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Double rail heritage celebration in Newton Abbot

REVISED INFORMATION

A PLANNED double celebration of railway heritage, set to take place in Newton Abbot on Tuesday May 6, has been revised.

The first event at 11am to mark the official unveiling of the All Aboard art installation in Keyberry Road has been postponed.

This is due to key personnel now being unavailable.

The project, which features a 30m-long depiction of a locomotive and railway carriages carrying items from the museum’s GWR collection, has breathed new life into a grim pedestrian underpass below the mainline railway.

The work was coordinated by Community Outreach Worker Kate Green and made possible by an £8,500 grant from the Teignbridge Arts Project.

Some elements of the installation are printed on large aluminium panels with the mural painted by local artist Caroline Brady.

The whole piece was influenced by extensive public workshops in which residents pored over museum artefacts and highlighted those which resonated most with them.

The installation also features QR codes linking to oral archives in the museum’s rail collection.

The official unveiling will be confirmed in due course.

The day’s second event at 12pm will still take place however at the nearby British Rail Western Region signal gantry on Torquay Road.

One of Newton Abbot’s best loved landmarks, the 70-year-old structure was showing its age but has been renovated by volunteers from South Devon Railway in a project led by the museum and Newton Abbot Town Council.

It was supported by donations to the museum, in particular from the late Denis Lewis of the Railway Studies Group.

Curator Dr Charlotte Dixon said: ‘It’s wonderful to see these two projects coming to fruition, something only made possible by the many volunteers who willingly contributed their time, creativity, effort and donations, we’re very grateful indeed.

‘Newton Abbot’s rail heritage runs deep with the town once referred to as “the Swindon of the west”.

‘The gantry is one of the first things people see as they enter the town from the A380 and the underpass is used by hundreds of pedestrians every day.

‘Both sites were a bit sad and neglected, now they are treasured assets and we know from the public’s feedback that they’re delighted with the results.’

The two events will be led by Mayor Cllr Alex Hall and involve many of the volunteers who took part including pupils from local primary schools.

The below images show both the gantry and some of the All Aboard artwork

A NEW mural has received its official unveiling in Newton Abbot.

The Community Tree is the work of landscape graffiti artist Joe Webster who collaborated with fellow artist Catherine West, residents, charities and schools to draw out people’s connections with nature.

The image, which covers the entire gable end of a building in Bank Street owned by landlord Philip Ord, depicts a tree that was felled in April 1922 to allow construction of the town’s war memorial.

It is made up of more than 600 words highlighting the community’s ‘memories and feelings towards trees and nature’ that were submitted in a series of face-to-face workshops and online consultations.

On Tuesday April 15, many of those associated with the project gathered to witness its official handover with Rotarian Jeremy Newcombe leading the proceedings.

His charity, together with Newton Abbot Town Council, Teignbridge District Council and the Government’s Levelling Up Fund, had been the main sponsors of the £30,000 installation that required the wall to be re-rendered prior to painting.

He said: ‘The mural conveys a celebration of nature alongside grief for its destruction.

‘The image of the tree you see is strewn with graffiti symbolising our human presence and impact, both beautiful and ugly.

‘The graffiti in Joe’s painting is intended to represent our humanity, our language and creations, as well as our pollution and the excess in our lives.’

Describing the mural as ‘a wonderful addition to our town’, Mr Newcombe ended his speech by saying: ‘Joe, we are in awe of your talents and so appreciative of your work and creativity.’

Deputy Mayor Cllr Colin Parker echoed the sentiments and added: ‘It is my great honour to and pleasure to dedicate this and open this as The Community Tree.’

Newton Abbot MP Martin Wrigley said: ‘Thank you everyone who is involved, this is brilliant.’

Other recent artworks in the town include the Tunnels of Love installations at Penn Inn and the soon to be revealed All Aboard railway mural in Keyberry Road.

The below images show the ceremony taking place.

Artist Joe Webster is front and centre wearing a grey jacket and stood next to Newton Abbot MP Martin Wrigley.

For more information email contact@strategypr.co.uk or call 07711595023.

300 free Easter eggs to be given away in Newton Abbot

THREE hundred chocolate Easter eggs will be given away in Newton Abbot on Saturday April 19 as part of a four-hour package of free family fun.

