Around Exeter area by area, the news down your street edited by Anne Byrne. Contribute by emailing Anne on abyrne@expressandecho.co.uk or give us a call on 01392 442233
Alphington
Church re-opens
ST Michael and All Angels' Church is re-opening to the public on Sunday, November 2 after months of construction work costing more than £500,000.
Now complete, phase one of the 're-ordering' of the church comprises an extension and a new gallery, both of which used to be in existence before 1887. The project has created two upstairs meeting rooms, a small kitchen and servery, disabled and standard toilets (including baby changing facilities), stairs and a lift, giving much safer access to the bell-ringing chamber.
In addition, there is a new entrance at the west door with an outside patio and the steps in the churchyard have been removed, making easier access for wheelchairs and prams.
There are also two new boilers for the heating system, with under-floor heating on the first floor, storage cupboards for general use and a sink for the flower arrangers. The unique Norman font has been moved to a new baptistery area by the north door so that families can be nearer the actual baptism.
The rector, the Rev Stephen Bessent, said: "We wanted our parish church to be a vibrant place of worship, teaching and fellowship long into the future, and also to be able to accommodate some of the needs of our local community and expanding population.
"Previously, we had no church hall, so nowhere suitable for Sunday School, a crèche or baby-changing facilities, and nowhere even for meetings or big events.
"The one and only toilet was inaccessible to anyone disabled, the kitchenette was in a cupboard, a ladder was the only access to the bell-ringing chamber, and there was a steep path and steps to reach the building.
"All of these failed to satisfy health and safety regulations and the Disability Discrimination Act."
Most of the costs of the re-ordering project were funded by a large legacy with some individual donations; £16,000 has been raised by local fundraising by church members, while 75 per cent of the rest was made up of grants and 25 per cent came from church funds.
There will be several celebrations to mark the re-opening of the church, but just as importantly, if not more so, its members are going to provide the opportunity for anyone to come in for a couple of hours every day, to spend time in the church having a coffee, a friendly chat or a quiet time to reflect or pray. Rooms will also be available for hire.
The first opportunity to see the changes will be at a special service at 11am on Sunday, November 2, which will be suitable for ages. This will be a special service to celebrate the return to church after a long spell of holding services in the village hall. After that the service pattern will be back to normal.
For a few days following this service there will be flower displays done by a number of church and community groups, and two concerts.
Beacon Heath
Clean action
MORE than 30 members of the Arena Park community have teamed up to carry out a Big Tidy as part of the Keep Britain Tidy campaign's month of action.
Members of the Arena Park Green Group were busy litter picking, assisting residents with the disposal of bulky items and other waste to the Exeter City Council waste collection vehicles. They also helped serve refreshments to everyone.
Isca and Holy Trinity church arranged for volunteers to help cut back the overgrown vegetation around their church car park and community building and the Devon and Cornwall Housing grounds maintenance team took away all the green waste. At the end of it all a total of 20 tonnes of waste had been collected.
Residents felt the Big Tidy made a real impact on the area. Comments included: "Thank you, I could never have paid to remove these things myself," and: "I was struggling but my neighbours have helped me to get stuff out and now I can see my carpet, it's made me feel so much better."
DCH and Exeter City Council supported the Big Tidy by providing a dustcart and collection vehicle for residents to make use of. DCH paid for this service from their community investment budget as part of its Community Investment Strategy.
One of the key programmes within this strategy is about health and wellbeing and in supporting residents to keep their communities clean and tidy DCH believe the wellbeing of everyone in those communities is improved.
This continuing commitment to the improvement of their community follows on from the community's success as part of the Royal Horticultural Society's It's Your Neighbourhood campaign.
Their successful community composting project and regular litter picks in the play area and front of the estate achieved a level 4 Thriving Community.
City centre
What next?
THE community-owned Real Food Store and Transition Exeter are holding an open space event to consider the future of the store and café as it plans for a move away from Paris Street before the shops are demolished to make way for the bus station re-development.
All are welcome: suppliers, growers, shoppers, Real Food members and those who might just be curious to the event on Saturday, November 1, between 10.30am and 3pm at St Matthew's Hall in Newtown.
A light lunch will be provided and donations welcome.
Booking is essential via info@realfoodexeter.co.uk
City wide
Scrap money
THE Scrapstore has recently received £1,152 in funding toward the cost of one of its storage facilities in Exeter.
Exeter Scrapstore is based in Belmont Park and aims to increase play opportunities for children by providing a variety of materials from businesses that have chosen to recycle their off-cuts.
The store has a variety of safe, clean reusable scrap and reclaimed materials and an affordable assortment of art supplies in its craft shop.
The donation has come from the Co-operative Membership Fund to go toward the funding of one of the store's off-site storage spaces.
This money will help ensure that the charity is sustainable for another year.
