A Ghostly Tale….Villages in Action Event at the Village Hall
ERA 1st Class Russell Eastcott
Engine Room Artificer 1st Class Russell Eastcott, who is buried in the churchyard of Christ Church, was killed in an air raid in 1941 aged 48 at HMS Drake while serving with the Royal Navy. Although buried in the village he is not commemorated on the Parish war memorial and enquiries have failed to locate a commemoration of his death on another memorial anywhere else. The Parish Council would like to arrange for his name to be added to the war memorial to ensure that he is remembered properly and propose to arrange this in readiness of Remembrance Day this year.
If anyone would like to comment on the proposal that his name is added to the war memorial, or have any information about where he is named on a memorial, then please get in touch with the Parish Council here.
War Memorial Update
Those of you that drive or walk through North Brentor may have noticed that there has been some damage to the War Memorial. The Parish Council have arranged for the damage to be repaired and the War Memorial cleaned in time for the VE Day Celebrations this year.
New Village Event List
A new Village Event List has been published showing upcoming events in the parish.
Many thanks to the team at the VHPFC who spend considerable time collating and producing the list.
Free Computer Course this Spring
Learn Devon still have spaces on a FREE digital skills course running in Tavistock between 1.30 pm and 4.30 pm starting on the 5th February. Aimed at beginners these course cover using a laptop, creating documents on a word processor, visiting websites and keeping safe online. For more information please contact Learn Devon using the details below.
Emergency 999 Text Message Service
Emergency 999 Text Message Service
You can now use the text message (SMS) service to contact the emergency services. You need to register first, text register to 999 and follow the instructions. More information below:
Hydrosnake flood defence barriers
Hydrosnake flood defence
Hydrosnake flood defence barriers
The Parish Council have been looking at ways to support the community after the flash flooding at the beginning of the year. Although many of the potential solutions are beyond the reach of the Parish Council we have found a product that could potentially help should a similar event occur in the future.
Cllr Sanders has agreed to match any funding from the Parish Council to provide Hydrosnakes to those worried about the impact of flooding on their property. For those at risk of flooding Hydrosnakes offer a more practical alternative to traditional sandbags. They are easier to store, transport and deploy than sandbags and after use can be composted with other garden waste. More information can be found by clicking here.
We plan to offer Hydrosnakes free of charge to residents of the parish on a first come, first served basis. To try to gauge demand we are asking those who think that Hydrosnakes could help protect their property to contact the Parish Council by completing the form on this page. Once we have an idea of numbers then we will then place a bulk order and arrange distribution.
The Parish Council has a store of emergency equipment available for use in various emergencies. For more information please visit the webpage: Emergency Equipment.
Brentor Remembers – 10th November 2024 at 10.45 a.m.
Brentor will remember those from the parish and beyond that have died in the service of their country on Sunday 10th November. After an act of remembrance at the Brentor War Memorial there will be a service in Christ Church.
Volunteers will be collecting for the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal in the weeks running up to Remembrance Day. Please donate if you can or use the QR code provided in the envelopes if you are not around when they call. You can also donate by clicking the link below:
If you are a UK tax payer please consider Gift Aid. It allows the Royal British Legion to reclaim around 25% of your donation.
Brentorians AGM 17th Sept 2024
Brentorians AGM
The Brentorians will be holding their AGM at the Village Hall on the 17th September 2024 at 7.00 p.m. As well as discussing the items on the agenda (below) they will be planning future productions and reading scripts. Anyone interested in getting involved with the ever popular village plays is welcome to come along on the evening and get involved.
Advice for those visiting (and living in) Brentor with four legged friends
Advice for those visiting (and living in) Brentor with four legged friends
Brentor Parish is lucky to welcome many visitors during the year, some just for a few hours to enjoy the walks and moors around the village others for a longer relaxing break. Many bring with them their four legged companions and there is some excellent advice on the Dartmoor website about keeping safe and acting responsibly when with your friend. It is also an excellent reminder for those lucky to live here how to get along with those who perhaps don’t love dogs quite as much. The full advice can be found here: Visiting with your dog | Dartmoor but in summary the advice is:
- Always pick up after your dog, dog faeces is not only unpleasant but is also a health risk. Always carry poo bags and dispose of them in dog bins or take them home. Bags are available at the field if you forget to bring them with you. Please keep dogs out of the children area at the playing field at all times.
