Aveton Gifford
Rosie Warrillow | 07779290653 or email [email protected]
The Parish Council met last week, and among the topics covered were potholes in and around the village. The good news is that work has begun on some of the potholes on the Tidal Road, which was much needed as there were some large ones down there. More work will follow on the main roads soon, and hopefully, some attention will be given to the drains, as the recent bad weather has highlighted some recurring problems.
Regarding the old boats on the river, the Duchy is taking responsibility for contacting the owners of unseaworthy craft. Unfortunately, the project to paint the underpass has not yet started. The plan is to repaint it with the help of local schools to brighten up the area—more news to follow as we have it.
The old salt store is set to be revamped, with a rat problem being addressed. A new metal floor is proposed, and the old contaminated salt will be disposed of. A plan to manage some of the parish trees caused some controversy, but it was agreed that several trees need some care before the winter storms set in. There are a few poplar trees that need trimming and some willows requiring attention.
The Monday Club has been resurrected and is once again active in the village. It takes place in the village hall between 2-4 pm. The plan is to play card games and board games while enjoying refreshments—a nice idea with winter approaching! Please contact Maggie Skates on 01548 550153 for further details.
A new Book Club is also starting up. The plan is for members to read and discuss books, with each member having the opportunity to choose a book for the group. For more details, please contact Caroline Barker on 01548 550730.
St Andrew’s will hold a service this Sunday to welcome its Mission Partners, Eric and Sandra Read, to the church. Eric will talk about their work in the Philippines, which the church sponsors. Everyone is welcome to attend, and refreshments will be served after the service.
Chillington and Stokenham
Ruth Brooking | [email protected]
In 2022, Mary Sanders wrote a fascinating Village Voice article about the history and activities of Chillington Methodist Church. Chillington Gospel Hall, a small wooden chapel, stood on Coleridge Lane for a century. Today, a bungalow named Chapel Steps occupies the site.
We held three services on Sundays. At 11 am, there were hymns, prayers, Bible readings with reflections, and the celebration of Holy Communion. At 2:30 pm, we had Sunday School for children and a Bible class for teenagers. A screen was pulled across the middle to separate the two groups. Alan Brooking led the children, while Rowland Holman taught the Bible class. At 6:30 pm, we had a Gospel Service, with speakers coming from across South West Devon and Saltash. A missioner from the Royal Sailors' Rest regularly attended as well.
In the morning service, we sang heartily without music. For the afternoon service, Ruth Carter played the large pedal organ, and Evelyn Brooking also took turns playing. For Sunday School, we brought children from Frogmore, Sherford, and Stokenham, and it’s said that Charleton children were even given money for the bus! In the evening, we fetched people from Cotmore, Beeson, and Kellaton. It was lovely to see holidaymakers who returned every year.
The eldest son of Mr Holman (now 87) once told me, "Attending chapel three times on Sunday was an important part of my younger Christian life." After chapel on Sunday nights, we regularly enjoyed youth meetings with Stokenham Church at the home of Mrs Betty Venmore.
When two Church Army sisters arrived at Stokenham Church in 1963, we loved attending their services. We also had baby dedications and adult baptisms by immersion. My twin and I were baptised by our dad, along with Mac Carter and his sister, in an open-air pool! Following baptism and the public declaration of faith, we could partake of the bread and wine, which was the equivalent of Confirmation. On Wednesday evenings, we met in each other's homes for prayer and Bible study.
Every August, we had a Sunday School outing to Goodrington Sands, eating “sand sandwiches” on the beach! Tea was provided at Dawlish Gospel Hall, and we enjoyed fish and chips on the way home. In January, we held a tea party and prize-giving, where everyone received an age-appropriate book from the Christian Literature Shop in Plymouth. Trestle tables were stored under the chapel, which stood on stilts. After tea, we recited poems and Bible passages.
At Christmas, we went carol singing around Chillington and up to Coleridge Farm, where Joyce Gilbert always gave us mince pies. Students from Moorlands Bible College in Dawlish held children’s missions, including at Meadowside, which we loved. There was lots of singing, and two students returned for a two-week placement.
A sign reading GOSPEL HALL stood in our orchard, where we also had a corrugated iron corn store for our chickens. I still remember an American man saying to my dad at our shop, “I like your tin tabernacle!”
At one point, my twin and I led a weekly Young Sower's League at the chapel, attended by a few teenage girls. Unfortunately, when the last Elder died in 1993, the chapel had to close. We tried to find a way to reopen it, but it was eventually dismantled.
Several people still tell me they remember Sunday School fondly. In August, we had great fun at youth camp, joining Gospel Halls from Salcombe (now closed), Strete, Slapton, Dartmouth, and across Plymouth, travelling to coastal locations.
My dad’s funeral was held at the larger Methodist church, and my twin was married at Torcross Chapel, as Chillington Gospel Hall was not registered for weddings.
Our Chillington Burial Ground is located on Tanpits Lane, opposite Quarry Lane. Recently, the beautifully crafted Bible verses on the gate board, made by a local craftsman, were replaced. The last person buried there was Miss Ethel Trevarthen (aged 93), who had lived for 30 years in Tanpits Lane. In 1898, 12-year-old Nellie was buried there with the inscription, “She sleepeth in Jesus.” One day, my body will rest over my dad’s.