For more information visit the website at Exeter Scrapstore, Belmont Park; www.exeterscrapstore.co.uk or ring 01392 661769.
Diary date
ONCE again this year, county council leader John Hart is to hold his Tough Choices meetings to explain to residents the budget choices facing the authority.
Accordingly the Exeter meeting will be held in Exeter Central Library on Thursday, November 13, beginning at 6.30pm and going through until 8.30pm.
CowickThomas
Toxic plants go
A LARGE colony of toxic weeds has been removed from near Bowhill Primary School. It ran from the Dunsford Road pedestrian entrance to the school, at the base of the external school wall right down to the junction with Buddle Lane, Cowick Street and Cowick Lane, and covered a length of at least 30 feet.
Initially identified as deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna) after further investigation it was confirmed as black nightshade (Solanum nigrum), pictured right.
Although this is not as poisonous as its more well known relative, all parts of the plant are poisonous, and symptoms associated with its poisoning effects are headache, vomiting, and diarrhoea.
In extreme cases death may occur from cardiac arrest. It is also responsible for livestock deaths.
It normally grows in remote farmland but a combination of a wet spring, a sizzling summer and council cuts to weed spraying have all helped the dangerous weed to take hold in urban areas.
Local councillor Rob Hannaford reported the infestation to the city council's cleansing and parks department after concerns were raised.
Cllr Hannaford told Community News: "I contacted the council immediately to investigate and remove it all as a matter of urgency, and I also directly informed the school, and I understand that the matter was raised formally at a school assembly to raise awareness with staff, pupils and parents.
"I think a major concern is that the berries when ripe look like blueberries, and with the growing popularity with children for this fruit, there was a real danger that the pupils could start picking the berries up and consuming them and the toxins they contain."
Rain soaked!
THE community meeting held on October 16 suffered in attendance because of the deluge that night.
However the main issue discussed was the street lighting.
Since the switch-over to part night lighting there have been issues with some lights staying on all day and some lights, which should be on, failing to come on.
Heavitree
Repeat success
The first was such a success that they have decided to hold a second.
Heavitree Local History Society is once again hosting a special exhibition remembering the First World War.
It is being held at St Michael's Academy on South Lawn Terrace, on Saturday November 1 from 10am to 4pm.
Heavitree Remembers the Great War will feature local stories and live music and is free to enter.
Coffee morning
THE congregation of St Paul's Church, which is part of the Heavitree Team Ministry, will be holding its November coffee morning this Saturday, November 1.
The venue is the Rifford Room in the parish church in Church Street and admission is 20p.
The event will run from 10am until 11.30am and there will be the usual cakes, crafts and draws.
Pennsylvania
Hedge fires
LOCAL county councillor Percy Prowse is appealing for help in tracking down those responsible for recent fires in Mayflower Avenue.
Cllr Prowse told Community News: "There have been three separate hedges in the street set on fire recently.
"When hedges are dry the flames can go up quite a height and could easily set fire to guttering as well as cars parked nearby.
"It is rather disturbing that someone is doing this in close proximity to people's cars and houses.
"If anyone has any information about this I would ask that they contact myself and the police."
Bin problem
AFTER complaints from residents, local councillor Peter Holland has been looking into the problem of waste bins being left out on the street for days on end.
Cllr Holland visited properties in the ward where there are houses of multiple occupancy.
Cllr Holland said: "Clearly most if not all are populated by students from Exeter University.
"The photograph shows refuse bins of various colours, some of which will have been left out in the street for more than 10 days blocking pavements in the area.
"Residents who have young children have needed to push buggies in the road to get past and on occasions it has been impossible for disabled people on motorised scooters to get past at all, with the need to make a detour. All residents find the situation both irritating and distasteful.
"I am currently working with officers of the university and city council to remind the occupants of their responsibilities and come to a resolution."
Simon Hill, the city council's cleansing and fleet manager, told Community News: "As well as working with the university to promote the correct presentation of waste, Exeter City Council can also take action where bins are persistently left on pavements (this applies to all residents, not just students). Stickers are placed on bins that have not been taken back onto the appropriate property, and the bins are then removed if they are still on the pavement two days later."
Once bins have been removed householders have to pay to have them replaced.
Successful year
THE Sylvania Environment and Community Project was able to report a successful year at its annual meeting.
The group represents the interests of residents in Sheppard Road, Mayflower Avenue, Plassey Close, Linnet Close and Falkland Close.
Those attending the meeting heard that grants totalling £3,300 had been received which would allow the group to proceed with what has now become phase four of its maintenance and development plan which mainly involves tree surgery work in Plassey Close.
It has been decided to continue with organising maintenance working parties and the intention is to run a series of events throughout the year to make bird/bat boxes and insect homes, conduct a bat survey, generally improve the area and build on the community involvement already established.
