The latest news as it happens in Dartmoor covering Okehampton important updates and local opinions from across Okehampton Cycling and more local Dartmoor Sports News property sales & property of the week including Okehampton house prices and opinions on Dartmoor's property market including Okehampton Local area spotlights & features across Dartmoor Dartmoor national park is 368 miles of beautiful English countryside find out what green issues are affecting Dartmoor here at The Moorlander Get local news & council updates for across Dartmoor including Okehampton Showcasing and celebrating the incredible independent businesses of Dartmoor Ashburton & Surrounding areas from the local community & our reporters Get your local Dartmoor traffic & travel reports Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter Support our mission and join our community now you can subscribe for as little as €0.50 per week which will also give you access to all of our premium content and archived articles Thank you for supporting Ireland's best local journalism Catherine Leeves with the real-life ‘Mischievous Mabel’ the border terrier who inspired her debut children’s book series A clothing assistant from Milton Abbot has become a self-published children’s author after being inspired by the antics of her friend’s puppy who works at her local supermarket near Tavistock released her debut book Mischievous Mabel in 2021 Both books are based on the real-life adventures of a border terrier named Mabel "I am very new to the concept of book writing,” said Mrs Leeves.  “It was only when I received a message from my friend Christina in August 2020 about some of the antics her new border terrier puppy named Mabel had been getting up to that I literally got a spark of inspiration to put pen to paper.” With the help of a local friend who had experience in self-publishing Mrs Leeves submitted her manuscript in early 2021.  She described being “absolutely delighted” when her first fictional children’s book became available on her 45th birthday in August of that year Now an established author under the name Catherine J Leeves she says she is keen to write a third book.  “To keep the storyline[s] new and evolving I am currently looking out for further and new inspiration,” she said who recently marked 25 years of long service with her employer spends her days off horse riding on Dartmoor and occasionally taking on high-flying challenges – including a recent zipline flight at Penrhyn Quarry in North Wales she said: “I thoroughly enjoy my work as an F&F clothing assistant but writing has opened up a creative side I hadn’t explored before.” Both Mischievous Mabel and The Adventures Of Mischievous Mabel are set in the West Country and draw on the region’s scenery and charm.  The books are available online under her full name " + $(".testo_articolo").html().replace(//g please subscribe and support local journalism Subscribing will allow you access to all of our premium content and archived articles To continue reading this article for FREE,please kindly register and/or log in Registration is absolutely 100% FREE and will help us personalise your experience on our sites You can also sign up to our carefully curated newsletter(s) to keep up to date with your latest local news captured at the Bath Festival by Steven Haywood is set to perform at the Exeter Comedy Festival after winning the US Eddie-Folio award for best comedy © Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service Facebook page Reach out for help: How drug and alcohol recovery services could work for you or a loved one Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm FIREFIGHTERS from across Devon have been battling to contain a wildfire on Dartmoor for the past 18 hours. Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue control took multiple calls reporting a large fire in the Cut Hill area of north-west Dartmoor yesterday (Sunday, May 4) at around 2.30pm. Three appliances were initially mobilised from Okehampton, Hatherleigh and North Tawton, along with a water bowser from Exeter’s Danes Castle station and a wildfire support officer. Okehampton also took the decision to deploy their All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) and 4x4 unit. “While on route to the incident, the Hatherleigh crew confirmed large amounts of smoke issuing from the moor and a second ATV from Tavistock was mobilised,” said a spokesman from DSFRS. “Once the Hatherleigh appliance arrived at the rendezvous point crews proceeded towards fire using an ATV to gain better observations on the scene and confirmed a fire front measuring approximately one mile and requested a further two ATVs which were sent from Bovey Tracey and Middlemoor, along with a drone from our USAR station.” Due to the remote location fire crews has difficulty in accessing the scene and by 5.30pm the fire front was measuring nearly two miles. “Additional crews were mobilised through the early evening and liaised with Dartmoor rangers at the scene to observe the fire and ascertain current size of fire front,” continued the spokesman. “An incident command unit (ICU) was sent from Totnes with a crew from Buckfastleigh to support them along with a 4x4 from Princetown, a welfare unit from Ivybridge and two relief appliances from Chagford and Princetown. A helicopter from the National Police Air Service also attended to provide aerial support.” In the early hours of this morning (Monday, May 5) additional relief crews from Moretonhampstead and Yelverton were sent to the fire with crews carrying out a watching brief from two strategic locations. Two more relief fire appliances from Tavistock and Crediton arrived at the scene at 8am this morning and an incident command unit also in attendance to relieve the ICU from Totnes. “Crews have confirmed the fire is still burning and in the predicted direction,” added the spokesman. “The 4x4 from Princetown has been remobilised to assist with access on the moor and following a multi-agency meeting early this morning two ATVs from Tavistock and Bovey Tracey have also been remobilised to access and extinguish the fire.” By 1.30pm this afternoon all fire fronts were extinguished and a drone overflew the area to check for any hotspots and at just after 5pm, more than 24 hours since the alarm was raised the fire, the fire was out. Approximately 12,500 acres of moorland were destroyed by fire. Firefighters were assisted by Dartmoor rangers and Commoners using firefighting equipment. Crews used five Argo Cat vehicles, fogging units, leaf blowers and a drone for environmental protection. Comments Tel: 01822 613666[email protected]Follow us Further Links Owned or licensed to Tindle Newspapers Ltd | Independent Family-Owned Newspapers | Copyright & Trade Mark Notice & 2013 - 2025 Tribute has been paid by Tavistock Quakers to former Quaker Pete Squire who passed away last Easter weekend. Pete was a well-known peace campaigner and humanitarian, former councillor and pioneering social worker. Tavistock Quaker Meeting has paid tribute to Pete, a long-term and active member who died in his sleep on Saturday, April 19 at his Tavistock home. He was 73. Pete was a local boy. He was brought up on a local farm at Hurdwick and he went to Tavistock Comprehensive School, then Keele and Nottingham universities (where he first became interested in Quakers). Returning to live in Tavistock he started work as a social worker. He married Maggie and they went on to have a number of children and grandchildren . Pete started his career with National Children's Home (NCH) and then worked for Plymouth City Council and Devon County Council, focusing on youth justice and joint working between the police and the probation and social services. He was always keen to encourage joint approaches between agencies – in many ways ahead of his time, perhaps this desire to develop services for people led him naturally into the Liberal Democrats. He was blessed with kindness, his wealth of knowledge and his natural ability as a mentor. He set up countywide support for troubled teenagers, and eventually became social services manager in childcare then the north Devon manager for integrated social work health and education. His local Methodist farming background and his own Quaker faith and practice and his family, were of enormous strength to him in all that he did. He was greatly interested in other cultures and faiths. He spent years attending different places of worship, always happy in his own personal belief. Pete was involved in numerous organisations such as: Peace Action, refugees, Quaker International Reconciliation, National Prison Reform, art and music festivals. His love for the town of his birth brought his own enthusiasm, commitment and willingness to be involved with enormous energy, insightful knowledge, many stories and often much humour. Pete suffered a significant head injury in 2014 which had a lasting effect but he had an indomitable love of life which he shared willingly. His presence and insightful ministry will be greatly missed by all whose lives he touched. A Quaker funeral celebrating Pete’s life will be held at Tavistock Town Hall, on Wednesday, May 14, at 12 noon. Formal or casual attire by attendees will be welcome. Tel: 01822 613666[email protected]Follow us The ad-free version is ready for purchase on iOS mobile app today we couldn't find that page";var n=e.querySelector("h2");return n&&n.remove(),{staticContent:e,title:t}},d=function(e){var t=document.createElement("button");return t.innerText=e,t.classList.add("error-page-button"),t},f=function(e){var t=document.createElement("div");t.id="recirculation-404",t.classList.add("brand-hint-bg");var n="\n \n \n Tick here if you would like us to send you the author’s response A 10-year-old girl who had been missing for several hours was located by search and rescue teams in Devon late on Monday night found the child just after 10.40pm and were able to warm her up with an insulated jacket and a hot drink The Dartmoor Search and Rescue Team said: "Search parties were deployed to places in the town where young people often meet up An insulated jacket was loaned and a hot drink given while waiting for police to arrive on scene and they then took over care of the young person." And a spokesperson for Devon and Cornwall Police added: "We were called at 8.45pm on Monday 7 April to reports of a missing 10-year-old girl from the Tavistock area We sent units to the area including dog units and drone units She was found safe and well at 10.45pm." Story SavedYou can find this story in  My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right is fundraising for families in Gaza by donating all proceeds from her poetry book has been raising funds for families in Gaza through the sales of her poetry book Deborah has channeled her long-standing connection to the region into a fundraising initiative aimed at helping those affected in Gaza Deborah’s interest in Gaza began many years ago during her time working for Palestinian publisher Naim Attallah in London.  