- Keep your dog on a lead when near livestock, during livestock breeding season and at all times between 1 March and 31 July. This helps protect ground nesting birds as well as livestock and their young. On certain land the lead must be fixed and under 2 metres in length.
- Keep your dog under close control when using public rights of way, and during the warmer months when adders are likely to be active and basking in sunshine.
- If cattle chase your dog it is safest to let go of the lead and retrieve your dog later.
Brentorians AGM – 17/09/24
The Brentorians AGM and play discussions for Spring 2025 production will take place at Brentor Village Hall on Tuesday 17th September at 7pm.
Please come along if you would like to be involved in the Brentorians (amateur dramatic group) in any capacity.
Please bring any plays you think might be suitable for next year’s production.
Recent flooding across Brentor and Devon
Flood damage in West Blackdown
Villages in Action News
Villages in Action Event
Dartmoor Commoner’s Council Elections 2024
Elections to the Dartmoor Commoner’s Council will take place this year as follows:
|
 North |
Tuesday |
Belstone Village Hall EX20 1RDÂ |
 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. |
|
 South |
 Wednesday |
 South Brent Village Hall |
 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. |
|
 East |
Thursday |
 Manaton Parish Hall |
7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. |
| Â West | Monday 17 June 2024 |
 Princetown Community Centre, PL19 6QE |
 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. |
For more information click here:
New defibrillator at the Village Hall
A new defibrillator has been installed at the Village Hall in Brentor to replace the old unit which had reached the end of it’s serviceable life. The equipment and storage cabinet have been purchased with Parish Council funds and a grant from the Department of Health and Social Care fund.In the event of a medical emergency always dial 999 first. The ambulance service know where defibrillators are located and how to access them. There is no mobile phone cover in much of the Parish but there is a public payphone adjacent to the War Memorial in Brentor which can be used to call the emergency services.
For more information about defibrillators (and other emergency equipment) and what to do in an emergency please click here.
Beware – Rogue Traders!
Increasing reports of rogue traders in Devon
Trading Standards, Police and Local Authorities are all warning residents that there has been an increase in rogue traders targeting residents in the county.
In particular individuals are knocking on doors and suggesting that work needs to be carried out on the properties roof. These people are giving the impression that they are representatives of well known, reputable local companies making it difficult to identify that they are in face rogue traders. Advice from the Local Authority, Devon and Cornwall Police and Trading Standards is not to employ anyone knocking on your door touting for business and to always thoroughly check out anybody you are thinking of employing to carry out any work. They have also produced two leaflets with great advice about dealing with trades people and cold callers. You can download these by clicking on them below.
Defibrillator Training at Village Hall
Defibrillator Training
The Village Hall and Playing Field Committee have arranged for free defibrillator training for Brentor residents. The training will take place in the village hall on the 23rd April 2024 between 7.00 p.m. and 9.00 p.m.
The course is free of charge but there is a limit of 20 participants so registering is essential. You can either register at the coffee morning on the 6th April or by contacting Sandra Johnson via email by completing the form below:
Alvin Diaz – Update
Alvin Diaz
Latest Events List
The latest event list has been published by the Village Hall and Playing Field Committee, there’s plenty going on including Curry Night and Car Boot Sales at the playing field….
Councillor vacancy
A vacancy has arisen on Brentor Parish Council after the resignation of one of the councillors. If you are interested in joining the council please get in touch.
