CALL 07543 062251 IF YOU NEED ANYTHING
We have been running the South Hill Emergency support now for 5 weeks and although it started quite slowly we have ended up being quite busy.
The biggest problem in South Hill is the distance between the houses, meaning that during the lockdown we have had to rely on the Great work of the South Hill Parish facebook page and the newsletter to let people know we are here to help. Thank you for this as it has obviously been effective.
This is a long post. Written by my granddaughter who is a key worker in Cornwall. I don’t clap for her… I cry and worry.
I don’t work for the NHS, but I am a community carer – unfortunately we don’t get the same acknowledgement as them. (Although I do appreciate everything they do!!)
We get sent to the back of the queue when trying to shop in a short amount of time for clients, I’ve been told off many times by members of the public for not wearing gloves in shops whilst wearing my uniform because of the job I do & the ‘germs I carry’, I see people cross the road whilst I’m in uniform, I’ve been asked silly questions & looked at funny, all because I’m not working for the NHS & am ‘just a carer’.
Our mum, Charlotte Wilton, has been working hard at Derriford Hospital in Plymouth as the Maternity Matron there. She usually works a lot of hours but the last few weeks she has been working even more than usual preparing for any potential admissions of women with COVID-19 and changing services ensuring that there are enough staff to care for the women during pregnancy, labour and after the birth if there are lots of staff off from work sick.
At the end of March she filmed a short video that is on YouTube, Twitter and had 14,000 views on Facebook. You watch the video below.
Private Godfrey, played by Arnold Ridley, was the only member of the original cast of Dad’s Army who had served in both world wars – as well as signing up for the Home Guard. Arnold endured horrific hand-to-hand combat in the trenches at the Somme in 1916. A bayonet through his left hand rendered him unable to use his fingers. He also suffered blackouts after being hit on the back of the head with a German rifle butt. Arnold first volunteered for the Army in 1914. But the 18-year-old was rejected as he had broken a toe playing rugby. After reapplying a year later, he was accepted to the Somerset Light Infantry. He was posted to France and within days of arriving was hit by shrapnel and shot through the thigh. He returned to the front from convalescence only to be sent over the top twice during the Battle of the Somme in 1916. The first time, was at Delville Wood, where many of his comrades fell. And during a second attack, at Gueudecourt, now as a Lance Corporal, Arnold’s battalion took even more devastating losses from machine gun fire. When the survivors reached the German trenches they pushed back the enemy troops with bayonets and bombs, before Arnold was knocked to the ground by a rifle blow to the head. A German soldier lunged with a bayonet, but Arnold survived by deflecting the blade into his groin instead of his stomach. The next blow pierced his left hand and wrist. Arnold came round in a field hospital. It took 15 ops to save his hand and he was invalided back home. Arnold volunteered for the Intelligence Corps in the Second World War, making films in France. After being discharged on medical grounds, he joined the Home Guard, before touring bases, entertaining the troops. While he described the First World War in detail in his unpublished autobiography, Arnold could not write about the Second World War. He said: “To recount events, I would have to relive them. I am too afraid.” He suffered horrific nightmares and regularly woke drenched in sweat. He was terrified he would black out on stage but was such a brave man and kept acting when he could. William Arnold Ridley OBE 1896 – 1984
Church Matters – April 2020 This month we shall be celebrating Easter in our Churches. Although using the word ‘celebrating’ in this connection seems in some ways inappropriate. At Easter we remember two key events in the Life of Jesus – his death and his resurrection. The first, his death, is not of course something that we would feel comfortable rejoicing about; yet it is through his death in our place that our relationship with God can be restored. The second, his resurrection, is undoubtedly worth throwing a party over, for it proves that Jesus has triumphed over sin and death. Perhaps it is this bitter/sweet character to Easter that makes it a Christian festival that is less well supported in our Churches than Christmas is. Christmas may be celebrated by sending cards with images from the birth narrative: the baby Jesus lying in the manger, the Christmas star shining brightly to show the way, the wise men and the shepherds gathered to wonder at the child. Easter is not so well served by images of the events themselves; gruesome images of a cruel Roman execution will have only a very limited appeal, as will pictures of a shrouded body lying still and cold; neither is it easy to portray the resurrection graphically – a burst of light from the empty tomb seems most popular. And yet these two events – Christmas and Easter – are part of one and the same story. It is Jesus who was both the baby lying in the manger and 33 years later the body lying still and cold in a borrowed tomb. It is Jesus who was both the baby wondered at by wise men and shepherds and 33 years later was the ‘first born from the dead’ greeted in amazement by his disciples after his resurrection. The story of Jesus is only complete when the two are put together, along with all that happened in between, and all the wondrous implications that stem from both of them are realised. How it saddens me, then, that so few ‘celebrate’ both events. We have made attempts, of course, at producing Easter images that are more palatable. Eggs, bunnies, spring lambs and spring flowers are all symbols in some way of new life. But they beg the question as to what we are celebrating; Easter or a festival of spring? How many of our children will make the connection between their chocolate eggs and new life in the risen Jesus? Will they realise, and do we, that the baby in the manger and the Easter lamb are in any way linked; that Jesus is ‘the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world’? I could argue that there is so much more good news, so much more to celebrate, about Easter than there is at Christmas. Christmas offers the promise but Easter gives the fulfilment. I pray that for once this Easter Sunday our Churches may be as full, or even fuller, than they normally are at Christmas. That they would be filled with crowds intent on focussing on good news. On the first Easter morning the angel said to the women looking for Jesus’ body “Why do you look for the living among the dead?” This Easter come and join in at a Church near you as we celebrate ‘the one who was, and is, and is to come’ – the living JESUS.