she shared: “My interest in Gaza goes back many years to when I worked in London for a Palestinian publisher called Naim Attallah It was an incredibly exciting time to be young and in publishing I was introduced to many issues I had never previously imagined including How To Be Really Annoying.  All proceeds from Wayward Words are being donated to support Gaza.  Deborah was able to purchase copies of the book at cost price allowing her to sell it for £6.99 and donate every penny of the cover price.  “I also donated the cost price on every sale,” she said.  The funds are mainly directed to Gaza through a GoFundMe link with some of the money going to charities like MAP and UNWRA.  Though Deborah acknowledges that the amount raised is a small contribution compared to the scale of the need “There is no fundraising 'goal.' The need is endless and the tiny amount I can raise is not even a drop in the ocean,” she explained Speaking of her fundraising she said: “To me with royalties from the book's sales through Amazon also set to be donated in the future A386 ABBEY PLACE - TAVISTOCK - BOTH DIRECTIONS - DEVON Road cleared and traffic returned to normal accident cleared on A386 Abbey Place in both directions near Whitchurch Road A386 Abbey Place in both directions partially blocked two vehicles involved near Whitchurch Road Due to a blocked road, the #PCB55 will be unable to serve Buckland Abbey We will provide an update when the situation changes A386 ABBEY PLACE - TAVISTOCK - WESTBOUND - DEVON Reports of slow traffic due to accident on A386 Abbey Place Westbound near Whitchurch Road There was slow traffic along the A368 in Tavistock between Abbey Place and Whitchurch Road Plymouth Citybus warned passengers that the crash has blocked the route of one of its services the #PCB55 will be unable to serve Buckland Abbey Apologies for any inconvenience caused." The incident had cleared soon after 2pm this afternoon but people travelling to Plymouth today have been warned about busy roads and car parks due to a number of events taking place The Milehouse area of the city is due to be extra busy as a result of Plymouth Argyle's 12.30pm home game against Sheffield United the Aquatics GB Elite Junior Diving Championships at the Life Centre and the Easter Fair and Parkrun in Central Park It said: "Reports of slow traffic due to accident on A386 Abbey Place Westbound near Whitchurch Road." There was also a crash on the A38 Tavistock Road in Plymouth this morning which caused significant problems for drivers People travelling to Plymouth today are being warned about busy roads and car parks Read why here. Due to a blocked road, the #PCB55 will be unable to serve Buckland Abbey Some residents have used water from the River Tavy to flush toilets during the supply disruption Some residents in Tavistock and the surrounding area remain without running water following a burst main that was repaired on Sunday There is currently no confirmed time for when full service will resume although The Moorlander understands some supply is expected to return by tomorrow morning (April 23) South West Water confirmed to The Moorlander: “As a gesture of goodwill and to make amends we will be issuing compensation payments to those affected by this incident We understand how crucial access to water is and we are committed to providing customers with fair compensation for the inconvenience experienced "We will provide further updates on the specific compensation amounts in due course.” has called on South West Water to restore the water supply urgently to the thousands of residents in the Tavistock and Bere Alston area following a burst water main over the weekend and has cautiously welcomed the news that the supply is expected to be restored by early tomorrow morning Sir Geoffrey said: “Having spoken to senior officials at South West Water throughout the last two days I impressed on them the urgency that is required to restore water to the thousands of houses that are still without a reliable supply It appears the supply will be restored overnight and will be in full operation by first thing tomorrow morning (April 23).  this is part of a worryingly increasing pattern of poor service and residents will quite rightly want answers; therefore I am pressing for an early announcement on the compensation that SWW must make for the inconvenience to its customers and for a full and transparent explanation of why this problem occurred and how we can be reassured it will not happen again.” The burst pipe affected around 13,000 properties with South West Water reporting that customers in the PL6 PL19 and PL20 postcode areas may have experienced a loss of supply or low pressure The company confirmed the pipe was fixed by 5.30pm on April 21 but said it would take time for supplies to fully return A spokesperson for South West Water said: “The burst has been fixed we are now just recharging the network but that will take some time.” the company added: “We are carefully recharging the network to be able to fully restore supply to our customers and it needs to refill properly and safely before we can bring it fully back into supply That’s why it may take a bit more time for all customers to see their water return.” Residents in Tavistock have told The Moorlander they are still without water as of Tuesday evening (April 22) Some have said they have resorted to using water from the River Tavy to flush toilets Tavistock resident Paul Salt said: “Still no water in Tavistock PL19 neighbours helping each other out and sharing the bottles they have I think most of us are surprised how much we need and depend on flowing water.” South West Water said it has been delivering bottled water to its most vulnerable customers and has set up collection points in the affected areas Graham Reed has been elected as a new West Devon Borough Councillor for the Tavistock North Ward. This follows yesterday’s by-election (Thursday, May 1) at the same time as the Devon County Council elections. Cllr Reed, representing the Liberal Democrats, won with 31.05% of the vote, securing 485 votes. The Lib Dems finished 83 votes ahead of the Conservative Party candidate Judy Hughes, who secured 402 votes. They join Cllrs Holly Greenberry-Pullen and Jeff Moody as one of the three ward members for Tavistock North on the borough council. Tel: 01822 613666[email protected]Follow us Everyone is welcome to attend a ceremonial lighting of a VE Day beacon on Thursday evening (May 8) to mark the eightieth anniversary of the WWII victory in Europe. The beacon will be lit at 9.30pm by Bere Ferrers Parish Council in the grounds of Bere Alston Bowling Club as part of a national chain of VE Day beacons and fires. After the lighting, the Rev Nick Law will lead with prayers and this will be followed by the playing of the Last Post and Reveille by Peter Hurdwell of the Tavistock Stannary Brass Band. This event is part of a week of national and local commemorations. The beacons symbolise the light of peace that emerged from the darkness of war. Tel: 01822 613666[email protected]Follow us Two Lifton runners took on the TCS London Marathon to raise funds towards solar panels for Lifton Community Centre. Emma James had the official LCC charity place, whilst Vin Marshall had a Good For Age place. Together they raised to date £1,850 with more to come. Vin said “I wish to thank all those that have supported us, including Golda who organised a very successful bingo evening for Emma at Launceston Football Club and also to ST Lanes, Tinhay for allowing us to put a sponsor form in their shop.” Due to the hot weather, their times were slower than predicted. Emma completed the marathon in 5.16.07 and Vin completed in 5.41.07.  Vin, now in her 70s, achieved the qualifying time for next year’s race. You can still sponsor Vin and Emma directly or via https://2024tcslondonmarathon.enthuse.com/pf/lavinia-marshall Tel: 01822 613666[email protected]Follow us The Lib Dems are celebrating in Devon after winning the most seats in the Devon County Council elections – but no party has overall control. Sixty seats in 58 council divisions were up for election in Devon – with two divisions, Exmouth and Broadclyst, having two elected councillors each. The Liberal Democrats (Lib Dems) won the majority of seats, 27, but they did not reach the threshold of more than 50 per cent – more than 31 – required to give the party overall control of the council. Reform UK also had a good night, winning 18 seats. It was, though, a disastrous day for the Conservative Party, which previously had overall control, but ended election day with seven councillors. The Green Party won six seats with two going to independent candidates. The Labour Party won no seats. There are an interesting few weeks ahead now as each grouping holds talks in a bid to agree a coalition. Tel: 01822 613666[email protected]Follow us North Tawton Youth Football Club members have staged a 24-hour sponsored bike ride to raise funds for a much-needed clubhouse. Parents, coaches and players for the youth and senior teams took turns to cycle for 24 hours on two static bikes in North Tawton town centre on April 25 and 26. They pedalled 316.1 miles (581.2km) to raise a whopping £4,012.59, more than four times their target. The furthest distance on a 30-minute stint was George King who clocked up an impressive 10.6 miles (17.1km). The money will go towards a new clubhouse with a social area to relax and a modern kitchen to provide refreshments. This will allow the teams to host more community events. Tel: 01822 613666[email protected]Follow us A huge send off was held yesterday (Sunday, May 4) for retiring Cornwall councillor Dorothy Kirk at Gunnislake Parish Hall. Dorothy has represented the area as Labour member for the Calstock division on Cornwall Council for the past 12 years. She stood down as a Cornwall councillor at the elections last week. She remains a member of Calstock parish council. A surprise party was held for her at Gunnislake Parish Hall, organised by Dorothy’s daughter-in-law Katie Kirk. Many friends, fellow councillors and people Dorothy has helped over the years were at the surprise do. Among those present was Calstock parish crier Hilary Fairhurst, who recited a special ‘cry’ for Dorothy, new South East Cornwall MP Anna Gelderd and Dorothy’s eldest son Paul, who had made the trip from London to be at the party. Dorothy was escorted to the party by her second son David, who revealed just before they came in what to expect. Katie Kirk said: “We felt that Dorothy’s decision to step down from Cornwall Council should not go unmarked and I just had a hunch that one or two people might feel the same way. She added: “Dorothy, your remarkable qualities have inspired us all.You have helped many many people, when they have been at their most alone and vulnerable. In your role as Cornwall councillor you have been there for them.” David Kirk observed that his mum’s commitment to fight for local people and issues had been there long before she became a councillor. He recalled what had been known in Gunnislake as ‘the battle of Fosters Field’ in the 1980s when locals battled to save the parish open space from being taken over by housing developers. Paul Kirk said: “I’m extremely proud