A Parish Council meeting was held on Tuesday, 3 November 2020, the first of the new monthly meetings, attended by Councillors Good, Old, Mrs Rhodes, Risdon, Miss Sturla and County Councillor Yabsley.

Councillor Old was willing to be Chairman for the duration of the municipal year and was elected as such.

There were no representations from the public.

Apologies were received from Councillors Miss Smyth and D Webber.

No declarations of interest were announced.

The Minutes of the Parish Council meeting held on 6 October were approved after it was noted that Councillor Old, not Councillor Miss Smyth, proposed moving the telephone box nearer to the Parish Hall.

Reports were received on behalf of Devon County Council and North Devon Council from County / District Councillor Yabsley; from Councillor Risdon on behalf of the Parish Hall; Councillor Good confirmed that the defibrillator was in working order.  A report on Highways and Parish drainage will be given at the December meeting.

Finance.  Balances were given and budgetary figures had been circulated to Councillors ahead of the meeting.

Payments were agreed which included a donation of £312.00 to Worlington PCC for the upkeep of the churchyards of West and East Worlington Churches.

Councillors addressed the items raised in the 2019/20 internal audit.

The transfer of land between the Parish Hall and the highway continued to be dealt with by the Parish Council’s solicitors and the Diocese of Exeter.

The Clerk is to request BT to move the telephone line, not the telephone box, nearer to the Parish Hall for the opportunity to install a wi-fi hub in the Hall.

Councillors decided not to form a separate Planning Committee.

The preparation and publication of the Annual Parish magazine will be an item on the next Agenda.  Meanwhile, Councillors approved and adopted a Data Privacy Policy and Data Protection Policy.  Also adopted:  updated Equal Opportunities Policy, Health and Safety Policy and Subject Access Requests Policy.

The Standing Orders, Financial Regulations and General Risk Assessment were reviewed and approved.

The content of a New Residents Welcome Information Pack was discussed and Councillors were happy with the existing arrangements

Planning.  Amendments to Listed Building Consent 43464 (extension to dwelling together with other alterations to dwelling & conversion of first floor of stable to form 1 self-contained annexe and erection of car part) at The Stables, East Worlington House.  Councillors decided to respond ’no comment’.

Councillor Old had conveyed the Council’s thanks to Mr P Brown regarding the website and highway matters.

The website Accessibility Statement was discussed.  At present, it is 90% compliant in its present form.  The Council would like to comply but is not in a position to do so because of the burden on the limited resources of the authority for a new website to be constructed.

Monthly meetings were discussed which would be ongoing, and as from January 2021 they would not be on the first Tuesday of the month, but the third Thursday of the month thereafter.

The Clerk is attending a Covid-19 Preparedness session on 9 November organised by Devon Communities Together in collaboration with North Devon Council.

Councillor Good advised that help is on-going as before in the first lockdown and anyone requiring assistance is encouraged to contact him.

The next meeting will be on Tuesday, 1 December at 7.30pm by Zoom.  Among the items on the Agenda, the 2021/22 budget and Precept will be set.
Sue Squire, Parish Clerk.

Come and be Refreshed

In these difficult times you are warmly invited to rest awhile and be refreshed – to join with others in prayer, music and poetry, in a time of Contemplative Worship.

Venue: St John the Baptist Church, Witheridge, 10:30—11:00 am on the second Wednesday of the month (14 October, 11 November, 9 December). For more information, please contact John Rhodes (tel. 01769 580265; john.a.rhodes@btinternet.com).

Please note: St John the Baptist’s is a Covid-19 secure venue, in which the seating is appropriately spaced, and you will need to wear a mask. If you would like to attend please inform Adrian Wells (01884 861383; vicaradrian@gmail.com)

John Rhodes

East Worlington Parish Hall Committee
Needs Your Views

What we are doing.
East Worlington Parish Hall Committee is developing a long-term (5-year) Business and Improvement Plan. The Hall is a community facility and as members of our community we need to know your views, aspirations and ideas. To do this we are offering you an opportunity to inform us through a short consultation questionnaire survey.

Why we are doing it.
In 2019 we completed major improvement and conservation work to the Hall based on a long-term plan started with a community consultation survey in 2011. We are using the opportunity with closure of the Hall due to coronavirus to plan for the future, based on community needs, hopes and aspirations. We need you to contribute.

What you need to do.
Click on this link https://ewph.uk/survey-2020/ . It will take you to the Survey Page on our Community Website. On the page you will see Online Survey Form (A green coloured button) Click on Start Now and start the survey. When you have completed your answers click on Submit. Your details are not shared with anyone and your responses anonymously contribute to an overall final report.

