Piper Bill Millin

A bronze statue of Dawlish resident , Bill Millin has been commissioned in France. The 8ft high bronze statue, due to be unveiled on June 6th 2010. The statue commemorates Bill's bravery when in 1944 he piped his comrades ashore at Sword beach for the D-Day landings.

In November the Town Council were pleased to host a reception at the Manor House

Dawlish to welcome a party from France who came to visit Bill and bring a model of the statue showing how it would look when completed.

The reception was attended by the Mayor and Councillors with Representatives of the Royal British legion. The pipers from France were Policemen in their working life.Bagpipes were played, the tunes bringing a lump to our throats

Greetings were exchanged in English and French with much laughter at the translations.

To round off the afternoon we all enjoyed a very English tea which included cakes and of course a cup of tea.

Bill is hoping to visit France in June to see the unveiling of the statue. At 86 years of age we give him all our best wishes.

Remembering in Dawlish

The Service of Remembrance is even more poignant this year.

We stood with the people of Dawlish at the War Memorial and gathered in St Gregory's church for the Remembrance Service. The church was packed it was good to see so many young people attending this year. Churchs and Memorials all over the Country paid their respects and remembered the tragic cost not only of previous wars but also of present day wars.

7 Servicemen killed in a week

Support for the war is collapsing 63% of people want the troops withdrawn. How can our troops carry on if men they have trained turn and shoot when they are all relaxing over a cup of tea. What chance is there of ever winning this war.

We see in the papers and on our television screens the heartache this brings to families. Young children deprived of a father, sons, brothers, fathers all gone. We will pray for an end to the suffering of war, and remember those who have given their lives, so bravely for Queen and Country, and for their families.

On Wednesday Nov 11th at 11am pause and remember for 2mins. Wear your poppy with pride for all the gallant men who died for all

Dawlish Poetry

A Poem for Dawlish

 

Bird watching colonels on thr old sea wall,

 

Down here in Dawlish where the slow trains crawl;

 

Low tide lifting, on a shingle shore,

 

Low sunk islands from the sea once more;

 

Red cliffs rising where the wet sands run,

 

Gulls reflecting in the sharp spring sun;

 

Pink-washed plaster by a sheltered patch,

 

IIex shadows on a velvet thatch;

 

What interiors those names suggest!

 

Queen of lodgings in the warm south-west.

 

John Betjeman

Winter arrives with a vengence

What a glorious half term week we have enjoyed.

Dawlish Warren was buzzing with lots of families enjoying the wonderful weather . The trees in their wonderful Autumn colours have been execeptional this year.Caravans were leaving one after the other on Friday making  their journey home. Most of the camps are now closed as we settle into the quiet time of the year. 

 

The rain and gales have arrived today with carpets of leaves everywhere. 

 

Dawlish Town Council are looking to Regenerate the Town and Dawlish Warren.Details of the scheme will be on dispaly at The Shaftsbury Theatre on Nov 11th. Members of the public can visit and make their comments.

 

Why can't the bus drivers be allowed to park in the Barton Car park for free.

 

 At present they park in Piermont Place and discharge their passengers. then  drive the Coach to Sandy Lane Car Park. There is nowhere the driver can get a cup of tea or a meal.

Why can't he park in the Barton car park where he is within walking distance, get some refreshments perhaps a free meal.He may be inclined to stay longer in Dawlish and not just stay long enough for the passengers to have a quick look around and then disappear.  

Nappy Roadshow

Reading that Teignbridge are to hold a Nappy Roadshow sent my thoughts back to when my first baby was born. We had never heard of disposable nappies.

 

When I was first married we lived in a ocottage  on the Chatsworth Estate in Derbyshire. My husband's grandfather was coachman to the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire at Chatsworth House. I never did understand why they were the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire living in Derbyshire 

 

The cottage we lived in had no mod cons like we enjoy today. I had to light a copper in the washouse to boil our nappies each day. But they did look good blowing in the wind all snowy white.That was how the neighbours knew when the baby had arrived

 

 I wouldn't like to go back to those days it was hard work, but much better for the environment and nothing in landfill

 We also had to pin them on with a large safety pin and very careful not to stick the pin in baby.