Events get under way in the town centre at 10am and are set to feature crafts with Creative Newton Abbot, balloon modelling, face painting and friendly walkabout characters.

Live music will be provided by The Hot House Combo and Spectrum Orchestra with shoppers encouraged to dance their way through the streets.

The Easter eggs will be given away on a first come first served basis with a strict one-per-child rule.

The 10am – 2pm Easter Saturday programme has been arranged by Newton Abbot Town Council. Events Organiser Natalie Hicks said: ‘We love to offer these free family-friendly activities, not only are they good for businesses in the town with extra people coming in but great too for households looking for fun that doesn’t cost a fortune.

‘Hopefully the weather will be kind and we’ll have plenty of people enjoying a lively spring Saturday in the town centre.

‘Although we’ll have our stalls in Courtenay Street there are plenty more places to explore, be that Queen Street and Union Street, or our fantastic free museum which will be open until 1.30pm.

‘Newton Abbot Library will be holding its Story Time between 10.30am – 11am and the Lego Club between 1pm and 3pm.

‘Both of those activities are free too, although donations are welcomed, and no booking is required, just turn up and enjoy.

‘Wonderful Bakers Park and Bradley Wood with their acres of open space and the River Lemon are just a short walk away as is Courtenay Park, so why not come into town, enjoy some free fun with us and then grab something for a picnic?

‘We’ve got loads of great places to eat and drink in as well so whatever you want, Newton Abbot has it covered.

‘We’ll see you there!’

The below image shows Natalie and young friend Ruby at last year’s Easter fun.

Organisers will use their discretion when offering Easter eggs with primary school children taking priority.

The event is subject to weather conditions and could be cancelled at short notice.

For more information email natalie.hicks@newtonabbot-tc.gov.uk or call 01626 201120.

Volunteer opportunities as visitor numbers grow at Newton Abbot Museum

AS visitor numbers continue to grow at Newton Abbot Museum a call has gone out for extra volunteers.

Help is needed both at the welcome desk and nearby St Leonard’s Tower which opens for the 2025 season in May.

The opportunities come with full training and only a modest time-commitment, with perks of being a volunteer including meeting new people, CV boosting, being part of the museum community, attending Friends of the Museum talks for free and volunteer socials.

Curatorial Assistant Katie Petley-Jones said: ‘The museum’s continued success means we always need fresh faces and we’d really appreciate an extra couple of people for our front of house team.

‘Ideally that would be every week or on an ad hoc basis and it involves welcoming visitors, helping with sales in the shop and handing out activity trails.

‘They can explain how our Pastport scheme works, also the Curio app which allows people to scan QR codes for more information about objects within the museum collection.

‘Of course, we don’t expect new volunteers to come equipped with all the knowledge they’ll need so we’ll make sure they are fully trained and feel supported in the role.

‘We’re also a very friendly bunch and enjoy our work together.’

Nearby St Leonard’s Tower is due to open for the summer in May.

The historic structure is all that remains of a 13th century church and is the town’s best-known landmark.

It was built by the wealthy Abbots of Torre and stood at the heart of old Newton Abbot

‘In the Tower our volunteers welcome visitors and offer them a bit of information about its history,’ said Katie.

‘They keep a tally of how many people come in, they go through the risk assessment and have the option to show visitors the upper floor.

‘If they’re more comfortable staying on the ground floor there’s still plenty to talk about both inside and out.

‘I’m confident that our volunteering opportunities both in the tower and the museum are truly fulfilling and we look forward to making the new recruits really welcome.’

For more information call 01626 201121 or email groups@newtonabbot-tc.gov.uk.

Report those abandoned trolleys!

Newton Abbot Town Council

FOLLOWING complaints about abandoned shopping trolleys in the River Lemon and elsewhere, Newton Abbot Town Council has called on supermarket giant Asda to honour its pledge to round up the rogue items.

The matter was raised at a meeting of the Full Council in January when members heard from resident Tom Pearce.

In a letter to the Clerk Phil Rowe he wrote: ‘In light of the continuous issue of abandoned trolleys in the River Lemon and hedgerows around the town, will Newton Abbot Town Council formally request Asda Supermarkets add a coin return mechanism and connecting chains to their trolleys?

