TAVISTOCK SUBSCRIPTION LIBRARY NEWSLETTER SPRING 2014

Transcription

1 TAVISTOCK SUBSCRIPTION LIBRARY NEWSLETTER SPRING 2014

2 TAVISTOCK SUBSCRIPTION LIBRARY NEWSLETTER SPRING 2014 TAVISTOCK SUBSCRIPTION LIBRARY NOTICE OF THE 2014 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING TO BE HELD ON FRIDAY 7 th MARCH 2014 at 7.30 p.m. AGENDA 1. Attendance 2. Apologies 3. Minutes of the last meeting 4. Matters arising 5. Chairman s Report 6. Secretary s Report 7. Treasurer s Report Librarian s Report 8. Membership Secretary s Report 9. Writers Group Report 10. Election of Officers for Proposed changes relating to the rules. 12. Writing Competition 13. Website 14. Open Day 15. Devon & Exeter Institution Visit 16. Any other business 17. Date and time of next meeting 2

3 CHAIRMAN S NOTES 2013 was a good year for the Library. Simon, our Honorary Secretary is now firmly established. The little garden, tended by Mary Freeman and her helpers is showing signs of spring. There was a successful open day in November, the brainchild of Graham Kirkpatrick, which brought in several new members and raised the library s profile in the town. Thanks to all those who helped during the day. Bill Lane s suggestion of an essay competition for young people at local schools to encourage new young members went ahead, but sadly there was a disappointing response. However we hope to repeat the exercise in future years. Congratulations to Brian Fyfield-Shayler on his award of a BEM for services to the community. Sadly we lost one of our oldest members and Honorary President, Delma Prance, last year. Delma had been living in a retirement home near Sherborne in recent years, but still kept in regular touch. Her late husband, Cyril Prance, was instrumental in saving the library in the 1960s, by persuading the Town Council to buy Court Gate and the old Librarian s Cottage, when it was disposed of by the Bedford Estate. Thanks are due to Robert Prance, who has donated his recent book on local railways, and a generous gift in memory of his mother, Delma, to the library. Our thanks go to Graham Kirkpatrick, Brenda and Sue for their running of the regular Friday coffee mornings. It would be appreciated if more members could join a dedicated core of regulars at them. Mary Freeman has also indicated that she will be standing down this year from the committee. She is a stalwart supporter and meticulous fount of knowledge and I have no doubt that we will be able to count on her wisdom in future, However there will be a vacancy for a new committee member who will also be expected to be a trustee. Finally the bookshelves designed for the Transactions of the Devonshire Association are progressing, albeit slowly. 3

4 TREASURER S REPORT The draft accounts for the year ended 31 December 2013 shows that income has in general held up compared to 2012 although from the Coffee morning income is considerably lower. Expenditure has however been greater due to the Committees decision to buy new books when any book of interest became available and to repair some of the older books. There was exceptional expenditure on electricity due to the previous supplier in 2012 failing to charge us and the successful Open Day. LIBRARIAN S REPORT The cross referencing of the books in the computer catalogue has been completed and a number of previously mislaid books have been discovered. My thanks go to Kerrie Martin for her help and support in this task. Funds were granted by the Committee to have the Memoirs and the Supplement to the Memoirs of Sir Joshua Reynolds repaired and rebound. We are most grateful to the Writers Group for their donation of 100. This has enabled us to have two poetry books by Rev H.E. Bray rebound. I would like to thank Peter Sharp, the book binder, for his advice and expertise in these matters. All recent additions to the Library have either been shelved where space allows, or will be on shelf A4 until the completion of the new book case. We hope that you all continue to support and make use of the Library. SECRETARY S COMMENTS Open Day An Open Day was held on 9th November at the suggestion of member John Killingbeck and with assistance from Graham Kirkpatrick and a number of members who manned the Reading Room for the day offering refreshments and conversation. About 50 people came through the door which resulted in 4 or 5 new members. It was felt that the day had been a great success and would be considered to be repeated in If any member feels they would like to become involved do please let us know. 4

