Esther, Mark, Simon, Suzanne and Trevor for their help. Villages in Action, now under the Carn to Cove leadership will receive a cheque for £ 430+, and Friends of St Leonard’s Church Sheepstor and Sheepstor Village Hall will split the remaining profit of just under £300 between them. On reflection, numbers may have been down on the last few concerts because of the being held later than our usual early spring time, so it coincided with lambing, and it was also in the Easter holidays, so some regulars may have been on school holidays. The only disappointment for me was that the performers had been told by C2C that accommodation was not on offer, so had made other arrangements for an overnight stay. Devon VIA has always made a promise that promoters would arrange for free accommodation for their performers, and for us promoters it’s part of the fun so it was news to me and something more to be sorted out with the new management! The next concert will be on Saturday August 24th at 7.30 pm, with the Tamar Valley Male Voice Choir making their debut in St Leonard’s Church. 30 of them will be singing a varied repertoire, both secular and religious. As far as I’m aware there has never been a choir that size singing in this church so the sound should be amazing.

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Doors will open at 6.45 pm, with refreshments available from that time. Pre booked tickets will be £9 adult, £7 child, with tickets on the door at £10, all available from myself at drdartmoor@doctors.org.uk or 01822 853186. This is not a VIA performance, and TVMVC have very generously agreed to perform for a reduced fee as they know that all the profits will be going to the two local Sheepstor charities of FOSLCS and SVH. My thanks as always to SVHC & Sheepstor PCC for acting as financial backers. Finally, the VIA Autumn 2019 menu is published and Simon & I are perusing it as I write, to try and choose something for your delight and entertainment this autumn. C2C’s agenda is very much steered towards theatre and performing arts, which is tricky for our particular location, but maybe after seeing how 30+ choristers manage to swing from the rood screen we might have a go in that direction. However there are at least five acts that are music based of a genre similar to past concerts here so I’m sure you won’t be disappointed with whatever choices we make.

and Walkhampton…

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76th Walkhampton Flower & Produce Show

What’s new for 2019?

This year, our community school, Lady Modiford’s, celebrates turning 300. The Flower & Produce Show would like to honour this with a special sunflower category for all children to enter. In addition, to mark 300 years of growth, the school aims to fill the village with sunflowers as a visible sign of how important the school is within our community. Sunflower seeds have been delivered to every house in the village.

Floral Art ‘Musicals’ is the theme of this year’s floral arrangement. ’50 shades of green’ is an exciting new class for arrangements using foliage only.

Cookery There have been a few changes to the cookery classes this year. Look out for the schedule for full details, but highlights include… A new garden-related class, a cake made with vegetables. A bottle of any non-alcoholic drink.

Photography This year’s classes are ‘animals, insects or birds’, ‘candlelight or moonlight’ and ‘candid’ (captures emotion).

Children’s Classes A picture or collage of a sunflower to commemorate Lady Modiford’s 300 years. A new class has been introduced for painted pebbles.

Scarecrow & Most Welcoming Front Door Both classes return for 2019 with a scarecrow theme of ‘schooldays’. Full details of the above and all other classes can be found in the show schedule, available from Long Ash Garden Centre, Dousland Stores & Yelverton Garage.

See you at the show!

Saturday 24th August 2019 Walkhampton Memorial Hall

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and Meavy….

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Meavy Oak Fair 2019

Meavy Oak Fair is a traditional village fair held in the village of Meavy, one mile from Yelverton. The long running Fair is always held on the third Saturday in June, which this year is Saturday 15th June 2019. The Fair starts at 2pm with a pageant by all pupils at Meavy Primary School and the renowned Burrator Horseshoe Run, which attracts over 150 runners, sets off at 2:30pm starting and finishing at the village green. There is a family dog show and a variety of attractions including children’s games, a bouncy castle, Dartmoor hill ponies, food and drink, plants and trade stalls. Many people from surrounding towns and villages attend the Fair. We are offering organisations and individuals the opportunity of having a stall at the Fair for just £16. Please visit http://www.meavy.org.uk/oakfair.htm to make an application.

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MEAVY GARDEN SOCIETY Monday 17th June 2019 Talk on` RHS Rosemoor`

By the Curator: Jonathan Webster Thursday 20th June

Coach outing to RHS Rosemoor Monday 15th July

Talk on `Poisons in the Garden` by Dr Frances Howard Saturday 10th August

Summer show 1-4pm. Teas and Raffle

All meetings start at 7.30pm in Meavy Parish Hall. Refreshments, time to chat and often plants for sale from 7pm.