SHARE Welcomes the recent announcement by the Government to phase out the sale of coal and wet wood for domestic burning next year.
The tiny particles produced when these fuels are burnt pollute the air and have a serious effect on human health. To reduce our emissions of CO₂ and slow down climate change we must stop burning fossil fuels. Coal is especially bad so coupled with the air pollution it causes, we really must stop using it.
Fortunately there is an easy fix to the problem of wet wood. Dry it properly ! A recently felled tree will have a moisture content anywhere from 40% up to 60%. This must be reduced to around 20% to burn without producing the particles that the health experts are so concerned about. Burning wet wood also produces tar which will condense in your chimney, could corrode the liner, could block it or it could fall back into the fire and start a chimney fire. Economically, burning wet wood doesn’t make any sense either. Basically you are using a proportion of your fuel simply to evaporate the excess moisture in it.
All of the firewood supplied by SHARE is properly seasoned and stored in the dry. All customers are advised to store it undercover and are very often helped to stack it there.
Top tips: • Use a woodburner rather than an open fire to get the most useful heat out of your wood fuel. • Have your flue swept regularly. • Ensure the door seals are undamaged and effective. • Check the vents and other controls are in good working order. • Ensure the room has a vent allowing fresh air in and a carbon monoxide alarm.
Stay warm: Phone Ali for local wood deliveries. 07305 044049
Investment Offer over-subscribed For the past few years SHARE has offered a fixed-term investment opportunity. This is our means of paying off our capital investment in the 40kW solar PV installation at Church Park, South Hill. Each time, we look to raise a certain amount of capital, spread between as many investors as possible and offer to our members first. We are already over-subscribed for this year. Thank you for your support. Church Park is performing well, in fact much better than our initial cashflow predictions, which is why we can offer 4% interest to our investors. To date the project has generated electricity equivalent to that used per year on average by 4 UK households (4,648kWh). This is a carbon saving of 7.5tonnes CO2e. As a matter of interest I have just read that the average USA household uses 11,700kWh of electricity!
Recycling for Charity suspended due to Covid-19 Please save your items and sort like items together, our volunteers can no longer sort out crisp packets from sweet and biscuit wrappers etc, we need your help. When you have a bag full, drop to Green Meadows.
Climate changing emissions down – CO2 and NOx One positive result of the current pandemic is the huge reduction in “greenhouse gas” emissions globally. Parts of China worst affected by the virus have seen up to 25% less Nitrogen Dioxide in the atmosphere, as observed by NASA on satellite images. The BBC reported that there are observable reductions in CO2 emissions in the UK due to people travelling less, and lower air pollution levels in towns and cities. Perhaps the current enforcement of home working and holding remote meetings will make people realise that not everybody needs to be out on the roads every day.
SHARE in the Community While events were still going ahead, we have been very active in the area spreading the word about SHARE and our projects to various groups from W.I , U3A, Youth Groups and attending a number of Environmental Action Group meetings held by Cornwall Council and local Towns and Parishes.
Firewood and wood chippings available Large trailer load logs £120; dumpy bag logs £60. Dumpy bag chippings £5 Contact Ali 07305 044049
Tree Planting Another 400 trees planted! Thank you to the children that helped plant trees along the verges in the parish.
Stay safe and be sensible Don’t panic buy, there is plenty to go round. Over buying of fresh food especially could lead to food waste, which we’ve all been trying to cut down on.
Ask if you need help, we’re all in this together.
Lots has been happening in the background since Christmas, with quotes, condition reports and plenty of visiting experts on bells, ceiling, gutters, windows, monuments and heating. We are working closely with our architect, who has to oversee a lot of the work because our wonderful grade 1 listed building needs to be cared for sensitively, to preserve our unique heritage and at the same time make it fit for 21C use by the community and congregation. We are blessed by having a 14thC piece of Christian Cornish history in our midst (Trelawny himself would have set foot here in his first parish as Rector) and we must be thankful to all those who have cared for it over the years. Now it is our turn to be tasked to care for St Sampson’s and maintain it for the future. Older members of the church and community may remember that it was thought when the tower work was done 20 years ago, that the roof would need re-slating in 10 to 20 years. Thankfully all the advice we have received is that the roof generally remains in good condition. A recent survey revealed that some slating and timber work is needed in the roof valley, but the rest was ok. The ceiling, however, is proving to be a major job. Conversations are ongoing with a specialist plasterer, our architect and Historic England. The mains water and path lighting will commence soon. Many thanks to the Treffinick Solar fund for a generous funding contribution towards this work. Funding for all the different elements of the improvements are being sought from here, there and everywhere and fundraising events are being planned. Including; Beating the Bounds walk on Sunday May 24th, a dance festival June 13th and a murder mystery evening in November. We will, of course, adhere to government advice regarding coronavirus and postpone if required. If you would like to hold a fundraising event on our behalf, big or small, please get in touch.
