DECEMBER 2017 ISSUE 370 The CHARDSTOCK NEWSLETTER Chardstock Gardening Club presents WISHING YOU ALL A VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chardstock Amateur Dramatic Society Presents VARIETY NIGHT Saturday 2 nd December Curtain up 7.30pm Chardstock Community Hall Tickets Adults: 7 Children: 4 Includes Ploughman s Supper and Puddings! Bring your own drinks Tickets available from Chardstock Stores and Post Office Enquiries 01460 221067 email chardstockads@hotmail.co.uk A great way to start the Christmas season, lots of local talent, good food and good company!
CHARDSTOCK HELPLINE DRIVERS Contact numbers December 1. 221085 2. 220280 3. 220535 January 1. 220397 2. 220478 3. 221315 If you have any problems, please ring 220348 COFFEE SHOP AT THE GEORGE There won t be a Coffee Shop this month as the new family at The George will be settling in. Hopefully, we can all meet in January perhaps on the 9th rather than the 2nd watch this space! Angela COME WALKING P3 Friday 15th December Come and join us for the Christmas walk followed by mince pies and mulled wine. Meet at Holy City Cross at 9.30 am All welcome. Further details Pam 01460 220255 CHARDSTOCK WALKERS Do you remember the beautiful sunny Monday October 30th? The Monday walkers enjoyed a great walk from Peak Hill, Sidmouth, via the coastal path to the River Otter, saw the beaver lodge and had our packed lunch, then back to Mutter s Moor and the car park. On Mondays we walk up to 8 miles, but if that sounds a bit too much, on Tuesdays we walk between 3½ and 5 miles and finish with a coffee. Interested in joining our walkers? Meet in the Hall car park at 9.30 am. We share transport if you always need a lift, then a small contribution to your driver s fuel would be appreciated. All welcome, including four-legged friends! Jan Morse. CHARDSTOCK KNITTING AND CROCHET GROUP This group has proved so popular that it is now a weekly event! We have welcomed beginners, people returning to the craft after many years, those who want to start a new project, and some in need of motivation to get their half-finished items completed! With Christmas coming up, what s better than a handmade present? All levels are welcome. The dates for December are Wednesday 5th and Monday 11th and 18th. For info, contact Charlotte at charlotteheavisides@gmail.com CHARDSTOCK COMMUNITY HALL WANTED a community-minded person to act as secretary to the Hall committee. We need someone who is an organiser, good at communicating and willing to research information for Hall projects. Could this be you? Contact John Williamson 01460 221067 (Chairman)
NEWS FROM THE STORES Well this is our final news of the year! Please see our enclosed leaflet with regard to Christmas and New Year opening times, Christmas food, bread and milk orders and their relevant order dates. We will be open on Sunday 24/12/2017 from 8.30 am until 1 pm for you to collect your turkey orders, bread and other goods. You ll find important last posting dates on the back of the leaflet. Kindly note our baker s delivery times over the Christmas and New Year period as they will be taking an extended holiday. Our Chardstock Christmas cards are selling well, so be sure to get yours quickly, and our ever popular mince pies are now on sale. We would like to thank you all for your continued custom and wish you all a very happy Christmas. Mike & Tina 01460 221214 chardstockstores@gmail.com YOGA CLASS Hi I have been running a flowing Hatha yoga class for approximately three years at both Cricket St Thomas and South Petherton. I trained with the British School of Yoga and during this time have been fortunate to meet some truly remarkable and humbling people. Initially, it can be daunting to begin something which is new. It is easy to become set in our familiar patterns, but gradually and with an element of gentle perseverance we can begin to bring about subtle changes to both body and mind. And this is precisely what the practise of yoga allows us, and therefore we may come to it for a variety of very differing and personal reasons. Our 21st-century pace of life is unrelenting, and a turbulent mind can seriously affect our general health and well-being. We cannot deny that stress is big news right now. So I offer you a time to stretch, to relax and just be, where you can grant yourselves permission to take care of yourself for the benefit of others more especially so if we are women. That s not saying that men don t get stressed, and you are most welcome too. Classes work on our breathing techniques, bringing a heightened awareness towards our bodies whilst allowing ourselves to let go of the everyday stuff of life. We also work at our own pace, aware of our individual capabilities whilst remembering that there is no absolute right or wrong. If it feels good then it is good! Classes will run for an hour and a half and close with a deep and satisfying relaxation to help set a good motivation for your week. So, if you feel tempted, please do give me a call on 01460 221138 so that I have an idea of interest. I would love to hear from you with the long-term view of beginning a class in the village very soon. Please look out for posters! Om Shanti (In Peace) Angie Huskisson
