News

The results of the Christmas Poster competition were announced today in the Community Meadow. Robins came out tops with first prize going to Bill Jeffery’s entry (poster 10) and second prize to Romi Graves (poster 4). Every single poster got at least one vote and the standard of entry was incredibly high. Thanks to everyone who joined in with the fun and to Val for organising this. Expect some stylish Christmas cards to be on sale next year!

And further seasonal happiness was spread with the drawing of the Christmas raffle, which raised an amazing £203. Many thanks to everybody who bought a ticket – this will be an enormous help in keeping the Community Space going through these tricky times. Here’s a link to a full list of winners. And a very Happy Christmas from the Community Space Team, seen here lurking behind Rudolph.

The bright and beautiful posters created for the Christmas Competition by villagers of all ages are now on display in the community meadow. You can view all eleven entries here:

1 Love, Joy and Peace

2 Christmas Trees

3 Peeking through the Window

4 Red Robin

5 Merry Snowman

6 Our House for Christmas

7 Warm Wishes

8 Snowman

9 Santa's on the Roof!

10 Robin and Berries

11 Santa and his little Helper

Even better, go along and view this festive outdoor gallery, lined up against the hedge and guarded over by Rudolph, whom you may recognise from the Scarecow Competition in the summer. He even lights up at night.

The two winners will be decided by public vote. Each poster has a number, and you can text, WhatsApp or voicemail organiser, Val Hoare, on 07792 802307 with your first and second place preferences, or send them in an e-mail by clicking this link to Val’s contact form. You have until midday on Thursday December 24th to vote. The winner will be declared in the meadow at 3pm that day and will also be posted on this website.

And some of the favourites will be transformed into Christmas cards next year. We might even re-recycle Rudolph!

Are you looking for an outdoor Christmas activity? From December 21st there will be a Nativity Trail to follow. It starts in the church car park, wends its way round the Community Orchard and the Meadow and back to the church again.

The trail tells the Christmas story in eight bite-sized pieces. You can read the story as you go or you can scan the QR code – which will also get you a Christmas carol to sing along to.

It should take about an hour to complete – just right for getting the children away from their screens and the grandparents away from the sherry!

Thanks to Jenny Galton-Fenzi for this thought provoking article:

Everyone knows who the Oldest Inhabitant of Littlehempston is (Ed. – Roger Miller), but possibly not his arboreal counterpart!

At the top of Ackrells Hill above the village centre stands an ancient oak. From its girth we calculate that it’s about 400 years old, so it began its life around the end of the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. The people who live near it are aware of its majestic presence, and keep an eye on it, but other villagers may not even have noticed it. So, if you are passing (or indeed would like to make a special journey) please go and do it homage, and, as you stand there, ponder all the events, historical and humble, that it has presided over. This whole area was once covered in oak trees (the name Dart comes from the Celtic word for oak), and you can still see residual clumps on the top of the hills surrounding Littlehempston.

Oaks are ‘keystone plants’, supporting more species that any other native tree. Including invertebrates, birds, mammals and fungi, each oak tree supports about 2300 life forms. So it’s not just a tree, but a teeming ecosystem, which draws up about 50 gallons of water a day.

If you’re looking for a stocking filler, may I recommend ‘The Glorious Life of the Oak’ by John Lewis-Stempel. It’s full of oak information, history, medicine, myths and legends. One story is that when a Roma child died, he or she would be buried by the wayside with an acorn in each hand.

I’ve managed to germinate a few of our ancient oak’s acorns this year, so if you have a lot of patience and would like to nurture one, and eventually plant it out on a suitable site, please get in touch.

Fusion Lifestyle, the charity that works alongside South Hams District Council to operate Totnes Leisure Centre, is offering all local residents the chance to boost their health and wellbeing and celebrate the fun of feeling fit with a free gym pass.

With keeping healthy now more important than ever, Fusion is encouraging all residents to try out their fantastic facilities and claim their free gym pass, which is available from Friday 11 December to Monday 4 January 2021.

To claim your pass, simply head to www.fusion-lifestyle.com/gympass select your preferred centre and enter the promo code GYMPASS.  Visits will need to be booked via the Fusion Lifestyle app to ensure all centres can continue to operate in line with government guidelines.  Centre users will be asked to arrive in their usual fitness gear, to streamline the contact process and keep customers safe.

Avian Influenza is still on the increase and to try and prevent the spread the Government will be introducing a Housing Order as from the 14 December. It is important that everyone including pet and backyard keepers adhere to this legislation and keep the birds housed or netted.

Full details are in this news item from DEFRA and the Animal and Plant Health Agency.

Here’s a message from South Hams District Council (SHDC):

Due to COVID-19 guidance, a number of drivers and crews on our waste and recycling collections have had to self isolate. This may cause disruption in some services as we work to prioritise scheduled collections. We will not be able to return for missed collections at this time. There may also be delays to bin and sack deliveries, and delays to emptying recycling banks. If your collection is missed, please bring the bins or sacks back in until your next scheduled collection. Household waste created in this period will be taken on your next collection day. Collecting 4 weeks of waste in some areas will be a challenge. To help the crews out, please use the recycling centres for garden waste and recycling if you can. Thank you for your patience and understanding during this difficult time.

More information on the SHDC website.