of my mum and extremely proud of all her achievements and her commitment to the local people. She has never lost sight of that. It has never been about anything else for her.” Dorothy’s tenacity in fighting for the interests of South East Cornwall in County Hall, far away in Truro, was honoured in a special poem written by Cornish poet, Bard– and former Cornwall councillor - Bert Biscoe, who read it out at the party. Among the achievements she has helped to secure are measures to make the A390 safer and the establishment of the Woodland Centre in Gunnislake as a community centre. She has also helped with bringing Gunnislake Parish Hall back into use. Much of her help daughter-in-law Katie said, had been given by members of the communityh behind the scenes in organising the event. Among those speaking was Nat Jasper, who said that she had moved to the village more than 30 years ago. She helped her when she was in a difficult relationship and later helped her daughter, a single mum find housing. When Nat set up a Zumba festival, “Dorothy was the first person who went running in dancing away and as soon as she did that, everyone followed.” Dorothy was moved to tears, saying: ‘My children were born here and went to school here. I regard it as an incredible honour to have represented this community with its warm beating heart and its lovely people and that extra piece of Cornishness that makes it such a special environment. Thank you all for helping me have a very enjoyable and satisfying life for the past 12 years.” Tel: 01822 613666[email protected]Follow us A LUXURY hotel on the edge of Dartmoor has picked up a top award from the world’s leading travel review platform. Gidleigh Park, near Chagford, has named Best Luxury Hotel in the UK by Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best Awards for 2025. The Best of the Best title celebrates the highest level of excellence in travel. It’s awarded to those who receive a high volume of above-and-beyond reviews and opinions from the Tripadvisor community over a 12-month period. Out of eight million listings, fewer than one per cent achieve this milestone. Regional general manager Simon Franks said: “ All awards are a joy of course, but those awarded due to the ongoing reviews left by our guests are particularly special, and such positive reviews are down to our brilliant team.” Tel: 01822 613666[email protected]Follow us The people of Tavistock have voted to support the town’s proposed neighbourhood plan A neighbourhood plan plays an important role in shaping the decisions made by West Devon Borough Council's planning committee in the years ahead Communities adopting a neighbourhood plan have their chance to say whether they think such a plan should be adopted; in a poll held last Thursday (May 1) 87.7% of local people voted to support the plan The next step is for the borough council to formally adopt the plan – this will likely take place at a full council meeting soon To find out more about neighbourhood plans, visit www.neighbourhoodplanning.swdevon.gov.uk Tel: 01822 613666[email protected]Follow us AS preparations ramp up for VE Day 80 commemorations in West Devon, a pub, a museum and a moorland village are staging special events. There are national and local events planned which remember the people who made the ultimate sacrifice and celebrate victory over the Nazis, with Thursday, May 8 being the 80th anniversary since the end of World War Two. A full programme of events is planned in Tavistock, see story on this page, and Tavistock Museum has just finished setting up a WWII VE Day exhibition. This includes a celebration of the town’s Home Guard, the story of a child evacuee from bombed out London’s East End and a mock-up of an air raid shelter. Meanwhile, in Princetown on Thursday there will be a remembrance wreath-laying at the war memorial at 11am, followed by the unveiling of a VE Day 80 plaque on a memorial tree in the play park. This will be followed by a community lunch served at the school from 12 noon to 1pm, open to all. On the weekend after VE Day, on Saturday and Sunday, May 10 and 11, a military-themed VE Day exhibition is being staged by the Fox and Grapes pub in Lifton. The pub event begins at Saturday at 1pm with a barbecue then at 3pm there will be a weapons demonstration and a helicopter will treat everyone to a flypast at a time to be confirmed. The Sunday event begins at 10am with a procession of vintage military vehicles followed by the barbecue from 1pm and weapons demonstration at 2pm. Then there will be a poignant tribute by a solitary piper, in tribute to wartime bagpiper Bill Millin who famously played a morale-boosting tune under fire on the D-Day’s Sword beach. This will be followed by a remembrance ceremony at 4pm and a concert by Launceston Town Band. The helicopter will take off and leave at a time to be confirmed. Meanwhile, in Tavistock Museum visitors can experience an audiovisual depiction of an air raid with mocked up taped-up windows and a recording of an air-raid warden telling people to switch their lights off accompanied by the air raid siren, so familiar in London. Sally-Ann Martin, museum visitor experience officer, said: “The exhibition will be here a few months and celebrates the roles of civilians and volunteers back home in this area during the war. We have a mannequin of an air raid warden and photos of the local Home Guard, or Dad’s Army. Just like the TV version, there were people like the bank manager who were prepared to put on their uniforms and defend us all. “Then we have the life story of Ken Bell who was evacuated from London to the safety of Whitchurch and has stayed there the rest of his life. And we have a recreated packed little suitcase which Ken would have made his new life with.” Centre stage is an interpretation of a Morrison air raid shelter to protect families indoors, instead of going to the outdoor Anderson shelter. Tel: 01822 613666[email protected]Follow us Reform UK has won Yelverton Rural in the county council elections. Michael Fife Cook was elected for Reform UK with 1,300 votes. Chris West for the Liberal Democrats received 1,121 votes. Philip Sanders for the Local Conservatives received 1,002 votes. Mark Renders, Independent, received 668 votes. Judy Maciejowska for the Green Party received 404 votes. Uwem Udo for the Labour Party received 232 votes. A total of 4,733 votes were cast and the turnout was 41.9% Tel: 01822 613666[email protected]Follow us A 55-year-old man from Tavistock has been taken to court for alleged dangerous driving while on drugs. Justin Napier, of Spring Hill, allegedly drove a Ford Fiesta dangerously through West Street in Tavistock on November 2, 2024. Napier was accused of having an excess of benzoylecgonine, a chemical compound that is produced when cocaine is metabolised in the body, in his system while driving. He pleaded not guilty to dangerous driving in Plymouth Crown Court yesterday (Thursday, May 1). Napier has been placed on an unconditional bail until his next hearing in Plymouth Crown Court on June 25, 2025 Tel: 01822 613666[email protected]Follow us A group of churchgoers are campaigning for trip hazards in Tavistock to be repaired after several members have fallen and hurt themselves. Members of Tavistock United Reformed Church have approached councillor and local councils asking for the granite slabs and drainage gulleys to be made safer. Suzy West, a church elder, said: “After the issue was raised at our church gatherings it became clear this was a more widespread issue than we thought. “An increasing number of our congregation have suffered injuries following a fall caused by the uneven pavements in Tavistock. This has sometimes deterred some of them from coming into town which can be isolating and is wrong. People come into Tavistock for many reasons, some are practical and some are social. We hope this barrier will be sorted out. “We have expressed our concern about this to our local councillor and the councils. But it doesn’t seem to be a priority and we have been told the problems don’t meet the criteria by which they measure whether repair work should be carried out.” She said the congregation recognised the importance of keeping the town’s historical features: “But we strongly feel that this should not be at the expense of the safety and well-being of residents and visitors. “We want something is done to make the pavements safer to walk on or for mobility scooters to travel on.” Suzy, whose dad was tipped out of a mobility scooter, is asking for reassurance this will at least be discussed in the relevant committees and action taken “to make visiting the town for those who have reduced mobility a pleasure, rather than a worry or even a prohibitive reason not to visit”. She praised the resurfacing of Bedford Square as an example of safe good practice. David Jowett tripped on uneven paving stones on Abbey Bridge, badly bruising his face, while his wife tripped on Market Street: “There are too many raised ledges or joins between the granite stones for safety.” Bob Stride, a church elder, was tipped out of his wheelchair when a wheel stuck in a gulley: “People with mobility problems are sometimes frightened about coming into town. The appearance of the town should not be a priority at the expense of people’s safety. “Tavistock has many older people with sticks and in wheelchairs who find it hard to get around safely.” The campaigners have been told that, as a rough guide, a 20p piece on edge needs to show above any possible trip hazard ledge to meet the repair criteria. A Devon County Council spokesperson said: "Footpaths in and around Tavistock are made up of granite slabs which by the very nature of these historic materials are uneven."Abbey Bridge, West Street and Church Lane onto Plymouth Road, have all undergone a formal safety inspection in the last 30 days with no safety defects found in line with our policy. "Market Street was last inspected on March 12 with one safety defect raised by the inspector which is with our contractor for repair." Tel: 01822 613666[email protected]Follow us A 55-year-old man from Plymouth has pleaded not guilty to a string of thefts in Tavistock last November. David Smith of Pleasure Hill Close, Plymouth, has been accused of stealing power tools, golf clubs, sporting goods and an electrical cable with a combined value of nearly £10,000 on November 30, 2024. He allegedly stole from two properties and a shed on Whitchurch Road, Tavistock. The defendant was arrested on December 19 2024 for breaking his bail conditions. He appeared at Plymouth Crown Court today (May 2). Smith has been placed on conditional bail until his next hearing in Plymouth Crown Court on May 7, 2025. Tel: 01822 613666[email protected]Follow us UPDATE: A new water station has been opened at Morrisons, Plymouth Road, Tavistock to distribute bottled water. A SWW spokesperson said: “We’ve opened a fourth bottled water station to support customers while we work to restore full water supplies. This additional site has been set up to make it easier for people to access bottled water while our teams continued working as quickly and