 

Today's reusable nappies are so much easier washing is  easy with today's washing machines. The cost over the time a child is in  nappies is colossal plus all the years disposable nappies take to disintegrate in landfill 

Motorhomes on Dawlish Warren Car Park

Motorhomes on Dawlish Warren car park. During the Summer months Teignbridge District Council allowed motorhomes to stay for two nights free of charge on the landside car park at Dawlish Warren.

 

This was to encourage visitors to Dawlish Warren to see what a lovely area we live in. Also for anyone arriving in the resort late at night who didn't have anywhere to stay. On the whole this has been a great success. We have had letters from visitors  who were delighted with the idea.

 

Some of the camp site owners were not so happy  as it does take their trade away. Perhaps now the Season is over we should take a look at this and address any concerns raised 

 

Going into Autumn

The last of my Summer visitors have gone home as we see the leaves turning into their wonderful Autumnal colours. This year the leaves are turning earlier  

.

It is time to start filling up the bird feeders again in the run up to Winter.The migrating birds have flown but many stay and brave our Winters so it is important  we look after our feathered friends and encourage them into our gardens.

Our problem is keeping the pigeons away so the smaller birds can feed. It was good to see the sunshine after two days of rain which the gardens needed. We see lots of Buzzards yesterday they were enjoying the sunshine gliding around on the thermals    

 

 Time to plant the bulbs for a colourful show come Spring. I spent yesterday splitting up the snowdrop those wonderful heralds of Spring . 

 

70th Wedding Anniversary Last week we visited a  couple celebrating their 70th Wedding Anniversary married in 1939. What an incredible achievement they still drive the car and welcome all visitors with a glass of wine each day.

 

 

 

Summer season draws to a close

The Summer Season draws to a close with the end of the Markets the Fair and a grand firewoork display at Dawlish Warren plus the Muse Concert in Teignmouth.which was a huge success Dawlish experienced an overspill of visitors from Teignmouth which bought a welcome boost to the end of the Season.

 

There are still a few swallows congregating on the telephone wires but most have flown to warmer climes

 

Our Summer visitors have gone home. Most of the children are back to school so we put our minds to other things.

 

The government  are looking at a crackdown on foriegn workers Under new changes being announced by the Home Secretary British firms will be reguired to advertise posts in U.K Job centres for a month brfore recruting from overseas.

 

This should give the local people better chance of employment That is they want to work

England wins the Ashes

I have to admit I have never been a cricket fan and wouldn't know a square leg from a silly mid on or off. But congratulations to the lads The men in our family have all been football and rugby supporters I now have a new grandson in law who is a cricket fanatic so I thought I had better start to show an interest.

 

We all had a game on Exmouth sea front last week the first I have played for years I played behind the wickets and was instructed what to do. Eventually it was my turn to bat. The family decided I needed a runner. We were all set for the first ball which I managed to hit and guess what  one of the younger members was in the right place and I was out for a duck.

 

Everyone declared it was time for tea

Carnival Week comes to a close

Dawlish Carnival Committee can feel proud that all their hard work paid off and we all enjoyed a wonderful week of events. The Parade on Friday was one of the best with gaily decorated floats,and walkers in fancy dress.. I felt it was better having it on a seperate evening to the Air Show. Not such a long day for the children

 

 Sat saw the Dog Show on the Lawn to round off the week.What a variety of dogs we have in the district all proudly displayed by their owners.The rain held off and didn,t spoil any of the events.

 

We still have lots of visitors in the week leading to the Bank Holiday The Fair has arrived in Town. Thursday sees a fun day at Dawlish Warren with Family Entertainment in the afternoon and it is all free.

 

The 10th Anniversary of the Fireworks Spectacular will be approx 9-15pm in the evening. 

A big thank you to all who have sponsered and supported these events. 

 

Dawlish Air Show

What a wonderful day we had at Dawlish watching the air show Thousands of people turned out to watch. As Dawlish Town Councillors we  entertained  the visiting V I Ps. These included Lord and Lady Devon from Powderham Castle The Lord Mayor and Lady Mayores of Exeter, Councillor  Sylvia Russell the Chairman of Teignbridge Council and her husband Bill. The Mayor and Mayoress of Dawlish and various visiting Mayor's and sponsorrs of the Air Show .