Prizes
By adding your name and email address to the questionnaire you will be entered into a prize draw.
First prize Two bottles or red wine or white wine or non-alcoholic alternative
There will be a second prize and a third prize

Closing date
The last day to submit your response is Sunday 1st November 2020

It is with the greatest regret that I am required to inform you the house-to-house Poppy Appeal will not take place this year due to COVID19. However, if you are unable to acquire a poppy and you are unable to get to a supermarket where collectors will be stationed, please contact me on 01884 860872 and I will endeavour to fulfil your requirements. If you wish to support the Royal British Legion there will be a collection box at Waterside Cottage, West Worlington two weeks prior to Remembrance Day, 8th November 2020.

Lt Col P E Townsend MBE
Area Poppy Organiser

More good news from Worlington Churches.

It is proposed that St Mary’s Church, East Worlington, will open again on Sunday 6th September with a service of Holy Communion led by Reverend John Rhodes.

Due to the current restrictions associated with coronavirus, seating will be limited and notifying me of your planned attendance is important.

We then propose on the 20th September to hold a LMT service and continue with these regular services from October onwards.

We will also let you know, in due course, how we will arrange special services such as Harvest Festival, Remembrance Day Service and of course Christmas.

I look forward, as I am sure you all do, to this resumption of services in these difficult times. Please let me know if you wish to attend to enable social distancing requirements.

Ray Bassingthwaighte
Churchwarden
01884 860568

The Parish Council are pleased to announce the arrival of the defibrillator. Some of you may have noticed its new home on the side of the village hall. The defibrillator has been purchased for the use and well- being of the whole community and special consideration was given to our village school. Should the need arise the machine can be administered to all ages; the machine is presented with instructions and will talk you through the process.

The Devon Ambulance Trust will be running a training day in the autumn or when it is safe to do so (dependent on Covid-19) and we would recommend as many of you attend as possible. You never know when you might need to help someone or need assistance yourself. The Parish Council will keep you updated as to when and where the course will be held.

A big thank you goes to all those who have assisted in the research and installation and let us all hope we don’t ever need to use it.

Important Information from Devon Ambulance Trust

• Currently no mouth to mouth due to coronavirus pandemic
• Drape a cloth lightly over the patient’s mouth if doing CPR chest compressions.

posted 10/08/20

Research into Worlington Revel revealed the following information through newspaper articles.

In 1847, the press report ‘At Worlington Revel, great liberality was exercised towards the poor the gentry and yeomanry………. The ground selected was a meadow adjoining the river Dart, where spacious seated ring was made; and at two o’clock in the afternoon thirty tea-kettles were suspended over a large fire on the ground; merry peals were rung on the musical bells; and an excellent band of music from Witheridge attended.

At four o’clock, sixty men, labourers, partook of an excellent repast of beef, bread, and cider: and about three hundred women, boys, and girls, were provided with tea, cake, and buns.’ In 1871,

The festive season commonly called ” The Revel” came round again and brought with it its many enjoyments, some innocent, too many others otherwise. It generally believed that these seasons are intended as the anniversary of the consecration of the parish churches, but alas! like many truly good old primitive customs, they became corrupted, and now instead of being kept as east dedication of the Temple, in very many instances it seems more like the feast of Bacchus.’

In 1874 ‘The wheat in West Worlington, was above average crop, but spring corn far below average. Swedes and common turnips tolerably good, but mangolds scarce, being mostly eaten by the flies, as they appeared above ground in the dry. Apples a good crop.

A very large picnic was held at the Stucley Arms. The revel took place but being in the midst of harvest it was not kept as a holiday, and the inhabitants of this parish and East Worlington were determined to have merry meeting when more pleasurable time presented itself. The varied amusements took place. The ringers, who are noted for their ” round’ and change ” ringing, rang the West Worlington six bells merrily the occasion.’  

However, in 1881 such enjoyment turned to conflict. The Rev. C. W. Molony, the Rector of West Worlington reported ‘

We are exposed to the greatest outrages on the part of the bell-ringers here, aided by associates from the neighbouring parish. All this is owing to my having endeavoured to put a stop to the bell-ringing during what is called the Revel week, which occurs yearly in the early part of August. My reason for so doing was that during that week there is such a great amount of drunkenness, even on the part of some of those ringing the church bells.’

Despite this the Revel appears to have continued and in 1938 ‘Sunday was kept at Worlington as Revel, or Dedication, Sunday, and was marked by the introduction civic service, which it is hoped to hold annually.

The Parish Council attended morning service in West Worlington Church as a representative body the Rector (Major the Rev. T. H, E. Woods) met the Council under the quaint old-world gateway, and the Chairman the Council (Mr. W. J. Lake) led the procession into church whilst “All people that on earth dwell” was sung’.