Enquiries 01822 852672 or 01822 852984 Visit www.meavy.org.uk/mgs

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St Peter’s Meavy Church Clock Sarah Gordon If you live in Meavy, or have visited recently you may have noticed that the church clock has stopped working – although the bell is still sounding the hours. The clock is over 130 years old and has a well documented history. The clock was designed and built by Thwaite and Reed of Clerkenwell in London, in 1887 to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Jubilee. The cost at the time was £84. Over the years the clock has been overhauled and repaired with a new dial in 1964 and again in 1982. It is interesting to note that in 1982 Smiths of Derby quoted £582 for work needed, over seven times the cost of the original clock! Today it is still wound by hand twice a week as it has been for the last 131 years and there are no plans to convert it to automatic winding. The church’s five yearly inspection plan identified that the clock dial also needs restoration and regilding.It makes sense that the major repair to the clock mechanism and the restoration of the clockface be carried out at the same time. It is planned that this will all take place in August 2019. The cost of the repairs to the clock will be £6000 and we are already very grateful for an anonymous donation of £1000. The church council need to raise funds to pay for the clock and will be approaching grant-giving bodies to help. We will also be holding fund raising events for this and other essential repairs over the summer. We very much hope that as the clock is at the heart of village life, standing next to the Royal Oak Inn and overlooking the village green that many in our local community would wish to help by donating or helping with fundraising events in the months ahead.

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New Finger Post at Walkhampton Bridge Andy Paskins

Residents and visitors to Walkhampton Village may have noticed the new finger post put in place by DCC Highways, adjacent to the bridge over the Blackbrook, to replace the old one which was rotten and had fallen over. When the contractor came to install the new sign, he wasn’t sure where to put it and asked a local resident who told him the old one was located in the middle of the Blackbrook. This seemed a little strange and the contractor found the old stump and located the new sign where you see it today.

However, the resident has provided me with a photograph of the “old” sign which clearly shows it to be located in the middle of the Blackbrook.

Given the “mini” in the old photograph, quite a few Walkhampton residents probably remember where the old sign was located. The photograph also clearly shows the thick hedge originally surrounding the village green.

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300 Years of Growth at Lady Modiford’s School Corinne Shutt This year, as we celebrate the 300th year of Lady Modiford’s School in Walkhampton, we continue with the project to fill the village with sunflowers in late summer and autumn as a visible sign of how important the school is within the community. In March every child in the school was given a small packet of seeds to take home. This was accompanied by information and instructions on how to grow, water and nurture the seedlings. We hope the children will enjoy seeing how the seeds grow and develop into tall beautiful sunflowers and learn to recognise the insects that visit them to collect the pollen. Likewise, each home in the village (and also some in the surrounding areas) have received a mixed selection of sunflower seeds to adorn their front doors and gardens in pots or flower beds. So now we wait and see! It is not too late to start your seeds off inside and harden them off on warm, sunny days. Alternatively, once the frosts have gone, in May, they can be planted directly outside. Anyone wanting more seeds or advice can contact Caroline, by telephone (01822 853377).

West Dartmoor Federation Schools Gavin Hamilton – Executive Headteacher As usual, this year has been a busy one at the West Dartmoor Federation especially with Lady Modiford’s celebrating its 300th Anniversary. Here are some of the exciting events that have happened over this year or are still planned to happen before the summer. We hope this gives a flavour of the exciting learning opportunities the staff afford the children across the schools. This year is an important year for Lady Modiford's as we celebrate our 300th year. This is being marked by a series of events over the year. We initially unearthed a time capsule buried 25 years ago by former pupils, some of whom are parents of our current children. We invited members of the school from that time to come and help us. We have also held a soup evening. During our research of the school's history, we found a recipe for a soup which was provided for lunch for children who travelled in from distance. The recipe provided the stimulus to hold our own soup evening, allowing families from school and members of the community to come and share soup made by the children. ‘Morrisons’ very kindly supported our evening and donated bread rolls.