‘A similar system is used at the Lidl store in Kingsteignton and prevents this antisocial behaviour issue.’

After debating the matter it was agreed that a letter be sent to the firm, insisting that it tidy up its act.

Within days a response was received and although Asda has ruled out a coin-return scheme it has provided information about the measures it has in place, including the magnetic wheel lock that should operate when a trolley is taken off site.

A spokesman said: ‘We have a trolley retention system in place on the car park of our Newton Abbot store, as well as a service agreement with Collex who collect any abandoned trolleys free of charge.

‘While we know that the majority of our customers take care of our trolleys, if anyone spots one where it shouldn’t be, they can let us know by calling 0800 1860 600, emailing request@collextrolley.com, or by downloading the Collex App, so the trolley can be collected as soon as possible.’

Mr Rowe was not hugely impressed with the statement.

‘The firm claims it has a system in place but clearly it hasn’t been working as well as it could.

‘It’s a shame that it has to be the public that picks up the baton on this but at least we now know how to get abandoned trolleys removed.

‘So jot down that number, put the email address in your contacts list and download the app.

‘Perhaps together we can rid the town of this annoying problem, and thanks to Tom Pearce for asking the question.’

The below images show an abandoned trolleys.

Multi Storey Car Park – Lift Entrance Modernisation Project

Newton Abbot Town Council

Essential modernisation work will start next week to replace the lift at the multi-storey car park on Sherborne Road, Newton Abbot. The lift will be out of use from Monday 20 January 2025 for up to 8 weeks while it is replaced. Over recent years, the lift has become unreliable and now needs to be replaced to avoid the cost of further repairs due to faults and breakdowns.

We understand this may cause inconvenience to people with mobility issues and parents with prams, and are sorry for the disruption. However, the work does need to take place to ensure we can provide a reliable lift in the longer term. Alternative disabled parking spaces are available in both the Cattle Market and Halcyon Road car parks. We will keep you updated on when the work is due to be completed. For further information please email: assets@teignbridge.gov.uk

Newton Abbot Victorian Evening

Elfic the Juggler set to wow crowds at Newton Abbot’s Victorian Evening

THE ever-popular children’s entertainer, Elfic, is just one of the free attractions drawing the crowds into Newton Abbot on Wednesday December 4 for the town’s annual Victorian Evening.

The award-winning comedy juggler is renowned for wowing audiences with his madcap shows which this year will take place at 5.30pm and 7pm in Market Square.

Visitors are also encouraged to keep an eye out for a wandering polar bear, stilt-walking policeman and an old-fashioned gent pedalling his penny farthing bicycle.

Santa and Mrs Claus will be present too as will a wide range of charity stalls and hot food vendors.
Many shops and cafes will offer late night opening while the Spectrum Orchestra provides a seasonal backdrop with popular carols.

Anyone keen to take a peak into Santa’s Grotto can pop into St Leonard’s Clock Tower and snap a selfie while the great man is outside on his sleigh meeting with fans.

Natalie Hicks, Events Co-ordinator at Newton Abbot Town Council said: ‘The Victorian Evening has been a family favourite for many years with all our charity stallholders in period costume and vying to win the best-dressed stall award.

‘It’s not an event that’s stuck in the past though, with plenty of free attractions we know go down well with young and old alike.
‘Let’s hope we get some clear skies to add that winter sparkle, we’ll see you there between 5pm and 8pm!’

Another festive event is the Doggy Carol Service with Rev Gareth Regan in Wolborough Street at 12 noon on Saturday December 7.

Families and their beloved pet pooches are encouraged to take part with free lyric sheets and gingerbread biscuits on offer.
Musical encouragement will be provided by the Forte Singers and Spectrum Orchestra.
For event details follow Newton Abbot Town Council on Facebook and Instagram.

Free family fun in Newton Abbot as the Christmas season begins!

RESIDENTS and visitors have been urged to put Saturday November 23 in their diaries as that’s the date for the big Christmas lights switch-on in Newton Abbot.

The day will feature street food stalls, free children’s entertainment, a walkabout Polar Bear, stiltwalkers and live broadcasts by Devon Air Radio presenter Chris Coleman.