CHURCH SERVICES FOR DECEMBER ADVENT SUNDAY 3rd CHARDSTOCK 10:00 am Advent Service of Light ALL SAINTS 8:00 am Holy Communion 6:00 pm Team Service of Light MEMBURY 3:00 pm Christingle Service SUNDAY 10th CHARDSTOCK ALL SAINTS MEMBURY SATURDAY 16th CHARDSTOCK 5:00 pm 10:00 am Parish Communion 11:00 am Parish Communion 11:00 am Morning Prayer Wandering Nativity SUNDAY 17th CHARDSTOCK 6:30 pm Evensong ALL SAINTS 3:00 pm Carols around the Crib MEMBURY 7:00 pm Carol Service FRIDAY 21st ALL SAINTS 7:00 pm Carol Service CHRISTMAS EVE CHARDSTOCK 5:00 pm Carol & Crib Service 11:30 pm Midnight Mass CHRISTMAS DAY ALL SAINTS 10:30 am Parish Communion MEMBURY with carols 10:30am Parish Communion with carols SUNDAY 31st AXMINSTER 10:30 am Team Parish Communion Thursday, 7th December St Andrew s School, Chardstock Christingle Service at the church 2.30 pm Christmas coffee & cake at church There will be a Christmas coffee & cake morning at the church on Tuesday 19th December between 11am and 12noon. There will be no charge for the coffee and cake, but voluntary donations will be gratefully received for the ongoing repair of the church. There will also be an opportunity to browse our growing range of books which are available for the whole community! We look forward to seeing you.
The Rector writes Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace; good will toward men. Luke 2: 14 Happy New Year! For the church, the New Year begins at the start of Advent, this year Sunday 3rd December. So as you read this December article the church is celebrating the New Year and all that it promises. Advent is a really important season in the life of Christians and the church. It is a time of expectant waiting and preparation of anticipation for the celebration of the Nativity the celebration of the coming of Jesus. Anticipation is an important part of life for all of us. The excitement of waiting and expectation in the build-up to something special adds so much to the event. The expectation of what is to come is part of what makes Advent so wonderful. Advent is also the time of preparation. We all prepare for Christmas with lots of events and plans, celebrations and activity. However, there is also a real place for preparing quietly and peacefully. Advent is a time when the Church builds up to the coming of God in human form through its activity and also through quiet reflection. We must never allow ourselves to be so busy preparing to enjoy ourselves in the future that we forget to enjoy ourselves now living in the present. Do please join us for both types of preparation take part in all the activities and events which are listed in this newsletter and around the villages but also do visit our churches to take part in services or just to sit and enjoy the peace and the time for reflection and quiet they offer. All our churches (apart from Woodbury) are open during the day; come in and sit and reflect and spend quiet, personal time at peace with yourself and God. There is so much to do as we get ready for Christmas. I hope that we can each enjoy some time which is uncluttered and enables us to be prepared at every level for the coming gifts of the season and in particular God s special gift Jesus, His Son. May you enjoy a wonderful Advent and a great Christmas season filled with blessings and peace. With thoughts and prayers Clive Sedgewick
Chardstock Street Fayre Presentation Evening On Friday, 10th November, Chardstock Street Fayre held its annual Presentation Evening in the Community Hall. This year an amazing 4550 was donated to local good causes: Devon Freewheelers, The Project, Devon Air Ambulance, Chardstock Community Hall, Chardstock Cricket Club and the Chardstock Newsletter. There are some very good photos from this happy occasion on Street Fayre s Facebook page. You don t need to have a Facebook account to view information from Street Fayre or the Community Hall. Music was provided by local band Plain Sailing, who donated their services and made the evening a rockin success. At a recent Hallowe en Bingo session Street Fayre raised a further 500 which will be donated to the fund for the installation of night landing lights for the Air Ambulance in Chardstock. The Street Fayre Team wish to thank all those who have given their time and money so generously to support local organisations. The Team looks forward its fund-raising challenges in 2018! From the Editor of the Chardstock Newsletter I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Street Fayre Committee for their donation to the Newsletter. Regular readers will know that I took over as Editor this year when our founding Editor, Denise Clarkson, retired after many successful years. I am grateful for all the help I have received from her and other villagers. The deadline for inclusion in the next Newsletter will be FRIDAY, 15th DECEMBER, not the usual third Wednesday. This is to allow time for the volunteer delivery team to distribute them before Christmas week. The volunteers are another group I would like to thank without their services the Newsletter would have a very limited circulation. Shirley Fletcher 01460 221684 shirleyfletch50@hotmail.com Mike Everton Villagers were saddened to learn of the sudden and untimely death of Mike Everton whilst on holiday recently. Mike was a pillar of the community ; amongst his many contributions he was the current treasurer of The George Skittles League, Captain of The Stingrays skittles team and Secretary of the Chardstock Show. Mike will be greatly missed in Chardstock, his home for more than 40 years. More details to follow. GV
