swimbridge.com

ANNUAL PARISH COUNCIL MEETING. TUESDAY 11th MAY, 7PM, SWIMBRIDGE SCHOOL. ALL WELCOME

One of the North-East’s LEADING heavy rock cover bands — is coming to Swimbridge !

Don’t miss this amazing band on Sat 1st May, 7.30 pm

Tickets on sale at an amazing discount price of £5 from Sharon Harrison, Jack Russell Inn and Swimbridge Post Office. Thank you to Dave (whose brother plays in the band) & Sharon Harrison for organising this event. Check out www.rocksolidrock.co.uk Event is at the Jubilee Hall. BAR.

BOOK EARLY AS EVENT WILL SELL OUT EARLY.

Profits to Jubilee Hall

Very early each Good Friday morning for the past 45 years, Swimbridge people have carried a Cross from their Parish Church of St James up to the top of the hill which overlooks the village. The pilgrimage begins and ends with a short Service led by Rev Peter Bowers. 

The event starts at the Church on Good Friday 2nd April at 7.30 am with a short service followed by the Cross being carried from the Church through the village, past the school and then by way of a steep track and across field to the top of Hooda. Afterwards, everyone returns to the Church for Hot Cross buns. All welcome. 

Remember to wear sturdy footwear. 

For details phone David Netherway on 830587 

or Rev Peter Bowers on 830068

“Definitely one for the Mercury Prize Jury to consider” - The Times 

‘Out-Bushes Kate’ - Metro

“This album is a scrapbook of characters, places and stories from deep inside Carr’s imagination and it has been a mesmerising experience to glimpse in to her world. Quite simply it’s a masterpiece” ***** The Music Critic

**** review in Mojo, November 2009

We can’t believe we’ve managed to get Katy Carr either!

BOOK IT, DON’T MISS IT — THIS IS ONE EVENT NOT TO BE MISSED!

KATY CARR & the Aviators

Coquette — folk / electronica music 

Saturday 13th March 7.30pm, Swimbridge Jubilee Hall

An extraordinary opportunity to see one of the UK’s hottest up-and-coming songwriters. Katy Carr is a fresh and unique talent with sensual and sexy self-penned folk songs, delivered with verve and humour. Katy and her stunning trio The Aviators combine acoustic instrumentation with electronic effects to bring a new and fresh twist to the female singer-songwriter tradition.

Suitable for all ages. Tickets are only £8 (ad) / £5 (ch) / £24 (fam).   Bar. 

Tickets available from Julie Whitton on 01271 830311

Tickets are also available online at www.beaford-arts.org.uk

To hear some of Katy’s music or find out more, log onto www.katycarr.com

Thursday 4th March at 7.30pm, Upper Old School Room

The Streamside community garden project in the Churchyard is progress- ing well, but with lots of hoops to negotiate with the National Lottery to secure the funding. We have already received funding for Stage 1 for the consultation and planning.

The next stage is to obtain Planning Consent but before making an applica- tion we are holding a final commu- nity consultation. This will be a short evening presentation and ques- tion and ideas opportunity. We will have our landscape architect, Pete Lever, to show some new ideas. If we are to achieve funding we need to have lots of people at this event. It will be great if we can have 20-25 people there to prove to the Lottery trustees that we are all behind the project. 

Please come along to the Old School Room. 

Many thanks.

The Glebe Field Plans by Pearce Construction (Bple) Ltd on behalf of The Exeter Diocesan Board has revised the proposals for the land. The proposal is now for the erection of 16 dwellings together with change of use of agricultural land to form public open space.

At the NDDC Planning Meeting in March 2009 the NDDC Planning Committee re-considered plan- ning applications 45152 (housing and recreation site) and 44902 (renewal of planning permission no 33289 for change of use from agricultural land to playing field) and decided to defer the decision pending a further meeting between all the interested parties to try and ensure the scheme delivered the right balance of benefits for the village. (That meeting took place in April 2009). The revised Application from Pearce Construction is a result of the April 2009 mtg.

