Travel north with me to the dark winter days of Orkney. Italian prisoners of war are building barriers between the islands around the deep water of Scapa Flow, protection for naval ships. It’s wartime, 1944. We are ushered through the barbed wire into the camp. The men have finished for the day. We see them file into a Nissen hut, so we follow them in – and our breath is taken away. For this unassuming hut is the most gloriously painted chapel we have ever seen. In the midst of conflict and alongside enemies, we are drawn with them into quiet …
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Reverend David’s December Notes – Calendars of Hope
Paul’s nature notes November-December 2023
Andrew & Cherry at Mousehole were told recently of a sighting of a Harris Hawk near Spence's Cross, doubtless an escapee. It reminded me of a wonderful hawking experience day the family arranged for my 65th birthday at Leeds Castle in Kent where I enjoyed hunting with one in the afternoon. What a great experience that was!
They also told me that their holly berries have now been almost stripped bare by flocks of blackbirds and fieldfares which have now turned their attention to the apples. Then they had the joy of watching a stoat …
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Parish Paper – December 2023
To save or read this issue, please click file: Parish Paper 2023 - 12 …
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Rectory David’s December Notes – Forever and Ever Amen
Christmas quiz – who sang “I wish it could be Christmas every day” (cue the sound of sleigh bells and children singing)? Bonus point – which year? (Answer below*)
Are you ready for the Christmas soundtrack – piped in the shops, looped on the radio, blasted by someone in your home, perhaps stirring old festive memories? Whatever our sentiment about Christmas being every day, it is upon us.
Christmas – the Power and the Glory of it. Ah, but we’ve done that bit of the Lord’s Prayer already. How about a hybrid Christmas song, then – “I wish …
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Paul’s Nature Notes October-November 2023
It’s that time of the year again when buzzards gather together in the fields. They seem to choose a different field every year. Last year it was one adjoining the back lane to Upton, the year before that they were over at Colestocks and this year they are in the field leading along the lane to the pig farms.
I have enjoyed photographing them mixed in amongst all those herring gulls and pigeons. Silhouetted along the edge of the ridge they appear huge and once again there is a very white individual amongst them. At first glance it is very easy …
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Payhembury Provisions December 2023 – Cards, Cards, Cards
It’s all about cards in Payhembury Provisions this festive season. Christmas cards, Greetings Cards and of course Loyalty Cards!! So many to choose from.
Payhembury artists Lucy Tweedie and Sue Derbyshire have both produced Christmas cards which are on sale in the shop.
Lucy - whose very popular birthday and greetings cards are regularly available in the shop, has created a beautiful bespoke Christmas card of the Village Green and The Six Bells, which we are selling in the shop in packs of 5, with proceeds going to the Church Roof Appeal. …
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Parish Council News – November 2023
Due to a misunderstanding, several of the Parish Council articles published in the November Parish Paper were different to those submitted for publication. Hopefully this did not cause any inconvenience or confusion. Please see below for correct details.
Dawn Chamberlain, Parish Clerk
Connecting your community to the Slow Ways National Walking Network
Slow Ways is an ambitious crowd-sourced, community-verified national walking network that connects all of Britain's towns, cities and national parks. Supported by the National Lottery …
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Payhembury Provisions – Nov 2023
Deck the halls, the festive season is upon us! We will have just had the spooks of Halloween and the gunpowder plot celebrations which they do in a very understated way in Ottery St Mary I always think. Well we here at Payhembury Provisions like to blow our trumpet and celebrate everything good about our shop and village. So once again you’ll be able to order a fine free range Turkey (may have been barn raised as I’m not up on the current poultry keeping laws) from us, the order form will be in the shop soon. We have a good range of Christmas …
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Reverend David’s November Notes – Upside Down
Some things are viewed better upside down. An example: one of my favourite album covers (one of my favourite albums), pictured here. Two handstands on a beach when inverted appear as people touching the sky, even being pulled up there.
Inverting things is sometimes attempted by force. The Gunpowder Plot, for example. Picture Guy Fawkes and his friends, crouched beneath Parliament’s chamber: “Oh, yes!” we hear him proclaim, “how we’ll invert things to their rightful way! These Protestant usurpers cast down, our kingdom raised again to the power …
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