Also promised is a return visit from the Ipplepen Carnival Float, the crew from Newton Abbot Fire Station in one of their gleaming red engines (subject to operational demands) and, of course, Santa and his sleigh.

Events get under way at 9am when street food vendors fire up their stoves.

Free facepainting, balloon modelling and crafts will take place from 12 noon – 4pm and free fireside selfies can be had in Santa’s Grotto at St Leonard’s Tower between 2pm – 4pm.

The walkabout Polar Bear will be in town 2pm – 2.30pm and again from 3pm – 3.30pm while the ever-popular Taiko Drummers will perform at 2.30 pm and 3.10pm.

Stilt walkers will mingle with the crowds from 4pm then attention will shift towards St Leonard’s Tower shortly before 5pm when free hats and sweets will be handed out by Santa’s little helpers.

The giveaway will be followed by the arrival of the great man himself and the rest of the festive parade, with the lights switch-on being conducted by Mayor Cllr Alex Hall and Father Christmas at 5.30pm.

Afterwards Mr and Mrs Clause will meet with their army of young fans until 6.30pm.

Cllr Hall said: ‘Once again the town of Newton Abbot will welcome the start of the Christmas season with a wonderful day of free family fun and entertainment, courtesy of the Town Council and no end of helpers behind the scenes.

‘The celebrations will be followed on Wednesday December 4 with our traditional Victorian Evening, then we will have the lantern workshop and 12pm dog-friendly carol service on Saturday December 7.

The Lantern Parade at 6.30pm on Wednesday December 11 will no doubt prove to be a huge draw once again, then on December 18 I’ll be hosting the Mayor’s Carol Service from 6.30pm at St Leonard’s Tower.

‘Don’t forget there will be late night shopping each Wednesday on December 4, 11 and 18 when Santa will be in town and his grotto open for selfies.

‘Look out for the posters, follow the Town Council on social media and visit our website for all the details.

‘Here we go Newton Abbot, Christmas 2024 is on its way!’

The full events listing can be viewed at www.newtonabbot-tc.gov.uk.

Some images below from previous Christmas events in Newton Abbot

Newton Abbot Remembrance Sunday

Newton Abbot Remembrance Sunday Parade to be live streamed!

ANYONE unable to attend Abbot’s Remembrance Sunday Parade on November 10 will be able to stream the event live on Facebook with organisers saying the ceremony should be able to proceed despite long-term roadworks in Queen Street.

Participants will begin to gather in Courtenay Street at 10am with the parade, led by the Devonport Royal Naval Volunteer Band, moving off at 10.35am.

The route through Queen Street will be passing by the ongoing civil engineering project but Newton Abbot Town Council is in talks with the District and County Authorities to ensure safe and sufficient access is maintained.

On arrival at the War Memorial, the Salvation Army Band will play an introduction followed by the first hymn, Lord For the Years, led by singer Tracey Pearce.

Prayers will follow, as will a scripture reading by Martin Wrigley MP, a Bible reading and the Exhortation “They shall not grow old as we that are left grow old”.

The Last Post will be played at 10.58am with two minutes of silence starting at 11am, ended by the Reveille.

The service Service will conducted by Royal British Legion Chaplain, Reverend Bruce Porter, and Royal Air Force Cadets Chaplain Gareth Regan.

It will be followed wreath laying from Newton Abbot Mayor Cllr Alex Hall, the Chairman of Teignbridge District Council, Martin Wrigley MP, representatives of the Royal British Legion and members of the public.

Prayers for the Armed Forces will precede an address by Cllr Hall, further hymns and the reading of a poem by Corinna Richards from the 8th Newton Abbot Guides.

After the Lord’s Prayer, National Anthem and Blessing, the Parade will reform and march back to the Royal British Legion Headquarters.

The Mayor, accompanied by the Senior Naval Officer and the Presidents of the Royal British Legion, will take the salute at the War Memorial.

The parade will fall-out in Marsh Road at the Royal British Legion.

Once the standards have cleared, the Mayor, Councillors and uniformed groups will move onto the pavement in front of the War Memorial.

The Cubs, Brownies and Rainbows will remain in the fenced area to form a Guard of Honour for the Mayor.

To stream the event live visit Newton Abbot Town Council’s Facebook page.

A short service will also be held at the War Memorial on Monday 11th November at 10.45am.