The plans can be seen by checking out the North Devon District Council planning website www.northdevon.gov.uk Click on right hand-side of the North Devon District Council website go into the second box half way down and press planning application tracker. At top of page insert planning application no 45152 (this will give access to plans submitted by Pearce Construc- tion for the Swimbridge Glebe field). At the bottom of the page, press search. At the bottom of the page press view plans and documents, tick the box, and press proceed.

The AMENDED PLANS ARE numbers 10 — 25 inclusive. Note, the numbers 10-25 are not marked on the plan—you just need to count them from left to right. You can check you’ve got the right plans by hovering your cursor over the plans—a yellow box will appear and a date of 090316 will come up at the end for plan numbers 10-18 inclusive and 090914 for plan numbers 19-25 inclusive — these are the amended ones. If you are confused as I was, give me a ring and I’ll explain (Julie on 01271 830311) or ring the Planning Dept.

Please note there are only 21 days in which to respond from the date of the Planning Dept’s letter dated 7.10.09, therefore all responses must be reached by the Planning Dept no later than Thursday 5 November 2009 — send to Jean Watkins, Case Officer, Plan- ning & Development Services, NDDC, Civic Centre, Barnstaple, EX31 1EA or alternatively use the online planning service browser on the NDDC website at www.northdevon.gov.uk/planning

Friday 16 October, 7.30 pm Jubilee Hall

Josh & Jerome Pring Ellis and Mervyn Dalling have been very busy putting together a fantastic film of Theatre on the Move 2009.

We hope all the cast, crew and people who worked behind the scenes can come along, but anyone else interested is very welcome to come too. 

If you can’t make it but would to see the DVD, contact Julie on 830311.

The Vegetable & Produce Show on Saturday 19th September held in the Jubilee Hall was a great success. Thank you to Sim Day and Ian McLaughlin for organising and to the makers of all those scrummy home-made cakes! There were lots of classes from the longest bean, to the rudest vegetable, the best preserves and so much more.

Geoffrey Everett Brown came 1st for his preserve in The Dudley Elliott Best in Show Award and Georgia Everett Brown came 1st in The Garden by Design Best in Show Children’s Award — she beautifully decorated a flowerpot. A double win and a fantastic achievement by the Everett Brown’s! Grace Elliott (wife of Dudley Elliott, the respected Bishops Tawton butcher who passed away in December 2008) presented them with their shields.

It was great to see the SW Allotment Association there who gave away lots of seeds and advice and Brian Tucker, our local author selling his excellent books Grow and Cook and Country Drinks. 

Thank you to Ray Liverton for the donation of the gardening books as raffle prizes.

Camel Racing Sat 17th Oct, 7.30 pm Jack Russell Skittle Alley

Come and have a flutter and some fun, and maybe win, at the camel race evening. 

All are welcome, Free admission. 

For further info contact Tess or Bob Bateman on 830649.

Events in aid of Swimbridge Twinning Association 

(Swimbridge twinned with Ste Honorine du Fay).

The next Parish Council meeting takes place on Wednesday14th October at 7.30 pm in the Jubilee Hall.

All welcome.

The plans of the proposed Jubilee Hall extension and a model of the building will be on view at the Jubilee Hall on Wed 7th October from 3pm— 9pm. 

The Architect, Jim Gardiner of David Wilson Partnership will be doing a power-point presentation at 7 pm. 

This is an open evening and we encourage everyone to attend.

It has been an interesting project for the architects as they have had to try innovative ways of making the building bigger without encroaching on the culvert or sewerage pipes which are situated in the hall grounds. 

We are almost there and once the plans have been agreed we will start to look for funding.

Tea and cakes will be available. 

It is hoped the plans and model will be left in the hall for a few weeks after the 7th for those unable to see them at the open day.

For more photos click the photo above

A big thank you to all those who were involved in Swimbridge Pre- School’s 25th Anniversary party and to all those who came to support us on the day.  We hoped you enjoyed it and agree with us that it went well.  We made over £500 profit from the day and so we are very pleased & have all you to thank for its great 

success.  

Text submitted by Jeanine Bartlett.

Swimbridge Twinning Association invite you to a 

Safari Supper 

Start 7.00pm on Saturday 13th June 

There will be a Starter, Main Course, Sweet, Cheese & Biscuits with Tea/Coffee 

Due to licensing restrictions, please bring your own drinks & glasses with you.  

