The first sod was cut today by the Mayor of Dartmouth and Mrs Cripps, who was the first person to report an interest in an allotment on land opposite Longcross Cemetery, and work will commence on preparing the new Allotments today. Planning permission was recently given following the need for a preliminary contamination assessment report. The conditions have now been fulfilled which include providing details of a “hard and soft landscaping scheme” in the interests of the visual amenities of the locality and to assimilate the development into its surroundings. The contractor, Simon Wilson, from Back to Nature Gardening anticipates that the work will take approximately 2 weeks subject to the weather.

There will be 14 plots and these will be allocated in the order of the waiting list with priority given to those who reside in the Parish. Draft tenancy agreements are being prepared. There has been an overwhelming response to this recent initiative, with people still wishing to be added to the waiting list. Cllr Cawley, Chairman of the Town Council's Corporate Property Committee said “in the light of the interest shown, we may well in future have to explore other possible sites”.

It seems to be a "good news week" for Dartmouth Town Council as planning permission was also received  for the final stage of the Old Market Regeneration.  Dave Cawley, founding Chairman of the Dartmouth MCTi together with Tessa de Galleani of the Chamber of Trade were both founder members of the South Devon Local Action Group who brought £1.8M into the area, of which £95,000 has been allocated to the Market Square.  Dartmouth Town Council and South Hams Conservation department's view was that the Market needed to be the thriving place it was 100's of years ago, when small Dartmouth businesses sold local Dartmouth products to Dartmouth people.  In keeping with modern thinking the original structure will be preserved and combined with a modern new glass look.  Cllr Cawley said "the new units will be small and affordable by local businesses.  The new Community Cafe will be available in "time slots" to The Over 60's group, Dartmouth Caring and other local community groups."

2. Food Festival Golf Tournament

The first ever Dartmouth Food Festival Golf Tournament takes place at Dartmouth Golf and Country Club. The tournament, a Pairs Better Ball Competition, will take place on Thursday October 21 over 18 holes of championship golf, open to visitors and members.

The event will be played off a ¾ handicap, maximum allowance 18, with ladies receiving three courtesy shots after handicap deduction.  Managing Director, Jamie Waugh, explained: “This new tournament allows us to join in with Dartmouth Food Festival and not only celebrate good food but also a day of great golf. Our head chef is preparing his very popular scrumptious carvery for everyone taking part, so all our players will be able to take part in our own mini festival of food.” The tournament is open to any combination of men, ladies or juniors and includes a comprehensive prize table to include meal vouchers at some of Dartmouth’s top restaurants such as The New Angel, Dartmouth Apprentice, Browns Hotel and The Normandy Arms. To enter, contact Tony Chappell on 01803 712 016 click here for more details and click here for details of the Golf Club..

3.   Heroes from Dartmouth will be specially honoured

The Royal British Legion, Dartmouth reports:

As part of the annual ceremonies on Remembrance Sunday this year (14th November) three fallen heroes from Dartmouth will be specially honoured. A new plaque will be unveiled at Dartmouth`s War Memorial in Royal Avenue Gardens, dedicated to the memory of those who have died for their country in conflicts since 1945.

The names of three servicemen will be listed and the most recent of these is Trooper Brett Hall, 2nd Royal Tank Regiment, aged 21, who was fatally injured by a roadside bomb on 12th September 2009 while driving a Viking armoured vehicle on Combat Logistic Patrol in north-west Helmand province in Afghanistan. He was educated at Dartmouth Community College and joined the Army aged 18. Brett died of his wounds at the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine at Selly Oak on 16th September 2009. He is buried at Longcross Cemetery, Dartmouth. He was the son of Peter and Sue Hall of Dartmouth.
It is sixty years since Second Lieutenant Michael Morrice, 2nd Battalion Scots Guards, aged 20, was killed in action during operations in the Malayan Emergency on 11th June 1950. It happened during a road ambush in the Kanching Pass, Selangor. He is buried at Cheras Road Christian Cemetery, Kuala Lumpur. He was the only son of Captain William Morrice, Queen`s Bays, who predeceased him, and his late mother (who later remarried) Mrs Jane Benson of Swannaton Road, Dartmouth.
Petty Officer John Akhurst, Radio Electrician, Royal Navy, aged 29, was killed on his ship HMS Consort on 20th April 1949 when it was shelled by fort artillery while it was going to the rescue of HMS Amethyst during the famous `Yangtse Incident` (later filmed) on the Yangtse river in China. He joined the Navy at 16 and served on HMS Devonshire during the Second World War and took part in the Dunkirk evacuation. John was the eldest son of Mr and Mrs C.F. Akhurst of Dartmouth. He married May Dunning on 10th May 1945 at St Saviour`s Church at the first peacetime wedding held in Dartmouth after the war. Mrs May Akhurst, now aged 90, has recently been awarded the Elizabeth Cross and now lives in Plymouth, as does their daughter Olwen (now Mrs Olwen Grindell) who was born in July 1946. John was the elder brother of Mrs Frankie Cawthorne (nee Akhurst) who still lives in Dartmouth. He was buried at Hungjao Cemetery in Shanghai.