5 Subscription Library Brass Sign. The Brass sign outside of the Library has been missing for some years and Simon has been making some enquiries about getting it replaced. We can only have a like-for-like replacement and permission has been obtained to go ahead with this. Simon is in the process of replacing the missing plaque with a new brass one with our website also detailed. Writing Competition. After discussion following the closing date for the competition, the committee awarded the prize to Matt Boyle, a year 12 pupil at Tavistock College for his work relating to the River Tavy, a journey to the sea. Simon is arranging a presentation of the prize Matt at the college soon. The Website is getting a lot of hits. New pages have been added recently detailing our book collection and also the Writing Competition results. WRITERS GROUP We still laugh a lot. After all these years, we manage to find something funny in members' writing, even if it's only a matter of ripping it to pieces verbally. But with newcomers, we're always careful to say that 'There's more right with that than there is wrong with it'. Oddly, perhaps, that's always true. Someone, perhaps aggrieved at having their work criticised in any way, said: 'Being criticised by TWG is like being disembowelled in public.' I seem to recall that it was at a time when we set up some evening meetings especially for a few people from Launceston Public Library. They didn't bother to come back, nor did they bother to let us know. Apart from that we've been a happy successful group for, I think, over thirty years. Some have been published by mainstream publishers and some have published on line - you can buy their books from Amazon, for example. We do our utmost to be kind but don't pull our punches. Come and give us a try. 5 John Tunnicliffe

6 The Tavistock Area By Matt Boyle (Year 12 Tavistock College) The River Tavy, Source to Sea The River Tavy has given Tavistock its name and its people water; brought many rivers, streams and springs together and carried them from source to sea. A few miles north of Peter Tavy, Atop Fur Tor lies the mere trickle of a stream hidden in the heart of the moor, which is the start of the river. This bleak and barren land is South Tavy Head where a spring trickles from amongst the marshland and joins an equally weak stream called the Fur Tor Brook. Together they make their way to Tavy Hole at Sandy Ford where they join the stream of the Amicombe. Fed by springs and streams it runs down to Tavy Cleave where it is joined by Dead Lakes Foot. Dead Lakes Foot is named from its slow, sluggish water flow which in warm seasons or periods of low rainfall, leave the stream drained, dry and dead. The first evidence of man is at Mile Leat, a channel used to move water to a specific location. At this point the river can be crossed using stepping stones and small islands. The river runs through the hills down towards Hill Bridge, a short distance from Mary Tavy. When the river level is low large boulders and mossy coverings are revealed underneath the dense trees. From Hill Bridge the river travels to the town named after it - Tavistock, which for centuries, has developed its history and community around the river. The Tavy gave the 6

7 people water and by a canal, allowed easy access to Morwellham Quay on the Tamar. In the year 977, Danish raiders travelled up the river Tamar and destroyed Tavistock Abbey. Tavistock s people can now cross the river by a substantial bridge which has allowed the town to expand on both sides. The river runs out of Tavistock from the south down to Double Waters, named from the rivers Tavy and Walkham, which meet here. With the collective force of two rivers and other tributaries, the Tavy rolls and crashes through the valleys before calming down at Lopwell Dam. This dam stops salt water from the estuary travelling further upstream. This is evident as on one side of the dam, marshes flourish with budding irises and wild flowers. However the other side is littered with sea weed brought up with the tide and thick mud which leaves a strong salt smell in the air. The dam also houses a fish ladder which allows fish to travel upstream.. From here the story changes. As the Tavy nears Plymouth it joins the Tamar, which moves into Plymouth now called The Hamoaze, derived from the Old English wase which means muddy banks at low tide. The Hamoaze, majestically flows into Plymouth Sound, where a ferry is the only practical method to cross. From The Sound, the waters of Devon travel out to sea and with that the epic journey of the river Tavy draws to a close - from source to sea. 7

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