safely as possible to resolve the issue. We’ve very sorrty that this is taking time. We have a large and complex network and are working carefully to restore supplies to everyone affected.” NEARLY 10,000 homes remain without water in the Yelverton, Whitchurch, Horrabridge, Bere Alston, Woolwell and Roborough areas this morning after a water main burst over the bank holiday weekend. Horrabridge and Whitchurch primary school are cloesd today (Tuesday), due to the lack of water. Yesterday cafes and pubs in the area were forced to close and the annual duck race in Milton Combe could not go ahead. It has been postponed until the the early May Bank Holiday, May 5. The bust water main was at the Dousland water treatment works, and burst late on Easter Sunday evening. It has now been fixed but SWW said restoring water to all properties affected was proving “complex”. A South West Water spokesperson said: “We have nearly 9,500 properties we are working very hard to restore full supply to – we have a very large network so this will take time and it’s really important we restore supply as quickly and as safely as possible. “The burst was isolated and fixed quickly and we are now in the final phase of restoring supply.” There are bottled water supply points at the George Park and Ride site on the outskirts of Plymouth, at Bere Alston Bowling Club and Knightstone Tearooms near Crapstone. A forth water station is due to open in the Whitchurch area of Tavistock today, SWW said. Teams were “working around the clock” to restore water, the spokesperson added. All those affected will be entitled to compensation, which is set by water regulator Ofwat. The water company said on social media: "We understand how crucial access to water is, and we are committed to providing you with fair compensation for the inconvenience experienced. "We will provide further updates on the specific compensation amounts in due course. "We're grateful for everyone's patience and understanding while we've worked to put things right." South West Water customers in the PL6, PL19 and PL20 areas have been affected – in and around Roborough, Woolwell, Tavistock and Yelverton. Tel: 01822 613666[email protected]Follow us POLLING stations are open today (May 1) in West Devon to elect members of Devon County Council. There is also a by-election for a vacant seat on West Devon Borough Council in Tavistock’s north ward. Polling stations are open from 7am to 10pm with photo ID needed to be allowed to vote. The candidates standing for West Devon Borough Council in Tavistock North are: HUGHES Judy, Conservative Party; REED Graham, Liberal Democrat; TREW Brian, Reform UK; UDO Uwem, Labour Party; and WOOD Sarah, Green Party. The candidates standing in West Devon for Devon County Council are: Hatherleigh and Chagford: COLLIETY Thomas Ben, Labour Party; DANIEL Lynn Christine, Green Party; DAVIES Sue, Reform UK; MARTIN Christian Adam, Liberal Democrats; SAMUEL Lois Esther, Conservative Party. Okehampton Rural: DEXTER George Herbert, Liberal Democrats; DUFFY Niall, Labour Party; GRAINGER James George, Reform UK; JOHN Nicholas (no party listed); JORY Neil, Conservative and Unionist Party; KIRNIG Tracy Belinda, Green Party. Tavistock: CLIFFORD Gary, Reform UK; GREENBERRY-PULLEN Holly, Liberal Democrats; LOVING Gemma Christine, Labour Party; SELLIS Debo, Local Conservatives; WOOD Sara Louise, Green Party. Yelverton Rural: FIFE COOK Michael, Reform UK; MACIEJOWSKA Judy Sara, Green Party; RENDERS Mark Christian, Independent; SANDERS Philip Richard, Local Conservatives; UDO Uwem Eno, Labour Party; WEST Chris, Liberal Democrats. Tel: 01822 613666[email protected]Follow us NEARLY 10,000 homes across West Devon remain without a full water supply this afternoon after a water main burst over the bank holiday weekend. South West Water customers who live the areas of Tavistock, Yelverton, Whitchurch, Horrabridge, Bere Alston, Woolwell and Roborough have been affected. Bottled water supply points have been opened up by South West Water at the George Park and Ride site on the outskirts of Plymouth, at Bere Alston Bowling Club and Knightstone Tearooms near Crapstone and at Morrisons off Plymouth Road, Tavistock. Horrabridge, Whitchurch, Bere Alston, St Peter’s Junior in Tavistock and Bickleigh Down schools are closed today (Tuesday), due to the lack of water. In Tavistock, there is a limited supply this afternoon and low water pressure, leading to businesses having to close and the public toilets are out of action. A South West Water (SWW) spokesperson said this morning: “We have nearly 9,500 properties we are working very hard to restore full supply to – we have a very large network so this will take time and it’s really important we restore supply as quickly and as safely as possible. The burst water main was at the Dousland water treatment works, and burst late on Easter Sunday evening. It has now been fixed but South West Water said restoring water to all properties affected was proving “complex”. Yesterday cafes and pubs in the area were forced to close and the annual duck race in Milton Combe could not go ahead. The duck race in Milton Combe raises essential funds for the village hall. The annual event relies on the ‘Who’d have thought it Inn’ in the village for food, drinks, toilets and the forecourt of the pub for the event. As the pub had to close due to having no water supply, the race has been postponed until the early May Bank Holiday on May 5. Val Bolitho, committee member of the Milton Combe Village Hall, said: “It’s unfortunate that the water burst happened over Easter weekend because a lot of charity and community events will have been cancelled and missed out on quite an important part of their income. “All I felt was disappointment to hear that the duck race would be postponed. It’s one of the biggest fundraising events we hold for the village hall and it’s really important.” Val will be spending the rest of the day adding ‘5th of May’ stickers to the already existing duck race posters in hopes that the event will still bring in large crowds. The event normally raises around £300 which is “essential” for the village hall. Tel: 01822 613666[email protected]Follow us a significant day for fans to celebrate the sci-fi franchise Originating from the pun "May the Fourth be with you", it began in 1977 and has since been embraced by Disney and by Lucasfilm the production company founded by Star Wars creator George Lucas While the day is celebrated by fans of all stripes some Star Wars enthusiasts once took their fandom a step further – by identifying as Jedi Knights on the national census the movement took off as both a cultural in-joke and a tongue-in-cheek nod to the spiritual weight fans saw in the Jedi philosophy What started as a grassroots internet campaign soon turned into a surprisingly widespread response across the UK A forceful 390,100 people in England and Wales wrote in "Jedi" as their religion in the 2001 census but this more than halved to 176,600 in the 2011 survey The most recent census for 2021 showed less than 1,600 people said they were Jedi Knights across the two nations – wiping out the Jedi Order Due to the dramatic decline and the cohort not meeting the minimum threshold the Office for National Statistics did not publish figures for Jedi Knights in the latest survey The group is instead lumped into the "No Religion: no religion" subcategory alongside people who claimed "Heavy Metal" was their religion 2011 Census data showed 203 people in West Devon wrote in Jedi as their religion Imitating the most optimistic national scenario – where 1,599 people identified as a Jedi – it would mean the estimated number of Jedi Knights in the area fell to just two people in 2021 While the trend of identifying as a Jedi began in the 2001 Census as a joke for many there are others who believe in the philosophy even sought charitable status in the UK in 2015 the Charity Commission ruled it did not meet the criteria under UK charity law The commission said in its report that Jediism lacked the "necessary spiritual or non-secular element" Despite the census figures turning to the Dark Side the Star Wars franchise is still expanding The second season of Andor on Disney+ – a critically acclaimed prequel to the movie Rogue One – has generated rave reviews since its release last month And Marvel’s eagerly awaited Star Wars comic book series will be released on May 7 and Han and show fans what happened after the Return of the Jedi With the franchise continuing to grow 48 years on from the first film there is a new hope the 2031 Census will see the return of the Jedi Tel: 01822 613666[email protected]Follow us TAVISTOCK Sir Francis Drake Bowls Club enjoyed a mixed friendly over Plymstock, winning 107-71. C Dingle, M Hix, B Carter, G Allott won 20-15; P Chaney, B Ellicott, S Mcintosh, J Carr won 14-11; S Jenkin, R Thorne, P Denning, T Smith won 19-7; N Southcott, N Paramor, A Gobby, P Anstead lost 13-19; M Davies, A Venning, A Puddicombe, M Felles won 25-8; L Gobby, L Fleming, W Hunt, B Davis won 16-13. They also overcame Bere Alston, winning 80-53. B Ellicott, S Tree, B Carter, M Felles won 24-8; J Carter, G Allott, R Kelly, C Carter lost 16-21; M Davies, N Southcott, J Sawyer, M Allen won 23-6; P Sawyer, M Hix, A Puddicombe, J Carr lost 17-18. Finally, there was a Plymouth and District Men’s Triples defeat, Tavistock losing 47-53. N Southcott, A Puddicombe, M Clark won 17-12; B Hillan, T Smith, M Allen won 21-11; P Chaney, G Carter, J Carr lost 9-30. Tel: 01822 613666[email protected]Follow us The results are in for the Devon County Council elections for the Tavistock ward. Debo Sellis was elected for the Local Conservatives with 1,316 votes. Holly Greenberry-Pullen for the Liberal Democrats with 1,169 votes. Gary Clifford for Reform UK with 949 votes. Gemma Loving for the Labour Party with 351 votes. Sara Wood for the Green Party with 312 votes. The voter turnout was 39.44% with 4,120 votes cast. Tel: 01822 613666[email protected]Follow us A long-distance swimming local police officer is planning to swim the English Channel in memory of her late grandmother is an experienced swimmer and has been training hard for the 21-mile endurance test which tests mental strength tolerance of the cold and any fears of sea creatures such as as seals and stinging jellyfish Lindsey is hoping to raise £1,000 through her JustGiving page for the Alzheimer’s Society after her gran Margery Perriment died from complications with the disease Lindsey said: “I'm attempting to swim the English Channel in early June I'm swimming in memory of my beloved late nan Margery Perriment I want to raise money in the process to support those suffering and help for the future “I’ll definitely be thinking about my nan when it gets tougher I’d like to think she knows what I’m doing – where she’s gone now “I’ve always wanted to swim the Channel from a very young age but the job and life always got in the way It also takes a lot of money and time to train for swimming the Channel in an officially recognised way.” Lindsey is in the police unit dealing with domestic abuse cases She was previously in charge of West