South Hams Journal

Covid-19 cases in the South Hams have risen nearly 50 per cent in two weeks. Coronavirus Between the 20th and 26th October there were 56 laboratory confirmed cases in the South Hams, up from 38 between the 6th and 12th of this month, an increase of 47.36 per cent. The figures, posted by Devon County Councillor Roger Croad, show a steady increase in cases in the area, with numbers in nearby Plymouth rising sharply. Cllr Croad said: "Positive cases in Exeter have markedly diminished, but after the very high number at the University, there is some evidence that it is spreading in the community.  Overall, there has again been a slow rise everywhere with the exception of Plymouth, where numbers have, worryingly, jumped by 50 per cent - that is an escalation of 120 per cent over two weeks. Overall, there has again been a slow rise everywhere with the exception of Plymouth, where numbers have, worryingly, jumped by 50 per cent - that is an escalation of 120 per cent over two weeks Hospit

Adding to what must already be a groaning trophy cabinet, local photographer Martyn Norsworthy has won two Bronze Awards from the Guild of Professional Photographers.  One of Martyn's award winning photographs - Norsworthy Photography Martyn has just won two Bronze Awards in the guild's Image of the Month competition, fighting off nearly 1,500 other entrants.  The Guild of Photographers is a highly regarded national photographic body and its members are dedicated to enhancing their skills in the art, craft and profession of photography. Martyn said: "I have also gained 'Classified' status on seven other entries this month (70/100 score) so in effect I gained an Scores on all nine entries..." Martyn's second award winning photograph - Norsworthy Photography  Martyn said: "2020 is proving to be a great year for positivity with many recent awards when business has been very effected by Covid."  The Guild of Photographers are committed to achieving

We have been contacted by some people who would like to get a response from our MP, Mr Anthony Mangnall, about his vote against ensuring free school meals for children through the holidays.  Free School Meals stock photo - credit Cheshire East Council In order to cover the thoughts and feelings of a lot of people in the South Hams about this vote, I have written Mr Mangnall an open letter.  Dear Mr Mangnall,  I'm sure you have seen from your own Facebook page that your decision to vote against providing free school meals to children over the holidays, meaning that 1.4million children might go hungry this Christmas, has been met with some...hostility...from your constituents. I have been contacted twice by people asking why you chose to vote against this.  I imagine there are many in your Government who would say that they have to balance the trust of the taxpayer against the needs of the poor. Its a shame you didn't consider that when you voted against measures to reduce tax av

The return to school for Kingsbridge Community College has thrown up some challenges, mainly coronavirus-shaped, but the whole team have been working to move the school forward.  Tina Graham, Principal, Kingsbridge Community College - credit Education South West Here’s what they have been up against in the first half of the Winter Term 2020.  The main focus has been on using the collective behaviour culture within the 1,450 students, to help support each other and keep everyone as safe as possible.  The main focus has been on using the collective behaviour culture within the 1,450 students, to help support each other and keep everyone as safe as possible Headteacher Tina Graham took over the helm September 2019 and has already had to deal with a global pandemic.  Tina said: “With a change of leader comes a change of angle and focus, but a school is only as good as how coherently its staff, students and parents work together. I am really proud of the way the school community have done t

The Trading Post in Kingsbridge has been nominated for a Progressive Preschool Award.  Julia Wingate, owner of The Trading Post, finalist in the Progressive Preschool Awards The Trading Post , on Fore Street, is a finalist in the Best Independent Toy Retailer catagory, alongside six other businesses.  The awards, which "recognise and celebrate excellence across both product and retail, with special awards also covering marketing and individual excellence" are nominated by the suppliers, but owner Julia Wingate has no idea who put their name forward. "I was delighted and somewhat shocked", Julia said about finding out The Trading Post had been nominated and had made it to the finals. "Its nice when other people recognise all the little extras we do. We like doing our window displays and offering our customers special offers and great deals but to have that support from the suppliers is great." Its nice when other people recognise all the little extras we do

Kingsbridge Food Bank have launched an appeal as they turn their attentions not just to the upcoming festive season, but also the increasingly possible second lockdown.  Stock image, food donations - credit © Copyright David Hawgood Kingsbridge Area Food Bank are an independant charity that make weekly deliveries to 160 addresses, serving more than 400 adults and children.  Gerrie Messer, Kingsbridge Food Bank, said: "We have rapidly responded to COVID, adapting what we do and have become an essential frontline service working in partnership with external agencies to ensure the well-being of our community. "We manage the stock, prepare the food parcels, make weekly deliveries, collect supermarket donations, and collect and deliver prescriptions. We endeavour to maintain continuity between volunteers and clients to ensure their well-being and safeguarding, concerns are reported and dealt with appropriately. Kingsbridge Area Foodbank has become an integral part of caring for th

