An MBE for Ron Vaulter

A special day for a well known local man Ron Vaulter who was invested with the MBE by the Lord Lieutenant of Devon on behalf of The Queen. The ceremony was held at County Hall at Ron's request, so that he could invite his family and friends to his special day. I was invited as Chairman of Teignbridge joining the High Sheriff of Devon and the Chairman of the County Council. It was a lovely sunny day, a really happy and friendly occasion followed by afternoon tea. Ron's MBE was awarded for Services to the Community. He has worked tirelessly for young people since 1953 organising sports and activities to stretch their horizons. He was a volunteer for the Red Cross for many years patrolling the sea front throughout the summer dispensing and teaching first aid. A quiet unassuming man who has made such a difference to the lives of young people and although well into his 80's has no intention of retiring! Ron is pictured above with his family and the Lord Lt. and also with me at County Hall.

Drama Festival Hots Up

Aspiring Thespian groups returned to the Carlton Theatre Teignmouth for the Quarter Finals of the 2010 Regional All English Theatre Festival. Four productions were competing to go through to the semi-finals in Warminster on 15th May. The Exmouth Players presented "The Mayor of Torontal", The Campion Players "A couple or Two", the return of Ampersands with "The Cagebirds" finishing with the hilarous comedy presented by A Few Prima Donnas "The little Box of Oblivion". The clear winner once again was Ampersands "Cage Birds" - a dramatic performance with a disturbing theme performed with dramatic effect by the pupils of Sands School with an average age of 15 years. I was privileged to be there and present the cup to the winners and send them on their way to the next heat. Further details www.carltontheatre.co.uk

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/