Your Local Devon County Councillors  – all about them....

Hmphrey Temperley

I have been elected as a County Councillor for the electoral division of Bideford South & Hartland.

I am married with four children.  I became a Devon County Councillor in 2005 and prior to this was a Councillor for Somerset County Council including being Chair of Environment and Chairman of the Council 2000-2001. I was also a Member for South Somerset District Council 1983-1999.

I am also Chair of Wessex Region Flood Defence, Chair of Corporate Forum for National Parks. Environment Policy Adviser and previously a member of Exmoor National Park Committee.

I have a special interest in the Environment, Marine and Coastal issues and became a Councillor as I saw an opportunity to make a difference by leaving my local area a little better than I found it.

Oriel House
Orchard Hill Bideford
EX39 2QY Tel:

(01237)   420553 Email:humphrey.temperley@devon.gov.uk

Hugo Barton

I have  been elected as a County Councillor for the electoral division of Bideford East. I am married to Virginia, a chiropodist, and have two grown-up children and one grandchild.

I was first elected to Devon County Council in 2001, and have been a member of Torridge District Council (Bideford North) since 1995 and Bideford Town Council since 1984. I'm also a member of Devon Fire and Rescue Authority and of the South-West Regional Flood Defence Committee. At a more local level, I sit on the Management Board of Bideford Sure Start and am a governor of Bideford Community College.

Alongside helping and advising people on day-to-day issues, my objectives include working to help in the regeneration Bideford, the vibrancy of the rural areas and ensuring that our young people receive the best possible start in life, appropriate support and an excellent education. I'm proud to have played a part in securing a new community college for Bideford and am a member of its Project Board.

'Uplands'
Warren Lane
Torrington EX38 8DP Tel:(01805)   624768 Email:hugo.barton@devon.gov.uk

Leonard Ford

 I have been elected as a County Councillor for the electoral division of Northam.

I have a daughter (Jessica) and was elected to the County Council in 2005.  I have also been a member of Torridge District Council since 2003 and of Northam Town Council, also from 2003.

My special interests are in Fire Service, Environment and Education.

Poop poop  poop  poop

So says Toad in Kenneth Grahame’s ‘Wind in the Willows’. Everyone who has read the story knows that Toad wreaks havoc on the countryside in his smart new motor car, causing destruction wherever he goes. He is finally arrested and sent to prison for dangerous driving and stealing a motor car. 

The modern day ‘Toad’ does not drive a fast and powerful gas guzzling car. Instead they are to be seen riding their ’eco friendly’ bicycles at a furious pace on our Tarka trail (or is it ‘tarmac’ trail.?) Like Toad they have no concern for human life, the beauties of nature or the wildlife around them. They are intent on one thing only- crash helmet head down, their aim is to cover the trail as fast as possible and arrive at their destination unhampered by any objects in their way.

Not ‘ poop poop’, but more usually ‘ tring- a- ling ‘ is heard as they encounter any unlucky pedestrians who have chanced to get in their way and prevented them achieving Tour de France speed records. Indeed it is lucky if they slow down or notice any unfortunate pedestrians.

Alongside these speed competitors are the familes out for a day with their children,many it is true, genuinely enjoying and savouring the experience. However there are the adults who having hired bikes for themselves transport their children in a kind of invalid trailer behind the bike. I have encountered many of these, the parents exhausting themselves as pack horses, the children quite often asleep in the trailer oblivious to all. What I wonder happened to walking.

We stroll along the trail enjoying the signs of nature all around us – the peaceful river, the bird life, the wild flowers, the signs of Autumn – Suddenly there is a serious hold up ahead and bike ‘gridlock’ threatens. At this point we heard someone mutter. ’Oh it’s like a motorway here’ which indeed it is fast becoming. At the next bend we meet a family on bikes. The little boy is heard to exclaim ’Look mummy, there are people walking!’  well what a surprise…behind we hear a furious ringing of the bells and a cry’ We’ll have to go round them I suppose’….