Devon’s community policing teams and has spent the majority of her career in Plymouth She fits her training between her police shifts She plans to swim the Channel in a window of opportunity (for the right tides and weather) between Sunday Lindsey is a member of Plymouth Open Water Swimmers and will have some friends and members supporting her in the pilot boat she follows across the busy shipping lane: “They will be cheering me on and handing out energy drinks maltodextrin powder in drinks and jelly babies One will be holding up signs telling me when my hourly refreshment break is “They helped me with my previous longest swim from Eddystone to Plymouth Hoe and are swimmers so they all know me and know what to shout out to keep me going when things get difficult But it’s really good for morale to know they’re there rooting for me.” Lindsey will be swimming under the auspices of one of the official Channel swimming bodies which ratifies successful swims and lay down rules so everyone swims under the same conditions a traditional (non-legged) swimming costume and a swimming cap The Alzheimer’s Society is working towards a world where dementia no longer devastates lives by giving help to those living with dementia and campaigning to make dementia a priority in research To sponsor Lindsey’s Channel swim for the Alzheimer’s Society open this link: https://shorturl.at/BMQRA Tel: 01822 613666[email protected]Follow us A DEVELOPER has confirmed it is still exploring building hundreds of homes on a plot off Plymouth Road in Tavistock Tilia Homes withdrew an application for planning permission for the detailed design of 124 homes and outline permission for a further 126 homes in August last year The application to West Devon Borough Council was for a greenfield plot next to where the Little Orchard development of 44 homes is currently being built by Baker Estates The Tilia Homes proposal attracted scores of objections on the West Devon Borough Council planning portal when posted last summer Now the developer has told the Times Gazette that it is ‘in talks with stakeholders’ about a fresh proposal A Tilia Homes spokesperson said: “I can confirm that Tilia Homes does not currently have a live planning application for this site We are in the early stages of a pre-application process and design are still being developed through ongoing discussions with local stakeholders and planning officers We will keep the community and media informed as our plans progress.” The original proposals attracted objections including concerns about the lack of a visual buffer from the south the positioning of the proposed play area too far from homes and extra traffic the development will funnel out onto the already busy A386 There were also concerns that Tavistock had already absorbed too much new housing the principle of housing has already been established for the site as it is earmarked for 250 homes in development blueprint the Plymouth and South West Devon local plan up to 2034 Tel: 01822 613666[email protected]Follow us VISITORS and local people are being encouraged to make best use of health services over the May bank holiday weekend between May 3 and 5 The message is that urgent and emergency health care will be there for you but please choose the right service for your needs said: “We can all support the many dedicated individuals working over the bank holiday weekend by making simple preparations and knowing which services to access for help if we need it.” • Make sure you have collected any repeat medicines • Continue to call 999 in emergency and life-threatening cases – when someone is seriously ill or injured • Go to NHS 111 online if you need medical help or advice or you are unsure about whether you should go to hospital; you can also phone 111 • Play your part by taking simple steps to look after yourselves and loved ones checking in on vulnerable family members and neighbours • Make sure your medicine cabinet is well-stocked • Make use of community pharmacies, which can advise on minor illnesses and provide medications. Local opening hours can be viewed on the NHS England South West website experiences a mental health crisis you can access support from 111 Visitors to Devon are also reminded that their first port of call for GP care is their home practice phone and video consultations as well as arranging for prescriptions to be sent to any pharmacy you choose Dr Collins concludes: “By choosing the best service for your condition you can help us maintain emergency care for those who need it.” For local healthcare information, visit the One Devon website: https://onedevon.org.uk/our-work/services-and-support/health-pressures/ . Tel: 01822 613666[email protected]Follow us Although some areas are coming back on stream, South West Water can’t yet give an idea of when supplies will be fully restored. The problems result from a burst water main late yesterday evening. The company issued the following statement: ‘Due to a burst main on our network, some customers in PL6, PL19 and PL20 may be experiencing lower water pressure than usual or a loss of supply. ‘Our team are on site working to restore supply as quickly as possible. ‘We have set up water collection points for customers experiencing interruptions and we are delivering bottled water to our most vulnerable customers as a priority. ‘We continue to keep our website updated with information - we are very sorry for the disruption caused and would like to thank customers for their patience. ‘Bottled water stations are located at George Park and Ride, Tavistock Road, PL6 7HB (what3words = noises.goats.match) and Bere Alston Bowling Club, Bedford Street, Bere Alston, PL20 7DZ (what3words = sifts.dreamer.inflation). ‘ Tel: 01822 613666[email protected]Follow us A gardens open event is being held in the tiny moorland village of Sheepstor over the weekend to raise funds for the village hall. Nine gardens as well as St Leonard’s Church and its wildflower and wildlife friendly churchyard will be open for viewing on Saturday and Sunday, May 10 and 11 from 10.30am to 4.30pm. Entry is by map only, which can be purchased for £5 per person (under 16s free) from the village hall in the centre of Sheepstor on the day. Free car parking will be signposted, with directions to the village hall, and dogs on leads are welcome in most open gardens as well as the hall. A quiz based on interesting features in each garden will be provided for the children to keep them entertained whilst their elders explore the gardens. Patrick Drennan, chair and open gardens lead for Sheepstor Village Hall committee, said: “The individual gardens are very varied as one might expect, and range from the ‘recovering from building work’ to the ‘more established’, but all are work in progress. “The individual gardeners will be on hand to answer any queries, admit mistakes and pitfalls encountered along the way, and listen to your own kernels of wisdom. “ A new feature this year is a bluebell wood walk through the grounds of Burrator House, of White Rajahs of Sarawak fame, to Yeo House on the parish boundary. “Also new is Blooming Well CIC’s therapeutic horticulture programme, for people living with/recovering from cancer, and their development of a community garden in the Bull Ring Field.” He added: “Non ‘garden open’ volunteers will be in the village hall to tempt everyone with refreshments, ploughman’s lunches and cream teas, which have been exceptionally well received and reviewed in former years. “Some gardens may even have plants for sale, although bear in mind that the NSPCC is holding a plant sale on the Saturday in St Paul’s in Yelverton so you may need to have enough funds for both!” He added that the village hall committee treasurer has invested in a card reader “so that the cashless society devotees can have no excuse not to transfer some of their assets to the village hall funds”. “The village hall is owned and maintained entirely by all householders in Sheepstor parish with no regular funds from outside sources, so please support us and you will have a lovely day out,” added Patrick. “In fact your map entry is valid for both days so you can afford to spend more time wandering round some and come back the following days to visit the remainder, suitably fortified by yet more refreshments and food!” The gardens open event was first dreamed up in 2006 as a much-needed fundraiser to replenish village hall coffers. The first one went ahead in 2007, but it took three years and some persuasion of doubters to establish it as a biennial event from 2010 onwards, until covid sadly intervened. It is now, happily, back. Tel: 01822 613666[email protected]Follow us The atmosphere was charged on Dartmoor yesterday morning (May 1) as revellers gathered at dawn for a traditional May Day celebration. A stunning show of lightning lit the skies above Haytor as Morris dancers prepared to celebrate Beltane. Grimspound Border Morris and Beltane Border Morris arrived at Haytor Rock at around 4.45am for the annual festival. Meaning bright fire, Beltane marks the starting point of summer and celebrates the coming season of light and growth. Grimspound Border Morris performed their own displays, The Grimspound Wren and Haccombe, where dancers perform with sticks of fire. The event ended with Grimspound Border Morris and Beltane Border Morris uniting for a fire dance and singalong. Tel: 01822 613666[email protected]Follow us Residents across West Devon have been assured their interrupted water supply should now have been reconnected. About 10,000 householders, schools, businesses and many other customers have been without water in the Tavistock and Yelverton areas since Sunday evening. The outage happened after a main burst at the Dousland water treatment site late on Easter Sunday. Engineers have been working for the past two days to restore connection and today (Wednesday) many residents reported that water is back in the taps, but either at low pressure or very discoloured. South West Water (SWW) said earlier this morning: “We plan to connect every customer and community to water within the next few hours as the network fully recharges so that customers have normal supply pressures. As water comes back into service, it is normal to expect discolouration, which should clear after running your cold kitchen tap. It is also common for air to become trapped in the supply, or within the internal plumbing.” South West Water customers who live in Tavistock, Yelverton, Whitchurch, Horrabridge, Bere Alston, Woolwell and Roborough and surrounding areas have been affected. The company apologised to customers again for the inconvenience and issued the following statement: “We are pleased to say that customers should now be back in supply. We want to apologise again for the inconvenience this has caused, but we would also like to thank all of our customers for their patience and kindness to our teams on the ground providing bottled water.” Meanwhile, Whitchurch Primary School remained closed for the second day due to water supply issues. However, Horrabridge Primary School stayed open and is expecting a delivery of temporary loos. The school