Ancient and Modern

Beneath the vaulted splendour of the ancient Guildhall the Rt. Worshipful Lord Mayor of Exeter, Cllr. John Winterbottom hosted a Civic Dinner for Mayors and Chairmen across Devon. Guests were entertained during the meal by the Chamber Choir of St. Margaret's School, Exeter singing from the Minstrel's gallery and the splendid candlelit setting cast a mellow glow invoking the special atmosphere of a Chamber that had absorbed the debates and decisions of elected representatives and past Mayors over 800 years. In fact, Exeter Guildhall is still very much the seat of power for that City and is the oldest Council Chamber in use in the UK. A special guest was Cllr. Duncan Sandys, the Rt. Worshipful, Lord Mayor of Westminster, a grandson of the former Government Minister, Mr. Duncan Sandys. In his speech he recalled those special summers spent in Devon as a child with friends and family. Cllr. Sandys underlined the significance of maintaining the honoured traditions of Mayoralty in a fast changing world and that civic pride and loyalty are still relevant in today's society.

A Day in Dartmouth

Dartmouth was the setting for a Civic lunch hosted by South Hams Council. Cllr. Melvyn Stone and his wife Jeanette were the perfect hosts on a sparkling day at the Dart Marina Hotel. All the guests dressed for the occasion with many of the men wearing dinner suits - even though it was lunch time! Invited guests came from a wide area of South Hams representing the smaller towns and parishes in this idyllic part of South Devon. The Dart Marina Hotel and #Spa has undergone a recent refurbishment and the quality and high standards of the surroundings made this a very special occasion. A superb choice for that perfect holiday and of course if you come in your yacht the River Dart and it's Marinas offer yotties the very best for most discerning skipper and crew. http://www.dartmarina.com/

Teignmouth Film Society

Teignmouth film enthusiasts dismayed by the loss of the Riviera Cinema got together and formed the Teignmouth Film Society, a non-profit making organisation run by volunteers. The Society meets once a month at the new Arts Centre at the Community College and the aim of the Society is to bring the best of British, independent and foreign films to the screen and return the joy of cinema to Teignmouth and the surrounding area. Screenings are held in a comfortable environment - at an affordable price and films are hired from official distributors. http://www.teignmouthfilm.org/

A Gift from Jason Pope

Jason's Garden on the Eastcliff at Teignmouth is a garden created by the parents of Jason Pope kidnapped in Angola over nine years ago. Jason a Geologist was kidnapped by Unita rebels from the Yetwene Diamond mine in Northern Angola in 1998. His parents, Alan, Nev and brother Damian along with help from their daughter Vashita and her husband Patrick have toiled for over five years on this garden. No word on the fate of Jason has ever reached his family, although his mother Nev still has not completely given up hope of news. The garden is now complete and open to the public at specified times during the year. The views are stunning and the garden is so peaceful with many unusual features and exhibits. Various charities benefit from the open days and lectures given by Nev about the building of the garden. It was a great honour for my Charity SENSE - Devon branch to be chosen to share in last year's proceeds. I am pictured with Damian Pope who handed me a cheque for £150 for my Chairman's Charity and I am very grateful. http://www.jasonsgarden.com/

Two Stories Exhibition

The Two Stories - the lost history of Poland and Britain. A photographic exhibition telling the story of events that took place in Poland during World War II and how this led to the Polish settlements in the UK. The events described in the exhibition are as terrible as those of the Jewish Holocaust, but are not as well known. The photographs were taken in the last Polish re-settlement camp to remain in the UK at Ilford Park (Stover) and the exhibition was designed by local photographer Susan Young who took some of the last photographs of the camp before it's demolition this year. The poignancy of this event was brought into sharp focus as Poland declared a week of national mourning after the President Lech Kaczynski, his wife Maria and 88 other members of the country's military and political elite lost their lives in a plane crash while flying to Russia to commemorate the 70th Anniversary of the Katyn massacre when 20,000 Poles were slaughtered by the Soviet secret police. At the start of the exhibition, a minute's silence was observed and a Polish priest led the Prayers in memory of those who had lost their lives, not only in the plane crash but also those massacred at Katyn.
http://www.twostoriesexhibition.org.uk/

Dinner on Dartmoor

An invitation to the Two Bridges Hotel in the middle of Dartmoor was the setting for the annual Civic Dinner of West Devon Borough Council. Greeted by the Mayor Cllr. Alison Clish-Green over 70 guests, including the Lord Lieutenant of Devon, Eric Dancer and guest speaker Professor Ian Mercer. The Two Bridges Hotel well deserves it's reputation as a unique country house hotel with an AA Rosette for it's restaurant. The candelabra lit tables in the dining room coupled with excellent food and sparkling company maintained the unique ambience that is Dartmoor. Professor Mercer spoke seriously about the changes in hill farming over the years and the decline in the number of registered Commoners who have the freedom to graze their sheep and Darmoor ponies. Times are hard for hill and moorland farmers these days and this decline is measured in the changes evident in the growth of vegetation which can obscure old footpaths and bridleways across the Moor. http://www.twobridges.co.uk/