Devon and Cornwall Police are appealing for witnesses and those who might have dashcam footage of a fatal accident on the A38 at Dartbridge on Sunday.  A single vehicle crashed between Dartbridge and Ashburton on Sunday, 18th October, leaving a 33-year-old man dead.  The A38, Exeter bound, Dartbridge on slip Emergency services were called to the Exeter-bound stretch of the dual carriageway, just past the Dartbridge A384 on slip, at around 5.10pm.  Numerous emergency services and Devon Air Ambulance attended but the driver of the black Vauxhall Astra was pronounced dead at the scene. The road was closed while a forensic examination took place. Numerous emergency services and Devon Air Ambulance attended but the driver of the black Vauxhall Astra was pronounced dead at the scene Kingsbridge Police posted: "Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the young man. On a personal note, we had to close the A38, divert traffic, and help the cars off the A38 which were stuck between

Kingsbridge Police are appealing for witnesses following "an incident of disorder" near the Quay. Devon and Cornwall Police  Two people are in custody following reports of fighting around the Bridge Street, Mill Street and Ilbert Road area of Kingsbridge at 5pm today.  Police are appealing for "anybody  [who] witnessed anything" to get in touch quoting Log 634 171020. You can call the police on 101 or email 101@dc.police.uk 

No one should try and sell a house or rent a holiday let without finding out what Image Three Sixty can do - it truly is mind-blowing. A digital walk through of a property can give you a real feel for the space Image Three Sixty, owned by Daniel Coleman, is a media company that provides truly exceptional visuals to bring your property or project to life. You’ve all seen the collections of photos that estate agents use on their website when selling or renting a home. They’re good, they do the job, but you often have to switch between the floorplan and the images to try and visualise layout and space. This is where Image Three Sixty can create something really special. Dan Coleman - owner of Image Three Sixty Once Image Three Sixty has created a virtual walk-through, not only can you zoom out and see the whole house with or without without walls - the ‘dollhouse’ effect - but you can view the rooms as a floorplan that you can jump in and out of as you move around the space, or add or rem

A large property was fully ablaze in Thurlestone this afternoon.  The blaze - credit Julia Hunn Update:  A spokesperson for Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said: "We initially mobilised one fire appliance from Kingsbridge, one from Ivybridge and one from Totnes along with an Operational Assurance Officer. "Due to the volume of calls coming into the control room a further two fire appliances were sent from Dartmouth and Plymstock along with the aerial ladder platform from Crownhill. "On arrival the incident commander confirmed a two storey property well alight. "At 13:46hrs, the first floor of the property is fully involved in fire with crews at work externally. Western Power have been requested to attend. "At 1621hrs, crews are currently damping down and turning over checking for hotspots. "This incident is ongoing." Eight fire engines are currently on scene and an ambulance on blue lights arrived in the village.  The road through the villa

Cases of Coronavirus in the South Hams have jumped from 12 to 38 in three weeks.  Coronavirus  Between the 6th and 12th October there were 38 laboratory confirmed cases in South Hams, compared to 12 cases between the 15th and 21st of September. Confirmed cases per 100,000 now sits at 43.7 compared to 13.8 three weeks ago.  Devon County Councillor Roger Croad released the numbers at this evening, Wednesday, 14th of October, saying: "It is estimated that the SW peninsula is some two/three weeks behind the north of England so it really does go to show the importance of social distancing, good hand hygiene, wearing a mask where appropriate and good local communication, if we want positive cases to remain relatively low compared to most of the rest of England."    The Government's interactive map says that there are six cases in Ivybridge, four cases in South Brent & Cornwood, three in Marldon, Stoke Gabriel & Kingswear, and three in Ashburton & Buckfastleigh. You

Coast & Country Cottages has been nominated for the Best UK Cottage Holiday Company in the 2020 British Travel Awards.   One of Coast & Country Cottages' properties - Waterside View in Salcombe  The holiday cottage company, based in Salcombe and Dartmouth, has won a British Travel Award every year since 2014 and are hoping to make it seven years on the bounce at the virtual awards ceremony on 14 December.  The winners of the British Travel Awards are voted for by the consumer. You can cast your vote before 22 November  here .  Jon Doyle, managing director at Coast & Country Cottages , said: “We are absolutely thrilled to once more be in the running for a British Travel Award. Our team has truly excelled themselves this year, working incredibly hard in very difficult circumstances to ensure all guests have both an enjoyable and safe holiday.  "We are honoured to have had this nomination, and I hope our customers choose to vote for us and give the wonderful Coast &am

