In February we had a welcome return visit from Paul Davies who, as you know, worked for the Education Office after a career in teaching.  His highly amusing talk was entitled 'Heads and Tales'.

12th March will see a visit from Helen Wilson whose talk will be 'The Remarkable Pinwill Sisters'.  The sisters - Mary, Ethel and Violet - worked as professional woodcarvers in Ermington and then Plymouth from about 1890. They were three of seven daughters of the Revd Edmund Pinwill and his wife Elizabeth, who encouraged their daughters to learn woodcarving from a team of craftsmen who came to Ermington to restore the church there in 1884.  While it was not unusual for women to learn to carve in the late Victorian period, it was quite extraordinary for them to set up in business as woodcarvers.  Unfortunately, none of the churches in our Benefice have Pinwill work, but there is a great story a little further south in Malborough and Salcombe, which Helen will be focussing on in the talk. There is a small amount of work left in Aveton Gifford after the wartime bombing but otherwise the nearest work to the north is at Ermington, where the sisters lived and learnt their craft.

On 9th April, Roger Pinder, the Kingsbridge Town Crier (who is also a Director of the Ancient & Honourable Guild of Town Criers) is coming to tell us about how he became a town crier which will be a fascinating talk.  PLEASE NOTE THAT THE AFTERNOON WILL BE STARTING AT 3.30 p.m. AS IT CLASHES WITH A WI OUTING.  We will still be providing the usual fabulous tea - just a little later than usual!

Our May meeting on 14th will feature Flete House near Modbury.  Resident Adrian Wardle, a semi-retired publisher and expert on the history of this Grade I listed house and its equally impressive grounds, will explain it was home to the aristocratic Mildmay family from the late 1800s and was designed to host distinguished guests, including royalty. The rest of the handsome building, parts of which date back to the 16th century, is now divided into 29 private leasehold apartments.

Everyone is welcome to our meetings - feel free to bring a friend or two!  £3.00 per person plus £1 for a raffle ticket.  Please let us know if you have any special dietary requirements: all reasonable requests catered for!                             Lindy

Lindy Anderton (560751)   Gaynor Day  Jane Howey   Moray Lewis  

Marion Luscombe    Susie Russell      Pauline Stidston     Gill Townsend        Maggie Ryder (mailing list)

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