CHARDSTOCK PARISH COUNCIL NEWS chardstockpc@gmail.com www.chardstockpc.org.uk Parish Council meeting, Wednesday 8th November 2017 Full minutes can be seen on the website and noticeboards. DEFIBRILLATOR AWARENESS TRAINING Is there anyone who missed the October date for training who would like to attend a session? If there are enough people, we will arrange another one in the new year. Please email our parish clerk on the above address or, if you don t have email, inform any council member. GRANT APPLICATIONS The Parish Council has some money to allocate as grant funding to organisations within the parish. Bids should be made in writing, setting out the amount desired and what the money is to be used for. Consideration will be given to bids for one-off projects or initiatives of benefit to the parish. Please address correspondence to Beth Webb, RFO, Chardstock Parish Council, c/o Chardstock Stores and Post Office, 8 Westcombes, EX13 7BJ. All bids must be received by 3rd January and will be considered at the Parish Council meeting on 10th January 2018. NEW PARISH NATURALIST AND TREE WARDEN We are delighted to announce the appointment of our new Parish Naturalist, Edward Wells, and our new Tree Warden, Mike Davis (NOT Mike in the Post Office, but another Mike Davis!). Each of them has written a paragraph to introduce themselves: As someone with a lifelong passion for nature I am delighted to have been accepted by the Parish Council to serve as Parish Naturalist to carry on the excellent work done by Martin Drake. I will try to give the council the best advice I can on ecological matters and to engage with St Andrew s School, but I also think it is important to encourage everyone, old and young, to enjoy the wealth of wildlife we have in our woods, lanes and gardens. One way of doing that is to encourage all of you to let me know what you find when out and about. Some of you are far more expert than I am, especially about the smaller creepy-crawlies, but if you see something interesting that you are not sure about I will try to identify it for you or find someone who can. If we all do that it will not only add an extra pleasure to your walks but also help build an ever better picture of what is living where in this wonderfully species rich parish of ours. Edward Wells e.wells125@btinternet.com continued overleaf
PARISH COUNCIL NEWS (continued) I am delighted to be your new Parish Tree Warden as I am passionate about trees and their importance to our well-being. Chardstock is fortunate in being a well-wooded parish just think how trees bring beauty, wildlife and fresh air and integrate the village into the landscape, with many fine oak, beech and ash trees. So too we have a well preserved thick tapestry of hedges often of ancient origin and containing many species. I would ask you to think about what trees mean to you and what we could do together to conserve and enhance this vital part of the heritage of Chardstock. We could identify special, favourite or veteran trees, the most ancient hedges, those at risk or diseased, and find opportunities for planting new trees. It would be great to get more young people involved. What about a Parish Tree Planting Day, and would guided walks to identify tree and hedgerow species and discuss hedgerow management be of interest? Please email or ring me if any of these ideas interest you. Michael Davis 01460 220526 michaeldavisrlc@btinternet.com Next meeting: WEDNESDAY 13th DECEMBER 2017 at 7.30 pm GARDENING CLUB No meeting in December. A happy and peaceful Christmas and new year to all our members and everyone who has helped with or taken part in our events throughout the year. Advance notice of our special meeting on Wednesday 17th January 2018 at 7.30 pm, when Anne Swithinbank, a regular panellist on BBC Radio 4 s Gardeners Question Time, will be giving a talk to the club and answering your gardening questions. Everyone is invited. Admission for non-members will be 6.00. Make a note of the date and watch out for further information. Enquiries: Jenny, tel: 221619 CHARDSTOCK HISTORICAL RECORD GROUP For the purposes of research we would be interested in talking to the relatives of Lt John Lonsdale Sieber, AB Fred Chubb, Private Walter Sparkes and AB Ronald Loxley, whose deaths in the two world wars were commemorated with crosses of remembrance at the War Memorial. Please contact either Graham Vyse (01460 220280 / gvyse@btinternet.com) or David Everett (01460 220350 / davidevt@btinternet.com) GV MAINTENANCE DAYS AT THE COMMUNITY HALL If anyone has some free time on the 8th & 9th December, then their help at the Community Hall would be much appreciated. These maintenance days are so important to keep the Hall user-friendly. Anytime from 9.30 am.