Mount Kelly Choral Society Spring Concert
Mount Kelly Choral Society and Orchestra in Concert
Mount Kelly Choral Society and Orchestra
Saturday 20th April 19:30
St Eustachius' Parish Church, Tavistock
Karl Jenkins' The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace
Mount Kelly Choral Society and Orchestra
Conductor: Dan Robson
We will be performing Karl Jenkins' most popular work in this, the year of his 80th birthday. It is in many ways a call for peace in times of war, and has several movements which are settings of texts from the Catholic Mass. It also uses the 15th-century folk song "L'homme armé" which featured in choral works by Josquin des Prez and Francisco Guerrero, amongst others, as well as texts from more modern authors including Rudyard Kipling. Accompanied by wind, brass, keyboards and percussion, this promises to be an exciting and moving concert.
Tickets: £14 TicketSource (www.ticketsource.co.uk/mount-kelly-choral-society) or Bookstop in Tavistock; £15 cash on door. Under-18s free.
Further information on the MKCS website www.mountkellychoralsociety.com
New defibrillator at the playing field
The Brentor Village Hall and Playing Field Committee have obtained and installed a new defibrillator in the Playing Field in Burn Lane.
The Parish Council are in the process of acquiring a new defibrillator for outside the Village Hall, we are hoping that it will be in place in the next few weeks.
In order to access the defibrillators you will need to use a code that will be provided by the operator when you call 999.
Brentor Parish Council needs you!
There are several vacancies on the Parish Council at the moment. If you are interested in becoming a Parish Councillor and helping your community then please get in touch!
Stop the Meters – Tavistock Parking – Public Meeting
Stop the Meters – Tavistock Parking – Public Meeting
There is a public meeting at the Bedford Hotel on 28th February 2024 at 6 p.m. to discuss the next steps in the campaign to stop parking charges being imposed in Tavistock. Devon County Council are meeting on the 13th March to decide whether to implement the charges and there is a protest planned at County Hall. For more information visit the campaign website at https://www.tavistockbid.co.uk/stop-the-meters-campaign
Defibrillator at the village hall
The defibrillator at the Village Hall has been taken out of service due to a technical fault. The emergency services have been informed so that no one is advised to use it whilst it is repaired or a new one sourced.
In the meantime the nearest defibrillator is at Mary Tavy Post Office.
For information about performing CPR in an emergency please click here: Emergency CPR
Road Closures
Road Closure - Burn Lane and Brentor Road, Mary Tavy
DCC have given notice of two road closures:
Burn Lane, Brentor - 18th to 29th March 2024: Closure of the road so that works can be carried out to the old railway bridge
Brentor Road, Mary Tavy - 9th to 11th April 2024:Â Closure of road for water mains work
Both of these closures will cause some inconvenience but the works in Mary Tavy will have more impact. You can find out more about the closures, including the exact location, by clicking on the link here Map (highway-iams.uk) and entering Brentor into the search box and then clicking on the blue and white menu button to the left of the search box. This will open up some options on the left of the screen where you can select the type of information that you want to see.
4G Booster Voucher Scheme Relaunched
4G Boosters - Voucher Scheme Relaunched
Connecting Devon and Somerset have recently relaunched the scheme allowing Devon residents to apply for a voucher to improve the indoor 4g mobile signal. Improving the signal can give faster, more reliable Internet and calls over the mobile phone network. There are a number of restrictions and requirements before a voucher (worth up to £1200) is issued, for full details click here: Mobile Boost Voucher Scheme – a guide
Proposed parking charges in Tavistock and Okehampton
Parking charges consultation ends 7th January - be quick!
Devon County Council has announced plans to introduce on street parking charges in Tavistock and Okehampton despite opposition from just about everyone. Not only is there strong opposition to the proposed charges DCC have not provided any evidence to support the benefits that they believe the charges will bring (better air quality, less traffic and better access to premises).
The consultation period ends at the end on the next week (7th January). Please click on the link below to send your thoughts to DCC about what appears to be another cash grab. There is more information on the following sites:
- Stop The Meters Campaign | Tavistock BID
- Tavistock parking charge protest petition huge support | tavistock-today.co.uk
- Proposed Pay and Display - Roads and transport (devon.gov.uk)
You can send your comments using the form here Parking Charges Response Form and sign the petition here Petition · Stop The Meters! Protect Tavistock Town Centre - Keep Parking Free. · Change.org and another here Petition | Tavistock (visit-tavistock.co.uk)