said: “We will be open as normal today as we have been informed by SWW that we will receive a delivery of 12 Portaloos (with hand washing facilities) by the start of the school day. “Please can all children still come in with a full bottle of water and a packed lunch if possible, we can cater to those without but it will only be a 'packed lunch' option.” SWW advised people who still do not have any water to to make the following checks to check for airlocks: Bottled water is still being given out at the water stations including Morrisons in Tavistock and Knightstone Tearooms near Crapstone. Local MPs Rebecca Smith (South West Devon) and Sir Geoffrey Cox (Torridge and Tavistock) were both in touch with South West Water managers urging a swift resolution. Sir Geoffrey said this morning (Wednesday): “I am pressing for an early announcement on the compensation that SWW must make, by law, for the inconvenience to its customers and for a full and transparent explanation of why this problem occurred and how we can be reassured it will not happen again.” Tel: 01822 613666[email protected]Follow us The TV presenter Davina McCall will be the ‘face’ of Hays Travel from May 2025. The independent travel agent has 500 branches across the UK, one of which is in Tavistock. On inviting Davina to partner with Hays Travel, founder and owner Dame Irene Hays said: “We were thinking ‘outside the box’ about who would connect with our loyal customers as well as a new audience. Hays Travel has been through significant change and growth over recent years, yet we are still the same family company, committed to our colleagues, customers, and the communities where we operate. “Davina is a positive and inspirational role model who embodies our own values – she is the perfect person to represent us at this point in our history, as we celebrate 45 years of caring for our customers.” Davina will feature in a new TV advert and in promotional content on their website and on social media. Commenting on partnering with Hays Travel, Davina said: “I am so excited to be working with Hays Travel. I had the great pleasure of meeting Dame Irene at an event, where I sat next to her without knowing who she was or what she did. I’m not sure anyone has made such a massive first impression on me as she did. So, when she contacted me about working with Hays, it was obviously a no-brainer. “I had a feeling that her brilliance would trickle down through her business. And I can tell you, it totally does. I love everyone that works there. Their passion, their commitment and their fun... it’s win win win.” Tel: 01822 613666[email protected]Follow us The results are in for the Devon County Council elections for the Okehampton Rural division. James Grainger was elected for Reform UK with 1,380 votes. Neil Jory for the Conservative and Unionist party was second behind Grainger with 972 votes. George Dexter for the Liberal Democrats received 971 votes. Tracy Kirnig for the Green Party received 417 votes. Niall Duffy for the Labour Party received 248 votes. John Nicholas, Independent, received 99 votes. 4,094 ballot papers were issued and the turnout was 34.18%. Tel: 01822 613666[email protected]Follow us Pilgrims are undone at the death as Leeds United are confirmed winners of the Championship PLYMOUTH Argyle head coach Miron Muslic refused to be drawn on his future as his side ended their Sky Bet Championship season with a 2-1 loss at home to champions Leeds United at Home Park. In what has been a testing campaign for the Pilgrims, they were unable to avoid the drop back into League One, an outcome which has left a bitter pill for many of the Green Army to swallow. Muslic - who only arrived in January following the departure of Wayne Rooney - has overseen a marked improvement in both performances and results since his arrival, but it was all in vain as Argyle joined Cardiff City and Luton Town in being relegated. “We are relegated now for seven, eight days. Believe me, I’m empty,” said Muslic, whose side took the lead against Leeds only for the Yorkshire giants to hit back and secure the win with an injury-time winner from Manor Solomon. “I don’t have the power right now to think about the potential future because that takes a lot of focus, a lot of concentration, a lot of energy. I don’t have this energy right now. I need to go back to my family to see them, to recharge, to breathe and then again we have enough time to think about the future.” Although the season ultimately ended in disappointment, Muslic was quick to reflect on his time so far in Devon.“I’m very grateful to have the opportunity to work in a fantastic club, a fantastic organisation,” he said. “So when I look back over the last four months I’m proud, but also very disappointed because in the end we could not make it. “I have nothing but true love and respect for the Green Army, I feel very fortunate to represent Plymouth Argyle as the head coach. Their effort over the last four months was just mind-blowing for me.” Tel: 01822 613666[email protected]Follow us The Plymouth gig of rap trio Kneecap has been cancelled due to safety concerns following controversy over resurfaced footage. The rap trio Kneecap who were due to perform in Plymouth after their Eden Session was cancelled have now been told that their Plymouth gig is cancelled. Organisers have said the show on July 4 at Plymouth Pavilions has been cancelled due to “safety concerns”. However, Kneecap will be performing three smaller gigs at The Depo in Plymouth on July 2, 3 and 4. The string of cancellations comes after a clip from 2023 resurfaced with one of the members saying during a performance "The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP." The trio apologised to the families of murdered MPs Sir David Amess and Jo Cox and rejected "any suggestion that we would seek to incite violence against any MP or individual. Ever". The footage had been "exploited and weaponised," they said. However Katie Amess, daughter of Sir David, dismissed their apology, accusing them of "deflection and excuses and gaslighting". The band are known for using their platform to support the Palestinian people and for calling out the British Government. View this post on Instagram A post shared by KNEECAP (@kneecap32) On the Plymouth Pavilions website, the organisers wrote: “Having taken advice from relevant authorities and agencies, it has been agree that Kneecap’s performance at our venue will no longer go ahead. “The safety of our valued visitors is always our primary concern and as such we feel confident in this decision- no further communications will be entered into.” In Kneecap’s statement after the video resurfaced, they said: “Kneecap’s message has always been – and remains – one of love, inclusion and hope. This is why our music resonates across generations, countries, classes and cultures and has brought hundreds of thousands of people to our gigs. When announcing their new performance at The Depo on Instagram they said: “Cancel one show? Here’s three more...” Tel: 01822 613666[email protected]Follow us There were more than a dozen children in West Devon living in short-term housing last year Homelessness charity Shelter called on the Government to unlock "urgent investment" in the upcoming spending review to tackle the national housing crisis It comes as separate analysis from the charity found 206,000 children in England could be living in temporary housing by 2029 – a 26% increase on current figures Communities and Local Government figures show 13 homeless children in West Devon were living in temporary accommodation as of December 81,060 households with 165,510 dependent children were living in temporary accommodation at the end of last year – both the highest figures since records began in 2019 The number of families living in temporary homes was only up 0.7% from September but showed a 13.7% increase from December 2023 Living in temporary accommodation means being provided short-term housing by a local authority director of campaigns and policy at Shelter said the housing crisis "has reached critical levels" She added homelessness will continue to soar and local authorities will risk bankruptcy if no significant investment is unlocked She said: "In the absence of enough social homes people are being funnelled into and trapped in temporary accommodation for years on end while billions are spent on sticking plaster solutions "Families are stuffed into unsuitable spaces living on top of each other and out of suitcases never knowing if and when they’ll be forced to uproot their lives." She urged the Government to commit to the "ambitious investment" of building 90,000 social homes a year for a decade in next month's spending review deputy chief executive of campaign group Generation Rent said: "Behind every statistic are thousands of stories of people facing some of the most stressful traumatic and insecure times of their lives "More and more children are spending their formative years trapped living in temporary accommodation often in overcrowded and unsafe conditions and at huge cost to local authorities "This is a national scandal that demands government action." He welcomed the national house building plan but called on the Government to address soaring rent prices and unlock Local Housing Allowance for those on lower incomes An MHCLG spokesperson said: "Through our Plan for Change we’re taking urgent action to fix the broken system we inherited investing nearly £1 billion in homelessness services this year to help families trapped in temporary accommodation we are developing a long-term strategy to tackle homelessness driving up housing standards and delivering the biggest boost in social and affordable homes in a generation." Anyone who is facing homelessness can get free and specialised advice from Shelter at www.shelter.org.uk/get_help Tel: 01822 613666[email protected]Follow us Firefighters are tackling a major house fire in Tavistock. Drake Road is closed to allow for fighting the fire in a street above. Firefighters erected an aerial ladder to fight the blaze in a detached house on the hill above. All occupants of the house got out safely, the fire service said. Two appliances from Tavistock went to the scene initially and sent for reinforcements from Yelverton and Bere Alston, followed by a water carrier from Plymouth and the aerial ladder platform from Crownhill in Plymouth. National Grid were asked to isolate the house’s electrics from the grid as the solar panels in the roof were involved. The fire was out by 7am but crew were still on the scene at 9am, checking for hot spots. Tel: 01822 613666[email protected]Follow us A vital service that offers ongoing free support and advice to all victims of crime has been praised for helping people when they need it the most Devon & Cornwall Police Victim Care Unit (VCU) is there to provide independent and confidential support to people of all ages – regardless of whether it has been reported to the police or not It is celebrating its 10th anniversary and among the thousands of people it has helped is a 90-year-old Devon woman who was left severely traumatised after she awoke in the