St Andrew s Primary Academy Chardstock September 2017 saw the start of the 17 children who make up this year s Reception Class, a new teaching assistant, administrator and Head. It s been a busy term take a look at our website to see more pictures! We have a couple of dates coming up towards the end of the term when we would love members of the community to join us: St Andrew s Day Communion Service on Thursday 29th November at 2.30 pm in school. Christingle on Thursday 7th December at 2.30 pm at the church. Some of our children will be taking part in the Wandering Nativity. We would love to invite you to our nativity but seats are reserved for all the very proud mums, dads, aunts, uncles, granddads and grandmas who will be joining us to see our younger children delight us with their retelling of this very special story. Friends of School A big hello from Friends of School at Chardstock This is our first article for the Chardstock Newsletter of 2017. For those who are unfamiliar with Friends of School, we are a group combining parents, teachers and friends associated with the school. Our aim is to support and raise funds for the children that attend St Andrew s C of E Chardstock. We recently had our AGM, which has given us a new chairperson Victoria Bates and secretary Denise Bell as well as some new energetic committee members. We have lots of exciting events planned leading up to Christmas including: St Andrew s Day Fayre, where we will have a stall with games and craft activities BINGO FRIDAY 1ST DECEMBER 7.30 pm at the school hall Fantastic hampers to be won! Friends of school events are raising money to upgrade the current library. The plan is to increase and update books within the library, as well as shelving and storage. We hope you can join us for the bingo and future events. From all at Friends of School We wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
CHRISTMAS ACTIVITIES This month there are some lovely opportunities for villagers to get together to share the joys of preparing for Christmas. On Saturday, 9th December, Tatworth Flower Club are running a fundraising parallel design workshop. It is from 10 am to 4.30 pm, and the 20 fee includes lunch and tea/coffee. Full details are available from Julie Kettle. 01297 33924 julie_kettle@btopenworld.com On Sunday, 10th December, local horticulturalist Angela from Flower Fusions and Karen from Natural Events are running a wreath-making event (see ad on page 11). They are keeping costs to a minimum ( 7.00 per wreath a family could make one together) by using foraged local greenery and hedgerow berries. The price includes a hot mince pie and spiced apple juice. You will need to bring your own secateurs/scissors and any sparkly additions. On Friday, 22nd December, Street Fayre invite you to join in the traditional singing of carols beside the Christmas tree outside The George at 6.00 pm. A very special guest has been invited, and he will be giving presents to the younger members of our community but only if they have been very, very good. Mince pies and mulled wine will be available, so bring the whole family and get the Christmas festivities off to a flying Chardstock start. GV DECEMBER DIARY DATES Dec 1 Bingo (see ad page 12) School Hall 7.30 pm 2 VARIETY NIGHT CH 7.30 pm 5/11/18 Knitting Group The George 7.00 pm 5/19 Carpet Bowls CH 2.00 4.30 pm 8/9 Maintenance at the Community Hall from 9.30 am 10 Wreath-making event* CH 3 5.00 pm 13 Parish Council Meeting CH 7.30 pm 14 Sue s Kitchen Christmas Lunch* CH 12.30 pm 15 P3 Walk Holy City Cross 9.30 am Deadline for Newsletter copy 19 Coffee & cake at the Church 11 12 noon 22 Carol singing The George 6.00 pm *See ad opposite For other regular Community Hall events such as table tennis, Sue s Kitchen, Scottish dancing, please check directly with the organisers. Printed by Axminster Printing Co. Ltd.
Christmas Lunch Will be served at Chardstock Community Hall On Thursday 14th December 12:30 pm 14.50 per head Must be pre booked please call Sue to reserve your place 01460 221499 Everyone welcome! Chardstock Stores & Post Office A small store with a big range Fresh bread daily (ex Sundays) Milk straight from the farm Pies & pasties Fresh fruit & veg Dairy & cold meats Household & groceries Newspapers & magazines Plants & compost Fuel & kindling Post Office Free cashpoint Banking Currency Gift cards Mobile top-ups Stamps Opening hours: Monday to Friday 8:30 to 17:30 Saturday 8:30 to 13:00 Sunday 9:00 to 13:00 Mike & Tina 01460 221214 chardstockstores@gmail.com
AXMINSTER OSTEOPATHY Elizabeth Clayton Gentle treatment of the whole body for aches, pains & stiffness, including headaches, neck and back pain, upper & lower limbs. LAUREL FARM Tytherleigh ALPACAS FOR SALE ALPACA KNITS, SOCKS, YARN, & MORE VET BED for dog and cats (not alpaca) Usually Open Wed Sat, 11am 4 pm until 23rd December