Hemyock

The aim of the Just 10p Project is to raise funds for educational projects in Uganda by inviting people to donate Just 10p. Many of you will know that Brian and Sheila Pretty make regular visits to the Kisoro region of Uganda to help with a variety of projects. The money raised from the Just 10p Project will be used specifically to help build and equip a Science Laboratory at the Sesame Girls School and help with other educational projects in the Kisoro region.

The Blackdown Community Choir are now recruiting. Men especially welcome! We sing a variety of light music including African, Folk, Gospel, Chants etc. We meet on Wednesday evenings at Courtfields School Wellington. The ability to read music is not necessary, but you must be able to hold a harmony part.

Each year our Poppy People numbers drop by thousands, as many of our older collectors decide they can no longer assist us.  They have well and truly done their bit, and now we need to focus on new faces to come forward and lend a hand.  Can you give two hours plus of your time to collect between 27th October and 8th November?  If you can help in Hemyock, please contact David Bawler on 01823 680352

Have you had a good summer? perhaps I should have ask if you have been able to keep reasonably dry, what a summer! The month of August at Devon County has been reasonably quiet, as it takes a while to pick up, getting geared up for the budget process for next year.

As we begin our annual round of Harvest Festivals, I have been thinking about how important 'taste' is to us. As very small babies as soon as we find something new, we put it in our mouth! If it's nice, it stays there, if not we spit it out! As we grow, we tend to use our hands and eyes more than our mouths but taste still remains important to us. We even use the word to describe our preferences for something - 'I like the way she has decorated her home, clearly a woman of taste.' 'He's a nice chap but I'm not sure about his taste in music.' Taste is something which remains an important part of our lives long after we start using our others senses. King David was aware of this and included it when writing in Psalm 34: "O taste and see that the Lord is good; happy are those who take refuge in him."

The way in which council services are provided in Devon look set to change and residents across the county have never had a better opportunity to influence this change to meet the needs of their local community. The Boundary Committee has been asked by the Government to see if a new system of local government could replace current system of county and district, city and borough councils. At the heart of the proposal is a desire to devolve power and resources to local communities in a new style of democracy.

The big day has arrived as the 2008 Tour of Britain South-West stage powers into action today.

Nearly 100 world-class athletes will be cycling through Hemyock for stage three of the event and activities and entertainment will be on offer to the many spectators expected to cheer on the cyclists.