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Later this year, we are looking forward to a Garden Tea party in June, where we hope to bury our own capsule and return the work of the former pupils to be discovered again in the future. In September, we are going to be holding a Church service which will be attended by the Bishop of Exeter. To raise the profile of reading for pleasure, both schools took part in the ‘Extreme Reading’ challenge. The idea was for both children and staff to have a photo taken of them reading in the most extreme of conditions. We had some fantastic entries with children reading in a jet simulator, whilst enjoying a bath, skiing in the snow and whilst doing gymnastics to name but a few. This will be a continuous challenge and we are looking forward to more extreme photos! Grandparents and parents recently joined us for an afternoon of digging, planting and weeding as we worked together at both sites. This was also on a Grounds Day at Lady Modiford’s. A raised planter was carefully constructed with the children and then a variety of herbs, kindly donated by Pukka Herbs, were planted. At Lady Modiford’s, the next job for our enthusiastic grandparents and parents was to get to work on planting up the polytunnel with strawberries, salad leaves, peas, peppers, broccoli and mini cucumbers. At Meavy the gardening club is working on the eco-friendly greenhouse and planting up the raised beds. Both schools have also had several cake sales over the year. One stuck in the memory at each site. At Meavy, after researching Christian charities for RE, a child decided independently to raise money to help Guatemalan children and at Lady Modiford’s children decided to support a cancer charity. Children made the decision to do this themselves, an example of what the Church calls ‘courageous advocacy’. It is really great to see our pupils thinking about other people themselves and putting thought into action. The schools also rehearsed offerings for our Easter services. At Meavy, children asked the congregation to weave a flower through a large cross and at Lady Modiford’s Hound Tor class took the lead and presented a fabulous Easter play. It is lovely to see the children retell such an important event in different ways in both our local churches. As part of the 300 years celebrations the children have been learning about: the history of space travel, different artists over the past 300 years, famous landmarks and buildings and the history of Lady Modifords school (this included a visit from Lady Modyford herself who relayed her life story to the children – an inspired performance by Mrs Shutt). Additionally, our Year 6 children will be taking their SATs shortly and after a hardworking year preparing for them, we wish them every success. Perhaps one of the great joys of being in a small village school is that we get an opportunity to continue traditions which may not be feasible in a large town school. Lady Modiford’s carried on the annual pancake race round the village which is always a joyous occasion. We thank the motorists who bore with us as the racing took place. On the sporting front, Lady Modiford’s won 1st prize in the small school swimming contest and 3rd prize in the small school cross country whilst Meavy came 1st in the cross country and put up a great showing in the tag rugby. We take part in a wide variety of sporting events organised in and around the Tavistock area and the children compete very well win, lose or draw. We are also very fortunate to

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have a child who competes for Devon in athletics and a young man whose show jumping prowess has led him into competing for England in his age group. We are very proud of the ‘have a go’ attitude of all our children. As small schools we rely on the goodwill of staff, parents and friends alike to support us and all the events the children take part in. Can we also take this opportunity to thank everyone who has been involved with the schools, they are really appreciated and make a difference to our children’s experiences.

Yelverton & District Local History Society Nigel Rendle (Chairman) Life on Dartmoor in WW1

Peter Mason’s talk through his use of letters, reminiscences and excellent images of people who lived in this period brought to life what was happening in those difficult times. Before the war tourism was flourishing, farming was recovering from depression but there was widespread industrial unrest. Emily Pankhurst was imprisoned in Exeter. Flower and agricultural shows were still in progress when war broke out. Military training started on the moor and young men flocked to join in the adventure – work on Castle Drogo stopped. Reservists were called up, horses requisitioned and amidst concerns about German spies ex poachers were recruited to stand guard. As initial enthusiasm for joining up to fight waned, recruitment marches were held across the country and many Dartmoor farmers held back. Letters read by Peter from anxious relatives emphasised the concerns with an increase in conscientious objectors. However, many schemes started to help the war effort and lots of locals were involved in fund raising events and the collection and processing of Sphagnum moss and foxglove leaves for wound dressings and pain relief. There were egg collection schemes, plus berries and conkers for use in cordite. Voluntary aid departments were set up across the moor and visits arranged to tend the returning wounded, even the Scouts were involved in providing teas and entertainment. The demand for timber for pit props in the trenches brought in workers including some of the conscientious objectors (the “Devon Knuts”) and others were brought into help with farming. 1916 also saw the birth of the Women’s Land Army who were

