Support for local events

Moretonhampstead Festival of Food, Drink and the Arts

This event was officially launched this week at a gathering of representatives from the Festival organisers, local producers and exhibitors, and the media, held in the Library at Bovey Castle. The Festival has received 90 applications from exhibitors (more than last year) and promises to be an excellent day. The Dartmoor Magazine trailer will be located at the end of Cross Street, towards the Almshouses on the Exeter Road. 

News from the Valiant Soldier, Buckfastleigh
Recruitment evening, Monday 13 February; recruitment morning, Thursday 16 February

A successful South Devon local heritage project is going on a volunteer recruitment drive. The Valiant Soldier in Buckfastleigh is looking for people to help with what promises to be the project’s most exciting year so far. Known as the pub where time was never called, the Valiant Soldier is a preserved public house from the 1950s and 60s. Volunteers opened it as a tourist attraction in 2000. Manager Sandra Coleman said: 'It is going to be a busy year – we are opening our new archive room and completing the Buckfastleigh museum. The success of the Valiant Soldier has been down to its volunteers. They work tirelessly both in the summer when we are open and in the winter behind the scenes.  But we need more help now, so we are holding two recruitment sessions – on the evening of Monday 13th February and the morning of Thursday 16th February. We are calling the sessions Do You Belong in a Museum? We would particularly like to hear from young people aged 16 and upwards and older people, especially those with local knowledge.'

The Valiant Soldier has a new archive room with books, deeds and papers relating to Buckfastleigh and the immediate area. In addition, there are over 2500 photographs, most of which were donated by local man Chris Routley, who collected them as a member of the Buckfastleigh and District Society’s Local History Group before donating them to the Valiant Soldier. A new volunteer, Anne Goulborn, a former librarian, has been appointed as the archive co-ordinator. The project is willing to accept donations of books and papers relating to Buckfastleigh, Devon and the Westcountry.

In addition, the Valiant Soldier was awarded a National Lottery grant of £33,300 to help local people create a town museum in the Information Centre next door. 

Open for the new season on Monday 2 April: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Bank Holiday Sunday from 12.30 to 4.30pm and Wednesday and Saturday from 10.30am to 4.30pm. Last entry 4pm.

Further information from Sandra Coleman, Valiant Soldier, (01364) 644522 www.valiantsoldier.org.uk