middle of night when an intruder broke into her home and is said to have tried to smother her with her duvet while she lay defenceless in her bed she was able to free her thumb to activate a personal alarm on her wrist which caused her attacker to flee He was later arrested by police and imprisoned The terrifying incident took place a couple of years ago and since then the pensioner has been receiving ongoing support from the VCU to help her overcome her ordeal She has benefited from being referred to free NHS talking therapy service Talkworks and through the help of the VCU has received compensation from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) after being initially refused and after her attacker was released from prison his conditions were extended to being excluded from the town where she lives The courageous victim recalled: “I’m lucky really because I believe he would have killed me as he was in a frenzy I don’t think that will ever go but I can now talk about it thanks to all the support I’ve received “Initially you never think you will come out of this black hole but there is all this help you can get It sounds dramatic but I don’t know what I would have done without the VCU I received a call from a Victim Care Advocate who was so lovely on the telephone She said she made a good lemon drizzle cake and offered to bring some round – and often did I’m now okay but she still rings me occasionally and even calls in sometimes I can’t speak highly enough of the VCU and also the police because of all the things they did for me – and with respect.” Under the Code of Practice for Victims of Crime (VCOP) everyone has the right to be referred to support services tailored to their needs to help them cope and recover from the impact of crime The Devon & Cornwall Police VCU supports around 20,000 people a year and is primarily funded by the Office of the Police Crime Commissioner (OPCC) victims are offered the opportunity to be contacted by a victim care officer who can provide practical advice or a referral to an appropriate support service The unit works with a wide range of more than 20 local voluntary and community sector organisations – commissioned by the OPCC - which provide emotional and practical support All victims also have a right to receive information about restorative justice (RJ) which reflects on victims' and offenders' journeys to recovery and rehabilitation To mark the 10th anniversary of the Exeter-based unit the good work it does is being celebrated during Devon & Cornwall Police’s first dedicated Victim Focus Week which runs from April 28 to May 2 A wide range of events are being held internally to ensure the force is as victim-centred as possible Although the unit is independent from police investigations VCU staff have direct contact with officers and force systems to ensure victims are kept updated during ongoing cases VCU manager Sarah West said: “We are there for victims of all crimes – from fraud to domestic abuse through to serious violent crimes – and for people of all ages “When a victim consents to being referred to our service we make contact with them within 24 hours We have an extremely kind and compassionate team who are there to listen and validate the experiences of those impacted by crime “It’s not just about support but also advice and information about the criminal justice process what to expect throughout an investigation and what their rights are anyone can contact us whether they have reported a crime or not because they still have a right to be supported and we can signpost them to appropriate services The feedback we receive from victims about how our service has helped them is incredible.” The VCU has recently been thanked by a victim of stalking and harassment who was supported through a court case The mother said: “Victim Care has been fantastic Originally the support started because my daughter was really struggling with the whole situation Having a Victim Care Advocate support her took the pressure off me at a very difficult time “She managed her having a panic attack before giving evidence in court and gave her the strength to stand up and give evidence by sitting behind her in the witness box The advocate has been fantastic with liaising with all relevant professionals when I was struggling to get a response from them.” Former East Devon Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) Chantalle Hooper is one of the service’s victim care advocates Among those she is currently supporting are a domestic abuse victim I never really understood what the VCU did or how much it helps victims We are on their side and are there to make sure they feel they are being listened to and supported ‘I don’t know what I would have done without you’ manage their expectations and help fill the void when they feel they are not getting enough contact from officers investigating their case.” said: “The VCU that my office funds has now been supporting victims for ten years and I remain committed to ensuring it continues to do so for many more decades to come The service benefits from having a dedicated team of independent advocates who are there to support people every step of the way no matter how serious the crime was or when it took place “It is vitally important to me that every victim of any type of crime – whether it has been reported to police or not – has access to free confidential help to support them with their recovery journey “I applaud every victim of crime who has taken the courageous step of reaching out for support and also those who have reported crimes in a bid to bring perpetrators to justice.” To access support online visit the Victim Care Devon & Cornwall website at https://victimcare-dc.org/ Tel: 01822 613666[email protected]Follow us Bonnie Blue, an English porn star, becomes the new sponsor for a Cornish football team. A local football club have announced their new controversial sponsor, an Only Fans model who had sex with over 1,000 men in one day. Bonnie Blue is the new sponsor for Calstock FC after one of the players revealed to the group that Bonnie was his cousin. The football club that dub themselves ‘a drinking team with a football problem’, took advantage of the celebrity connection and asked Bonnie to be their new away kit sponsor. Tia Emma Billinger, known professionally as Bonnie Blue, is an English pornographic film actress. She has been controversial for creating sexual content with university students and married men. She’s most famously known for having sex with 1,057 men in one day. Bonnie and her management agreed to sponsor the Division Two team which sees a royal blue shirt with a ‘BB’ and ‘Up the Bonnie Blue Bees’ on the back. Ben Williams, Calstock FC player, said: “What makes it so comical is that we’re not the best football club but we’re sponsored by one of the most famous woman on the planet. We’ve received some hate online but at the end of the day it’s just a football shirt and a good-looking football shirt at that.” “It’s been a problem for some of the older lads who are married with kids, their partners weren’t happy, but the younger boys of the team very much enjoy the fact that they are sponsored by Bonnie Blue.” The club announced their controversial collaboration on instagram with a reel that has over 800 thousand viewers. View this post on Instagram A post shared by CALSTOCK FC (@calstock_fc) they wrote: “This collaboration goes beyond mere branding It symbolises our commitment to embrace boldness and a spirit of fearless individuality on and off the pitch.” Ben said that Bonnie was “very generous” with her donation but wasn’t sure if she will make the trip to Calstock to watch a game Tel: 01822 613666[email protected]Follow us Majority of Devon and Cornwall Police officers struggling financially with nearly a quarter eyeing the exit MORE than three-quarters of police officers in Devon and Cornwall say they are worse off financially than five years ago — with nearly one in five unable to afford basic essentials — according to a damning new report released. The 2024 Police Federation Pay and Morale Report reveals a deepening crisis within the force, as soaring living costs and stagnant wages fuel growing dissatisfaction, so much so that nearly a quarter of officers are now considering leaving the job entirely. Despite a 4.75 per cent pay rise this year, real-terms police pay has plummeted by 20 per cent since 2010, leaving many questioning how much longer they can afford to serve. Worryingly, the survey — which is based on 1024 responses received from Devon and Cornwall Police officers — revealed 23 per cent of officers said they intend to resign from the police service either ‘within the next two years’ or ‘as soon as [they] can’. Rob Greening, secretary of Devon and Cornwall Police Federation, said: “The pay and morale survey for Devon and Cornwall Police makes stark reading and unfortunately, when compared to previous years, the situation does not seem to be improving. “Our members work in extremely stressful and dangerous situations, to afford the public the safety and protection they expect and deserve. Governments, over the years, do not seem to have provided the Police service with the same level of commitment and have allowed Police officer pay to reduce in real terms by over 20 per cent. “Our members are aware public finances over the past 15 years have been pushed and that they should bear some responsibility for cuts that have to be made. However, 15 years of cutbacks and low funding by governments have brought us to the position we now find ourselves in.” He added: “We cannot afford to lose the experience within the front line of policing. The protection of the public depends on officers knowing their job and being able to pick up on the small clues, which may indicate a member of the public is in danger. “Workloads for officers are unmanageable and this is when mistakes are made and tell-tale signs are missed. “Officer numbers have risen since 2010 by about 4,000 yet the UK population has increased by 5.5-million. Investigations have become far more complex as technology advances and the case files officers produce, to ensure offenders are charged to court, have become unnecessarily complicated and timely to complete. “There has been a perfect storm brewing for the last 15 years and it has now hit land. Officers are not willing to put up with the continued increasing expectations and heavy workloads, lack of perceived respect from the government, constant pay awards that are below the rate of inflation and they are voting with their feet. Our members join the police to serve the public and keep them safe, but currently feel that they are not able to do this to the best of their ability. “If the government wants a police service they can be proud of then we need to retain the experienced officers, to enable them to impart their wisdom to those with less experience. “To do this there are many changes that need to be made, however a quick win for the Government is to sit up and listen to the officers. What the police take home is criminal. Officers have copped enough. Things need to change.” In response