It would also really help our forward planning and funding applications if a few more people could make regular donations by standing order, however small. Again, please get in touch if you can help and thank you to the people who are already helping in this way. South Hill quiz night in January raised £168. Thank you to the 50 people who supported it. It was a fun evening especially trying to work out the location of the Cornish elevators!
The four pews dating from 1873, which were removed to make space for hospitality, have all found loving homes in the parish. There may be a few more at some time. The relocation of the font, from the back of the church to in front of the organ, which completes making the space for hospitality and a future mini kitchen, should take place soon when the faculty (church “planning permission”) is finalised. Some of you may remember it being moved to its present position about 50 years ago. If you have any memories of this, we would love to hear from you.
Thank you to everyone who is supporting this project, in whatever way. Community support is vital in securing St Sampson’s future. This is South Hill’s Church. It belongs to us all. Keep in touch by following St Sampson’s Unlocked on Facebook. Questions ? Ask judithayers@yahoo.co.uk 01579 384617 mlawranceowen@icloud.com 01579 382863
New Councillor – It gives me great pleasure to welcome Carol Samuel as our new Councillor, coopted at our January 2020 meeting. There was a very good response to the vacancy advert, and I take this opportunity to thank those who expressed and interest in the position.
Recreation Field /Play Area – The Council are looking at options to create a natural habitat wildflower area at the top of the recreation field, so if you have any ideas please let us know.
The fencing around the children’s play area is going to be replaced and the Council are looking at options and costs to get the work completed as soon as possible. As part of this work the fence line will be moved slightly to increase the size of the play area in the bottom corner of the site.
Weekly inspections are carried out on the play equipment and any repairs identified are dealt with as a matter of urgency.
The grass cutting contracts are now available to any contractor interested in tendering for the work. The closing date is the 14th February 2020. Please get in touch if you would be interested in submitting a price. Contractors will be required to provide insurance and the appropriate certificates to carry out the work required. The contractor will be appointed at the February 2020 meeting and the decision will be based on costs, work standards and “best value”.
The field is available to hire for private functions and can also be used in conjunction with the hire of the hall. Hire requests are approved at the discretion of the Council, so if you would like to hold an outside event and need some space, please get in touch.
Climate Change – At the start of our November 2019 meeting, the Chairman Cllr David Skelton gave a short presentation on climate change and how we can all do our bit to help stop a world-wide climate emergency. Several members of the public attended and shared ideas on what measures could work in South Hill. Those present were challenged to make the top 10 pledges, see here and also to find out their own carbon footprint using one of the easy to use carbon calculators such as https://footprint.wwf.org.uk/#/ or https://www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx
Traffic speed – The Council recognise that much of the traffic travelling through Golberdon is exceeding the speed limit, especially during early mornings and later in the day. Often in these circumstances local residents can be to blame as drivers become complacent with the road layout. Cornwall Council have been notified of our concerns and we are working with them via the Community Network and the Police to address this matter. We are also in discussion with local Community Speed Watch teams who will be visiting the village to carry out random speed checks. Please be aware of your speed. We do lack the safety of pedestrian footways and need to protect our residents, the children walking to the school buses, and those who visit.
Bus Stop Sign – Cormac have agreed to place a bus stop sign on the post opposite the existing shelter in Golberdon. This was requested so that the designated stop could be clearly identified.
Potholes and Blocked Drains – If you come across a pothole. Blocked drain on any other highway issues the best way to report this is directly to Cornwall Council. The easiest way is to use a smart phone or computer and follow the link. You will soon see if it has already been reported and you will get updated when the problem has been inspected and the work done. You can also phone 0300 1234 222.
Footpaths – As the days get longer and the weather improves the Council will be looking to carry out some maintenance work on the parish footpaths. The Council can now accept the help of volunteers to trim the public rights of way and complete minor maintenance work. For anyone who is interested please get in touch with Cllr Andrew Budd. You do not have to commit and volunteers will be supervised, and work in groups. Thank you to those people who have already put their name forward.
Meetings – The Parish Council meet on the third Tuesday of each month in the Parish Hall at Golberdon. Meetings start at 7.30pm and last approximately two hours. At the start of every meeting there is a public session where members of the public can address the Council on any subject relating to the parish. Otherwise if you would like to just sit and listen, you are welcome – it’s surprising what we do.
Information and contacts – Information on the Parish Council including our meeting agendas and minutes can be found on our website www.south-hill-pc.gov.uk
Sharon Daw is our Cornwall Council Ward Member and her email address is sharon.daw@cornwallcouncillors.org.uk
Jenny Hoskin (Parish Clerk) telephone 01208 72789 or email southhillpcclerk@gmail.com