 

We had a few showers during the afternoon but the sun was so warm we soon dried out. The fly past by the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight had to be called off due to high winds but everything else went ahead. 

 

We watched  a search and rescue demonstration by Exam Lifeboat and the Sea King helicopter which play a very important role in our everyday lives here living on the coast. There were demonstrations by various helicopters and low flying aircraft 

 

The highlight of the afternoon was the display by the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team the Red Arrows Their display was fantastic with new maneuvers for this season.

 

At the conclusion of their display they did a formation fly past with the Vulcan bomber and dedicated it to the past Chairman of the Carnival Brian Heath  who started the air shows when he was Chairman and worked extremely hard to get it all together. Brian sadly died early in the year. It was very emotional.

 

 The Vulcan did a short display  and dedicated a fly past to all the soldiers killed in Afghanistan.

 This is the last Vulcan bomber flying and has been restored by the Vulcan to the Sky Trust and public donations

Dawlish Carnival

The weather has been kind so far for the Dawlish Carnival. On Sunday the opening was blessed with good weather. The programme of events began with the arrival of the Queen and her attendants travelling in the carnival float.

 

The parade this year was led by Peter Cross our very own Mr England who is the English Rugby Team mascot The afternoon's entertainment was started by The Red Sparrows who do a spoof of the Red Arrows and the air battle with the Red Baron and Snoopy.

 

The fabulous Wakefield Majorettes gave another of their wonderful displays plus the Junior Field gunner teams. The Annual Carnival Songs of Praise evening was held in the marquee to end a very pleasant day

 

Tuesday saw the line up of the Senior Pram Race fancy dress. There was a  large  number of entrants it was good to see the effort put into this event

 

On a more sober note we see more bodies of our soldiers killed in Afghanistan. More heartbreak for families of fathers sons and brothers our thoughts and prayers go out to them. It is good to see they are being honoured by the special Elizabeth medal and we hope the families and the wounded soldiers that we hear so little about will have the help and support they need and deserve

News from Dawlish Warren

Its August and Dawlish Warren is full with Summer visitors Families in tents caravans and lodges all enjoying a break The weather so far hasn't been very kind but the sun is shining now. Last Friday we spent the afternoon at Dawlish Warren listening to  the band playing and all the events organized by Teignbridge District Council . It was a great day enjoyed by everyone. and free. 

There does feel a touch of Autumn in the air in the mornings and the swallows are congregating on the telephone wires. No doubt thinking of their long flight ahead to warmer climes

Wimbledon has past, along with Royal Ascot. The football season is upon us. We will all be pleased to see the end of the cricket season judging by the performance of the England team against the Australians, enough said there.

 

We have had a busy few weeks.hence no news on my Blog We have had a family wedding, also family visiting from Australia.My husband and I  had the honour of attending the Royal Garden Party along with the Chairman of Teignbridge Council and her husband. It was a wonderful day one we shall remember We walked around the gardens and enjoyed a wonderful tea. I have to say I  admire the Queen and the work she does. She spent 2 hours chatting to quests and it was hot.

 

The next big event in Dawlish is the Carnival Aug 15th - Aug 22nd This year will be tinged with sadness due to the death of Brian Heath who has been the Carnival Chairman for years

We have the Carnival Air Show along with the world famous Red Arrows performing on Thursday Aug 20th.Events are planned for every day and the Carnival procession is Friday Aug 21st. We are all hoping for good weather

 

  

May Day

It was good to see the May Day celebratons revived Dawlish joined in the celebrations with the children from a local school dancing around the May Pole on the Lawn. The sun was shining and everyone joined in the fun.  

Another ancient custom is Morris dancing which took place at vatious locations. around the County.

 

We still have a cold wind but the weather was fine. The wind will stay in the north or north east until June 21st if local observations are to be believed. That was the direction of the wind  on March 21st which is the Spring equinox.

Looking to nature again the oak trees are in leaf before the ash. Oak before the ash will be only a splash. Ash before the oak will mean a darned good soak. So we should be in for a dry Summer if these observations are to be true

 

The new Lifeguard station has arrived at Dawlish Warren in preperation for the influx of Summer visitors. It is good to know the swimmers will be in safe hands. If we do have a good Summer, which it needed this year  our visitors will be under thw watchful eye of the RNLI lifeguards. All are very highly trained

 

The visitors with their camper vans were taking advantage of the offer by Teignbridge District Council to spend a night at Dawlish Warren car park free.