to the report, Devon and Cornwall Police Chief Constable James Vaughan, said: “The pay and morale survey from the Police Federation of England and Wales is always important to us and I want officers to be assured that we will be taking time to scrutinise the report and to discuss the issues in detail with Federation representatives in Devon & Cornwall. “Policing remains a very challenging and difficult job, and despite increased demand and limited resources, our dedicated officers continue to fight crime and protect the public every day to make Devon and Cornwall safe. “Since my appointment in December 2024, I have met over 2000 officers and staff in stations across the force area, to understand their roles and listen to their views, challenges and ideas. I will continue to spend time with staff and officers, to understand where support is needed to protect our workforce and improve morale. “I’m also nearly at the end of a series of roadshows that have allowed me to meet with all Sergeants and Inspectors, to understand the challenges they are facing, as well as to set out Force priorities and expectations – with a particular emphasis on improving our standards, behaviour and culture. “It is clear from the survey officers across the country, not just in Devon and Cornwall, see workloads as an issue. The number of officers we have on the frontline is an important factor in this and a key priority for me has been to return officers to the frontline through a review of our senior ranks – starting with the chief officer team. “We now have record numbers of officers after a very successful Uplift programme and these are supported by professional and capable enabling departments and a strong cadre of volunteers. “Officer numbers will continue to be boosted through the government’s Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, an investment into neighbourhood policing which will support the increase of neighbourhood officers in years to come and alleviating the pressure on our frontline. “I want every member of the organisation to feel confident that their wellbeing is taken seriously and that they are being properly supported. I am committed to ensuring officers know that we are listening and feel valued and supported. "While some factors in the survey such as pay are outside of our control, we will continue to make advice and support on topics, including financial assistance, available to everyone in Devon and Cornwall Police, including signposting to those who can help. “Devon and Cornwall Police is made up of amazing officers and staff and we are committed to continuing to make improvements for all those who work so hard to keep our counties safe.” Tel: 01822 613666[email protected]Follow us The astrologer looks to the stars for your horoscope for the week beginning Saturday, 3 May If a task you’ve taken on doesn’t go as well as you were hoping it would, don’t hesitate to request another chance at it. If you’re new to this type of work, keep in mind the saying: if at first you don’t succeed, try again. Stay positive and give it another go. You’re ready to leave a disappointing situation behind. Instead of feeling sorry for yourself, you are looking for the next opportunity to improve your life. You expected a partner to be sceptical about our plans especially when these aren’t something they are normally interested in. A team effort brings out the best in you. Activities shared with others will be fun and stimulating. New people you are meeting now will bring excitement into your world. Just remember to keep in touch with old friends, too. The flow of your days will gradually improve as you strive for an important goal. Your ability to keep everything organised and calm will foster teamwork among everyone involved. The outcomes will surpass all expectations. You’ve always had a flair for the dramatic. Why not welcome a little extra give-and-take with your friends and loved ones? When they notice how open you are to compromise and not just focused on yourself, they will start treating you with a new respect. A younger relative will look to you for support in getting through a tricky situation. You may not be able to solve all their problems but you will be more than willing to lend an ear and offer comfort. There’s a genuine desire to help those nearby. Stay alert and keep your eyes open when dealing with legal and financial matters. If you miss something early on, there could be hidden issues that will lead to complications in the future. You have been unsure about ideas being discussed in the household. You’re getting on so well with a work or romantic partner that it’s almost as if you can read each other’s thoughts. This closeness will help you predict their responses and enable you to make suggestions that meet their needs and expectations. Get involved in a group project. Not only will you enjoy the challenges this brings, you will be making new friends along the way. Most people you meet will be friendly and supportive. This makes it a good week for accomplishing tasks as a team. It’s hard to overstate the magnitude of discussions going on in the workplace. You wonder how mistakes happened and how it went on so long before they have been revealed. Now that everything is out in the open you will stand up for those who need support. A household matter will not be easy to settle. You might think you've made your final decision regarding future plans, but others don’t agree. One of your housemates will want to revisit the conversation, hoping to persuade you to reconsider. A friend or neighbour will ask you to do them a small favour. This will open the door to even more requests and before you know it they will seem to expect you to be at their beck and call. Remember, you aren’t obligated to say yes every time they ask for help. With historic bones and the scent of old farming money in the fresh moor air, Tavistock has everything else you could want in a town and now a re-opening train station thanks to diverted HS2 funds. Part of our Top 300 Places to Live series Vote for Tavistock in our Devon Best Places to Live Readers Vote: Appledore Ashburton Bampton Topsham Dartington Moretonhampstead Modbury Sidmouth Don't already know how splendiferous we are? Read the Muddy Stilettos story We love to connect with like-minded brands and clients. If you’re interested in working with us click here for national and regional contacts. Whether you want to leave your feedback, ask a question or need help - click here to get in touch with us Reader Treats Terms & ConditionsRead our Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions here Parts of West Devon and the South Hams are without water this morning due to a burst water main. The cut off affects the Bere Alston area as well as areas of the South Hams just north of Plymouth., postcodes PL6, PL19 and PL20. South West Water has set up bottled water collection points for those affected at the George Park and Ride , Tavistock Road, Plymouth PL6 7HB (what three words: noises.goats.match) and Bere Alston Bowling Club, Bedford Street, Bere Alston PL20 7DZ (what3words: sifts.dreamer.inflation). South West Water said these were open from 8.30am-10pm today as its teams work to repair the leak. A spokesperson said: “Due to a burst main on our network, some customers in PL6, PL19 and PL20 may be experiencing lower water pressure than usual or a loss of supply. Our team have been working through the night to repair the burst and remain on site working to restore supply as quickly as possible. “We have set up water collection points for customers experiencing interruptions and we are delivering bottled water to our most vulnerable customers as a priority. “We are continue to keep our website updated with information – we are very sorry for the disruption caused and would like to thank customers for their patience.” Tel: 01822 613666[email protected]Follow us Carl Willis holding a football shirt in memory of his brother ahead of the charity match to raise funds for MIND A charity football match will take place in Tavistock next month in memory of Daniel Willis a much-loved local footballer and engineer will be held on Saturday 10 May at Crowndale home of Tavistock Community Football Club.  the match will raise money for the mental health charity MIND “I’m hosting a charity match called ‘The DW CUP’ on Saturday 10th May in Tavistock in memory of my brother Daniel Willis,” said Carl “The teams will be friends of myself and his childhood friend Donations are going to mind and hoping to see many people as possible Refreshments and bar will be available on the day.” Daniel grew up in Chillaton and Milton Abbot and was a promising young footballer who played for Tavistock Community FC.  He had trials for the Plymouth Argyle youth academy and was known locally for his skill and dedication “A minute’s silence was held before kick-off at Tavistock Community FC’s game in their first game of September in memory of one of their best players,” Carl said Daniel was a qualified mechanical engineer then trained at Plymouth City College before studying at Bournemouth University He later travelled to several countries and settled in Perth where he worked for an engineering company Whatever he did he excelled and was well loved and is very badly missed.” He says the match is not only a tribute to Daniel’s life but also a way to spark awareness on mental health.  “We are looking to raise awareness in mental health and let men know its ok to talk.” Amid controversy, Belfast rap group Kneecap will now perform in Plymouth after their Eden Project show was cancelled. The Belfast-based rap group Kneecap will no longer be be performing at the Eden Project amid controversy over a resurfaced clip in which a band member saying ‘the only good Tory is a dead Tory’. The group known for songs such as ‘H.O.O.D’ and ‘Get Your Brits Out’ will now be playing at Plymouth Pavilions on Friday, July 4. A reason for the shows cancellation has not been given officially but it comes after a clip from 2023 resurfaced with one of the members saying during a performance, "The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP." Katie Amess, daughter of Sir David, dismissed their apology, accusing them of "deflection and excuses and gaslighting". Eden Sessions announced on their website: “Eden Sessions Limited announced today (29 April 2025) that the Kneecap show at Eden Project scheduled for 4 July 2025 has been cancelled. “Ticket purchasers will be contacted directly and will be fully refunded. The refund process will commence from Wednesday 30 April 2025. Refunds will be processed against the original payment cards used. Purchasers should allow six working days for funds to be received into their accounts.” Tickets for the Plymouth Pavilions performance will go on sale on Friday, July 4. In response to the Plymouth gig announcement on Instagram, users flooded the comments section with statements such as: “Thank you from a Palestinian! You amplify our voice and the voice of all the downtrodden. Much love and respect!” and “You're on the right side of history.” Tel: 01822 613666[email protected]Follow us