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trained at Seale Hayne and taught to plough, milk cows and drive tractors and other vehicles. Even prisoners of war were roped into help. Peter’s extracts from the memoirs of Cecil Torr and the suffragette Olive Hockin highlighted their involvement. Life continued as normal where at all possible despite the impact on schools of epidemics of mumps, chicken pox and measles. Scouts ran messages, Lustleigh May Day carried on and other social events continued to support the war effort. When the war ended in 1918 church bells rang again and detonators set off on the rail line into Lustleigh welcomed the home-comers. Armistice dinners were held (men only!). Empire Day was held in Ashburton in May 1919. The establishment of war memorials started to much discussion and controversy. The North Bovey lychgate was dedicated on the 10th Jan 1920, the official date of the WW1 Peace Treaty. Morwellham: Tavistock’s Port

Rick Stewart started off by emphasising the correct pronunciation of this settlement, the highest navigable point on the River Tamar. Benefitting from being on flat land it was probably used by the Romans from the nearby Calstock fort, growing further from the influence of Tavistock Abbey, and again from the 13th century onwards as tin mining on Dartmoor increased the river trade. Following the dissolution of the monasteries in 1538, the land was granted to the Duke of Bedford but it was rich men from Bristol that had the biggest influence on the development of the port by the 18th century. These men were traders who used slave monies to develop copper mines, smelting plants and factories in the Bristol area. When copper was discovered in the Tamar Valley and was easier to extract, their attentions and money moved south and the port experienced a period of boom and bust as the industry took off. The opening of the Tavistock canal in 1817 increased the flow of goods to and from the port and then in the 1840’s the richest copper lode in the world was discovered and the mine of Devon Great Consols opened. This created a huge mining boom with £1 shares trading at £800 a few years later and a massive increase in trade

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through the port. A 4.5-mile long railway was built in 1858 connecting to the port by an incline tramway and the building of the Great Dock doubled the port’s size. The Duke of Bedford built cottages for the miners, Tavistock was thriving and these were peak times. However, competition from Chile where opencast mining was cheaper led to a need to diversify and by the 1870’s the copper mine was now the largest producer of arsenic in the world, exporting this via the port to the US in huge quantities for use as an insecticide in the cotton fields . By 1905 this trade had ceased and the big mine closed and the port and quays fell into disuse. Increased leisure time and interest in history and industrial archaeology grew in the mid-20th century and in the 1970’s restoration work began on the area. A charitable trust was set up to start an open-air museum, the old George and Charlotte mine was re-opened and the Great Dock refurbished. The mid 1990’s recession led to further setbacks but the awarding of Unesco World Heritage Site status to the area gave a further boost to the port. Today, it is owned by private enterprise and its fascinating history lives on for all to see. Tavistock Canal and its History Simon Dell kicked off our 2019 programme with an historical stroll along the canal and a brief history of the man responsible for its construction, the mining engineer John Taylor. Taylor had made his name in the late 18th century as the mine captain of the Wheal Friendship complex in Mary Tavy, at the time the largest copper mine in the world and a major exporter of arsenic to the US for the control of the boll weevil.. Transporting of the ores by packhorse to the port of Morwellham was a real problem so Taylor came up with the idea of a canal and an Act of Parliament was passed in 1803 to enable work to begin. Initially using part of the old Crowndale Farm leat the canal took 14 years to complete over a distance of 4.5 miles. It flowed gently downhill along most of the way, negotiating 3 copper lodes with 24 waterwheels en route and required a 1.5- mile long tunnel. It was then connected to the port by means of an incline tramway. 38ft long wrought iron tug boats drawn by horses carried the ore down the canal bringing back grain, lime and coal. The ore was shipped to South Wales for smelting. Simon’s talk took us on a virtual journey along the canal starting at the take off point below Abbey Weir with its iconic leaf clearer! The canal flows under the old town grain store (now the Guide Hall) past the old Wharf offices and coal store through the Meadows and out of the town into the woodland beyond. It continues under an arched bridge stained blue with copper residue, over an aqueduct until it reaches Lumbur Bends with its lockgate and the amazing tunnel construction. An embankment formed from the tunnel excavations stands over a 0.5-mile incline to the copper lodes of Wheal Crebor mine with its own waterwheel. The tunnel passes underneath, extremely narrow with adits leading off, the walls coloured by yellow ochre. Standing in the field above are 3 8ft high air shafts which plunge 350ft

