Tuesday 16 October 2012

Valiant Soldier ends year on a high

Buckfastleigh’s time-capsule local heritage attraction – a preserved public house from the 1950s and 60s – is marking the end of the season with a special day.
The Local Residents’ Day – on Saturday 27 October, 10.30am to 4.30pm – marks the former pub’s last before it closes for the winter. Entry for local people on the day will be just £1, with children going free. Residents should take a utility bill or a letter with their postcode on to prove residency. 
Sandra Coleman, Manager of the Valiant Soldier project, said: 'The season has been hard work because of the weather and the economy, but the good news is that we have had more local people in to see us. Our new archive room has been busy – we get family history requests from people every week from all over the world. We have had many donations from local people of artefacts, papers and photographs for the town museum. We look forward to seeing both locals and visitors for our final fling before the winter!'
As well as a special entry price on the day, there will be extra displays to see. The Buckfastleigh Kings Cricket Club is celebrating its 150th anniversary with an exhibition, and members of the club will be present on the day. Club captain Richard Jones said: 'We are very proud – 150 years is a very good innings for any cricket club. We are looking for new recruits to join us for next season.'
To mark One World Week there will also be a display of African goods from the Sanna House shop in Sidmouth, owned by Judith Smith. The goods are made by women’s co-operatives in Africa.
Refreshments will be available  and volunteers will be on hand to meet people and answer questions.
Looking further ahead, there will be an atmospheric Tour by Torchlight evening on Friday 16 November to include the Valiant Soldier and the Buckfastleigh museum. The cost will be £5 with refreshments.
 
Further information from Sandra Coleman, Valiant Soldier, (01364) 644522 http://www.valiantsoldier.org.uk/
 

Thursday 11 October 2012

Autumn Tamar Trail Festival – Programme Out Now

Join the Tamar Valley AONB team this autumn for the fifth annual Tamar Trail Festival; packed with more than 40 events and activities for you to enjoy throughout the Valley.

Have some Spooky Fun, Spot an Otter, Join a Night Vision Adventure, Explore the Great Estates, or Cycle along the new section of Drake’s Trail. Many events are FREE of charge, but we are expecting the Festival to be popular, so book your places early to avoid disappointment this half-term.

Organiser, Becki Lumbis, from the Tamar Valley AONB team, says; “The Festival, now in its 5th year, provides a great opportunity to explore the Tamar Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. There really is something for everyone, so come and join us!”

The Tamar Trail Festival will be held from Saturday 27th–Wednesday 31st October. The Calstock Jazz & Blues Festival and National Trust’s Festival of Walks coincides with this year’s Trail Festival, and we are happy to include details of these as part of the programme.

 To download your FREE programme of events, visit www.tamarvalley.org.uk <http://www.tamarvalley.org.uk> . Check www.facebook.com/TVAONB <http://www.facebook.com/TVAONB> regularly as we delve deeper into each event, between now and the end of the month.

Monday 1 October 2012

A Charity Stroll with a Difference – Sunday 28 October


The Lions Club of Tavistock have come up with a charity walk with a difference: one that will give participants a unique opportunity for a twilight stroll over the beautiful rivers of the Tavy and the Walkham, through the recently opened tunnel at Grenofen and onto Gem Bridge, before a hot drink and burger at Crowndale, home of Tavistock Football Club. 

The walk along the new cycle path is in aid of Children's Hospice South West. Lions Clubs all over the southwest have raised a considerable amount of money for the new hospice at Little Harbour near St Austell which was featured in a recent edition of the Tavistock Times Gazette.

The walk will start at Tavistock Football Club in Crowndale Road, go through Bishopsmead and Tiddybrook, onto the new path at Anderton Lane and then through the tunnel and over the bridge, returning the same way. The whole walk is just over 4 miles so will only take a couple of hours. The Lions are hoping that this will appeal to families; free glowsticks will be provided for children and torches available for a small charge, and there will be checkpoints and stickers to collect along the way. So come along between 4pm and 5pm on Sunday 28 October – the day the clocks change! – and enjoy being among the first to walk through the tunnel and across the bridge and in aid of a great cause.

All money raised will go to the Hospice thanks to generous sponsorship from Kountry Kit in Tavistock and help from Tavistock Football Club. Walkers will be asked for a donation of just £5 (adults over 16), £2 for children 5 and over, under 5s free! Registration forms are available from Kountry Kit, the Tavistock Times Gazette office or the Children’s Hospice South West shop or just come along on the day to Tavistock Community Football Club. For further information, call the Lions Club of Tavistock on 0845 8334807.





Friday 28 September 2012

The Dartmoor and Exmoor Low Carbon Festival 1–7 October 2012

The fourth Dartmoor and Exmoor Low Carbon Festival will take place from 1 to 7 October 2012, with a wide variety of events, in towns and villages all round the two moors, celebrating local food, music, creativity and sustainable living. 