The new plaque at Dartmouth War Memorial is being supplied by Allwood of Totnes and will be funded by the Royal British Legion in association with South Hams District Council, Dartmouth Town Council and private donors. Anyone else who would like to contribute would be welcome to do so via David Fleming at The Royal British Legion, Dartmouth Tel: 01803 832661.

4.   Conversations with my Gardner tonight

In this gentle and likable French drama, Daniel Auteuil plays a successful painter who returns to his rural hometown in the throes of a mid-life crisis. At first he doesn't recognise the man (Jean-Pierre Darroussin) who answers his advert for a gardener. The two were childhood friends, separated after being expelled from school for a prank. A warm, fruitful conversation starts between the two men; the interaction between the artist and the man of the soil, and the ensuing redemption and transformation, can be predicted, yet still enjoyed: 

‘ A sweet-natured, truthful tale, this one is definitely a grower’.

Guest tickets can be purchased on the night of the screening at The Windjammer pub in Victoria Street, Dartmouth for £3.60 per film, between 7.30 – 7.55 pm. New members can join at the door on any screening night. For further information contact: Clive Osborne on 079-6802-6449

5.   Dartmouth restaurateurs sample wine

Chris Jones from the Dart Marina Hotel reports:  On Friday 24th September myself, Nick Crosley from the Normandy Arms and Steve Mayer from the Stoke Lodge Hotel were invited along with Roslynn Garner-Gatley from Enotria Wines to visit the world famous F.E.Trimbach winery in Ribeauville, Alsace.  Click here to see the vineyard.

We flew from Heathrow to Basel in Switzerland and then made the short journey across the border to Ribeauville. What a beautiful town it is with its colourful painted buildings with stunning floral displays, not a dead head in sight. While we there we were looked after by Jean Trimbach, his brother Pierre and their Uncle Hubert who are respectively the 12th and 11th generation of the Trimbach wine making family. Their wines are truly spectacular and to prove this, Pierre Trimbach was recently voted one of the top ten white wine makers in the world by Decanter magazine. Last year they also supplied a wine for a Nobel Prize dinner attended by President Obama and this year they supplied the wine for the wedding of the King of Sweden’s daughter.

We ate traditional Alsace food and drank some fantastic Trimbach wines that most people would only dream of tasting. Their best wines in my opinion were the Riesling 2004 Clos Sainte Hune and the Riesling 2004 Cuvee Frederic Emile, their Gewurztraminer, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris wines were fantastic too.

The special event of the weekend was being invited to attend a blind tasting and dinner at the Chateau de la Confrerie de St Etienne. We had to correctly guess two grape varieties at a blind tasting in a room full of over 100 wine makers and VIP guests from around the world. Luckily the Dartmouth three passed the test and we were awarded with our blue ribbon and medal which meant we were now members of the Brotherhood and could therefore attend the dinner. Phew!!

We are proud to be fully fledged ambassadors of Alsace wines and we will definitely be flying the flag for Trimbach wines in the South Hams. If you haven’t tried their wines yet, you really must do soon. If anybody would like to know anymore about the styles and characteristics of the wines we tasted, please don’t hesitate to call the three Alsace Amigos.  Check out the Dart Marina Restraunt by clicking here.

6.   News from Browns

James Brown reports:

7.   Small News

• Dartmouth Music Festival reports:  BRNC Volunteer Band. Big Band Music on Thursday 7 October 2010 at The Flavel 7.30pm Tickets: £8.00 from The Flavel
  
  In conjunction with the Dartmouth Food Fesival The Red Bullits on Wednesday 20 October 2010 at The Market Square 7.30pm. Tickets: £12.50 from Dartmouth Tourist Information Centre - 834224 To include a 2-course supper of Keith Floyd’s Andalucian Paella and an eighties style Banoffee Pie courtesy of The Ferry Boat Inn, The Royal Castle Hotel and Dartmouth Golf and Country Club.
   

• Thursday 7th October is National Poetry Day and Dartmouth Poetry Group is getting together with St Clement’s Church to help in the national celebrations.  From 10.00am to 4.00pm, when St Clement’s is normally open as a drop in centre, there will be six continuous hours of readings of poetry in English. All are welcome to come along and simply listen and to recite their favourite poem if they would like to.
  
  Dartmouth Poetry Group, whose founder member was Percy Russell, has a long tradition of regular meetings for recitations and sharing of poetry. St Clement’s is proud to host the event and demonstrate the wider community use that is becoming a feature of the work of this refurbished church. Anyone interested in contributing a reading should contact Ernie Wingeatt on 834453.
   

• Distinctly Living reports: South Hams Makes The Map. "Distinctly Living" Dartmouth's home interiors store have commissioned the creative duo "Bold and Noble" to produce a piece of art to celebrate the South Hams, based on "Bold and Noble’s" original UK Type Map. The map is hand printed in England and along with the towns and villages of the area, the map also features some famous local haunts such as Cafe Alf Resco and the Pigs Nose. The print is 50cm x 50cm and available in slate or duck egg blue, framed or un-framed and can be purchased at Distinctly Living in Dartmouth or online by clicking here.

Why not come and visit Dartmouth?

• Self catering accommodation click here
   
• Dartmouth B and B  click here
   
• Dartmouth Hotels click here
   
• A Tourist Guide to Dartmouth click here

Images copyright  Dave Cawley,  Andy Kyle,  Tony Pike  & others.