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vertically underground. It took the barges 2 hrs to negotiate the tunnel downstream and 3 hours back. In 1819 a branch of the canal called the Collateral Cut took a route up to the slate quarries at Mill Hill, with an accompanying horse drawn tramway. Although traces of this can still be found, much of it is on private property. Since 1933 the canal has been utilised by the hydro-electric Morwellham Power Station, connected by pipeline. Today, the canal because of its importance in mining and transportation history forms part of the Cornwall and West Devon World Heritage Site. Get your copy of our new superb Journal with 64 pages of interesting articles and colour photographs - now available at our events or direct from the Chairman for only £4. Full events programme is on our website plus summaries of other past events, see details on www.yelvertonhistory.org.uk

We meet at Princetown Community Centre on the first Tuesday of the month, at 19:00 for a 19:30 start.

5th March 2019 David Lemon - Building the Kariba Dam. (Change to programme)

2nd April 2019 Megan Lowe - Butterflies of Dartmoor. 7th May 2019 Jim McNeill - Exploration

princetownhistoryclub.weebly.com

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News from the Rotary Club of Yelverton May 2019 (Rotary International in Great Britain & Ireland) No. 1726: District 1175. Since the last update, we’ve assisted with the Laming Live at Greenwell Farm where a number of our Rotarians were fortunate enough to witness lambs being born. The event once again was highly successful with large numbers of children visiting both as school and family groups. Easter bonnets were blooming at our annual Spring Tea Party for the elderly, held in Yelverton Memorial Hall, a highly successful afternoon enjoyed by some 80 guests who attended and were treated to a glass of sherry on arrival, with entertainment by local musician and vocalist Brian Burley and songs from the 1940’s, 50’s and 60’s followed by a quiz. The highlight of the afternoon was the tea of sandwiches, cakes and jam and cream scones. We are grateful to the assistance provided by the Management and Staff at Tesco in Tavistock for their assistance with the food and help on the day. We have a car boot sale scheduled for Sunday 14th June at the Yelverton Memorial Ground. Our Rotary Club in conjunction with Yelverton Play Park Committee and with assistance from Okehampton Community Recreation Association will be holding a FREE Fun Sports and Craft Play Day event for Stage 1& 2 children from local PL20 villages – although other children from the local area or those on holiday in the area would not be excluded – ON WEDNESDAY 7th AUGUST 2019 10am to 3.00pm, on the moors/airfield opposite the Yelverton Play Park. As far as the Rotary Club itself is concerned, our membership evening generated interest from four potential new members from Burrator, Yelverton and Derriford. We have talks planned by Chris Bailey on ‘Tommy Atkins’, a feedback session from the Weir Quay Sea Cadets on their Trinity Sailing Foundation course, a game of croquet evening and a visit to Tavistock historic cemeteries. The Rotary Club of Yelverton welcomes new members, for more information please email yelvertonrotary@gmail.com or Facebook @yelvertonrotary For further information regarding this press release please contact Ken Farnham, Rotary Club of Yelverton Tel: 01822 853176 or 01822 853640.

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Burrator Reservoir News Emily Cannon – Community & Learning Officer Well the team here have had a busy spring, and we are really enjoying seeing so many bluebells, especially in the areas where the conifers were removed last winter as part of our forestry plan! The Monday & Tuesday volunteer groups continue to create wonderful furniture out of our Burrator wood, this time they have created a table and several benches for Tamar Lakes, constructed a bridge & path over the really boggy area between Longstone and Sheepstor Dam, and recently built a section of chestnut fencing. Over spring our midweek and weekend volunteer teams have been busy removing excess willow that were swamping the new broadleaves in one of our older deer fenced plantations, planted 1,000 deciduous trees in the compartment next to Sheepstor Dam (along with lots of other groups), and built 20 new bird boxes to replace those that have broken in the beech plantation. Our centre volunteers in addition to meeting & greeting visitors to the site, have been busy creating new activities and resources for our ever- popular family activity drop in days in the school holidays, and helping with school visits. In terms of formal learning opportunities we welcomed back Year 2 class from St Andrews Primary School, and parents, for their annual visit to explore day to night time, the Devon Home Education group for some practical conservation work, and ACE Primary to learn about bush craft skills. We also had our first visit from Friends & Families of Special Children, and Dame Hannah's have returned for their monthly evening sessions, starting off with woodwork and cooking on the camp-fire. Plus, our recent evening talks have covered Devon Rural Skills, Green Woodworking and Hydrology! We have enjoyed welcoming regular families and new ones to our school holiday family activity drop in days, in February we focused on birds, and April mini beasts and the signs of spring. For those attending our monthly family wildlife watch sessions we have looked in detail at moss, wild flowers and on Mother’s Day the group planted 35 trees near Sheepstor Dam and signed the tree stakes.