Polsloe
Rats are back
THE chairman of Network Rail is to be brought into the problem of rats in the undergrowth around Polsloe Bridge.
Local councillor Richard Westlake has contacted Network Rail several times, trying to get something done about the overgrown brambles, but has so far met with no response.
Cllr Westlake said: "Residents are now telling me that the rats are back. This needs tidying up and I am now going to write to the chairman of Network Rail telling him that this is the case.
"Until this is done there is no point in the residents' group that was formed doing more work to help make the halt look better."
Fitness/knitting
THERE are two new activities starting up after half term at Pinhoe Road Baptist Church. The first, starting on Thursday, November 6, between 10.30am and noon is a Neighbourworks Knit and Natter group which will run monthly at Coffee Haven, the church's regular Thursday morning drop-in cafe.
Neighbourworks is a not-for-profit, community interest company, that supports people who knit to raise funds for charity or community projects. There will be an introduction to the project from Debbie Judd of Neighbourworks and then the invitation is to sit and enjoy tea, coffee and home-made cakes and maybe even begin knitting. Funds raised will go to the Polsloe Community Project seeking to improve the church buildings so that it can better serve the community.
The second activity is an Active Devon fitness class, starting on Wednesday, November 12 at 5.45pm, run by a qualified instructor from LX2 fitness. It costs £2 and will initially be for 10 weeks and be a variation of dance fitness, aerobics and toning. Please take a mat or towel.
More details from church website www.prbc.org.uk or 01392 218448.
Poltimore
Christmas fair
AS we reported last week volunteers have been hard at work getting Poltimore House ready to welcome visitors this Christmas.
On Saturday, November 8 between 10am and 3pm there will be a Christmas Fair and the organisers are promising a great atmosphere as well as a range of locally produced gifts, many hand-made, and a selection of sweet and savoury refreshments all available to buy.
Entrance is £1.50.
St David's
Deep clean
VOLUNTEERS will be greeted with much rejoicing if they turn up to lend a hand at the BIG church clean on Saturday, November 8.
If you would like to help just turn up at the parish church between 9am and noon.
St Thomas
Water works
CECIL Road, from the library down to the junction with School Road, has been closed and cleared of cars because of works being undertaken by South West Water.
The works are to renew the clean water supply pipes to all the residential properties in the road, and it is scheduled to end weather permitting in the second or third week in November.
Some of the works in nearby streets have been done from the rear of properties via the rear access paths, but not all of the properties in Cecil Road have rear paths, and so they are connected from the front of the properties.
Local councillor Rob Hannaford said: "After receiving complaints I have been in contact the highways department to get more information.
"In the first instance there seems to be some doubt from residents that proper public notices were put up to inform residents, we also don't know if South West Water informed residents by a letter drop, and local councillors were definitely not told in advance. "It would appear that the disruption and diversions are now unavoidable, and I am sure that the residents appreciate their pipes are being renewed, however I do hope that it can be all finished quickly as all the displaced traffic is playing havoc on the parking in the neighbouring streets."
Flanders Fields
ON Saturday, November 8, the day before Remembrance Sunday, there is to be an illustrated talk entitled Flanders Fields Revisited at St Thomas Library, from 2pm. Over the past eight years Tony Lethbridge and four friends have been regularly visiting the battlefields of France and Belgium and they have now created a presentation featuring Mons, Loos, Ypres and Passchendaele, the Somme, Vimy Ridge, Cambrai and Arras.
The pictures are enhanced by readings and quotes of those that took part in these actions, and include local involvement using research from the St Thomas war memorial and that of neighbouring villages.
Admission is free but as numbers are limited it is advisable to book a ticket in advance at St Thomas Library, on the corner of Cecil Road and Church Road.
University
Post-stroke help
AROUND 150,000 people a year in the UK suffer a stroke, and exercise is recognised as a beneficial and effective part of their rehabilitation programme.
A PhD research study by the University of Exeter Medical School is attempting to develop a questionnaire to measure adherence to post-stroke home-based exercise rehabilitation programmes.
The aim of the questionnaire is to see how much of their exercise programmes people who have had a stroke complete at home.
The PhD researchers carrying out the study are investigating patients' experiences of such programmes, and their adherence to them, with a view to being able to accurately assess how well people stick to their programmes.
The research team need people who have had a stroke to fill out a questionnaire relating to the exercises they were asked to do at home. Once enough people have completed it, the researchers will analyse the questionnaire to try and improve it and follow it up with a second shorter one to complete the study.
All postage costs are covered by the study and stroke survivors can complete the questionnaires in their own time and are encouraged to ask for help from friends and family if they would like it.
The study is led by PhD student Jessica Bollen at the University of Exeter Medical School. To take part, please email j.bollen@exeter.ac.uk, or call 01392 726049.