Green hay has been cut and collected from flower-rich grassland at Longmarsh, Totnes, and taken to the Avon Valley to help local landowners establish new, and to improve their existing, wildflower meadows. Bees are one of the species that needs wildflower meadows to survive - stock image The initiative is a partnership between the owners of Longmarsh, South Hams District Council, local social enterprise ParkLife and South West and Devon Wildlife Trust, whose Avon Valley Project works with landowners to restore wildflower-rich grasslands, and create wildlife rich corridors across the catchment.   Keith Rennells from ParkLife, explained that: “Green hay can be a relatively cheap way of collecting wildflower seed. The hay is harvested just as wildflowers and grasses are shedding seed, and are still ‘green’. The hay is quickly transferred to another site where it is spread, allowing the seed to drop.” Once a common and colourful feature in our landscape, Britain has lost 97 per cent of its

A Kingsbridge woman has launched an online Christmas market to encourage people to shop local in the festive period and support South Hams businesses.  The group already has 1,000 members - Facebook  Kingsbridge Online Christmas Market is the brain child of Leah Jordan, who was "gutted" that the local festive markets that she usually attended have all been cancelled (stupid coronavirus). "I love Christmas markets", Leah explained, "I love all the individual things people make and I saw on the Virtual Tavern [an online 'pub' set up during lockdown that hosts virtual events] that they had an online Christmas fayre, and thought about maybe starting something up for people local to Kingsbridge." I love Christmas markets, I love all the individual things people make  She didn't expect it to take off like it has, with a thousand members at the time of writing, and said she expected "no one to be interested". She joked: "I thought I wou

Harbour Bookshop has stepped up to help after Malborough Primary School’s Forest School storage shed was vandalised.  Forest and Beach collect their donated nature books from Harbour Bookshop - credit Forest and Beach L-R: Pete, Olive, Jane, Andrea Harbour Bookshop , Mill Street, Kingsbridge, have worked with the publisher Harper Collins to replace nature books that were in Malborough Primary School’s Forest School storage shed at Malborough Forest School, which was vandalised and had paint thrown all over it at the end of the summer.  Pete and Andrea Moore, along with Olive the dog, of Forest and Beach , Beeson, came to pick up the books this week. Pete said: "Wow! Thank you so much to The Harbour Bookshop! Such an amazing community we live in!" Thank you so much to The Harbour Bookshop! Such an amazing community we live in! Jane at Harbour Bookshop said: "Forest and Beach are outstanding! We absolutely love the work they do with children (and adults!) and want to suppo

Each year South Hams District Council launches an ‘Are you ready for winter?’ campaign, with advice on  flooding, storms and reducing your fuel bills. Misty winter morning on Dartmoor - Pixabay A spokesperson for SHDC said: "When an emergency happens, or the weather takes a wintery twist, we are all there with our mobile phones ready to video, photo and tweet about what it happening.  "So why not be prepared this winter and sign up for social media alerts from vital public services in advance.  "To make it even easier for you to be connect with these agencies, SHDC has taken the best advice from their partners and are launching their ‘Are you ready for Winter Campaign 2020’ to tell you where you can find important information quickly and easily." • Looking for information about floods and how to be #floodaware? Follow the Environment Agency - @EnvAgencySW • Is there a storm approaching? Follow @metofficestorms or @metofficeSWEng. • Worried about the road netwo

Barriers erected by South Hams District Council are intended to increase the safety of young people riding their bikes and others walking in the area, but one resident says they have made the situation worse.  The barriers that have been installed in The Coppice - credit Helen Jones Elle Vuitton, founder and treasurer of the Filham Bike and Skate Park Committee, is a resident of the Pippins, one of the roads that encloses the Coppice. She said that while she enjoys the fact that young people use the area to ride their bikes, she is "terrified" that someone will get into a car accident due to the bikes "shooting out" of the paths from The Coppice on to the Pippins and Cameron Drive.  "They're really nice, polite, lovely kids", Elle said, "they're having a whale of a time on their bikes, whizzing along the paths, but when they get to the end of a path, they shoot across the pavement and on to the road.  They're really nice, polite, lovely ki