It is also 25 years since the Chernobyl nuclear disaster and there are still places where man cannot go at all.  Whole towns and cities are completely empty, desolate and overgrown like you might see in a science fiction film.

2.  HMS St Albans

Don’t forget to take your chance to visit HMS St Albans in Dartmouth this weekend.  The ship arrives on the evening of Friday March 18.  The ship will open to visitors on Saturday March 19 from 10am - 2pm.  Entry on board is free and tickets are only available from the Dartmouth Tourist Information Centre. 

Type 23 Frigate: Length overall 133m, Beam 16m,
Draught 7m, Displacement 4000 tonnes
Compliment 187
4 Diesel Generators driving 2 Electric Motors
2 Gas Turbines
Two shafts with Fixed Pitch propellers.
Maximum Speed 29 knots

3.   Distinctly Living's new look

Following a busy week "Distinctly Living" on Lower Street have had a full refit and refurbishment and are now open again sporting stunning kitchens from their handmade Neptune Interior ranges. These sit alongside their great range of unique homewares, carpets, furniture and interior accessories. Free kitchen planning and design are available along with a full fitting service for South Devon.

4.   Small News

• The Dartmouth Trust is in the news again as Dave Cawley is the first trustee ever to resign from the Trust in protest.  Read his resignation letter by clicking here and read the complete story including many press reports by clicking here.
   

• The Porter Family are doing another fundraiser for The Dart Music Festival in The Windjammer on Sunday 10 April starting at 8pm. Tickets  £12.50 in advance from The Windjammer to include Sausage & Mash Supper  (Vegetarian option available). All proceeds straight to The Festival on the night.
   

• Mel Anderson reports: Just read your article on RML497. I was engineer on this ship 45 years ago and we made a lot of modifications at this time (engines etc.) I wondered if Andrew Barton would be interested in my story. My old captain on the Fairmile was Ron Shielston who was an ex destroyer captain on the Russian convoys during the war. I hope to take a trip on the old girl and managed to sail on her last voyage as Western Lady 111 before she went to Poole.  Click here if you want to make contact with Mel.
   

• David Bowden of Britannia Choral Society reports: On Saturday 19 March at 7.30pm Britannia Choral Society, with Camerata Concertante and Nigel Keates - clarinet will be performing in St Saviour's Church, Dartmouth. The programme includes: Beethoven: Mass in C; Haydn: Insanae et vanae curae; Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No 3 (second movement by Rupert Bond); and Molter: Clarinet Concerto No 3. Tickets are £10 (£5 students) from Dartmouth TIC or on the door.
   

• Rachel Carter reports: The Flavel are publicising a new facebook page and discount membership scheme for under 18s and we would like to try and and get many young people and their parents in Dartmouth to benefit as possible.  Click here to see their facebook page.  The facebook page includes an online exhibition of Dartmouth Academy art work and they have used a student's work for the logo. Lisa Chandler, Sarah Hackford and John Severn are contacts at the Flavel.  At Dartmouth Academy, Nicola Perrott can talk to you about the art work. The scheme is funded by the South Devon Coastal Local Action Group.
   

• Sarah Hanafee reports: Next week Bellini’s have the following events on: Friday 17 March the local Dartmouth Jazz duo – The Winin’ Boys play Jazz and Blues from 8pm.  On Saturday 20 March, 5pm – Rugby shown England v Ireland. 8pm – Richard Baker and Mick Jones play great music – 60’s through to today’s hits.
   

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
   
• Shopping in Dartmouth click here

• Dartmouth Medical Practice is holding two public forums at the beginning of April which it hopes will dramatically improve the way it communicates with patients.
  
  The forums - which will now happen every six months – are entitled ‘Strengthening General Practice in Dartmouth by Consulting Patients’ and will be held at Townstal Community Hall on Monday April 4 and at the Flavel Church on Thursday April 7.  The forums are the first part of a strategy developed by the Medical Practice to improve communication with all its patients and give them the chance to influence its future development and how it delivers healthcare in the community.  This is a unique initiative in the South West and has been instigated by the Medical Practice because it wants to involve the community in shaping how healthcare is provided in the Dartmouth area. It marks a new movement in the NHS towards openness and accountability in the South West. Dartmouth Medical Practice partner Graham Lockerbie said the forums were the community’s chance to find out more about how the practice runs – and also to give feedback.  ‘We want to make sure everyone understands what we do and why,’ he said. ‘We are a very successful surgery with huge amounts going for it. But in the past we have not given our patients enough chance to give us feedback in a meaningful way. One of our strengths is we always want to improve – and with these public forums the community can help us do that by giving us comments in a positive and open way.’ The forums will feature short presentations from three of the practice’s GP’s– Dr Lockerbie, Andrew Eynon-Lewis and Adam Morris. They will outline the services the practice offers, the expertise its staff and GPs hold and possible plans for the practice’s future.  Importantly, there will then be a forum for patients to ask questions and give feedback.  Andrew Eynon-Lewis is Associate GP Dean at the South West Peninsula Deanery and is responsible for the recruitment, training and assessment of doctors training for General Practice.  He said he was pleased that the public forums would allow the medical practice to have a positive and open way to communicate with patients.  ‘We are all very pleased to have this opportunity,’ he said. ‘This is about giving out important information, but it is also a great place for us to listen and reflect on how we can improve our service for all. We think that with the community’s input, we will become stronger and better. Our patients will help us to find new ways of looking at our practice – we hope their ideas will challenge us.’  Adam Morris – a GP specialising in heart problems – said: ‘These forums are going to happen twice a year and I think they are vital for us as a practice. This represents a sea-change in how we communicate and we hope that they will help us change ourselves over the next few years to be even better and give the treatments and care the community is asking for.  ‘We need to be able to have an open and constructive way of communicating with our patients, and give them every chance to give us feedback – this is the start of giving them a voice.’ The Forums will both start at 7pm and will last about an hour – all patients of Dartmouth Medical Practice are most welcome, and refreshments will be on offer.

Images copyright  Dave Cawley,  Andy Kyle,  & others.