A New Home for Joshua

A very special home for a very special boy in Teignmouth. A new home at Inverteign Heights, the site of the old Inverteign Primary School, has been provided by Tor Homes and local builders Midas Homes for the family of Josh Wilby aged 6,who has cerebral palsy. The specially adapted home has been fitted out with all Josh and his family could need to ensure that he is able to stay at home with his Mum and Dad and baby brother Lewis. I felt very privileged to be shown round by proud Mum Jade who had a say in the design and fitting of Josh's bedroom and bathroom and was clearly determined that Josh should be able to enjoy a loving family life in his new home. http://www.torhomes.com/

Welcoming Past Chairmen

It has been a tradition that Teignbridge District Council ackowledges the contribution made by it's former Chairmen. I was delighted to host this year's dinner held in the Long Room of Old Forde House and especially so this year as we celebrate the 400th Anniversary of this wonderful building. It was the foresight of Chairmen in the early days of Teignbridge that this historic house was restored to public ownership. We had a wonderful evening sharing remembered special occasions from the past. Old Forde House now hosts many events, including being a popular setting for Civil Weddings, as well as earning welcome income from management seminars, training events and conferences for the wider business community.

Pictured with us are Alderman Mary Strudwick, Tim Golder of Imerys and Viv Wilson MBE Teignmouth historian.

A Civic Day at Killerton House

The Chairman of Devon County Council held a Civic day with difference. Cllr. John Berry represents the Collumpton Division which covers the lovely Killerton House, the former country seat of the Acland Family, and now owned by the National Trust. His guests included all the Civic Heads from Devon and the newly appointed High Sheriff of Devon, Elizabeth D'Erlanger, sister of Viscount Exmouth. We were all treated to a tour of the House and a splendid lunch in the restaurant. Following that we departed for St. Andrew's Church in Collumpton for the formalities of the Civic Service. It was a lovely country occasion, rounded off by yet another splendid tea and a chance to chat to friends old and new. I think we are all noticing our expanding waistlines as we near the end of our year of office! http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/

Duke of Edinburgh Awards

The Teignmouth and South Hams Committees of the DofE Award Scheme held the annual presentation evening at Newton Abbot College for the many students who had successfully completed their Bronze, Silver and Gold disciplines. The Awards were presented by Albert Knott from Natural England who gave a power point presentation about his conservation work in Yarner Woods and gave lots of tips about successfully completing the various expeditions. Many of the students are already training for the Ten Tors expedition on Dartmoor which is the most challenging . Supervised by the Army and Dartmoor Rescue the students are in safe hands but the weekend is a gruelling experience for many. The weather is often atrocious but they all persevere and it is a triumph for all when they cross the finishing line.

New Play Area

Torrential rain on the run-up to the opening of the new Play Area at Bakers Park did not deter lots of children turning out to try this new facility in Newton Abbot. Careful planning and successful fund raising including a grant of £45,000 from the Play Builder Fund and match funding from Teignbridge and Newton Abbot Town Councils transformed a tired and outdated space into a brand new imaginative area using the surrounding natural environment and materials to create play opportunities to challenge and fascinate children. With old favourites such as swings, a roundabout, a challenging climbing frame and a sliding pulley the children lost no time in trying them all out. With a wheelchair play trail and a safe space for children with special needs there is something for everyone.

A Touch of Glasnost!

I have been privileged to share many memorable events during my term of office.

The most unexpected was an invitation from Mr. Viktor Spasskly, the Trade Representative of the Russian Federation in the United Kingdom to attend the 90th Anniversary of the Federation's presence in this country. The event was held at the palatial Headquarters of the Delegation in Highgate, London and I was invited, with my husband, to highlight the contacts already established with Russia in Teignbridge. We are always pleased to see Russian cargo ships entering the Port of Teignmouth bringing fertilizer and taking china clay back to Vyborg in Russia. The biggest surprise was being invited to share the platform with the Russian Ambassador to the UK Yuri Fedotov (pictured) and to make a short speech! The first time I have ever opened with the greeting "Your Excellency". The Russian Delegation is keen to establish trade contacts in the South West and have made a good start through a Russian expat, living in Teignmouth, Mrs. Liubov Jeffs, who has done much to foster social, University and business contacts with the growing number of Russian interests in our area. russiantouch@btinternet.com

Award Ceremony

Loyalty and commitment in any organisation is essential. Teignbridge District Council owes a great deal to the dedication and expertise of it's staff and it was a pleasure for me to be asked to present some Long Service and Retirement Awards to people who have worked for Teignbridge for over 30 years. Many who had served for 25 years still intend to stay in harness and I believe that local authorities outside the large Metropolitan Boroughs have a distinct advantage when it comes to attracting and retaining personnel. Receiving their Awards were employees from the all important refuse collector through to middle and top management whose different skills have contributed to our collective success. Well done and thanks to everyone!