BFFA Meetings moved to BDC Don Brown Burrator Fly Fishers Association have now started to hold their monthly meetings at the reservoir’s Discovery Centre. Burrator Fly Fishers Association is a group dedicated to encouraging the practice of fly fishing at Burrator Reservoir and elsewhere. Using the Discovery Centre has enabled the association to develop its meetings into a more ’hands on’ style allowing for the development of practical skills as well as theoretical. At the last meeting the members enjoyed a fun casting competition, demonstrations about creating welded loops, a presentation on the best spots to boat fish at Burrator and all this was done at the same time as enjoying a barbecue! The members feel that the move to the Discovery Centre has certainly been positive for the group especially as it now meets at its home venue. Membership of the Burrator Fly Fishers is open to anyone who is genuinely interested in fly fishing. It

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doesn't matter if you are male or female, old or young, a beginner or an expert. All are welcome. The annual subscription is just £17.50 per year. More details available at www.burratorffa.org or at their facebook page …… facebook.com/BurratorFlyFishers/

Tavistock Student Ranger Programme in its second term Student Rangers is an innovative programme pioneered by PC Julian Fry, run by the Police, South West Lakes Trust and Tavistock College based at Burrator Reservoir. It is aimed at students aged between 11 and 16 who have been selected for a variety of reasons including having emotional or behavioural needs, difficulty engaging with other people and forming positive relationships, or otherwise identified as requiring extra-curricular support to build self-confidence, provide direction and develop their characters and self-esteem. The 10-week programme has involved pupils undertaking a series of practical conservation tasks alongside SWLT volunteers from the local community and participating in dedicated outdoor skills learning experiences where they have developed a wide variety of skills including survival and bush craft, personal safety on the moors and knife crime awareness. Police presence at these sessions has helped to break down barriers between the students and the police and has provided specific opportunities to carry out police related interventions and inputs (e.g. knife crime input following a survival skills demonstration where students are taught respect for blades and the law surrounding them). Police have also integrated with the local community and wider public through the practical volunteering days. Burrator reservoir is a honeypot site and visitor centre on Dartmoor and this project has also created an opportunity for a high degree of visibility for the Force in an area known for vehicle crime. "I passionately believe that the Student Ranger Project has sparked the imagination in our students and has helped to unlock their hidden creativity. All of the young people involved have come to understand how their decisions and actions affect the environment, increased their knowledge and the skills necessary to address complex environmental issues, as well as ways in which they can take action to keep our environment healthy and sustainable for the future. The more that outdoor learning opportunities like this for young people can be integrated into the curriculum, the more that the students become enthusiastic and engaged in learning, which raises their achievement in core academic areas." Andy Jerrett, Transition & Extended Learning Co-ordinator, Tavistock College.

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“This is our second Student Rangers programme, last autumn for our first programme we hosted 14 year 10 students. It has been a unique opportunity for us, SWLT, not only to work closely with Tavistock College and the Police, but equally to work with a group of young people over a period of time, seeing them develop confidence and new practical skills. The programme has also provided us with a unique opportunity for the young people and our volunteers to work together on practical conservation projects at Burrator and promote inter-generational collaboration.” Emily Cannon, Community & Learning Officer – Burrator, SWLT. “The Tavistock Student Rangers Project grew from an idea I had many years ago to improve the level and quality of engagement between Police and selected young people and it was through close cooperation with SWLT and Tavistock College that our successful application to the PCC’s ‘Connect to Protect’ funding finally made it possible for this to happen. It is really pleasing to see groups of youngsters coming through the Project, gaining life-skills, practical conservation skills, achieving a John Muir ‘Discovery Award’ and breaking down any perceived barriers with their local police along the way. The project also gives me a vital opportunity to deliver key policing messages to the youngsters as part of the bigger ten- week programme and to engage with the wider community at the open volunteering sessions.” PC Julian Fry, Youth Interventions Officer, Tavistock Police