 

Dawlish Warren beach again has received the Blue Flag for the cleanliness of the water and the beach.

 

Happy Easter

Happy Easter everyone The weather is set fair for a few days, still a chilly wind but bright and sunny. Everyone in the Tourist trade are looking for a busy weekend. The railways are being their usual helpful selves and delaying journeys and working on the line.

 

Hundreds of public sector workers set to get £250 for travelling to work in the snow. This is an over the top waste of taxpayers money at this time of wage freezer's and job cuts.

 

Teignmouth I see is in the top ten for offences on the railway lines not a record to be proud of. It could get worse with the upsurge of young people in the area. They could be hit by a train, electrocuted, or caught in the rails. Apparently there is easy access from the bridges. The advice when catching a train is stand well back behind the yellow lines. 

 

Credit Card Fraud It has come to my knowledge this week the amount of fraud committed by cloning bank cards. What happened to the safety of the chip and pin which we were all told about when this was launched. 

Garages and restaurants are easy targets. Cash points can also be fixed with cameras please be alert. 

It can be very traumatic if it happens to you. Banks have a good record of refunding the money but is still a hassel Check accounts regually and inform the banks immediately

 

The gardens are stil looking very colourful. Grow your own veg is very popular. Allotments are being snapped up all over the Country. It is surprising what can be grown in a small area also in troughs and tubs. We are growing potatoes in compost bags.  Put compost in the bottom add a couple of potatoes which are already sprouting put on a layer of compost and as the leaves appear, gradually fill with compost. Happy garedening 

 

I hope you all enjoy the break whatever you are doing. Our Sunday will be Church for the morning service and lunch with the family.

 

Through the wonders of technoligy I spent a very pleasant half hour watching and listening to my grandaughter in Brisbane Australia playing her violin it was wonderful.  

 

 

Glorious Devon

Devon is looking glorious we have put the clocks forward to British Summer time. The gardens are a blaze of colour with daffodils tulips and all the spring flowering bulbs, plus all the trees in blossom. The weather is set fair and hopefully the cold wind will disappear.

Checking the figures from the Tourist board the bookings are up for this year. The holiday camps are all gearing up for a bumper year. The visitors are choosing to stay in this country instead of holidaying abroad.

 

Dawlish has been named as one of the only six  Towns in the entire Country to achieve a prestigious five star rating in the biannual Clean Britain Awards officially making it one of the cleanest towns in Britain. Run by the British Cleaning Council, the awards celebrate the cleanest and tidiest towns and cities across the UK. . Thank you to the excellent staff at Teignbridge for all their hard work.

 

I was pleased to see Gordon Brown had a change of heart and will celebrate the D.Day.anniversary Perhaps he has read my fellow councillors Blog

Dawlish Warren in safe hands

Dawlish Warren in safe hands this Summer. The lifeguard launch was held at the Teign Corinthian Yacht Club on Friday with a demonstation by the  RNLI Lifeguards.The beachs at Teignmouth and Dawlish Warren will be served  throughout the season by the RNLI lifeguards.. The RNLI is a charity that saves lives at sea 

This  high quality lifeguard service patrols more than a 100 beaches in the U.K and works alongside the local councils.

 They are highly visible with their red and yellow vehicles and uniform. They are all highly trained in full scale rescue,to treating stings from weaver fish also in giving advice to prevent accidents. 95% of their work is prevention. 

. Dawlish Warren is  a safe beach but can also have undercurrents and rip tides at certain times. Take advice from the lifeguards and have an enjoyable and relaxing holiday. Swim only between the flags.Across the water at Exmouth is the allweather lifeboat which can also be called on in an emergency.Enjoy your visit and be safe.

 

As they are a charity money is needed to keep saving lives so rely on donations and fund raising.

 

 

 

Miners Strike 25 years on

 

 

We have been back to my home County of Derbyshire this past weekend to celebrate my sisters Golden Wedding and meet members of the family I haven't seen for a long time.The weather was cold but sunny and for once no holdups on the motorways. 

