N O R NT W S L E W H E A TALE OF TWO BOMBED CITIES PAGE 9. NORTHLEW’S 700 YEAR OLD OAK MANTLE. PAGE 11. PLUS: THE BEST OF BATS(P25), BATTLING BALSAAM (P22) HISTORIC PHOTOS (P19), ALONG WITH YOUR LETTERS, OUR REGULAR FEATURES & COMING EVENTS. www.northlewparishcouncil.org.uk
Methodist Church that have been passed down through generations would you mind lending them to us? They can be handed in at the coffee morning any Saturday from 10 am – 12 noon, between now and 9 August. We will photocopy them and return the originals.
limited print run. If you enjoyed your read please consider sharing it online or lending your copy to another villager Read it Love it Share it In this issue…... From the Editor...............................................................................................................Page 2 Northlew Celebrates VE Day........................................................................................Page 3 Pews News: Rev Leigh Winsbury & VE Day................................................................Page 5 Victory in time of Dread: Rev Chris Jackson.............................................................Page 6 Chapel News....................................................................................................................Page 7 Friends of St Thomas.....................................................................................................Page 8 A tale of two bombed Cities: The Elvira and Derek Chivers story.......................Page 9 Solidarity: A Poem........................................................................................................Page 10 The Oldest Piece of Oak in Northlew?......................................................................Page 11 With Gratitude...............................................................................................................Page 13 Bandamonium Preview................................................................................................Page 16 Letter to the Editor.......................................................................................................Page 18 Produce Show Entry Form..........................................................................................Page 20 Battle of the Balsam.....................................................................................................Page 22 Quiz Time: Some murderous clues!...........................................................................Page 24 Northlew Nature: Bats.................................................................................................Page 25 Cottage Garden Wildlife..............................................................................................Page 28 Tania’s recipe: Picnic time ........................................................................................Page 29 INFORMATION PAGES Your Parish Council ..................................................................................Page 30 NEW! Coming Events - Late Summer and Autumn............................Page 31 Sports and Recreation .............................................................................Page 32 Community Contacts................................................................................Page 33 NORTHLEW NEWS IS A FREE NEWSLETTER PRODUCED BY NORTHLEW PARISH COUNCIL. YOUR NEWS, STORIES, ARTWORK, POEMS OR PHOTOS WELCOMED, EMAIL THE EDITOR, VICTOR HULBERT AT NORTHLEWNEWS@HULBERT.ORG.UK TO ADVERTISE OR IF YOU WISH TO JOIN THE E-DISTRIBUTION LIST, PLEASE CONTACT JOHANNAH SHAW AT CLERK@NORTHLEWPARISHCOUNCIL.ORG.UK OPINIONS EXPRESSED ARE THOSE OF THE INDIVIDUAL AUTHORS AND DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT THE VIEWS OF THE COUNCIL. THE COUNCIL DOES NOT ENDORSE ANY ADVERTISING BUT PROVIDE IT AS A SERVICE TO USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. PROOFREADER: AUDREY ANDERSSON. ALL PHOTOS ARE BY THE EDITOR UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED.
Pat Hutton. Northlewians rarely need to be asked twice to hold a beacon lighting event, and the fact that government guidelines for celebrating the 80th Anniversary on 8 May, included the lighting of Beacons across the land, played right into the hands of the Parish Council! Once again, Hazel and Graham Butt kindly allowed the event to be held on their land at Heathmoor, where an impressive beacon was built by Parish Chair Mark Rundle with donations of materials from several other councillors. [Photo credit: Catherine Wensley “Too young to understand the significance, yet thankful she can enjoy the experience freely. Thank you wonderful Northlew “] PAGE 3
weather, in came a sizeable crowd, including those taking up Siobhan Williams' kind offer of lifts from the village square. Food and drink were available from Dartmoor Bars in collaboration with the Green Dragon, while the PTFA had a stall brimming with sweets and goodies. There was also a raffle with prizes donated by many villagers. This raised £233 for the Parish Council. Rev. Leigh Winsbury spoke about the significance of celebrating this historic milestone, honouring the memory of the generation who lived through such dark days, offering gratefulness for their commitment and faithfulness to face such a terrifying evil, and acknowledging their sacrifice so that we are able to enjoy the life and freedoms we have come to think of as normal. He then led the minute’s silence before Shaun Millership sounded his canon and the beacon was lit. In line with the guidelines for the event, everyone sang ‘I Vow To Thee My Country’, accompanied by Tim Williams on the trombone. The organisers, Northlew Parish Council, would like to thank everyone who helped make it such a success, and everyone who came along and celebrated, and of course those who fought for our country, back in the 40s. Drone photo credit: Jack Savage PAGE 4
