BELSTONE NEWS
Fundraising for Children's Hospice South West
The Belstone Friends' Group are hosting two of their popular fundraising events.
To find out more, visit their page on this website
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Dartmoor House B&B
Now open for business
For details please follow sponsors' link on right or ring
01837 840337
Recycling and Refuse Collections |
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Normal collection day: |
Will be collected on: |
| Monday 6th May | Tuesday 7th May |
| Tuesday 7th May | Wednesday 8th May |
| Wednesday 8th May | Thursday 9th May |
| Thursday 9th May | Friday 10th May |
| Friday 10th May | Saturday 11th May |
Collections will return to normal on |
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Please ensure that all items are put out to the kerbside no later than 7.30am on your collection day |
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Dawn Chorus Walk - Sunday 5th May
The annual Dawn Chorus walk around Belstone parish (led by Chris Walpole) leaves the Village Hall at 5.30am on Sunday 5 May. This year the route will be through Priestacott Wood to West Cleave, down to the East Okement at Chapel Ford, past the Nine Maidens stone circle and back to Belstone via Birchy Lake.
We’ll get back to the Hall by 8am for a breakfast of cereals, toast, bacon rolls, cheese scones and hot drinks. Walking boots and binoculars are recommended. No dogs on this walk. Suggested donations of £2 for the walk or £5 for the walk and breakfast will be gratefully received for Hall funds. 25/4/13
Click here to see the lovely photographs, taken by Mike Jones, of many of the birds likely to be seen or heard on the walk.
GARDEN OPEN FOR THE MARY BUDDING TRUST
(A local charity, supporting children with special needs.)
This year Andrews Corner, Belstone, among several other gardens, will be opening for the Mary Budding Trust - a new venture for this local charity. The garden, in Skaigh Lane, Belstone, will be open on Sunday 21st April from 2.30-5.30pm, with cream teas, plants for sale, a family garden quiz and an opportunity to find out more about the vital support this charity gives to local primary school children with special needs.
The late Dr Mary Budding, when working as the District Medical Officer, came into contact with many families who had children with severe difficulties and she realised that with a little more support their lives could be enriched. She generously left a legacy that was the catalyst for the formation of the charity. which was set up ten years ago, specifically to support West Devon children, under the age of eleven, with special needs. In making their decisions, the Trustees aim to enable the children to have a full and rich life, providing opportunities which might not be available without extra financial support.
Over the last decade The Mary Budding Trust has given support to children and families right across the area including Northlew, Bridestowe, North and South Tawton, Hatherleigh and Okehampton. A substantial contribution to the cost of the specialist equipment for the Okehampton Area Schools Multi-Sensory Room and Garden was provided by the charity. Individual children have also received grants with help towards costs of mobility equipment, computers, toys and other apparatus.
Please go to www.tavistock.fr/marybuddingtrust for a full list of open gardens and further information about the Trust’s work. Your support for our local children will be greatly appreciated. 14/4/13
The Letterboxes Are Back!
Twelve new letterbox stamps, on the theme 'Old Belstone', have been hidden around Belstone Tor and the East Ockment valley.
Sheets of clues are on sale for £2.50 each and are available until 1st October 2013 from Belstone Village Hall (at Thursday morning cafe or Sunday afternoon cream teas) and The Tors pub. Or send a sae and cheque (payable to 'Belstone Village
Hall') to Little Gables, Belstone, EX201RD.
Click on the stamp to read more about Letterboxing and the Belstone Village Hall Letterboxes. 7/4/13
Gardens Open - Sunday 14th April
This is the time of year when little yellow notices start popping up all round the country advertising 'ngs gardens open for charity'. So what is the ngs and what charities does it support? Established in 1927 the NGS or National Gardens Scheme has been opening gardens ever since, to support major nursing and caring charities and continues to be the single biggest donor to both Macmillan Cancer Support and Marie Curie Cancer Care. 
Since 2010 a different annual 'guest' charity has been chosen to benefit from the scheme and this year the guest charity will be Parkinson's UK. The scheme is committed to helping those charities that play a major role in care at home and for those with chronic or life-threatening illness.
With this in mind why not visit these Belstone gardens which are opening for the NGS on Sunday 14th April.
Click on each of the links for further information Taikoo (open 2-5pm) Andrew's Corner (open 2.30-5.30pm) .
For further infomation about the NGS go to www.ngs.org.uk 29/3/13
Belstone Panto 2013 "Puss in Boots"
Photos are now in Picture Reports. Or visit the Belstone Players page and follow the link from there.
Chris Walpole, as usual, has
produced one of his magnificent DVDs of the production - price £7 with £6 going to the Players. So, if you missed seeing the show or you'd like a memento, contact Chris on 01837840498. 28/3/13
Thursday Cafe Celebrates its Tenth Birthday
Hard to believe but the Thursday morning cafe in Belstone Village Hall is about to celebrate its tenth birthday. It first opened on 6 March 2003 as a companion for the Outreach Post Office service which had just opened on Tuesday and Thursday mornings in the Hall. The Post Office (originally staffed from Okehampton but now a satellite service of the North Tawton PO) is still going strong and so is the cafe, being a popular meeting place for locals and visitors alike. Where else can you catch up on the local news and gossip, read the Oke Times, borrow or swap a book, watch the Belstone Photographic Competition entries, buy local cards and the Belstone calendar, get your letterbox walk clue sheet (April to September), sing some Carols (December only), get advice on community matters from West Devon Borough Council (quarterly), buy home-made jams, marmalades and chutneys AND get a cup of tea or coffee for 20p and a hefty slice of home-made cake or a cheese scone for 50p? 
Each week it is run by any two from an enthusiastic group of around twenty volunteers (phone Marion on 01837 840498 if you’d like to join the rota) who have, over these ten years, raised over £15000 for Village Hall funds.
The tenth birthday is on Thursday 7 March. Come along any time between 9.30am and 12.30am on that or any other Thursday, you’ll enjoy it 04/03/13
And it all went off with a swing - as you can see in this photo taken by Chris Walpole.HAPPY BIRTHDAY CAFE!
West Devon Connect at Thursday Cafe - 14th March
Belstone residents with questions about public services can chat with an advisor from West Devon Borough Council at the Connect drop-in event at Belstone Village Hall on Thursday 14th March, between 10am and 12noon.Representatives from Parklands Leisure Centre, The Senior Voice, Oakhouse Foods and West Devon's Borough Council's Wasteand Recycling will also be available to highlight the services they provide for residents.
The Waste & Recycling officer will be showcasing the range of composters & water butts the council has to offer at a subsidised price, as well as answering any questions about your waste and recycling service.
Parklands will be offering some free adult taster sessions for swimming, badminton and the gym, as well as providing information about the range of fitnessand beauty facilities available at the leisure centre.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE CONTACT NUMBER FOR THE VILLAGE HALL MANAGER HAS CHANGED. IT IS NOW 01837 861731
BELSTONE PHOTOGRAPHIC COMPETITION 2013
The new Photographic Competition began on 2nd November 2012 and the categories are:
The Wild Side of Belstone
Shape and Pattern in Nature
Belstone in Black and White
Click here to see full information about the competition. 25/11/12
