Heart of village goes up in smoke

LESS than two weeks after lockdown restrictions were lifted, The Jolly Sailor in East Ogwell went up in flames on Friday evening.

12 fire appliances battled the blaze that engulfed the thatched roof pub described with parish council chairman Steve Reynolds saying: ‘This is extremely sad, The Jolly Sailor is the heart of the village.’

‘SEISMIC changes’ are feared in the way our Dartmoor National Park Authority (DNPA) is run, and two of the authority’s leaders spelled out what this could mean for the park.

One of the big issues is the Glover Review’s proposed crea- tion of a National Land Service, something the Government will be considering in its response to the review.

Kevin Bishop, CEO of DNPA, said: ‘Our concern is that if the BBC is correct then the direction of travel is a step backwards. A centralised service running all 10 national parks in the same way, we don’t see that as a positive reform.

A MAN it’s fair to say was a true Teignbridge character has died.

Dave Grylls, born and bred in Newton Abbot, and who later lived in King- steignton, died on March 23 after a long illness at the age of 87.

Proud of the town’s history, after retiring he managed the railway section at Newton Abbot Museum, and while dressed as Isambard Kingdom Brunel, complete with stovetop hat, he would greet coach parties visiting the town on market day.

AS police investigate a suspected arson attack on his horsebox, the man who has taken up residence on a piece of land in Newton Abbot vowed he would carry on.

Firefighters were called to the land in Market Street in the early hours of Saturday morning.

It completely destroyed the horsebox but fortunately Russell O’Connor was not in it at the time.

The owners of the land said they were shocked to hear of the blaze but said they would continue to take legal action to remove him from their land

‘WE’VE been killed by Covid,’ was the verdict of Open Daw’s chair of trustees Kerry Sherwin.

The local charity, which has offered advice and somewhere safe for people to go in Dawlish for some 15 years has now ceased operations.

Although based at the town’s Methodist church, the secular chari- ty was there for all residents.

A wildfire which could have ‘devastated local wildlife’ is just the latest in a series of problems that a leading Devon charity says is affecting its 58 nature reserves.

The fire was discovered last Wednesday at Devon Wildlife Trust’s Bovey Heathfield nature reserve.

Fire crews from Bovey Tracey were able to control the blaze, although half an acre of the heathland site was damaged leaving behind charred heather, gorse and grass.

A £100 reward has been offered for information after signs protecting a seal in Teignmouth were set alight.

They were put in place around the animal’s usual resting area at Back Beach because some people had been going up and touching it.

Town councillors have been taking great care to make sure it has been left in peace and

THE Hollywood director behind blockbuster films We Bought a Zoo, Jerry Maguire and Almost Famous, has become the first patron of the Dartmoor Zoological Society charity.

Cameron Crowe, the director of We Bought a Zoo which is based on zoo founder Benjamin Mee’s book of the same name, has pledged to support the charity with the use of his name, after taking a key interest in the zoo’s conservation work.

Cameron’s patronage will help the Dartmoor Zoological Society charity continue its vital work.

A SERVICE to commemorate the life of the Duke of Edinburgh was held at St Paul’s Church, Newton Abbot, on Friday.

Newton Abbot mayor Richard Jenks, mayoress Karen Jenks and deputy mayor Mike Joyce joined the congregation restricted to 30 in paying their respects to Prince Philip, husband of Queen Elizabeth II for 73 years.