 

One topic of conversation was the miners strike which started 25 years ago.That caused a lot of hardship and some families never recovered.. Arthur Scargill the then president of the National Union of Mineworkers  versus Margaret Thatcher the then Prime Minister. 20 pits were closed and only six mines remain open today. It is still a belief of many that if only some of the uneconomical pits closed we could still have a thriving mining industry and not  buying the bulk of our coal from Russia, Australia, and South Africa. Even Norman Tebbit sounds remorseful and he was a strong supporter of the government. There  were very few winners in that battle 

 

Derby is also the home of the Loco works, thousands lost their jobs with British Rail  when the government sold off the franchise. 

There is also concern regarding the Japanese firms getting the orders to build the new trains. The hope is that some of the work will be done in Derby

 

Back in Dawlish  we seem to have gone back to Winter. Lots of snow in some areas and none in others. The spring flowers are appearing, crocus and snowdrops have been lovely this year. Daffodils are appearing everywhere with their lovely nodding yellow heads a welcome sign of Spring. The mornings are lighter and the birds are bursting into song.

 

 

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Dawlish News

We hope we have seen the end of the snow for this Winter in Dawlish. The cold weather has killed some of the semi-tropical plants which we all grow. We have been complacent for the past ten years but have been caught out this winter.The snowdrops in our garden have lasted much longer. The primroses are all coming into bloom.

 

 The Darwin tulips will soon be in flower in our gardens.We commemorate 200years since the birth of Darwin this year. 

 

Work is progressing well on the new pavement on Brunswick Street. Motorist will find parking much easier along the street and pedestrians can walk along to view the waterfowl.

The new Piazza is coming along. The produce market will soon be held there each month.

Also various events throughout the year  .

 

The Beach at Dawlish Warren is still mostly pebbles much to the disappointment of the children. Some areas are still sandy, there were lots of people on the beach during half term enjoying this spell of mild sunny weather.

 We were hoping the sand would be put back on this beach before the Summer season, but I don't think it will happen. It is the usual plea of no money and who will foot the bill.

A pilot scheme is to be carried out by putting sand beyond the Red Rock Cafe and checking the flow. I am also told it has to be the right sort of. sand or it could set like concrete. 

This not going to help this seasons visitors  or the children who want to build their sandcastles 

Britain gets an unexpected Winter Holiday

In the midst of the credit crunch the Country is having fun in the snow. This takes me back to my childhood in Derbyshire. We would drag out our sled and spend many happy hours sledging down the fields around. We had to be called in for  bed by our parents and fell asleep happy and exhausted. We had no television just play and natural exercise.

 

We are having fun watching the birds in our garden enjoying the food we put out. The blackbirds spend so much energy seeing off their rivals. We have to send the pigeons packing or there is nothing left for the smaller birds. Flocks of long tailed tits arrive each day to enjoy the seeds and suet balls. Robins and chaffinch's starlings and magpies are also appearing each day. It is a problem keeping the water defrosted

 

One person who doesn't enjoy the snow is our cat. She goes out when she has to and shakes her paws with each step.The chickens don't like the cold weather but are still keeping us in eggs

 Our efforts in the garden and freezing our excess vegetables and fruit are now paying dividends we are living on the fruits of our labours.

 

One benefit of being retired we can watch all the young folk struggling to get to school and work. We are told  travel only if you have too.

We are expecting more snow showers today.Our fuel allowance is helping   towards keeping warm and enjoying the view from the warmth of our lounge window. The snow news has brought a little light relief and a change from all the normal doom and gloom in the papers. 

 

Devon County Council have been working hard throughout the night keeping the roads open. A big thank you goes to our paper boys and girls, our paper arrived at the normal time of 6.30am

 

The family in Australia and New Zealand are having very high temperatures especially in Queensland Australia Over 40degs Celsius we are lucky to get 40degs F

 

Green Shoots of Recovery

The only green shoots of recovery I have seen are in our garden, where the snowdrops are a welcome sight and heralds of Spring.