Hello Northlew, I’d just like to thank Victor for inviting me back into the pages of this auspicious mag! He asked me if I had anything to say following Northlew’s magnificent V.E. Day beacon event. Well, to start with, many thanks, for giving me the honour of lighting the fire and the opportunity to say a few words. Apparently, no one much heard them on the night, but it was something like this… I was glad of the chance to honour, remember, and thank in my heart the memory of the generation in this land who lived through such dark days. Grateful for their commitment and faithfulness to face such a terrifying evil for the benefit of those who came after them: for us, to be able to enjoy the life and freedoms we have come to think of as normal. The alternative was too awful to contemplate, yet it was they who suffered for us. Photo credit; Shaun McCarthy What was it that enabled that generation to give what they did? Essentially, it was their faith. It’s easy for us to fall into ‘golden age syndrome’, to look back at a high point in our history, associate with it, draw pride from it, and think that it epitomises who we are today. But are we? If we’re going to do nostalgia, let’s do it right and recognise the whole picture. In the 1940s, pretty much everyone in this land would call themselves ‘Christian’ with various levels of commitment. Certainly, most of our great leaders were very aware of their need for God, as much in battle as in life. Montgomery, Dowding, the King, and many others were vocal about their faith, and the desperate need of God they had in the struggle against the Third Reich. But after the ‘big win’, what happened? The 1950s, bringing ‘post-modern’ thinking, happened; in short, you can believe what you like, and everyone’s different ‘truths’ have equal value. In other words, there is no ultimate truth; pick what you like and do what you like. This led to the ‘60s with a new and systematic abandonment of both God and the values of previous generations. And here we are, a generation or two later, wondering what happened and where it all went wrong. We look back at V.E. Day remembering the people but wiping out the memory of the God who sustained them. We now want Christmas with no Jesus to challenge us, pretty churches in our villages without any desire to meet the God they were built for, holidays without the Holy. We want all the benefits that God alone can bring, but without Him interfering with our lives. It doesn’t work; it hasn’t worked. I don’t know if you, like me, keep a watchful eye on events in this country. If you do, you will know we are living in fragile times where anything could happen. There is a solution, and it won’t be found in politics or protests, but in Almighty God. Britain avoided a revolution once before, unlike France and Russia. Thanks to the preaching of John Wesley and others like him, we had a Christian revival instead, and an age of this nation’s history was rescued. We need rescuing again, a different kind of revolution, a turning back to God. Let’s make Jesus welcome in this nation, acknowledging our insufficiency without Him. The Northlew beacon was a sight to behold, but let’s light a new fire of faith, hope, and self-sacrifice, as we look not just to the past but to the future with a vision that our grandchildren could take pride in. Consider well what you want the legacy of this generation to be. With my love, Leigh Winsbury. PAGE 5
VE Day was 80 years ago, but war is, sadly, still a present reality. Our Methodist Superintendent Minister, the Rev Chris Jackson wrote this thought piece in early June. The news agenda may change, but the sense of dread remains. How to turn it into optimism? It’s not often I wake up in the morning and turn on the TV with a sense of dread. But that is exactly what happened this Sunday morning. Surely the USA was not going to attack Iran? Surely a diplomatic whispering in the ear of the President would avert such an action? However, my optimism was unfounded on this occasion, and the bombs had fallen. It seemed that the US was heading for yet another prolonged war in the Middle East. As a church minister, it is sometimes hard to reflect on the state of the world in an honest way and with the spiritual reflection that we are required to voice on such occasions. Putting all politics aside, my reflection is from a Christian perspective. Jesus spoke about the need to love one’s enemy, to do good to those who hate us. This is hard, but what is it that Jesus is trying to urge us to reflect on? Is it simply a matter of being a door mat, turning the other cheek in all circumstances, and simply appearing weak in the face of aggression? I think Jesus was onto something far stronger. Many years ago, I learnt the maxim, ‘behaviour breeds behaviour’. One of the best ways to handle difficult situations in order to de-escalate them is not to respond with violence or hatred. Violence begets violence, peace begets peace. No, it is not always as simple as that and there are occasions when a different response is needed. What we need to ask ourselves is, what is the motivation behind our/their actions? Are we/they responding in a particular way gain something for ourselves, to satisfy our greed or power? Or are we looking to the good of those whom we love, or represent in the case of leadership? My prayer is that the current crop of world leaders look deep inside themselves to ask just that question. I once told a group of mayors that remember who it was that gave you your office…those in leadership could learn a lot from the servanthood of Jesus Christ…who, after all, is known as the King of Kings…there is none higher, and Jesus sacrificed everything for those he loved… all of humanity. PAGE 6
On Sunday, 8 June, we had a time of worship at the Methodist Church, led by Mrs Kath Brimacombe. She started talking about memories. When many of us were younger and went to Sunday school, we would sit on a platform so that all the people could see us. There, we would say our recitation and sing some choruses. This was a nostalgia moment for many of us. As it was Pentecost Sunday, Kath’s message reflected on Acts chapter 2, that first Pentecost when the heavens opened and poured down not only rain, but the Holy Spirit. This was a gift not just for the Jewish people, but truly for all people, regardless of race, sex, or age. It is still the same today. “The fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22 – 23) The Stowford Meadow Singers were a highlight of the service, including in their repertoire several songs from our childhood memories such as ‘I am H A P P Y’, together with some more modern gospel songs. Photos: Top: The Stowford Meadow Singers Above: Mrs Kath Brimacombe. Below: A good spread and a time for friendship, sharing and reminisances. The event concluded with a beautiful tea prepared by our ladies. You will notice the chapel has a fresh coat of paint. The offering on the day, together with donations for tea totalled £401.30, helping towards the upkeep of this historic village amenity. A big thank you to all our supporters. PAGE 7
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