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Volunteering At Burrator There are lots of different volunteering projects to get involved in to suit your interests and time availability. These include site maintenance, practical conservation and archaeological preservation projects, monthly bat surveys, assisting with educational visits and family events, or as a visitor guide in the Discovery Centre, plus much more. Dates for the practical group days are below: Midweek Days – 10am-3pm

• June: Tues 4, Mon 10, Tues 18 & Fri 28 June

• July: Tues 2, Mon 8, Tues 16, Fri 26 & Tues 30

• August: Mon 5, Tues 13, Mon 19 & Fri 30

Weekend Days – 10.30am-3.30pm

• Sun 16 June

• Sun 14 July

• Sun 11 August To find out more please pop into Burrator Discovery Centre (open Tues, Wed, Thurs & alternating weekends), ring 01822 855700 or e-mail: Emily at heritage@swlakestrust.org.uk.

Exciting events coming up at Burrator Summer Family Activity Day & Fundraiser Saturday 6 July – 12pm-4pm at Burrator Discovery Centre Come & take part in woodwork, cob oven pizza making, environmental art project, letterboxing, cooking over the campfire and much more, plus tea & home-made cakes! Suitable for all ages. £3 per person.

Family Wildlife Watch Programme:

Come and take part in a range of wildlife and heritage themed activities followed by hot chocolate and biscuits. We meet at Burrator Discovery Centre, unless alternative meeting point has been advertised. £3 per child, £2 per adult. Please wear outdoor clothing & footwear. No booking needed.

• Sunday 30 June: 10.30am-12.30pm

• Sunday 28 July: 10.30am-12.30pm

School Holiday ‘Drop In’ Family Activity Days:

Our school holiday family activity days involve a wildlife or heritage themed trail, woodwork, environmental art and outdoor cooking in and around the Burrator Discovery Centre. £3 per child, £2 per adult. Please wear outdoor clothing and footwear. No booking needed.

• Thursday 1 August: 10am-3pm

• Tuesday 6 August: 10am-3pm

• Wednesday 14 August: 10am-3pm

• Thursday 22 August: 10am-3pm

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Special Events in May - July 2019

25th to 27th May – Victorian Bank Holiday Weekend Meet the award-winning living history group, ‘The Ragged Victorians’, for a family weekend full of Victorian fun

and banter.

16th June – Father’s Day Admire all the classic cars on display or bring your own for free entry for two people.

29th & 30th June – Lister Engine Festival Large collection of working Lister engines for the enthusiast! Plus local craft stalls.

12th to 14th July – Summer Cider Festival with The Wurzels The Wurzels will be playing live on Friday night

and local bands playing throughout the weekend. Fun, games and traditional activities to enjoy!

Booking Essential. See website for full details: www.morwellham.org

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John Boylett Electrical Services

The Smithy, Meavy, Yelverton. PL20 6PJ. Tel: 01822 853456 / 07748 513469 Domestic Electrical Installations - Rewiring - New Builds - Smoke Alarms

Consumer Units - Lighting - Electric Showers - New and Replacement sockets All work tested, certificated and guaranteed

Very Competitive Rates Friendly local service Part ‘P’ Elecsa Approved Contractor

P. J. Shields

OIL BOILER SPECIALIST - OFTEC REGISTERED

SERVICE - REPAIR - MAINTENANCE

Tavistock 614664

CLASSY K9s

Professional friendly dog grooming service.

One to one personal care for every dog. All breeds/cross breeds welcome.

Call Paula 01822 853446

24 Burrator Beacon

Boiler repairs and installation

Bathrooms and kitchen

Landlords certificates

Fully Insured

Gas safe and Oftec registered

Tel 01822660364 or 07980697004

Email: info@clearbrook.biz

Website: www.clearbrook.biz

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26 Burrator Beacon

WRIGHT WINDOWS

The local tradesman for uPVC, double-glazed windows, doors, porches and replacement double-glazed units.

FENSA registered with insurance-backed guarantee. TERRY WRIGHT

Sharpitor, Burrator Road, Dousland, Yelverton PL20 6NE Tel: 01822 852275 Mobile: 07977 631776

‘A tradesman not a salesman’

Got a computer problem at home or office?