There will also be a raffle in aid of the Twinning.  

Tickets are limited so please book early.  £10.00 pp (children half price)  

available from Tess 830649 / Jane 344050 / Barry 830007 / Jean 377826 

Another  “PAINT & BBQ” - FREE BBQ! - on SATURDAY 6 JUNE 10am - 3pm 

We are painting the outside of the Jubilee Hall.  If 12 people turn up on        Saturday we could finish it.  We all use the hall  — please turn up and lend a 

hand.  Thank you. 

Thank you to Tom Dyer, Sharon Harrison, David Netherway, Martin Smith, Paula (Tilly & Finn) Swanson, Lee Wadsworth, Malcolm & Julie Whitton for helping last Saturday, to Andy & Terry Comerford for help during the week and a big thank you to David Harrison for organising the resources. 

The old hall wooden chairs are FOR SALE at a bargain £5 ea—if you’re interested phone Andy on 830774. 

Swimbridge Parklands Committee (also known as SNAP) has 16 members (including 3 young people) representing various village community groups. SNAP began life as a sub committee of the Parish Council but is now a registered charity in its own right.  SNAP's aim, in a nutshell, is to acquire land in Swimbridge for the benefit of the community. Ideally this land would be recreational space (including a playground, football pitch & cricket pitch), plus parkland. 

Pearce Construction have submitted an application (number 45152) to build around 16 houses on the Glebe Field (adjacent to the village hall). The application is subject to a condition that public open space be provided for the village by the developer. At the Planning Committee meeting on 12 Nov 2008, committee members expressed concern that Pearce Construction's proposals breached the permitted development boundary (the line set out in the Local Plan, beyond which no building can take place) and so encroached on the land available for recreation. SNAP had objected to the application on that basis.   However, rather than refusing the application, the Planning Committee's decision was deferred, to give Pearce Construction an opportunity to redraw their plans. On 21 April 2009 a meeting took place with representatives from Pearce Construction, the Parish Council, the District Council, SNAP and planning officers.   At that meeting Pearce Construction agreed to resubmit their application, keeping within the permitted development boundary. Affordable housing and drainage issues are also likely to be amended.  The plans should be resubmitted in the next couple of months. 

If Pearce Construction's application is eventually approved, SNAP would apply for grants to develop the land (ie installing play equipment, pitches, fences, pathways, drainage etc).  SNAP's charitable status means we can apply for grants which are not always available to public bodies. In 2002 the cost of such works was estimated at around £150k and would now probably be significantly higher. If Pearce Construction's application is not approved, SNAP will continue to work to obtain recreational space for the village, either at the Glebe Field or elsewhere. 

SNAP has recently approached the Parish Council to suggest that whatever happens with Pearce Construction's application, both bodies should work together to seek to obtain a park for the village. The Parish Council agreed that this was a sensible proposal. 

If anyone would like copies of SNAP's minutes or letters to the District Council regarding Pearce  Construction's application, please do not hesitate to contact Julie Whitton on 830311. 

If any other queries concerning SNAP, please contact Judith Thompson, Chair of SNAP, on 830006

The second in a series of music events planned for Swimbridge in 2009 and following on from a fantastic evening with Jim Crawford, Swimbridge Events present The Spoonful.  The Spoonful are a five-piece band hailing from Devon.  Originally founded by guitarist Johnny Sharp in August 2005, they have gone from strength to strength building a large following of fans who travel from far and wide to watch them perform live at various venues and festivals across the UK. Their music comes from the roots of the blues, Rock n roll and original upbeat material. Born out of a love for American roots music, blues rock ethos, a serendipidous rencontre, and a mutual disdain for the state of popular music, five experienced musicians with a passion for playing live set out to revive the soul of British & American rock and roll. Through the channels of blues, distortion and sweat, these five guys have found something that trancends the genres of today to produce soulful, honest music that not only reminds us of the best and underappreciated of years past, but can also get that ass a shakin'..........

Join us in Swimbridge for some of that good rockin’ Electric Blues - Get your tickets early – it’s bound to sell out!