South Brent will have a pop-up shop in the middle of the village from Tuesday to Saturday (10–12 and 2–4pm), with daily themes including seed exchange, energy saving, tool sharpening, and networking for local businesses. It will follow this up with a bring-and-share lunch in the Old School Community Centre (Sunday 12–2pm).

Several other towns will be offering the chance to enjoy good local food. Chagford will celebrate local sustainable living, with a drink and nibbles at Endecott House on Thursday 4 October (7–10pm). In Ermington, there will be a celebration of music, local food and creativity in partnership with the Ivybridge Arts Festival, on Sunday 7 October (12–3pm). 
Other events include “Positive Money: Can the Banks pay for a Greener Planet?” in Bovey Tracey on Tuesday 2 October (7.30–9.30pm, Phoenix Hall). Ashburton will offer “Transforming Ashburton into a Low Carbon Town: Showcasing five Local Initiatives” at the Town Hall on Saturday (10–12). 
For those who are feeling more active, Holne will feature “Dartmoor Pack Ponies and Natural Horsemanship”, an all-day practical workshop at the Village Hall (10am–5pm).

All the events are hosted by local sustainability groups, and supported by Dartmoor National Park Authority and Dartmoor Circle. 
For full details of events, visit www.dartmoor.gov.uk, or search for “Dartmoor Low Carbon Festival”.

Thursday 27 September 2012

Walk & Talk in the Tamar Valley – new programme out now

Free weekly walks throughout the Tamar Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, aimed at exploring the area, improving health and meeting new people, are continuing throughout the autumn and winter months.

The new programme, created by the Tamar Valley AONB’s Walks Coordinator, Dave Readman, runs from October until December, and is available to view at http://www.tamarvalley.org.uk/walkandtalk

There are currently two Walk & Talk groups in the Tamar Valley. One is every Monday in Saltash, and the other is every Wednesday around the Gunnislake & Calstock area.

In addition, once a month, there is a Walk & Talk Plus (W&T+); this is a longer walk and a little more energetic!

Areas you can look forward to exploring this season include Antony Passage, Trematon and St Germans on Mondays, and Chimney Rock, Okel Tor and Cotehele on Wednesdays. The programme also includes a Railways & Castles walk and the chance to visit Port Eliot.
For further information, please contact Dave Readman, tel: 07792 483669, email: walkscoordinator@tamarvalley.org.uk 

Tuesday 4 September 2012

Dartmoor to be high point of 2012 Tour of Britain


Dartmoor will officially be the 'high point' of this year’s Tour of Britain. The summit of the Skoda King of the Mountain’s climb at Merrivale is 454m – the highest of any climb on this year’s eight-day race. Together with another category one climb at Coffin Stone near Dartmeet just moments later, Dartmoor is set to provide another severe challenge for the professional cyclists during the Devon Stage of The Tour on Saturday 15 September. Starting in Barnstaple and finishing in Dartmouth, the Devon Stage will cover 106 miles (170.7km) of the county.

The riders, including Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins and Road Race World Champion Mark Cavendish, will spend almost two hours of the race in Dartmoor National Park as the route takes in Okehampton, Lydford, Tavistock, Princetown, Poundsgate and Ashburton.

DNPA’s popular Freewheeler bike bus service will run from Ashburton (08:30), Yelverton (10:00) and Tavistock (11:00) taking bikes and their owners up to Princetown. Those who book a trip on this service will arrive in time to enjoy a great day and then have a mainly downhill cycle back home.

Please arrive in plenty of time and park responsibly. Those arriving early to get the best vantage points will be able to enjoy watching the Active Dartmoor King of the Mountains team ride that takes place on the Merrivale to Princetown section from 09:30. Come along and watch local cycle clubs and corporate teams compete over the same climb as the professionals.

Princetown will have plenty to entertain all the family with a climbing wall provided by Dart Rock, Crazy Bikes and tight-rope walking from Essential Adventure. Admission to DNPA's High Moorland Visitor Centre will be free, and a special film starring Tour competitor and 2011 King of the Mountains Jon Tiernan-Locke, as well as Great Britain mountain bike team member Andrei Burton, will be screened in the Centre. There will be a special Tour discount on the latest cycle map of Dartmoor showing all the legal off-road routes and designated cyclepaths. Children can visit the Ranger Ralph stand, make something crafty and pick up free ‘Spokey Dokeys’ for their bike.

There will be special discounts from Foxtor and Lords cafés, the opportunity to take a guided mountain bike tour ( bike hire available at Foxtor Café) and a free bus service from Princetown to the Merrivale King of the Mountains section. For more about the Freewheeler service or guided mountain bike tours contact tourism@dartmoor.gov.uk or see www.dartmoor.gov.uk/cycling for details of designated car parks and lay-bys along the route.

The Devon Stage will also race through Bideford, Hatherleigh, Instow, Great Torrington, Buckfastleigh, Kingsbridge, Torcross and Stoke Fleming.

www.southwesttourofbritain.co.uk (external link, opens new window) and www.tourofbritain.co.uk (external link, opens new window) and on Twitter follow @SWTourofBritain.