We are the LOCAL help you have been looking for!! Based at Crapstone, we come to where the problem is

We are a computer shop on wheels Virus and spyware removal a speciality

Expert with wireless networking we can give advice about Broadband We have a broad range of experience with people of all ages/abilities

Take a look at the website for all you need to know

Since 2003

Call 01822 855822 for an appointment

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Dates for your Calendar Page June 7th Meavy Cinema 6 15th Meavy Oak fair 7 17th Meavy Garden Society talk 8 20th Meavy Garden Society coach outing 8 23rd Art sale at Walkhampton 4 29th St Peter’s Church Meavy Open Day 8 July 5th Meavy Cinema 6 15th Meavy Garden Society talk 8 August 10th Meavy Garden Society Summer Show 8 24th Tamar Valley Male Voice Choir concert 3 24th Walkhampton Flower and Produce Show 5 To have your event included in future issues please send details (date, time location, contact name and phone number) to the Editor as soon as you have decided on the date. This will ensure maximum publicity and avoid clashes with other events.

Parish Council Meetings Full Council Meetings are usually held at 7:30pm on the last Thursday of the month (but not always!). For the dates of the next few meetings, please visit the Parish website: www.burrator.gov.uk The Planning, Finance and Royal Oak Inn Committees meet on other dates throughout the year – please contact the Clerk: theclerk@burrator.gov.uk for more details.

How to advertise in the Burrator Beacon The Beacon is published quarterly at the end of February, May, August and November and delivered to all homes in Burrator Parish which covers Walkhampton, Dousland, Meavy, Sheepstor, Hoo Meavy and Lovaton. Business are able to advertise in the Beacon at the following rates:

Single Issue Four issues Sixes in mm (approx) when printed*

Size of advert to be submitted (mm)

1/6 page £12.00 £30.00 30 × 130 42 × 180

1/3 page £20.00 £60.00 60 × 130 85 × 180

half page £30.00 £90.00 90 × 130 130 × 180

full page £48.00 £144.00 180 × 130 260 × 180 *The Beacon is printed A5 size i.e. 210mm high by 148mm wide. However, adverts should be submitted A4 size. All prices are subject to VAT. Invoices will be raised by the Parish Clerk upon receipt of your booking and will be payable upon receipt. Adverts should be submitted to the Editor (details on the back page) electronically, i.e. as an attached Word document.

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BURRATOR GROUPED PARISH COUNCIL

List of Members and Telephone Numbers (Area Code 01822)

Meavy Dousland Walkhampton Village 4 vacancies Graham Palmer 852524 Andrew Paskins 853377 1 vacancy Meavy Village Walkhampton Dousland Brian Willis 853901 Corinna Legassick 852613 Heather Stribley 855348 Robin Aves 852904 1 vacancy 2 vacancies Sheepstor Clerk to Council: Keith Scrivener 854518 Mrs Lucie Luke 614278 Stephen Hopson 852979 The Apartment The Old Bedford Foundry Lakeside Tavistock PL19 0AZ Email: theclerk@burrator.gov.uk Published and issued quarterly, free of charge by Burrator Parish Council. The next edition will be published end of August. Copy deadline Tuesday August 6th 2019. Copy to be sent to the Editor, Mrs Karen Batson, 10 Blackbrook Close, Walkhampton PL20 6JF Tel 855030 email: burratorbeacon@gmail.com as a Word attachment.

If you require this publication in large text please contact the editor: Karen Batson on 855030 Burrator Parish Council is a body which complies with the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Contact the Clerk, Mrs. Lucie Luke for specific details about parish business. Advertising: Local events are publicised free of charge. Businesses and clubs and societies (which have membership fees) can advertise in the Beacon and should contact the Editor for advertising rates. A note to advertisers: Please check your adverts as they appear in each issue. Every effort is made to include the correct information at the time of going to press, but omissions can result where adverts are sometimes moved around in order to fit new articles in. Burrator Web Site: The Burrator Parish Website is http://burrator.gov.uk/ You can find details of meetings plus other information. The opinions expressed in the Burrator Beacon are not necessarily those held by Burrator Parish Council. Every effort is made to ensure that information in these pages is accurate. However, the Council cannot be held responsible for errors or omissions. Including information does not imply recommendation and any subsequent contact is made at readers' own risk.

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