Whilst I think the Tarka Trail is a superb facility for walkers and cyclists alike, I do wonder if things have got slightly out of hand.                        RA

The Sands Home, Bath Terrace, Marine Parade

On behalf of all those who knew managers, Ray and Chris Trow, I should like to wish them a happy retirement and hope they are enjoying  an interesting time touring Europe in their Winnebago or similar vehicle!  Those of us who have had family cared for at the Sands and have visited as church members to hold services  have a very high regard for its quality of care and staffing levels .It was not the easiest of places to run, having several levels. Ray was always carrying out improvements and  in particular I recall an additional  attractive small sitting room  for those who wished to be more private. The future of the building is not known at present, but we all hope the boards will not disfigure  it for much longer.

Originally a private house built by Mr William Goman,  who developed Bath Terrace in 1849, the Sands became ‘ The Private Hotel’ before WW2,  the ‘St Andrews Home for the Blind ‘ after WW2 , and was a convalescent home for soldiers in WW1. The original house description read ‘ to which the baths are attached, contains good Dining, Drawing and Breakfast rooms, six good bedrooms and attics, cold and hot shower baths, Kitchen, and Servants Hall, Cellar, Larder Pantry, three water closets and other conveniences….’ The baths referred to are a chalybeate spring, which Mr Goman hoped to exploit as a tourist attraction.         Pam Cantle

Flags
I am very interested in flags of every country in the world and I know that every state in the USA have also got flags of their own and a lot of the counties in the UK have now also got flags of their own especially Devon .I am very pleased that Devon has now got a flag. I think it is better than the Union Jack. Somerset and Kent have now got their own flags as well as Cornwall. As well as all the national flags I know a lot of the civil and navel ensigns and some of the jacks and the Presidential standards. I have a few books on flags at home and I sometimes look at them too.
There is also a flag for each letter of the alphabet and the numbers from 0 to 9. These are called the Morse code and they use them to signal ships and each flag of the alphabet have their own meaning like, O is man overboard and P, is ship is about to sail. You often see flags on top of Parish churches, but if you see them flying at half mast it means mourning. There is even a flag on the moon. Sometimes people put flags on cars, like when the world football cup is on in England they fly the Saint George Cross. Jonathan Tyrrell

Funtastic Fiction
WELCOME NOTE - Hi, please let me take this moment to introduce myself. My name is Beth and, apart from not doing much with my life, I do write; well, mainly short stories and poems, but sometimes other ideas float to the surface as well. So really, this page in your newsletter will be my excuse to off load whatever thoughts and emotions may be floating through my mind at the time in a kind of creative way of course.
I hope that you the reader will enjoy and maybe relate to my dry sense of humour and style of writing to the extent of not wanting to just flip to the next page. I will leave you with one of my many inspirational poems.

 

Bideford Pannier Market would like your help

Bideford’s Pannier Market is an integral part of Bideford’s history having been established by Royal Charter in 1272 and operating from its current (grade 2 )listed building in Market Place since 1884. The Market is home to between 25 to 50 traders (depending on seasonal variations) in the Market Hall on Tuesdays & Saturdays (8am to 3pm) and a further 18 Shops in Butchers Row & 6 more fronting Market Place that are open all week.

Bideford Pannier Market is currently attempting to review its position in the local community in a drive to move forward toward the future.

The essence of any Market is its traders and its customers and Bideford Pannier Market, along with the majority of markets in this country, has been aware of the changes in shopping patterns and issues that affect this traditional form of shopping.

It is for this reason that we require your help. We are conducting an investigation into the thoughts and opinions of all the interested parties that influence the Market – the traders, regular customers, visitors etc and would like to know your opinions.

It would be helpful to us if you could fill out the short questionnaire on the next page – it doesn’t matter if you use the Market or not, in fact it is particularly important to hear from you if you do not use the Market, to know why you don’t and what we can do to change this. We would also like to hear from visitors and locals alike in order to understand who our customers are and why.

Do you know about all the regular events at Bideford Library?

On the Ist Wednesday of the month we hold the Bideford Readers’ Group. 2.30pm All welcome. For details of the book we are currently reading please contact Rose on 01237 476075

On the 2^nd Wednesday Bideford Library Group meets at 2pm for 2.30pm. Again contact Rose for details and if you need transport ( For older or housebound people.). (not during August)

On the 3^rd Wednesday. ‘Books without babies.’ A reading group for young parents with a crčche provided. From 1.30pm -2.30pm  tel 476075 to book a crčche place (restarts in September)

On the last Wednesday at 7.30pm. Bideford Garden Club meets at Bideford Library .Tel Jane on 476075.