 

Our Prime Minister tells us in Sunday's paper not to look on the gloomy side. Tell that to the steel workers who are  to be made redundant 6000 in total.Will this industry be offered the same support by the government as the banking industry  We read that the Country is officially in recession for the first time since 1991 What has happened to Mr Brown's 2007 promise to deliver 'British jobs for British workers' It made good headlines at the time.

I still cannot see how borrowing from the public purse is going to get us out of trouble.

 

In Dawlish at long last the work is starting on the new footpath at The Brunswick . Motorists will be able to park alongside the  footpath without getting caught by the brambles or getting stung by nettles

 

We hold our Church Community lunch on Wednesday A two course meal for £3.50. Everyone is welcome this is our contribution to   the Credit Crunch.

 

I am still getting letters complaining about the new route for Stagecoach buses. A lot of the elderly people have to walk much further to catch the bus.

A new bus stop has appeared on the A379 just outside Dawlish beside the new car wash. If the wind is in the wrong direction it could cause a few problems. Who sits in their office and decides these things.

 

What will this year bring?

Again we hear the sad news another young Royal Marine killed in Afganistan. When will it end and are we gaining anything by our troops being out there. Mr Brown tells us the soldiers will be coming home this year. I hope and pray they will.Since the time of writing two more soldiers have been killed in action.
The government have announced extra armoured protection for vehicles in Afganistan We hope this will help to save lives out there.

Dawlish may lose Black Swans

The Enviroment Agency the water quality watchdog has received complaints from a member of the public in Dawlish that the Town Council does not have a proper disposal system to deal with water from the pond in the waterfowl encloseur at Brunswick Place in Dawlish
The results of an impact study by a public analyst laboratory gives the opinion that the waterfowl pond is not having an adverse affect on the bacteriological quality of the water in the Dawlish Brook

Dawlish Town Council will consider carefully suggestions for disposal of waste water from the compound and hopefully a way forward will be found.

The Town Council is justly proud of the black swans and other ornamental waterfowl which are an important tourist and educational attraction for the seaside Town and throughout the world.
Councillors fear the costs of disposal of water from the enclosure, currently estimated at around £30.000 per annum will be so high that keeping the waterfowl will prove uneconomic unless sponsership can be found to alleviate the costs

The black swans are a familier sight in the Town and local businesses have the Blacl Swan insignia in their logos and promotional material Records show Black Swans being on the Brook in the early 1900's
The flock has increased . from 8 to 13 through careful management by the Waterfowl Warden.
It would be devasatating to lose this well loved asset to our town.

Tourism in Devon.

Dawlish relies heavily on Tourism, It is hoped the state of the euro will bring more visitors to Devon instead of visiting destinations on the continent. After two wet Summers and a very cold Winter we are looking for better weather this year.

Welcome to 2009

I hope you all had a good Christmas.We had a very pleasant time with friends and family.Thanks to the wonders of  technoligy we were able to watch our grandchildren opening their presents in Brisbane Australia. We were able to link up with our son in New Zealand at 9.30 our time Christmas Eve which was 10.30 am Christmas morning in Auckland .and 7.30 am in Brisbane Australia which helped to bring us all closer as a family

 

One of our presents from the family was a bird feeding station  

.The weather has been so cold we need to feed the birds and also leave water out as the ponds are frozen over  We have seen a varitey of different species. Lots of blackbirds, pidgeons, bluetits, longtailed tits, robins etc  We have also seen a bullfinch they are so brightly coloured and stand out on the bare branches of the trees.We normally don.t see them until the buds are appearing on the trees.We have spent some happy hours watching all the birds coming and going.

The decorations and lights are now  put away in the loft for another year and we look forward to 2009.

 

 This Winter so far has been the coldest since 1996 and bought chaos on the roads

 Is it all doom and gloom for the coming year. In Dawlish it is sad to see the closing of the Woolworths store. This will leave a large empty space on The Strand. Who will take over these empty premises, and will the staff be able to find jobs.

 

We also hear that Wedgewood and Waterford Chrystal .are closing. Most households have items from Wedgewood some where on a shelf .Marks and Spencer are laying off staff

 

Is our Prime Minister going to help low-paid and part time staff cope with the financial crisis by scrapping tax for people earning less than £10.000 per year, time will tell.There are still half a million workers who are paying more in tax than they were bef